Confidence in the Kitchen: Sharing Cooking Experiences with Your Preschool Child

Ray, Rachael. Cooking Rocks! Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals for Kids. New York: Lake Isle Press, 2004.

ISBN: 1-891105-15-9

Overall rating schema here is on a scale of 1-10. 

(1 too “cutesy:” seems to insult intelligence of adult and child – 10 imaginative and forward-thinking towards building actual cooking skills).

Overall ratings:  Culinary Interest-Building: 7    Recipe Quality: 7

The book is illustrated with caricature-like drawings which add whimsy to the text. It is full of color and is spiral bound with hard covers for ease of use. While my own experience with her recipes is that she uses time-warp to complete her cooking in 30 minutes, the book is worth a thorough look.

From the forward, “Cooking can give kids a wonderful sense of accomplishment. They can see the results of their labors and creativity immediately-tangible, great-tasting good that others can share and enjoy. Kids develop a real sense of pride when given a pat on the back for something they did all by themselves, despite their small size and age. . . if you let them explore and contribute in the kitchen from an early age, you’ll be amazed at the ideas kids can come up with!”

Rachael gives recipes geared to three age groups, 4-6, 7-11, and 12-16. She emphasizes that any of the recipes can be enjoyed by everyone, the instructions are just geared to those divisions.

For any age, Really Boss Beverages and Super Snackers give protégés a chance to shine apart from mealtime. This is always a good place to start cooking experiences as the stress of having the dish prepared with certain timing is removed. Baked goods and fresh vegetables and fruit are the stars of this section. “Make-your-own-subs” is another ageless offering. There are several variations on the theme; assistance by the GH (grown-up helper) can be varied as necessary.

In the 4-6 age range which interests me the most, she proposes that a GH will do prep work for the protégé. The recipes are composed with simple ingredients with a secret ingredient in some cases. She says that the secret ingredient should not be revealed to those who will enjoy the dish. This idea appeals to me and gives the protégés something special to be proud of in their preparation of the dish. Rachael presents main dishes as the focus of this section. Two which I thought looked good are Italian Alphabet Soup and Cheesy Soup Dippers.

For 7-11 year olds Rachael presents full menus as opposed to a single recipe. The GH still plays a role, but the protégés do more of their own prep work. Of particular note is her series of Rice Bowl Menus which offer ethnic twists on the same theme: Mexican, Middle Eastern, Thai, and Chinese.

Recipes for ages 12-16 give directions for the young cooks to prepare their own menus for the family. While the young cook may need some assistance in timing the dishes to be ready at once, directions are spelled out such that with practice the cook will be able to prepare things on their own. It is suggested that some of the menus would be appropriate for a date. I’m sure that it would be an impressive feat to prepare a meal for someone special at that age. At least you’d know where they were and what they were doing! The recipes are more complicated in this section than those for younger cooks. One interesting recipe is for Spicy Shrimp Burgers.