Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

If you have actual toddlers AND have great patience AND are prepared to finish most recipe tasks yourself because said toddlers have wandered off to build LEGO towers—this is the book for you. The author, bless her heart, specializes in teaching cooking classes for children, which seems like a job in the I-raise-unicorns-in-my-backyard category. She does warn you that things will not necessarily measure up to a vision of homey success. I tackled a recipe for Chicken Parm Pasta Bake with my three year old granddaughters recently. One of them left the scene immediately when she realized actual work might be involved, but the other one got excited by the idea of throwing things into a bowl and mixing them up. I was leery about letting her grate carrots, fearing grated knuckles might result instead, but she was a pro at tearing up spinach and chicken. We put less pasta in than we were supposed to because our bowl was too small, and added way more cheese than was called for because, under pressure, I misread the recipe. My little cook left in a huff to join her sister when she found out that instead of eating it out of the bowl with her hands she would have to wait for it to cook. All that aside, the outcome was delicious—at least for the two adults who actually ate it. The girls wouldn’t touch it because it looked “gross” (as does nearly every food they’re asked to eat). So—another try one day soon? Oh, why not. A small glass of wine, a little loud music—I think we can do something a bit easier—and maybe in stages throughout the day. I think the person in my family who might really enjoy this book is my nine year old grandson. He and I tried a recipe in his Kid Chef cookbook and it nearly ended our relationship—but this book would be both doable and fun for him. If only it had a different title. . . .