Cooking school for littles
(The one where I try to teach my kids how to cook)
My kids have gone through phases where they basically only want to eat pasta and pizza. Apart from worrying about their health, one of the things I want to impart to my children is eating adventurously—or at least trying foods before saying they are “disgusting.” (Do any fellow parents feel me on this one?)
So, this past summer, I decided to take a different approach and said they could pick out any recipe from America’s Test Kitchen’s The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs, and we would cook it together. My theory was that if they chose the dish and had a role in making it, they were much more likely to actually eat it. (And hopefully, along the way, they would learn some cooking skills).
Guess what? It worked!
Not only did they get excited about picking out their recipes and coming with me to the grocery store, but mealtime became less of a struggle. I realized I was trying too hard to make them like what I liked…and maybe I should spend more time letting them discover what they liked.
Did this mean they suddenly wanted to make fish dishes and spicy food? (God help me, these kids will learn to handle some spice!) No, but I’m laying the foundation for them to be curious about food while also giving them some life skills.
So, as you are thinking about gifts for your family this holiday season, might I suggest adding this amazing cookbook to your list? I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
What I’m Reading
Ally Carter’s The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is a great addition to your holiday wishlist. It’s a rom-com twist on Knives Out in which two writers (Queen of the cozy mystery and King of the Thriller) accept a cryptic invitation to spend Christmas at the palatial home of their favorite writer only for her to go missing—from a locked room!—the day after they arrive. They have to solve the mystery of where she is and who is trying to kill her before it’s too late.
What I’m Cooking
I thought it might be helpful to include a few of the tools that have been very helpful as I started cooking with the kids.
Food-safe gloves (if you have a kid with sensory issues)
As a reminder, I don’t get any kick-back for these links because honestly, I have no idea how to set that up :)
What a fabulous idea! Thank you!
I’ve embraced I am the only one in my family that can and will handle spice