Mothership Meals and Satellite Saucers: Heat Wave Food

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Heat Wave Food

Ugh, it's so hot! And it's still not over. I just got an email from my son's teacher asking parents to email the mayor's office demanding that school be cancelled when it's over 100-degrees. No air-conditioning in their 3rd floor classroom, with giant windows facing the sun, over the highway...

The one good thing -- I remembered one of my favorite heat wave foods: Cabbage Salad from Isla Mujeres.

A long time ago I went on a snorkeling trip in Mexico. After the snorkeling, the guys running the boat took all us gringos to an island, where they pulled out some giant fish they'd just caught. Where did the fish come from? Details are escaping me. Did another boat come up at the last second and give us a fish they'd just caught? I can't remember, all I know is, they had this giant, freshly caught fish.

And lots of avocados and limes. And cabbage. And some really sharp, enormous knives.

So they lit a fire and made this meal from scratch: grilled fish, guacamole, rice and beans, and a cabbage salad. The cabbage was shredded so finely, and tossed with sea salt and lime juice, so that it wilted a tiny bit. It was amazing, and something I made regularly for years, until I sort of forgot about it, until tonight. I used to add a dash of olive oil, which was good.

So we had that tonight with tacoes. Mmm. My kids didn't eat the cabbage. In fact, my four-year-old ate almost nothing, and then was devastated, as I was cleaning up, to find out I wouldn't give her a bowl of blueberries.

I'm taking leftovers to work tomorrow, where I can only hope that the air conditioner has been fixed since last week...

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The Mothership Method

(Or, how to sit down for dinner with your family without completely losing your mind)

It would be great if kids AND parents wanted boiled chicken and baby carrots every night for dinner. But, too bad, we picky parents want spicy, exotic, fun foods, and our kids want, well, sorta lame foods.
Here's the solution: break it down. Serve the dish deconstructed, and let everyone put their own dish together at the table. Sort of like tapas, or smorgasbord, or tacos. Or how in some parts of China you get a bowl of rice, and everything else is in the middle of the table and you take what you want for your own little bowl of rice. That way everyone gets to eat what they want, parents don't have to nag their kids, and kids get to feels some ownership over their meals. Plus, kids get exposed to the look and taste of the foods you hope they will one day love. But it's not just tacos. You'll be amazed at what can be served with the Mothership Method.

Ten Tips to Get Through Dinner Without Having A Nervous Breakdown

1. Accept That Kids Are Picky. No need to freak out on your cooking ability, or look at your kids like there is something wrong with them. It's called "neo-phobia", and it's just how they are, especially from ages 3-6.

2. Serve Meals Broken Down. Even grown-up meals like coconut curry or linguine with clams can be served in their elements, making them more appealing to kids. Grown ups can assemble their own jumble of deliciousness at their own plate while kids take on the pared-down elements.

3. Push if it Works, But Don't Nag If It Doesn't. Some kids are okay with being expected to taste everything on their plate. Others aren't. I think it's okay to push kids -- but not if you're turning dinner into a battlefield.

4. Suggest a Smell. Smelling a new food is easier than tasting it, and can sometimes provide a kid with the information needed to take that scary first bite. But don't confine smelling to new foods. Smell favorites, too, and help them develop their sense of smell by making a game out of it.

5. Don't Ask "Do You Like It?" Instead, try, "What does this remind you of?" or, "Would your cousins like this?" or, "Does this taste salty or sweet?". Asking if they like it or not gives kids too much power and ends the conversation. Besides, we don't care if they like it! We just want them to keep tasting it until it is familiar.

6. Don't Get Frustrated. Imagine being in Taiwan, or Nairobi, or Rome for the first time. Would you eat everything on the local menu? New foods are scary and gross. Our kids need time to learn about the foods that we eat.

7. No SubstitutionsThis is family dinner, not a diner. You, in all your wisdom, have provided foods that are healthy and delicious and appropriate for your children. There is something on the table for them to eat. Period.

8. No Snacks Before Dinner. This can be the hardest with our hectic schedules and hungry kids. But children who come to the table hungry are more likely to eat than cause trouble.

9. Put Peer Pressure To Your Advantage. School children are more likely to accept new foods if the alpha girls in their group accept them. Swap healthy food ideas on playdates.

10. Involve Your Kids In Cooking, Shopping, and Gardening. The more experience kids have handling and preparing a variety of foods, the more likely they are to eventually accept the foods. (But don't get upset if they help you make a complicated wonderful meal, and then refuse to eat it.)