I started all four of my kids making things that they liked. I wanted them to have an interest in how to make their favorite things. First we made them my way, then the next time we talked about ingredients, ratios, and experimented to see what would happen. My oldest daughter wanted to learn how to prepare meats; my son, quiches and souffles; daughter #2, salads; and daughter #3, desserts - mainly cookies and brownies. The main idea was to develop an interest, lead them to some successes, and then finally to preparing a full meal.