My daughter often accompanied me when I used to review restaurants in South Florida for the Miami Herald, and she loved fresh snapper, particularly with a Key lime beurre blanc at Louie's Backyard in Key West.

She ordered duck whenever it was on a menu, though she was partial to the classic a l'orange.

Her favorite restaurant was the House of India in Coral Gables, where she would share the curry but wanted her own biryani.

Or maybe it was Versailles, where she could not get enough of the garlicky lime sauce for dipping mariquitas.

This was all before she started kindergarten.

I never relegated her to the kids' menu wasteland of grilled cheese and chicken nuggets, so she was more adventurous in her eating than many adults.

Claudine Pepin, daughter of the legendary French chef Jacques Pepin, says the whole idea of “kid food” disturbs her.

“As a society, we have tried to encourage kids to eat healthy foods by hiding them, disguising them as something else, or pouring processed cheese sauce on them, and I think that we do a disservice to children by doing so.”

Her father's philosophy was “the moment for a child to be in the kitchen is from the moment they are born.”

That was her inspiration for “Kids Cook French” (Quarry Books), which features classic French dishes in easier versions a child can prepare.

The cookbook introduces children to the joy and art of cooking while exposing them to a bit of French culinary culture.

Another take on children and food: Hispanic TV chef Doreen Colondres suggests getting children to try new tastes by involving them in cooking family meals.

In this meatball recipe, for example, she says you can let them create different shapes other than the familiar round meatball, or have them spear the meatballs on a stick like a lollipop.

Colondres, working with the National Pork Board, has created a series of recipes like this one, all available at PorkTeInspira.com/recetas.

Makes 12 meatballs to serve two as a main dish or six as an appetizer1 pound of fresh ground pork1 egg (optional)1 small garlic clove, mincedChile serrano or jalapeño, finely chopped, seeds removed, to taste (optional)Salt and pepper to tasteJuice and zest of 1 orange2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce1 tablespoon honey or agave2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil1 tablespoon chopped cilantroIn a bowl, mix together the pork, egg, garlic and chile if using. Lightly season this mixture with salt and pepper. Using your hands, shape 12 meatballs and set them aside in the refrigerator.In a small bowl, combine the orange juice and zest, soy sauce and honey or agave and set this mixture aside.Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Slide in the meatballs and cook for 2 minutes on one side. Flip the meatballs, add the sauce and cook 2 minutes more. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to deglaze the pan.Reduce the heat, cover and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, about 8 minutes, depending upon the size and shape of the meatballs. Add the cilantro and serve immediately.