by Neil Nicol

Created on: February 03, 2009   Last Updated: February 06, 2009

When we are very young, our parents patiently teach us to walk in order that we may some day run. They teach us very simple words so that we may some day learn a lot more and hold an in depth conversation. They later send us to school in order that we may learn to write those same simple words in the hope that we may some day write complex essays on such as scientific theories. We also learn at this stage the basics of counting, hopefully so that we may some day perform complex arithmetical and mathematical calculations. Why should the same principals not apply to cooking?

Cooking is the craft which relates to the most basic need any human being has. We have to eat in order to survive. It is not essential to our existence that we walk, talk, write or count, so why should these activities have so much more importance placed upon them than cooking?

Is it a symptom of the junk food and microwave oven society that we live in today that parents believe their child will have no practical need of such knowledge?

Learning to cook is not simply about learning how to boil an egg, make a slice of toast, or prepare a complex five course dinner. Learning to cook is far more importantly about learning what we should be eating and why, in order that our bodies may perform to the best of their abilities and our health be kept as far as possible in pristine condition. It is about learning the best fashion in which to cook certain ingredients to maximise their flavour and nutritional value and how best to combine those same ingredients with others to further compliment them. Learning to cook is an essential life skill to which we should all be introduced at the youngest possible age.

When children are very little, most of them will watch one of their parents cooking in the kitchen. They will have the natural curiosity of any small child as to what said parent is doing and why. This is therefore the parent's ideal opportunity to introduce their child to the art of cooking. It should of course initially be very basic steps such as allowing them to stir a mixture, pour cold ingredients in to a bowl or basin, or perhaps even help to decorate a cake. In this way, they give the child a sense of being useful and helping their parent which boosts their confidence and stimulates an interest in the craft.

As time goes by, the child will learn and be capable of undertaking more and more cooking tasks - always under close supervision, of course - and they will absorb the knowledge at an age where they are best equipped to do so. They will progress to boiling that egg and making that toast, slowly but steadily, until some day they can handle the five course dinner. Just as their academic skills progress as they work their way through school, their practical kitchen skills will progress in the home and they will have a very well rounded education to give them the best possible start in their adult life.

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