By Natalie, Junior Assistant Editor

 

AK: What motivated you to start cooking?
R: I have always liked being in the kitchen and I have been doing so since I was 4 years old. When I was younger I helped my mother prepare meals doing simple things like washing the vegetables and assembling the salads. I love to read cookbooks and get ideas for what I cook. In the last couple of years when I cook-I have pretty much taken over the kitchen. I can now prepare a complete meal without any help.


AK: What do you enjoy about cooking?
R: When I cook-I think of it as an experiment. Trying different food combinations and creating new recipes are a fun challenge. I like making people happy and when you serve them a meal-it is really appreciated.


AK: What new friends have you met because your show?
R: Deedra and Melanie are the founders of 918moms.com which is a social website for moms. I have a blog on their site which I post my kid tested recipes. They have helped me and Cook Time with Remmi a lot. They have given us suggestions on improving the show and Melanie in particular has helped me with my stage presence. Their influence and friendship have been wonderful. I did a show with Leo Shatto who is the owner of Shatto Dairy in Kansas City. We had a great time doing the show together and we have stayed in contact with one another. And now since my show is being televised on a local cable channel-from time to time I am being recognized in public. The nice thing about that is people let me know they really like the show and think I am doing a great thing for kids by encouraging them to improve their nutrition.


AK: What else do you like besides cooking?
R: I really like to read and I like to write. I love spelling bees, basketball and gymnastics. I also love to read about foods and food history.


AK: How old were you when you first started to cook?
R: I started in the kitchen when I was 4. I usually helped my mother with dinners.


AK: What's the best part of having your own show? What do your friends think of the show?
R: The best part of having my own show is that it does give me the opportunity to share my love for cooking. I really love all kinds of foods and I usually select healthy foods over unhealthy foods. I think because I love to cook and am challenged by it-it has put me on a path of healthy eating. The show gives me the avenue to share this with kids and hopefully-they will realize cooking is not only fun-but it can also improve your eating habits.


AK: What was the first thing you made without any help? Who has been your greatest mentor as a young chef?
R: Salad was my first dish that I made without any help. I love to make salads and I try to make each one a beautiful presentation. My mom is my mentor and because of her-I now have my show.


AK: What does cooking mean to you? How does food and your work in the kitchen affect you?
R: Cooking is fun and it is fun to do for others. Since I started my show I am a little more serious about cooking because I think cooking should be a skill that everyone learns to do because it is a skill you will need all of your life. I also think if you do not learn this skill-you will limit yourself and not experience all the great things about food. Good food comes from creating the combinations-not from a paper bag. Also, my generation needs to get serious about the obesity epidemic and actively make personal changes. I think if kids learn how to cook-improved nutrition would follow.

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