This Month's Fare

Kids in the Kitchen

Leisurely summer afternoons when you’re not in a crunch to get dinner on the table are ideal for spending time in the kitchen with your kids. Messes and mistakes are just part of the process, so try to take it in stride and keep the mood light—you want the kitchen to be a fun place for them so they’ll be eager to cook more often. And once the food is on the table, be sure to thank your child for a delicious meal.

The trick to getting your kids into the kitchen is to make it fun, and not a chore. Let them have a say in which recipe to cook, but make sure the recipe isn’t overly complicated, with too many ingredients and steps. Then read through the recipe together and help them gather ingredients and utensils. Measuring ingredients is a great way for kids to learn about math and fractions, and nothing teaches organizational skills better than cooking. The more you cook with them, the more they’ll learn!

• If younger kids are involved, Mom or Dad can tackle tasks like chopping and frying, and the little ones can assemble the finished dish, or if they’re big enough, they can stir something on the stove—under supervision, of course! Let them whisk together a simple dressing of Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce, olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a Barcelona Summer Salad, and toss the salad ingredients with the dressing.
• Show your kids how to set up bowls of flour, eggs and Kikkoman Panko Bread Crumbs in an “assembly line” for Crispy Wok House Shrimp. Then walk them through the breading process, and don’t worry about a few spilled crumbs. Parents will want to do the actually frying themselves, but let your kids arrange the cooked shrimp on a nice platter.
• Kids love pizza, and it’s fun and simple for them to assemble—especially when it’s our Grilled Arugula & Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza. They can brush Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste & Glaze onto bread shells and top with sun-dried tomatoes, onions, arugula and cheese, so it’s all ready for Mom or Dad to put on the grill for a delicious change from baked pizza.