What's Cooking With Kids

Jun 23Recipe for Action - Placemats for kids at Childr...

Summer is Here and it's time to think of all the different types of fun things you can do with your family. We have been thinking a lot about different ways we can help others, mostly through the act of cooking for and feeding others. But we had a great idea last week for how we might be able to help in a new way - What if we had kids of all ages decorate Place mats for the sick children who are at our local Children's Hospital? I called the Children's Hospital in Oakland, and the director of...

Jun 23Top Chef is having babies…

Last week, Bravo announced the development of its new creative competition series 'Top Chef Junior. The announcements were made by Frances Berwick, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Bravo Media. "With 'Top Chef' as the number one food show on cable comes the natural expansion in our food domain," said Berwick. "With 'Top Chef Junior' we're reaching a growing market and are developing a series that will teach and test the skills of younger aspiring chefs and appeal to the whole family. The...

Jun 20Little Food = Cute Food

Why is it that when something is little, even when it is something ordinary like a nose or a foot, it is adorable? Well, the same goes for food! Barilla had a fantastic idea when they thought to create Piccollini - miniature versions of 5 of their pasta shapes: penne, ziti, fusilli, farfalle and wheels. They are little, so they cook faster - a huge bonus for moms and hungry kids, alike. Although these wonderful new pasta shapes are targeted towards families, I am confident that anyone who tries...

Jun 19Three Twins – Amazing Organic Ice Cream

Initially, the thought of green ice cream is not appetizing—unless of course by “green,” you mean fully sustainable and organic. Such is the case with the recently opened Three Twins Organic Ice Cream store in Oxbow Public Marketplace in Napa, CA—the only fully organic and sustainable ice cream facility in the region. Three Twins has 70 certified organic flavors ice cream, uses high-quality and health conscious ingredients and all of the bowls, spoons, cups and napkins in the store are 100%...

Jun 17Doof = Food Backwards

We'll be cooking with kids at the Doof-A-Palooza! DooF is an innovative television series for children, set to air on public television in 2009, that gets kids excited about good food through humor, science, live action, animation, music and cooking. Get an inside take on the DooF Television show at DooF-a-Palooza through a range of participatory activities with growers, chefs, purveyors and cookbook authors, including the chefs of Google’s own amazing food program. The DooF-a-Palooza ticket...

Jun 17Tapioca Pudding with Rainbow Boba

Last week my kids and I were lucky enough to be visiting our friends, the Cardens, when Jen was concocting a delicious and playful drink in the kitchen. She was using rainbow colored Boba (Asian tapioca pearls) and mixing them into a drink for the kids to enjoy. I wasn't feeling well tonight and was thinking of the types of comfort foods that I used to enjoy as a child when I was sick - and tapioca pudding came to mind. I wondered if I could use some of the rainbow Boba that Jen sent me home with...and...

Jun 15Avoid the Lunch Rut this Summer!

It's the end of the school year, and the last thing you want to do is pack another lunch for your kids. And if your kids are sticking around the house this summer, you won't have to. But for the families whose kids go to summer camp or go on fun day trips, lunch has to go, too. While the ideal may be to get your kids to learn how to pack their own lunches, not all of us are quite there yet... During one of my guest appearances on ABC's View From the Bay, my kids and I demonstrated how to make...

Jun 13Pizza…on the barbecue?

I have always wanted to try making pizza on the barbecue. I heard it could be done, but had awful images floating through my mind of the dough slipping between the bars of the grill, resulting in disaster. But at last, I gave it a try - and boy am I glad that I did! Pizza is the ideal food to create for a family - each person can customize his or her own toppings, resulting in a peaceful meal time, with no complaints. Pizza made on the grill is no different. Before putting the shaped dough on...

Jun 9"Do Something Good"

I could hardly believe my luck when I found out that some parents from our school were scheduling a music performance around the same time that I was holding one of my Great American Bake Sales. John, the dad I spoke to, suggested we join forces and create a wonderful community event. Nothing could have been better - we had a fantastic family celebration in the park, complete with live music, barbecue and baked goods. It was amazing how everyone came together with the goal or raising money to...

Jun 5Menu Planning for the Family

Planning meals for a family can be quite a challenge. But when you get the kids involved, the culinary world is your oyster. Take a look at our guest appearance on ABC's View From the Bay a few months ago - my kids and I share two recipes that we enjoy as a family: Polenta Bean Pies and Pear Ginger Crumble. Because cooking with kids is my business, our online menu planning service, What's Cooking Weekly, has some wonderful information about what to eat and how to get your kids involved. If you...