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It Starts Young, Cooking With Kids

October 15, 2010 0 Comments

During our stay in Chapel Hill, North Carolina Brian and I offered to make dinner. When my young cousin Sofia, 5, and younger brother Jackson,2, announced that she wanted to help Brian and I make dinner for her family we immediately accepted the help and got a stool!

I was always welcomed as a child to help out in the kitchen and it has led to a life long passion for food. Sofia is well on her way to becoming a gourmet herself. The parents, Wes and Tania, have worked to expose their kids to a lot of different foods and it shows in the kid’s worldly palates, Sofia is a fan of escargot and Jackson loves jalapenos! Their adventuresome taste buds make the children great kitchen companions!

To help cook dinner Sofia and Jackson made dough, mixed sauce, grated cheese, and of course helped with the dishes too! We found that making dinner could be a great way of getting the kids involved in their own meal and it gave them a sense of pride to know they were helping.

Together we made a great turkey pot-pie, macaroni and cheese, and home made pizza! We tried to make simple foods that the kids could really help with!

The flour flew as we rolled, patted, pinched, and trimmed the homemade pie dough for our turkey pot pie. Sofia and her younger brother Jackson loved practicing their Play-Doh moves on the tender eatable dough. With our makeshift rolling pins of wine bottles and Pam cans we made some very nice rectangles to fit our casserole dish.

After the hot filling that Brian pre-cooked went into our dish the kids took turns egg washing the top. While the pie baked, we cleaned the table and the kids; Jackson really enjoyed becoming a part of the process and ended up covered in a layer of flour!

The large casserole dish came steaming from the oven; no one could wait to dig in.  The tender turkey tasted very rich and with the addition of sausage the meal really became something special. The night’s conversation was filled the re-enactments of the cooking process, Sofia seemed so proud of the dish we made together.

By request our next dish to cook together was macaroni and cheese. Brian taught Sofia how to make the traditional white sauce for the dish, while I helped her grate the white and yellow cheddar.

Brian laid a layer of the creamy noodles into a dish; in-between Sofia sprinkled a layer of the yellow cheddar. Into the oven the baking dish went and we worked on sautéing peas with onions and searing slices of country ham to go on the side while our mac and cheese crisped up.

We had had so much fun rolling and playing with flour we decided pizza would be great to make the next day. Sofia has already knows how to roll the dough, grate the cheese and has had much practice topping a pizza before, so she was really able to do a lot by herself!

Brian made beautiful pizza dough earlier in the day while the kids were at school. By the time they came home the dough had rested and risen enough to get started on the rolling. Sofia, Brian, and I each took a ball of dough and rolled it to the size of the baking tray we were using to cook the pizza.

One at a time I par-baked the now rectangles of crust for a few minutes to prevent the dough from becoming soggy. Sofia and I took this time to cut veggies and do dishes.

When the crust was ready, Sofia evenly laid down a layer of sauce and a healthy helping of mozzarella cheese followed by her favorite vegetables. Once out of the oven we were on to the next pizza pie. A loaded pepperoni and a garlicky white pizza were then added the table as they bubbled out of the oven. There was something for everyone; the chewy crust supported the array of toppings!

Pizza Dough (Makes: 2 pizza pies)
1 1/4 Cups Lukewarm water
2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
3 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 1/2 tsp Salt
Sprinkle yeast into warm water to allow it to activate. (about 5 min).
-Mix flour with salt.
-Add olive oil and yeast mixture to flour and mix till a slightly sticky ball is formed.
-Allow dough to rise in mixing bowl for about 30min, till it about doubles in size.
-Next separate the dough into two even balls and allow to rise again on a floured surface for about 20 min.
-Roll the ball to fit your sheet tray, lightly oil tray before placing dough on it.
-Let rise for another 10 min.
-Oil the dough and par-bake for 15 min in a 400 degree F oven.
-Add toppings of choice and bake another 10min.
-Enjoy!
Source: ChefsOnTheRoad.com

It starts young! Reaching out and getting kids involved can be a great way to spend time together. Sofia and Jackson got to build confidence and motor skills while being a part of the cooking team. I loved watching Brian really engage and excite Sofia over the topic of food as they worked together. It’s because of my early education in food that I am who I am and I hope to help my cousins have the same opportunity. Together we created great memories in the kitchen.

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