How Can I Make Mealtimes Into Something More?

Dinner times can be a challenge. What should I cook? How quickly can I do it? Should I let the kids help even though it may slow me down? It can be downright stressful.

But recently, I was at an event where celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson and Kraft Foods rolled out “Big Fork Little Fork, an interactive iPad app designed to combine fun and function into mealtimes for the modern family. Fun at mealtimes? I needed to learn more. The deluxe package, only $4.99, features 50 family friendly recipes and 10 demo videos providing “hands-on” kitchen help. Each meal uses both fresh and store brought ingredients and all take between 12-15 minutes to make. Parents and children are encouraged to tag team in culinary combination “Top Chef “style because children may be tempted to try new foods (bye, bye picky eaters!) when they have a hand in the mix. I’m sure the corporate heads thought they were just providing a blueprint to quick and healthy meal planning and preparation, and trust me, many moms just like me are pretty grateful.

But Chef Samuelsson kicked it up a notch when he began asking eager eaters what their food story was. A food story? As he explained, we all have a food story which includes where we live, where we come from and what we believe in. Usually when families gather together, food will play a central role. Each dish is part of a larger fabric which connects generations. I like to make my grandmother’s yeast rolls using her rolling pin and mixing bowl. As we’re covered in flour, I get to share memories with my children about helping her bake while creating new memories for them to share with their children. This year, I want to make more time for that away from the pressure of everyday cooking.

The truth is, cooking and eating both provide a natural backdrop for the “whys” and “how comes” children use to piece and stitch together the cloth of who they are. They also provide an opportunity for cultural connection. Our children have friends with families very different from our own and we can use their food stories to increase our appreciation of the global village in which we live: Sarah’s having potato latkes for dinner. Bilal’s family all eat from one big dish. For the New Year, Jenny Chang has fish balls and Madison has black eyed peas. The family table, can now be a place to provide history lessons and promote cultural understanding, one tasty bite at a time. That’s a whole new of looking at mealtime.

What do you do at mealtime to make it something more for your family? How do you plan to share your food story with your children?