A sociable and charismatic 3-year-old girl has caused quite a stir on the internet with her culinary skills. Penelope Kay, affectionately known as Penny, dons a chef’s hat as she whips up delicious dishes for her family.
With the help of her parents, Melody and David, from San Diego, Penny started working in the kitchen at just 15 months old. One evening, when her mother Melody was busy preparing dinner, Penny insisted on joining in the fun. Unable to spare the time, Melody came up with a clever idea.
“Our agreement was that she could ‘help’ me in the kitchen,” 34-year-old Melody told The Epoch Times.
Clearly enamored with the idea, Penny was back in the kitchen with her mother within a week, and the duo filmed their first video together making pork chops and potatoes.
Nearly two years later, Penny’s interest in cooking hasn’t waned as she spends a significant amount of time in the kitchen.
“However, now that she has more cooking ‘experience,’ she enjoys adding her own flair to the food,” her mother said. “Sometimes that means omitting certain seasonings, adding extra spices, or measuring out the herbs with care.”
The little culinary experimenter even concocted her own innovative version of a grilled cheese sandwich, incorporating blueberries and goat cheese.
“Seeing her confidence, I know that allowing her to make choices and test her ideas and experiments has built that confidence, and it brings me so much joy,” Melody said.
Penny’s current favorite food is dumplings, and she loves making them in various ways.
“She enjoys any recipe that involves taste-testing the ingredients first,” her mother said. “When it comes to the ingredients we add, she has a lot of freedom.”
Penny’s current favorite ingredient list includes asparagus, ribeye steak, red onions, and various forms of cheese.
While Melody has been encouraging Penny’s culinary adventures, she also emphasizes the importance of kitchen safety.
“As long as she is safe, I try to give her a bit of creative freedom with the recipes themselves,” she said. “We’ve discussed bacteria, raw foods, hand washing, and good cooking hygiene.”
Melody also teaches Penny to use kitchen tools with a healthy respect rather than fear.
“She also knows that she can’t use kitchen tools without an adult and we only use child-safe knives, just to be extra cautious,” Melody said.
In addition to kitchen antics, Melody describes her daughter as a “firecracker.”
Despite her young age, Melody and her husband see Penny as an adult due to her mature demeanor.
“Many times people comment that she’s someone’s grandma reincarnated, and I definitely have to agree,” the proud mother said. “She’s so smart and has her own personality.”
She often surprises people with her amusing antics.
Recently at a restaurant, when a waitress asked young Penny what she wanted to order, the little girl confidently requested broccoli.
“The waitress told me she might not like it because it’s charred with sesame oil and goat cheese. But that’s what Penny insisted on, so I respected her decision, and we placed the order,” Melody said. “And guess what, she loved it!”
Melody is grateful for the “intimate experience” that cooking provides for the family.
“I’ve built patience and learned so much about Penny’s personality in the process,” she said.
For parents interested in cooking with their young children, she advises patience.
“Yes, your kitchen will be a disaster, but your child won’t remember that. They’ll remember spending time with you, helping you, accomplishing something,” she said. “Indeed, cooking with children is exhausting, but it’s worth it. I promise.”
At 3 years old, Penny’s cooking is just a fun after-school activity.
“Whether she becomes a Michelin-starred chef one day or not, the experiences and memories we’re creating are worth every minute,” Melody said.
Thanks to @chefpennykay for sharing this heartwarming journey.