No Cute Food Here!
After an acting career spanning thirty years, Matthew Locricchio used his love of cooking to inspire young cooks to be confident in the kitchen. He was the author of numerous books, including a series of international cookbooks for children.
Chocolate-chip cookie pizza lovers, please step aside. You too, if you think today’s 10-year-olds want recipes with names like Yo-Yo Fun Bars and Duck-Duck Cupcakes. The fast-changing international culinary scene for kids, tweens and savvy teenagers has gotten much less adorable while lots of us weren’t paying attention.
Kids love arena-kitchen cook-offs with over-the-top action as chefs compete at lightning speed. But as much fun as those shows might be to watch, can kids really learn how to cook from them? I doubt it. Improvised recipes exist only in the chefs’ heads, and their ingredients are often unobtainable to the average cook. And frantic racing against the clock has nothing to do with real cooking. So, if kids want to learn to cook, where do they start?
The ideal way to assure a safe and supportive introduction to cooking is to provide solid recipes that let kids learn in their own kitchens. I’m not recommending setting unsupervised kids loose in the kitchen to improvise with the stove blazing, knives flying, and appliances whirring. Kids’ safety is paramount! Adults need to make sure every element of the experience is safe before any cooking begins in a structured environment, oriented around recipes that work.
Recipe selection is a welcome challenge to a new cook. So is participation in the whole process of putting out a successful meal. Once young chefs help in family meal planning — including shopping, cooking, cleaning-up — and execute a recipe that earns a family five-star review, it’s a sure bet that they’ll ask for a repeat engagement. And they’ll get it.
I learned to cook from my parents, who were caterers in Detroit. Rather than listen to my constant whining about wanting to be in the kitchen with them, they opted for peace and made a place for me on their kitchen staff on weekends. I was hooked right away and so were they. I obtained a hands-on culinary education while also getting to know my mother and father better as we worked together over the years. Those memories have stayed with me. Not every kid gets such an opportunity.
The rewards of learning to cook early are long-lasting and never go away. Problems get solved in recipes, mathematics and reading skills are used, cooking techniques are honed, and young chefs learn how to time the preparation of meals. Kitchen skills and invaluable confidence grow each time a recipe works, and kids enjoy having control over what they eat. Plus, it’s way-cool.
What’s the key difference between recipes written for young chefs and adults? Detailed procedures. Here’s an example. Many recipes would say, “Peel, crush, and chop the garlic,” assuming the reader already knows how to do that. We can’t assume that with young chefs. So instead I explain, “Lightly crush the garlic by laying the flat side of a chef’s knife on the clove and pressing firmly to break open the skin. Remove the skin, cut off the root end, and discard. Coarsely chop the garlic and set aside.” I’m frequently accused of being overly detailed in my recipes. Guilty as charged.
Kids 10 to 14 are old enough to follow a recipe, but I recommend that an adult oversee the cooking process as “adult assistant chef.” The young chef should be allowed to prepare the recipe independently until the appropriate time for adult assistance. Older teenage chefs, however, won’t take kindly to helicopter parenting once they decide to take over the kitchen. You always said you wanted them to be independent, right?
The three recipes that follow are from my latest book Teen Cuisine New Vegetarian, which contains vegetarian, vegan and even a few raw recipes:
- Smart Bars — my version of the ubiquitous granola bar
- Make-a-Scene Pasta — everybody loves avocados and tomato
- Bite-Me Chili — the title says it all*
When I decided to write cookbooks for kids, I was told the idea was a dead end. I heard, “kids aren’t interested in cooking,” “kid’s cooking is going nowhere,” and “the kids will burn themselves and you’ll get sued.” They were wrong, and now fourteen years later I realize how lucky I am to write for kids. And it’s great to report that young chefs everywhere are taking the future of world cuisine in a very positive direction. Kids do cook! 
First published April 2014
Smart Bars
- Servings Yield: 16 Bars
Ingredients
- 1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup toasted wheat germ
- ½ cup raw almonds
- 1 cup raisins or other chopped dried fruit
- ½ cup dried cranberries or cherries
- ½ cup unsalted sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup chopped dates
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
- ¼ cup whole-wheat flour
- ½ cup dried blueberries or other dried berries
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup firmly packed raw (turbinado) or light brown sugar
- ½ cup all-natural chunky peanut butter
- ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk
Preparation
On your mark . . .
