Do professional chefs always learn to cook at a young age? I interviewed Chef Jeremy Paquin, executive chef at Grove Restaurant in Grand Rapids, and you might be surprised by his answer!
This chef LOVES vegetables and he has the most creative ways to think about them, cook them, and present them. He talks about how he got into cooking, what gets him excited (and boy does he have a lot of energy!) and peppers our conversation with tips kids can use right away in the kitchen to increase their creativity and try new things. He is a chef who creates a new menu every single day at Grove, and you’ll see that spirit of adventure come through right away.
Making Homemade Pasta Demo
PLUS Chef Jeremy shows 10-year-old Leah how easy it is to make homemade pasta – hand-rolled! If you like playdough, you’ll love this demo.
Can’t see the video? Click to watch “How to Make Homemade Pasta” on YouTube.
No time to watch the whole video? Here are the notes!
Chef Jeremy Paquin Makes Homemade Pasta
- 0:27: Chef Jeremy tells us what he does at Grove Restaurant.
- 1:10: Can you guys what his favorite kitchen tool is?
- 2:22: Chef Jeremy shares what his favorite food is and what it was as a child. Anything with vegetables is his favorite now. He enjoys experimenting with different cooking methods, sauces, and seasonings when cooking vegetables. Vegetables were not his favorite as a kid!
- 3:39: Chef Jeremy’s grandmother owned a restaurant and he used to go work with her each summer until he was 14. That’s when he first thought he might like to work with food as a career.
- 4:15: Many different cooks have taught Chef Jeremy different things about cooking. It started with his grandma, and continued as he worked at different restaurants and the cooks helped him learn more.
- 5:01: Now Chef Jeremy has a 12 year old. He has grown up being in restaurants and helping in the kitchen.
- 5:28: Cooking teaches lots of life lessons and it’s fun to learn through cooking. Cooking can be especially helpful for kids who are tactile learners.
You start with nothing really and then you get to see something come out of it that everyone enjoys. So it’s a win all around. -Chef Jeremy Paquin
Experimenting in the Kitchen
- 6:43: Here at Kids Cook Real Food™™ we talk about learning from our failures in the kitchen. Hear about some of the ways Chef Jeremy has failed.
Kids don’t need plastic knives. They need real skills.
Teach safe technique, focus, and confidence in the all-time fav lesson from our kids cooking class! (ages 2-12)
We’re constantly failing and we’re constantly learning. -Chef Jeremy Paquin
- 7:34: Chef Jeremy does a lot of experimentation which means sometime things just don’t work out. You need to be really excited and let it roll off your back when things don’t work out the way you planned.
- 8:03: Leah shares a story about a strawberry fail we experienced.
- 8:44: As much as Chef Jeremy cooks, he still references recipes and uses cook books. He sometimes makes small changes, like switching a vegetable or fruit to experiment, while still being guided by a recipe.
- 9:26: With time and practice, you will begin to learn what works and what goes together as you experiment.
- 9:57: Chef Jeremy discusses kitchen safety. Proper instruction about heat, open flames and knives is key. As the parent, you need to be hands on as you train kids in the kitchen.
- 10:56: How to use a knife safely and correctly is the most important thing to teach someone learning how to cook.
- 11:35: Which one is more important to Chef Jeremy: how healthy a dish is or how delicious it is?
- 13:09: Chef Jeremy shares some advice with kids about trying new foods.
- 14:21: The same vegetable can taste very different raw, seared, smoked, broiled, canned, sautéed, etc. You can get so many flavors and textures out of vegetables without using complicated ingredients!
When you’re wondering, “What’s missing?” It’s either salt or vinegar or both! -Chef Jeremy Paquin
- 15:17: Adding a little bit of acid, whether that’s vinegar or lemon juice, will brighten up a dish. When we’re talking about food, “bright” means the food has a little pop!
- 16:11: Listen up kids! Chef Jeremy gives us a Chef’s Challenge to complete this week!
- 16:47: Chef Jeremy shows Leah how to make pasta.
You can find Chef Jeremy’s restaurant here.
Kids don’t need plastic knives. They need real skills.
Teach safe technique, focus, and confidence in the all-time fav lesson from our kids cooking class! (ages 2-12)
Chef Jeremy’s Easy Homemade Pasta Recipe
220 grams all purpose flour
220 grams semolina
230 grams water
1 teaspoon salt
(spoon for stirring optional, ha!)
- In a large bowl mix together the flours and salt. Make a well in the center.
- Begin pouring in the water while you continue to stir.
- When the dough has formed into a lump, dump it out of your bowl and knead it until the dough is smooth.
- Now you can shape your pasta. You can use a pasta maker, rolling pin, or your hands!
- When you’re ready to cook your pasta, just drop it in salted, boiling water for 4-5 minutes.
Michigan-born Paquin graduated from San Jacinto College outside of Houston with a degree in culinary arts and restaurant management, before moving back to Michigan. He is the executive chef at Grove Restaurant in Grand Rapids.
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