Keiki in the Kitchen

By Sonia R. Martinez

Have any of you seen Master Chef Junior on TV? No? Well…if you have children at home, you should! Keiki (children) between the ages of eight–13 compete in a series of cook-offs in this fascinating series. Some have been helping in the kitchen or cooking meals for their families since they were three and four years old! If you’re afraid to let your keiki “play in the kitchen,” you need to see the level of sophistication these keiki are able to achieve.

Wrap yourself in lots of patience, take a deep breath, and let them at it!

“What better way is there than spending quality time with family while working together in the kitchen? Get your children involved in helping prepare the meal. They can peel veggies, and depending on age, cut them. They can mix ingredients. Older children can help with some of the actual cooking and I guarantee they will enjoy it if you turn it into a game. Don’t criticize anything they do wrong, instead, take a few moments and show them the right way. They will feel great pride in their accomplishments…and who knows? You just might be grooming the next Great American Chef!” (excerpt from From Soup to Nuts)

To nurture their love of cooking, start small and turn it into a fun game. Keiki have short attention spans, so whatever you do, make it interesting. Besides, conquering tasks in the kitchen helps build their confidence and self-esteem.

Depending on their ages, you can start by letting them help you make up a menu and shopping list, then shopping for the ingredients. When shopping, let them select a new-to-them fruit or veggie to try. If they choose something you’re not familiar with, Google it to find ideas. Play a game of “I Spy” in the produce section of the store with you calling out the name and let them go find it.

Have aprons and mitts and kid sized kitchen tools that are “just for them.” It might be a good idea to have their own personal stool to stand on to reach the sink and counter.

Let them wash fruits and vegetables when getting them ready to cook. Let them snap the green beans, snap peas, break off the broccoli or cauliflower flowerets, and tear up the lettuce for salads or sandwiches. The younger ones can snip herbs in the yard and sprinkle them to season food; older children can peel, cut, and slice veggies and fruit. Even small keiki can make mashed potatoes using a potato ricer or masher.

From the beginning, teach them safety and sanitary rules, knife-handling skills (depending on age), operating small appliances, hand washing, and working in clean areas.

One of the most important tips in the kitchen is to always remember to “Stage your Meal Preparations.” In chef circles, this is called Mise en Place (putting in place). French pronunciation is mize ʻn plahs.

To stage your meals, first read the recipe carefully and gather all the ingredients. Wash anything that needs washing. Peel whatever needs peeling, chop whatever needs chopping, pre-measure whatever needs measuring, and place everything on the counter in your work area, including all the equipment or gadgets needed. This will save a lot of legwork and will prevent finding out at the last minute something is missing.

Start with easy dishes that don’t require cooking. Here is one that any child can make from start to finish. All it requires is a bowl of warm water, spring roll wrappers, a few veggies and make the sauce using peanut butter.

What’s not to like?

Cornucopia Spring Rolls and Peanut Dipping Sauce

Use any combination of veggies you want or have on hand; the following are just suggestions:
Avocado
Carrots
Cucumber or Zucchini
Green Onions
Mushrooms (I like to use Enokitake Japanese mushrooms)
Mint leaves (a few)
Red Bell Pepper
Snow Peas (handful)
Sprouts—Alfalfa or Bean (optional)
Thai basil leaves (a few)
Rice Wrappers

All veggies are peeled, washed, and cut into sticks.

Fill a shallow bowl with warm water and dip the rice wrappers, one at a time, for about five seconds to make them pliable. They tear easily, so be careful.

Place soft wrapper on cutting board and lay a few pieces of each cut veggie and herbs on top, with the ends barely sticking over the edge. To close the wrapper, fold the bottom and sides into the center and rolling over the veggies, forming a horn-shaped cornucopia so that one end is tight and the other open.

Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce

1/2 C Peanut Butter
2 T Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Honey or Sugar (to taste)
1 clove Garlic, minced (optional)
Seasoning Mix (see my note below)
1/2 C Water, warm

Mix well by whisking all ingredients in a large measuring cup and serve in small bowl along with the spring rolls.

Note: For recipes like this I prefer the Premium Natural Simply Asia Mix, which is a sweet ginger garlic seasoning mix, from Simply Asia Foods, LLC.

Contact writer Sonia R. Martinez