Starting from Scratch (updated edition): What You Should Know about Food and Cooking - Hardcover

Elton, Sarah

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1926973968 ISBN 13: 9781926973968

Publisher: Owlkids, 2014

Synopsis

Starting from Scratch is a manifesto on food that will help kids relate to what they eat, whether on special occasions or every day, inspiring both budding chefs and budding food lovers in the process. Beginning with an exploration of taste and the way it works, author and food activist Sarah Elton explains how ingredients have been on the move for centuries, resulting in the unique and fusion flavors we love today. She breaks down the science of food and cooking into bite-sized and easily digestible pieces of information that cover everything from the chemistry of heat versus cold, fat versus acid, and salt versus sweet.

Both practical and philosophical in its approach, Starting from Scratch demystifies food and cooking by boiling it down to the basics. Kids will be able to make sense of recipes, measure and substitute ingredients, and stock a pantry, but they’ll also discover that food is more than just a prepackaged meal. Using simple and universal examples, like how an onion is transformed when it’s boiled versus charred, caramelized versus fried, Starting from Scratch will inspire kids to eat better, try new flavors, and understand what’s on their plate.

Even readers who decide the kitchen isn’t for them will leave with an improved sense of where food comes from and be able to join in on a conversation that continues from snack time to dinnertime.

About this title

About the Authors

SARAH ELTON is an award-winning author and journalist who specializes in writing about food. Her book for children, Starting from Scratch: What You Should Know about Food and Cooking, was published in 2014 to wide acclaim. Her bestselling books for adults include Consumed: Food for a Finite Planet and Locavore: From Farmers’ Fields to Rooftop Gardens, How Canadians Are Changing the Way We Eat. Sarah was the food columnist for CBC Radio's Here & Now for more than a decade. She lives in Toronto. Visit sarahelton.ca and find Sarah on Twitter @SarahAElton.

JEFF KULAK is an Edmonton-born, Montreal-based designer-illustrator. From his studio, a converted room in a former nunnery, he creates art for books, magazines, album covers, and event posters.

Reviews

Gr 4–8—For those kids who love cooking and eating, this title should be required reading. The introduction answers the question "Why should you cook?" and the following six chapters detail the elements that make up food, cooking, and the eating experience. The first chapter deconstructs taste, not just covering the five tastes and taste buds, but also the terroir (how growing conditions change taste) level. "You Are What You Eat" is not about nutrition but about food culture. Another chapter discusses the science of cooking and how each cooking tool or method changes food: heat, cold, acid, salt, sweet, fat, bugs (bacteria, fungi, and mold), water, kneading, and preserving. The section about recipes explains not only how to read them but also about ratios, substitutions, and measurements. Getting the kitchen ready for cooking is covered in the next chapter, which includes lists of tools, basic pantry items, techniques for grocery shopping, and healthy eating basics and also addresses how politics and religion affect food choices. Finally, the last chapter gets to cooking techniques, food safety, table-setting illustrations (Western, Japanese, Ethiopian, and Indian), and cleaning up. Appendixes include a few basic recipes, recommended cookbooks, a guide to flavor pairings, and measurements and conversions. Decorated throughout with cartoon illustrations and written in a clear and engaging style, this title has plenty of kid appeal. With this book in hand, young chefs will be empowered to create amazing food. It will also make a great complement to science-fair projects about taste or kitchen chemistry.—Heather Acerro, Rochester Public Library, MN

In another time, the title of this expansive, encouraging, and enthusiastic book might have been Our Cooking, Ourselves, as it explores the connection between the body, the science, and the cultural impact of what we eat. Elton begins with the “building blocks” of the five tastes experienced on the tongue: salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami (meaty flavor), then quickly ups the ante with the different ways we experience food via the senses and how “flavor science” makes processed foods more appealing. Elton’s insightful text is punctuated by Kulak’s quirky, vintage art—think 1970s harvest golds and avocado greens. Later, techniques for shopping, using kitchen tools, and following recipes segue to thoughtful discussions of food ethics, cultural differences, etiquette, and even tips for when your dishes don’t turn out well. The cherries atop this sundae are the appendixes, which include basic recipes, a flavor-pairing guide, and measurement conversions, making this a sumptuous treat for any budding foodie to digest. Grades 6-9. --Courtney Jones

Edition details

• Publisher: Owlkids
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1926973968
• ISBN 13: 9781926973968
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Kulak Jeff
• Number of pages: 96