Cookbook Watch - cooking with kids

I have gotten two books recently about cooking with - and for - kids. I'm not a mom (yet) but when I am, I certainly plan to get my kid involved in cooking. These books - and there are many more out there - are really nice to have at hand when that happens. One of them is more geared towards parents wanting to have fuss-free dinners with their kids, and that's "Millas mysmat" (Milla's Cosy Food) by Camilla Tubertini. Here, you'll find suggestions for quick weekday wonders that the kids will love, and for special treats for parties or weekends. Much of it is simple enough to let the kids make it themselves - supervised of course - even though that might not be the fastest way, obviously.



The other one is geared towards slightly older children, who knows the basics of the kitchen already. It's called "Gastros Kök" (Gastro's Kitchen) and is written by Karl Bengtsson and Per Dahlberg, who have a restaurant in Helsinborg called Gastro. It's a gourmet restaurant, and this is a gourmet cookbook - but for young chefs. The recipes are decidedly advanced, but in an accessible manner. The restaurant also has a program for kids to actually come there and cook, and the book is a result from this project. There are seven complete menus, and the intention is clearly that a kid can make everything themselves. It's not kiddie food though - oh no, not at all. A sample menu for you: Spring rolls with noodle salad and sesame-fried entrecôte, Chicken Saltimbocca with baked tomatoes and risotto, and for dessert, Raspberry Soufflé with vanilla ice cream and crumble topping. If a kid can make that.. well, it'd be pretty impressive! So, get this book - if you speak Swedish - for your aspiring chef, and I'm sure you'll enjoy rich rewards.