CHENNAI : Would you let your child alone with knife and fire? Shree Periakaruppan says do it. An IT professional-cum-founder of Foodology, a cooking studio, Shree launched her new book I Cook, an illustrated cookbook for kids recently. “Kids have no qualms entering the kitchen and whipping up a storm. It’s the parents who stop them from cooking,” she informed us.The colourful book can make even the more serious adult smile, and if you love cooking, you’ll be hooked. “This is a simple attempt to make kids cook. I consider cooking a life skill and not specific to any one gender. Everybody should know how to cook, and better to start young,” said Shree.
I Cook was initially supposed to be a black and white book. But it was her daughter Tapti Arun (11) changed Shree’s mind. “The book has around 40 recipes that include drinks, desserts and main course. Each recipe goes with an illustration. While it took me two weeks to put together the recipes, it took Notion Press about nine months to do the illustrations based on our ideas,” she shared.
Fifteen years ago, Shree did not know the anything about cooking. Circumstances made her explore the kitchen, aka her lab, and cooking became a stress buster. “When my son, Sugriv Arun (9), turned two, he started cooking. It slowly became a family affair for us. I believe a family that cooks together stays together,” she smiled as Sugriv excitedly added, “I love to cook. I can make anything...cakes, enchiladas, and even vazhathandu kootu!”
The book was launched by actor Simran Bagga and the first copy was received by her son Veer. The event had a cooking-related dance performance by students of Steppers Dance Academy and a ramp walk by Shree’s students.Shree opines that a five-year-old can start handling fire and by 7, he/she can handle a knife if parents are supportive and walk them through it. “Start with a butter knife. Give them soft vegetables to cut first,” she said.
So what dish should we let them prepare first? Salads? “No! Trust me they hate salad,” she laughed. “Let them do anything they want to do. Pizzas, pastas, mac and cheese...anything.” As they spend more time in the kitchen and with the ingredients, they learn all about nutrition too. “Pastas and Pizzas can be healthy too...if you choose the right ingredients to make them,” she added.As an introductory offer, the book is available in a box that contains an apron, chef’s hat, measuring cups and baking moulds. The box is priced `1,000 and the book alone is priced `299. They will soon be available in all leading bookstores.