Salad People and More Real Recipes: A New Cookbook for Preschoolers and Up [Hardcover]

Mollie Katzen (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 1, 2005 | Age Range: 3 - 7 years

In the much-anticipated follow-up to Pretend Soup, celebrity chef Mollie Katzen cooks up 20 new vegetarian recipes that kids six and under can prepare themselves (with a little help from their adult assistant). The last decade has seen unprecedented demand in healthy eating for kids. Taking this interest one step further, Mollie Katzen presents kid-friendly recipes that will inspire joyful kitchen adventures and food appreciation. With Salad People, children will enjoy a lifelong love and playful respect for nutritious food from Tiny Tacos, Counting Soup, Salad People, and beyond. Complete with kitchen tips, safety and behavior rules compiled by actual kids, and thoughtful observations on what children gain from cooking, Salad People is the model children's kitchen guide for a new decade. All-new recipes make the perfect companions to Pretend Soup recipes. Reviews“If you’ve never cooked with kids before, begin with Mollie Katzen’s ebulliently illustrated Salad People and More Real Recipes (Tricycle, 2005; PreS-Gr 3), showcasing 20 child-friendly food projects that focus on healthy ingredients, individual creativity, and hands-on fun. A section for adults introduces each recipe and provides tips on helping children successfully navigate the specifics, followed by a pictorial version appropriate for even the most inexperienced chefs (including pre-readers).” —School Library Journal Curriculum Connections "A is for Amandine: A List for Beginners"-The New York Times

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 3–In this charming offering, Katzen follows the format and emphases of Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes (Tricycle, 1994) to present 20 new kid-tested concoctions. Not a hot dog, tub of frosting, or package of Kool-Aid is to be found among these dishes; this is real food, the nutritious and delicious kind–low fat, low sugar, and meatless. The first recipe encourages kids to be creative and make their own miniature Salad People out of cheese, fruit, vegetables, and pasta. Tiny Tacos are tortilla chip sandwiches of refried beans, guacamole, salsa, and grated cheese. Focaccia starts with store-bought pizza dough that is painted with olive oil, sprinkled with rosemary, and baked. Chewy Energy Circles are a nutritious alternative to expensive power bars. Each tasty treat is presented in an easy-to-use, three-part format. First, an introductory section for grown-ups describes the end product and outlines tips to help children achieve success. Next, ingredients and directions are provided. Finally, a colorful spread combines simple language with clear illustrations to clarify each step. Safety tips and an essay discussing the benefits of this activity for children are included. Throughout, the writing is clear and encouraging, empowering novice chefs to discover new skills and tastes as they explore this rewarding endeavor. A winner!–Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* PreS-Gr. 2, with parental guidance. What's the best way to encourage kids to eat healthy food? Give them "the opportunity to prepare it with their own hands," says Katzen, whose many cookbooks include the original Moosewood titles. As in Pretend Soup (1994), her previous cookbook "for preschoolers and up," Katzen offers a range of vegetarian, kid-friendly recipes in an artistic, innovative format. Each recipe receives two spreads. The first contains detailed, step-by-step instructions for adults; the second, directed to children, illustrates stages of preparation in a series of clear, boxed drawings. Katzen's whimsical color pictures of dancing produce and animals decorate the pages, and many readers may find that recipes such as Chewy Energy Circles will become family staples. All recipes in the book have been "preschool tested," and Katzen gives parents plenty of tips on preparing a safe, nurturing cooking space for kids and communicating concepts such as "washing your hands with flour" before handling sticky dough. These detailed, practical, and inspired ideas may extend far beyond the kitchen, helping adults approach parenting in new ways and helping kids develop a lifelong interest and confidence in healthy food. For food-related picture books, see the Read-alikes "Kids in the Kitchen" in the October 15 issue. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 7 years
  
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Tricycle Press (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582461414
• ISBN-13: 978-1582461410
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 0.6 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Vegetables & Vegetarian > Salads
  • #14 in Books > Children's Books > Children's Cookbooks
  • #15 in Books > Children's Books > Sports & Games > Cooking

More About the Author

Mollie Katzen is a cookbook author and illustrator/designer, best known for her best-selling classics, Moosewood Cookbook (a 2007 inductee into the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame) and The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. Her nine other titles include a trilogy for children (Pretend Soup, Honest Pretzels, and Salad People) dubbed "the gold standard of children's cookbooks" by the New York Times. Mollie has worked as a creative consultant for plant-based recipes and menus, most notably with Harvard University Dining Services, where she has served as a consultant on vegetarian cooking since 2003. She is a popular public speaker, specializing in culinary-medical conferences (in addition to other venues), helping to educate medical professionals on the links between food choices and health and prevention. Mollie's newest book is The Heart of the Plate: Vegetarian Recipes for a New Generation (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, September 2013).

http://www.molliekatzen.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great healthy food cookbook for young sprouts! February 8, 2006

By Mom of 2 boys

Format:Hardcover

This cookbook is a real gem in the world of children's cookbooks. All of the kids' cookbooks I have seen in the past are heavily laden with sugar, chocolate, and more sugar. This one focuses on simple, healthy recipes such as "Cool Cucumber Soup" with cucumber, mint, honey, and yogurt; or "Foccacia" made with storebought pizza crust, olive oil, and rosemary.

