Food and television fanatics take note: Earlier this summer, Bravo announced the development of “Top Chef Junior,” a teenage-focused spin-off of its reality hit, “Top Chef.” Hopeful contestants aged 13 to 16 will face off to prove that they can chop, sauté, and broil beyond their years, and best their competition.

The show represents Bravo’s latest attempt to cater to America’s obsession with all things culinary. It also mirrors the growing acceptance of cooking as a respectable, and even desirable, career path for teenagers. “Teens are much more evolved and independent then they used to be,” Jennifer Goren, the director of culinary arts at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, said. “They want to cook at home for their friends and families, and want to turn cooking into a profession.”

When “Top Chef Junior” eventually airs (an air date is pending), it is likely that a teenager from food-savvy New York City will be among the contestant ranks. For now, though, New York’s teenagers have plenty of opportunities to engage in cooking classes at culinary institutes across city, without the heat from the judges’ table.

Institute of Culinary Education

800-522-4610

iceculinary.com

Teen courses have long been a central ingredient of ICE’s recreational curriculum, which offers over 1,500 public classes each year for amateur home chefs and budding sommeliers. An instructor at ICE, Kathryn Gordon, said that the wide variety in the physical development of teenagers occasionally poses challenges in the kitchen, particularly when students are not tall enough to comfortably reach the instruction table. Still, Ms. Gordon believes in exposing her teenage chefs to the same techniques as ICE’s adult students. “Am I going to teach a 12-year-old how to kill a lobster? Yes: They might get a little grossed out at first, but I would not hide anything from them,” Ms. Gordon said.

This fall, ICE’s teenage class list reads like an around-the-world cuisine survey, including Brazilian, Indian, Italian, and Thai-themed courses. They also offer a Harry Potter Kitchen Wizardry class, where 11-14-year-old students can prepare butterbeer, pumpkin shakes, and other magical dishes inspired by J.K. Rowling’s popular book series. It is this creative and international approach to cooking that ensures ICE’s continued popularity with the teenage set. Prices range from $95-$210.

The JCC in Manhattan

646-505-5708 (class registration)

jccmanhattan.org

Ms. Goren attributes the growing interest in cooking among youth to “the almighty television,” particularly the rise in popularity of the Food Network and “Top Chef.” “Celebrity chefs rank up there with rock stars,” she said. Today’s teenagers, she said, are also more likely than past generations to have special food requirements (such as food allergies or vegetarianism) that heighten their overall awareness about food. As a result, Ms. Goren said that the JCC, whose kosher kitchen welcomes Jewish and non-Jewish students alike, seeks out instructors who possess that special “rock star quality,” and offers classes that tempt the teenage palate.

The students, it seems, appreciate the effort. 14-year-old Weslee Yacker said that the JCC’s summer Teen Cooking Camp was so engaging that she “never even looked at the clock.” Ms. Yacker particularly enjoyed learning new techniques such as grilling and rolling sushi, and cooking in an all-teenage setting where she could “relax and have fun” with people at her same skill level.

This fall, teenage chefs can stretch their culinary muscles during an intensive cooking course where they will learn how to poach, braise, and broil like a professional, while preparing recipes they can recreate at home. The five-hour course costs $210 for JCC members and $230 for the general public.

Natural Gourmet Cookery School

212-645-5170

naturalgourmetschool.com

The Natural Gourmet Cookery School prides itself on being a leader in health-supportive culinary thought and training. As a result, their teenage classes, as well as their adult public and professional courses, go beyond simply equipping students with basic cooking techniques.

Pete Solomita, a Natural Gourmet alumnus and instructor (as well as an owner of the Little Buddy Biscuit Company in Brooklyn) got his start teaching cooking classes for a youth empowerment organization called Project Reach Youth. While there, he witnessed the transformational impact food education can have on teenagers — a lesson he brings to his classes at Natural Gourmet. “[It is troubling] to hear about the obesity problems associated with young people,” he said. “Attending a cooking class does not mean teens will immediately start eating healthier. But they will be exposed to the idea that food can taste good and be healthy at the same time.”

For the past three years, Mr. Solomita has led a Kitchen Survival course at the Natural Gourmet, designed for older teens (16 and up) and young adults in their first years out of high school. This coming spring, teenagers can sign up for a knife skills course taught by Mr. Solomita’s colleague, Elliott Prag, where they will learn essential chopping and dicing techniques while preparing a vegetarian meal. Prices range from $85 for one entrant, to $160 for two.

Culinary Institute of America and the Astor Center

212-674-7501

astorcenternyc.com

The Astor Center, a epicurean cultural center in downtown Manhattan, was designed to bring New York’s food enthusiasts together for world-class courses, tastings, and demonstrations. In doing so, they partnered with America’s premiere cooking college, the Culinary Institute of America, offering their students special access to the CIA’s technique and tradition.

This fall and winter, the CIA and Astor Center will offer “Cooking with Your Teen” courses where teenagers (aged 12 and up) and their parents can practice the CIA’s culinary method while gaining comfort working together in the kitchen. Classes include Cooking with Spice, Thanksgiving Favorites, and Cooking for the Holidays, where students will learn how to plan meals, entertain as a family, and gain a repertoire of classic recipes. The price of each class is $225.