cookbooks

my favorite literary cookbooks for kids (and short grown-ups), part one

~ jama ~ 15 Comments


So, are you ready to get delicious?

Okay, I know you’re already scrumptiously talented and have excellent taste when it comes to all things bookish, but I thought I’d tempt you today with some seriously divine, ambrosial offerings — literary cookbooks.

At this very moment, I’m strapped down to my desk chair, because just thinking about excerpts from beloved, classic books alongside recipes derived from or inspired by the stories, propels me into a state of acute culinary bliss. *Butt rises in chair* See, this topic is actually dangerous — but for you, I’ll take my chances.

I’ve been collecting literary cookbooks for quite some time. While not all the dishes I’ve tried have knocked my socks off, I’ve always been happy just reading the recipes, and appreciating the connections they have with the works. For me, this is a satisfying way of enhancing the enjoyment of a story, since it deepens my understanding of character, historical context, and setting. And if the recipes just happen to be good, it’s all gravy.

Though all of these cookbooks are based on children’s books, they are actually suitable for cooks and would-be cooks of all ages. They’re great for adults who like to revisit old favorites, and will provide hours of fun for grown-ups and kids to work together in the kitchen. And, unlike recipes from ordinary cookbooks, these are seasoned with just the right dash of literary flair.

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noshing with the notables: The White House Cookbook

~ jama ~ 21 Comments

This is the second in a series of posts about Presidential Food.

When I was in school (Dark Ages), my impression of past Presidents was like this:

 

imposing, distant, monumental. Great men of great deeds, courageous leaders wearing powdered wigs, waistcoats, and stovepipe hats.

While I liked learning about legislation, wars, fireside chats, and alas, assassinations, something was always missing in the biographies I read: food — the one thing that could have humanized the Presidents for me in an instant.

 

These days, there’s no escaping all things presidential. But rather than let all the spit, venom and sting spoil my appetite, I’ve been overindulging in tasty tidbits, decidedly delicious dirt, and titillating tales of past Presidents and First Ladies. I love reading about Ronald Reagan’s sweet tooth, that Eleanor Roosevelt once served King George VI and Queen Elizabeth hot dogs and baked beans for lunch, and that Abraham Lincoln had the smallest appetite of all our Presidents — often eating only fruit salad and cheese and crackers for dinner, much to his wife’s dismay.

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thursday smackerel: Pooh’s Honey Spice Cake

~ jama ~ 12 Comments

“‘What do you like doing best in the world, Pooh?’

‘Well,’ said Pooh, ‘what I like best . . . ‘ and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called.” ~ from The House at Pooh Corner, by A.A. Milne

 

Even though the work week is almost over, right about now you may have a little sinking feeling.

Not to worry, we’ve got just the thing, courtesy of our friend Pooh — Honey Spice Cake, from his very own cook book!

Quick and easy to prepare, perfect for elevenses, afternoon tea, dessert, and of course, picnics, this little treat is sure to please. Just don’t forget to share.

HONEY SPICE CAKE
(makes 24 squares)

 

7 oz. (or 7 rounded tablespoons) self rising flour
1 level tsp mixed spice (I used pumpkin pie spice)
1/2 level tsp ground ginger
1/2 level tsp ground cinnamon
5 oz. butter
4 oz. (or 4 rounded tablespoons) soft brown sugar
6 oz. (or 3 rounded tablespoons) honey
2 eggs
1 T water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift together the flour, mixed spice, ginger and cinnamon on to a square of greaseproof paper or foil and set aside.

Measure the butter or margarine, and the sugar, honey, and water into a saucepan. Place the pan over a low heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the fat has melted. Do not allow to boil. Draw the pan off the heat and allow to cool for about ten minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, beat the eggs into the honey mixture one at a time. Tip in the flour mixture all at once. Stir until it has blended and beat thoroughly.

Pour into the prepared cake tin (7″ x 11″ x1″, greased and lined with parchment paper), and spread evenly. Place in the centre of the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake is well risen.

Remove the cake from the oven using oven gloves. Loosen the sides of the cake with a knife and turn out. Allow to cool and then cut in squares.

~ Adapted from The Pooh Cook Book by Katie Stewart (Methuen, 1971).

 

 

 

mud, moss, and marigolds

~ jama ~ 9 Comments

          
      MUD PIES AND OTHER RECIPES: A COOKBOOK FOR DOLLS
      by Marjorie Winslow, pictures by Erik Blegvad (Walker, 2001), 
                                ages 8 and up, 48 pp.

Perfect Recipe for a Summer Afternoon:

Happy children, or you
Dolls, bears, other stuffed animals and toys
Leaves, twigs, sand, pine needles, mud, etc.
Mud Pies and Other Recipes: A Cookbook for Dolls
All the time in the world
Imagination.

I first saw this cookbook over 30 years ago. I was thrilled to find it, but disappointed that I wasn’t 8 or 9 at the time. It’s charming, a bit quirky, wholly original, and definitely timeless.

      
       Pudding with First Pebble Press edition, published in 1983

Very often when I am feeling stuck with my own writing, I’ll thumb through this book. It wakes me up to new possibilities and turns my stilted, rutty thinking inside out. We all need this from time to time.

From the foreword:

This is a cookbook for dolls. It is written for kind climates and summertime.

