It’s so hard to find good kids’ cookbooks.  So many of them rely heavily on processed foods instead of teaching kids to actually, really cook.  That’s why we love Kids Cook Real Food — but it’s a course, not a cookbook, so even though it’s good, it’s different.  But as of today, there’s another great option!

Chef Junior: 100 Super Delicious Recipes for Kids by Kids! is written by the children of five of the long-time Ultimate Bundles contributors, including the son of Kids Cook Real Food author & teacher, Katie Kimball.  And as you might expect, it’s a real food cookbook!  (There’s also a way you can get some digital bonuses to go with it, so keep reading.)

Chef Junior

Will Bartlett, Katie Dessinger, Paul Kimball, Abigail Langford, and Anthony Spears co-authored this cookbook.  They collaborated on the recipes, found in sections for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, dessert, and drinks.  And each of the young authors (ranging in age from 12 to 15) also wrote his or her own section for the front or back of the book that’s “how-to” information.

The book opens (after brief introductions of the authors) with a discussion of real food — what it is and how to shop for it.  Anthony contributed this section.  Abigail follows, with instructions for how to use the equipment within the book.  Paul then discusses how to use knives safely.  Katie discusses substituting ingredients to make recipes allergy-friendly.  The recipes themselves then fill out the rest of the book, and Will wraps it all up with the basics of meal planning.

Chef Junior: 100 Super Delicious Recipes by Kids for Kids!

What Sophia Thought

Our copy of the book is pretty new, so we haven’t had a chance to actually cook from it yet, but I had Sophia, in particular, look it over, since she’s within the target age range.  (She’s about to turn 13.)

She thought the table of contents was a little weird.   The beginning and end are in an average-size text, but the main recipe sections are offset and printed in an oversized font.  This is obviously to make them easy to see at a glance, but she found it odd.  The recipes themselves are listed at the beginning of each section, which made more sense to her.

All of the breakfast recipes and dessert looked appealing to her, and she said the others were a combination of things that looked really good and that looked like not-her-favorite-but-probably-okay.  (We’re not foodies at our house, so I consider that high praise!)

What I Thought

This is a beautiful full-color hardcover.  It’s well-made for the purpose, because it lies flat surprisingly well, even toward the very front or back of the book.  Not every recipe has an image, but the majority do.

The layout is pretty easy to follow, with a difficulty rating at the top-corner of the page for quick reference, and the active time and total time listed, along with the number of servings.  The main recipe has a left column for ingredients and a (wider) right column for instructions.

This would be a good cookbook for an older child or teen, obviously, but also, I think for adult cooks who are beginners or new to whole foods.  Because this isn’t just “dumbed-down” kid foods.  It does contain healthy versions of some classic favorites, like mac & cheese and chicken nuggets, but it’s what you’d think of as wholesome family-friendly fare, not toddler lunches.

Many of the recipes are gluten-free.  If you need more help with avoiding allergens, check out the chapter about substitutions (of course) — and check out these bonuses!

Get Bonuses to Go with Your Book

After you buy your copy of the book, head on over to this page, and fill in your order information.  That will net you access to:

• Allergen-Free Guide
• Measurement Cheat Sheet Printable
• Grocery List for Authors’ 5 Favorite Recipes (to help you jump right in and get cooking!)
• Cooking Tools Cheat Sheet Printable
• Meal Plan for a Month of “Kids Cooking Night” (with grocery lists, 4 nights)

If you buy multiple copies, there are a few additional bonuses, as well; you’ll find all the details over on that page I linked to.

Chef Junior: 100 Super Delicious Recipes for Kids by Kids! {review} is a post from: Titus 2 Homemaker

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