Cookbooks for Children

Silly Snacks Jennifer Darling, Editor; Better Homes and Gardens, Editor Meredith Books, 1998 ISBN: 0696208

This spiral-bound cookbook’s recipes include the simplest recipes for the youngest children like freezing fruit for a summer treat, or creating a cheese and apple sailboat using an apple wedge for the boat and a triangle of cheese for the sail. After using this cookbook, your children will be able to teach you how to make biscuits and build a sandwich, cut and shaped into a "log" cabin. There will be no turning back once your child has mastered the are of making slushies, yogurt shakes and juicy drink recipes. "Silly Snacks" is excellent for young cooks and parents since it uses ingredients likely to be in the refrigerator or pantry. A photo of the dish plus comical characters illustrate each page. Your child will enjoy the book’s division into kid-friendly topics like Wild West, Outer Space, Spooky Foods and Abracadabra (for parties!)

The Secret Garden Cookbook by Amy Cotler ISBN: 0060277408

This is a perfect gift for a youngster entranced by the magic of Francis Hodgson Burnett’s children’s classic "The Secret Garden." Ever wonder what Mary and Colin ate for breakfast or what they had for tea? Now is you chance to use recipes inspired by the beloved book like scones, puddings, toad-in-the-hole and cucumber tea sandwiches. Perhaps you’d rather try out something Mary might have had in India like mulligatawny stew, or the porridge that Dickon and his family would have cooked up. Besides recipes, this book shares tidbits of life and dining in Victorian England; it will quickly become a treasure to children who can’t wait to make their own Yorkshire pudding or tea cakes.

Kid’s First Cookbook by the American Cancer Society ISBN: 0944235190

Introductory pages explain the importance of healthy eating, exercise, drinking water and sleeping soundly each night. There are also pages that explain measurements used when cooking and safety tips children of all ages need to remember. Each recipe’s degree of difficulty is rated by toques, or chef’s hats, from one toque for "no sweat" to three toques for "master chef." Again, you will find the recipes that use every day ingredients in a new, fun way. Your children will enjoy making breakfast pizzas, fresh fruit slushies, bagel faces, stuffed shells, chile and nachos. What makes this book special is that it was made with the help of elementary school children who submitted recipes or taste-tested the recipes sent in.

Kids Cook! By Sarah and Zachary Williamson Williamson Publishing ISBN: 0913589616

This is a book in the Kids Can! series and is written by the publishers’ children. Simple black and white drawings illustrate the beginner recipes. There is also a safety rules checklist that young chefs need to read and understand before they tackle the kitchen work. Once prepared, children can dive into making muffins, omelettes, pasta salad, guacamole and an outrageously delicious orange creamsicle drink. Beyond the beginner’s dishes are recipes for lunches, salads, green bean casserole, banana bread, and tacos. This upbeat and well-organized cookbook will make your children cheer.

There’s a Chef in My Soup by Emeril Lagasse Harpercollins ISBN: 0688177069

This cookbook was my favorite. It opens with the joyous statement, "I’m so happy to see so many of you cooking these days. You know why? Because cooking is really fun, fun, fun and it makes people happy, happy, happy!" There is also a note to parents about how his experiences cooking as a child made some of his happiest memories. As expected, this energetic chef uses playful names for his chapter titles and dishes, alike. Chapter Two is titled "It-isn’t-rocket-science salads" and his recipe for Ka-Bam Kabobs includes using his "Baby Bam" spice mix. Emeril clearly believes that as soon as a child shows any interest in cooking, he or she should be encouraged, and taught the joys of fixing food and feeding others.

Pretend Soup Tricycle Press ISBN: 1993672066

Honest Pretzels Tricycle Press ISBN: 1883672880 by Mollie Katzen

"Pretend Soup" is a classic cookbook and a necessity for any parent or teacher of preschool children. The recipes are broken down into steps, with each step colorfully illustrated by the author. The healthful recipes will inspire your young children to new heights of culinary creativity. The recipes have been tested by pre-school students to great success and provide an excellent example of how to teach cooking to your children or how to start a cooking class at a local pre-school or after school program. When your children grow beyond "Pretend Soup," there is "Honest Pretzels" for chefs, 9 and up. Older children will enjoy the more sophisticated dishes, including pretzels. Imagine the fun they’ll have mixing up and kneading the dough, or cooking their own not-from-a-box macaroni and cheese. Written by renowned cookbook author and an original founder of the Moosewood restaurant, these cookbooks will tantalize your palate as well as challenge your children to develop their cooking skills. And once you’ve worked your way through the Ms. Katzen’s children’s cookbooks, consider buying yourself one of her books for adult cooks.

------------------------------ Pamela White, food writer and food writing teacher, is editor of Food Writer, the e-zine for writers that love food and food lovers that write. Subscribe at www.food-writing.com.

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