Kosher by Design: Kids in the Kitchen

Susie Fishbein
Mesorah Publications (2005)
ISBN 1578190711
Reviewed by Tammy Petty Conrad for Reader Views (1/06)

A bright cover will attract you to this children’s cookbook and the cheerful colors throughout will keep your child’s attention, but the recipes will hook everyone. It’s all “…about getting kids into the kitchen,” Susie Fishbein comments. As the best-selling author of Kosher by Design and Kosher by Design Entertains, Fishbein knows what works in the kitchen. “The best way to get kids to try a new food is to have them prepare it.”

While the book contains over 70 fun recipes, it also addresses safety issues and indicates the level of difficulty by the number of chef hats. As a mom, I like that Fishbein only has two rules for the kitchen and one of them is to clean up as you go! Directions are clear so that reading children can proceed with minimal assistance, but cooking is an ideal way for families to interact. Even young children can appreciate helping in the kitchen. There’s no need for guesswork with photos that identify each utensil used and kosher categories noted on every recipe. Fishbein explains in kid-friendly terms about keeping a kosher kitchen and checking with an adult when in doubt, although any child will enjoy making and eating these recipes.

The only hard part will be deciding which to try first. My kids enjoyed making their own Sloppy Joes from scratch. Now they are begging to make White Chocolate Mousse in Chocolate Boxes! Recipes with a twist include Egg in a Frame, Goldilox and Peach Noodle Kugel. Kids will be delighted to find three recipes for hot chocolate or cocoa. As you can imagine, the dessert section is the largest, but there are plenty of choices in every category.

Any book that can bring a family together is a winner and one that produces easily prepared, tasty dishes scores extra points. Kosher by Design: Kids in the Kitchen will be on my gift list this year for every family I know. It should be on yours too.

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