Sally Sampson is not like a lot of other Watertown residents. She isn’t only a writer but, a writer for her very own magazine based in Watertown.

Her magazine is called ChopChop and it is focused on kids.

Sally Sampson came to Watertown Middle School to talk about her life in food and was talking with a classroom full of students when she said, “Something that can grab you now, can impact your whole life.”

When Sally was 14, her friend wanted to become a vegetarian, so Sally decided she would also become a vegetarian. Of course Sally’s mom wouldn’t change their whole food setup and prepare two separate meals, so, to make things easier, Sally started to learn how to cook. She grew to love cooking.

She would cook all kinds of vegetables, such as zucchini and carrots. Time went by and Sally started a takeout place in Brookline called From The Night Kitchen.

Sally loved cooking and trying out different things. She invented her own dishes and would write them down. Sally noticed that it was hard to satisfy everyone’s likings when she cooked for them in her own shop, so she became a cookbook writer instead.

She said that “food writing is very descriptive,” and that “cooking helps with math” because when you are writing, you have to be thinking about measuring ingredients, and math is included in this step.

Cooking also helps with science, reading, and understanding other cultures. There’s so much about food that can interest anyone, even the smallest ingredient can take a person in many directions.

Sally has written 22 cookbooks. Right now, Sally is focused on Chop Chop, which is aimed for kids 5-12 years of age and their parents.

Every issue of the magazine has many healthy recipes. One of the main purposes of the magazine is to help prevent child obesity. She thinks kids should cook for themselves and take responsibility for what they put in their mouths.

ChopChop comes out four times a year and has simple recipes that young children can cook easily and quickly.

“It’s important for kids to start cooking when they are young” said Sally.

She thinks now that kids are growing, they should start trying new flavors and tastes. She suggested that when you don’t like something, or even hate it, try it again later because people’s taste changes.

Even her taste changed.

Surprisingly, after 12 years of being a vegetarian, Sally started to eat meat again. One day she was invited to a barbecue where they were grilling steak. She thought it looked really good, so she ate it and after that she began eating meat more often.

It’s amazing how people can change their minds so quickly just because they wanted to try something new.

And you never know, you might actually like it.

(For information about ChopChop magazine, go its homepage at http://www.chopchopmag.org/.)

–March 28, 2014–

Every issue of the magazine has many healthy recipes. One of the main purposes of the magazine is to help prevent child obesity. She thinks kids should cook for themselves and take responsibility for what they put in their mouths.

ChopChop comes out four times a year and has simple recipes that young children can cook easily and quickly.

“It’s important for kids to start cooking when they are young” said Sally.

She thinks now that kids are growing, they should start trying new flavors and tastes. She suggested that when you don’t like something, or even hate it, try it again later because people’s taste changes.