Celebrate the joy of cooking with kids and feeding your family
It’s bad enough to have kids get mouthy about meals at home. But when their beaming Nonna presents them with a pot of stew she’s been cooking all day and they take one look and insult it with a cry of “Yuck!”—well, it makes you want to stow away in the landing gear of the …
When my 2-year-old daughter polished off a plateful of haggis fritters, I wasn’t sure whether to groan or cheer. Instead, I stayed quiet and took a photo. I want my children to be adventurous eaters—and I’ve learned that often the best way to get your kids to open their mouths is to keep yours shut. …
Yes, My Daughter Really Eats Haggis. Here’s Why. Read More »
Just to be clear, my family was not cooking oxtails in Montana in 1988. We were not saying to each other, “Hey, there’s this great, traditional, proletarian Roman neighborhood dish, it takes four hours and uses cast-off meats, yum!” (I would venture that awareness of regional Italian cuisine was not acute. Spaghetti, pizza, lasagna: That …
Italian Oxtail Stew is a Surprisingly Good Kid Kitchen Adventure Read More »
My 4-year-old daughter recently got it in her head that she really wanted to try washing dishes. Our family is living in Rome for a year, and in our tiny efficiency kitchen, dishes fall into one of two categories: those that go into the dishwasher, and those really messy ones that need to be done …
How to Actually Let Go and Enjoy Your Kid’s Help In the Kitchen Read More »
A little of this, a sprinkle of that—the right blend of herbs and spices can transform an otherwise bland dish into something magical. And when it comes to creating these flavorful combinations, Lior Lev Sercarz is practically a wizard. The author, chef, and owner of the New York City spice shop La Boîte has made …
When was the last time you ate a piece of unadorned steamed broccoli? Can you say you enjoyed it? Did one bite make you want to take another? Exactly. Once I had my daughter, I decided I didn’t want her to eat vegetables solely because they’re healthy. Nor did I want to hide them in …
When I told my kids we were having cod for dinner, my 5-year-old son hunched in displeasure. “The only fish I like is salmon,” he declared. “I will NOT eat dinner!” “OK,” I replied, and turned back to the kitchen. “It’s crunchy, just so you know. I know you like things that are crunchy.” Thirty …
5 Questions That Will Change the Way Your Kids Eat Read More »
They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Like many, I had my daughter Bryce while also working at a pretty intense, full-time job (I was a magazine publisher at the time). For so many working parents, success means maximizing the time we have and cramming in as much productivity as possible. In our …
As parents, we’re all part of the never-ending story that is trying to find things for our kids to do. Ideally those activities won’t simply entertain—they’ll also teach our progeny something practical and helpful (dare we say, even important?) about themselves/the world/stuff other than an iPad. Enter cooking: It’s educational, it’s confidence-building, it’s fun—and, if …
Cookie cutters should get to play with way more than unbaked cookie dough. Whether you sprang for the jumbo pack of cutters at Target (It’s a dinosaur! Or maybe a cat wearing a hat?) or are the guardian of your great-great-grandma’s ancient metallic gingerbread men, these alternate uses might convince you to keep the box …
