Kids in the Kitchen

How old were you when you started helping in the kitchen? I’m not sure exactly how old I was, but I have very fond memories of my grandmother making gnocchi from scratch. She would boil the potatoes and try hard not to burn her hands as she peeled the steaming hot tubers. As I watched each step of the lengthy process of mashing the potatoes and adding the flour to get the right consistency, I was waiting eagerly for my turn to help. It was fitting that the first meal that I prepared in my new home was gnocchi!

One of my favorite new memories is watching my oldest nephew cook with my mother. They get out a mixing bowl, whisk, milk, eggs, and flour to make waffles. My nephew will carefully scoop the batter onto the hot waffle iron and wait patiently for the green light which means it’s time to open lid. He is so proud that he knows how to cook!

When I mentioned that I wanted to write a blog about kids in the kitchen, my co-workers offered me pictures of their children helping in the kitchen. I was so happy to hear their stories of their children and grandchildren learning to cook. I feel like it is very important to include children in the planning and preparing of meals. This past summer, we went a step beyond that with my nephews and also included them in the planning and planting of my parents’ garden. They loved going out each time they visited to see what had grown and which veggies needed to be picked. Now if only they would eat them…

If you are looking for some fun ways to introduce your children to cooking here are some kid friendly cookbooks:

Plant, Cook, Eat!: A Children's Cookbook
Archer, Joe
For beginners and green-thumbed foodies, this unusually all-inclusive garden-to-kitchen cookbook is part lesson in gardening and part collection of healthy, delicious, kid-friendly recipes.

The No-cook Cookbook: Recipes
Woollard, Rebecca
This cookbook helps children learn about making food by themselves--a skill that will last them a lifetime. The recipes in this no-cook cookbook will help children independence in the kitchen and understand how to make healthy, yet very tasty, meals with simple ingredients and no heat.

>

The Big, Fun Kids Cookbook
Food Network
Gives young food lovers everything they need to succeed in the kitchen. Each recipe is totally foolproof and easy to follow, with color photos and tips to help beginners get excited about cooking. The book includes recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert -- all from the trusted chefs in Food Network's test kitchen.

Little Monsters Cookbook: Recipes and Photographs
Williams, Zac
Presents monster-themed recipes for children with step-by-step instructions, including claws of the Yeti pot stickers, frankenfeet sandwiches, and punch from the Black Lagoon.

Mommy & Me Start Cooking
Smart, Denise
Full of fun activities such as experiencing food with all five senses, designing dishes, and performing kitchen experiments, plus an introduction to measurements associated with cooking, this is the perfect cookbook for children who want to join their parents in the kitchen. Readers will learn about staple ingredients such as eggs, flour, and chocolate. They will find out what is inside an egg, where vegetables grow, how flour is made, and more.

The Big, Fun Kids Baking Book
Carpenter, Maile
An ultimate baking primer for beginners, written by the editors of the top-selling food magazine, shares more than 100 photographed recipes for everyday and special-occasion cakes, brownies and other baked favorites while providing fun ideas for customizations and alternatives to cakes.

The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs
Birnbaum, Molly
100+ sweet & savory recipes that you'll love to bake, share & eat.

Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck: A Sesame Street Celebration of Food
Schwartz, Heather E.
This fun, friendly title based on the Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck segment serves as an introduction to the basics of food literacy.

- by Michelle C., Robbinsville Branch