Kids Cuisine

Culinary inspiration can come from interesting sources, at least when you’re 4 years old. My kids were watching the “Samurai Pie” episode of the cute Backyardigans TV show today when my daughter asked me, in that super-sweet voice that means she wants something, “Would you show me how to make pie?”

Oh, will I? How thrilled I was that such a day has arrived. We flipped through one of my favorite sweets-related cookbooks, “Le Cordon Blue Home Collection: Tarts & Pastries.” If she’s going to make her first pie, we’re going to do it with some style. Who says kids should only make things that seem like kid recipes or come from books with pint-sized chefs on the cover?

She selected the tart she wants to make, which happened to also be the cover recipe for the Orange Tart. This actually doesn’t sound too intimidating or difficult for a child to make with a parent’s assistance for things like preparing and baking the pastry, which requires attention to detail and could bore a child. Kids could get involved when it comes time to make and spread the orange filling.

She also made various references to making pumpkin pie. Since we just returned from a local pumpkin patch this afternoon, we will soon be able to make that as well. In fact, the cookbook has a recipe for a pumpkin tart.

I tend to feel that kids can be involved in almost every recipe, so long as they are only involved in non-dangerous aspects of the baking or cooking. We have an understanding that when I call out, “Carpet!” during a cooking session, my normally rebellious daughter marches straight for the carpet just outside the kitchen for instances like hot stove openings.

We have just two cookbooks for kids. I do like the way they show in pictures all the steps to help children who are cooking. Most of the recipes we’ve made, though, have come from my favorite cookbooks. Usually, each one has at least a recipe or two that is simple enough for a child to make.

Image of “Le Cordon Bleu Home Collection: Tarts & Pastries.”