what chefs feed their kids (+ giveaway!)
For Christmas, 2011, we were gifted with a copy of What Chefs Feed Their Kids: Recipes and Techniques for Cultivating a Love of Good Food
The premise of the book is great: cultivating a love of good food in kids. When you discover an inherent struggle in the kitchen between cooking for you, or just for your kid(s), or finding things for everyone, you sometimes just don’t know where to go. I love that it opens up your mind to flavors and textures and honing in on those things that kids love so you can make your food for them AND it will taste great too.
For instance, thinking of recipes/flavors like squash soup… and making it thicker for toddlers as puree and thinner for you (or as they grow up). Or bean dips? One of Miss L’s toddler staples was hummus, and we got to experiment a bunch with the flavors that she could explore just by adding ingredients to it. Or adding kale to scrambled eggs and making breakfast super nutritious?
The recipes in the book are definitely “non-traditional” as far as kids meals go, but they get your mind going and include all kinds of great tips for each age range. For instance, when Miss L eats something spicy, she’ll often say, “That’s hot!” We’ve gotten in the habit of talking about the flavors of what we’re eating to discuss them, so that she now knows what it means when something is “spicy” or if it’s “hot in temperature” and feels a bit more in control of what she’s eating. And they encourage dips… which is pretty much a meal requisite in our house. We even have little dishes with a section for dip built in (thanks Mom L)! Maybe that’s why she loves Asian food so much…
Anyhow, I’m nuts for this book and wanted to share it with you too! In a very gracious response to my inquiry, I was given two copies of What Chefs Feed Their Kids: Recipes and Techniques for Cultivating a Love of Good Food
Enter today through next Wednesday… and the winners will be drawn/posted on the site! Good luck!
19 Comments
Natalie
Chicken apple sausage sandwiches. My mom accidentally gave me hers one lunch, and I loved them from then on…
Christina
spaghetti with fresh mushroom and zucchini chunks mixed in
Denise
Spaghetti with italian sausage
Danniey
I loved marinated flank steak! I requested it every year for my birthday!
Holley
As a kid I loved my dad’s spaghetti with meat sauce. We now do a healthier version with a vegetarian red sauce and whole grain pasta.
Amanda
My favorite was always artichokes that we dipped in melted butter.
Yin
My favorite homemade meal was a bowl of rice porridge with a thousand year old egg. My mom would make it for me when I was sick, and it always hit the spot. Thanks for the giveaway!
Aubrey
My grandma’s filipino chicken adobo! Yumm!
Jessica
We are definitely in the tricky stage of pleasing a two year old palate, and starting solids for our younger baby. I love the idea of finding meals that the whole family can enjoy with some minor adjustments. My favorite as a kid was tacos, I loved adding all the toppings and I’ve always loved spice!
Jessica G
My absolute favorite thing to eat was corn on the cob! Mom used to let us eat it outside since we made such a mess! Butter, Pepper, Corn – Oh my!
Katie
My absolute favorite was chicken and dumplings. So easy and simple but my mom would only make it on special occasions.
Tali
Mac and cheese (ONLY in the blue box) was a rare sight in my house, and always my favorite. With some hot dog mixed in :)
Tina C.
I loved sauteed spinach, flank steak broiled with garlic and dipped in clarified butter and cheesy mashed potatoes.
Catherine
mom`s lasagna. I still request it. I make it myself now from the same recipe, but it`s not quite the same as when mom makes it.
Josie
I always loved lasagna night.
Rachel
This may be weird, but I loved egg salad sandwiches. My grandma used to make them for me and they were soooooooo good!
Margot
Loved fettucine alfredo. Haven’t had it in YEARS!
carol
spaghetti or any variation of it!
Amy
My favorite meal as a child was probably taco salads. I loved those crispy taco shell bowls!