Let Me in the Kitchen!: A Cookbook for Kids & Other First-timers

Marjorie E. Coutts was a writer living in Bowen Island, B.C.

In her introduction, Susan Mendelson claims that this is the type of cookbook she missed as a child. She counsels parents to entrust greater freedom to young cooks, and counsels the young cooks to be wary of expensive electrical equipment and to leave the kitchen in the same immaculate condition as they found it. She forestalls the adult objections that there could be serious burns, cuts, and scalds if the young cook is neither tall enough nor competent enough to handle the required appliances.

These recipes use wholesome quality ingredients. If Susan prescribes butter, whipping cream, or pure vanilla, she means just that, not substitutes. The resultant food tastes superb but is relatively expensive. The 41 recipes cover a range of difficulty of preparation so that the younger cook can participate. The ingredients include no meats and only one fish (tuna, in a casserole). As 30 children time- and taste-tested the foods, other young people would enjoy the selection. Among the entertaining party foods are several Jewish festival specialties. The step-by-step instructions are worded clearly, aided by an introductory glossary of terminology.

Lively cartoon illustrations by Carol Sedgewick are sure to please. Facing pages feature the illustration to the left and the text to the right. Bold bars of colour add sparkle and code the five sections: foods for breakfast, for lunches, salads, treats, and festivals. The black print shows clearly against the fawn paper, and the plastic coil spine allows the pages to lie flat. There is an index and a table of contents.

Giving this book to a young relative could introduce a productive hobby that would not only brighten leisure hours but could possibly lead to an adult vocation. The book inculcates the careful reading and following of instructions, as well as clean kitchen habits.