Everyone is always talking about getting the kids in the kitchen. Get them involved in the preparation and they will eat the food, the theory goes. WhileI love cooking with my kids, for most weekday meals, it just isn’t going to happen. They make such a mess and we have so little time after school and homework. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to get your kids involved.
A few months ago, my kids came up with a game. It was one of the many yom tov days that I was hoping the kids would sleep in and let me relax a bit. When I awoke (much later than normal) I found them enjoying a game of spin the globe. On their own they thought up this game where one of them would close their eyes and point a finger on the globe while spinning it. When it landed they would open their eyes and read where on earth they were. Then they would talk about all the food they would eat if they went to that country (they are my kids after all, foodies from birth).
After all the holidays were over, we decided to play Spin the Globe to plan our weekly menus. Everyone got a turn and we got to enjoy Mexican, Algerian, Moroccan, Russian and Italian food all while learning about the food traditions of other countries and cultures and having a ton of fun. The kids were excited about the meals we planned and my oldest looked up information about the country on the computer and shared a few fun facts with everyone.
Sometimes, we all run out of creative ideas for dinner. Now, when I get stuck for an inspiring menu I just ask my kids to close their eyes, point their finger and spin the globe. We’ve traveled all around the world and I haven’t even left the kitchen!
Here are some of the recipes we enjoyed. Be sure to share some of your favorites from the world of global gastronomy.
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I love that you did that, it is exactly the same except what you did was much more work without the internet. I am so impressed. With information at the tips of our fingers there is no reason not to do this. Thanks for sharing.
This reminds me of our “around the world” meals we had as children. Each week we’d pull out the atlas and write a country or region on a slip of paper. We’d put the paper into a cup and someone would draw the paper. The destination listed would be the basis of the menu for the following Sunday’s breakfast and dinner. Long before the days of instant information on the Internet, my mother would go to the library and check out the State Department’s report on that country. She’d get cookbooks and picture books to teach us about the foods and culture of the place. Then each family member would prepare one dish for breakfast and for dinner based on the food of that place. During the meal she’d read to us about the gross national product and literacy rates and lifestyle and such. We traveled all around the world — Mongolia, Sicily, North Dakota (my dad’s sense of humor) and much more. These dinners brought us together, inspired and taught us and certainly nurtured a love of exploring new places and new foods. And the great thing is that someone would draw the next name for the next week. Hopefully I’ll be able to recreate this for my family as a way to enrich their lives and broaden their horizons.