THE RECIPE-A-DAY KIDS COOKBOOK

A year’s worth of daily inspiration inviting kids to experiment in the kitchen.

Young readers will be encouraged to try making corn muffin chili bowls on a cold January day, peach Melba milkshakes in August, and a cheese plate resembling candy corn in October. Each food idea consists of a couple of sentences or a short paragraph of narrative instructions. Rather than cooking from scratch, most involve assembly of pre-made ingredients, including convenience foods such as gummy candies, ready-made snack mixes, marshmallows, or nut butter. Readers learn easy hacks using these ingredients, for example, melting chocolate chips in the microwave and spreading them on top of Twinkies to create Twinkie Éclairs. A few of the food projects require adult assistance, such as those that call for deep-frying, broiling, or using a blender. With its focus being more on fun ideas rather than teaching cooking skills (the instructions are cursory), many recipes assume that readers or their adult helpers will know the meanings of terms like al dente; have access to kitchen equipment including food processors, waffle makers, and silicone molds; and possess the necessary knife and piping skills. Some entries reference food-related milestones in history; holidays like Halloween, Hanukkah, and Christmas; and events like Earth Day. The clear, bright, eye-catching photographs throughout will be fun for budding chefs to pore over.

Fun ideas for kid-pleasing treats.