Eating Together, Being Together is a rare, enlightening book that teaches the importance of family dining, both on the culinary side and in its benefits for childhood and young adult development beyond the kitchen walls.
Co-authored by master Chef and Dad, Julian C.E. Clauss-Ehlers, and Ph.D. Psychologist and Mom, Caroline S. Clauss-Ehlers, Eating Together, Being Together offers up their parental wisdom and expertise from the heart of the home—the kitchen.
With informative but relaxed conversations about food choices, preparation, and related activities, the two provide great insight into how family mealtime promotes well-being in a child’s life. As involved adults, they incorporate thoughtful discussions about spending quality time with their children, sharing and mitigating bad feelings, and making wonderful memories. Ultimately, they showcase family meals as nourishment for both the body and soul.
Within the pages of the book readers will find ways food can serve as a message of care and support, as well as a way to model kindness in the face of questions and concerns.
The book includes a HAVEN model (an acronym that supports listening to our loved ones), which proves a critical parenting skill. A parent/child shared culinary experience can prove the ideal time to hear and validate a young person’s thoughts and feelings.
The book is divided into twelve chapters, beginning with “Eating Mindfulness.” The concept is to make kids aware of what they are eating, rather than fooling them into hidden healthy options. Undoubtedly, it translates into other areas of their life. The goal is to raise not only informed eaters, but well-rounded, understanding youngsters.
Age appropriate activities not only correspond with the recipes, but also suggest a broader theme. For instance, organizing the kitchen for meal prep can translate into putting order in our lives, i.e. cleaning a room or scheduling time for homework.
From British Flapjack Bars (a sweet oatmeal treat), to Red Snapper baked in a bag, the recipes in this book cover a broad palate.
Included are soups, salads, snacks, entrees, drinks, and desserts that range from the simple to the sublime and incorporate a variety of tastes, tasks, and techniques. Culinary tips and fun fact sidebars supplement the recipes themselves.
Baked Mac & Cheese offers up simple comfort, exotic flavors are explored in a colorful Moroccan-Style Vegetable Salad, parents and children bond over “The Most Amazing Homemade Popcorn”, and a Bittersweet Chocolate & Orange Mousse indulges in decadence. Each creation is uniquely enticing!
This book intentionally foregoes photographs of the dishes so that readers avoid comparisons and can find the perfection in their own culinary craft.
The final chapter, entitled “Setting the Table for Connection”, finds purpose in coming together to address issues and challenges in the parent/child relationship, and creating family rituals that offer flexibility in our busy lives.
Eating Together, Being Together by Julian C.E. Clauss-Ehlers and Caroline S. Clauss-Ehlers is an inspirational twofold offering that combines the creative opportunities of the culinary experience with the connections it can strengthen. This unique collection of gastronomical exploration, activities, and advice proves the ideal recipe for building long-lasting connections with food and family.
Renowned author and mother of a son with autism, Ellen Notbohm here writes from both a personal and a studied viewpoint.
