MOLLIE'S NEW CHILDREN'S BOOK IS HERE!
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.
The critics rave:
I want cheese legs! -Charile
When you use the knife, press till the bottom of the thing. -Emma
He needs a shirt. He could have a yogurt shirt. -Maya
He has a pear shirt. -Paulie
I'm cutting the tummy. -Nate
Mine is called Sweetie Pie. -Sarah
Are you ready to hear me crunch my carrot? -Raymond
These are only a few of the comments I wrote down verbatim from the preschoolers gathered around me to make miniature people out of cheese, fruit, vegetables, pasta and other respectable edible things. In addition to being a cross between an art project and a great snack or lunch, this recipe presents a wonderful opportunity to introduce new foods -- or at least new food combinations -- to young children.
And the reviewers say:
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!
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.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Children can help with some of the preparations, such as slicing strawberries and bananas, grating carrots, or spreading peanut butter into celery for arms or legs. Kids also enjoy placing all the various components in small bowls and setting everything up.
The salad person's face can be made with cottage cheese or yogurt. Children of color might prefer to use coffee yogurt or chocolate yogurt, so the salad person can look like family.
From the Introduction:
This new sequel to Pretend Soup is set up exactly as its predecessor. The twenty recipes were tested both at home and in a preschool setting, with children ranging in age from just under three to six years old. I found that a terrific way to draw children to good food is to have them make salads and soups, for which kids have a surprising degree of enthusiasm.
Each recipe gets a double treatment -- a full four pages. The first two pages are for the adult helper, including detailed set-up instructions and a conventional recipe format. Next comes a pictorial version, designed specifically for very young cooks (even pre-readers) to follow.
Although some of the recipes are substantial enough to become a hearty snack or even lunch, I recommend scheduling the cooking session for in-between times when you and your child are relaxed and in the mood for a shared experience -- and not particularly hungry. This way, goal orientation, frustration, and tension can be avoided and pleasure can prevail. The true prize upon which to focus is pure enjoyment -- of the tasks and of one another. If you happen to get a meal out of the ritual, consider it a bonus! My hope is that every aspect of cooking with your child will be delightful for all involved and that your child's interest in cooking and eating will continue throughout the years.
Recipes include:
Salad People
Crunchy Fruity Granola
Cool Cucumber Soup
Rainbow-Raisin Cole Slaw
Foccacia
Green Garden Dip
Counting Soup
Sweet Potato Surprise
Sunrise Lemonade
Polka Dot Rice
Miso-Almond Dipping Sauce
Corny Corn Cakes
Cream of Tomato Soup with Crispy Cheese Crackers
Egg Salad
Mango-Honey Lassi
Broccoli-Cheese Quiche
Chewy Energy Circles
Pesto-Macaroni Souo
Raspberry-Yogurt Swirl
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