Julian, 9, meticulously cuts strawberries into thin slices, handling the four-inch paring knife like a miniature version of his dad’s chef knife.
Of course, Julian has been shadowing his dad, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre executive chef MG Farris, since he was old enough to reach the kitchen counter, so his expertise isn’t surprising.
We asked Atlanta restaurateurs and chefs for advice on how they make cooking with their children accessible and fun. Using these tips, you can get the kids together and cook up a special Mother’s Day meal for mom.
1. Start in the kitchen.
When your kids are cooking together with you and they see the whole process, then they appreciate the food and are more willing to taste anything. My son Carter eats anything, from a liver pate to saucisson to jalapeños.
— Jason Hall, executive chef, Wisteria (sons, Grant, 3, and Carter, 7)
2. Mise en place keeps everything simple.
The French term means “everything in its place.” When we have everything portioned out, it is much easier for Julian to focus on practicing his technique. He has already perfected the “claw” grip for knife handling.
— MG Farris, executive chef, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre (son, Julian, 9)
3. Safety is key, no matter your kid’s age.
My kids grew up around chefs, but cooking is still dangerous. You have to share reasoning on why it is important to be careful in the kitchen. When I went to Japan I got each kid a sharpened Japanese knife, because a dull knife is more dangerous.
— Lisa Ito, pastry chef, Umi Four (children: Hannah, 17, Emma, 15, Alec, 13, and Daniel, 11; stepchildren: Katsu, 19, and Hiro, 14)
4. Get kids growing their own garden.
I take my kids to Oakhurst Gardens or the Love is Love plant sale and we plant a garden. The kids are more motivated to cook when it is something they’ve grown and maintained. Plus, mom can use the produce throughout the season.
— George Frangos, owner and operator, Farm Burger (children, Gigi, 11, and Jack, 8)
5. Introduce your kids to spices.
Spices are essential to Indian cooking — cayenne pepper adds heat and turmeric adds color to a dish. I teach my kids to use whole spices, with the aromatics in the beginning of a dish and ground spices after adding the main ingredient.
— Archna Becker, owner, Bhojanic Indian Restaurant (children, Chaya, 8, and Avi, 11)
6. Cooking will give them confidence.
I have accomplished something significant as a parent if I can teach my daughter how to eat healthy and take care of herself. At 3, Katelynn was rolling out pizza dough, because it felt like Play-Doh. Now, she’s comfortable peeling sweet potatoes beside me in front of a crowd at farmers market demos.
— Gary Donlick, executive chef, Bistro Niko One (daughter, Katelynn, 8)
7. Embrace their culture.
French culture is something that can’t be taken away from my kids. We make pastries, much like you would get at the bakeries every morning in France. I’ve taught them how to prep the croissant dough, and the next step is mastering the hollandaise sauce for asparagus.
— Claude Guillaume, general manager, Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse (children, Alex, 19, Maggie, 17, and Chloe, 16)
8. There is no need for recipes.
Kids are some of the best cooks because they are unbound by recipes and willing to play with their food. The more ours are involved in the kitchen, the better time we have preparing our meals.
— Linton Hopkins, proprietor and executive chef, Resurgens Hospitality Group (children, Avery, 13, and Linton, 15)
