Kid Food

I know, I know. I don’t look old enough to have two grandsons. But I do. They’re now 6 and 3 and they recently came for a visit.

I reported in this space a little over a year ago about the foods they ate and I now have an update.

The three-year-old, in the year since, continues to subsist on a diet of a “magically delicious” cereal, OJ, other fruit juices, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, French fries, yogurt and string cheese.

The six-year-old, however, continues to eat new foods and, for his age, has a fairly sophisticated palate. Make no mistake, when given the choice he’d go to the Golden Arches in a heartbeat because he, just like your children and grandchildren, is subjected to the relentless and clever marketing tactics of the Clown.

Nevertheless, his mother and father reported with delight that on a recent vacation trip, they were at a restaurant that had a kids’ menu, but when the waitress listed the specials of the evening, the elder child heard “filet mignon,” and wanted to know what it was.

My daughter explained to him that it was a kind of steak and he said, “I’ll have that.” Not only did he finish every last bite, but for the next three nights he ordered steak in one form or another.

At that same restaurant (where one of the specials was filet mignon), the younger one also listened to the waitress list the specials. Among them were crab cakes. He’s three and apparently the only word he heard was “cake.” And so he ordered that and got an unhappy surprise, which eventually was replaced by chicken nuggets.

Fast forward to about a month or so later and I was visiting them in their home back East. I never asked the younger grandson what he wanted for dinner because it’s always the same. But when I ask the older one he often surprises me. In addition to his newfound love of good beef, he also likes salmon in almost any form it comes. I made it poached one night and he gobbled it up. A week later, I grilled it and he loved that, too.

On the side, he loves salad and, while he will only eat iceberg lettuce, he’ll insist on tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, ripe olives and onions. Then he’ll ask to see a variety of dressings. Where does this kid come off loving soy-ginger-vinaigrette?

And unlike his younger brother, ask him what his favorite dinner is and he’ll answer without hesitation: sushi.

Yes, I said sushi. And he doesn’t even wait for you to give him a little dipping bowl of soy sauce – he just tears into the tuna, yellowtail, salmon and California roll. Oh, and he’s getting pretty good with chopsticks, too.

This is a kid I love to cook for. There just aren’t many like him, especially at age 6. On the other hand, his younger brother will probably grow up with his grandfather’s boyhood eating habits: Sugar-loaded cereal for breakfast; PB&J every day for lunch. Something fried for dinner.

Despite my own limited childhood food choices, I turned out OK, but it took many, many years – well past college graduation – before I had the nerve to delve into new and exotic foods. I guess it may well be the same for the younger of my two grandsons. My siblings and childhood friends who remember my eating habits were stunned when they saw me evolve into a culinary professional. Maybe my younger grandson will surprise us one day, too.

Even so, I wonder what my older grandson will ask for the next time I get to cook for him.

Stay tuned.

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