When my oldest child left for university, I knew I would miss him terribly. But would he miss or even think about home?
We're really close, but Solomon is an independent guy and had spent plenty of time away, so I was pretty sure he wouldn't be homesick. I was happy to call him weekly, but I wasn't sure what might prompt him to initiate a call or text.
The answer? A cooking question: "How do I make that chicken? How much lime do I use in that dressing?
What salad should I bring to a party?" Even without a kitchen in his university residence, Solomon found plenty of opportunities to cook at friends' houses and on team trips.
Sometimes the realities for university students, especially with no car and no kitchen, keeping them from cooking much until after their first year.
So what basic cooking skills do kids need? Here are basic techniques kids may want to master before their first year at university. In my experience teaching kids in the kitchen, I've learned not to assume that everyone knows what may seem obvious to more seasoned cooks:
1. Wield a knife: The biggest and most undervalued key to having good knife skills is keeping knives sharp. Even an inexpensive, easy-to-use sharpener can turn your dull blades into well-honed slicing-and-dicing machines. Teach your child to sharpen knives frequently, and have them learn to safely and effectively hold and use a chef's knife. YouTube videos and practice can be very effective teachers.
2. Boil water: If you can boil water, you can make pasta, rice, hard-boiled eggs, mashed potatoes or steamed vegetables. If using a gas stove, turn the heat as high as it will go without the flame extending past the edge of the pot. Cover to bring the liquid to a quicker boil.
3. Sauté: If your kid can melt some oil or butter in a skillet, they can scramble or fry an egg and sauté vegetables, tofu or meat. Make sure the oil or butter is hot before adding the food, and stir occasionally with a spatula or spoon to keep food cooking evenly. If using a nonstick pan, preheat it with the oil or butter already in the pan, and use nonmetal utensils to avoid scratching the surface.
4. Bake and roast: I'm guessing your child has baked cookies at least once. But if not, teach them about preheating the oven, buttering or oiling the pan to make cleanup easier, setting a timer so food doesn't burn, using mitts to take hot pans out of the oven, knowing the difference between baking and broiling (we broil to brown the top of food quickly), and using high heat to roast vegetables or meat quickly and effectively.
5. Use a slow cooker: With the right ratio of food to liquid, you can slow-cook almost anything, from a whole chicken, to soups and stews, to beans or "baked" potatoes. Slow cookers work at low heat for hours without anyone needing to be home to tend to it. Many college students tell me they use this appliance more than any other because they can put the chicken and seasoning in it in the morning or early afternoon, then come home to a hot and perfectly cooked meal after class.
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6. Plan meals: If we teach our kids how to plan in advance for a meal or two, figure out what to serve to make a complete and nutritious dinner, make a grocery list and shop, and know when to start cooking each dish so they will all be ready at the same time, they'll have the essential skills to cook anywhere, anytime. (My husband's specialty is cold scrambled eggs with hot toast!)
7. Do the dishes: It's not glamorous, but remind kids about the importance of cleaning up after eating, including wiping down counters and closing packages tightly so food bits don't attract critters. (Otherwise, they'll be unlikely to want to cook again too soon!)
The Washington Post