Boys who cook - happy daughters-in-law

As I write this, our two youngest boys are glued to the TV watching the Food Network's popular show, "The Five Minute Fix."  While they're probably not ambitious enough to tackle the Thanksgiving feast featured in tonight's episode, they have mastered a lot of the basics a guy needs to survive bachelorhood.  If it comes in a can or in a box with instructions written in plain English, they can have it on the table in no time.   But I'm talking about real food.  Most of our guys can do eggs -- more than just scrambled.  This afternoon, Tim, our youngest, offered to make a grilled cheese sandwich for me.   The day before, his older brother, Ben made cinnamon apples for the whole family.  It's not a well kept secret -- kids love to cook.

I've often reminded the guys that knowing how to cook -- and how to do the dishes afterward -- is a skill that will be appreciated by our future daughters-in-law.  Proof is in the older, married brothers' winning ways in the world of outdoor cooking.  I'd like to say these guys have acquired their cooking skills from their dad, but that's not likely -- even in my dreams.  True, they all know how to start a fire for outdoor grilling, but the actual grilling part for the younger guys under my tutelage has not always been as stellar as their older brothers' efforts.  Learning, after all, is a process.  I have to confess to being a less than encouraging Dad when Tim came to me asking why the brat wurst were exploding.  So much for cooking class ... now it's time for science.

There are better ways to teach kids -- especially boys -- how to cook.  I'll start with the lesson learned above:  don't leave them unattended.  Here are some others that aren't as obvious:

• Make a list of dishes Dad is already good at preparing, and invite one or more of the boys to join him next time he braves the kitchen (if Dad isn't skilled in this area, learn together).
• Make a list of favorite foods the guys can have -- provided they learn to cook them on their own (yes, Mom or Dad will help the first few times).
• Make helping in the kitchen a regular duty -- with the primary cook's approval -- to learn basic skills and cooking methods.
• Have a regular "guy night" where the guys can cook with Dad and do other guy things.
• Let your teens plan a party and prepare all the hors d'oeuvres.

These are just idea starters.  Your mileage may vary.  Happy cooking!