5: Cooking

“I’d like to try cooking with my group but there seem to be so many health and safety warnings. And then there’s the whole allergy thing. Can you advise me?”

Joy Knott, experienced primary school teacher and mum to three lively and demanding boys, answers:

Why cook? Cooking is a worthwhile, sociable, fun activity. It involves children in working together in cooperation in order to make food to share with one another. Handling of a variety of ingredients and watching them transformed communicates something of the wonder of God’s world. Cooking extends children’s sensory awareness through their touching, smelling and tasting of the food. And just as in Bible times, the creation of a meal and sharing of it together can be an important part of a special festival or celebration.

There are, however, a number of dos and don’ts to remember in order for cooking with young children to be a safe and enjoyable activity.

Hygiene:

• always wash hands before handling food.
• clean all surfaces, preferably with an anti-bacterial cleaner.
• make sure all utensils are clean.
• if possible let the children make their own individual items.

Equipment safety:

• take care using knives – table knives are safest.
• keep flexes, kettles and pan handles out of reach.
• try to do as much as possible at the children’s height – there is more chance of an accident if children are reaching up or standing on chairs.
• put a damp cloth or rubber mat under the mixing bowl to prevent it from slipping.

Allergies and food safety:

• be aware of the food sensitivities of your group. Check with their parents or carers beforehand that they haven’t any ‘forbidden foods,’ and whether they are allergic to additives, colourings or flavourings.
• don’t give your children nuts, especially peanuts, as some children have serious reactions to them.
• small children can choke very easily so take care when sharing food together.
• avoid recipes involving raw eggs.
• ensure all ingredients are fresh and have been properly stored. It may be best to bring them from home rather than store them at church.

You may be fortunate – you may have a small group of under 5s plus plenty of adult help; you may have access to a kitchen complete with cooker, fridge, sink, kettle, utensils and work surfaces.

But now for the more realistic picture – many of you may only have a table to work on, no handy sink nearby, no cooker or even kettle, and no suitable equipment on hand. Despite this, it’s surprising what can be done – so long as you’re well organised.

You can overcome the lack of facilities by taking things in from home – bowls, spoons, electric kettle, a plastic sheet to cover a table, even a microwave or deep fact fryer!

If there is no cooker available don’t despair – there are many ‘non cook’ recipes to try. Here are some ideas:

• Chocolate crispies, made with crispy rice cereal and chocolate melted over a bowl of hot water (from a kettle or thermos).
• Easter nests made in the same way but using wheat breakfast cereal.
• Peppermint creams or sweets made with bought fondant icing or marzipan.
• Pre-cooked or bought biscuits or cakes, which can be decorated using tubes of ‘writing icing’, sweets and other cake decorations.
• Similarly, savoury biscuits, which can be decorated using squeezy cheese spread, cress and salad vegetables.
• Fancy sandwiches cut with pastry cutters, or left open and given faces using cream cheese and salad bits.
• Salads – both fruit and vegetable.
• Whipped instant milk dessert.
• Drinks mixed from a variety of ingredients.

When choosing recipes it is a good idea to keep healthy eating in mind. Don’t always opt for sweet things.

Remember, there are plenty of simple savouries you can make – those non-cook recipes mentioned above, or if you have access to a cooker, scone, crumpet or French bread pizzas are another idea. You can even make healthy sweet pizzas using grilled ‘English muffins’ spread with fromage frais and decorated with fruit.

There are many useful recipe books for children. Choose one with clear pictures and step-by-step instructions. Or write your own recipe out, clearly with a few illustrations so that children can follow it with you.

The key to successful cooking is to allow the children to participate as much as possible. It’s no fun for them if you do all the measuring, mixing, pouring, rolling and cutting and they just watch. Don’t let them handle food in and out of the oven, of course, but let them be as ‘hands on’ as possible.

It’s therefore necessary that you work in small groups – six is ideal – if your group is larger you really need to split in two groups and have an adult with each. This ensures that each child is guaranteed a turn. You can even involve the children in the cleaning up process if possible.

Another secret is to be prepared. Have everything ready. Choose simple recipes that require a minimum of ingredients and equipment, and that give good results with limited adult input. Think carefully of the timing. Choose recipes that you can complete (and eat?) within the time span of a group session. Don’t forget, it takes longer to prepare food with a group of children than it does to cook the same recipe yourself at home.

But the most important secret of all is to enjoy it as much as the children, and share their pleasure at the results of their labours, however successful!