A Kid in the Kitchen: Spaghetti Squash
To field-test one of our kid-friendly recipes, I once again turned to the food-savviest kid I know, Matisse Reid, who loves simply cooked squid and the briny taste of olives. Her assignment: make spaghetti squash and see how other kids like it. Here's her report. —Ann Taylor Pittman
"I made Spaghetti Squash with Tomato-Basil Sauce. The recipe was supereasy, and I was able to cook the squash while I did my homework (which was not fun)! I expected the squash to be more spaghetti-like, but at first mine turned into mash. That wasn't a bad thing, but now I know how to make the spaghetti strands properly. I did like scraping the squash pulp with a fork, and it was so easy even my little brother could do it. For the sauce, I cheated and used one can of pureed tomatoes with one can of diced—hey, a girl as busy as I am needs to cut corners, and I like a smooth sauce. The sauce was pretty tart; I would probably add a little sugar next time. I plated the spaghetti squash, poured over the sauce, and presented it to two of my biggest critics—MY BROTHERS!!!"
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THE VERDICT
- Kalani (age 14) hates squash and did not want to try it. Mom told him he had to. His comment—"it's not horrible"—was good enough for me. He rated it 7/10.
- Fraanz (age 7) tried it and did not mind the squash but thought the sauce was "sour." 5/10
- Matisse I gave it 9/10. The sauce's tart flavor blends well with the soft squash. I'll make this again but not for my brothers!