I love to cook. That’s no secret or surprise. Making baked goods, creating different dinner dishes, experimenting with flavours. I really do enjoy it. I don’t, however, enjoy the clean up that comes along with it, but that’s another story.
I’m often told that people enjoy reading my recipes, although some wish they could be able to ‘cook like that’. Let me begin by saying that almost all of my recipes are made within a limited amount of time and often with a child at my leg (or, now that they are old, asking for something along the way). My goal is to make cooking accessible no matter what the day of the week is or how few ingredients you may have available in the pantry.
Granted, I’ve been cooking since I was 11 years old. My first dish on the stove top was crepes. Simple ingredients with little prep time. In my teen years, as a member of a busy family with two working parents, I began taking on supper duties during the week. It meant that I could have supper on the table when my mom came home late and we were all still able to eat as a family. Plus, I was developing a natural love for it, so it wasn’t hard work.
By the end of my high school career, I was making dishes that ranged from basic casseroles to chicken stuff with swiss in a white wine sauce, even though I wasn’t of age to even enjoy a glass of wine yet, I knew how to cook with it.
All of this to say that yes, I have years of experience with flavours and determining what works and what doesn’t. There have been many failures along the way. Bland dishes or complete mushy disasters. Or anything with eggplant.
However, even without this experience, there are many delicious but simple recipes that are available and I hope that people are encouraged to try in their own homes. I love it when someone messages me to tell me they enjoyed one of my recipes.
And ultimately, there is one statement that comes along with my salmon wellington or scallop recipes or any of the other ‘fancy’ dishes that I attempt. “I wish my kids would eat that” is a very common statement that I hear. But here’s my secret:
My kids won’t eat everything I make. In fact, they turn their nose up at a lot of those dishes. And while I wouldn’t consider them picky (and my daughter used to be a more diverse eater than she even is now), I wouldn’t call them adventurous.
Now, that’s a blanket statement that isn’t entirely true. Chicken, meatballs, some pasta they are happy to eat. However, for most of the meals I make, they don’t eat it in the same form that Andy and I eat the dish. I don’t plate it the same at all. I tend to make a deconstructed version of what we eat.
I don’t necessarily make a separate meal for them, although some nights I don’t mind making them scrambled eggs while I wait for our sushi order (that I know they won’t eat), however, I tend to make an accompanying meal.
What’s that mean? I take pieces of the meal I’m making for us, keep it partially deconstructed, and then add on sides to complete their meal. I do give them a small portion of the completed dish that we are having, hoping they try it, but I know that’s not always going to happen. So instead, they get bits and pieces.
A chicken stew can be taken a part so that I plate only the chicken for them (they aren’t fans of cooked vegetables), and then I put on the side a variety of raw vegetables, maybe some fruit and a bit of bread (if we have a loaf going with the stew) or some crackers. However, this is also accompanied by a small bowl of the actual stew that I usually can convince them to at least try.
When I make something like meatballs and rice, I serve ours all together, but for them, the rice is plated in a smaller bowl, the meat on the side, again with raw vegetables.
Many might argue to either make them eat what you make (but when I am making a scallop and asparagus salad this isn’t always reasonable to expect, although some kids I’m sure would eat it) or that you make a meal everyone will eat. Spaghetti is our go-to ‘I know everyone will eat it’ meal.
But I want to cook for Andy and I to eat well and enjoy what we eat. Sure, they may not love my quinoa salad, but that doesn’t stop me from serving them a small bowl of it in hopes they will try it, and certainly doesn’t stop us from eating that way.
I was amazed when they ate many pieces of asparagus at a meal this summer. Texture is usually an issue for them, but they were happy to try the long green stalk. At other times, they prefer not to. And that’s ok.
So my secret is that no, my kids don’t eat everything I make. And sometimes I’m making a grilled cheese sandwich instead for them. But I really believe that the more they see the food I hope they eat one day, the more they take an interest. The more they may try. At the same time I make sure they are offered healthy options along the way.
My kids aren’t terrible eaters. Like many, they go through ups and downs in terms of preferences and likes but that’s ok. I know adults who won’t eat my scallops and asparagus too.
The more they see it, the more they are interested and frankly, I want to eat wonderfully diverse flavours and food so they have to come along for that ride.
The last time we ordered sushi, my son asked to have a bite. He had two before declaring that he was done, but those two bites, that he voluntarily asked to have, wouldn’t have happened six months ago.
Here’s hoping they get on board with all my dishes soon. They don’t know what they are missing.
How do you handle meals in your house? The 3 bite rule? Separate dishes? Deconstructed like mine?
I’m glad to hear it’s not just mine. My 3 year is quite picky. I hear all these tales of ‘great eaters’ who’ll try anything and feel like we’ll never get there. I too try a deconstructed approach whenever possible. Thanks for the advice.
Ps. I found your blog through my sis in Windsor. She’s married to your brother-in-law’s brother.
Such a small world Melanie!! Thanks for swinging by! And yes, different schools of thought surround the ‘great eater’ debate – but I believe if I offer them healthy options that are varied that’s a win. They don’t need to eat everything fancy right now!
We’re very French in our way of eating – there’s an appetizer, usually salad and cucumbers or carrots, the main dish and then yogurt or cheese, finally dessert (usually a fruit).
My kids always have to eat the same thing than we eat. But, if the main dish is something they don’t really like, I don’t give them a full plate. I know they’ll eat more of the things they like – the cucumbers, the cheese with bread, the fruit, and sometimes, it’s 2 fruits rather than one.
Sometimes they have something totally different. It’s rare, but happens. We don’t have rules about food. I just like to ask them to try stuff, and it’s ok if they say that they don’t like it.