Review by Booklist Review
Middle-graders curious about the kitchen would do well to start with this approachable volume, which helpfully divides chapters according to key cooking skills. After an overview of general tips, including the all-important requirement of adult supervision, Sweetser gets to the meat of the matter. First up are knife skills, coupled with recipes for fruit salad, a vegetable platter, and minestrone soup, which all provide ample opportunities for practice. Other chapters cover grating and peeling; roasting, grilling, and baking; beating, whipping, and whisking; sauces; and so on, offering recipes for appetizers, entrées, and desserts. Naturally, each recipe involves more than just one skill, so helpful inset boxes direct young readers to the pages where those methods are described in detail. Each fairly simple recipe is no more than eight steps all of which are illustrated with helpful diagrams and uses readily available ingredients. Though neophyte cooks might need some adult assistance to decipher a few of the directions, overall, this practical, spiral-bound guide to food fundamentals will get kids well on their way to culinary mastery.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-There are no gimmicks or tricks in this solid collection of artfully presented recipes. The no-nonsense dishes are organized into 10 skill-based categories, such as "Using Knives," "Peeling & Grating," and "Crushing and Juicing." The recipes represent tasty offerings with kid appeal, from appetizers including mini pita pizzas and hummus to desserts such as chocolate sponge cake and meringue with strawberries and cream. The step-by-step directions are generally thorough and clear. Text boxes labeled "Try This," "Check Your Skills," and "Quick Tips"; detailed drawings; and delectable photographs enhance the dishes. Sweetser addresses readers in a respectful manner, imparting basic knowledge without talking down to her audience. There are safety warnings that tell aspiring chefs that when using sharp knives or other potentially dangerous tools they should seek the permission and, if needed, the assistance of an adult. This cookbook is a complete course in the culinary arts. However, those without well-equipped kitchens may need to purchase accessories and machinery to master all of the touted abilities. VERDICT Hand this attractive offering to fans of cooking shows and budding cooks interested in acquiring serious culinary chops.-Cindy Wall, Southington Library & Museum, CT © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A spiral-bound cookbook teaches solid cooking skills and presents recipes to practice those skills. Ten essential cooking skillsusing knives; peeling and grating; crushing and juicing; mashing and pureing; frying, sauting, and browning; boiling, steaming, and poaching; grilling, roasting, and baking; making sweet and savory sauces; beating, whipping, and whisking; mixing, folding, and kneadingare interspersed throughout the cookbook, each recipe referencing the skills needed to make it and what page they can be found on. The recipes themselves are well laid out, each with a list of ingredients, a visual list of the equipment needed, and numbered steps that are easy to follow. Quick Tip boxes give further instructions, and Try This! boxes offer some alternative ways to prepare the dishes. Each skill is followed by two to four recipes that feature that skill (and usually others as well), and these are a nice mix of dishes, from snacks and appetizers and drinks to main courses, desserts, and breads. The section on using knives, for example, has kids making tomato sauce for pasta, minestrone soup, a veggie platter, and a fruit salad. Other recipes include French toast, cheese omelets, chicken satay, carrot and pecan muffins, steamed Asian dumplings, fish sticks, and key lime pie. A solid cookbook emphasizing the skills kids will need to be successful in the kitchen and a range of recipes that will entice them to try new things. (table of contents, glossary, index) (Cookbook. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
