Author(s): T. Gila Levine
Publisher: Simply Israel
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 185
Review: As Israel is a melting pot of many different cultures, T. Gila Levine did a great job of compiling recipes of almost every ethnic group in Israel as well as typical Israeli recipes that are well-loved around the world.

Some of the recipes come with wonderful pictures of the dishes so that you can see what they look like.

It is a wonderful gift to friends and family who love Israel and it’s food which I highly recommend.
Price:    Buy This Book

Author(s): Mollie Katzen
Publisher: Tricycle Press
Publication Date: 2005-09-01
Pages: 96
Review: I got Pretend Soup and Salad People for my four-year-old niece for Christmas, along with a child’s pink apron and chef’s hat. They were a hit! She really likes to help in the kitchen and I looked at a lot of childrens’ cooking books before deciding on these. Other books required the child to be a reader already or had lots of recipes for desserts and sweets and such. These books seemed to have healthier recipes in them than some of the others on the market.

The layout for these books is this: each recipe is four pages long. The first two pages are for the adult involved to read. The second two pages are simply drawn step-by-step visual instructions for the child to follow. Mollie Katzen does the artwork in these books and it’s very charming.

M. Katzen has another book for children, Honest Prezels, which I think is for a little older crowd…maybe eight or so…I look forward to getting that one for my niece when she’s ready for it. This book has some fantastic recipes, and is lots of fun to use with kids. My daughter is a little too young to follow the instructions herself (2.5), but we still had fun making the recipes together. She is much more willing to try something she helped to prepare.This is a fun way to introduce cooking to young kids. While my six year old prepared Tiny Tacos, his younger brother got jealous and ended up mashing avacado for some guacamole to go with them! It turned into a fun, family meal.Mollie Katzen is a great cookbook author, and I love to give this as a gift to young cooks. Because Katzen writes vegetarian, it is a ‘no worry’ gift if the family has made that choice.

Recipies are easy to follow with delicious results. Reading, planning, following directions - all important steps for young readers.

A solid choice for your own kids, or as a holiday or birthday gift.These are some really simple recipes that I think most children will enjoy. They are broken down in to small steps with a blurb underneath. Not only will kids be making artistic culinary statements, they can also learn to associate words and pictures.
Price: $17.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): Food & Wine Magazine, Sterling Eds.
Publisher: American Express Publishing
Publication Date: 2004-02
Pages: 192
Review: I cook a lot, and I have a lot of cookbooks (I consider myself a foodie), and I have to say that this is, hands down, my favorite cookbook. Almost everything that I have made from here has been absolutely delicious, with a few things being, at worst, good. I use it at least twice a week and plan my meals around it. Every recipe has a picture and a wine pairing, which is a nice little bonus. Each recipe is simple and takes very little time to get on the table, but they are SOOO GOOD!!! And they’re soups and salads, so you eat healthy without even realizing it, practically–another great bonus… If the other “Quick from Scratch” books are this good, I’ll definitely have to check them out!I love this book so much, I’ve purchased one for the camper, the boat, home, and have even given it as gifts. Of all the recipes in it that I’ve tried, 99% of them are delicious, and need very few (if any) adjustments. The salad section is great for those rough summer days when you’re so hot you can’t even think, let alone come up with interesting meals. Each dish is simple, and most are colorful and nice enough for guests.
Price: $7.98   Buy This Book

Author(s): Teresa H. Burns
Publisher: Crossing Press
Publication Date: 1997-08-01
Pages: 110
Review: A must buy.

Great variations, wonderful flavors and ideas.

I got my own as a gift, and now have bought 2 to give away. The only change I make to the recipes is to cut the oil way down, to about 1/4 of what they list. All the recipes still turn out great.I have a cookbook library numbering in the 100’s and this little book is one of the best! I have tried most of the recipes and all so far have been excellent. The recipes are simple and often use ingredients usually on hand, which allows for last minute home-made.The yields are also a nice proportion since fresh does not keep as long as bottled.I have given this cookbook as a gift because I like it so much.
Price: $6.95   Buy This Book