AOL has a comprehensive family food section called Cooking with Kids, and Real Food for Healthy Kids is now a proud contributor to that section of the site. Besides some freezer tips from our book, the AOL section has kid-friendly recipes for mains, sides, drinks, and snacks, as well as age-appropriate cooking tasks, perfect cooking gadgets for kids, recommended kid-focused websites (of which we are one) and the importance of politeness. It’s a well-rounded site and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.
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My children, who are in fifth grade, are currently reading the now seminal Chew On This: Everything You Don’t Want to Know About Fast Food. Eric Shlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, distilled his often shocking information on the fast food industries into a book that kids can understand. Chew On This should be required reading for all children so they are fully equipped when making the decision about eating the mostly garbage fare served at fast food chains. Watching Morgan Spurlock’s “Super Size Me” would be another way to get children on the healthy eating bandwagon as is the new movie, “Fresh,”which was just screened at the New York Food Film Festival. Featuring such fresh food crusaders as Michael Pollan and Will Allen, Fresh makes the point yet again about how important it is that we put our money where our mouth is.
Project Sunshine
Tonight I am headed to the Project Sunshine benefit. This nonprofit group comprises a nationwide group of 10,000 volunteers who spread sunshine in pediatric hospital wards around the country. It “provides free educational, recreational, and social programs to children and families living with medical challenges.” Anyone can sign up to be a volunteer (or pledge money) and when you do go in and bring a ray of warmth into a sick child’s room, you get a million times more warmth reflected back at you.
Here I am, shell shocked that Epicurious has won a second consecutive year.
There are few more thoughtful and inexpensive gifts for Mother’s Day than a delicious breakfast in bed, brunch, or dinner for mom. All it takes is a a little planning and organization. There are many recipes in Real Food for Healthy Kids that she would love, including Bursting Berry Muffins, Oat-Bran Banana Pancakes, or if you’re making a heartier meal, Huevos Rancheros or Mom-Mom’s One Pot Brownies. If you’re still stuck for recipe ideas, check out the 25,000 recipes on Epicurious and the special Mother’s Day recipes from Nigella Lawson, Anthony Bourdain, & Bill Telepan.
While Real Food for Healthy Kids is a book we’d like you to bake from, Tracey and I do appreciate a well-made baked good from someone else’s hands. Two new products impressed us with their flavor and freshness. Baked by Melissa is a New York City company that has mastered the mini cupcake. These $1 bitefuls pack a punch and come in seven perfect flavors including smores, peanut butter and jelly, and red velvet. They will give Magnolia Bakery a run for its money.
Naturally Nora is a new line of cake and frosting mixes that contains no artificial ingredients or hydrogenated oils. The cakes come out like a much better version of the supermarket brands but are as simple to make. Try the chocolate cake mix with the chocolate frosting. It’s almost as good as our Secret Agent Chocolate Cake with Honey Fudge Frosting.
This was dropped from the book for space reasons but is extremely delicious:
Fins & Chips
You and the kids can enjoy this trimmed-down pub favorite any night of the week. Look for halibut that is thick and firm for easy cooking. If you can’t find halibut, you can use any meaty white firm fish like cod, catfish, or lemon sole.
Prep: 10
Cooking: 20
Speed Limit: 30 mpr
Makes 4 servings
Chips:
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
3 medium baking potatoes (1 1/2 pounds)
Fins:
1 1/2-pound piece skinless halibut fillet (about 1 1/4 inches high)
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
About 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Lemon wedges or malt vinegar, for serving
1. Arrange a rack in upper third of the oven and preheat to 500°F. Line a large shallow baking sheet with foil, brush lightly with ½ tablespoon oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.
2. Scrub the potatoes and slice lengthwise 1/4 inch-thick, transfer to a bowl and add cold water to cover. Drain the potatoes, lay the slices flat on a kitchen towel and pat dry; arrange on the prepared baking sheet, brush lightly with the remaining tablespoon of oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, slice the fish into 4-inch long slices, about 1/2-inch thick. Place in a bowl and pour the milk over the fish. In a shallow bowl, toss together the breadcrumbs, cornmeal, salt, paprika, thyme and pepper. Remove the fish slices from the milk one at a time and turn coat in the crumb mixture; transfer to a plate.
4. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add half of the fish and cook, turning once, until crisp and golden on both sides, about 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining oil and fish. Serve with lemon wedges and/or malt vinegar and the chips.
Cooks’ Note: As soon as you put the chips in the oven, slice, coat and begin cooking the fish, so both fish and chips are done at the same time.
Last week’s news that the Obama White House broke ground for an organic garden was great news for all of us. A campaign begn by Alice Waters years ago for schools to grow their own has flourished and arrived at the people’s house. Now, we need to use this initiative to help schools in our own communities to do the same. Tracey and I are big believers in the idea that kids will eat healthy foods, and love them, when they are involved in the process. Growing tomatoes, greens, or peas will help kids not only see where food comes from and get in touch with the earth, but make them more likely to devour the proceeds in the process. If you have some time and a green thumb, contact your local schools and see if you can help them begin their own victory garden.
Tracey and I spent a very informative and entertaining hour on North Carolina’s The State of Things radio show last week and today I will be on the award-winning The Faith Middleton Show in Connecticut at 12:15 EST. Our conversation will center around how to get your kids to eat healthy foods. Call in. I’d love to say hi.
In a recent New York Times article, Abby Ellin poses an interesting question: By us teaching our children the value of healthy eating, are we making them overly frightened about so-called bad foods like sugar, white flour, and white rice? Ellin writes, “while scarcely any expert would criticize parents for paying attention to children’s diets, many doctors, dietitians and eating disorder specialists worry that some parents are becoming overzealous, even obsessive, in efforts to engender good eating habits in children. With the best of intentions, these parents may be creating an unhealthy aura around food.”
Tracey and I are big advocates of teaching kids what is and isn’t healthy, but we are also the first to council that moderation is also important to teach. We don’t want our children to be overly zealous but rather aware and educated about unhealthy foods. And, we want them to grow up understanding that with all things, from food to alcohol to spending money, knowing when to say when is crucial. What do you think? Where do you stand on this issue?
