Pot banging gave way to egg beating and carrot peeling. Two tools were introduced to me as toys. The first was a simple egg beater made of a wood dowel handle with a sturdy spring attached. (I still have it). Mom cracked the egg in a deep bowl and I was permitted to run amok with the egg beater. She didn’t care about the mess. Cleaning up after was easier than attempting to hem in my enthusiasm.
Not much later a simple vegetable peeler and a carrot were handed to me. No, I didn’t stab myself (or others) in the eye. At first I just pretended to peel (imitation) then as grew a little steadier and taller a stool appeared so I could stand at the sink next to mom and peel along with her. Soon I peeled on demand, and beat the eggs for our breakfast scrambles.
Get the little ones in the kitchen early. There is always something they can do.
Evan is an active speaker on culinary subjects as well as issues of food culture and sustainability and, just to keep a balance, she has a very public love affair with Pie. She’s been called the Jerry Garcia of cooking with the freewheeling improvisation she brings to the kitchen. You can follow her exploits on her blog at http://www.evankleiman.com/