A few weeks ago I wrote about my desire to find new and innovative ways to get our more picky eaters to eat foods that are a little better for them without resorting to extremes.  Armed with a box full of kids cookbooks I set out to test things out on my young panel to see if there are any tell tale techniques out there that would get my daughter (Jaymi 2 ½) to eat more protein and her cousin (Douglas, 6) to eat more green vegetables.  

The book I used on these two taste testers was “Toddler Café” by Jennifer Carden (Chronicle Books, 2008).  What I loved about this 50 recipe book is Jennifer’s old school approach to feeding kids and getting them involved in the cooking process.  The recipes are straightforward and they are things that the whole family can enjoy. Like me Ms. Carden doesn’t always buy into having to make two or three different meals to satisfy the eaters in your family.  I mean seriously who has time for that.  Isn’t that one of the reasons why we yearn for the day when our babies can eat table food?  No more jars of this or bottles of that or time spent pureeing up your own goodies which is an awesome thing to do if you can and something we’ll talk about in a later article, but let’s be honest, it’s a great day when you don’t have to do it anymore. 

First we’ll start with Jaymi, my kid, child of one parent who is a foodie and the other parent who thinks he’s a foodie (ha ha).  Jaymi is probably a parent’s dream in some respects because she eats most vegetables except for corn, carrots, and potatoes.  She also doesn’t really care for sweets, no cakes and pies for her, its mainly fresh fruit, ice cream, and the occasional chocolate chip cookie.  The problem?  She doesn’t eat a lot of protein.  She likes eggs, American cheese slices (deli brand not Kraft), but no fish, meat or beans other than a beef hot dog (I’m in a voluntary state of denial about how terrible they are for our kids) or chicken nuggets.  All of the recipes featured in the protein chapter of Toddler Café were absolute winners but the two that Jaymi really loved were the “Lord of the Apple Rings” and the “A-maize-ing egg scramble”. 

“Lord of the Apple Rings” had many of the flavors that Jaymi already loves, apples & spinach but this time chopped up and combined with Chicken apple sausage and shaped into finger friendly meatballs. I can’t remember the last time I’d seen her that excited at the dinner table! Even better I didn’t feel like I was deceiving her, I simply enhanced the flavor by combining it with things that she is familiar with.  The added spinach and fresh apple didn’t change the flavor of the sausage one bit, if anything it brought the flavor out and it also created a bit of a different texture, which I often think is another one of the issues that Jaymi has with meat.  My husband and I also happily dined on these little meat sensations with her, accompanied with some buttery orzo pasta. 

The “A-maize-ing egg scramble” was something I tried out one Saturday morning as a substitute to the pancakes her father usually makes for her.  One thing I forgot to mention about Jaymi is that she loves “chips” and “chip-like” snacks.  Chips, pretzels, cheese puffs (I blame my mother who I believe single handedly keeps Lays in business with the amount of chips she buys).  When I saw that this recipe combining scrambled eggs with crushed tortilla chips I knew it was going to be a winner.  The dish combines two scrambled eggs with crushed tortilla ships and shredded cheddar cheese. The fact that Jaymi ate another cheese besides American nearly brought tears to my eyes (just imagine how I’ll be when she finally tries goat cheese!).  It was quick, simple, a combination I would have never thought of and pretty darn good.  Huevos Rancheros for the younger set.  Now that I think about it, a little added tomato sauce would have been a nice touch too.  I could go on and on about the other great protein recipes that continued to wow my youngster but I have to move on to my next taster. 

