Cooking with kids
FAMILY SIMPLIFIED
3.5.2017
Most kids love to cook: it’s hands on, it’s messy, and there’s plenty of room for creativity, not to mention a sense of achievement at the end. It is fun!
Take your time
Expect everything to take longer than it usually would. So set aside extra time for cooking and keep in mind, particularly for younger children, this will mean that the experience is as much fun as the final product!
Plan ahead
Select an appropriate recipe, one that they’ll enjoy and that involves plenty of tasks suited to their age. Make sure you have all the ingredients and equipment at the ready. If necessary, do some pre-preparation before you ask them to join in.
Make a mini-cooking station
Seat them at the table or counter, away from the heat, so you can whip up dinner with minimal interference.
Give the kids a step stool for a good view, and give them their own dedicated space at the counter free of glassware, eggs, meat, fish, and sharp tools (including peelers and graters!). They’ll feel more in control and involved, and keep them busy with the safe stuff to keep them from grabbing your chef’s knife or raw chicken out of boredom.
Let the mess happen
Cooking is a messy business – and when kids are involved there’ll be even more. Exercise a bit of damage control by putting a plastic tablecloth down on the floor or a tray underneath their work station. But ultimately you’ll all have more fun if you just relax and then clean up together at the end. Enlisting kids in the cleanup will make the experience more pleasant for everyone — and teach them another essential life skill.
Talk about the food
As you’re cooking, talk about the ingredients and their origin, about cooking processes and techniques. Be honest. Beef is from a cow. Pork is from a pig. Apples are ready in the autumn. And do not forget about the hygiene: Ensure they wash their hands beforehand and between touching raw and cooked or ready-to-eat foods.
Don’t go Gordon Ramsay on them
Engage the kids only as much as they want to be. Stuffing ravioli can be fun for a minute, but after five tries, it might get a bit dull for the little ones. And don’t expect culinary perfection.
Accept the fact that not all kids like to cook. Your non-cooking kids can still contribute to the meal by washing produce, rinsing cans, setting the table, and tasting each dish to determine if it needs additional seasoning.
Personal factory of perfect taste: built-in ovens
HomeMade shape The characteristic rounded shape is one of the most beneficial features of Gorenje ovens. Inspired by traditional wood-burning ovens, it enables hot air to move around freely. Since the food is heated evenly and from all sides, it is always perfectly done: crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
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