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Teach Your Kids to Cook: Slave Labor Gone Good Published on: October 4, 2003 by Ali Moss
In my family, there are few females, or males, of any age who aren't exceptional cooks or aren't at least passionate about food. We love to get together and cook, compare recipes, watch the Barefoot Contessa, and most of all eat.
Although I'm sure there are some genetics involved, there is something to be said for nurture in this case. Not only do we all hang around the kitchens of our mothers every day, but we gather four or five times a year around spreads of food that would impress Mario Batali. Most importantly, however, is that we have been involved in cooking from a young age.
From the time when it was safe to assume that their lives weren't in danger, my cousins Peggy and Jackie were required to make dinner every Sunday night. The first meals were certainly bordering on inedible, but the girls quickly learned how to avoid their father and brother's jests. They are now some of the best cooks around, and they do it almost effortlessly.
Though less strict, I was part of a similar arrangement. I would alert my parents of a day I'd like to cook, shop with them that week, and prepare my meal. I now don't need so much preparation, but I still love to cook for my family. I can now proudly say that I'm better in the kitchen than most parents, and I know how to budget a supermarket trip. I can go to college with a powerful tool in battling the Freshman Fifteen.
Here are some tips on how you can get your child interested in cooking:
Watch the Food network.
Have them sit in the kitchen as you prepare dinner, even if they're on the computer or doing their homework.
Buy aesthetically pleasing cookbooks like Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson.
Assign a day for your child to cook and reward them by allowing them to make dinner selection.
When your kids are very young, give them a safe job like squeezing lemons or tendorizing chicken (whacking it with a mallet).
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