Another one of the great things about “Toddler Café” is that even though it is a cookbook that targets kids from ages 2-5 it is still a winner for the older set.  In the book the author covers teaching children how to clean up after themselves when preparing meals and other ways your kids can assist you in the kitchen.  Plus, the recipes are easy enough for that older child to make some of them on their own.  Douglas is the total opposite of Jaymi; he’s a real meat and potatoes man who won’t touch his vegetables.  Douglas’s mother is a smoking hot Latina who cooks traditional Latin American cuisine, lots of pork, rice, potatoes, and beans, no green veggies or fresh fruits. I knew I’d have my work cut out for me.  The first recipe I made for him was something called “let us roll-up”.  A combination of seasoned ground beef with a little chopped broccoli and carrots served on romaine lettuce leaves and garnished with chopped peanuts.  At first he took one look at it and pushed his plate aside.  Even a stern talking to by his police officer father wasn’t enough to sway him.  But eventually I won him over by promising him a trip to the zoo.  Initially, he just ate the ground beef and I was happy with that since it had carrots and broccoli mixed in, but he did end up nibbling on a piece of lettuce after I told him that was what bunny rabbits eat to make them strong.  I also had his mother season the ground beef with flavors that were familiar to him, garlic powder, spicy peppers, etc again to enhance the flavor of the unfamiliar with the familiar.  I found out that his mother made the dish a second time and this time he ate everything, so did his 12 year old sister and 14 year old brother. 

The other recipe that converted Douglas into a now occasional vegetable eater was the “Swamp Soup”. A six year old boy’s dream - something that looks like slime: vegetable broth, onion, garlic, zucchini, and avocado. At first he did look at his mother and I like we were crazy but we waited patiently and finally he took one piece of a toasted baguette and dipped it into the soup, then another, and after what felt like an eternity he finished the whole bowl and ran away from the dinner table at lightening speed.  His mother swears that he only ate those things because his favorite big cousin (me) asked him too.  But the good news is that now he will at least try eating vegetables and his older siblings are following suit.  

I’ve got to say I didn’t think I’d have such good luck my first time out with my taste testers, especially Douglas, but I truly believe that if you arm yourself with the right recipes and some patience, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results.  If all else fails you could go really old school on them “You don’t leave the dinner table until you clean your plate”. How many of you remember that?  Sometimes I think we still need a little old school with these new school kids.  Next article I’m going to check in on my buddy Jake, age 11, who is learning how to cook for himself and see how he made out with some of the items I gave him. 

About Chef Heather

Chef Heather (aka Foodie Princess) is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City (formerly Peter Kumps New York Cooking School). She has worked for Gourmet Magazine, TV Personality Katie Brown, and the New York based Indian-fusion restaurant Tabla. Chef Foodie Princess resides in New Jersey with her husband and daughter and is in the process of launching her own Personal Chef Service "The Princess & The Pea".

The German Army occupied the island during World War II and closed the schools, thus ending Zafiris’ formal education.  He was in fourth grade.  Zafiris’ lack of book learning never held him back; he is a smart, successful farmer and village leader.

A proud self-made man, Zafiris weaves his life into stories.  For the last few years, he’s been semi-retired, which gives him more time to share stories with all who’ll listen. 

Like many Greek men, Zafiris holds strong opinions about pretty much everything.  His opinions are usually framed by stories that demonstrate how and why his opinion is the only one a reasonable, enlightened person could hold.

If you are bold enough to ask “why” something should be done his way, Zafiris typically responds it’s because his opinions and his directions are “correct.”  No further explanation is necessary or possible.

Despite his semi-retirement, Zafiris’ gardens, pastures, fields and vineyards still supply much of what he and his wife, children, and grandchildren eat every day.  He does this to protect his family’s health; Zafiris explains that store-bought food has limited nutrients when compared to what he grows, which is always picked at its peak of freshness.

Froso, Zafiris’ wife, is a talented cook from whom I have learned much.  Since their marriage, Froso has prepared the vast majority of Zafiris’ meals.  Whether she cooks for the two of them, their large extended family, or their frequent drop-in visitors, Froso consistently serves wonderful food.

Zafiris rarely cooks and enjoys telling funny stories of his abysmal kitchen failures. Of course, he also holds quite definite opinions about the “correct” way to cook pretty much everything.

