Every time cookbooks show up in Scholastic flyers, I recommend them. I always tell you about how good they are for kids. So I know this is not news, but cookery for kids? Good stuff, and this book is also pretty interesting in its approach.
Starting From Scratch, by Sarah Elton
OwlKids, ISBN: 978 1 92697 396 8
Not really a cookbook, more a book that teaches the foundational elements that go into cooking, this is something quite different in books about food and cooking for kids. It starts out talking about why we should cook from scratch in a world of convenience foods, introduces tastes and what creates them, and talks about world cuisines before it even starts into cooking. Various different methods of cooking and preserving are covered, too, along with why they work, which is a very interesting spin in the vein of Alton Brown’s old show Good Eats, for grownups. Recipes, substitutions, and methods follow, as well as tools of the trade and, at last, how to put a meal together, cook it, and clean up.
It’s a lot of information! But it’s presented in an appealing package, with graphic design reminiscent of infographics, and an engaging tone. And best yet, it really takes a novice cook through everything that they need to know to really understand how cooking works, how to choose things to put together, and why all these skills are important, anyhow. I think I need to read this more thoroughly myself, in fact…
For more on cooking with kids, take a peek at Chantal’s post on the topic! (But if you’re more of a celeb chef fan? You might like this fall recipe from chef Michael Smith.)
[…] & Me Start Cooking – I say it all the time – cooking and cookbooks are great for kids. They learn measurement, it uses math and science, and learning to follow instructions carefully is […]