Following on from the Food Technology Thread

[curiosity]

I'm curious as to what people think are the essentials that children should learn to cook.

I remember learning some stuff at school, and learning some stuff with my mum. My DH sets a fabulous example by cooking most of the time, and my children are interested in learning to cook. They often help with preparation, but we rarely "bake" or experiment with food like we did pre-children and perhaps now is the time to extend their knowledge further.

Suggestions welcome please.

anyone?

I offered to teach some teenagers a basic tomato sauce

I suggested that it could be converted into lots of different dishes (bolagnaise, stirred into pasta, pizza base, fajhitas etc)

They said no thanks they would rather bake a cake

white sauce without lumps - I can't believe people really buy cheese/parsley sauce in a packet

anything with eggs - boiling, poaching, frying, omelettes etc as they are really simple but really easy to get wrong if you don't know how

I agree with Katymac re a good tomato sauce. I use mine about twice a week

proper cake making

I am sure there are some others too but my mind is blank.

Katymac I was just about to suggest a variety of sauces - cheese, tomato & basil etc!

Ok, howabout a menu plan for a whole week, which has to include meals that a typical family with young children would eat, eg - and all made from scratch

Roast chicken, pots, 2 veg and gravy

Spag Bol

Pizza

Fish pie

Omelettes & salad (with dressing)

Plus a few puds - crumble etc

Some good ideas, thanks.

I think the mealplan for a whole week is a great idea.

Lol Katymac, can just imagine them preferring to make cake.

Seriously tho' what about following a recipe?

The number of people who are in awe of me because I make bread ....in a breadmaker fgs

Why can people not follow a recipe (or a flatpack instruction?)

We can follow a recipe, my eldest is quite adept when he has chosen to make something. (We've also made bread from scratch, as well as in a breadmaker, lol).

I've got loads of recipe books, and we can use them of course. I'm just looking for what other people see as "basics" and/or "essentials".

Knowledge building if you like, rather than just "choose what you like, it's in the recipe book).

I think they should be taught basics, like how long vegetables take to cook, how to cook a chicken, where food comes from, how to follow a recipe, definitely. (Smug aside but I was very pleased when dd (2.8) recognised broccoli and blackberries in a magazine yesterday)

This book kids kitchen is very good on basics I think. But I can't talk, ds just isn't that interested, despite my efforts so far.

.....(I don't really count the bread from the bread maker as baked - it's still homemade tho')

Pastry
Crumble
custard ? (so many people can't even make it with custard powder)
Stews & soups
Stir fry
Roast

Thanks for that book suggestion www.

And thanks for those suggestions Katymac.

Learning about food groups (and balancing of food groups) is important too.