Welcome to Kids in the Kitchen.  This blog series highlights great cookbooks for kids.  This entry showcases some titles in the excellent “Young Chefs” series by America’s Test Kitchen.

The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs: 100+ Sweet and Savory Recipes That You'll Love to Bake, Share and Eat! by America’s Test Kitchen
Library Catalog

“These 100-plus kid-tested recipes feature baking standards, like corn muffins and peanut butter cookies, as well as trendier fare, such as za'atar bread, buffalo chicken lavash flatbread, and Tahini-banana snack cake. Short testimonials from some of the more than 4,000 kids who were part of the test group make this book fun and interactive. Informational sections in the front matter include “Decoding Bakingspeak” and “10 Essential Prep Steps.” A full-color section labels all baking tools that are used. The last section contains a chart of conversions and a table that provides the nutritional stats for each baked treat. The book's busy and blocky design follows the same format of The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs. The recipes share pages with informational asides and related tidbits with snappy headings and art. Instructions follow a well-organized, three-step process: preparing, gathering equipment, and then starting the baking process. The pictures are quite small (there are no full-page spreads), but a full-color picture of each finished dish is included. VERDICT A must-have book to keep your young adult cookbook section up-to-date and to support the current trend of creative young bakers. A contemporary and educational cookbook that's once again kid-tested and kid-approved.” –School Library Journal

The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs: 100+ Recipes That You'll Love to Cook and Eat by America’s Test Kitchen
Library Catalog

“The always-reliable America's Test Kitchen brings their expertise to aspiring foodies with this cookbook designed for kids in the kitchen. Thorough, generously illustrated introductory pages offer tips on cooking jargon; basic skills, such as dicing, folding, cracking eggs, and melting butter; recommended tools, all of which are required at some point or another in the recipes; and common pantry staples. The recipes, all labeled by difficulty, include plentiful, full-color photographs of kids performing the steps, inset boxes with further explanations, suggestions on variations to the recipes, and near-constant mention of asking for adults' help. The recipes themselves are all kid-friendly and require ingredients easily available at many grocery stores. Apart from the requisite pizza, chocolate-chip cookies, and grilled-cheese sandwiches, there are some surprisingly sophisticated choices, such as a classic French-style omelet, maple-glazed salmon, and an inspired upgrade to packets of hot cocoa freezable portions of chocolate ganache that can be melted in a cup of hot milk whenever a craving strikes (YUM). The pages on knife safety ( a sharp knife is a safe knife ) and recommendations for specific tools are particularly useful. The inviting, encouraging tone, which never talks down to the audience; emphasis on introducing and reinforcing basic skills; and approachable, simplified recipes make this a notable standout among cookbooks for kids.” –Booklist

The Complete DIY Cookbook for Young Chefs: 100+ Simple Recipes for Making Absolutely Everything from Scratch by America's Test Kitchen
Library Catalog

“Ever wondered how ketchup is made? How do you bake the most-awesome-ever cheese crackers (fish-shaped, of course)? Can you really make homemade butter in 10 minutes? The third title in this bestselling series of complete cookbooks for young chefs goes back to basics to make many of today's store-bought staples better from scratch. Easy recipes ranging from pancake mix to homemade Sriracha sauce will make kids kitchen heroes, one DIY project at a time.” –Publisher Marketing

The Complete Cookbook for Young Scientists: Good Science Makes Great Food: 70+ Recipes, Experiments, & Activities by America's Test Kitchen
Library Catalog

“America's Test Kitchen Kids brings delicious science to your kitchen! Over 75 kid-tested, kid-approved recipes and experiments teach young chefs about the fun and fascinating science of food. Why do some cheeses melt better than others? Why does popcorn “pop”? How does gelatin work? Answer these questions (and wow your friends and family!) by cooking the best-ever skillet pizza, easy chocolate popcorn, and galactic mirror cake… and more! Plus, fun science experiments to do in your home kitchen. With The Complete Cookbook for Young Scientists, emerging scientists and young chefs will feel confident in the kitchen, proud of their accomplishments, and learn the basics of food science along the way.” –Publisher Marketing

Kids Can Cook Anything!: The Complete How-To Cookbook for Young Chefs, with 75 Kid-Tested, Kid-Approved Recipes by America's Test Kitchen
Library Catalog

“America's Test Kitchen has provided everything young chefs need to get cooking. This volume sets itself apart from many other kids' cookbooks by providing QR codes to instructional videos taught by kids themselves. These videos serve as effective introductions to essential cooking skills, like ‘zesting and juicing citrus.' Included recipes, rated on a scale of beginner-intermediate-advanced, combine usual kid-friendly favorites with some unexpectedly complex additions: dishes like cheesy breadsticks appear alongside kale-basil pesto and avgolemono soup. The cookbook encourages effective mise en place by dividing instructions into three sections: Prepare Ingredients, Gather Cooking Equipment, and Start Cooking. Recipes include at least one photograph of the finished product, and usually incorporate fun facts about the food, a helpful tip, and testimony from a kid chef. While the book begins with a few pages of instructional materials, most tips are interspersed throughout the recipes, which may be confusing for readers. For instance, the instructional section about “Measuring Ingredients” doesn't come until p. 188. Since most users aren't reading a cookbook front to back, they may miss some of these essential instructional sections till later. VERDICT Encouraging best cooking practices and providing audiovisual supplements to the written material ensures that kid chefs can find success. An excellent juvenile cookbook addition.” –School Library Journal