Rachel Thebault wanted to be a banker, not a baker. In fact, the former investment banker's culinary career didn't begin until the mint truffles she served at a dinner party were so popular two friends offered to commission some for their weddings. After some time baking and selling her goodies during off hours, Rachel left the finance world to enroll in Culinary Education's Pastry Arts and Culinary Management programs. She went on to open Tribeca Treats, a specialty bakery in New York City and a favorite field trip destination for local schoolchildren.
Q: When you're cooking with children, what do you think are some good tasks for different age groups?
A: For ages 2 to 4, you want to do much of the prep work yourself. If you are baking cookies, make dough in advance and roll it out and then get kids involved in the cutting and decorating. Once they get to 5 or 6, they can measure ingredients, and for 7 or 8-year-olds, use it as an opportunity to work with fractions. There are a lot of different ways that you can play around with the kids while you're baking.
It's important to teach what different ingredients are involved and where they come from. Say "We use eggs, and eggs come from chickens. We use butter, it comes from cows. We use sugar, which makes it sweet."
Q: What do you think is a kid's favorite part is of the baking process?
A.They always feel a lot of pride in having made something start to finish, and I think that's more satisfying to them than just eating something sweet. My daughter is always showing off to my husband what she's made. If they help in the kitchen at a young age, they can start gaining a confidence for cooking that can take them in so many more directions.
Q: What's the most memorable meal you've eaten or prepared?
A: Our second daughter, Sage, was born the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, so we hosted my family at our apartment. Everyone said I was crazy to host it, since we came home from the hospital Wednesday afternoon, but we had done all the shopping, prep, and organization in advance. There was something very relaxing about being in my own kitchen, with all our favorite comfort food and our new addition to the family.
Q: What was your biggest cooking disaster?
A: Right after I graduated from college, in my first apartment, my roommates and I had some friends over for dinner. I found a recipe for a lemon chicken dish from a wine magazine—we thought we were very cultured to have the appropriate wine pairing. Unfortunately, there was either a typo or I misread the recipe, and I used a cup of lemon oil in cooking it. The chicken turned out so pungent, it was like eating cleaning supplies. It took me at least two years to reestablish myself as a good chef among my friends. To this day, I still can't live it down.
Q: Guilty food pleasure?
A: Pepperidge Farm frozen garlic bread.
Q: What do you cook at home with kids?
A: My daughter Marin loves to cook fajitas with us. She'll eat either steak or chicken, and she loves the colorfulness of the vegetables and assembling the fajita herself.
Q: Who inspired you to become a chef?
A: Growing up, both my parents were always cooking and entertaining their friends with dinner parties and Sunday football spreads. For as long as I can remember, cooking as a form of entertainment has always been a part of my life.
Q: What is your best cooking tip?
A: When I make cookies, I always make about double the recipe I think I'll need. I keep chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookie dough, already scooped, frozen in the freezer, as well as rolled-out sugar cookie dough. That way I have a great snack or dessert for unexpected guests, or a rainy-day playdate activity.
Q: Favorite kitchen tool?
A: KitchenAid standing mixer.
Q: Do you have tips for getting picky kids to eat?
A: I find when I involve kids in cooking, they are much more apt to eat whatever I've made. On top of that, I like to prepare recipes that really have no right or wrong quantities, like gazpacho. I make it with my daughter, and she loves being the decision maker about what to add, saying, "It needs more roasted red pepper" or "Let's add cucumber."
Q: If you haven't shopped in a week and need to prepare a quick family meal, what do you make?
A: I love making "fancy" grilled cheese, pairing whatever cheese we have on hand with something in a jar, like cheddar and chutney, or mozzarella and pesto or roasted red peppers. It's always a plus if we have some produce to put together a little side salad, but, if not, grilled cheese always goes well with a can of soup.
Q: What's the ratio of home-cooked to takeout food in your house?
A: Kind of embarrassing, but we definitely skew towards the takeout. Living in Tribeca, there are so many great restaurants that deliver or offer takeout, it's hard not to take advantage of it.
Q: Do you have favorite food-related charity or cause?
A: My husband and I have both been involved with City Harvest for about 10 years.
