A to Z Cooking School Teaches the Culinary Alphabet

A to Z Cooking School (a k a Apples to Zucchini) has moved its kitchen to the First Presbyterian Church, but they are still on the same mission to bring accessible culinary and health education to Santa Barbarans of all ages.

With a more central and accessible location, a beautiful patio for al fresco dining, and a cozy dining room, the move has opened a new chapter for A to Z Cooking School, reinvigorating their mission and easing the process of preparing for afterschool classes taking place from Goleta to Montecito.

Founder and Executive Director Nancy Martz stumbled upon her passion for cooking while taking a 12-week class during her time in law school. Years later, a meaningful volunteer experience planted the seed of an idea that eventually bloomed into A to Z. In March of 2016, Martz launched A to Z’s first after-school cooking class in Goleta, and they have since spread their mission to kitchens across Santa Barbara County.

“I realized that Americans were not learning to cook. I wanted to volunteer to teach cooking. When I discovered that there was not a local program that taught cooking to children, I decided to start A to Z Cooking School,” said Martz.

A to Z is Santa Barbara County’s only nonprofit cooking school. Their mission is rooted in bringing people together over shared meals, by teaching them how to prepare delicious, nutritious, and affordable foods. Offering hands-on classes for kids, teens, families, and adults, class series, after-school enrichment programs, and partnerships with other nonprofits, there is truly something for everyone at A to Z.

I rolled up my sleeves to step into their new kitchen and try a class. I took the Knife Skills Class, which was the first of a four-class series — Heat, Pan Cooking, and Flavor followed in the classes thereafter, giving participants a holistic kitchen learning experience.

We began with introductions with Chef Bernie Puron, assistants Theo Horne (teen culinary intern), and volunteers Nicole Domenici and Tarini Jayakumar, as well as the other participants. With two hours and an ambitious menu, we sprung into action to begin crafting udon yakisoba, smashed cucumber salad, quick pickled veggies, and sliced fruit with a matcha chantilly.

Chef Bernie walked us through knife safety and proper grip technique. We then moved into practice, cutting a variety of vegetables. Through repeated practice and some tips from volunteers, I refined my technique as I worked through a range of vegetables.

While focusing on the cutting board, I spoke to Martz about her mission to make health education accessible to Santa Barbara. In 2025, A to Z taught more than 1,900 students across the county, prepared and shared more than 7,600 meals, and served 19 schools and community sites. A to Z is making ripples across the Santa Barbara community, one meal at a time.

“We bring people together over shared meals by teaching children, teens, and adults how to prepare delicious, nutritious, affordable meals made from seasonal and local ingredients,” she said.

While preparing the meal, I also interacted with other class participants, sharing our personal experiences in the kitchen and the goals we hoped to achieve through taking A to Z classes. It truly built a sense of community and a shared goal around the meal.

In addition to classes like this, A to Z is expanding their class offerings, partnering with more local nonprofits to teach food insecure families and adults, and launching specialty and themed classes, as well as expanding to classes in the Santa Ynez Valley and Lompoc.

A to Z has a full calendar, with an upcoming German cooking class in collaboration with doctor and dietician Dr. Thomas Ellrott visiting from Germany. They are also excited about their upcoming classes with the Santa Barbara Culinary Experience, between olive oil risotto, the Farmers’ Market Tour and Tasting, as well as free kids’ crepe classes.

As we wrapped up cutting the vegetables and pooled them together, we gathered around the stove to learn some of Chef Bernie’s techniques as he whipped up the udon yakisoba. He imparted little bits of knowledge from culinary school that proved helpful in the kitchen. After lending a hand around the kitchen, the meal was prepared.

Chef Bernie, Martz, and the volunteers all joined us participants as we sat around a table and enjoyed the meal that we had prepared. It was delicious as promised, and we shared insights about the Santa Barbara community, exciting upcoming events, and our cooking experiences over tasty bites. I walked away from the class with sharpened skills, the full recipes that we had prepared, and a happy stomach.

To get involved with A to Z’s mission, community members are welcome to take classes, volunteer, or donate in support of their work. A to Z’s new location is at 21 E. Constance Avenue in Santa Barbara. Visit atozcookingschool.org for more information.