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Teaching kids math and sciences is of course important, but showing them how to make their own breakfast or to work the stove so they can cook for themselves teaches them basic skills of survival and tolerance.
You cannot force kids to like all kinds of foods, but you can teach them simple pleasures - how to toast bread or simply make a sandwich.
When I was growing up in India, both my grandfathers would take me on a rickshaw to the market where we would walk around haggling with the vendors about meats and vegetables. I would touch and see and learn about the ripeness of the fruits and vegetables. (One of my grandfathers would sometimes abandon a deal over the smallest amount of money. I could not understand it at the time but now I do - it was purely ego.)
One of the most important things my parents did was teach me how to cook my own meals at a very young age. My sister can also survive, although she is not a very good cook. When I went to Pune (a city near Mumbai) to study, most of the kids would go out to eat, but I figured out how to cook my own food in the hostel. Then I spent the money I saved on something fun - but I won't get into that.
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Nobody has to turn into a chef or open a restaurant when they grow up, but teaching kids how to make a simple meal is not that difficult.
When I was growing up in India, my family hardly ever went out for dinner. When we did, it was a big deal: We would dress up, and it was considered a major outing. My dad would usually eat something before he went out so he wouldn't have to order so much food. He is someone who can eat at home 365 days of the year. My mother and I, on the other hand, love going out - not just for the food but for a change of ambience.
Now, every Friday night, my wife and two daughters and I go out for dinner, but the rest of the week we eat a home-cooked meal. Monday nights, my daughters cook the food with me and I show them different techniques.
Developing a sophisticated palate is important for kids, and sending them to the grocery shop for what they like to eat gives them the tools to make decisions, just as math and science makes them think logically.
I would encourage parents to take their kids to the local farmers' markets and buy produce for the week. It is not always easy, I know, but it is important for them to know how to feed themselves.
A good basic recipe is Vij Family's Chicken Curry. Even if one adds a little bit of extra spice, or uses less, it tastes great. One fun part is to buy a whole chicken and cut it into small pieces to cook - kids love doing activities like that.
Vij Family's Chicken Curry
What you need
½ cup canola oil
2 cups finely chopped onions (2 large)
3-inch stick of cinnamon
3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
2 cups chopped tomatoes (2 large)
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon garam masala
½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
3 pounds chicken thighs, bone in
1 cup sour cream, stirred
2 cups water
½ cup chopped cilantro (including stems)
What you do
In a large pan, heat oil on medium heat for one minute. Add onions and cinnamon, and sauté for five to eight minutes, until onions are golden. Add garlic and sauté for four more minutes. Add ginger, tomatoes, salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala and cayenne. Cook this masala for five minutes, until the oil separates.
Remove and discard skin from the chicken thighs. Wash thighs and add to the masala. Stir well. Cook chicken thighs for 10 minutes, until the chicken looks cooked on the outside. Add sour cream and water and stir well. Increase the heat to medium-high. When curry starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring two or three times, until chicken is completely cooked. Poke the thighs with a knife. If the meat is still pink, cook for five more minutes. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Cool curry for at least half an hour.
Transfer cooked chicken to a mixing bowl. Wearing latex gloves, peel chicken meat off the bones. Discard bones and stir chicken back into the curry. Just before serving, heat curry on medium heat until it starts to boil lightly. Stir in cilantro.
Divide curry evenly among six bowls.
Serves 6
Vikram Vij is owner and chef of Vij's in Vancouver
