My Forthcoming Cooking with Kids Book

The purpose of this blog is to introduce you to the cook book I'm hoping will be published soon.  

"Growing up in rural Alaska on a homestead taught me to savour the benefits of living off the land.  In the nightless summers,  we grew our own vegetables, berries, and fished trout in our fresh water lake and salmon from the ocean, a short trek away.  Each autumn, my father shot a moose and all the family would help clean, cure, and then cut it up for keeping in our large freezer over the winter.  Learning by hands-on doing was our philosophy  which was as important as the formal education.  This philosophy means one only fails if he or she does not try.   Mother ordered us books on everything from house building to sewing to gardening and creating uplifting meals.   We learned to follow instructions and be self starters.  

These same principles I have put into practice in 15 years of conducting cooking courses for kids of various ages in London.  Working with small groups I have taught cooking techniques creating healthy three course lunches to enjoy plus specialty foods, such as yeast breads generating memorable aromas.   

The book shares the most popular recipes in my classes for preparing starters, main courses, desserts and take home treats.  I have laid out the sections, as I have taught the courses, as Pancake Day, Easter, Spring, Summer, Halloween and Christmas foods and activities.  These are the times kids have school breaks and parents are most likely to take off from work to be with them.   In these courses I have been the guiding adult who encourages learning by doing.  This ranged from measuring, whisking, chopping, shaping, kneading, blending, and using the conventional indoor range and outdoor barbecue.  Enthusiastic comments from the kids after producing tasty foods they were proud to share have been rewarding.  One such comment about roasted vegetables, "As well as being good for you, the cauliflower and broccoli goes perfectly crunchy".   The courses have also been a great opportunity for kids to try and develop a taste for new foods.  

Parents who desire to engage with their children and create lasting memories around the warmth of the kitchen  can use this book to replicate many of the foods prepared in my cooking courses in their own home."