After seeing some of the male members of our older generation laid low by the wife's absence from cooking, I decided that teaching boys to cook is vital. These older folks are destined to starve or at least eat very badly and often resort to expensive fast food restaurants for subsistence. We must prevent this problem in future generations.

Teaching boys to cook is important so they can always be capable of feeding themselves. It also is an added bonus for their future wives as well as their present mothers. Unfortunately, many still believe that cooking is the province of women and a sissy thing for men to be involved in. How silly, since many of the best chefs are men. We push girls to learn, but let boys slide. That is a pretty stupid idea since boys also eat. I also believe girls should learn how to do minor household repairs, but that is another topic.

Kids like to help when very young, but then we chase them from the kitchen. We think their 'help' will be more work for us and also are concerned about the dangers. What this means is a parent must supervise them. At this stage they are not replacing our work they are 'in training.' If you have a boy who loves to help in the kitchen, great, if not, recruit their help at least once in awhile. I have a grandson who has made the kitchen a familiar domain since his mom loves to cook and experiment with recipes. This boy, when not helping mom, enjoys watching wrestling, plays soccer, rides his bike, and uses tools to do woodworking and mechanical projects. He is well rounded. He may be one of the few ten- year-olds who know what a roux is and when to use the garlic press or what to do with saffron, but he is still "all boy."

Teens need to keep strange schedules and often work at jobs with unusual hours. When they cannot eat with the family, they must learn to cook something for themselves. They do not need to make anything elegant and complicated, but teens should be able to cook simple foods and of course clean up after themselves.

A teen that can cook can cook for the family one night week as part of his chores or maybe just start dinner. He may be able to cook for the younger siblings when parents are away. He will be able to feed himself less expensively when in college or during bachelor days. And best of all he will be a boon to his wife when she needs his help and a capable cook when she must be absent from home.

Parents, teach your boys to cook as soon as possible. Keep it simple and easy. Things that use few ingredients and are one-dish meals are good to begin with for young cooks. Move to the basic foods that are still fairly uncomplicated. Cooks should be able to prepare at least one good recipe from each of the basic meats, pasta, vegetables, fruit group and an outstanding desert. Then, they are ready for anything.

Remember, when you finally get young people cooking, do not criticize, or you will lose their interest quickly. Teach, show by example, and then let them on their own. In most cases, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Credits: Jo Ann Wentzel