Table of Contents
Guide
THE COMPLETE
Junior
cookbook
CHEF
PHOTOGRAPHYBY
ERINSCOTT
CONTENTS
Introduction 7
Basic Techniques 8
Breakfast 11
Soups, Salads & Sandwiches 37
Mains 51
Snacks 81
Desserts 95
Basic Recipes 122
Index 126
Unicorn Marble Bundt Cake (page 96)
Learning how to cook can be a fun and rewarding experienceespecially
when it results in delicious foods to share with family and friends. Once
you have mastered some basic techniques, prepared a few recipes, and
worked with new ingredients, theres no limit to the number and kinds of
dishes you can create. With these easy-to-follow recipes, handy tips, and
simple techniques as your guide, you will soon be cooking up breakfast,
soups, salads, sandwiches, snacks, main dishes, and loads of tasty desserts.
When it comes to cooking, as with most skills that need to be learned,
practice makes perfect! Every time you try a new recipe, youre almost sure
to discover something new about a technique, ingredient, and/or your own
personal taste and preferences. The recipes in this book include step-by-step
instructions that guarantee youll be able to make most of them with ease.
You should always have an adult nearby when you are cooking, however, and
ask for assistance when you need it. Grown-ups are great for helping sort out
recipe directions and for keeping you safe when oven and stovetop heat or
sharp knives or other tricky tools are involved.
Whether you want to make breakfast treats for a sleepover, a yummy snack
for friends after school, or a special family meal, youll find the dish youre
looking for in this book. With these recipes in hand, you can cook up both old
favoritespizza, tacos, cupcakesand new discoveriessummer rolls, frittata,
madeleinesbuilding your culinary confidence and impressing family and
friends with your chef-pertise at the same time. So roll up your sleeves, tie on
an apron, and get ready to begin an experience you will enjoy for a lifetime.
Introduction
ORGANIZATION
The first lesson every young chef needs to master is
the practice of mise en place , literally everything in
its place. Before you begin to cook, read through the
recipe from start to finish and get out the ingredients
and equipment youll need. Prepare the ingredients
in advance as much as possible and assemble them
neatly around your work area for easy access. The
quickest way to ruin a recipe is to get halfway through
it and realize youve forgotten to cut or measure an
ingredient. And if your aim is to cook like a true chef,
make sure to keep your hands and work area clean
and put everything away as soon as youve finished
using it. Also, be deliberate in everything you do,
whether its wielding a knife or tasting a salad dressing
to see if it needs more salt. Your finished dishes will
benefit from the extra effort.
KNIFE SKILLS
Learning how to choose, hold, and use a knife
is especially important for young cooks. When
selecting a knife, consider the item to be cut, then
pick out a knife that is both suitable for the task
and feels comfortable in your hand.
Holding a Knife
Hold the knife firmly by the handle, as if you were
shaking someones hand. Hold down the item you are
cutting with your other hand, placing the flat side
of the food down whenever you can. Curl under the
fingers of the hand thats holding the food so your
knuckles keep your fingertips out of harms way.
With the tip of the knife pointing down, start to cut,
bringing the handle up and down and keeping the
knife facing away from your body.
Slicing
Place the food on the cutting board and steady it
with your free hand, tucking your fingertips in toward
your palm and keeping the side of the blade gently
against your knuckles. With the knife held in your
other hand, cut slices of the desired thickness.
Chopping
Grasp the handle of a chefs knife and, with your
other hand, steady the top of the knife blade near
its tip against the cutting board. Raise and lower the
knife handle in a chopping motion, slowly swinging
the blade back and forth across the food until the
desired texture is achieved.
Dicing
Cut uniform slices, cut them again to make strips,
then cut across the strips to make cubes.
MEASURING
Use a set of measuring spoons (usually
teaspoon,
teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, and 1 tablespoon) to measure
small amounts of liquid and dry ingredients.
Liquids
Measure liquid in clear measuring pitchers with rulers
printed vertically on the side and a lip for pouring.
Place the measuring pitcher on a flat surface, add
the liquid, and check the measurement at eye level
to make sure it is accurate.
Dry Ingredients
Measure dry ingredients, such as sugar or flour,
by spooning the ingredient into the proper-size flat-
topped measuring cup, loosely heaping it, then level
the ingredient by running the back of a knife flush
over the rim of the cup.
Basic Techniques
1/4 TSP
TSP
TSP
1 TSP
1 TBSP
HOW TO SLICE
HOW TO DICE
HOW TO MEASURE
1 Lay the item to be cut firmly
on the cutting board, first
trimming a thin slice from one
side if needed to rest flat.
1 Cut the item to be diced
in half. Lay each half, cut side
down, on the cuttting board.
2 Holding the item to be cut with
curled fingers to keep fingertips
safe, slice with the knife blade
perpendicular to the cutting board.
2 Cut each half into even
slices the same width as
your intended dice, working
lengthwise if the item is long.
3 Slice the food while resting
the flat side of the knife blade
gently against your knuckles,
allowing them to guide the
width of your slices.
3 Cut the long slices into
lengthwise strips, then turn
and cut crosswise into dice.
Spoon dry ingredients into a flat-topped
measuring cup until mounded on top.
Using the back of a knife, sweep off the
excess level with the rim of the cup.
Check liquid measurements
at eye level to ensure accuracy.
HOW TO CHOP
1 Grasping the handle of the knife
with one hand, hold the tip of the
knife against the board with the
other hand.
2 Keeping the knife tip steady,
raise the handle up and down
in a chopping motion.
3 As you move the handle
up and down, sweep the
knife back and forth in a slow
arc until the ingredient is
chopped as desired.
Breakfast
12 make-your-own granola
14 easy french crepes
15 raspberry-almond scones
17 puff pastry apricot twists
18 scrambled eggs with cheddar, sausage & onions