The Best Children’s Cookbooks Puts Kids in Charge of the Kitchen
I still have my copy of the Barbie Party Cookbook. Published in 1991, it was meant to introduce children to the idea of hosting a party. It begins with tips on choosing a date (don’t choose a school night), reserving a skating rink or a park in advance, and picking a theme. But of course, it’s mostly about cooking. The book is divided into 10 types of parties, with menus to match. There are jelly heart cookies and chocolate-dipped strawberries for Valentine’s Day, and mini pizzas for a video slumber party. “Before you begin to cook, make sure that you can use the kitchen,” a section titled “Barbie’s Kitchen Rules” advises. “An adult needs to be present to help you with difficult steps and answer your questions.”
This was not my only cookbook for “children,” but none of them really taught me how to cook. Any recipes involving knives or the stove (so, all of them) said to get a grown-up to do that part, leaving me mostly to spread jam on sandwiches or decorate scoops of ice cream to look like butterflies. I did not learn how to dice vegetables, or roast a chicken, or even throw a