As we continue our series on chefing with kids, I want to share another great way to get your little helpers involved in the process of making dinner (and get yourself a sous chef or two in the kitchen). Sushi. That’s right, Sushi. Earlier this week Finn was lucky enough to eat dinner at a friend’s house where sushi is a regular meal. Convinced that we could do the same, he suggested we become an all sushi all the time house, and while that wasn’t going to fly for me, I did agree – on his suggestion – that we make our own sushi for dinner last night. It was fun, it was easy, and the kids did most of the work. Just perfect! Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Sushi Sous Chef”
Month: August 2012
Chard Your Way Through Dinner
Do you ever think about how much control we have over where our children go, what they do and – more than anything – what they eat? Sometimes I wonder if they resent having no input on what I cook on a daily basis; I know I would. They are getting older now, and at 5 and 7 they are ready to be more active in the kitchen. To inspire them, I make just about any healthy dish that they ask me to make. So when my older son came home and told me, excitedly, about the raw chard rolls he had at school, I took the ball and ran with it. Half a CSA box later, I had two happy (and participatory) campers chomping on raw (and refreshing) chard rolls. Talk about a healthy dinner; I couldn’t have made it up if I tried. And let me assure you, my cooperation would have been less than stellar had he begged for corn-dogs… thankfully I am deaf when it comes to those suggestions. Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Chard Your Way Through Dinner”
Chefing with Kids! A Mini-Series
In the Come and Cook with Us partnership, I usually let Kathrin handle any topics associated with cooking for children as she has them, and I do not. Recently, however, I had the good fortune to visit with her family and receive a first hand lesson in cooking WITH kids from Kathrin’s oldest boy, 7-year-old Finn. Ever the adventurer, Finn has just recently started making eggs with his Dad on Sunday mornings, so when I realized we would be having dinner together in the evening I invited Finn to co-chef with me. The result? Quality time together, some powerful lessons in patience, a delicious dinner, and a proud child who is excited to try just about anything. In honor of this experience, Kathrin and I are kicking off a mini-series on cooking with children, starting with the top 10 reasons to invite you children to the stove today. Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Chefing with Kids! A Mini-Series”
Comida y Amigas: an Ode to Spanish Food and Friends
Even with the best of intentions, it’s easy to fall into bad habits when it comes to eating and cooking. It happens to the best of us, including food-blog-writing me, so a trip to visit my friend Arantza in Spain is just what I needed to remind me how important it is to eat well. Arantza has always had a knack for good nutrition, and when it comes to food the Spanish don’t take shortcuts. They use the best ingredients, individually selected from a specific region in Spain, and expertly put it all together in a meal that is long on nutrition and short on process. Join me for a short review of what it means to eat healthily in Madrid, Spain. Come and cook with us!
Continue reading “Comida y Amigas: an Ode to Spanish Food and Friends”
Beat the Beets
I haven’t always been partial to beets, in fact my stance for the first 20 years of my life was that a palate was better served without them (and I wonder where my youngest son Bode gets his food opinions from?!?!). Maybe it was the raw beet juice my mother insisted I have as it was “good for my blood”, because for the majority of my life through young adulthood I equated beets with the taste of earth. And that is not a food experience I was looking for. Things have changed, however, quite a lot. As I got older I made an effort to have at least one slice of beet at a salad buffet and insisted that “this beet is for my mom”. And over time I came to love these sweet, nutritious blood builders (yes, my mother was right, beets are great for the blood). It also helps that beets are one of my husband Doug’s favorite vegetables; did I really have a choice but to embrace this versatile plant? Thankfully the earth flavor association has subsided. Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Beat the Beets”
Come and Cook with Us 