Jonathon Sawyer - Noodle Kids: Around the World in 50 Fun, Healthy, Creative Recipes the Whole Family Can Cook Together

The thing I have always loved about Jon is that everything he does is filled with passion, love, creativity, and fun. He approaches cooking like thatas well as his familyand it shines through in the way he and Amelia raise their wonderful kids. This book is not only a recipe book for families, but a story about how their travels and love have shaped their family. It will inspire you to share in their passion and experience their journey.

Chef Michael Symon, James Beard Foundation Awardwinning American chef, restaurateur, television personality, and author

Around the World in 50 Fun, Healthy, Creative Recipes the Whole Family Can Cook Together

Jonathon Sawyer

2015 by Quarry Books

First published in the United States of America in 2015 by

Quarry Books, a member of

Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

100 Cummings Center

Suite 406-L

Beverly, Massachusetts 01915-6101

Telephone: (978) 282-9590

Fax: (978) 283-2742

www.quarrybooks.com

Visit www.QuarrySPOON.com and help us celebrate food and culture one spoonful at a time!

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned, and no responsibility is accepted by the producer, publisher, or printer for any infringement of copyright or otherwise, arising from the contents of this publication. Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied. We apologize for any inaccuracies that may have occurred and will resolve inaccurate or missing information in a subsequent reprinting of the book.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Digital edition published in 2015

Digital edition: 978-1-62788-204-0
softcover edition: 978-1-59253-963-5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Sawyer, Jonathon.

Noodle kids : around the world in 50 fun, healthy, creative recipes the whole family will love / Jonathon
Sawyer.

pages cm

Summary: "Oodles and oodles of noodles! Get your kids in the kitchen with Noodle Kids. Packed with recipes, tips, suggestions, and inspiration to introduce children to, and get them involved in, making noodles like Japanese ramen, Italian spaghetti, Southeast Asian stir-fires, and classic American mac and cheese. See where these worldly noodle recipes will take you!"
-- Provided by publisher.

ISBN 978-1-59253-963-5 (paperback) -- ISBN 978-1-62788-204-0 (eISBN)

1. Noodles. 2. Pasta products. I. Title.

TX809.N65S39 2015

641.82'2--dc23

2014024878

Writing Assistant: April White

Design: Laura Mcfadden Design, Inc

All photography by Kate Lewis, www.kk-lewis.com, with the exception of the following:

GODONG/BSIP/agefotostock.com, 129

David Grossman/alamy.com, 35

Image Republic Inc./alamy.com, 109

LOOK Die Bildagentur der Fotografen GmbH/alamy.com, 27; 53

Gary Moss Photography/gettyimages.com, 63

Frances Roberts/alamy.com, 105

Shutterstock.com, 15; 21; 73

To my grandmothers and great-grandmothers for my earliest taste memories, which instilled in me a great appreciation for Eastern European traditions and old-school frugality. To my mom, whose love of food and family inspired me. To my dadand the ham and cheese sandwich he was enjoying while I was being bornwhen holding me for the first time, the mayonnaise from his sandwich dripped onto my newborn forehead marking me with an adoration for food. To our animals: Bunny, Bear, Squid, Trout, Alexia, Zane, Vito, and Potato, the best composting mechanism I know. To my kids, Catcher and Louisianatheir constant curiosity continues to drive me to teach, learn, and experience moreyour existence makes my life make sense. Amelia, my best friend, wife, and guiding light, who puts up with me and pushes meI love you.

Noodling Around with Noodle Kids

People often ask Amelia and me how we get the kids to eat so well. What is our trick? Well, there is no trick. We talk to the kids about food. We ask questions and engage them in conversations about food. We eat with them. We cook with them. In the kitchen and out, were Team Sawyer: Catcher, Lulu, Amelia, and the chefthats me, Jonathon.

Good food is our life. Amelia and I are in the restaurant business. We are fortunate enough to own and run a few of them in Cleveland: The Greenhouse Tavern, Trentina, Sawyers Street Frites, and Noodlecat, where we serve an awesome mash-up of Japanese-American noodle dishes that have inspired some of the recipes in this book.

Catcher is the older of my two kids; hes eight. His name was inspired by the book, Catcher in the Rye. Right now Catcher is super into tennis, LEGOS, reading, and math. He was also just recently cast as Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol at Playhouse Square here in Cleveland.

Louisiana, my youngest, is six. Shes named after her grandmothers, Louisa and Anna, and we usually call her Lulu. Lulu is a free spirit who has never cut her hair and recently acted in her first short film. She is very into ballet and cheerleading.

They both like to help me cook.

My wife, Amelia, and I have always thought a lot about cooking for and with our kids. Before Catcher was born, he was diagnosed with a kidney disorder that meant he would have only one working kidney. Im happy to report that hes fine and leads a pretty normal life, but that was a scary time. We thought a lot about how we would raise kids who were as healthy as possible. We knew it would be important to teach our kids about good food. Catcher and Lulu have grown up visiting me in our restaurants. We love to go to the farm, or the dairy, or the farmers market together, too. We pick our own apples and tap sugar maple trees for syrup. We eat at local restaurants as a family. Lulus first solid food was pig ear and Catcher will tell you that Lake Erie smelts are his favorite food. We all have fun on these adventures, and the kids learn where their food comes from.

Lulu in the kitchen

My kids are pretty open-minded when it comes to food. They are each into, basically, everything that the other one hates. Thats the phase were going through right now. If Louisiana is in love with broccoli today, Catcher doesnt like it. If Catcher is in love with asparagus, Louisiana doesnt like it. Thankfully, both kids like noodles. They are the original Noodle Kids.