Kids In The Kitchen
Although our kids are still quite young, my wife and I feel it is important they are involved with cooking and mealtime at some level. It promotes a healthy sense of responsibility, safety in the kitchen, offers some special bonding time between you and the kids and lots of opportunities to learn different concepts along the way. Think about it; there’s lots of potential for basic math and science lessons (ex. why do they call it a teaspoon? why does yeast make dough rise? how many quarts in a gallon?) when whipping something up in the kitchen.
Generally, there is one or two times a week where I grab the cutting board and prepare dinner. Whenever possible, I try and engage my toddler in the kitchen and have him be Daddy’s helper. He absolutely loves it. He’s very receptive and very serious in the kitchen (it’s very cute, he’s four and a half). We usually make pizza together.
If you are not comfortable in the kitchen, don’t fret. Choose one thing, make it simple and master it. Here’s a basic recipe for pizza dough that I tend to use. It’s very basic.
- 1 envelope active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar or teaspoon of honey
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- pinch of oregano flakes
Put warm water in a cup; sprinkle yeast over water and stir in sugar. Let yeast stand for about 10 minutes, or until it begins to bubble. Sift flour and salt into a large bowl; pour in yeast mixture and oregano – then beat until a stiff dough is formed. This is where we cheat a little (save some time) and use a electric mixer with the dough paddle attachment at a low speed. When it’s well mixed we turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Add extra flour as necessary to keep from sticking to hands and board.
Place in a large bowl greased with shortening; turn dough over to coat the other side with shortening. Cover with towel; let rise in a warm place, away from drafts, for about 30 minutes. This is the hardest part because 30 minutes is a long long time, so I try and use this time as an excuse to take the dog for a walk or play ball in the backyard.
By the time we come back the dough will be double in bulk. Punch dough down and divide in half. Grease two 14-inch pizza pans and grease hands lightly. Place half the dough in each pan and stretch to fit bottom and up sides of pan. Let the dough relax (it will start rising again, which is good) while you shred the cheese and prep the toppings. Keep dough slightly thick around the edges. Find yourself a good pizza sauce recipe, there’s a million of them. Don’t use spaghetti sauce, it’s too wet. It makes a soggy pizza.
Fill with favorite fillings and toppings and bake about 15 to 20 minutes at 425°. While it’s in the oven we clean up (very important habit to teach the kids, right) and give the mixer a good wiping down before Daddy puts it away.
For my son I think the whole process is like playing with Play-Doh. The only thing cuter is how he gives every slice he eats the “Brooklyn Fold” like his old man (folding it onto itself the long way, like a pizza sandwich).
Sited & Related Articles:
Wikipedia | teaspoon
Wiki-Answers | How many quarts in a gallon?
WiseGeek | Why does yeast make dough rise?
Google | Pizza Sauce Recipes
Family Fun | Kids Recipes
Kids Cooking Club
That’s my Home | Kids Recipes
Amazon | Cook Books for Kids
