Cooking Challenges

Team building clients making a dessert with a pastry bag

For groups over 30, Chef Jodi conducts one of the most fabulous and unique corporate or group cooking challenges and team building experiences available in all of San Diego.

Choose from a fabulous selection of fun, interactive and creative cooking challenges for your team to participate in. No transportation needed, as we bring the event to you!

Program Details:
Group Size: 30-300+
Team Size: 8-10
Program Length: 2-2.5 hours

Hot/Cold Tapas

Tapas are a wide variety of appetizers or snacks commonly found in Spanish cuisine that are meant to share with good friends and a good glass of wine! Once teams are formed through a series of exciting icebreakers, they will each prepare hot and cold tapas for the judges to taste. Ingredients along with recipe will be provided which encourages teambuilding and fosters communication. Teams are judged by taste, presentation and teamwork, and once the winners are crowned, guests can feast on the delicious tapas they created.

Foodie Truck

Food trucks have become an American staple in recent years, so we’re bringing them right to the dining table and incorporating an element of competition! Once teams are formed through a series of group ice breakers, they will further be divided into those preparing the food truck fare and those who design the food truck brand name and logo. Teams will be judged on the taste of their product and the creativity and originality of their truck façade and logo. Once the winners are crowned, team members are free to roam from truck to truck and feast on the delicious dishes prepared by each group!

A large group enjoying team building experiences

Iron Chef-style group cooking competition

In this fast-paced team building activity, guests are divided into large teams and face off in a timed culinary competition. With Chef Jodi and our Lajollacooks4u staff as culinary coaches, teams are challenged to create delicious dishes from scratch. When the clock runs out, each team presents their creation to the judge and then enjoys the feast they created. Teams are judged on presentation, taste and teamwork, and the team with the highest overall score will be crowned the winners.

Tacos and Tequila

We kick off this fun-filled, interactive event with a few icebreakers, and then move on to the kitchen to get started! Team members engage in a little friendly competition in this fast-paced challenge while they prepare several different tacos and topping items. They then move to the bar where they get to experience mixology first-hand -- pairing their taco dishes with our signature tequila cocktails! Once the winning team has been determined, all participants savor their food and drink creations while taking in the ambiance and great company. An ideal package for those who love tacos and seasonal ingredients!

Multiple plates of food laid out for a team event

What People are saying

  • Jenni Hasti – Tritech
    Jodi and her team are amazing! First, I showed up expecting to have to help and she insisted I enjoy myself and let her team handle all the details. They way they handled everything from determining teams to the activity itself, to the judging, this was beyond my expectations. I HIGHLY recommend LaJollaCooks4u to anyone looking for a unique and memorable team building cooking classes experience.
    Jenni Hasti – Tritech
  • Kevin Kim – Hewlett Packard
    Thank you for a fantastic team building event for HP. It really exceeded expectations and everyone seemed to be engaged and having great time. Thank you for all the attention to details, great energy and fun spirit!
    Kevin Kim – Hewlett Packard
  • Nancy Barbee- Domino Sugar
    What a wonderful experience for my guests and myself. It was an event we will never forget. Thank you.
    Nancy Barbee- Domino Sugar
  • Lyle Wordworth – Mintz Levin
    Spectacular across the board! Food, prep presentation and team building! Jodi what a job!”
    Lyle Wordworth – Mintz Levin
  • Karen & Scott Stone – Coldwell Banker
    Best cooking class we have ever attended! I learned some great cooking tips, consumed some lovely wines and shared a delightful meal all the superb guidance of Chef Jody and her amazing, wonderful staff! Thank you.
    Karen & Scott Stone – Coldwell Banker
  • Malek and Lulu Baroody
    This was an exquisite experience. We loved the venue, the passionate instruction, fun environment, fabulous food and astounding view! Incredible day! Thank you.
    Malek and Lulu Baroody
  • Tara Roberts RBN
    This was the perfect event for our group. We have been stuck in luncheon tradition for years and it was time to do something new this was it! Thank you for a wonderful afternoon!”
    Tara Roberts RBN
  • Dawn Saunders – Mintz Levin
    Absolutely fabulous! Thank you so much for hosting our event and making sure all of us have a memorable experience. Truly amazing
    Dawn Saunders – Mintz Levin
  • Anne and Bruce Morgan
    You are amazing! What a wonderful family event! We will think of you every time we attempt to re-create your magic. Everything from beginning drinks to molten cake was excellent. Thank you
    Anne and Bruce Morgan
  • Mayra C – Sony
    I got to participate in the cooking class along with my coworkers and everyone had such a great time! from the beginning watching the sunset to the end of the night chatting around the table over some wine. Everyone gets involved and can get very competitive. The food we made was so delicious, Jodi and her team were such great hosts. I would do this again for sure!
    Mayra C – Sony
  • Cory – Coldwell Banker
    Our company treats our top agents (real estate) to a getaway each year. One of the activities during the retreat has been cooking classes. 10 of us had the pleasure of spending our time with Jodi. She hosted the cooking class at her beautiful home in La Jolly overlooking San Diego and the Pacific Ocean. The setting was world class. The ambiance, instruction, and food were the best we have had. This is the third year we have done a cooking class and Jodi out did them all.
    Cory – Coldwell Banker
  • Sidney Hsu – Price Waterhouse
    Our team had a wonderful time sharing the experience of cooking together in your home! Thank you for being a welcoming and thoughtful host and giving us evening to remember!
    Sidney Hsu – Price Waterhouse
  • Kristin Benson
    I can’t say enough about Jodi’s professionalism, willingness to accommodate all our food allergy issues and how great the food was. Everyone got to participate, learned something new and ate way too much…all things I look for in a good cooking class.
    Kristin Benson