The International Cookbook for Kids

I like the way the cover opens all the way on this so it can lay flat while you look at the recipes. The hardcover is good quality and the photos are beautiful. The directions are clearly laid out for the recipes. As with any international cookbook, you may need to go to an intenational market to get some of the needed ingredients. This was a gift for a friend of my son's who, now in 3rd grade, aspires to be a chef. It was not that expensive, yet a quality piece to give as a gift.

We checked this book out from the library and were so impressed that I immediately bought a copy. The pictures are enticing, the recipes are clearly written, delicious and healthful. We have an entire bookcase filled with cookbooks and this one is one of the best. I'll happily cook from it, myself, and serve the recipes to company. So far, my daughter has made the guacamole (which is the best any of us have ever tasted) and the Salad Nicoise (also delicious). She's looking forward to making Pizza Napoletana (including the dough) and Fresh Fruit with Strawberry Glaze this weekend. If you'd like your children to be able to cook from scratch and develop a taste for wholesome foods, then this is the cookbook your family needs. (I suspect the reason many children are such picky eaters is because they've been exposed to too many yukky canned veggies, too much steam table food, and nothing beyond salt and pepper as seasonings. Healthful eating is delicious eating when it's properly prepared as this cookbook demonstrates.) My 9-year-old daughter is absolutely delighted with this book as are her father and I. (She's definitely at the lower age limit for most of these recipes, but this is the sort of book that's worth buying and holding on to for later in case it goes out of print). I'd recommend this cookbook to anyone, from children to college graduates, to adults who never really learned to cook. It's that good!

I could not decide between The International Cookbook for Kids and Emeril's There's a Chef in My World!: Recipes That Take You Places, so I ordered both of them and am very glad that I did. Locricchio does a bang-up job of introducing youngsters to the Big 4 cuisines of the world (French, Italian, Chinese & Mexican) while teaching children excellent foundation skills that will last them their entire lives. You won't find canned broth or bouillon cubes in The International Cookbook for Kids. Locricchio teaches them to make a variety of base stocks from scratch. You will find no mixes and no prepared foods here, just real food for real kids, heavy on the veggies and very light on the snack material. Emeril ranges further afield and includes foods from most regions of the world. He emphasizes good taste and uses a variety of cooking techniques. Nearly all of Emeril's recipes are things that I have been making myself for years and most of his recipes are so close to mine that I know they're good. You can't go wrong with either book. Better yet, do as I did and just buy both. Note: Neither of these books are suitable for the 4-8 age group as specified in the publication details.

The International Cookbook For Kids by professional chef and caterer Matthew Locricchio specifically designed to be the perfect introduction to the joys, pleasures, and accomplishments of cooking for kids ages 12 and older. Showcasing 60 classic, "kid friendly" recipes from Italy, France, China, and Mexico, each individual dish comes with easy-to-follow directions and involves fresh and nutritious ingredients. Enhanced with the color photography of Jack McConnell, the dishes range from Tortilla Soup; Cold Sesame Noodles; Tomato Salad; and Pasta Sauce from Bologna; to Polenta Pie with sausage and Cheese; Red Enchiladas; Stir-Fried Orange Chicken; Roast Pork with Dried Plums; and Beef Stew with Tomatoes and Olives. The wonderful chapter on desserts offers Cream Puffs with Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce along with other savory dishes to top off any meal. Completing this perfect and enthusiastically recommended introductory cookbook for young chefs are chapters on "Essential Ingredients in the Kitchen"; "Cooking Terms"; "Cooking Equipment and Utensils"; and an Index.