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Let em' cook!

6/25/2013

7 Comments

 

Kids are definitely cooking capable.

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Dear Adults,
Let your kids cook! I propped mine up on a step stool at age 3, and he's still the best egg cracker I know. As a culinary arts educator for elementary-middle school students, the biggest complaints I hear from children are ..."My parents won't let me cook, they tell me to get out of the kitchen, they don't trust me to cook, or they say I'm not old enough." Kids are definitely cooking capable, but you have to allow them a chance to stir things up.  All I'm saying is...give kids a chance. 

Your kid is ready to cook, but are you?

Face it, most of us have been raised in the "Pop Tart" generation, where the art of cooking has been replaced by driveby dining, minute-microwaving, and ordering in/out. 28% of Americans can't cook -- that's nearly a third! As a result, we are losing family traditional dishes, bonding times and more importantly, health.  So ask yourself, "Am I equipping my child to take on the world without the ability to feed themselves?" Cooking is a vital part of being self-sufficient.  It use to be a right of passage. Now is the time to unplug and connect the kids to the kitchen. The best part is, you get uninterrupted quality family time and a freshly prepared meal that will be eagerly eaten.
We live in an age when pizza gets to your home before the police. ~Jeff Mander
My tenacious second grader (pictured below) said one of his New Year's Resolutions was to cook more and help me in the kitchen. Awesome.  Right? So we pulled out his kid-friendly cookbooks and a stack of Post Its, and I let him mark what he wanted to cook. Aleko is dedicated to cooking one or two meals a week, and we're giving him the opportunity.  It's a delicious payoff for the entire family as we convene in the kitchen while sharing our day over a simmering sauce.
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My 7-yr old sous chef putting the squeeze on some ground venison for meatballs.
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Rolling up golf-sized uniform meatballs so they cook evenly is a great life lesson in uniformity.
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"Secret's in the sauce." Making a good versatile red sauce from scratch is feather in any chef's toque.
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A deliciously nutritious homemade meal that your kid will devour is always a thumbs up.
Where to begin? You start by tackling tools and hitting the books! You would't send your child to school without supplies because they are the tools that aide success. Same line of thinking, take a quick inventory of utensils in your kitchen and then add a few from the "Tackle Tools" list. Have a family date night at a bookstore or neighborhood/school library, and search for colorful kid-friendly cookbooks -- ones kids can navigate without much input from you are key.

Tackle the tools

You can use kitchen tools on hand, shop online, or hit a good discount store. In my experience, having a few tools designated for your budding chef makes all the difference in attitude and success in the kitchen. Here are some of my tried and true kitchen tools for kids:

  • Lettuce knife for ages 5-6th grade--a great starter knife to teach basic knife skills and respect for the blade without the worry 
  • 7" chef knife for middle-high school
  • Paring knife for middle-high school
  • Bamboo cutting board (medium sized)
  • OXO slip resistant bowls
  • Good metal whisk
  • Tongs for grabbing items
  • Various wood spoons
  • Silicone heat resistant spatula
  • Y peeler 
  • Tackle box or plastic tub to store all their tools
  • A small sautee pan with heat resistant handle
  • Rolling pin
  • Hand held citrus reamer
  • Measuring spoons
  • Measuring cups
  • Non sharp edge can opener
  • Standing cheese grater
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Book it

I'm a HUGE advocate of a good old, page-turning cookbooks for children of all ages. Kids like to be independent in the kitchen.  Here are a few of my favorites encouraging reading skills, culinary curiosity, as well as meal planning:

Pre K-Elementary
  • Pretend Soup by Katzen & Henderson
  • Salad People by Katzen Kitchen for kids                by Jennifer Low
  • Fanny at Chez Panisse by Alice Waters
  • Real Cooking for Kids by Roy Seideman
  • Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats               by Nina Simonds, Leslie Swartz & The Children's Museum of Boston
  •  Fun Food by Williams-Sonoma

