Cookin’ With The Kid

From abcandm — Blog by Cheryl Miller

April 30, 2009

He’s only ten years old. Totally interested in food, mostly Italian and only vegetarian. So I was one of the lucky winners of a cookbook last month, Saveur Authentic Italian. He decided immediately we had two recipes to try. The first was the pumpkin ravioli. Of course we could not find the exact pumpkin available but I assured him that most squash had similar tastes and we could substitute. Acorn squash became the most likely substitution. The second recipe we tried was the chocolate gelato. For anyone who loves chocolate and a sort-of ice cream/Italian ice, this is the perfect recipe.

So we had extra filling from the raviolis and I decided to get creative. We used it along with ricotta cheese and a bechemel sauce to create a squash lasagna. Brett pretty much did everything from making the rue for the bechemel, to mixing the ricotta with eggs, herbs and a bit of parm. He then layered the ingredients in between some sheets of pasta to make a delicious dinner for the family.

I really love that he is so focused and chose food as one of his interests, especially since it was his decision to become a vegetarian and also the fact that food is so important in our lives. He is learning basic skills like measuring and cutting but also important lessons in substitution and creativity.

Enjoy your day, enjoy your food. Life is good!

Two Soups Today!

From abcandm — Blog by Cheryl Miller

April 14, 2009

Truthfully I couldn’t decide. The weather turned out to be typical of a West Virginia spring, rainy and windy. We had a group of teens volunteering to do some work for us at camp and I needed to prepare lunch for them. Both of my own kids love soup. Alex, the teen loves potato. Brett, the aspiring chef loves tomato. Both are easy to start, both need herbs and few spices. Both are made with simple items that are found in most anyone’s fridge or pantry. So I thought, ‘Why not make both?’

They were quite inviting accompanied by a grilled cheese sandwich. There isn’t much more satisfying the the accomplishment of a big pot of healthy soup. Full-flavored, full-bodied. Everyone was happy including the vegetarians (my kids). And in keeping a mental tally of who wanted what, it was almost even. In cooking for groups here at camp, we see a variety of ages, lots have special dietary needs, Some are just picky. But my goals have always been the same. First, everyone eats. And second, why not give choices? Isn’t life in general about making choices?

A Mom Of Two Veggies

From abcandm — Blog by Cheryl Miller

March 23, 2009

Cooking has always been a pleasure to me. I came from an ethnic community, family of Italians and Russians, neighbors who were German, Polish, Asian, etc. I run a church camp kitchen. I can cook for two and two hundred. But this past year both my children ages 10 and 14 decided to take the vegetarian route. For my fourteen year old daughter satisfying her culinary needs has been easy. She’s not picky, enjoys the basic staples that vegetarians should eat like beans, greens, and grains. My ten year old son is a different story. He still has issues with certain textures, doesn’t like blended and chunky items like stew and soups, and isn’t really a fan of beans. He does love herbs (except for cilantro) and is a huge fan of Italian food.

I would like to know if any of you cooks also have similar dilemmas that are causing confusion in the kitchen. For me, it would be nice to not have to cook three separate meals in one night. So far the best meal our family enjoys together is make-it-yourself burritos. Although the ten year old prefers to have a quesadilla. And just so you all know, my husband and I enjoy meat along with the vegetarian items I cook.

Happy cooking and eating, Cheryl