Too Many Cooks: Kitchen Adventures with 1 Mom, 4 Kids, and 102 Recipes

I've been reading this book -- some pages stained already from mixing food and kids -- with delight and awe. As a fellow writer and mother of four kids, I so admire this book -- the depictions of motherhood, cooking, the insanity of a new baby, the glimpses of marriage ... It's a great read for new parents especially -- the ones just starting to figure out how to get kids to eat ... and to eat thoughtfully, creatively, and well. But it also served as a great reminder to someone who's been at it a while -- how to make it new. TOO MANY COOKS is nourishing -- on all levels. - Julianna Baggott

This book has been passed from me to my wife to the kids and back again. A few days ago, I found my nine-year-old writing down a shopping list to make the mummy nuggets which he later made, with some help. I made the gazpacho soup. My 14-year-old made the donuts with some of her friends. As a stay-at-home dad of four kids, this was a pleasure to read. A brilliant book written with humor and poignancy -- and lots of great recipes to boot!

Emily Franklin's anxiety-free views on feeding children and introducing them to new foods and dishes are absolutely refreshing. Don't worry. This isn't a preachy how-to book by any means. It's simply Emily's quest to "create happy, healthy eaters without tricks." While this is a non-fiction book it reads like an effortless dream. I became entirely wrapped up in learning all of the personality quirks her four children possess, and while they may willingly eat roasted broccoli I promise that they are just as real as your own kids. Emily doesn't hesitate in detailing their dirty faces, flaws, and swearing phases, but somehow through hissy fits, major shelving malfunctions, delayed ferry rides home, and even personal tragedy Emily consistently gets healthy meals on the table. This book isn't just for picky children. I found myself marking dozens of recipes to try later. I'm especially looking forward to Emily's rendition of Sticky Toffee Pudding. Whether you're a regular old Brady Bunch or a single twenty-something the story Emily weaves is timeless. At the end I found myself wanting the book to be longer and I definitely missed "sharing meals" vicariously with her endearing family.

I really enjoyed Ms. Franklin's Stories about her family life. I am not a cook, so I was not sure if this book would be a good read for me. I really, really enjoyed the book. I felt that the anecdotes about motherhood were honest, and engaging. Each chapter is almost like a short story, although there are themes and characters that run the entire book. For those that cook the recipes are a bonus!

I'm a big fan of Emily Franklin's fiction -- from the Principles of Love series and Liner Notes to At Face Value and The Other Half of Me. In Too Many Cooks, we see that Franklin's story-telling skills shine just as brightly in the non-fiction genre. A collection of essays and related recipes that is one part memoir and one part biography -- with a heaping helping of humor mixed in -- the book gives a taste of the author as mother, wife, daughter, friend, and -- yes -- chef. The casual, easy-going style immediately draws the reader into Franklin's world. A whirlwind tour with stops in charming food shops, village markets, and country farms on both sides of the Atlantic, this book is a non-stop adventure that will make you laugh and make you tear-up (and not just at the onion talk) and make you hungry to try every one of the tasty, yummy meals.