Middle-High school 
  • The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters
  • There's a Chef in My Soup! by Emeril Lagasse
  • There's a Chef in My World! by Emerol Lagasse
  • Passport on a Plate: A Round-the-World Cookbook for Children by Dinae Simone Vezza & Susan Greenstein
  • The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: From Cauldron Cakes to Knickerbocker Glory--More Than 150 Magical Recipes for Muggles and Wizards by Deckle Edge
  • Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes:; A Revolutionary Approach to Cooking Good Food Fast by Jamie Oliver
Adults
  • Food Rules by Michael Pollen
  • Lunch Lessons by Chef Ann Cooper
  • How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

Make a cooking plan of attack!

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All hands on deck with Post Its, highlighters, and pencils in hand. Tab those cookbooks, open those online bookmarked recipes on the computer, and designate cooking days with a specific meal. Make it simple.  Don't forget some quick sides like a good loaf of bread or dinner rolls, green leafy salad (boxed lettuce and a good bottled salad dressing is fine), applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon, or fresh cut fruit. 

Make a grocery list and have the kids write down the ingredients they need for their dish. Scavenger hunt your refrigerator and pantry to make sure you don't double up on ingredients you may already have. There are some great apps and FREE online menu/grocery planners you 
                                                                              can use. My favorite, a pen and a notebook (old school).
Get to cooking!
Take a deep breath, don an apron and get yourself, the rug rats, and big kids in the kitchen. Ease on into it. Commit to two meals a week, and once you and your kitchen crew gain confidence, add another day. Before you know it, you'll be whipping up meals four to five days a week. Leave one or two days for field trips to new neighborhood restaurants or leftover night. Embarking on a culinary family adventure will set your kids up for a healthy lifestyle for years to come.  

Deliciously yours,
Kellie Karavias

7 Comments
Lambra
6/25/2013 02:04:18 pm

Incredibly awesome article. One thing I have pledged this summer is to make healthier choices. What a great way to get the kids involved! I am sure they are more likely to eat it if they themselves cook it.

Reply
Kellie
6/26/2013 03:14:32 am

Thanks Lambra! I don't know how many times I have parents tell me they tried to cook healthier options to the chagrin of their children, but the minute they included them in the process, they saw where their child became a risk-taker to eat what they made. Kids are itching to cook anything, take advantage and chose whole and colorful foods you can't go wrong. Have fun!

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Stephanie K
6/25/2013 02:16:20 pm

Awesome info!! Thanks for the list of books...that is the most difficult thing for me to find. Both my boys love to cook and my youngest (special needs kiddo) shocks me with his skills that he has picked up from observation. Thanks for the boost of confidence to bring them into the epicenter of the home!! <3

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Kellie
6/26/2013 03:24:43 am

Kuddos Steph for taking full advantage of the innate abilities of special needs kids in the kitchen. All kids can cook under the loving watchful eyes of caring adults. Kids who need clear, concise steps, organization, and boundaries flourish in the kitchen, especially in baking where precision is key. Keep up the good work Mama!

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Abigail Rios
6/25/2013 02:26:39 pm

Great read, Kellie Alcorn-Karavias. I grew up in the kitchen with my mom. Because of her allowing me in there when I was little and teaching me, that is why I love to cook now. I don't just love it but have a passion for it, as you do. So proud of all you have accomplished in the school system, community but most importantly with your own little Aleko. You are definitely teaching him great & valuable lessons. Rock on!

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Melanie Berry
6/25/2013 03:18:30 pm

What a great article! Very informative, giving parents all the information & tools to encourage their children into the kitchen...great job Kellie!!!

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Arika Jordan link
6/25/2013 03:42:27 pm

You totally rock!

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    Just a girl who fell into the greatest job ever--educating  kids to savor life!

    Kellie Karavias
    Culinary Arts Educator
    Houston, TX

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