Family Fun Night: Cultural Cuisine

March 18, 12:19 PMSt. Louis Family & Parenting ExaminerAngela Atkinson

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Our delicious Brazilian Pork Chops.

Last night, my family savored our very first Brazilian meal. We had tasty Brazilian Pork Chops, special red potatoes and veggies. Plus, we enjoyed a rich and indulgent Brazilian Coffee Cake for dessert.

Where do you get Brazilian food in St. Louis?

Well, at my house, of course. (Or yours!)

You see, we have recently launched a new tradition in our family. Once every other week, my eleven year old son, Cameron, gets to help plan and prepare a meal for our family. The fun twist is that he chooses a meal from another culture's menu.

The process which leads up to our family fun night is educational, fun, and gives us a chance to bond.

First, Cameron does his research. He decides which country or culture he wants to focus on and learns a little about its people. Then, he goes to the library or on the internet to locate his recipes.

At that point, he brings me several recipes. We look through them, checking the ingredients to ensure that they are available to us (or finding appropriate substitutes if not.) We also check for allergy or food aversion issues within our family.

Then, Cameron makes his shopping list. We check the list against our own pantry and then hit the grocery store for the rest of the items.

We cook everything from scratch. While we do so, I find myself passing along little bits of wisdom I've picked up in life. For example, I showed him yesterday how to measure flour and sugar properly (using the flat side of a butter knife on a measuring cup), just like my Mom taught me.

Since the whole family gets to enjoy the meal, there's a double bonus here. Not only do I have the chance to bond with my oldest child, but he gets a little self esteem boost. Plus, he is learning important life skills--like how to manage a grocery shopping trip effectively, menu planning, cooking, and even budgeting.

I love a good win/win situation. How about you?