Kids Cooking

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

Not surprisingly, Kids Cooking looks just like the other books in the
wildly popular Company’s Coming series—a 6-inch by 9-inch
spiral-bound format with lots of photos and illustrations. The emphasis
is on quick, no-fuss meals using readily available ingredients.

Designed for 8- to 15-year-olds, the book is divided into chapters that
feature breakfast dishes, salads, desserts, main courses, vegetables,
and so forth, and the recipes are well laid out. Each recipe includes
ingredients, a “you will need” section, and step-by-step
instructions. A few of the dishes, such as the Crispy Fruit Pizza and
Topsy Turvy Pizza, are particularly creative and healthy. Many of the
main dishes rely on prepared ingredients such as tins of soup or
macaroni-and-cheese mix. Several cater to a child’s baser instincts;
Dirt Cake (“a fun way to gross out your friends”), Bologna Cups, and
Sauced Wieners seem to have been included for the benefit of parents
desperate for inspiration. Useful appendices include hygiene and kitchen
safety, a comprehensive glossary, and an illustrated guide to equipment
and utensils.

Unfortunately, Kids Cooking is marred by redundancies. The chapter on
sandwiches, for example, offers separate entries for cheese-and-tomato,
cheese-and-lettuce, and other cheese sandwiches. Each recipe provides
detailed instructions; but does this age group really need to be told to
“spread the butter ... lay a cheese slice over the top ... cover with
the second piece of bread”? The equipment guide actually illustrates a
“sharp knife” and a “table fork.” Not a first-choice purchase.