• Generously oil the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking dish.
• Preheat the oven to 163° C/325° F with a rack in the middle of the oven.
Get set . . .
• Combine the oats and wheat germ in a medium bowl. Pour the mixture evenly across a dry 13- by 18-inch heavy-duty metal baking sheet.
• Bake undisturbed on the middle rack of the oven for 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, but don’t turn off the oven.
• In the meantime, carefully fit the all-purpose blade in a food processor.
• Add the almonds and close the lid. Process for 15 seconds or until the almonds are finely chopped.
• Add the raisins, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and dates; process for about 15 seconds or until coarsely chopped.
• Add the eggs and flour to the food processor and process for 15 seconds.
• Transfer the fruit-and-nut mixture from the food processor to a large bowl.
• Add the oat mixture and the blueberries. Mix well to coat all the ingredients. Set the bowl aside.
Cook!
• Combine the butter, honey, sugar, and peanut butter in a small saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring until smooth.
• Add the butter mixture to the fruit mixture along with the almond milk and toss well to combine and coat all the ingredients.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, packing it down firmly into an even thickness. A spatula will work well for this. Wet your hands and pack firmly again, pressing the mixture into the pan. The better packed the mixture, the less likely it is to crumble when you cut it.
• Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. It is all right if the top of the bars get browned.
• Let the bars cool on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes.
• Cut the bars into 16 squares.
• Let them cool completely at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
• Wrap the bars individually in wax paper, aluminum foil, or plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve. They can also be frozen.
Bite-Me Chile
A bowl of chile is a thing of beauty. So what’s wrong with a triple dose of heat in your chile? This recipe combines three types of chiles into one big bite of zippy flavor and satisfying chile goodness. Read the chef’s tip to find out how to adjust the heat level.
- Servings 4
Ingredients
- .5 kg (1 pound) tempeh, any flavor
- 1 medium-size white onion
- 5 to 6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
- 5 to 6 sprigs cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 to 2 jalapeño or serrano chiles
- 1 to 3 dried ancho, negro, or pasilla chiles, depending on taste
- 411 g (14.5 ounces) can fire-roasted or regular chopped tomatoes
- 283 g (10 ounces) can Ro*Tel brand diced tomatoes and green chiles
- 439 g (15.5 ounces) can red pinto, great Northern, or black beans
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive or safflower oil
- 113 grams (4 ounces) can chopped mild, medium, or hot green chiles
- 1 tablespoon chile powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 cup water, plus more as needed
CHILE FIXINGS
- Chopped scallions
- Chopped white or red onions
- Cheddar cheese or vegan cheddar, grated
- Monterey Jack or vegan Jack cheese, grated
- Sour cream or vegan sour cream
- Plain whole-milk yogurt or soy yogurt
*Chef’s Tip
Capsaicin, the oil in hot chilies, is something you don’t want on your skin — anywhere! Washing or rinsing your hands with water won’t remove it from your skin, where it will remain for hours and burn like the devil! The only way is to avoid it! Wear latex or light-weight clear plastic gloves throughout the entire process of cutting, cleaning, rinsing, chopping and cleaning of all work surfaces where the chili was prepared, and avoid touching your face and other sensitive skin.
Preparation
On your mark . . .
• Cut the tempeh into medium-size pieces and put into a 2-quart saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside.
• Peel the onion, chop into medium dice, measure out 1 cup, and set aside.
• Wash the parsley and cilantro, shake off any excess water, and dry by rolling in paper towels. Remove the leaves and discard the stems. Coarsely chop the parsley and cilantro together and set aside.
• Slightly crush the garlic by laying the flat side of a chef’s knife on the clove and pressing firmly to break open the skin. Remove the skin, cut off the root end, and discard. Coarsely chop the garlic and set aside.
