Cooking with Kids by Linda Collister

Linda Collister already has landmark titles under her belt, namely on bread and chocolate. There is, however, one subject she knows and understands best of all, cooking with children. As a mother, she has always felt that is important for her own children to know how to cook from an early age. In her latest book, Cooking with Kids, she tells the reader how to engage kids in the subject of food and meals right from the start when they are mere bystanders and occasionally allowed to lick spoons to cooking a full blown dinner.

This book succeeds in many ways. It is clear immediately that she hasn't dumbed down in any way. The food is appealing and an adult would be as happy to be served recipes from this book as a small child. Refreshingly, there are no smiley face pizzas lurking amongst its glossy pages.

Her method is to involve children as early as possible in the planning and shopping for meals. Choose recipes together and talk about how you are going to prepare and cook the food. She advises to observe ground rules in the kitchen. Get the children used to washing their hands before touching food, tie hair back, teach them to respect knives and other sharp kitchen implements.

We could all learn from the following: read the recipe through at the start and get out the equipment you need and ingredients you are going to use before you start cooking. It is a good idea to give the children their own peeler and vegetable knife, which have a good grip. And most importantly, work together.

The above should set you on the way to a harmonious kitchen and the recipes that follow are mere child's play. Divided into sections on snacks, light suppers, tea, meals and lunch box ideas, the recipes cover all levels of capability. Get the children working with filo pastry and if you have the patience, try the section on sushi. Needless to say, the chapter on bread and scones is particularly good. There are even several recipes that you might want to borrow for yourself.

With Ryland Peters & Small's customary level of excellence, in that the photographs burst with colour and vitality, the washing up at the end of the day will seem a small price to pay for such pleasure.

Publication details:
128 pp. Photography by Vanessa Davies. £14.99
Published by Ryland Peters & Small
ISBN 1841724971
2003

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