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Table of Contents

We're putting all the content from the book online and there's a lot more coming. The blue links on this page are live now. Check back weekly for updates and additions. They will be featured on our main page.

 

Introduction

Foreword by Mollie Katzen

About This Site
Conventions Used in This Site
Don't Make Assumptions
How This Site Is Organized
Icons Used in This Site
Where to Go from Here

 

Part I: Cooking Together:
The Wisdom of 400 Families

In this part...

Today's busy families need help. Eating well is a balancing act. Time is always in short supply, weeknight recipes can get boring, yet parents yearn to serve their kids tasty, nutritious food—not fatty, artery-clogging junk (even if it is temptingly quick). Then there's the other complication: how can you put a healthy home-cooked meal on the table and still devote the time and attention to your kids that they deserve?

From contributions of over 400 families—parents and kids alike—I've harvested real-life, practical tips for quick, healthy eating in a work-a-day world. You won't find complicated recipes for Beef Wellington or Baked Alaska, but you'll also not be relying on instant ramen noodles or cream of mushroom soup meals. Starting with the pages in this part, you'll discover how families like your own have successfully improved both their lifestyles and eating habits by bringing kids into the kitchen—through cooking, dining, and even shopping together.

Challenges of Today's Busy Families
Real Kids, Real Life—Five Family Profiles
Bonus Content: Tips from Five Families

 

Part II:: Putting the Meal Together—Together!

In this part...

Think of the many things that you do every day to put a 9 meal on the table—from meal planning to shopping, from cooking to serving the meal. In this part, I show you how to include your kids in these daily tasks—without going nuts.

I start out by sharing ideas for turning your kitchen into a haven for young chefs. Then, I present easy-to-follow nutrition guidelines and tips for feeding even the most finicky eaters. I also present proven strategies for efficient cooking and meal planning, including a full month of menus that use recipes from this site. Besides my tactical tips for gathering everyone to the dining table at one time, I also present fun ways to keep them there and to make the dinner hour entertaining, engaging, and educational for kids and parents alike.

The Kid-Friendly Kitchen
Making Meals Delicious and Nutritious
Meal Planning
Supermarket Survival
Dining Together

 

Part III: Cooking 101:
A Handbook for Parents and Young Chefs

In this part...

Welcome to the Cooking with Kids book-within-a-book—a step-by-step tutorial on cooking basics. While most of the other parts of this site speak solely to you as parents, this part and Part IV (which includes recipes for the entire family) are written for both you and your child to use together.

As a parent, your job is to introduce your child to cooking, and this minibook gives you a structure to follow as you go along. I start off with the golden rules of kitchen safety, and then begin the cooking lessons. These lessons jump right into real cooking, covering all the basics, from slicing 'n dicing to cooking methods to the final presentation to—the best part of all—eating the meal.

But this handbook isn't all kid-stuff—it has something to offer all cooks, new or experienced. I include dozens of handy tips for faster, easier, and tastier cooking in this part—some of these tips are ones I've gathered over the years, and others are new and original ones shared by my very creative online readers.

Getting Started: Safety Makes Sense
Setting Up, Cleaning Up, and Cooking Together
Reading a Recipe and Measuring Ingredients
Cutting, Chopping, and Grating
Stovetop Cooking: Boiling, Steaming, and Frying
In the Oven: Baking, Roasting, Broiling, and Grilling
Small Appliances, Pressure Cookers, and Microwaves
Setting the Table and Presenting the Meal

 

Part IV: Recipes

In this part...

It's time to eat—or at least to jump right into cooking. Every member of the family, from preschooler to grandparents (or as many cooks and assistants as your kitchen can hold) can pitch in with the recipes in this part.

These recipes are fun and flavorful—and certainly not complicated. Even the main courses are easy as pie. In this part, you can find dishes for every occasion, including meals from morning to night, holiday treats, snacks, and a few thirst quenchers. As tasty as they are, these recipes are all quick-to-fix, with minimal mess and loads of nutritional benefits. And, they all use only readily available ingredients. What else could a busy family want from a meal?

Kids and novices can ease into cooking with basic step-by-step instructions, and parents can use this part to break out of boring recipe ruts when that age-old "What's for dinner?" question arises. Look also for special tidbits about other lands, the foods of the earth, and cooking tips along the way—all great ways to explore the world through food.

About These Recipes
Breakfasts, Brown-Bags, & Breads
Main Dishes— with Meat and Without
Sides, Soups, and Salads
Snacks, Sauces, Dressings, and Dips
Holiday Celebrations and Desserts

Try these favorites:

Brown-Bag Barcelona Chicken
Buttermilk Basil Dressing
Chinese "Barbecued" Pork
Cool-as-a-Cucumber Dressing (A No-Flame, No-Fire Recipe)
Cranberry-Cinnamon Poached Pears
Green Onion French Bread
Happy, Dappy, Flappy Jacks
Irma's Spiced Nuts-to-You
Mango-Cheese Quesadilla
Mexican Fiesta Taco or Burrito Mix
Orange-Scented Couscous

 

Part V: Tips In Tens

In this part...

If you and your kids want to start cooking but aren't sure where to begin, come to this part.

You'll find the basic tools your kid will use most often. For kids ready and eager to jump into cooking, these chapters also identify recipes suitable for them to prepare with a parent's permission and supervision—whether they're in preschool, middle school or high school.

Ten Items for Your Kid's Cookware Kit
Ten "No-Flame, No-Fire" Recipes for Preschoolers
Ten "I-Can-Do-It-Myself!" Snacks for Preteens
Ten Favorite Recipes for Teens