The Exploration Commons Teaching Kitchen at 50 East Main St. in Westminster runs hands-on cooking classes and demos year-round for kids, teens, and adults. Its slate for the rest of July includes fruit hand pies, salads, a fermentation demo, and a chicken tikka masala demo. Registration is required for most classes. This month's schedule also includes a full-day K-pop celebration on July 18.
Exploration Commons at 50 East was completed in December 2021, combining a makerspace, teaching kitchen, and meeting spaces under one roof below the Westminster branch of the Carroll County Public Library. In the 2025 fiscal year, it ran 573 programs and welcomed 6,136 attendees, said Ian Trawinski, a communications associate for the Carroll County Public Library.
"We have a lot of attendees in the kitchen who are trying new foods for the first time, and we get a lot of positive feedback about how surprised they are about flavors they didn't expect they'd like or recipes they didn't realize were so accessible," said Candace Birger, the Exploration Commons manager.
"We regularly have attendees send us photos of their recreations of recipes made in our kitchen. It's always fulfilling to see customers gaining enough confidence in our classes to try the recipes independently and to share those creations with their friends and families," said Birger.
This Week
Kids in the Kitchen: Fruit Hand Pies kicks off the week for ages 8–12, with sessions Monday, July 13, 1–2 p.m., and Tuesday, July 14, 1–2 p.m. Young bakers make a homemade seasonal fruit filling, then roll, fill, crimp, and bake their own flaky hand pies. Register for the Monday session or the Tuesday session.
Bright, Beautiful Salads on Tuesday, July 14, 5:30–7 p.m. (ages 15 and up) has participants prepare salads with homemade dressings and learn to balance flavors and textures. Register here.
Baking Basics: Mandarin Orange Refrigerator Cake on Wednesday, July 15, 10 a.m. to noon (ages 15 and up) is a no-bake summer dessert of mandarin oranges, ladyfingers, and creamy filling, led by guest presenter Andrea Berstler. Each registrant makes a cake to take home. Register here.
Next Weekend and Beyond
K-Pop Party: Boba Tea Creations runs Saturday, July 18, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. for the fourth annual K-pop celebration (ages 8 and up). A drop-in bubble tea bar is open throughout the day, alongside games, crafts, music, Korean snacks, and prizes. Wear your favorite K-pop outfit and bring photo cards to trade; goodie bags are available while supplies last. More information.
Fantastic Ferments Demo on Monday, July 20, 10–11:30 a.m. (ages 15 and up) covers the health benefits of fermented foods, with samples and tips for using gut-healthy products at home. Register here.
Easy Chicken Tikka Masala Cooking Demo on Monday, July 20, 2–3 p.m. (ages 13 and up) walks through the popular Indian dish and how to make a homemade garam masala spice blend. Register here.
Kids in the Kitchen: Fruit Hand Pies returns with three more sessions: Wednesday, July 22, 11 a.m. to noon and 5:30–6:30 p.m. (both ages 8–12), plus a Thursday, July 23, 5:30–6:30 p.m. session for ages 12–17. Register for the Wednesday morning, Wednesday evening, or Thursday session.
Books and Bites: Pigeon Cake closes out the month on Friday, July 24, 2:30–4 p.m. for ages 6–11. Attendees decorate a Pigeon-shaped cake while Westminster branch librarians lead a storytime. Each registration covers a table for up to four (one child plus up to three guests) to make one cake together. Register here.
Closed-toed shoes are required in the Teaching Kitchen, and the minimum age allowed is 6. For a full list of upcoming programs, visit explorationcommons.carr.org/kitchen.
Featured photo: from The Teaching Kitchen webpage on explorationcommons.carr.org
Want to see the space before you sign up? Take a walk through the Teaching Kitchen in Westminster Wire’s TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook video.