Kids Cook Dinner: 23 Healthy, Budget-Friendly Meals from the Best-Selling Cooking Class Series

Kids Cook Dinner: 23 Healthy, Budget-Friendly Meals from the Best-Selling Cooking Class Series

It's kids' cooking night—and they’re in charge of making dinner! This selection of 25 easy, budget-friendly dinner recipes from the best-selling Cooking Class series teaches kids how to make tasty, healthy meals with easy-to-follow step-by-step photos.  The recipes feature a range of kid favorites, including Popcorn Chicken, Easy Cheesy Quesadillas, Pasta with Tomatoes & Fresh Mozzarella, Black Beans & Rice, Pizza, Meatballs with Creamy Sauce, Super Sliders, and Supper Salad have been specially selected for their budget-friendliness (averaging $2 a serving) and use of easy-to-find pantry staples, as well as their nutritional value. With instructions on basic cooking skills, like chopping vegetables and stir-frying, grocery shopping, and kitchen safety,  Kids Cook Dinner offers aspiring chefs ages 8 to 12 everything they need to know to successfully—and proudly—put a healthy, homecooked meal on the table that the whole family will love.    Gr 2-6-With 23 recipes and excellent supplemental information, this cookbook covers all the bases for aspiring young chefs. Before getting to the recipes, 13 pages are dedicated to reviewing cooking rules, including safety, prep work, and measuring, as well as helpful meal planning and nutritional tips. Clear and easy-to-follow recipes include step-by-step instructions with photos, as well as serving suggestions and a photograph of the finished product. Recipes range in difficulty from a simple four-ingredient quesadilla to more labor-intensive homemade pizzas and meat dishes. Young chefs will find options beyond typical American cuisine, including chicken satay, tabbouleh, shakshuka, and more. When relevant, some recipes include an additional how-to section, i.e., "how to cut an avocado." Some readers may find the organization of the recipes confusing, as they are not divided into any particular sections based on ingredients, difficulty, or cuisine. VERDICT Helpful supplemental information and a wide variety of kid-friendly recipes make this a great juvenile cookbook addition.α(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. "With 23 recipes and excellent supplemental information, this cookbook covers all the bases for aspiring young chefs. Before getting to the recipes, 13 pages are dedicated to reviewing cooking rules, including safety, prep work, and measuring, as well as helpful meal planning and nutritional tips. Clear and easy-to-follow recipes include step-by-step instructions with photos, as well as serving suggestions and a photograph of the finished product. Recipes range in difficulty from a simple four-ingredient quesadilla to more labor-intensive homemade pizzas and meat dishes. Young chefs will find options beyond typical American cuisine, including chicken satay, tabbouleh, shakshuka, and more. When relevant, some recipes include an additional how-to section, i.e., “how to cut an avocado.”  VERDICT  Helpful supplemental information and a wide variety of kid-friendly recipes make this a great juvenile cookbook addition."― School Library Journal Deanna F. Cook is the award-winning author of cookbooks for kids, including the best-selling Cooking Class , Baking Class ,  Cooking Class Global Feast!, and Kids Cook Dinner.  She served as the creative development director at FamilyFun magazine and has been an editor at Scholastic, Disney, and Kidstir.com. She lives in western Massachusetts and can be found online at deannafcook.com.