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Many Frederick-area children are reading, following directions and adding and subtracting fractions, but not in the classroom. These lessons are being taught in the kitchen.
Pam Masser, 44, of Frederick, has a son and daughter in elementary school who both enjoy cooking. But her 7-year-old daughter especially enjoys it and has already taken a cooking class at Frederick Community College (FCC.)
Leslie Ruby is the program manager of the Personal Enrichment and Kids on Campus programs at FCC. She coordinates the two cooking classes offered for young children at the college and says the Saturday classes usually fill up and the weeklong session available in the summer always has a waiting list. She believes introducing children to cooking teaches them many important skills.
"Cooking teaches or reinforces reading, planning, following directions and measurement and math skills while it creates an environment of openness and sharing," Ruby said. She adds that "cooking is fun, it reinforces life skills, [and] it's interactive."
Elin Ross, founder and executive director of Cakes for Cause, says cooking teaches you to take risks.
"If something goes wrong, you just have to fix it and move on, but don't be afraid of the mistake," she said.
Cakes for Cause provides job opportunities and support to adolescents in public housing and foster care in Frederick County by teaching them basic baking and hospitality skills.
Catherine Hilliard, 41, of Frederick, says her three sons, ages 10, 8, and 5, all have cooked with her.
"Cooking is a great opportunity for the boys to follow through with something and to get gratification about something they did," she said. Her youngest son enjoys cooking the most, and she attributes this to a few things.
"He loves trying new foods, and the aromas of food. He has a curiosity about new textures. He likes the process of adding ingredients into a bowl and mixing them together," she said. "At a very early age, he would ask me if he could pour in the milk or break the egg. And he simply enjoys eating good food."
Hilliard says she cooks with her 5-year-old at least twice per week, but she never formally introduced him to cooking. He was just interested in what she was doing. Together, they have made a variety of things: cakes, muffins, pancakes, salads and spaghetti, to name a few.
"He is especially interested in coming up with his own ‘recipes' by mixing items in my pantry and spices off the rack and discovering what new item he has made," Hilliard said.
Ruby says a good way to keep a young child's attention while cooking is to keep the cooking area "kid-friendly, without worrying too much about making a mess.
"The recipes should be easy at first, so as not to make it feel like work, but like fun. As they gain experience, let kids experiment and play," she says, suggesting substituting new ingredients (for example, applesauce for oil in a cake recipe) or combining different colors of food coloring to see the results.
Both Hilliard and Masser say that in addition to keeping cooking fun for their kids, being safe in the kitchen is a top priority.
"I first have [my daughter] watch me demonstrate and then I let her do the next step. We talk about paying attention. I have taught her about hot stoves and pans, sharp knives and raw food," Masser said.
Hilliard has taught her sons about utensils, fire, and food safety as well, saying that they now know how to hold a knife properly, which way the handles on the stove should face, and not to reach over a burner when cooking.
"I have also taught them that a good cook always washes his or her hands and that they always clean up after themselves," she said.
Ross says it's important to cook with children to instill a sense of community and shared outcome.
"When you cook with your children, or your family, or your friends, everyone is sharing their skills, their imagination, their knowledge to make something that everyone will then eat together," Ross said.
She advises parents to get their young ones interested in cooking by having colorful cookbooks lying around the house and to demonstrate how cooking and food can be enjoyable with different flavors, textures and table presentations.
"One of the things my parents did was make dinner a production, with candlelight and tablecloths. Even if it was just macaroni or spaghetti, we felt like we were in a restaurant," she said.