It is an outdoor cookbook, because dolls dote on mud, when properly prepared. They love the crunch of pine needles and the sweet feel of seaweed on the tongue. The market place, then, will be a forest or a sand dune or your own back yard.

There are recipes for Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Sandwiches, Main Dishes, Pastries, Desserts, and Beverages — tempting favorites such as Wood Chip Dip, Tossed Leaves, Gravel En Casserole, and Pencil Sharpener Pudding. This is serious play, and children will love scavenging for ingredients and laying out a fine table for their favorite toys. The recipes are simple but never silly.

Consider Mud Puddle Soup:

Find a mud puddle after a rainstorm and seat your dolls around it. Serve.

Or Putty Fours:

If plumbers or painters are working in your neighborhood, ask them for some putty — enough to fill four acorn cups. These delicate cakes may take days to harden, so plan your party well ahead. Serves 4.

Who could resist Fried Water or Roast Rocks? And Erik Blegvad’s pen and ink drawings throughout are the perfect sides for these doll friendly dishes.

Yesterday, Pudding and I made Boiled Buttons in the alphabet soup test kitchen. We were thrilled with the result, and will serve it at our next teddy bear soiree.

BOILED BUTTONS

This is a hot soup that is simple but simply delicious. Place a handful of buttons in a saucepan half filled with water. Add a pinch of white sand and dust, 2 fruit tree leaves and a blade of grass for each button. Simmer on a hot rock for a few minutes to bring out the flavor. Ladle into bowls.
        
                                  Get out there and play!

Stroll on over to Anastasia Suen’s Picture Book of the Day for today’s Nonfiction Roundup.

cool cookbooks for kids

~ jama ~ 11 Comments

“Cooking remains one of the few essential household activities that adults and children, or older and younger children can share in modern urban life.”  ~Barbara Walker (The Little House Cookbook)

Some of my fondest childhood memories center around baking with my cousins, Patti and Cindy. (I don’t have any sisters, and my mom wasn’t into baking.)  I even wrote a story about our famous sponge cake, which was so hard and rubbery it bounced off the counter.  But we had so much fun, and through that experience, I learned about the incredible power of eggs!

Now that winter has knocked on the door, you might be looking for a creative and educational indoor activity to keep the munchkins occupied. Cook, I say, cook! The process is its own reward, but in the end, there’s something good to eat! In this age of pre-packaged, microwave ready and take-out food, it’s wise to practice what Barbara Walker calls an “essential household activity.”

Here are some cookbooks for kids published just this year, and one all-time classic.  Great gifts that keep on giving.

1. My A to Z Recipe Box:  An Alphabet of Recipes for Kids, by Hilary Karmilowicz , illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Chronicle Books, 2007), ages 5 and up.


These are cards, not a book, but I am totally enamoured by the “A to Z” part.  And I couldn’t resist recipes like “Ants in My Applesauce,” and “Zany Zucchini Sticks.” This box is wonderful incentive for kids to continue collecting recipes, since it comes with extra cards. I’ve given this for several birthday gifts already, with good feedback.

2. Spatulatta Cookbook, by Isabelle and Olivia Gerasole (Scholastic, 2007), ages 8 and up.

          

Have you visited Isabelle (11) and Olivia (8), at their fabulous website, spatulatta.com? These young chefs are fabulous hosts, offering recipe videos by kids for kids, cooking tips, craft ideas, and lots more. Just this fall, 50 of their recipes were compiled into a spiral-bound cookbook, just in time for holiday gift giving. Head on over there and order an autographed copy today!


3.  Fun in the Kitchen:  By Kids for Kids Easy to Make Recipes (Green Tiger Press, 2007), ages 8 and up.

                    

I’ve been a fan of Green Tiger Press since the 70’s, when I used to look forward to their wonderful mail order catalog of stationery and calendars, etc. featuring wonderful children’s book illustrators, past and present. Today Green Tiger is a children’s book imprint, affiliated with Laughing Elephant (which I mentioned here), a company based in Seattle, which has expanded its line to include adult gift books, luggage labels, and a wide variety of greeting cards. This year they have reprinted over a hundred recipes which originally appeared in the Children’s Activity Magazine of the 1950’s, with new illustrations by Sonia Roetter. The recipes have been tested and look very doable.

4. Felicity’s Cooking Studio, Molly’s Cooking Studio, Samantha’s Cooking Studio, and Kit’s Cooking Studio, (American Girls Collection, 2007), ages 9 – 12.


For the American Girl fans on your gift list, here are four cookbooks containing 20 easy-to-follow recipes, packaged with a cookie cutter, 20 table talk tokens, and 10 reusable place cards. Felicity shares colonial recipes, while Molly features recipes from the 1940’s, Samantha from the turn-of-the-century, and Kit, from the Depression era. Each book also contains a chapter on throwing a themed party.

5. Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes:  A Cookbook for Pre-Schoolers & Up, by Mollie Katzen and Ann Henderson (Tricycle Press, 1994), ages 4 and up.

            

This is THE classic kids’ cookbook, still popular and in-print after 14 years. You may know Mollie Katzen from her Moosewood cookbooks, featuring recipes served in the Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, New York. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to cook, just by reading the recipes and seeing the pictures.  And if your kids don’t like it, keep it for yourself!!

BON APPETIT!!