Cookbooks Just for Kids

Shelly G. Keller

As the "just for kids" cooking instructor at SHALLOTS COOKING SCHOOL in the Nugget Market in Vacaville, KRIS TAVALERO sees first-hand how children warm to culinary experiences. "Our classes are geared to kids ages 8 to 13 and that's the perfect age. Kids are little sponges-they're very open to learning and they want to know everything. Getting kitchen skills down really builds their self-esteem. They're so jazzed about what they can cook."

Tavalero worked in catering during college but her love of food began when she attended the University of Madrid for a year. She started teaching at Shallots two years ago. By day she's sales and marketing manager for Garden Market Expo in Las Vegas, the signature event of California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers in Sacramento. Her upcoming kids' classes include "Food Gifts from Around the World" on Dec. 18, "Eyes for Pies" on Jan. 18, and "Stack 'em High!" on Feb. 15 (nuggetmarket.com).

Every class starts with kitchen safety, organization and common kitchen accidents. "We talk about nutrition and how to cook with the seasons and with your senses. I try to include a kitchen secret with each class and we have smelling games that I learned from a wine tasting class."

Tavalero confides that teaching 20 or more kids to cook for two hours is no cakewalk. "Some kids are creative and I let them do their own thing. Sometimes things don't always work out. But the worst thing? Flour snowstorms. There's something about flour that children can't resist."

Tavalero loves kids' cookbooks with lots of photos because children are so visual. "Especially when there are photos showing all the equipment they'll need. She also likes cookbooks with lots of how-to: organizational and time management tips, plus kitchen math and measuring skills. Here are her recommendations for cookbooks for young chefs.

AGES 4-8

Tavalero says Disney's Family Fun Cookbook: Irresistible Recipes for You and Your Kids (Disney Editions, $24.95) by DEANNA F. COOK is one of her favorites. "This book is from the experts at Family Fun magazine. It's all about cooking with your family and making it a family activity. It's spiral-bound with lots of recipes, tips and projects in a lively format with lots of full-color photos." Disney's Family Fun magazine has a readership of more than 500,000, and most of the recipes are from the magazine. This wholesome cookbook adds creative flair to even ordinary things like a grilled cheese sandwich and all recipes are made from scratch.

Tavalero also likes the abundance of cooking hints and tips in DK Children's Cookbook (DK Children, $17.99) by DK PUBLISHING. "There are lots of illustrated explanations of terms in the section on technique, prep tips and advice. I was also impressed with the section on eating a healthy diet in the front of the book. These recipes are more challenging, especially desserts and fixing an entire meal." DK Children's Cookbook is loaded with accessible recipes in a format that emphasizes food safety and easy-to-follow directions. Lots of variety in protein sources, from vegetarian to lamb, chicken and red meat, make this a terrific book to challenge finicky eaters.

Tavalero raves about Mom and Me Cookbook (DK Children, $10.99) by ANNABEL KARMEL as the perfect first cookbook for any child. "This is a big oversized book that's all about having fun in the kitchen. There are some really adorable recipes like cupcake creatures and funny face pizzas that center around decorating your food. Plus photographs of kids cooking will inspire even little kids to cook." With easy-to-follow pictorial instructions, recipes offer a good balance between entrees and desserts. Some recipes, like cookies, offer variations. Most recipes are pantry-friendly, requiring ingredients you probably have on hand.

AGES 9 AND OLDER

Tavalero bought The Kids' Cookbook: A Great Book for Kids Who Love to Cook! (Oxmoor House, $19.95) by ABIGAIL JOHNSON DODGE for her daughter 10 years ago. With her daughter now in college, Tavalero still uses it for her kids' classes. "This spiral-bound book from Williams-Sonoma provides lots of how-to on measuring dry ingredients and wet ingredients. I like the section on chopping techniques and knife safety. There's also a full glossary of kitchen equipment for all those future Williams-Sonoma customers." Here's a cookbook that strikes just the right tone for older kids: colorful, friendly and informative without being cutesy. Each recipe includes an equipment list and inset photos provide an up-close view of ingredients and cooking techniques. The glossary of common and not-so-common ingredients also includes photos.