How to embrace the mess and stress of cooking with your kids
toggle caption Eric Wolfinger
David Nayfeld, a professional chef, always loved cooking with his daughter, Helena. But after he became a single dad in 2021 and then had shared custody of her, the activity took on new importance.
He realized that being in the kitchen with her was a great way to make the most of their precious time together — and a unique opportunity for connection.
Yes, it's messy, he admits, but it's "totally worth the price of admission," he says. "You're building their confidence, their palate and that relationship between the both of you."
He shares tips on how to cook with kids of all ages, along with hearty, family-friendly recipes, in a new cookbook published in May, Dad, What's for Dinner? Each recipe has a mess rating on a scale of 1 to 4 and is helpfully catalogued as either a "meltdown meal" (made in 30 minutes or less), a weeknight meal or project cooking.
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Nayfeld warns that his recipes, many of which are Italian-style,
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