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”
Tag: Why We Cook
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”
Why We Do It!
A week and a half ago my mother, Anita, arrived in Tiburon for her annual visit. I look forward to these trips not only because she is my mother, but also because she is the best cook I know, she thinks riding a bike to your destination is always better than driving, and at 71 she can still out climb me (as she did this past weekend in Yosemite). What’s more, she is the quintessential native Italian woman, as she does not suffer fools when it comes to food. While sitting in a local diner in the Yosemite area she turned to me and said, “With the way food is made here in the US, no wonder you put so much emphasis on cooking your own meals.” Luckily she didn’t say it in English, but if I were to be completely honest I’d say she’s right. While we have multiple different convenient ways to feed ourselves, we can very rarely find well-prepared, wholesome, healthy store-bought or restaurant food. So, read on to hear our top reasons why you should make home cooking a priority (besides that you’ll make Anita happy). Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Why We Do It!”
Eat Early and Often!
In a recent article in the New York Times entitled “Calories Are Everywhere, Yet Hard to Track” Jane Brody addresses the question of calories we consume every day. Brody’s main point is that in the US we consume too many calories. In conversation about this, however, Jessica and I struggle with what to advise readers to do. Limit your calories? Portion control? Is that really the issue? The irony of it is, here in the United States, we may be consuming too many calories in cookies, cakes and sodas but we are not consuming enough food. So rather than limit your calories, we recommend you eat as many calories as you need through whole healthy food. In this week’s post, we champions the idea of eating early and often. Make it your goal to consume three to five whole healthy filling meals a day because chances are if you’re not eating well, your hungry body will take the calories from wherever it can. Continue reading “Eat Early and Often!”
Come and Cook with Us 