Like most children, I loved nothing more than a snow day when I was growing up. However, I didn’t spend the day on a sled or curled up in front of the television. A kid obsessed with cooking, I loved that an unexpected day off from school meant rolling up my sleeves and tying on my apron.
Recipes included with this story: Whole-Wheat Spiced Carrot Muffins, Brownies With Raspberry Jam Swirl, Sweet Potato Gnocchi With Peas + Parm
If you find yourself home with restless young ones on a snow day (or a weekend or a holiday, for that matter), might I suggest a kitchen project? Not only can you end up with something you’d very much like to eat (more on that soon), but you’ll also have some nice time together, away from screens of any kind. In addition, you’ll have a chance to talk about math (what are cup measures if not fractions personified?), science (why we want baking powder in a muffin but not in a brownie) and, of course, history and culture (let’s trace that Parm). Cooking also invites conversations about the environment, health, nature and even economics.
My favorite reason to cook with kids is less academic and much more emotional. I owe any and all my self-confidence to my love of cooking. When I was growing up, I regularly got to create things with my own two hands, share them with my family and bask in their enjoyment. If that isn’t a sure recipe for instilling a strong sense of one’s own capabilities, I don’t know what is.
These days, anytime I get to cook with someone younger than myself, I always start by asking them what they like to eat. Cooking, then, is a way of being in touch with yourself. How many other activities allow you to identify exactly what you want and then provide all the tools to manifest it?
The recipes included here are keepers for snow days because they aren’t obviously “kid” recipes. How nice to all sit at a table or pull a stool up to a counter that’s filled with something that appeals to everyone. If you’re worried about your children being not that into grated carrots in their muffins, I understand if you want to leave them out. But before you do, check and see if getting kids involved in the making has an impact on the consuming. Getting to choose the carrots at the grocery store, peeling and grating them (with supervision depending on age and skill) and folding them into a simple batter are all empowering actions. It’s hard to turn down something you’ve had a hand in creating.
It’s not only about spending time together in the kitchen; it’s also about not having to leave the house! If the roads are too dangerous for school buses, chances are you don’t want to head to the store. These recipes are made with ingredients commonly found in home kitchens. In case they’re not in yours, I included some easy substitutions.
The recipes are also infinitely adaptable. The batter for the Whole-Wheat Spiced Carrot Muffin doubles as pancake batter. (Try cooking the pancakes with a bit of coconut oil – delicious!) They can also be made into savory muffins by substituting curry powder for the spices and cutting the maple syrup in half (especially good with a steaming bowl of soup). The optional “mix-ins” can be whatever you want, from figurative soup to literal nuts, and can take the muffins in all sorts of directions. Also know that the carrots could be swapped for shredded beets, parsnips, or even grated butternut squash or zucchini.
The Brownies With Raspberry Jam Swirl are so easy because they don’t require melting any chocolate (meaning no double boiler or questions about cacao percentages). Built on cocoa powder, they’re a one-bowl endeavor. The raspberry jam swirled on top creates an extra dimension and introduces so much lovely flavor. I chose raspberry because I love it, but I have also made these successfully with fig jam, cherry preserves and even orange marmalade. Use whatever you like and whatever you have. (Hopefully, those are the same thing.) Peanut butter (or any nut butter) works well, too.
When gathering the simple ingredients for the Sweet Potato Gnocchi With Peas + Parm, you may find it hard to believe that such a beautiful dish will emerge. Note that you can roast or boil the sweet potatoes first instead of microwaving them (I chose the microwave because it’s so fast). Forming the gnocchi is perfect for small hands and quite fun, but if it feels like a bit too much, simply boil a box of pasta, open a bag of frozen peas and follow the directions for the incredibly easy sauce.
Waiting for the water to boil is a good time to decide on a movie – and hope for another snow day soon.
— Julia Turshen, Special to The Washington Post
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