cook books for kids? [General]
2010 Dec 2
Company's Coming has a good kid-specific cookbook, if I recall. It's not dumbed down, nor does it have pre-packaged ingredients. I'd also recommend the Williams-Sonoma one: www.amazon.ca
The latter has been used by friends with a 6 year old, for perspective.
The latter has been used by friends with a 6 year old, for perspective.
2010 Dec 3
Do kids really need their own cookbooks?
Maybe some do I guess?
I know when I was a "kid" or 6 years old my parents would let me cook with the regular stove and oven and regular cookbooks as long as I was supervised.
Actually now that I think about it we were also allowed to cook on the stovetop unsupervised- stuff like pasta, eggs, steaks,grilled fish.
Maybe I just had weird parents,who knows.
2010 Dec 3
witchypoo - i looked up that cookbook and it looks good, still heavy on the desserts though. the last thing i want is a cookbook dedicated to icing cookies or making sundaes, which seems to be the majority of kid's cookbooks.
prettytasty - it is a christmas gift, they want a cookbook but are actually too young read (not quite 5). i want something with pictures that will transition with them as they do learn to read.
yes i think kids do need their own cookbooks. my kid and others i know are picky eaters (might be their age). i find getting them involved in the cooking process gets them eating a variety of foods. there is nothing exciting about a cookbook with no pictures. a book geared to kids, with pictures of kids and simple instructions can really make a difference in their approach to food.
i have seen a few cookbooks for the really young set that don't involve the stove at all, but it is all decorating food and nothing that i'd want to eat. i want to make sure the recipes are good for the whole family.
prettytasty - it is a christmas gift, they want a cookbook but are actually too young read (not quite 5). i want something with pictures that will transition with them as they do learn to read.
yes i think kids do need their own cookbooks. my kid and others i know are picky eaters (might be their age). i find getting them involved in the cooking process gets them eating a variety of foods. there is nothing exciting about a cookbook with no pictures. a book geared to kids, with pictures of kids and simple instructions can really make a difference in their approach to food.
i have seen a few cookbooks for the really young set that don't involve the stove at all, but it is all decorating food and nothing that i'd want to eat. i want to make sure the recipes are good for the whole family.
2010 Dec 3
HFF - I agree that kids need their own cookbooks. It has been difficult to find a good one the does not just concentrate on the sweets.
Though the book I recommended has a lot of desserts (which by the way, has some options for nut-free and milk-free treats), it does have some fun dinner meals which I have not found in other books.
It has a VERY simple Pad-Thai, Fish cakes, Sheppard's pie, Meat-loaf etc. that kids can make with minimal hovering by me. The pretzels were a big hit! It was an easy read for a grade 2 kid.
Though the book I recommended has a lot of desserts (which by the way, has some options for nut-free and milk-free treats), it does have some fun dinner meals which I have not found in other books.
It has a VERY simple Pad-Thai, Fish cakes, Sheppard's pie, Meat-loaf etc. that kids can make with minimal hovering by me. The pretzels were a big hit! It was an easy read for a grade 2 kid.
2010 Dec 3
We have Honest Pretzels by Mollie Katzen (who also wrote the Moosewood Cookbook). She has a wide variety of recipes (mostly vegetarian HFF!) that are very suitable for the whole family. I bought it for my 10 year old - who finds it pretty cool. She can plan and make meals from it. Mollie Katzen also has 2 other books geared towards younger children too - Salad People and Pretend Soup. Honest Pretzels uses a lot of visuals and also has written instructions. I think the ones for younger kids are more visually oriented. I found it at Chapters.
2010 Dec 4
Ok, nice to see more reasons why kinds should have their own cookbooks.
Seeing as I do not have kids and my cousins their baby is just 1 and another 2 days old, this did not exactly pass through my mind.
But those are good reasons, books with pictures are good for adult cooks too.
I have the Cordon Bleu technique cookbook and a few pics on cutting certain foods were helpful (esp the different way of cutting a pineapple,which i always use now).
Can't really say that my sister or myself were "picky eaters" when we were kids-well maybe not eating anything ham related (but for some religious reasons, we never has pork items anyways,lol).
I don't think as kids my sister or myself were too picky, usually we liked most things that were served and I know were were not allowed any of those fake cheeses or other kiddie foods.
And oddly enough I'm over 30 years old and have never eaten meatloaf in my lifetime (probably won't either,not a big meat eater).
