My son loves to cook, and I couldn’t be happier. Not only do I enjoy having a little partner in the kitchen, but his interest in cooking also makes living with Celiac disease more manageable for him.
From a young age he’s been curious about food and eager to try new things. He eats for pleasure rather than just fuel, preferring a few savored bites over quickly finishing a meal. Even as a child he wanted to sit at the family table and enjoy conversation around food.
When he was diagnosed with Celiac disease, I worried. How could his diet become restricted? I come from a family of cooks and have always loved cooking, so I promised him that if we couldn’t find a gluten-free version of something he wanted, I would learn to make it. He used to flip through cooking magazines with me, marking recipes he wanted to try. He sometimes helped in the kitchen, but for a long time he was more interested in enjoying the results than in cooking himself.
About a year ago, during a big growth spurt, his appetite increased and he began to take on kitchen tasks. Instead of magazines, he started watching cooking videos online. He would pick recipes, ask me to get ingredients, and then prepare dishes from start to finish. He’s become passionate about the process—tasting as he goes, refining flavors, and thinking about complementary ingredients. He’s picked up many basic techniques from videos: for example, frying an egg in a very hot pan but cooking scrambled eggs over gentler heat makes a noticeable difference.
I’m thrilled he loves cooking for several reasons. First, knowing he can prepare his own meals gives me confidence that he’ll be able to manage his diet safely. Second, his growing knowledge of ingredients and cooking makes him a more informed diner. He’s learned which questions to ask at restaurants to spot potential gluten sources or cross-contamination risks.
Right now he mostly makes breakfasts, lunches, and after-school snacks, and he enjoys tackling sometimes-complex recipes he finds online. He favors dishes with eggs, butter, and bacon—ingredients I don’t always cook with myself. He’s even happy to let me photograph his creations for social stories, and a few have appeared on my site. One recipe he discovered this summer has become one of our most popular dishes, and I hope he’ll let me share more of his finds soon. For now, I’m simply glad he’s finding real joy in the kitchen.
