What Do Local Chefs Feed Their Kids?

Ever curious about the types of foods that chefs come up with to feed their children? Professional cooks know the value of certain foods and how to turn humdrum meals into delights.

Author Fanae Aaron has published "What Chefs Feed Their Kids" in order to help parents understand the importance of raising a foodie. The book is divided into chapters that cover infancy to adolescence.

“The book acknowledges that kid’s palettes change as they grow and develop,” explained Aaron, who was staying with friends in the Old Northeast. “Each chapter goes into the kind of development the children are going through.”

Featuring 20 chefs from around the country, the book showcases two chefs right in our backyard. Chef Zack Gross from in downtown St. Petersburg and Chef B.T. Nguyen from Restaurant B.T. in Tampa wrote for "What Chefs Feed Their Kids."

“It talks about the strategies that chefs use for kids of that particular age to engage them with eating,” said Aaron.

The one requirement for chefs to participate in the book was to have children of their own. “It is important  to engage your kids in the culinary world with you,” Aaron said.

None of the recipes from the chefs is used in their restaurants. The recipes are from each chef’s personal collection of what is cooked at home.

Aaron dubs her 5-year-old son Cody as inspiration for the publication. “When he was 6 months old, I started feeding him solid food,” remembers Aaron. “I realized that there weren’t any books that talked about how you build a child’s palette and how you get them to be a good eater.”

You can find Fanae Aaron’s "What Chefs Feed Their Kids" at a number of different places for purchase:

• Amazon 

• Barnes and Noble

• Powell's