Passing the Torch for the Love of Cooking

It was early Sunday morning and my 7 year old was softly tapping me on the shoulder to wake me up.  He softly asks, “Papai can we make breakfast in bed for Mamae?”  I turn and look at my wife sleeping soundly and look back at my son and say, “Let’s do it.”  We go out to the kitchen and I ask him what he is thinking he wants to make for breakfast.  “Pancakes, I want to add some orange rind and some of that Raspberry Syrup to the mix, we also have fresh strawberries we can cut up and give Mamae something special today.”

This type of thinking is becoming common place in the household.  He is now discovering and inventing different ways to create flavor and spicing in many of the foods we cook.  On this morning it was pancakes but he makes suggestions for many other things which I indulge whole heartedly.  Sometimes they work, sometimes not, but after teaching him how to cook for the last 3 years he is thinking like a chef and that makes my heart feel so wonderful.

When you mention the idea of cooking with kids to people the image that invariably comes up in their minds is that of baking chocolate chip cookies or making Rice Crispy treats.  The raised eyebrows and knee jerk reactions from parents when you explain that you really teach your child how to cook are commonplace.  From my personal experience the rewards that both the parent and child gain are extraordinary.  For me the quality time is irreplaceable and we talk about nutrition, flavor, healthy eating along with virtually everything else.  When boys are concentrating on something else the information you get in the conversation is honest and it just flows.  Those things that boys don’t normally open up about when you ask direct questions now just comes out naturally.

For my son, he feels empowered to experiment in the kitchen (with my oversight of course) and he wants to eat what he helps create.  So green beans, broccoli, spinach, squash and more are all now standard fare at dinner, he wants to try new stuff and his palette in all things is diverse.  He may not like everything but he does not shy away from new dishes.  He doesn’t realize it but these skills will last him a lifetime.  Eating healthy, having balanced meals, cooking from scratch are all being taught to him without him even knowing it.

By the way the pancakes were remarkable.  Not only did he make mom’s day with a fantastic breakfast in bed that was out of the blue for no reason other than he wanted to make her happy, but his self satisfaction of thinking and creating such an amazing meal will grow his confidence in many other areas outside of just the kitchen.

Patrick Kevill

Marketing Advisor

Cooking with Kids Foundation