Although his practical kitchen talents are limited, Zafiris makes one dish very well: Zucchini and Eggs.  If you complement Zafiris on his Zucchini and Eggs, he’ll patiently explain the key to success is fresh eggs. He uses eggs from Froso’s backyard chicken coop or, when he can find them, from hidden nests in his fields, where Zafiris lets chickens run wild.  

Zafiris is right about the fresh eggs, as he is about many things.  The flavor of farm-fresh eggs is incomparable, and I use them whenever I can find them.  Anyone who hasn’t tried farm eggs should seek them out; they’re a revelation about eggs’ depths of flavor.  Farmers’ markets and natural food stores are good places to look for fresh farm eggs.

Even if you can’t find farm eggs, Zucchini and Eggs is wonderful fare.  Zafiris’ recipe makes a quick, easy, and delicious meal, especially when you follow Zafiris’ lead and top it with a healthy squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Zucchini and Eggs (Κολοκυθάκια με Αυγά)

Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as part of an appetizer spread

• 2 medium zucchini (1 pound)
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion, 1/4” dice
• 4 eggs
• Lemon wedges

Cut the zucchini in 1/4” slices.  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Heat the oil in a skillet and spread out half the zucchini in a single layer in the pan. Cook, without disturbing, until the zucchini is browned on the bottom; turn the zucchini over and brown on the second side.  Remove to paper towels to absorb excess oil.  Repeat with the remaining zucchini.

In the same pan, adding olive oil if necessary, sauté the onions, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, until they soften and begin to turn golden. Add the cooked zucchini and gently mix the zucchini and onion.  Spread the vegetables out evenly over the bottom of the skillet.

Whisk together the eggs, and pour evenly over the zucchini.  Sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Cover, turn down the burner, and cook over low heat until the eggs are set.  Slide the Zucchini and Eggs onto a serving platter, cut into wedges, garnish with lemon wedges, and serve immediately.

Zafiris serves Zucchini and Eggs with slices of feta cheese, olives, bread, and a glass or two of ouzo.

About Laurie Helen Constantino

Laurie Helen Constantino and her husband have homes in Anchorage, Alaska, and on a rural Greek island. In both kitchens, the foods of the Mediterranean play a starring role. She writes about Greek and Mediterranean cooking for her blog, Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska. In 2007, her first cookbook "Tastes Like Home: Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska" was published.

I remember planning my wedding and then a year later preparing for the birth of my daughter and thinking that weddings and babies are two of the biggest money making ventures in this country, with weight loss coming in a close third.  People want to have the most beautiful wedding; they want the best for the children and for their children to be the best; and who doesn’t want to lose a little weight.  But, a more recent discovery of mine is how difficult it has become to feed our kids; we are a country that now has some of the pickiest eaters in the world.  Having my own toddler who has her picky moments I can sympathize with many parents about the trials of getting kids to want something other than Chicken nuggets and French fries. 

When it comes to feeding our kids, especially kids of Foodies, the list of advice is endless. There are now countless books and techniques designed to get our kids to love the foods that we love without having to fight them on it.  But what techniques really work? A co-worker of mine whose only child is now 25 said that it’s the parents that are creating these picky eaters.  I have to wonder if there is some truth to that.  Growing up I don’t remember there being too much discussion or a choice about what was for dinner, I just simply ate what I was given.  I actually remember being most picky when I was a teenager (that would be because my mom was constantly dieting and back then low calorie meals were pretty low on flavor as well). Are we giving our kids too many choices? Are we not being firm enough with them? 

Unfortunately, I don’t think there is one answer to these questions because, quite simply, every child is different. As the parent you have to find ways to see what works for your child and, for some reason, when it comes to feeding kids, toddlers especially, there is a bit of trade off involved.  For example my 2½ year old loves green vegetables, but doesn’t like carrots, corn, or potatoes (other than a French fry) and she’s not a big meat eater either.  I don’t allow myself to get hung up on the fact that she doesn’t like corn on the cob or mashed potatoes. Instead, I tend to look at the positive side of things, look at the vitamins and nutrients that she is getting (she eats spinach for God sake) and see what’s missing in her diet that she really needs. For me, the biggest thing she’s missing is protein so I do make that my mission to try and find ways to get more protein in her.

