Big Kitchen With Food: a five-year-old's cooking show
Julian Kreusser is an adorable foodie five-year-old with his own cooking show, "The Big Kitchen With Food" on Portland cable access TV. He cooks others' recipes and his own ("Yummy Yummy Citrus Boy") and he's absolutely fabulous. BrooklynTwang sez, "his story is full of win - there is the coolness of a 5 year old boy who loves cooking, the refreshingness of a cooking show with an awkward host, and what appears to be some very cool free range parenting, encouraging the kids enthusiasm for something and letting him use food processors, stoves, etc. to follow his muse. I just watched an episode and it was rad. It even included a plug from Julian to buy your food locally because its better for you!"
Five-Year-Old Chef Gets His Own Show, (Thanks, BrooklynTwang
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Vicarious kvell.
Okay, that was one of the best things I've seen in a long time....in any media....about anything.
That kid, while obviously coached, is something of a natural and his noises and comments throughout are hilarious.
And kudos for the better-than-usual public access production values.
"There's a story I wanna tell you while I'm doin' this."
SO cute. I don't know why this five-year-old is talking like my grandpa, but it's adorable.
Several episodes with podcast RSS enclosure at http://bigkitchen.blip.tv/
Shortcut RSS feed straight to iTunes: itpc://bigkitchen.blip.tv/rss/itunes/
Even though I'm posting anonymously, those actually go to where they say they do. Those are not rickrolls. :P
Also, in a completely legal, non-threatening, non-stalker way, I'm in love with this kid. What a little wiz.
I love "I don't know what *you* want to do, but I would mix this up together, 'cause that's how you make a batter."
This kid is great. So confident in the kitchen, and so natural at speaking (I also love "There's a story I wanna tell you while I'm doin' this," after which he has to pause, because he can't tell his story *and* count five shakes of cinnamon...).
Hummed musical interludes FTW!
And the honey-pouring face is the best :)
That smart kid, he is very thorough. It makes for a wonderful show.
"...It even included a plug from Julian to buy your food locally because its better for you!"
I am just not believing that this kid is not being told what to do and say by mom & dad.
SO awesome - and I loved the focus as he counted, too! Also the reminder that everything is SO BIG when you're his age. Wonderful!!!
they had him on NPR a couple days ago, it was very amusing. When I was his age I liked "cooking" too but my recipes consisted of things like sand and food coloring.
I discovered this kid on my own a while ago on Portland Cable Access. He's great. I enjoy all the off camera communication. It's like he has a Gelman or a Fred de Cordova.
Re: all the 'coaching' comments.
Sure, he's had help, he's five. He also has an interesting charm that I doubt you could coach. Being five, he wouldn't do this if it wasn't interesting.
Wow, that is one seriously capable kid! The NYT magazine just started a new feature called "Cooking with Dexter," about the author's 4 year old foodie, but it's not half so endearing.
Julian rocks!!
I am just not believing that this kid is not being told what to do and say by mom & dad.
I don't think that anyone is saying that he's spontaneously saying that. When you're five MOST of your 'philosophy' comes from you parents, or at least is heavily influenced.
Yeah, he's coached, but who cares? He's clearly got a passion for food, and his parents have raised a 5 year old boy that is a LOT more confidant in the kitchen than my 31 year old husband is.
I think it's amazing. Rock on, young Julian Childs.
Of course he's coached - do you think adult cooking show hosts don't have teleprompters and writing staffs?
I hope he gets a real show and stomps the crap out of Rachael Ray in the ratings.
Reminds me of "Cooking for Kids with Luis". Very cute.
Honey pouring face is almost as good as rolling pin face.
This kid is great!
This ties in with an older boingboing post (How Children Fail: angry lessons from failures to teach - September 24, 2008). Julian's an unschooler.
@ #8 Jeff9821
"I am just not believing that this kid is not being told what to do and say by mom & dad."
Ummm, I would hope little Julian is given guidance, as he is five.
The buying local plug was really cute. It's totally reflective of Portland culture and Portlanders' immense respect for local and seasonal food.
RE: The coaching. I mentioned it in my first post, but never meant to imply that there was something wrong with that. As #19 said, he's 5, of course he needs coaching/guidance/help. But no amount of off-camera coaching can make a 5 year old appear confident and comfortable in the kitchen the way Julian does.
I watched the other episodes, and you can clearly hear someone reminding/prompting/helping him along. Actually, it's rather funny in ep2 when he is pointing out all the ingredients and gets to one he can't remember - "Um, what's this one again?" or "We bought this food processor at a...what was it again? (whisper) An estate sale." Cute as heck.
It's actually not so amazing at all considering my 3.4 year old helps in the kitchen almost every day. Sure, he can't use a food processor or carving knife yet, but he already makes a wonderful salad all by himself.
Best. Cooking show. Ever.
I loved it all. The humming, faces, comments, everything. He's a natural, so unselfconscious. Watching Chef Julian pour honey was just hilarious. And by the way, as someone else pointed out, very high marks for thoroughness. I actually NEED a cooking show where the host reminds me to pour over the bowl so we won't spill, screw the cap back on, etc.
This made my week!
I loved when he could not remember how much butter it was, and comes up with an own solution:
"So now that we've made our juice, we're gonna add the other liquids - like the butter!
Add the butter to here, like ... all, like .. mmh-tz .. [peek to off-screen] .. this much butter, like ... two butters."
*cuddle*
I love this kid, he's amazing. I hope my kids turn out just like him. "Yummy Yummy Citrus Boys" sounds like a good name for a Japanese punk band.
"Yummy Yummy Citrus Boys" sounds like a good name for a Japanese punk band.
Those Japanese punk bands do always seem to have the awesomest names! Why is that?
Perhaps my favorite moment is when he's "measuring" the honey. His stare at the gooey stream is hilarious. It's like Samuel Beckett meets a five year old!
Ahhh that's just made my day. I'm gonna have to start making these cookies now along with the new system for measuring the amount of butter in any dish of approximately "1 butters".
Possibly a worrying example of pushy parents forcing a kid to do tricks for the camera, but he seems to be enjoying it and the banter he comes out with while he's working seems too kid-like to be any kind of scripted work.
My mum had me in the kitchen from the minute I was tall enough to reach the countertops easily while standing on a step stool and now I'm one of the few males who seems truly at ease in the kitchen. Seems a lot more fun than the typical Blue Peter cooking I saw on TV as a kid anyway. Improvise!
Two highlights for me:
1) "We are going to use my favorite spoon to scrape it out. It is the red rubber one that is flat."
2) "Its snowing!"
Made me smile and laugh out loud. The faces and comments Julian makes are priceless. Keep up the good work Chef Julian ;)
http://kidslovefood.blogspot.com/ is my sons site... similar stuff... 6yo and 3yo cooking show.
I love this, I have a 2 year and would have never dreamed of introducing him to a food processor until I saw this show. Julian is extremely brilliant on the camera, cute and very entertaining. As for all the comments about him being coached and even pushed by his parents. I think all that negativity just goes to show how critical and cynical we get with age. All the critics should learn from this little guy and just find something they enjoy doing and DO IT instead of criticizing someone who obviously has and was lucky enough to have the support to pursue it.
Best of luck to Julian - You are a STAR!