Teaching Teens to Cook

One of my friends who is a single mom mentioned how much she wished her 13 year old daughter could cook herself a meal. I love to cook and I love her daughter so I offered to help. In fact, I jumped at the opportunity because it is right up my alley!

I have always loved to cook (and eat). I grew up in the kitchen helping both my mom and my grandmother. When my mom went back to school when I was in junior high, she put me in charge of dinner one night a week and that’s when my cooking “career” took off! We bought a few cookbooks and I tried new recipes every week. During the summer, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents at their lake home in Michigan. There I became my grandmother’s sous chef for the massive family dinners she cooked nightly. She was an excellent cook, but VERY particular so I quickly had to learn how to do things precisely. It was there I truly learned the foundations of cooking, as well as meal planning and some nutrition basics. Gigi knew her stuff!

In college, I quickly got the nickname “Betty Crocker with an attitude”. I threw some pretty epic dinner parties. Outside of class and rugby, I spent my time working at Café Bernardo (yes, I can make Thai Noodle Salad) and as a barista at a coffee cart on campus. A few years after college, I found myself living in wine country and cooking breakfast at the local B&B; I also did a few catering jobs with a couple friends.

With this knowledge, I started putting together a mini cookbook for my friend’s daughter. I included some cooking basics, a little bit of nutrition guidance and several recipes. I covered breakfast, lunch, dinner and treats so she could make herself food any time of day. Many of my recipes are conceptual, like how to build a great, healthy smoothie. I break it down in 5 steps and the ingredients are flexible but they understand the concept of combining a liquid, fruit, veg, some protein/fat, and the option of ice. I also created a main dish recipe they can tweak in 4 ways, thus making 4 different dinners.

Here’s what my friend had to say about her experience:

So if you or someone you know is interested, I’m offering a 3 hour cooking class for preteens and teens. I’m vaccinated and ready to join you in your kitchen! The cost is $200 and that includes a Teen Cookbook along with most of the groceries we need. You’ll be left with a clean kitchen, a more competent teen and a freshly prepared dinner for your family! (I travel within a 10 mile radius of my home in Carmichael, additional fees apply for greater distances.)