Re: Cooking by kids, for kids

Horry wrote:

Is anyone able to suggest recipes suitable for a 12-year-old to cook/
prepare?

At the moment, he's basically limited himself to baking cakes -- and I'd like to expand his repertoire.

Dishes suited to a 12yo's palate would be best -- as he'd be reluctant to cook things he doesn't like to eat :)

Obviously, no naked flames, hot liquids, sharp knives (unless it'd be possible for an adult to pre-prepare the parts of the recipe requiring those things).

Thanks!



A 12 year old should certainly be capable of using a knife, a stove, boiling water, etc. I baked my first whole turkey at age 9. I recall being vastly amused that you actually had to shovel the stuffing *up the bird's ****.

In retrospect, I think my parents were pretty brave to put a 4th grader with a broad sense of humor in charge of that particular project.

I also made fudge, hard candy, omelets, casseroles, quiches, salads, sauces. My friends were more than happy to eat up even those items that turned out marginal due to incorrect technique.

My son has been preparing things like his favorite fettucine alfredo since he was 9 or 10, my daughter, salsa, burgers, etc. Start with the kid's favorite foods, stuff they are motivated to learn to fix. Both of them (ages 14 and 18) know how to fix a kick-ass steak either out on the gas grill or inside in a blazing hot cast iron frying pan.

Both of them also know how to put out a grease fire.

Give your kid some credit. You need to be there to supervise the first time or two but beyond that, a 12 year old who truly can't be trusted with a blade or a flame has issues that go well beyond a lack of cooking skills.

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