Parade Magazine Asks … What Do Chefs Feed Their Kids?
Posted by Cate O’Malley on Paper Palate.
As you see chef after chef make delectable, drool-inducing dishes on tv and in their cookbooks, one has to wonder if their kids eat that well at home … or is there a secret stash of Snickers and Cheetos that are quickly hidden when company comes? In the August 26th issue of Parade magazine (a supplement in the Sunday Star-Ledger newspaper), they asked just that question … What Do Chefs Feed Their Kids? The answers may surprise you; then again, maybe not. You can read the entire article right here (lots of recipes included), but in the meantime, a few excerpts.
WOLFGANG PUCK
Spago, Beverly Hills, and host of Cooking Class on The Food Network
Mini Pizzas
Your kids should eat what you eat. For instance, my youngest son loves risotto, just like I do. But for lunch, we make little pizza sandwiches. Make a square with whole-wheat dough, lots of fresh vegetables and a little cheese, then cut it into small squares. Cook it the night before at home, and then the kids can eat it cold at school like focaccia.
You also can do the same thing with panini. My older son, Cameron, loves to use the panini grill. He started when he was 12. Use tomato slices, zucchini, ham or turkey and a little bit of cheese. You can make it the night before, and then have it wrapped in the refrigerator for the kids to take whenever they want.
EMERIL LAGASSE
Emeril’s Gulf Coast Fish House, Gulfport, Miss.
Shrimp Spring Rolls
My son E.J. starts school this fall, so we haven’t begun making lunch boxes, but we will soon! My kids are great eaters. For lunch or a snack, E.J. helps me prepare fun foods, such as shrimp spring rolls. They’re great for kids, because they are portable and you can fill them with lots of fresh veggies. My kids also love anything with pasta, like a sesame noodle salad. For a special treat, sometimes we will make a mango lassi [an Indian yogurt drink] for them.
TYLER FLORENCE
Host of Tyler’s Ultimate, Food 911 and How To Boil Water on The Food Network
Stuffed Sandwiches
I try to keep my son Miles’ menus straightforward—but with a twist. He’s big into wraps stuffed with grilled vegetables and goat cheese. A chicken Caesar salad also makes for an unbelievably good sandwich on a sourdough roll. One of his other favorites: fresh heirloom tomatoes sliced thick, with buffalo mozzarella and a touch of fresh pesto. If he happens to trade what I made for him when he gets to school, it’s a great way to break the ice with the girls.
Photo of Tyler Florence and his son, Miles, from Parade magazine.
