Cooking with the Kids

There’s something truly magical about setting aside time to cook with your children. When I was a child, it was quite normal for me to help my mum prepare dinner. It feels like this has been lost over time as people's lives become busier. Most children enjoy participating in what’s often seen as an adult pursuit. Children don’t have much agency over their own lives, and from my experience, when they have the responsibility of helping to prepare dinner, they’re more likely to eat with gusto rather than simply pushing food around their plates. I’d recommend starting with something easy and, most importantly, something they’ll enjoy. Treat it with the respect it deserves; it’s not a game. I believe children respond well to the challenge of doing something properly; you might be surprised by their abilities.

At our dinner table, conversations have already turned to what we’ll eat for Christmas Day. The girls are convinced we should have lasagne, the English version, with plenty of cheddar cheese, while I’m just keen on loading up on pigs in blankets. Although I hate to admit it, I think they’re onto something; lasagne is a fantastic idea. There’s no dish that conveys “I love you” quite like it. I suppose we’ll just have to see. The really interesting thing is that this conversation summed up why it’s so valuable to spend time cooking and eating with your children, as it makes them feel that they are a part of the process, not just passengers.

I might set one of the kids the task of making a salad to accompany dinner. Hand them some tomatoes, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper, maybe even some basil, and you might be surprised at how much time they spend arranging the tomatoes to make it look appealing. Give them the responsibility of balancing the dressing, and you’ll see how naturally they take to it.

We have a few family favourites that we love to make together: crumbles, pancakes, sausage and mash, lasagne. Last week, my youngest and I even set about making a lemon tart for my wife’s birthday. But I think the family favourite really has to be pasta. We often make cavatelli, as it requires no special equipment and, with a little practice, is easily achievable for our little ones without too much supervision.

Please do be careful with the hot stuff; we’ve had a few near misses over the years and the odd cut from a knife or peeler. But on the whole, cooking together really is a joyful experience for both parents and children alike. I think we carry the memories of the food we have eaten as children for the rest of our lives, almost subconsciously. Gifting your children the tools to recreate some of their childhood food memories later in life can be priceless

Take it slowly, relax, be patient with one another, have confidence in your seasoning and you will have the best time!

Apron on!

Pasta

320g semolina (best quality Italian)

180g water

Boil the water, then mix in the semolina and knead until smooth.

Cover and allow to cool.

Roll your dough into a long sausage shape about 1cm in diameter, then cut it into 2cm pieces.

Lightly flour the back of a fork or gnocchi board if you have one. Gently squash a piece of dough against it with your thumb, then roll it off to create a ribbed, textured shape that will help catch the sauce. Place on a semolina dusted tray and repeat, storing at room temperature until you are ready to cook.

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for about 5 minutes or until tender, and it’s ready to go into your sauce. Retain some cooking liquid for your sauce if needed.

Tomato Sauce

This is really handy to have in the fridge for a quick dinner, so it pays to make extra. Pour a generous amount of olive oil into a saucepan and slowly heat it.

Add a couple of cloves of peeled, squashed garlic and cook until soft with no colour. Add 3 tins of really good quality whole tomatoes, a good pinch of salt, black pepper, and a few herbs, maybe basil and a small amount of oregano.

Then cook over a very very low heat for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally, being careful not to burn it. You can pass this through a coarse sieve if you like; I would never bother at home.

To serve

Toss the cooked pasta in some of your beautiful tomato sauce with a little extra olive oil or even some butter. Adjust the seasoning if needed.

Top with Parmesan and black pepper. You can always add a few chilli flakes or some chopped fresh herbs for a little extra kick if you like it spicy.

This type of pasta also works well with stews or ragù.