When Your Toddler is Your Sous-Chef on Father’s Day
When Your Toddler is Your Sous-Chef on Father’s Daywhat to cook, what to gift, and why toddlers always insist on cracking the eggs
This post is sponsored by Pique. I only work with brands I actually use and believe in.Our daughter is 2 years and 10 months old. This is technically our third Father’s Day, but it might as well be the first. All the holidays, birthdays, and special moments feel like the first this time because now, she’s a person. Definitely not a baby, but a tiny whirlwind of a person causing chaos in every corner of the apartment. She speaks words that almost make sense and has strong desires that she loudly declares. Chief among them: the need to crack any egg that comes within her line of sight.
I saw a clip recently of Neil DeGrasse Tyson talking to parents about letting their kids make a mess. His point was simple—that breaking eggs, spilling things, getting into stuff they shouldn’t, is not a problem to manage, but is how they learn. Making a mess is like being a scientist, exploring and experimenting with the world around them. Kids who are allowed to explore, touch, try, fail, and try again are building curiosity, confidence, and an understanding that they can figure things out with their hands. The comment section was enraged. “Who’s gonna clean up those eggs?!” “Breaking eggs, in this economy!?” “Easy for a man to say!” You know, the usual. I know he’s got a point, but in case it wasn’t clear, I like order. I need my kitchen tools (spoons, knives, spatulas) all arranged in a particular way so I can grab exactly what I need without looking. All the appliances must have an equal amount of space between them, or I cannot cook. Everything must be labeled with blue painter's tape in all caps, using a black Sharpie. And for the love of god, cut the tape cleanly with scissors. These qualities made me an incredible line cook, but are making me an insane mother. The kitchen is my office, and cooking is my job, but I have been making space for the kiddo to make a mess in there. We made cookies just the other day. Some flour spilled on the floor, and I’m proud to report that I didn’t clean it up until after she went to bed. Everything takes longer, everything gets messy, but I want her to be a little scientist, so I’m letting her break those eggs.
But we’re not wasting them. Let your kids crack the eggs into a bowl (not the floor, Neil), pluck out the big shells, whisk it all up, then strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to catch any rogue shell pieces. Then you make The Dad Omelet. Because you don’t have time for a six-course brunch with elaborate plating, just one very good, very overstuffed omelet with everything a dad actually wants to eat—sausage, tots, cheese, pepper, and onions. With a side of Eggo waffles and caviar, because it is a holiday. All made by two people, one of whom mostly just wanted to crack the eggs. (For the recipe, just keep scrolling.)
This newsletter is supported by Pique! Father’s Day is full of gift ideas for dad, but this one’s for you. I love to start my day with a quiet moment to myself and my Pique Sun Goddess Matcha. Cold-extracted, antioxidants intact, no grit, no jitters. It’s the only matcha I have ever fully gotten along with, and the ritual of making the matcha has become as important to me as drinking it. Then, after the 45-minute walk to and from after-school pickup in the sweltering NYC heat, I drink a B·T Fountain to bring me back to life. It offers hydration, skin-barrier support, and it’s delicious, especially when ice-cold. Together they’re the Radiant Skin Duo. Get 20% off for life, plus free gifts through my link. Father’s Day Gift GuideFor the dad who wakes up early to make breakfastFor the dad with one favorite knife
For the dad who treats grilling like a research projectFor the dad who cooks with a toddler hanging off his leg🌈 Cookbook Rainbow 🌈Ham’s favorites, plus his book—which, if you don’t own yet, is the Father’s Day gift you didn’t know you needed. 
Hello, Home Cooking by Ham El-Waylly Ham distills his global upbringing and fancy-pants chef training into truly easy weeknight recipes. No specialty ingredients or full-day cooking projects, just smart combinations I wish I’d thought of. Etxebarri by Bittor Arginzoniz A book about cooking over fire from the best restaurant in the world. It will inspire you to get outside and grill (and maybe even build a custom woodfire grill in your backyard). Joe Beef by Frederic Morin Chaotic, generous, and deeply fun, this cookbook reads like a dinner party you desperately want to be invited to. The Complete Nose to Tail by Fergus Henderson This book celebrates all the different parts of the animal in a very simple, yet impactful way. It’s spiritually close to how we used to eat at home, before we started cooking for a child. 🍳 What you’re cooking 🍳What’s on your Father’s Day table this year? Voting below—I’ll share the results next week.
📺 What I’m watching 📺
Obsession—I’ve haven’t been to the movies for years, but this one brought me back. Weird and funny and scary all at once, there is nothing like screaming and laughing with a whole auditorium of people. I think I’m going back to the movies now. Importantly, it’s written by a Gen Z YouTuber! If this is the future I’m in. The Recipe: The Dad OmeletServes 4 to 6 | Ready in 45 minutes An omelet that does it all for the dad in your life who does it all!
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