Well, goodluck with the cookbook shopping.
Maybe something with a lot of no cook recipies,like raw foods or middle eastern (like hummus,gazpacho,dips and vinaigettes or no bake desserts could be good too).
Seeing as I do not have kids and my cousins their baby is just 1 and another 2 days old, this did not exactly pass through my mind.
But those are good reasons, books with pictures are good for adult cooks too.
I have the Cordon Bleu technique cookbook and a few pics on cutting certain foods were helpful (esp the different way of cutting a pineapple,which i always use now).
Can't really say that my sister or myself were "picky eaters" when we were kids-well maybe not eating anything ham related (but for some religious reasons, we never has pork items anyways,lol).
I don't think as kids my sister or myself were too picky, usually we liked most things that were served and I know were were not allowed any of those fake cheeses or other kiddie foods.
And oddly enough I'm over 30 years old and have never eaten meatloaf in my lifetime (probably won't either,not a big meat eater).
Well, goodluck with the cookbook shopping.
Maybe something with a lot of no cook recipies,like raw foods or middle eastern (like hummus,gazpacho,dips and vinaigettes or no bake desserts could be good too).
2010 Dec 4
gardener mom - thanks for the tip on the mollie katzen cookbooks! i have 2 of her regular ones and enjoy them. i think i'll get a copy of the preschooler one for my son.
prettytasty - middle eastern foods are a huge hit at my house. my son who won't touch a hotdog or hamburger, will eat hummus by the handful (he doesn't even need anything to dip he will ask to use a spoon). there are lots of theories of why some kids are pickier than others. i just keep making what i make and putting it in front of him. if i could figure out the trick to get him to taste everything, i'd do it. things he used to love - avocados and yams - he now won't eat at age 3. one day he just stopped. i think it is just a stage. we eat very healthy and a wide range of foods here, no processed, so he is surrounded by the good stuff.
prettytasty - middle eastern foods are a huge hit at my house. my son who won't touch a hotdog or hamburger, will eat hummus by the handful (he doesn't even need anything to dip he will ask to use a spoon). there are lots of theories of why some kids are pickier than others. i just keep making what i make and putting it in front of him. if i could figure out the trick to get him to taste everything, i'd do it. things he used to love - avocados and yams - he now won't eat at age 3. one day he just stopped. i think it is just a stage. we eat very healthy and a wide range of foods here, no processed, so he is surrounded by the good stuff.
2010 Dec 12
This is a great thread! I've been thinking about a cookbook for my eldest daughter (almost 7 years old) but thought most of the 'kid cook books' would all be desserts, or use Campbell's Soup as main ingredients. What's the point in trying so hard to feed kids real, whole foods only to have some book make packaged food seem like a better option.
I've found that the more our kids help with the growing, choosing or cooking of food, the more likely they are to try it and like it. We cant even get peas to the supper table because the kids eat them all whilst shelling them!
My kids sound like a bit like yours HFF, no love of hot dogs, but love hummus, homemade liver pate, chickpea soup, or most curry dishes (if not too hot.)
And I don't think you had weird parents, prettytasty, I got to use 'grown-up' cookbooks too. ;-)
I've found that the more our kids help with the growing, choosing or cooking of food, the more likely they are to try it and like it. We cant even get peas to the supper table because the kids eat them all whilst shelling them!
My kids sound like a bit like yours HFF, no love of hot dogs, but love hummus, homemade liver pate, chickpea soup, or most curry dishes (if not too hot.)
And I don't think you had weird parents, prettytasty, I got to use 'grown-up' cookbooks too. ;-)
2011 Mar 21
here's a link to an article in the Guardian about cookbooks for kids. Not sure if all are available here, but there are some interesting sounding ones, and more in the comments. I'd love to see the River Cottage cookbook, as I have their preserves book and love it.
www.guardian.co.uk
www.guardian.co.uk
2011 Mar 25
Well . . . I put an old computer (Dell Dimension 2400 with CRT) in the kitchen and it's become the most used computer in the house (I'm typing on it now) . . . and the kids use it to find and make recipes pretty much on a whim. They've never cooked so much. My son even uses it to try pancake recipes for breakfast. I suspect the younger generation prefers the screen to paper and there are, of course, an infinite number of recipes online. They will find the recipe sites they like and not be stuck with the selection in any one book.
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