Let's Get Cooking

Parents (or other "big hands") can demonstarte cooking steps through touch.

By Deborah DeBord

I have been messing around (and messing up) at the kitchen counter and stove since I was seven. Cooking and baking can be quite the adventure when you are blind or have low vision. But with a little preparation and practice, children can learn valuable life skills, have fun and make lots of delicious dishes.

In the kitchen, teach your child to use his hands and fingers to gain valuable information about what you’re cooking together, and to detect danger, like a burner that’s been left on accidentally(teach him to check the stove knobs to see if they are off, for example).

Encourage him to ask lots of questions to get prepared to cooking, such as:

“Mom, can you please put it here for me to find for myself ?”
“Dad, what will it feel like?”
“What does it smell like?”
“How will it change as I mix it or cook it?”
“How big is everything, and where will it fit?”
“Do I have enough space to work?”
“Where is my wet towel? My dry towels?”
“What are the next few steps?”

Okay, that’s enough questions! Let’s get cooking!

BIG HANDS WANTED!
The best way for kids to become culinary artists (also known as terrific cooks) is to recruit a pair of “big hands” – such as mom, dad, sister, grandma – to be their assistants in the kitchen, especially while they are getting familiar with the room and its appliances and tools.

Adults or older siblings can demonstrate cooking techniques or help kids through a recipe the first few times by putting children’s hands over their own to follow along. Assistants can also handle sharps and hots (knives and burners) until young chefs have enough practice.

It’s a fun way to spend time together and, of course, you can applaud their fine food when it’s ready!

HANDS AND NOSES!
Famous chefs, professional bakers and fabulous home cooks all say that noses and hands are their most important tools. If your child loves scrambled eggs or mac and cheese but has never seen the inside of a raw egg or felt uncooked macaroni, this is her big chance.

Call me squeamish, but I don’t like touching something weird by surprise, especially if it’s gooey or squiggly. So if your child is like me, encourage him to investigate things on his own.

For example, my friend Vicki hated the feel of honey. Gooey fingers and bees! Then her mom showed her a honeycomb from natural honey and described how a bee makes honey. They got completely icky-sticky with honey that day, and Vicki learned a lot. Now she makes great Honey Bear Muffins (with wet towels close by to wipe her hands). She even named her dog Honey!

Kids can learn to use their hands and nose to find out what’s going on in the kitchen and get used to different textures, smells and tastes. Good cooks, like good explorers, conquer their fear of the unknown by going there. Soon, your child will look forward to her kitchen time.

MAKE A KITCHEN KIT
Famous chefs and home cooks keep their favourite tools in a special place, and so can your child. How about a box with a handle or a sturdy boot box stored in the pantry? Later, as kids add more utensils, they can graduate to a toolbox. Here are some other things to put into a child’s own kitchen kit:
 • A set of measuring spoons hookedtogether with a key chain
 • A set of nesting measuring cups
 • A not-so-sharp paring knife
 • A glass measuring cup or small pitcherwith a spout
 • 2 kitchen towels
 • 2 oven mitts
Later, kids can add things like cookie cutters or a wooden spoon.

TIPS AND TRICKS
Here are two examples to share with kids for safely handling food and tools: Apples: To remove the stem, twist it until it comes off. Wash the apple well and search for price stickers with your thumbnail – you don’t want to eat those! With the apple in one hand and a vegetable peeler in the other, start peeling the apple at the stem end. Apply even pressure and pull the peeler toward you, inch by inch, peeling and turning until the skin is off. A pair of “big hands” can demonstrate first, placing the child’s hands over theirs so he can learn the motions.

Once you have a naked apple, cut it in half lengthwise on a cutting board with a paring knife. Cut these pieces in half again. Now cut the core away from the fruit. (Again, try it a few times with the help of “big hands.”)

Baking sheets: Sometimes called cookie sheets, these are shaped like rectangles. Often, there is a rim on three sides and none on the fourth side – that’s for sliding cookies onto a plate. To make sure the baking sheet will fit in your oven, try it while the oven is cold. You can also position the oven racks according to the recipe – for example, a recipe might ask you to bake cookies in the middle of the oven.

When you put the loaded sheet into the preheated oven, wear oven mitts. Even though the baking sheet is cold, the oven is hot. Grab the rimmed shorter end with one mitt and lift the sheet, keeping it level. Steady it with your other mitted hand on the longer side and slide it in. Cook’s assistants are good for opening hot oven doors and helping children find the shelf the first few times.

As young cooks get more practice in the kitchen, they will be sure to learn a few tips and tricks of their own!

Deborah DeBord, Ph.D., is a food writer and cookbook author working in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Write to her at ddebord@indra.com for free recipes.