It has been a breakout time for kids books — cookbooks and food-related volumes — as the writers from America's Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping and beyond vie for readers. And the winners are kids -- and their parents.
In the French Kitchen With Kids by Mardi Michels (Appetite by Random House, $24.95) could be the most revolutionary. Michels, a French teacher at an all-boys elementary school in Toronto, runs after-school cooking classes for ages 7 to 14, where she serves up recipes far beyond the usual fare in kids cookbooks.
"The boys never think something can't be done unless they've been told it's supposed to be hard," Michels writes. "Puff pastry? Choux pastry? Sushi? Molecular cuisine? ... No problem for kids who believe they can do anything." That means macarons and madeleines, crepes and creme brulee, brioche and butter cookies, as well as savory dishes that sound so much more interesting in French: Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes (Gratin Savoyard), Crunchy Fish Cakes (Croquettes de Poisson) and Shepherd's Pie (Hachis Parmentier).
Michels breaks new ground in the kitchen equipment she recommends for kids: knives, an immersion blender and even a kitchen blowtorch. "Kids, closely supervised, absolutely love this tool (because, fire, obviously!)," she writes. The book's photos are sophisticated and lovely, with many welcome scenes of the hands of children at work in the kitchen.
Food on 01/23/2019