Closing out the week of Good Morning America‘s “Celebrating Black History Month: Generation Rising” segment is their third feature, Julian Frederick. The 16-year-old chef has made it his mission to teach children how to cook through his company, “Step Stool Chef.”
16-year-old Julian Frederick has created a budding culinary empire by teaching other kids how to cook with “Step Stool Chef.”
Watch him show @MichaelStrahan how to make his Cinnamon Ribbon Bread and get a special surprise. pic.twitter.com/izTQYWBDCu
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 23, 2024
Julian’s journey in the kitchen began at the age of three when he wanted to make his own birthday cake, knowing that he could “do it.” And of course, he did.
Fast-forward five years, and Justin created “Step Stool Chef,” inspiring kids through classes, step-by-step cooking kits for kids, and more to be leaders in the kitchen just like he is.
During his feature on GMA, Chef Julian walked morning host Michael Strahan through creating one of his signature dishes, Cinnamon Ribbon Bread. In his interview, Chef Julian revealed that Cinnamon Ribbon Bread is his favorite recipe.
Serving as Chef Julian’s sioux chef for the demonstration, the retired NFL player exclaimed, “This is fun! I can see why if you are a kid, or even me as an adult, … I’d be interested in cooking with you.”
Chef Julian responded with a smile and said that he and those at “Step Stool Chef,” are “dedicated to empowering kids making recipes that they can make for start to finish with little to no help from an adult.”
To continue Chef Julian’s mission, Nestle has donated $10,000 to the young entrepreneur’s business.
In a previous interview with ChopChop Family Magazine, Chef Julian told the outlet that cooking for children has other benefits that will help them develop one life skill that is truly essential for adulthood, confidence. According to Chef Julian, here are five way that cooking helps kids build self-confidence:
Cooking helps kids make decisions – “Cooking is all about making decisions. Even if you have recipe, you can also decide if you want to change it up. You can get creative and make ingredient substitutions or even decide how to cook it differently. It’s YOUR recipe. You can do what want!”
Cooking helps kids stay focused – “Cooking has helped me stay focused… a lot! It can be hard for kids to stay focused and not get distracted. But cooking can be so fun, it grabs their attention that they can’t wait to finish what they started.”
Cooking allows kids to be in a a safe space to learn from their mistakes – “When cooking, it’s ok to make mistakes. In fact, I’ve made plenty mistakes myself. But the important part about it, I‘ve learned from my mistakes. And I know parents can be nervous like when kids make a mess or hurt themselves but it actually helps kids so the next time they know what to do and how to be careful.”
Cooking helps earn parent’s trust – “Kids want to cook all the time and toddlers are always saying “I can do it myself”. The challenge is that some parents are not letting them. Does this sound like you? Well when you give kids a chance, they can surprise you and do great things. Just think about it… how great would it be if your kid made dinner for the whole family. I’ve done it and my parents now trust me to do even more things and it makes me feel really proud.”
Cooking allows kid to develop leadership skills while having fun – “When learning to cook you are also learning to how to plan, get organized and try new things. Most importantly, kids feel really proud when they take charge of something like making their own breakfast. Cooking builds skills that kids will need in the kitchen AND in life.”
To watch Chef Julian’s segment in its entirety, click here. We cannot wait to see what this talented chef will be cooking up next!
Photo: “Step Stool Chef” Instagram; GMA Twitter