IN Kids Cooking

Cooking is fun for the whole family and is an activity kids can easily take part in too over the summer.


The Mirmikidis children will probably remember their time in the kitchen as some of their fondest memories. At least their dad hopes so.


Dad Athan says the up-coming holidays are a perfect time to spend some time in the kitchen with your kids, teaching them basic recipes which they’ll always be able to cook.


The father of three has been cooking for as long as he can remember. His grandfather was a chef and his mum taught him to cook when he was little, something Athan started passing onto his own three from the moment they could put on an apron.


The first dish Athan learnt was a classic spaghetti bolognaise, a perfect one to use with summer beef. He says that beef offers plenty of easy recipes for parents to try with their kids including favourites in his house like gourmet burgers, chilli con carne, nachos and a Greek dish called keftethes, which are savoury meatballs made with mince, garlic, onion and parsley.


“Keftethes are perfect for kids to be able to mix and roll into balls. It’s like playing with play dough,” says Athan. “You can eat them as a meal or have them cold as a picking dish.”


Athan’s Greek heritage means that dishes like keftethes are staples amongst all his family but cultural exploration also plays a big part of life in the Mirmikidis home. What better way to do it than with food from around the world. It’s a perfect way to teach Jasper, 9, Amelie, 7 and three-year-old Rosie about different countries.


Athan is the managing director of catering company Heyder & Shears and says it’s a Saturday morning ritual to take his children to the commercial kitchen to watch others cooking as well as going to the butcher.


“They learn about cooking, get more familiar with a kitchen and get to know other people who know how to cook. Jasper can deliver a dinner for the family. Of course his first dish was spaghetti bolognaise. I think it’s all the kids’ favourite meal.


“The older ones already appreciate a good cut of beef which we’ll serve with some kind of relish rather than tomato sauce.”


Being able to help in the kitchen can do wonders for a child’s confidence, says Athan. That sense of accomplishment and pride as well as being a little creative is great for them.


“Kids will try and mimic their parents and I think learning to cook is a fantastic habit for them to have as well as a great pleasure.


“My kids have never eaten from a fast food outlet. They know that the food from home is healthy and developing good eating habits in them is important.


“When we’re in the kitchen together the kids ask why we do something and it forces us to get back to basics too and think about what we are doing step-by-step. We see it through new eyes because of that.”


For information on Heyder & Shears Catering, visit www.heydershears.com.au