20 Recipes Kids Should Know by Esme Washburn and photographer Calista Washburn [Review & Giveaway - US/CANADA]

Kick off the summer with fun cooking for your kids

ISBN: 9781385075
Hardcover $16.95

My thoughts: I came from a line of wonderful cooks but didn't spend much time in the kitchen myself as a child growing up. However, in my preteen years the local gas company held cooking classes for kids and my mother encouraged me to attend. I did and they also gave us a children's cookbook. It held basic recipes that gave a "kick-start" for a child to begin learning how to measure and how to cook a variety of items. It was a bit heavy on the dessert side in the line of recipes. They also showed us how to safely use gas ranges.

Later in school we had home economics classes and I continued to learn. I married young and then began my education in earnest to learn how to cook meats, vegetables, fruits, pasta, grains, and of course, desserts.

This absolutely wonderful book, 20 Reciipes Kids Should Know, has a grand assortment of recipes for kids to prepare and the instructions are really good. This is not a "dumbed-down" of "kiddie" book. This is for kids old enough and responsible enough to handle basic and a bit more complex cooking techniques.

It won't overwhelm, and it won't be a platform for junkie food.

A case in point is the mouth-watering pasta and cheese recipe. This is not a "dump it outta the box" directive. This is a use the butter, milk, cheese, etc. recipe where you make a great white sauce with butter and milk and then add grated cheese in a quantity that will provide a succulent adventure into the comfort food that a lot of us grew up loving. Don't miss this recipe!

And then there is the marinated steak recipe. Now you're going to want to be able to feel comfortable with your kid's skills and abilities before you invest in steak, but this certainly has a place in the repertoire that every growing child needs to learn.

Of course, a pizza recipe is included. Again, not a dump-it-outta-the-box recipe. It is one where you get to know the whole product item. Again, kids will love this one!

Anytime I can pass along information about a book that will bring enjoyable education to children, I value it. So I am highly recommending you invest in your child's eating future by investing in this extremely well done book.

UPDATE........ Here is a picture of a fabulous cake made by two of my grand girls using a recipe from this book. I am so proud of these girls ages 10 and 12.

About the book: The perfect book for children, this fun and engaging cookbook is written and photographed by a pair of teenage sisters for budding chefs.

Whether they're helping stir cake batter or producing their own YouTube cooking channel, kids of all ages are getting increasingly busy in the kitchen. This cookbook features twenty classic recipes that are fun, healthy, adaptable, and easy to prepare. From banana bread and the perfect grilled cheese to breaded chicken and apple pie, each recipe is written in a clear, accessible style that young cooks of every level will be able to follow. The author is a young chef whose love of cooking developed from her own family's food traditions like baking popovers with her grandmother and Sunday-night pizza making. By teaching kids basic recipes that can be adapted in endless ways, this book is the perfect launching pad to finding their way around the kitchen--or launching their own cooking careers.

About the author and photographer: ESME and CALISTA WASHBURN are sisters living in New York City. Esme, who is in middle school, is an amateur chef and cooking enthusiast. She has learned everything she knows from her grandmother. Calista, a recent high school graduate and budding photographer, loves helping out in the kitchen and eating the delicious food that Esme cooks.

GIVEAWAY

Begins May 19

Ends June 18 at 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA & CANADA addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate this review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.