Spot-On: Teach Your Children Well
April 26 was “Take Your Child to Work Day” and the call was about the woman’s daughter Emma. It seems her son was going to work with her husband on the 26th, but Emma wanted to be a personal chef when she grew up — Lord knows how she got that particular idea. Wanting to be a famous chef a la Emeril is one thing, but wanting to be a personal chef is all about the food and cooking.
Read the complete article at Spot-On.
Technorati: Food | essay | spot-on | food column | food commentary
Labels: essay, food, food column, food commentary, spot-on
14 Comments:
Great article Kevin! As a grandmother I appreciate that you spent that time with Emma to encourage her. I am planning to do this with my four grandchildren this summer. Can I call you for some hints on the most effective way to encourage them in good nutrition and the joys of feeding others? My first question would be "Do I need to do this one on one, or is there a way to do this with all four?" They range in age from 13 to 6 years old. I really enjoy your blog.
judyinktown
Judy,
I'm the last person to ask for advice about kids. I just treat them like people. Do the same thing with cats.
Kevin, that sounds like a really great day! My husband has, when time allows, invited our 9-year old niece over to learn cooking.
The only exposure she gets at home is of the open box/stick in microwave/nuke category. Now she can make a basic tomato sauce, a meat sauce, meatballs and chicken parmesan. And like you, Dave really enjoys spending this time with her.
S'kat,
I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
that's a great story kevin. i have no interest in spending time with kids but would happily do so if it gave them the ability to enter a kitchen without feeling intimidated. it shocks me how many people rely on unhealthy ready-meals.
Abby,
My feelings exactly.
Kevin-
I am extremely jealous of Emma! The experience that you gave her is something that I have searched high and low for - my mom wasn't really much of a cook, not to say that she isn't good - she just doesn't enjoy food and preparing it the way I do.
What you did for Emma is so powerful - professional cooking shouldn't automatically mean celebrity chef (one Emeril is more than enough!) - and I'm glad that she already knows that she wants to focus on the preparation rather than have a TV show.
I think that you did a wonderful thing for Emma - I am sure that this is an experience that she will remember always.
Andrea
Andrea,
The thing Emma's got going for her is that her mother cooks -- and both parents are eclectic eaters.
Great story. I think there's hope yet. My parents were not adventurous cooks, but they cared about health and the environment. My brother and I both developed a love of old fashioned home food preparation - baking, canning, brewing, etc. As more and more people learn how important sustainable growing and traditional foods are for our health and the health of the planet, home cooking will again flourish.
Rose,
I hope you're right.
Hey Kevin. It's taken me a while to get around lately but I wanted to say thanks for the piece. I too worry about the state of future cooking, besides for acclaim. The daily ritual of cooking and preparing is being lost to our fast lifestyle. As one with time on my hands and a passion for real food, rest assured that I am one sharing my skills with my young ones.
Dylan,
"I am one sharing my skills with my young ones."
Which is a particularly useful way to wrangle monkeys.
Lovely. What a great Mum. What a great kid. What a great Kevin ...
Alanna,
I thought Mum was pretty impressive for doing it too.
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