Cooking Fun: 121 Simple Recipes to Make with Kids [Hardcover-spiral]

Rae Grant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2008

Classic American recipes from grandma’s kitchen are the inspiration for this children’s cookbook offering 121 recipes for simple and wholesome food. Inspired by vintage cookbooks from the 20s and 30s it is designed to appeal to the eye as well as the stomach. Included are beverages, sandwiches, soups, simple suppers, quick breads, cakes and cookies, and even some child-friendly veggies. The recipes are clearly presented with easy-to-follow steps teaching children how to make these nutritious recipes from scratch.

PERFECT FIRST COOKBOOK---easy to follow recipes combined with essential cooking basics like how to measure, read recipes, set a table, plus kitchen safety tips.

CHILD-TESTED RECIPES---all the recipes are child-tested and use fresh ingredients. Some of the recipes require adult help, especially for younger children, but many can be completed independently.

DELICIOUS COMFORT FOOD---classic American recipes that are both fun for kids to make and health-conscious, as they are made from scratch using wholesome ingredients.

YOUR FAMILY FAVORITES---includes a scrapbook section at the back for collecting family recipes and making notes.

Cooking Fun is an all-around great first cookbook and keepsake for any child.

What kids are saying:
"The strawberry shortcake was so good."---Max
"I loved making whipped cream with the rotary beater."---Charles
"Your tomato soup is my favorite. Can I have the recipe?"---Claire
"Yummy turkey meatballs."---Gwen

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Cooking Fun will have mothers fondly recalling their early culinary adventures and will introduce a younger generation to the delights to be had in the kitchen. The title says it all---it’s as fun as it is easy, and each recipe will have you turning the page to try the next.”---Eileen Goudge, author of Otherwise Engaged and Something Warm from the Oven

“To be able to cook empowers one’s creativity and resourcefulness. Cooking Fun is a lively and charming encouragement for kid-friendly cooking and feasting. Bon appetit!” ---Edward Espe Brown, author of The Tassajara Bread Book and coauthor of The Greens Cookbook

"NYC mom Rae Grant embraces a retro sensibility in Cooking Fun: 121 Simple Recipes to Make with Kids, with letterpress and collage illustrations inspired by cookbooks of the 1920s and '30s. Throwback recipes include, in addition to those already mentioned, Ohio Sloppy Joes and Sunny Day Cheese Biscuits." --Time Out New York

From The Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel
“This may be the best cookbook for kids I’ve seen—and we see a lot of them around here. Grant has conceived a beautiful, easy-to-read book, with recipes written in crystal-clear prose and precisely logical steps. A monkey could make you dinner from Cooking Fun. Which means your little monkeys should have no trouble at all…. Thanks to Grant, a new generation of cooks can explore that exciting, unchartered territory called ‘the kitchen,’ and discover the tasty magic of food cooked by their own hand, with simple dishes such as Grandma’s Cinnamon Toast, Chicken and Rice Soup, or Pigs in the Poke (hotdogs with popover batter). Cooking Fun  is a companion book to Grant’s Crafting Fun: 101 Things to Make and Do with Kids, which was released at the same time and has the same brilliant simplicity of organization.”

A washingtonpost.com Best Gift Cookbook Pick of 2008:
“How nice to see new versions of old and simple kid-pleasing recipes. Most have three or five ingredients, with nary a cutesy name. The book’s retro look complements the comfort level of the recipe directions.”

From San Jose Mercury News
“The recipes are not only easy, but also simple. Few have more than five ingredients, and none requires processed food, unless you count hot dogs or American cheese. It’s all comfort food, if ‘comfort’ means making everyday life a little more agreeable…. Bottom line: Any grown up cook would want his kid to love this book.”

From Publisher’s Weekly Children’s Bookshelf
“Grant is a book designer, collage illustrator, and author, with a background in letterpress printing and bookmaking. To that end, this book—which pubs simultaneously with Grant’s Crafting Fun—is inspired by vintage cookbooks from the 1920s and 30s with classic American recipes and illustrations.”

From lime.com
"Kids love to cook, and this cookbook offers nutritious recipes that are easy enough for them to do much of the work. Learning how to cook will help them develop a lifelong appreciation for food, and will even encourage them to eat healthier, especially if it's a dish that they themselves prepared. The book includes basic information, like how to set a table and read a recipe, and tips on kitchen safety. Vintage-style illustrations recall books of the 20s and 30s, and give this cookbook an irresistible charm."

About the Author

RAE GRANT is a book designer, collage illustrator, and author. Her background in fine letterpress printing and bookmaking established her reputation for designing high-quality illustrated books. Rae lives in Manhattan with her daughter and husband.

Product Details

• Hardcover-spiral: 144 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Spi edition (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312377797
• ISBN-13: 978-0312377793
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 9.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #655,389 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars grea new book!, October 10, 2008

By 

J. Harquail - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cooking Fun: 121 Simple Recipes to Make with Kids (Hardcover-spiral)

I heard about this darling book on the radio and went right out and bought it for my kids. It has everything a beginning cook needs to get started in the kitchen; simple healthy beverages (as well as homemade chocolate sauce for chocolate milk), classic meals, lots of simple veggies, and great quick breads, cakes, and cookies. It even has a "how to measure" and "terms for cooking " in the front section and tips for having a green kitchen. The pictures are vintage and the recipes are clear and simple to read. My kids love being able to make their own snacks. Great idea and great value.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great inspiration for your childs next meal, April 21, 2009

By 

Sonoma mom (Sonoma county) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cooking Fun: 121 Simple Recipes to Make with Kids (Hardcover-spiral)

We have a toddler at home, and this book if a wonderful resource for us, the parents who know how to cook, but who need simple reminders of what little kids actually like to eat.And we were tired of cooking frozen processed food for our baby that he loves but we knew we could do better.So now we can turn to any page and be inspired to fix a wholesome meal for the entire family. Our usual meals were overly complicated for his tastes, but this books offers wonderful ideas that we can very easily embellish to meet our more grown up tastes, although the recipes are very lovable on their own. We couldn't put it down the first night we got it. And the step by step instructions are actually nice reminders of how to get back to basics. Its also a great gift for any family with young kids.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful, cool book, October 9, 2008

By 

Petithall (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cooking Fun: 121 Simple Recipes to Make with Kids (Hardcover-spiral)

First off, this book looks great-- visually, all that stuff. Retro, but in the nicest possible way. The recipes start simple, but they offer additions that grow in complexity. There are also unusual ideas we'd never thought of (like avocados on whole wheat bread-- yum) and the things with potatoes are really cool. Well designed, useful, and what kid isn't curious about food?