Cooking and Food

Edna Lewis grew up on a Virginia farm where she developed a deep appreciation for the rhythm of nature, the beauty in growing things, and the warmth in sharing a home cooked meal. Edna's early life and passion led to a career as a professional chef known for preserving cooking traditions. Several recipes are included in this handsome, lively book.

Residents of Chewandswallow were accustomed to their predictable weather which kept them in juice and mashed potatoes (and more) three times a day. That is, until the weather took a strange turn; foods falling not only got larger, but so did the portions!

A Chinese family goes out for dim sum ("little dishes"), choosing their favorites off the restaurant cart and sharing with each other. The illustrations evoke the textures and patterns in this traditional meal, and an endnote provides background on the cultural history and customs surrounding dim sum.

A child is embarrassed when parents stop the car to harvest wild watercress. Illustrations in sepia, however, show why this is such an emotional moment for the Chinese American family as it recalls an earlier time. Inspired text and stunningly detailed watercolors provide insight into one family’s history and a glimpse of their life before coming to the United States.

The celebrity chef shares his thrill in making kitchen creations in this lighthearted but informative and oversized cookbook. It's ideal for beginner cooks.

Martin shares the remarkable life story of former professional basketball player Will Allen, urban farmer and food educator. Straightforward prose and colorful illustrations done in muscular ink lines express the energy and confidence of the book’s subject as he works alongside smiling grownups and kids. Abundant back matter includes information about Allen’s work. [School Library Journal]

As the weather warms farmers’ markets begin to open. Celebrate the start of the season through lively illustrations and short poems that allow communities from large cities to small towns to “… teem with farmers and their goods — /tasty transformations.”

Discover the inspiring true story of how one man made a big difference in a neighborhood. Tony Hillery invited students from an underfunded school to turn a vacant lot into a beautiful and functional farm. By getting their hands dirty, these kids turned an abandoned space into something beautiful and useful while learning about healthy, sustainable eating and collaboration.

Jasmine is only 8 years old but wants to do what the boys do. It’s her family Japanese tradition for the boys to pound the rice for mocha at her family’s New Year’s celebration. But can she really handle it? Readers of all backgrounds will empathize with Jasmine’s dilemma and see themselves in her.

Take a culinary tour around the world, with foods and activities from a variety of countries and cultures. Each recipe is ranked for difficulty, and is sometimes a familiar dish with an exotic name!

This story addresses issues of poverty with honesty and sensitivity while instilling important lessons in friendship, empathy, trust, and helping others. A call to action section, with six effective ways for children to help fight hunger and information on antihunger groups, is also included.

A crew of resourceful neighbors comes together to prepare a meal for their community. With a garden full of produce, a joyfully chaotic kitchen, and a friendly meal shared at the table, this is a celebration of good food and looking out for one another.

The life story of Georgia Gilmore, a woman whose pies and delicious homemade cooking helped sustain the Montgomery bus boycott. Nicknamed "the Club from Nowhere," Gilmore along with a team of women risked their jobs to build a network wherein people from the community could financially aid the boycott through the purchase of her pies. he text emphasizes for young readers how important Gilmore's contributions were to the civil rights movement, including her work with Martin Luther King Jr. and her testimony in court on discrimination on buses.

Based on an old French folktate, the story is about how three hungry soldiers outsmart the selfish and miserly people living in a village so that they find themselves making the soldiers a feast.

A seafaring cook named Hanson Crockett Gregory is credited with inventing the sweet fried treats we know as doughnuts. Lighthearted, rounded illustrations combine with a humorous narrative to explore the fact and fiction of Hanson and his tasty innovation.

In a neighborhood of flower gardens, a Chinese-American girl and her mother plant what the child considers to be ugly vegetables. The ugly vegetables, however, become attractive and help build community when made into a delicious soup! A recipe is included.

A child and his mother go to a farmers' market to get fresh produce and goods. On alternating pages, the person responsible for growing each kind of food is introduced, bringing to light many unknown jobs as well as food sources. The bold linear illustrations are created by handsome paper cut-outs.

Foodies and cooking aficionados as well as those only marginally interested in food are sure to find something to enjoy in this handsomely formatted and enriching look at food. Recipes range from easy to more complex and are placed amid information and activities for the entire year.

Rutabaga loves traveling through the fantastic forests, seeking out new and exotic ingredients to add to the dishes he cooks. As he joins up with various adventuring parties throughout the book, Rutabaga gets the chance to cook a dragon egg, discovers what a mysterious creature named Norman will eat, and helps a band of Vikings kill a mighty beast