Melissa Clark - Kid in the Kitchen: 100 Recipes and Tips for Young Home Cooks: A Cookbook

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped cook up this book:

My parents, Julian and Rita Clark, taught me to dream big when I was the kid in a kitchen.

Star recipe developer Jade Zimmerman collaborated with me on more than a dozen of these recipes. And recipe testers Adelaide Mueller and Sofia Todisco helped tweak, clarify, and improve every one of them.

All the fabulous, fun images were photographed by David Malosh, with Paige Hickss amazing props, and Simon Andrewss impossibly delicious food styling. The super-helpful illustrations are by Meighan Cavanaugh.

Pro photographer Melanie Dunea shared literal pro tips for Insta Your Dish, and also helped recruit awesome kid testers.

Our irrepressible agent, Janis Donnaud, powered the project, as always, with a honed sense of humor and the occasional bolt of lightning.

It takes a lot of cooks to bake words and images into a book. The editorial mix was provided by Doris Cooper, who guided and shaped this cookbook, with Aaron Wehner, Jill Flaxman, and Lydia OBrien. Stephanie Huntwork, Jan Derevjanik, Terry Deal, Kim Tyner, Marysarah Quinn, and Derek Gullino supplied the red-hot heat of design and production. Marketing and publicity by Stephanie Davis, Windy Dorresteyn, Erica Gelbard, and Kate Tyler got everything onto the plate, and everyone on the unbeatable sales team at Clarkson Potter/Penguin Random House served it to you.

My brilliant editors at The New York Timesboth inspire and support me on a daily basis: Sam Sifton, Emily Weinstein, Patrick Farrell, and Krysten Chambrot.

Most critically, our kids in the kitchenBella Baltierra, Lily Beams, Rafa Beams, Dahlia Clark-Gercke, Harry Groves, Jude Martell, and Mason Zelenkotested the recipes, gave feedback, and made sure the book is kid-ready and kid-friendly. If any of these recipes become a fave, you can thank them when you see them.

A special shout-out to Dahlia for inspiring me and keeping me honest as we cooked together over the years. I cant wait to see what youll make next.

Melissa Clark is the author of The New York Timesbestseller Dinner in French, as well as Dinner, Dinner in an Instant, and Comfort in an Instant. She is a columnist for The New York TimesFood section.

Daniel Gercke has written cookbooks about pies, chickens, and zombies, as well as The Dr. Seuss Cookbook(2021).

Melissa and Daniel live in Brooklyn with their daughter, Dahlia.

Breakfast & Brunch

Waffles Worth the Wait

Yeasted waffles have the best texture and tang. The fermentation of the yeast builds flavor by adding just a little bit of acidity and adds lightness by creating tiny pockets of air. This batter rises overnight, so when you wake up, all you have to do is cook the waffles and youll be ready to go. Or else mix it up in the morning and let it rise for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature.

MAKES 8 TO 10 WAFFLES

(See Weigh It Up, .)

2 cups / 540 grams milk

cup / 1 stick /113 grams unsalted butter , cut into cubes, plus more for the waffle iron and for serving

1 tablespoon / 12 grams sugar , plus a pinch for the yeast

1 teaspoon / 6 grams kosher salt

cup / 118 grams lukewarm water (it should feel only slightly warm when you stick a finger innot at all hot)

1 packet / 2 teaspoons / 7 grams active dry yeast , or 1 teaspoons / 5 grams instant yeast

2 cups / 345 grams all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

teaspoon baking soda

Maple syrup or jam, for serving (for more toppings, see Tips & Tweaks)