The format is wonderful, with 2 pages for the adult to preread, followed by 2 pages of picture directions, simple enough for a 3 yr. old to "read."

I feel good about sharing these recipes with my kids (ages 5 and 3) and I don't have to worry about inducing a euphoric sugar high! My only complaint is that the kids aren't thrilled with most of the recipes... they took one sip of the cucumber soup and said, "Yuck!" They liked the foccacia but picked off the rosemary. But I will keep trying!

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Big results for small people September 27, 2006

By wiredweird HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

This is the best cookbook I know for pre-K kids. The recipes are simple and clearly illustrated, but they're real food - lots of the dishes here would be welcome at any dinner table. If you want to build your child's self esteem, respect and genuine achievement are the best way to do it. This book respects the child's intelligence, and offers the achievement of making a real contribution to the family's meal. Your child will need some help with this book, but you may be surprised at just how little.

When I bought this book at a brick'n'mortar store, the clerk took one look and said "Oh. Vegetarian," as if that were all she needed to know. Yes, it is a vegetarian book, but that's the least important thing about it. It's the best cookbook I know for the age group: real food, not just peanut butter on celery, with skills transferrable to any kind of cooking. As an extra benefit, I've found that kids who cook seem a bit less fussy at the dinner table - if that's a battle you have to fight, you have nothing to lose by taking a chance on this book.

//wiredweird

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun for kids and grownups January 31, 2006

By Happy Mother

Format:Hardcover

My kids got this book for Christmas, along with Pretend Soup And Other Real Recipes by the same author. We love it. The picture recipes are fun for even young kids to follow, and each recipe is preceded by cute reviews by children. There are some really fun recipes, some very quick ones if you're in a hurry, and some that are not messy at all if you don't feel like cleaning up when you're finished. I definately recommend it, it's a lot of fun!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars another winner from katzen April 4, 2006

By Cathe Fein Olson VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I love all of Mollie Katzen's books so I was not suprised that Salad People was wonderful as well.

The format is excellent for young children. First, the recipes are explained in text for the adult and then in easy to follow numbered steps with pictures and few words for the children. The dishes are appealing to kids while using healthy and nutritious ingredients. This book is great for parents, preschool teachers, etc.

I recently taught a cooking class for young children and used several recipes from this book. The kids had so much fun making egg salad - Katzen's method of using an egg slicer to chop the eggs is such a fun and safe idea for preschoolers. We also made the Cream of Tomato Soup and they Tiny Tacos. All were hits.

I also highly recommend Honest Pretzels which I have used for teaching cooking to school-age children.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars FUN, HEALTHY, DELICIOUS & KID APPROVED! Best Young Child's Cookbook January 31, 2006

By Yvette Yasui

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

All the recipes in this unique, kid friendly cookbook are done two times, once in words for adult helpers and once in fun pictures for kids, so they can "read" the recipes themselves.

I gave this to Adam, 4 years old, and he loves the recipes! He also loves just sitting down and "reading" the recipes which he can do since they are all in pictures. And the illustrations are great.

The receipes are healthy and kid approved. They were developled by Molly Katzen and a pre-school teacher who cooks with her class alot. So recipes can be done at home or in school. It also teaches kids about healthy eating, whole foods and making eating and cooking fun.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Cookbook for Preschoolers November 13, 2006

By M Ville

Format:Hardcover

This cookbook is not only fun for preschoolers, but it really encourages them to try new foods. My 3 year old son loves to pick out recipes, shop for the ingredients, and make the food. He would never had tried foods like this (i.e. healthy foods and vegetables!) if I had made them and said "here, try this". Because he made it "all by himself" he is excited to eat them. I highly recommend this cookbook!!!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended January 21, 2011

By J. Stephens

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this book for my almost 5 year-old son. He loves it! He frequently looks through it to find new recipes to try. He likes that he can follow the pictures and figure out what to do without me telling him what to do.

The things I like... There are unique recipes that I wouldn't think of like almond-miso dipping sauce and the honey-mango lassi, which is a favorite. Also, the book is very easy to adapt for children of all ages. For a younger child you can do the measuring and just have them pour and press buttons on blenders, etc. I have found that my son can do a lot more than I've allowed him to do. I've always micro-managed him in the past, but now I let him do the measuring and figuring out the next step. Using this cookbook with him has been really fun for me. I tend to not be very patient and kind of controlling in the kitchen, but I've really tried to just have fun when we cook together now. I've learned a lot of tips from this book that has helped me with that.

I've been telling all my friends with kids about this book. I think it's really great, and I'm excited about trying Mollie's other cookbooks!