KIDS IN THE KITCHEN

JAMIE Oliver’s blackberry and apple pie caught the eye of Yuri (11)when he was watching TV, so he decided to look or the recipe. “I couldn’t find it on his Web site so I used Google.” Eventually, after much searching, he found it. So     how did it turn out? “Burnt!” Not easily discouraged, Yuri persisted and has since baked many other desserts and  cakes, using recipes he finds online. He claims to be “terrible at cooking” but has now branched out into making meals.   His favourite food is pasta and he’s tried a few recipes he’s found thanks to Google; the best so far being one   with a spinach and mushroom sauce. 

He’s learned a lot of the basics from his mother, but says the Internet is useful for cooking techniques as well as for  recipes. Yuri’s culinary skills are probably more sophisticated than the average 11-year-old’s, who may find Web sites  targeted at junior cooks more suitable. Spatulatta (spatulatta.com) is hosted by two sisters, aged nine and 11, and  includes videos, cooking basics and holiday themes.

The BBC has a kids’ cooking section at tinyurl.com/ynfbp5 , while American TV cook Rachael Ray has a site for kids at  www. yum-o.org , with recipes classified by age group and food group. For more help getting kids to eat their greens, try  Kids in the Kitchen (kidsinthekitchen.ajli.org), which is part of a US Junior Leagues programme that promotes healthy  eating for kids.