It’s the latest in the How to Cook Everything series!
Ten years ago now, I wrote “Getting Your Kids to Eat (or at Least Try) Everything,” for the New York Times Magazine. Not surprisingly, that piece focused mostly on my own kids and how they ate growing up – which, in my recollection, was well: they ate what we ate, for the most part.
Now I have two grandkids – Holden and Max, eight and 19 months, respectively. Some has been said about Holden’s eating habits, both here and on the podcast – but he is, from what I can tell, a typical kid: he likes what he likes, and isn’t keen on trying too much new. (That being said, he does eat capers and smoked salmon and tons of fruits and vegetables; he’s lately been asking for basil “on the side” of his pizza – not so he can eat it, but so he can smell it. Interesting. He’s hilarious.) Max? Time will tell, but for now, he eats just about everything that’s put in front of him – except he fully rejected smoked salmon when it was offered to him. Deeply upsetting.
The point is, my experiences back then were limited to my kids and to their friends, for whom, I wrote, I would make exceptions: “For a time Kate’s friend Alex ate only cereal and milk, and Emma’s pal Abbie could demand white rice. I wasn’t going to deal with tantrumming children who weren’t mine.” And now, with these little boys and their opinions, it’s just so much more obvious to me that a lot of this stuff is innate. Parents do what they can, but sometimes – as with Holden – it’s a waiting game.
One thing I do stand by, though: the sooner you can get your kids into the kitchen, the better. I did that with my girls to a certain extent, but maybe not enough. Increasingly, though, I hear from people whose kids love to cook, and these conversations are what inspired my new book, the latest in the How to Cook Everything series, How to Cook Everything Kids. (You get a sneak peek with two recipes, below.)
The How to Cook Everything series has taught countless people how to cook — this isn’t me bragging, this is what we know from hearing from you all — and we wanted to add something for the next generation of cooks (like the two li’l grandsons). HTCEK will empower kids and give them the confidence to navigate the kitchen. As you’d imagine, it’s all customizable — because kids have their preferences, as we all do — and has recipes for every skill level.
“Thank you for nurturing my overdue interest in cooking. I am 44 years old and for most of my life I never took the time nor had any real desire to learn how to do it. Your book (How to Cook Everything: The Basics), YouTube videos, and now the Bittman Project have turned cooking into an enjoyable and rewarding activity for me.”
Brad, Vancouver, BC
There are so many things I want kids to know about cooking: that it will change the way they think about food; that, not unlike art or writing, it’s a way to let their creativity shine; that the more they cook, the better they’ll understand what they like to eat; and that, of course, every time they try cooking something new, the better they’ll get at shopping, cooking, and eating. My grand hope is that this book inspires a new generation of would-be cooks, turning them into a group of people that enjoys cooking for others and understands the joy that that brings.
HTCEK comes out on October 15th, and is available now for pre-order here. We’re very happy to be sharing a couple recipes with you today, as well as some of the beautiful artwork – shout out here to Ghazalle Badiozamani for photos, Barrett Washburne for food styling, April Kim Tonin for the illustrations, and Melissa Lotfy at HarperCollins for book design. (We should also mention that Barnes & Noble Rewards and Premium Members get 25% off all pre-orders until 7/17. Premium Members get an additional 10% off. Use code PREORDER25.)
One more thing: If you become a Kitchen Cabinet member of the Bittman Project, you’ll automatically receive a signed copy of How to Cook Everything Kids when it comes out this fall.
Thanks for your support, either way. A couple recipes from How to Cook Everything Kids, below!
Shiny Edamame
These sort of crunchy beans look like green peanuts and taste a little nutty. They’re actually young soybeans. You’ll find edamame with frozen vegetables either out of their pods or still in them. The variation gives the steps for cooking them in the shell—and eating them with your fingers.
Fruity Crisp
There’s so much to love about crisps. Juicy, soft fruit underneath a cookie-like crust that you can and should eat warm. And whatever fruit you like, go for it. I put apples in the main recipe since they’re good all year round. The variations tell you how to use special summer fruits like the nectarines in the photo.
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