THE SAUCE
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nlike today’s grab-and-go society, Jenny Hinyub grew up in a home where everything was made from scratch. Her mom and grandmother cooked and baked every day and involved the kids in everything, including cleanup. Making candy at home is one of her favorite memories, and she has carried on the cooking tradition with her own kids: Juliana, age 8, and Spencer, age 6. “It brings us all together on such a personal level,” she shares. “We love to create. It’s very rewarding and tangible.” What do her kids love making the most? “We made ‘glass candy’ this year, and the kids were mesmerized,” she says. “We started with a few simple ingredients, watched the candy thermometer, and we ended up with a sweet treat. The kids were also involved with my six-month project attempting to make butterscotch budino. Eventually we mastered it, and now it is a favorite!” Here are some of Jenny’s tips, along with some of our own, for cooking with children. SHORT & SWEET Think bursts of creativity. Stay away from preconceived ideas on how the end product should look. Focus on play and offer options to keep kids engaged. COMPROMISE Whether it’s crafting cookies or setting the table, there are endless options to meet in the middle. Over-the-top edible decorations may not jive with your sophisticated home decor or personal style, but children will get more out of a free-spirited, playful process. SKILLS & SETUP There are always age-appropriate tasks that can be divvied up among the kids. It could be stirring the brownie mix, creating place cards, or adding sprinkles to cookies. As your kids’ skills develop, give them more responsibility. PASS ON PERFECTIONISM Let go of perfectionism and let kids feel like they are doing it alone. Allowing kids to take over and not doing it for them is when they have the most fun. BE REALISTIC & FLEXIBLE Most kids have short attention spans. You may spend hours preparing for a day of activities and realize your kid’s focus diminishes after a few minutes. Create shortcuts by buying premade, store-bought mixes.
Kitchen Kids Introducing young chefs to the joys of cooking PRODUCED, STYLED & WRITTEN BY KARA
MICKELSON LEONE
PHOTOGRAPHED BY NICOLE
60
VENTURA BLVD, APRIL 2017
KEEP IT SIMPLE Let the creativity flow and put the emphasis on decorating—which tends to keep kids engaged. Add new activities, such as decorating the table, folding napkins, and handwriting or stamping name cards. CLEANUP Break out the disposables to minimize cleanup. Place goodies in trays and use cutting boards as “workstations,” so leftovers are easily swept into the sink or trash. If the project is messy, buy an inexpensive art tarp or drop cloth to cover carpet or the floor and help with cleanup.
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