Couple complements each other in and out of the kitchen

Brian and Debie McCaffrey may be raising a brood of future chefs or food critics.

The parents of four children ages 5 to 12, they involve the kids in meal preparation at every opportunity.

"There is never just one of us in the kitchen," says Debie, "it's always a group effort."

Alaina, 12, handles advanced work involving heat and knives. Her specialties include sauteed apples with cinnamon, served warm over ice cream, fruit-flavored sorbets and chocolate chip pancakes.

Ten-year-old Collin can be coaxed away from playing long enough to taste a dish in progress.

Eight-year-old Emily sometimes helps with plating, is a good critic, and loves to roll out and cut from-scratch pasta.

Five-year-old Sean loves to pour and mix; he adds "secret Ingredients" to pancakes like vanilla extract and cinnamon and helps his mother with banana breads and cookies.

The payoff goes beyond sharing a good, home-cooked meal. Cooking together is a sneaky way for Brian and Debie to spend more time with their children.

"It's hard to get the kids to sit down and eat for any length of time, but we can be together in the kitchen for 40 to 60 minutes if they help cook," says Brian. "Otherwise they wolf down their food and go off to do homework."

Conversations are lively. One story feeds off another until everyone's day is hashed out.

"We rarely focus on just the meal," says Brian.

Palates are broadened and creativity encouraged.

Brian recently challenged the kids to a plating competition for his mini-burgers. Artistic medium included gravy, salsa, cheese, pickles, tomato, lettuce and ketchup.

"When all was said and done everything was eaten and we had fun as well," he says.

Here's another recent tradition that may catch on for the long haul. Most Sunday nights the McCaffrey's host an after-dinner chocolate tasting. The family sits at the table and nibbles varieties like dark chocolate with caramelized ginger, orange bits or cocoa nibs.

"We give them small portions," says Brian, "and we ask them to describe it, the taste, texture, the smell."

The kids are learning different cooking styles from their parents.

"I like to follow a recipe precisely," says Debie, "Brian is the opposite. He looks at what we have in the kitchen, throws it in a pan and it tastes amazing."

Debie's niche is baking and breakfast.

"They would rather rush out of the house, but I get them to eat something and their day goes better," she says. One of their favorites: egg whites scrambled on an English muffin with cheese. Fruit smoothies, sometimes with protein powder, are another power breakfast.

Cooking isn't just about the kids, though. The McCaffreys love to entertain friends and pair wine with food.

Here are several of their favorites, just in time for holiday get-togethers. For a starter or light meal, try Brian's chicken lettuce wraps with mango salsa.

For a main course dazzle 'em with Brian's Roasted Salmon with Herbed Potato Cake and Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce. It's not as difficult as it sounds.

"I love that meal, it makes me feel like a chef," says Brian.

From Debie, enjoy an old family dessert from her grandmother: Poppy Seed Torte. This unusual, chilled dessert is more like custard pie than a cake, but no matter. It is a long-standing tradition at holidays and family celebrations in Debie's family, with one quirk.

"It always chills on the snowmobile trailer outside because we run out of refrigerator room," says Debie. "That's written in our recipe now."

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Video</h2> <ul class="video"> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=14&type=video&item=21">The McCaffrey's making roasted salmon </a></li> </ul> <h2>Recipes</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=252864">Grilled Chicken Lettuce Wrap with Mango Salsa and Prosciutto <span class="date">[11/24/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=252863">Mango Salsa <span class="date">[11/24/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=252862"> Roasted Salmon with Herbed Potato Cake and Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce <span class="date">[11/24/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=252869">Poppy Seed Torte <span class="date">[11/24/08]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>