Cook and Color

Christy Conte is a member of the Parents Advisory Committee at the
YMCA’s Parent and Child Enrichment Centre and a journalist.

This is a fun introduction to cooking and baking for kids aged 7 to 12.
The recipes are simple and well chosen for the age group: Savory Snacks,
Crazy Cookies, Superb Squares, etc. Directions are clear and coded to
reflect degree of difficulty. Most of the recipes are surprisingly
simple. French toast, rated “hard,” is probably the most challenging
of the bunch. Rules for the cook, a glossary, and helpful hints are
useful inclusions. As its title suggests, the book is something of a
hybrid: line drawings sprinkled throughout give young chefs an
opportunity to color while they wait for their creations to bake and
cool.

If you are looking for healthful, well-balanced menu ideas for
youngsters, this is not the book for you. There are a few “healthy”
snacks (Pizza, Framed Eggs, Sandwiches), but the focus is on gooey,
high-fat fun foods. The author has run children’s cooking classes in
the past and seems to have a handle on young tastes. Chocomalo Squares,
Cornflake Globs, and Jam Cupcakes: they may not be politically correct,
but if you want to spark a youngster’s interest in the kitchen, they
are certainly up to the challenge. Recommended.