I got an odd phone call a few weeks back. In fact, it began with the woman who’d called introducing herself and then saying, “I have an odd request.”
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.
Kevin Weeks is a Gather food correspondent (Paisano), personal chef, cooking teacher, and writer in Knoxville, Tennessee who spends too many hours on his feet, cooking. "Paisano" is a column focused on peasant dishes from around the world. To read more of Kevin's writings or connect to him click here. His blog, Seriously Good, is read by 75,000 cooks a month.
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Comments: 13
I've been cooking with my son since he was little. I'm not so sure he's a "natural" (heck, he doesn't even like to eat), but we have some really great memories of being in the kitchen together that I hope he'll take with him the rest of his life.
I took the alternate route with my children by bringing them into the kitchen as toddlers. They all love to eat good food. Each one of them learned that food is nourishment and that homemade is best because they control the ingredients, flavors and choices.
Selfishly my goal, partially, was to ensure that when I'm old, I will still be served nourishing and flavorful food. I also wanted to pay it forward and have grandchildren who are well nourished with good food.
Thanks.
Wendy,
You never know, you may have planted a seed that will germinate later down the road.
Donna,
It's not completely hopeless, people like those of you responding to this article are a kind of backlash.
Jessie,
Do!
My daughter and her husband live in the country where my grandson Julian (age 4) and granddaughter Lily Kate (age 2) take great pride in growing their own food--peas, garlic, onions, tomatoes, herbs, green beans, you name it. I've never seen two kids more excited about spring!
My housekeepers daughter helped me make (and eat) Pesto when she was 8 years old. Great experience.
I've always involved my kids when I cook or bake and I ALWAYS bake from scratch. The funny thing is, my middle son takes culinary classes in school but never bakes at home and yet he's the one with the biggest appetite. Go figure. Perhaps I need to get him more involved in cooking at home again.
I love to cook and find eating the finished dish or treat the biggest reward of all (along with seeing an empty plate).
I grew up on a farm and I dislike gardening intensely -- although I do love looking at all kinds of gardens.
Ted,
I cook even for just me -- if I'm not deserving of good food, who is?
Wendy,
I suspect that with children you never know what kind of seed you've planted. But the soil seems to be endlessly fertile.
Laurie,
Kids confuse me -- but then so do adults.
My grandbaby is 9 and loves to cook. She and I listen to music and cook dinner together whenever she visits. She is young but knows good food!