Cooking Skills

From the long, thin strands of spaghetti and the fat ribbons of tagliatelle to the short, spiral-shaped pieces of fusilli, ravenous readers learn all about Italian cuisine. Later on, they will put their knowledge to use with the sample recipes included in this book. After learning about pasta, they'll explore the world of pizza: an Italian dish and a popular American comfort food. Equipped with new skills and ideas for the kitchen, readers will be able to prepare their favorite dishes in no time. Buon appetito.

Food is a central part of culture and lifestyle. Readers will learn how to make some traditional favorites, like popular breakfast omelets and the hamburgers many of us eat on July 4th. Important information on safe cooking and healthy eating accompanies the twelve recipes that fill these pages, along with background about the meals featured, tips from chefs, and ideas for how to mix up a classic recipe. Let's get cooking!

In addition to meals and snacks, drinks and desserts are a big part of our diet. Many of us have orange juice with breakfast or cake on our birthdays. Do you know you can add carrot and ginger to your orange juice and it becomes an orange zinger? Did you know that rather than a whopping piece of sugary cake, a mini cheesecake is just as scrumptious? Young readers learn how to make both of these recipes and much more. This book teaches budding chefs how to add dessert into their lives so that some of the tastier things in life can be enjoyed, without over-doing it.

Cooking a meat-free meal doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, it often provides opportunities to try things we may otherwise never have eaten. Readers will learn about tofu and tabbouleh, and all sorts of other fun ingredients and dishes that do not involve meat. Readers learn how to cook for a vegetarian, and learn tips for how to get enough protein into each dish. This book offers creative ideas for meat substitutes and resources for vegan options as well.