For some, cooking can seem a tedious process. The truth is there are so many ways that cooking can be fun. The craft itself (when it was created almost 2 million years ago) was even responsible for the human brain doubling in size. Well, the average day can be tiring on even the best brains, and food prep and cooking may not be the most exciting part of it. However, there’s a reason cooking has become regarded as a science, an art, and a means of joy and health.
It is possible and surprisingly easy to add excitement to the kitchen at any skill level. Try these ways to make cooking fun in the household so that an exciting hibachi experience doesn’t become the only way to get that cooking thrill. Being a chef isn’t required, and there’s no age limit. Check out the following tips to see how.
Whether it’s for health, allergies, or a new taste, using new ingredients in place of common ones in recipes can make cooking more fun. Vegetables like zucchini can make a tasty pasta alternative. Applesauce can be used in place of eggs in baked goods such as cookies and cakes, adding a delectable moistness. Avocado can even be used to replace creamy ingredients such as mayonnaise. There are countless tasty substitutes out there to add some fun to cooking.
While family and togetherness may stand out during the holidays, the food (especially the leftovers) takes the cake. Holidays can be even more fun with themed cooking. Food coloring or even a simple design can relieve the stress of major holiday cooking and add smiles to the family’s faces. Holiday twists can take family favorites to the next level, and kids and adults alike will find this to be quite the tasty art project that can be looked forward to every holiday.
Like with the holidays, adding themes to birthday dishes can also make cooking all the more fun. Themed dishes, especially for friends, can be enjoyable to make no matter the skill level. However, always feel free to get a back-up present to accompany any heart-shaped cookies that could break a tooth. At the end of the day, who doesn’t want to bake a giant a cookie? And who doesn’t want to eat a giant cookie with their name personally scribbled across in icing by a loved one?
Adding challenges to the kitchen doesn’t necessarily mean flexing your master chef muscles, but it can mean trying a new recipe every week. For families who love competition, each member can create a new dish on a different night of the week and the best dish is selected at the end of the week. Even more challenging would be for each member to create the same recipe each night and then a vote is cast to see who did it best. Competition can bring out the best in many people.
Sometimes the kitchen and cooking can seem a dangerous place for children. However, this is far from the truth. With proper supervision and safe culinary tools, kids can prepare their favorites like pizza, chicken nuggets, and grilled cheese. There are mini sandwich presses and waffle makers, nylon cutting tools that allow for safe food prep of all kinds of foods, and small mittens for heat protection. Including the kids in the kitchen increases the fun all around by 200%. (It’s also a good way to teach food hygiene and cleaning skills early.)
Adults can have just as much fun as kids upping their cooking game. There are plenty of options for any interest or level. For baking, consider quality cake mixers, cookie cutters, or an icing piping bag. For pasta lovers, a pasta maker and powerful blender to create tasty sauces could completely transform the cooking experience. There are also great one-session, adult-group cooking classes out there where groups learn to cook a three-course meal and take home valuable cooking techniques.
There are thousands of cooking instructional videos out there, and it’s for good reason - making them is fun! Whether it’s personal or for the public, a quick instructional cooking video can make the cooking process more engaging. Not only does it show how good cake batter looks in high definition but recording and editing can be a fun way to pass the time. It’s a mixing of the arts that can be enjoyed during its creation and can be shared to inspire others!
Many adults are still kids at heart and making foods that the little ones will find fun to eat can be really nice for parents. Seeing a bacon smiley face on the plate is an uplifting way to start the day and being the one to put that smiley face on the plate may feel even better. The same goes for making Buddy the dog’s tail wag! It’s a whole new cooking world to be explored, and there are great pet treat recipes that use pet food or ingredients from the kitchen as the base.
