Cooking with Children

Picky eaters? Dinnertime doldrums? I have just the thing to cure those cooking blues.  Invite your child into the kitchen with you. 

How?

I’m glad you asked (rhetorically of course)!  

Here are a few cooking tips gleaned from my years of cooking with children:

• Adult ineptitude is seriously underrated.  Of course your child will need some basic knife skills (here is my current favorite kid knife) and a basic understanding of kitchen protocol, but otherwise try on an “I don’t know'' attitude.  This will work wonders for building confidence and curiosity in the kitchen. And that confidence will translate into less opposition at the dinner table!

• The meal isn’t always the goal. The experience is.  Remember learning is an opportunity to get things wrong (safely) and make discoveries. Instead of passing along a family recipe, cultivate an attitude of culinary curiosity and adventure.

• Ask questions! Here are a few to prime the pump: 

• What would happen if we added baking powder to these muffins and not to the others? (Try it!)  Does roasted broccoli taste different than steamed? How many ways can you cook an egg? (Give them half a dozen and see what they can come up with… one egg at a time. It’s okay, messy happens.  It’s a part of learning.  Learning to clean up is an important part of being a chef and it’s fun too!). 

• If you are making vegetable soup, go to the store and let your child pick out all the vegetables. (tip--- anything pureed goes down waaay easier.  What you can’t see doesn’t scare you.)

• Light a candle to set the stage and put on some cooking tunes.

• Taste and smell along the way! 

Whatever you do, resist the urge to correct or praise.  Instead encourage mistake making and intrinsic motivation. Cooking is a creative science after all and it can be a source of pure dining delight for children of every age.

If you have any lingering doubts, click on this link to see how fun cooking can be!