Want to drop a subtle hint on your teenager? Try the new book Teens Cook Dessert, a collection of dessert recipes for teens written by two sisters and their mom. Only one of the sisters is an actual teen, and even she may have turned twenty by now, but I’m still fifteen at heart, too–except for my sense of humor, which, like the proverbial amp, goes to eleven but not beyond.
Jokes aside, this book (the sequel to Teens Cook) really is good. The recipes are generally simple and familiar, although one of the authors (Megan) has done some traveling in Europe and enjoys making somewhat fussy desserts like White Chocolate-Cherry Phyllo Triangles with Cherry Sauce. Fortunately, most of these are banished to a chapter entitled “Fancy Stuff.”
I’m curious: do any of my readers have kids who like to cook? The conventional wisdom is that the home-cooked meal is going the way of the home-saddled horse, and that’s probably true, but I’m always interested in the exceptions.
If you’re not up for a whole book, here’s a free eGullet class on cooking with kids.
My baby brother is 12 now, and he loves to cook. He does a lot of cooking on his own, actually – and will often call me up at work when he is home trying out recipes from my blog, so he can ask me for advice. He’s a great baker!
I have a tradition with nieces and nephews of cooking Christmas cookies with them. One is 13–they love doing this (and I like the help). But, I do have the feeling that they don’t get much time to cook in their own kitchen. Their mom is not quite as forigiving of mess and mistakes as I am.
Suzy cooks, and Bethy helps. We really like Rachael Ray’s Cooking Rocks (her book for kids).
I cooked at 5 and 6 years old, too.
We’re a very home-cooking family, so it’s probably like reading — parents gotta set the example. Go, Iris!