STEP BY STEP COOKING FOR KIDS
Recipes From Around the World
By Marshall Cavendish Cuisine
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish

This is more than a recipe book. It shows 48 dishes from countries around the world, from A to Z. For example, under A is Anzac biscuits from Australia, under J is pineapple fool from Jamaica, under P is natilla from Peru and so on. In fact, I would say that the primary purpose of this book is to introduce kids to the signature cuisines and flavours of different countries, rather than teach them how to cook.

The book is intended for kids to use, although there are some recipes that would obviously need adult supervision. There are easy step-by-step instructions, accompanied by colourful pictures, so older kids would have no problems following the recipes.

The dishes chosen are quite representative of the culture/country they’re from - for example, fried tempeh from Indonesia, kindergluwen (cider) from Germany, scones from England, kkaegangjong (sesame seed biscuit) from Korea, bramborak (potato pancake) from Czech Republic. The editors of this book have also ensured that the recipes are easy, each taking up to four steps to make.

There are two drawbacks to the book. The first is the quality of the pictures. Don’t expect them to be of Martha Stewart quality. It’s very basic photography, and the styling is simple. The editors are probably working along the veins of how the food would look like if it were prepared by a child. It’s a pity though; just because it’s a recipe book for kids doesn’t mean that the styling and photography cannot be more sophisticated.

The second is that because the recipes are quite simplistic, the flavour that results may not be totally authentic. But that is minor if you compare it to the benefits of getting kids curious about other food cultures.

Other than that, this is a book that would serve both parents and kids well. The pictures in the book (of the steps and ingredients) will help kids visualise the dish they’re making, which can be an important motivating factor as children are visual creatures. The snippets of information about the origin of the dishes encourage kids to find out more about the special food in each country.

Homeschooling parents can easily incorporate any of the recipes into their schedule, and work lessons about the respective country into it. Serious foodies can add on to the recipes, teaching kids about ingredients and flavours. For example, in the recipe for sosaties (meat skewers) from South Africa, you are taught to marinade the meat before grilling. You could introduce different types of marinade that will bring out the flavour of the meat. For the onigiri recipe from Japan, you can introduce different sushi ingredients, and talk about the importance of the freshness of food. In the pizza recipe from Italy, you can introduce different toppings, and talk about the difference between gourmet and regular pizza ingredients.

Even if you don’t make the food in the book, it can be good reading material for parents and kids, and become a jumping-off point for food discussions. A lot of the recipes are for dessert, so parents could talk to kids about celebrations, as sweet things are usually consumed in times of merriment. When a recipe calls for sugar, you can experiment with it and try to make it with alternatives, such as honey, maple syrup or agave nectar. Good food habits start young, so this is a great starting point.

Most of the recipes are for snacks, which means mothers have a lot of choices when that afternoon hunger pang strikes, instead of resorting to store-bought and processed nibbles. This is perfect for little picky eaters - they can’t very well reject the food they made or helped make, right?

Get this book if your little one has expressed interest in helping you in the kitchen. It’s a fun exploration tool that both adult and child will enjoy.