It's The Kids Turn To Cook!

Maybe it's the one-on-one time with a parent or grandparent. Maybe it's getting messy or sharing a job well done. Or maybe it's just the plain fact that kids love to cook. Whatever the reason, best-selling author Susie Fishbein recognizes these simple pleasures and celebrates them in her new cookbook KOSHER BY DESIGN: Kids in the Kitchen (Mesorah Publications; November 2005; $22.95/Hardcover).

Susie designed these kid-friendly recipes for children ages 10 and older, and has included helpful guidelines to indicate degree of difficulty. The recipes in this book are for real foods that the whole family will want to eat. They're simple enough to give a child confidence in his or her ability to turn out great-tasting snacks, meals, drinks, and desserts. (Caution: Adults will want to use these terrific ideas when they're in the mood for quick and easy recipes!)

As with her hugely successful cookbooks Kosher by Design and Kosher by Design Entertains (over 150,000 copies sold to date), this new book features the distinctive photos, flavors, and user-friendly style that readers have come to appreciate. This collection of recipes is perfect for the holidays (as well as any day throughout the year) and will inspire both parents and kids to get in the kitchen and get cooking, and will satisfy even the pickiest of eaters.

"The recipes in my book are for real food, nothing silly like gummy worms crawling out of cookie crumbs," says Susie. "They are foods that kids universally love as well as some starter ideas for simple meals. The concept of the book is to challenge kids and to inspire them to want to cook more."

Cooking with her four children has given Susie first-hand experience in kids' needs, abilities, and most importantly, their desires to be active participants in the kitchen. Separate equipment and ingredient lists help adults delegate the tasks of gathering everything that is needed to cook. The easy-to-follow directions are age-appropriate and are paired with mouth-watering photos that take the guesswork out of what the finished recipe should look like. An innovative photo index teaches kids about various cooking tools. Susie also includes directions on the practice of keeping a kosher kitchen.

Recipes include:
- Spaghetti with 3 Tomato Sauce
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Creamsicle Shakes
- Rainbow Salad
- Baked Nachos
- French Onion Soup with Cheese Toasts
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
- Quick and Easy Chocolate Cake

Experts agree that getting kids into the kitchen teaches them math through measurements, nutrition through food selection, and independence through increased skills - all with the added bonus of parents and children spending time together, creating memories.

About the Author

Susie Fishbein is an everyday cook who loves to share her passion for cooking and entertaining with friends and family. She is the author of Kosher by Design and Kosher by Design Entertains. Susie travels around the country sharing recipes and techniques through book signings and cooking demonstrations. She has appeared on national television shows such as "The Today Show," "Living It Up with Ali & Jack," and "Sheila Bridges Designer Living." To see more about Susie Fishbein and her cookbooks go to www.kosherbydesign.com.