Yesterday a cooler pack arrived by Fed Ex for us filled with Evol Burritos from our son Phil. He manufacturers and distributes the BEST natural ingredient burritos you've ever tasted. (http://www.evolburritos.com/). How did a nice Jewish boy from the westside of Los Angeles ever get interested food manufacturing, much less burritos? Well, here's the story.
From the time Phil was tall enough to reach the kitchen sink with a stool, he was always in there creating some wonderful dish. I must say he was probably the messiest cook I've ever seen. No matter what he was making he seemed to use every pot in the kitchen. From one of his first creations, an omelette with chocolate chips, to his homemade beer brewing, we lived through it all, and of course, encouraged him to experiment. We had a live in housekeeper during these years, and she always shuddered when she heard Phil was in the kitchen. She knew that meant hours of cleanup. I don't think things have changed that much, for when I visit him in Colorado and we cook together in their small kitchen, he makes the mess and I clean it up.
Cooking with children is a great way to spend quality time. Whether you're making holiday cookies, latkes for Hanukkah, or just preparing a weeknight dinner, cooking time with the kids is priceless. Phil and I used to watch Julia Child and Jacques Pepin of PBS (before the days of the Food Network) and this was also great fun.
By the time Phil reached high school he was a pretty good cook. He would go to his friend's house for the afternoon and dinner, offer to cook for the family he was visiting, and send the mother off to the store for the ingredients he needed. He did not disappoint. They all loved his cooking. During his last year in high school Phil got interested in brewing beer, and drinking it too. He had these huge restaurant sized pots that he would cook his brews in, then bottle it, and give it away to his friends' parents. They all loved it.
So I was not surprised when Phil called during his second year at the University of Denver to tell me he wanted to quit school and go to cooking school. At the time he was working at Roy's Restaurant in Denver (long gone). We said NO, that he had to finish school, and then if he wanted to go to a one year cooking program he could. Phil agreed to that, and proceeded to finish school in 3 1/2 years. But by then he had decided NOT to go to cooking school, but rather to take what he had already learned in the field and produce his own natural burritos. He had always had an affinity for Mexican food, particularly spicy food. Living in Los Angeles, he was exposed to it early and often. His original thought was to sell his burritos to climbers and hikers in the Boulder area. His business was not going well, so he decided to try selling to small convenience stores and coffee shops. Business flourished, and today his burritos can be found everywhere from Target to Whole Foods, and other major supermarkets.
So all that cooking with my kid paid off. Not just because he has a business today doing exactly what he wants and loves, but because we got to spend such quality time together while he was growing up, cooking together. Even now, one of my favorite things about going to Boulder to visit the kids, is knowing that I will spend some of that time in the kitchen with Phil.
From the time Phil was tall enough to reach the kitchen sink with a stool, he was always in there creating some wonderful dish. I must say he was probably the messiest cook I've ever seen. No matter what he was making he seemed to use every pot in the kitchen. From one of his first creations, an omelette with chocolate chips, to his homemade beer brewing, we lived through it all, and of course, encouraged him to experiment. We had a live in housekeeper during these years, and she always shuddered when she heard Phil was in the kitchen. She knew that meant hours of cleanup. I don't think things have changed that much, for when I visit him in Colorado and we cook together in their small kitchen, he makes the mess and I clean it up.
Cooking with children is a great way to spend quality time. Whether you're making holiday cookies, latkes for Hanukkah, or just preparing a weeknight dinner, cooking time with the kids is priceless. Phil and I used to watch Julia Child and Jacques Pepin of PBS (before the days of the Food Network) and this was also great fun.
By the time Phil reached high school he was a pretty good cook. He would go to his friend's house for the afternoon and dinner, offer to cook for the family he was visiting, and send the mother off to the store for the ingredients he needed. He did not disappoint. They all loved his cooking. During his last year in high school Phil got interested in brewing beer, and drinking it too. He had these huge restaurant sized pots that he would cook his brews in, then bottle it, and give it away to his friends' parents. They all loved it.
So I was not surprised when Phil called during his second year at the University of Denver to tell me he wanted to quit school and go to cooking school. At the time he was working at Roy's Restaurant in Denver (long gone). We said NO, that he had to finish school, and then if he wanted to go to a one year cooking program he could. Phil agreed to that, and proceeded to finish school in 3 1/2 years. But by then he had decided NOT to go to cooking school, but rather to take what he had already learned in the field and produce his own natural burritos. He had always had an affinity for Mexican food, particularly spicy food. Living in Los Angeles, he was exposed to it early and often. His original thought was to sell his burritos to climbers and hikers in the Boulder area. His business was not going well, so he decided to try selling to small convenience stores and coffee shops. Business flourished, and today his burritos can be found everywhere from Target to Whole Foods, and other major supermarkets.
So all that cooking with my kid paid off. Not just because he has a business today doing exactly what he wants and loves, but because we got to spend such quality time together while he was growing up, cooking together. Even now, one of my favorite things about going to Boulder to visit the kids, is knowing that I will spend some of that time in the kitchen with Phil.
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