What I plan to do in this series of articles is do some of the leg work for you, see what’s out there in terms of recipes, techniques, and general advice on cooking for kids.  I’ll let you in on the information that in my opinion is doable or may even work in most households.  I have a panel of kid testers that I will use for various recipes: Jaymi Lee (2½), Amaya (6), Douglas (5), and Jake (11). Hopefully, when I’m done some of you that have picky eaters will have found something that works for you.  Also, feel free to email me any techniques or tricks that you are currently using that work for you and your family.   

Before I go, I do find it necessary to let you know that I do not subscribe to the school of thought promoted by the Sneaky Chef or Mrs. Jessica Seinfeld.  Although I applaud the work of these ladies and envy their level of success following the publication of their cookbooks, I don’t believe in deceiving our children.  I think kids need to know what foods are really supposed to taste like. How is putting pureed spinach in Brownies going to get our kids to appreciate Spinach? Now, before you start firing off the nasty emails to me, I realize that in some extreme cases these techniques are necessary to get any sort of nutrients in your child, but for the most part I feel that with a little research and what little patience we have left there are other ways to get our kids to eat what we want them too without having to puree everything and hide it.  In my next article, I’ll review a few of the more popular kid friendly cookbooks and let you know what my panel of testers thinks about some of the recipes. 

About Chef Heather

Chef Heather (aka Foodie Princess) is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City (formerly Peter Kumps New York Cooking School). She has worked for Gourmet Magazine, TV Personality Katie Brown, and the New York based Indian-fusion restaurant Tabla. Chef Foodie Princess resides in New Jersey with her husband and daughter and is in the process of launching her own Personal Chef Service "The Princess & The Pea".

For years Zinfandel was known as the “mystery grape” a grape that seemed native to California, but in the 1970s scientists and historians tracked down its roots to Italy.  Although today California has the largest acreage of Zinfandel, the grape is also grown in South Africa and Australia.  Loved most in its traditional form, Zinfandel is often used as a base for Sparkling wines and has received unprecedented success in the form of White Zinfandel.  Zinfandel, much like Pinot Noir, is an incredibly versatile wine that ranges from light to hearty and robust depending on age and maturity.  Because of these variations some find it hard to pair Zinfandel with food, but as I hopefully have drilled into your psyche by now, trust your nose (aroma) and your palate (taste). 

A couple of things to remember about Zinfandel, it has a higher alcohol content (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing) and can be pretty tannic, so you will get some of that lingering astringent type mouth feel. The aromas and flavors range from heavy berry and plum to woody, cedar and oak.  When pairing food with these wines, if you are fortunate enough to have one more on the woody side, I have one word for you – barbecue.  Barbecued chicken and ribs are divine with a heartier Zinfandel.  If you come upon one with more fruit flavors follow some of the same suggestions as the other red wines with heavy fruit flavors.  Pasta, Pizza, Pork, and of course Beef.   

And so we end our series on Food and Wine pairing, I hope you have found my suggestions simple and easy to follow and I hope that I have given you the courage to try something new.  Remember, acquiring the basic knowledge is easy, learning to trust your own nose and palate can sometimes be hard, but like so many other things practice makes perfect.  Find a wine that you like and enhance your dining experience by matching with some of your favorite foods.

Cheers!

About Chef Heather

Chef Heather (aka Foodie Princess) is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City (formerly Peter Kumps New York Cooking School). She has worked for Gourmet Magazine, TV Personality Katie Brown, and the New York based Indian-fusion restaurant Tabla. Chef Foodie Princess resides in New Jersey with her husband and daughter and is in the process of launching her own Personal Chef Service "The Princess & The Pea".