Vegetables, Prepared So That Children Love Them

Many people have little affection for cooked vegetables, possibly because they are often overcooked. This causes them to lose their inherent crisp texture and natural color and allows vitamins, minerals, and good taste substances to seep out into the cooking water. It is little wonder that many children are unenthusiastic about eating vegetables that have been prepared in such a way as to eliminate their interesting qualities. Some of the crisp texture of vegetables can be preserved by grilling or roasting them. As vegetables have a low protein content, no Maillard reactions take place, but the surfaces do caramelize.

Mouthfeel by Ole G. Mouritsen and Klavs Styrbæk

Ingredients

• 10 carrots (about 1 ounce [30 g] each)

• 1 tablespoon (20 g) honey

• Black and white sesame seeds

• A little cayenne pepper

• Salt

Directions

Heat a convection oven to 525°F (275°C).

Peel the carrots, coat them liberally with honey, and sprinkle them with sesame seeds, cayenne, and salt.

Bake the carrots for 5 minutes, or until they are slightly charred, but still crunchy.

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Reprinted with permission from Mouthfeel by Ole G. Mouritsen and Klavs Styrbaeæk Copyright 2017 Columbia University Press.