• Slip on a pair of latex kitchen gloves. Remove the stem from the fresh chiles and cut in half lengthwise. Rinse under cold water and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a spoon. If you like the chile a bit hotter, leave in the seeds. Chop into small pieces and set aside. Rinse, dry, and remove the gloves.
Get set . . .
• Break the stem from the dried chiles and discard. Shake out any seeds, tear the chiles into small pieces, and place in a bowl. Add ½ cup hot water and set aside to soften. Wash your hands.
• Combine the tomatoes, including the liquid, and the tomato-and-green chile combination. Measure out 3 cups and set aside.
• Drain the canned beans in a hand strainer or colander. Rinse under cold water and set aside to drain.
• Coarsely chop the tempeh and set aside.
Cook!
• Drain the dried chiles in a hand strainer or colander and pat dry.
• Heat the oil in a 4- to 6-quart pot (with lid) over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
• Add the onion and dried chiles and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
• Add the garlic, tempeh, canned green chiles, chopped fresh chiles, chile powder, paprika, salt, cayenne pepper (if using), and the chopped parsley and cilantro. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until the tempeh has browned.
• Add the 3 cups tomato mixture, beans, and water. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes with the lid slightly ajar.
• Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Add water if the chile becomes too thick, but avoid making it soupy. Taste the chile and correct the seasoning.
• Serve hot, passing the scallions, onions, grated cheeses, sour cream, and yogurt on the side.
Make-A-Scene Pasta
How much does pasta have to suffer in salads or stand lost in countless bad combinations that are overcooked and abandoned on buffets? Most pasta salads are just too dreary to make a scene. Not this one, though. Here the ever-popular avocado combines into an Italian-style guacamole sauce that is over-the-top luscious, rich, and guaranteed to get noticed. Make-a-Scene Pasta is easy to prepare with wholewheat pasta.
- Servings Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
- .5 kg (1 pound) cherry or grape tomatoes (3 to 3½ cups)
- 6 to 8 scallions
- 20 fresh basil leaves
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 227 g (8 ounces) organic whole-wheat fusilli, penne, rotini, or spaghetti
- 2 ripe avocados
Preparation
On your mark . . .
• Wash the cherry tomatoes and remove and discard any stems. Cut the tomatoes into quarters, put into a large bowl, and set aside.
• Wash the scallions. Remove the root ends and any dark or discolored leaves. Cut both the white part and 3 to 4 inches of the green tops into small pieces and add to the tomatoes. Toss to combine.
• Wash the basil, shake off any excess water, and wrap in a paper towel to dry. Tear the basil leaves into small pieces and add to scallions and tomatoes.
Get set . . .
• Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper to the bowl and toss well.
• Using the back of a metal spoon, lightly press the tomatoes to break them down and extract some of the juice. Toss again.
• Cover the bowl with a sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature.
Cook!
• Cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions.
• Drain the pasta in a colander. Add to the tomato mixture. Toss to combine.
• Lay an avocado on the cutting board. With the tip of a sharp knife, start at the stem end and cut lengthwise down the avocado and up the other side. Remember that there is a large pit inside, so don’t try to cut through the flesh.
• Pick the avocado up and, holding it in both hands, twist it in opposite directions to separate the halves. Scoop out the pit with a spoon and discard. Scrape out the avocado pulp and cut into small chunks. Add it to the bowl with the tomato mixture.
• Repeat with the remaining avocado.
• Gently toss the salad until all the ingredients are combined.
• Arrange the salad on a serving platter.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.
Matthew Locricchio
IACP-winner Matthew Locricchio acted in film, television and on the West Coast and New York stage beginning mid-1970s. After a career spanning thirty years, Matthew decided to use his love of cooking to inspire young people to learn confidence in the kitchen. He is the author of several international cookbooks including a collection for younger cooks – The International Cookbook for Kids, The 2nd International Cookbook for Kids, and Superchef series. Older youth will enjoy Teen Cuisine and Teen Cuisine New Vegetarian, his last title. In April 2013 this book won the International Association of Culinary Professionals 2013 award as Best Cookbook for Children, Youth, and Family. He died at his home in New York City on January 9, 2019.
Courtesy photo
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