Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
The Spatulatta Cookbook
Nonfiction
For ages 9 to 12
Scholastic, 2007 ISBN: 978-0439022507
Meet Liv and Belle, ages nine and eleven. These young ladies are the hosts of a very successful website called Spatullata.com which teaches children how to cook all kinds of dishes. In 2006 Live and Belle were the youngest winners of the James Beard Foundation Award for their webcast on Spatullata.com. Now they have put together a cookbook of recipes for you to enjoy. The recipes are categorized by season and then there are two additional sections of vegetarian and snack recipes.
The book begins with information on the basic skills that you need to know to cook. You will learn how to measure, how to chop, how to separate eggs and more. Then there is a useful section on the tools that you will need to complete the recipes in the book.
Then Liv and Belle move on to the recipes, beginning with winter dishes. For each recipe young cooks are given a list of ingredients and a list of equipment that will be needed. Live and Belle also have interesting things to say about each recipe: where it came from, tips on how to make it, and more. The instructions which explain how to cook each dish are easy to follow and include photographs. Best of all these recipes sound delicious. In winter you can make meatballs (from scratch mind you); in spring you can make gumbo; in summer you can make sweet potato pie; and in the fall you can make pulled pork sandwiches. There is serious food and fun food. There are sweet things and savory things. In short there is something for everyone and for every occasion.
Spatullata.com where they will find recipes and webcasts of all kinds to enjoy.
