50 Recipes for Kids to Cook (Step-By-Step Series)

Fifty easy-to-follow recipes for young chefs teach basic cooking skills and safety tips, with color photographs of ingredients, utensils, and cooking techniques

Grade 6 Up?This British import's attractive photographs and slick design don't make up for some substantial flaws. Front matter gives general information, safety guidelines, a descriptive list of tools, an A-Z of cooking terms, and clearly illustrated techniques. But the kids shown in the photos appear to be between 10 and 12, and the recipes are complicated, using fairly exotic ingredients with more adult than kid appeal. For example, "Raving Ravioli" is homemade spinach pasta (made with fresh spinach and heavy cream) stuffed with trout (that has been boned and poached) and ricotta cheese. "Popeye's Pie" uses filo sheets, notoriously difficult even for adults. Teen cooks who can handle recipes like these will be insulted by some of the cutesy touches (a carrot soup is "See-in-the-Dark Soup") and by the overall juvenile look of the book. While there is a commendable emphasis on vegetables and grains, many dishes are high in fat, and nutritional information is not given. Joan Scobey's The Fannie Farmer Junior Cookbook (Little, 1993) is a far better basic cookbook.?Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Photos take the guesswork out of food preparation in 50 Recipes for Kids to Cook by Judy Williams, the latest in the Step-by-Step series. From "See-in-the-Dark Soup" (full of carrots), to a "Gingerbread Jungle" (cookies) to homemade ravioli and a crown roast of lamb, these ambitious recipes use photos to demonstrate each major step. ) Kids can stir up some non-edible creations with instructions from I Can Experiment by Steve and Jane Parker, the newest installment in the Show-Me-How series. Brightly lit photographs illustrate the simple (holding water upside-down) and the sensational (a fizzing, vinegar volcano). All of the experiments emphasize that science can be an endless source of wonder and discovery. (Smithmark, $7.98 48p ages 6-10 ISBN 0-8317-7263-8, June)
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.