Cooking With Kids

From “Making My Energy Treats is Simple!”
My energy treats have no added sugar or fat—instead they are sweetened with date puree and loaded with fiber (even the most decadent ones). They are 100% healthy and will make you want to live your life to the fullest. Who said healthy cooking had to be complicated?

Q: Really, No Added Sugar or Fat?
Ok, fine—I cheat a little sometimes. The dough contains no added sugar or fat, but you will occasionally spot chocolate or caramel chips in my recipes. When I first started making my energy treats, I wanted to avoid these kinds of ingredients at all costs. But a nutritionist friend told me that in cooking, as in life, it all comes down to balance. So the choice is yours: if you want to include those ingredients, go for it, but if you don’t, you can always just leave them out.

Q: What about Me? I Eat Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free!
All the recipes in this book can be made without gluten or dairy products. Yes, really!

For gluten-free treats, simply substitute the other flours with your favorite gluten-free variety available at your grocery store. For dairy-free, use store-bought unsweetened applesauce instead of nonfat plain yogurt. There is no need to hunt for complicated ingredients—simpleski!

Q: How about Calories?
Lots of people have asked for my recipes’ nutritional information, including calorie count. But because I’m not a trained nutritionist or a dietitian (I’m just a woman who has big ideas to change the world, one energy treat at a time!), this isn’t information I’m focused on. I’ve chosen not to count the calories of the food I eat. After all, they’re just a number! Are the recipes in this book low-calorie? No. They are healthy, easy-to-make recipes that are packed with ingredients to provide lasting energy. Deciding to eat healthily is a choice. The great thing about making these energy treats is that you choose what you put in the recipe and, therefore, into your body.

Q: What about Recipes for Athletes?
Yes! As a marathon runner, I spent a long time looking for healthy, energy-boosting snacks to fuel up with before my running sessions —and I ended up making them myself (page 81)! I have also created post-workout cookies that allow you to cut down on your recovery time (page 101).
Q: Do You Have School Lunch–Appropriate Recipes My Kids Will Love (No Nuts, No Chocolate, and for those who have allergies, No Dairy)?
Yes! My children absolutely love my cookies, and yours will too. On page 87, you’ll even find a healthy, homemade version of the popular Bear Paws cookies.

Making my energy treats is easy! Think you can’t cook? Then these recipes are perfect for you! Simply put the ingredients in a bowl, mix, bake, let cool, and then enjoy. Ta-da! Honestly, that’s all you need to know to make these cookies.

From the Introduction

There is a lot of joy in teaching kids to cook, but sometimes I’m so focused on getting everyone out the door on time that I don’t stop to take in all that we’ve accomplished. That we made pastry from scratch, and then we made quiches, and then while they were baking, we made more pastry and cleaned up, for example. In 60 minutes. But when I’m dismissing the boys and I stop to breathe, I look at their faces and I get it. Just like the parents when they pick up their boys. What’s going on is joy, creativity and, most of all, learning.

One of the greatest pleasures of teaching kids to cook comes from working with their can-do attitude, which has encouraged me in my own baking and cooking to just “have a go.” The boys NEVER think something can’t be done unless they’ve been told it’s supposed to be hard. Puff pastry? Choux pastry? Sushi? Molecular cuisine? Working alongside some of the country’s top chefs? No problem for kids who believe they can do anything. Teaching kids cooking is also about embracing their natural confidence and making them feel that anything is possible. That they can cook.

So, why a French cookbook for kids? Well, France is a country dear to my heart. I lived there for years in my late 20s and have been back countless times since I moved to Canada from my native Australia. We own a little house in southwest France, so a part of me is always there. I love writing about French culture and the French language. And, of course, I love teaching kids to cook, and I am always on the lookout for ways to incorporate a little cooking into the French as a Second Language curriculum because, well, pourquoi pas? As I’ve watched my cooking club evolve over the years to include more complex recipes that many people don’t think kids are capable of making (with a little help, of course!), the idea for this book was born. Kids can cook French food! Because despite what many people think, French food is not all sophisticated haute cuisine. At home, French people eat and cook mostly simple dishes. Dishes I know my cooking club members would love to make and eat. This book features real French food for kids, a little bit of culture, and some French language lessons too! I hope to take the intimidation factor out of French food through recipes for everyday dishes that children and their parents can make and eat together. Because you know what? Kids can cook. You just have to let them!