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Passing the Torch for the Love of Cooking

5/1/2012

8 Comments

 
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

8 Comments
Elizabeth Kahn link
5/4/2012 08:19:54 am

Beautiful and inspiring words, Patrick. You have also done an amazing job with the site. Thank you.

Beth

Reply
Virgil Bigornia
5/6/2012 01:13:51 am

Good morning! We are all here at the Walnut Creek farmer's market. Stop by and see us at our booth today!

Reply
Ethan Brown link
6/25/2012 09:01:03 am

Sounds like a great idea for cooking with kids! Thanks for sharing! I'd like to invite you to our party, Fantastic Thursday. http://www.fivelittlechefs.com Hope to see you there!

Reply
John Rexroat link
8/31/2012 01:03:58 pm

Cooking as Stress Relief
For those of us who are blessed to be able to cook for fun, that is to say, not because we have a family to feed, cooking can be therapeutic. I have been blessed to cook for many activities at church and at home. Trying to meet the dining preferences of vegetarians, meat eaters, vegans, lactose and gluten intolerant, all at one meal, has been an education. And the pleasure derived from the satisfaction as the food which I lovingly prepared is consumed with obvious enjoyment, is immense. And the preparation itself is very relaxing after a long day working. Even more important is the knowledge that I have a direct effect on people’s health and well being. What fun. Even better, when compliments on the food are given and question about how hard is it to make, is being able to tell them that my wife, Chef Lynda of the CWKF foundation, makes these same dishes with her 4 and 5 year old students. None of the recipes are difficult as proven by the ease with which the youngsters learn the process, cut and chop, cook the food, and then totally enjoy eating it. Needless to say the adults are far more intimidated than the kids but are also willing & eager to try the recipes for themselves. Everybody wins when we make food that is both healthy and easy. And, no matter how old we are there are lessons to be learned in the kitchen about food, friends and ourselves.

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Cooking Katie link
11/25/2020 11:04:11 pm

Hello nice post.

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Rug Cleaning Pennsylvania link
12/16/2022 07:45:42 am

Hi greeat reading your post

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the pizza edition link
3/23/2025 03:45:57 am

I can see that you are a responsible father and you are also considerate of your wife.

Reply
NSA Athens link
4/9/2025 12:24:23 am

It's wonderful to see children taking initiative and showing creativity in cooking.

Reply



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