America’s Most Famous Chef ART SMITH Who Continues to Cook for All of Oprah’s Much-Talked About Special Events,
Makes Regular Appearances on “Oprah,” and Is a Contributing Editor to “O, the Oprah Magazine” and the food section
of www.Oprah.com!
ART SMITH
Reveals His Tasty Tips for Convincing Kids to Eat Their Veggies and Getting Them Involved in the Cooking Process
from the Garden to the Kitchen to the Dinner Table!
America’s best-known celebrity chef Art Smith continues to cook
for and coordinate all of Oprah’s headline-grabbing special events, makes regular appearances on Oprah,” and is a
contributing editor to “O, the Oprah Magazine” and the food section of www.oprah.com. And now Art, who has authored
such hugely-popular cookbooks as “Back to the Family,” “Back to the
Table: the Reunion of Food and Family,” and “Kitchen Life: Real Food for Real Families,” has developed fun, creative
tools to encourage their children to love their veggies from the harden plot to the dinner plate!
Art~who founded in 2003 the non-profit organization Common Threads which teaches children about diversity and
tolerance through the world’s various cultures and foods, helping to bridge cultural boundaries and teach children
about their similarities and differences in the warm comfort of the kitchen~knows that convincing children to eat
their veggies is not easy. In fact, a recent national study revealed that 72-percent of children ages seven to 12
say that they know that the “good stuff” in vegetables helps them lead healthy lives, yet 45-percent of them say
that they do not eat veggies on a daily basis.
Art believes that convincing children to eat their veggies goes hand in hand with involving them in the
garden, in the kitchen, and at the dinner table. And with cooking trends moving toward more meals being prepared at
home, parents can take advantage of the opportunity to bring children into the kitchen and also make them involved
in the entire process~perhaps even beginning by choosing fresh vegetables from the garden or selecting produce from
the store.
In honor of his quest to bring children and veggies together at the dinner table, Art has developed a
comprehensive toolkit for parents, including creative tips that parents can use to encourage children to love their
veggies as well as child-friendly recipes. In addition to sharing with your listeners his comprehensive toolkit for
parents, Art will conduct live cooking demonstrations and will reveal some of his favorite tips for encouraging
children’s participation in the cooking process, including:
* My Space: Set aside an area in the kitchen children can claim as their own culinary space which includes theirn
own cooking equipment. Fill a lower cupboard with a variety of cooking tools, such as plastic measuring cups and
bowls, wooden spoons, and rubber spatulas. Whenever you cook together, have your children use items from their
space.
* Beyond the Kitchen: As children become more experienced cooks, involve them in other aspects of the meal
preparation process. Go through their favorite cookbook and choose recipes for the week, then have them help create
the grocery list. If you have a garden, involve them in planting and harvesting their own vegetables to eat at the
dinner table.
* Celebrate Cultures: A common thread that connects us all is food~a great way to learn about other cultures. Once a
week and without leaving the home, take your children on a culinary vacation by cooking a recipe from a different
region of America or a different country. Whether New Orleans-style red beans and rice or Chinese pot stickers,
children will learn about a new culture, expand their palates, and have fun.
Art Smith, celebrity chef
America’s best-known celebrity chef Art Smith continues to cook for and coordinate all of Oprah’s headline-grabbing
special events that she hosts throughout the world, Art Smith makes regular appearances on “Oprah” and is a
contributing editor to “O, the Oprah Magazine” and the food section of www.oprah.com.
A two-time James Beard Award recipient who has cooked for numerous celebrities, Art, a native of Jasper, Florida who
was raised on his family’s farm, is also the author of three award-winning cookbooks “Back to the Family,” “Back to
the Table: the Reunion of Food and Family,” and “Kitchen
Life: Real Food for Real Families.” Art, who is also featured regularly on “Iron Chef America” and is the former
special event chef for “Martha Stewart Living” magazine, lives in Chicago with his three dogs, five cats, and 15
fish.
Art believes that his greatest gift to the community at large has been his philanthropy. In 2003, he founded Common
Threads, a non-profit organization that teaches children about diversity and tolerance through the world’s various
cultures and foods, helping to bridge cultural boundaries and teach children about their similarities and
differences in the warm comfort of the kitchen. Art is also the executive chef and co-owner of Table Fifty-Two
restaurant in Chicago and recently opened the restaurant Art and Soul in Washington, D.C.
For much more information on Art Smith, please log onto his official website www.chefartsmith.net.
About Common Threads:
Common Threads, created by Art Smith in 2003, is a non-profit organization that teaches children about
diversity and tolerance through the world’s various cultures and foods, helping to bridge cultural boundaries and
teach children about their similarities and differences in the warm comfort of the kitchen.
Common Threads provides after-school programming to children between eight and 12 years old. Children learn how
to cook healthy ethnic cuisine; plant, harvest, and prepare fresh vegetables from the garden; and practice
traditional forms of movement such as yoga, tai chi, and African dance.
Through the simple process of preparing and sharing a nutritious meal, children who participate in Common
Threads learn to connect with their babies, their neighbors, and their world in bite-sized lessons.
For much more information about Common Threads, please log onto its official website www.commonthreads.org.
SPONSOR: Hidden Valley and the Love Your Veggies campaign
