About the Holiday

The way people access recipes has changed dramatically with the establishment of cooking blogs that give step-by-step directions and images along with some chatty discussion about what the dish means to the chef or home cook. And yet, physical cookbooks are still a favorite way for people to interact with food and the meals they make. There’s still something magical about leafing through the pages of a cookbook and taking in the gorgeous photography that makes each recipe enticing. Today’s holiday invites people to grab their favorite cookbook—or a new one—and get cookin’. Making meals at home is healthy and a wonderful way to involve the whole family in the planning and learning process.

The Silver Spoon for Children, New Edition: Favorite Italian Recipes

Edited by Amanda Grant | Illustrated by Harriet Russell

Why should adults have all the fun? With the proliferation of cooking shows on television—quite a few aimed at children—kids are more meal savvy than ever. When the Silver Spoon, the most influential Italian cookbook of the last fifty years, was released in English in 2005, it created a sensation. Four years later, a children’s version was released, introducing kids to delicious recipes formulated just for them.

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Image copyright Harriet Russell, 2019, text copyright Amanda Grant, 2019. Courtesy of Phaidon Press.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the Silver Spoon for Children has been reissued in a beautiful edition that young foodies will eagerly devour. All the recipes presented have been tested with children for taste and ease of preparation by those aged nine and ten and older. The volume opens with discussions on cooking the Italian way, cooking safety, utensils and equipment, and techniques. These two-page spreads are delightfully illustrated with helpful tips and a bit of humor thrown in.

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Photograph copyright Angela Moore, 2019, text copyright Amanda Grant, 2019. Courtesy of Phaidon Press.

The recipes begin with Lunches & Snacks. Again, two-page spreads introduce each recipe with a discussion of ingredients on the left and a full-page, beautifully photographed image of the dish on the right. The text is an easy-to-read size; no squinting at tiny instructions here. First up is Prosciutto and Melon, a no-cook snack or appetizer. There’s even a hint on how to choose a ripe melon at the market. Turn the page and easily called out steps tell children exactly how to proceed. The numbered steps correspond to illustrated images that show each action required. Tomato bruschetta, pizzaiola toasts, summer cannellini bean salad, Tuscan minestrone soup, and tuna frittata and green beans are just a few of the ten recipes in this section.

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Image copyright Harriet Russell, 2019, text copyright Amanda Grant, 2019. Courtesy of Phaidon Press.

Moving on to Pasta & Pizza—yum!—kids learn how to make pizza dough and then how to top it to make favorites like Margherita, Napoletana, and sausage. Pasta is always a crowd pleaser! Here, kids learn how to cook dry pasta and also how to make fresh pasta dough for ravioli napoletana, tagliatelle with cream, peas and ham, baked maccheroni with parmesan, linguine with pesto, lasagna, rigatoni with meatballs, and two kinds of spaghetti.

Hearty main dishes come next, and children will be proud to offer their family and friends such heartwarming fare. Creamy risotto, two kinds of gnocchi: potato and polenta, baked cod with vegetables, fish kabobs, chicken stew, stuffed chicken fillets, beef stew, and two recipes for lamb will make kids dinnertime stars.

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Photograph copyright Angela Moore, 2019, text copyright Amanda Grant, 2019. Courtesy of Phaidon Press.

Those who love to bake will want to try their hand at making focaccia, and the scrumptious desserts will finish each meal in style. Three cake recipes vie for attention alongside warm and cool fruit offerings and a delicious berry ice-cream that is made without a machine.

A well-designed index that makes it easy for young cooks to find what they’re looking for wraps up this cookbook that is sure to be a favorite.

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Image copyright Harriet Russell, 2019, text copyright Amanda Grant, 2019. Courtesy of Phaidon Press.

Amanda Grant is a food writer and specialist in children’s nutrition. She writes the Junior Cooks pages for Delicious magazine and has published several books on healthy eating for kids. Her engaging style—casual, informative, and kid-friendly—makes it easy for children to follow the recipes and create a sophisticated dish that everyone will enjoy.

Harriet Russell’s charming illustrations are a highlight, presenting information and tips in a way that speaks directly to younger cooks with stylish drawings and easy-to-understand actions that will make kids feel like professional cooks. Russell’s lovely color palette showcases the ingredients, and her use of space creates a fresh, inviting look. Children will enjoy the touches of humor here and there, because cooking should be, at its core, fun to do.

For any child interested in learning to cook or expanding their repertoire, The Silver Spoon for Children: Favorite Italian Recipes is a must. Adults will love it too for its ideas on broadening their child’s menu.

Ages 9 – 12 and up

Phaidon Press, 2019 | ISBN 978-1838660192

Discover more about Amanda Grant, her books, cook school, and more on her website.

You can learn more about Harriet Russell and her art on her website.

The Silver Spoon Classic

For all of you adult foodies out there, The Silver Spoon Classic was also recently released. Featuring 170 of the best-of-the-best recipes from Italy’s diverse regions, this incredible resource includes fascinating information on the origins of The Silver Spoon, organizing the kitchen and prep time, cooking methods, equipment, and an extensive glossary. Symbols throughout the book indicate which recipes are gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, take 5 ingredients or less, cook in one pot, and require only 30 minutes or less to prepare.

A chapter of basic recipes leads into the chapter on appetizers with recipes for croquettes, focaccia, salads, and many more. Starters include succulent seafood pastas, spaghetti with a wide variety of sauces, penne, tortellini, ravioli, and other pasta recipes join those for creamy risottos, soups and more. Then come the main attractions! The two-page spreads present the written recipe on the left with a crisp, gorgeous photograph of the dish on the right.

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You’ll want to savor each of the ten recipes for fish and seafood. The meat section offers up a wide diversity of tastes from wild boar to braised beef to lamb, pork, and veal. Chicken and turkey recipes round it out. Rustic takes on zucchini, eggplant, and chard are delights, and, of course, we can’t forget pizza and all of the favorite toppings. These main dishes need sophisticated vegetable and potato sides, and those are here too.

After dinner, would you like to see a dessert menu? No question about it! But it’s so hard to decide! Cookies, cakes, pies, tarts, fritters, trifle, tiramisu, fruit, ice-creams, and sorbet all await. A clear index and recipe notes follow the main text.