One mom is putting a funny twist on back-to-school lunch prep by vying for a "Momichelin" star in a new TikTok video series.
Kelsey Venkov of St. Augustine, Florida, has been making and packing lunches for her 6-year-old daughter Kensie for years now but she said she was inspired by her favorite cooking programs and fine dining culture to take it to the next level.
"I have been creating lunchbox videos for the past few years since [my daughter] started school, but I was like, I want a different spin on it because I love Michelin star restaurants and I love cooking movies like 'Burnt,'" the 31-year-old content creator explained to "Good Morning America." "So I was like, I should just try and be extra about making her lunch with just basic items."
In an Aug. 10 TikTok post titled "Momichelin Lunch Ideas," Venkov proclaims, "While she's learning Latin, I'll be in the kitchen creating magic with my handcrafted meals."
She goes on to highlight "crispy, ranch-dusted triangles," or Dorito chips; "dried artisanal currants," otherwise known as raisins; and "hand-sewn fruit leathers," or dehydrated fruit candy. For the main course, Venkov whips up a dog bone-shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwich made with what she describes as "a 2023 house red" and "beautifully aged peanut cream." For a side dish, young Kensie gets treated to "farm-to-table" English cucumber slices and grape tomatoes.
Last but not least, Venkov tucks into Kensie's lunchbox a dessert of "chocolate wafer filled with vanilla cream" -- Oreo cookies -- and for her beverage, Venkov references Disney's "Frozen" movies, joking, "I knew a friend in Arendelle who hooked me up with some glacial ice and I paired that with some freshly squeezed mineral water."
"[Kensie] is my toughest critic but hopefully she has raving reviews from her three-course meal, and I end up with my first 'Momichelin' star," Venkov adds at the end of her video.
In another "night shift Momichelin chef" video, Venkov prepares a "tasting menu" for her "client" that includes an aged cheddar Pirate's Booty puffed rice and corn snack "that was located in the South China Sea," "freshly pressed and dehydrated strawberries paired with fancy tree nuts," "roasted hen bites coated in marinated bread crumbs" (air-fried popcorn chicken), and more. For a sweet treat, Venkov makes sure not to forget the "sugared marshmallow rice cake" (a Rice Krispies treat).
Venkov told "GMA" she's simply having fun with her lunch idea videos and that Kensie has been loving what her mom has arranged for her so far.
"She loved it. Oh my gosh, she's been asking me to make her a bone-shaped sandwich every day now. She liked that," Venkov said.
"I try and switch it up for her because she gets bored really easily," she added. "There's so many ideas now. So it's really fun to get really creative with it. It's like creating, I feel like, a core memory -- and that's what I'm after, is making sure she looks back and it's like, 'I love when my mom made those lunches.'"
