Cooking with Kids

by Jeff Bogle | More from this Blogger

14 Feb 2007 08:54 AM

There really is nothing that a child can't do in a kitchen save for carving a turkey, deglazing a pan, slicing garlic and dropping ravioli into boiling water. All right, so maybe it is not terribly wise to have a kid for a sous chef but there is a wonderful world of opportunity waiting for children in the kitchen (and not just opportunity to get hurt - I know that is what you were thinking!)

On Sunday, my nearly three-year old lady helped me peel apples and a pear. We also snuck in a taste test. She closed her eyes and ate slices of a Fuji apple and Asian pear. I am very proud to note that she correctly guessed which was which! We were making apple-pear-sauce and she was lending a big hand. The fruit, having just emerged from a steam bath, enjoyed my daughter's love of the pulse feature as they whirled around in the Cuisinart. Her eagerness to learn how to cook and prepare food from scratch is awesome.

My gal also lent a hand over by the stove (with careful supervision, of course). She sprinkled in fresh chopped basil, threw in a dash of dried oregano and stirred the pot with all her might. We were making, for the first time, homemade meat sauce (or gravy depending on where you call home) to go in our homemade lasagna (also a first). She is still so incredibly inquisitive about the gadgets in the kitchen, what they do, when we use them, etc. I am always willing, as I was on this day, to let her get her hands dirty and cook with Daddy. She is getting to be a wiz at cracking eggs and loves to watch me toss chopped onions into olive oil in a hot pan, hearing the sizzle and watching the steam rise.

It does not need to be said or typed, but I will do so anyway. While the kitchen is a great place to bond with your little ones, you need to take extra caution when allowing your precious offspring anywhere near steam, heat, fire, knives, etc. I am hyper-aware of where my chef's knife is at all times (not just when she is around!) and always play it safe when it comes to cooking with my gal, because getting hurt is no fun at all but whipping up some homemade goodies together sure is!

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Learn more about Jeff Bogle

Jeff is married to a lovely redhead and is fortunate to have in his life an amazing young lady, age three.

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