Annabel Karmel

I've been looking for years for a really interesting, solid kids' cookbook. However, it seems that the vast majority are of the "how many ways can you combine peanut butter and various types of sugar" and never actually teach kids how to cook anything, just different ways to arrange snacks. Plus, they all have the same things because there's a limit to what you can make without an oven or sharp utensils!

Ok, rant over, because I have FOUND THE BOOK.

DK has done it again, with Annabel Karmel's show more Cook it together. Tons of photographs, simple recipes to follow, and really interesting, actual food!

The book begins with a section on spices and herbs, along with instructions on growing your own parsley. The main book is divided up into a main ingredient with several accompanying recipes. Each recipe has clearly marked steps, a list of ingredients, and tips from the author.

For example, the section on "Tomatoes" gives facts about the fruit and instructions on growing, then we get to the recipes - tomato bruschetta and tomato soup. Under "Corn" there's corn and chicken pasta salad and corn fritters. We learn how to make potato wedges and souffles, and in the section on rice there's a recipe for arancini (rice balls with cheese in the middle), and paella with seafood and chicken. There's fun food, snacks, and desserts as well - banana bites, banana butterfly cakes, strawberry layers, strawberry cheesecakes, baked apples and apple meringue tarts. And how many kids' cooking books teach you how to make apple and chicken curry, teriyaki-glazed salmon skewers, honey cakes, and your own chocolate truffles? The book finishes up with dark and white chocolate cakes, fruit brulee and chicken pitas with yogurt and mint dressing!

Everything is clearly illustrated with photographs, the instructions appear to be clear and simple, and my only regret is that when they printed the US version they gave it a pink spine - and the cupcakes on the front are kinda girly. This, however, has not deterred an excited stream of patrons from checking this book out. The only thing keeping it from constantly circulating is its repose on my shelf for a few months while I tried to find time to test out some of the recipes. Alas, that will have to wait, although I did purchase risotto rice for the arancini...

Verdict: You NEED this book in your library! The best kids' cooking book I've seen in a long time. Great variety of recipes, perfect for many different skills and ingredients, and food that both adults and kids will want to try!

ISBN: 9780756643027; Published May 2009 by DK; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library show less

This book has useful information and some interesting recipes, but like all parenting books, it shows the author's biases. Of course, when an author's biases don't match your own, you tend to think less of the book. In terms of the "Your Questions Answered" the book did a good job of addressing many different topics that new parents are curious about, although some of the answers were vastly different than our doctor gave us. As a cookbook, however, there was much to be desired. Most of show more which is no fault of the author. The interspersing of recipes with the question and answer things made it more difficult to find and use recipes, and the hardcover binding makes it nearly impossible to leave the book open to a specific recipe while preparing. Also, for us, by time our son was ready for the more elaborate meals in this book, it was simpler to tailor our own meals to his diet and make one meal for the family rather than preparing him one of the meals from this book. show less

I have found few books on infant and toddler nutrition that are as helpful and practical as this one. The colorful pictures, recipes, simple ingredients, and tips combine to provide even an experienced parent with a ton of insight into feeding his or her infant or toddler.

I was particularly impressed with the fact that Ms. Karmel continually advocates for breastfeeding, even prolonged breastfeeding in conjunction with healthy solid food consumption. Her ideas are neither antiquated nor so show more modern as to be suspicious, and they can be adapted by anyone who has an interest in feeding his/her child nutritious and fun foods. This is no ordinary infant/toddler nutrition handbook, as evidenced by the recipe I have personally bookmarked to make for an upcoming birthday party: ice cream birthday cake featuring a raspberry filling! show less

From the moment you pick it up, it's clearly a DK book, with all the plusses and minuses that go along with that. The book is nicely laid out, with bright, attractive photos and pages. I found it slightly frustrating to flip through the book for the recipes, which are scattered by age grouping, and interspersed with the question-and-answer format that makes up the rest of the book's content. The table of contents is going to be your best friend - there you can quickly glance for recipes show more (organized by age, highlighted from the rest of the content by bold font.)

The content itself is good and informative - I particularly enjoyed the section on breastfeeding, but am sure I'll use the later sections more as the opportunity arises. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to have feeding choices other than jars and Gerber's graduates. show less