Chef Charles Webb is a Chicago based food entrepreneur focusing on experience based dining. Whether he’s cooking for 2 or 200 guests, Chef CW and his talented global team bestow their magic on a plethora of experiences including corporate events, fun dinner parties, or a mix and mingle soiree complete with cocktails and hors d oeuvres. Whatever the occasion, CW and his team have always exceeded expectations.
You would think that a chef of Charles Webb’s caliber may not have a lot of experience cooking for kids, but as we mentioned, Chef CW does it all. As more focus turns to encouraging our children to eat better, we need talented chefs like CW to help us make that happen. There are many parents eager to move their kids from eating chicken fingers, hot dogs and mac and cheese to more adventurous options such as calamari, salmon, or even sushi and dining out doesn’t help when the kids’ menu is populated with those boring food options mentioned above. For those parents struggling to get their little ones to sample different cuisine they must be persistent and diligent with their approach. To help us accomplish our goals, we asked Chef CW to provide us with some professional advice for moving your future foodies from basic eats to fun foods.
Tips from Chef Charles Webb
1. Use Spices- the flavors create a stronger awareness to the developing palate and even though it is sensitive, it is a great way to learn diversity in their mouths.
2. Present Vegetables- these can be a lot of fun if executed properly... I like to incorporate vegetables into dishes like pasta where they can be "snuck" in. The finer they can be cut the easier it is to deal with the texture component. We generally offer them first so when kids are hungry they go for them immediately!
3.. Size- One biters, or smaller "tapas" size portions tend to work better allowing easy access to both a variety of food and it teaches them to eat in moderation.
4. Bribe- If all else fails, bribe them! Build incentives for them to venture out and try different things. As children, they pick up on their parent’s habits, so if you eat from a can then it might just be the modus apparatus.