So… I ended up buying this book…
(Because I had a store credit at Williams-Sonoma and I really don’t need anything from the store right now.)
My son’s reaction as he unwrapped the gift and saw the book cover picking through the paper wrap was “Is this a gift for me or for my sister?” Hmm, it pretty much confirmed my concerns—I have anticipated this.
Later that day I encouraged him to look inside. He browsed through the pages but overall the book received a chilled response and was left on the floor until I picked it up and put it on the cookbooks shelf. Unlike the enthusiasm with which he greeted the 6 Lego sets and other gifts he got from his friends.
***
I think the book is beautiful. I love the choice of recipes and they are the kind that an 8 years old can make. Even younger kids can make most of the recipes.
However, browsing through many kids cookbooks I found out that many lack originality and there’s a major repetition in the choice of “kids” recipes like muffins, pancakes, chicken pot pies, pasta with meatballs, pizza—of course!, burgers/sloppy Joes, chicken nuggets, brownies, cupcakes… and this book has them too.
Many of the children cookbooks I’ve seen had a messy layout with crazy fonts and scattered photos and doodles all over the page which gave a sense of chaos and a slight headache for Mama. This book is very nicely organized. They did a great job in the layout.
I really like that the recipes are written for adults and children (Well, they do call it “Cooking together”) and have separate preparation steps for the kids and the parents which you can tell by the different font they use. This was particularly important in my decision to buy this book after hearing my son declare recently that he has “Only 4 more things left to learn about cooking and then I’ll know everything”. Yeah, dude, that’s right.
The photos are gorgeous but they are of children who look younger than 8 years and most are of girls, and in most of the photos the girls are cooking and the boys are eating… We have discussed that.
Bottom line, I like the book but—I knew it!—I should have saved it for my little girl.
There are other choices of cookbooks for boys he might have liked better like the Star Trek cookbook he brought from the school’s library last week. He made Yoda Soda…
Tags : cookbook, kids
Categories : Cooking with kids, Food books & Cookbooks
7 Comments
Rotisserie Chicken Recipe
June 4th, 2011 at 10:19
Awesome post! It’s really helpful for me. Thanks a lot for sharing.
teresa
June 4th, 2011 at 12:08
I have been annoyed by kids cookbooks of late. I do like this W&S cookbook. The chicken pot pies have become a family favorite. That Star Trek cookbook has also been taken out of our library by my oldest son – yoda soda – they liked that too – but that book is full of pretty lame recipes in my opinion. Our current favorites for kids include: Sur La Table, Baking Kids Love, but I think that has all pictures of girls too. . . my oldest son has turned to reliable cookbooks for grownups. He loves Pioneer Woman’s cookbook. It’s full of great pictures of all the steps and the results are always awesome. He also likes Barefoot Contesa. I am amazed at the bad recipes I find in most kids cookbooks (don’t get me started on the Spatulatta cookbook). What is the best part of cooking for a kid? The process, but also when the result is so good people can’t stop eating it! That last step seems to get lost to a lot of cookbook authors who are putting out gimmicky little “kids recipes” with broccoli trees and hot dogs dressed up to look like dachshunds. . . Major pet peeve.
Neil Butterfield
June 5th, 2011 at 05:37
I think you can use this experience to teach your son that stereo typing is so last season. What matters is that the recipes are great, not who is on the cover of the book.
Nurit - family friendly food
June 6th, 2011 at 21:34
Neil, I agree, it is a teachable opportunity. Nonetheless, I believe my son’s reaction was more spontaneous and innocent than stereotypical.
Yes, the recipes are what matter but when the majority of children’s cookbooks have photos of girls and girls cooking while the boys are mostly eating I’m afraid it says something about our society and/or about the state of mind of the people who worked on the book and this is the message they pass on to the children. And so, once again, it is up to us, the parents, to teach the children what so many others fail to do…
Nurit - family friendly food
June 6th, 2011 at 21:39
Teresa, how old are your kids?
I thought the Star Trek book was pretty lame as well. As for the yoda soda, I’m pretty sure they added food coloring to make it so green! And yes, even as a kid, I was never into making sandwiches with faces and such, but some kids like it…
Maybe it is best to find a good “adults” cookbook and make the easier recipes from it. I love Ina Garten’s cookbooks too!
Kelly
June 14th, 2011 at 14:49
I’m seeing an opportunity here, I think you should write one that has both genders in mind.
Not that you have the time, but Ithink you would be fabulous at it!
Nurit - family friendly food
June 16th, 2011 at 10:34
Kelly, that is so sweet!
Hopefully, I’ll manage to make a collection of the family recipes in a spiral binder for my kids.
Yeah, I do have 3 concepts for cookbooks but no time