What makes the food prepared by your bubbie or mother taste so good? It is the love. When you cook with love the food tastes so much better. So what is cooking with love? It is the preparation of foods that nourish the soul as well as the body.
Often cooking with love refers to the preparation of traditional Jewish recipes or other recipes that have been passed down through the generations. These recipes are special because they have history tied to them. This history reflects the struggles and triumphs of a family or a group of people. The flavors that are developed in these special recipes are unique because they have evolved over multiple generations using whatever ingredients were easy to access.
When it comes to cooking food for your children you need to thing about more than just how good the food tastes. You also need to think about how that food impacts their bodies. Many dishes that are developed for children traditionally have higher calorie counts and richer ingredients because children need the extra calories and nutrients to help them grow and develop properly. However, today we also know that foods prepared for children need to be lower in salt and fat, and higher in complex carbohydrates and lean protein.
Sometimes cooking with love for your children means developing a repertoire of recipes that meet their special dietary needs. This could mean developing recipes that taste good, but that do not contain refined sugar, gluten or dairy. On the other hand, it may mean developing a recipe collection that will support your son or daughter’s ability to be a top athlete.
