Food festivals

Food tours

Recipes

[more here]

Enjoy a juicy article about blueberries by The Growing Gardener.

Quick links
Here are live links mentioned in the February 2009 .pdf format:

Holiday Biscotti (recipe)

Books

Big Timber Grade School Cookbook: Our Favorite Recipes
To order, phone: 406-932-6020

Picture Yourself Cooking with Your Kids, by Beth Sheresh

A few words from the author:

Why I wrote the book:
A few years back, my daughter took me to see Ron Rodecker, the creator of Dragon Tales and one of my junior high teachers. Ron retired from teaching in his sixties and went on to follow his dream of drawing professionally, and creating an amazing, award-winning set of characters and TV show. Our conversation reminded me of how passionately I wanted to share my love of food with people. Following that visit, I began writing about food online, primarily at kitchenMage, while continuing to write technical books professionally.

One thing I quickly realized was that, while there are a lot of people cooking with their children, there are even more who are not. As one of the lucky people who grew up with one foot in the kitchen, I am saddened by how few children have the chance to do that anymore. It's a lack that impacts so many aspects of life, starting with nutrition, health, cost, but importantly, there is a connection that we make with family via food that is special. To this day, when I eat the first cookie of the holiday season—usually a Walnut Ball from my grandmother's recipe—I am momentarily transported to a kitchen filled with laughter, love, and a bit of flying flour.

When I was given the opportunity to write this cookbook I jumped at it. My marvelous team at Cengage helped me so much—it was the first cookbook for most of us—and I got to create a book that is truly approachable, even for parents who may be new to the kitchen themselves. The Cook's Primer chapter touches on a wide range of food-related topics: nutrition and picky eaters; shopping and budgets; equipment and techniques; food and kitchen safety; and issues like high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), genetically modified (GMO) food, and organic v. industrial food.

I had a few rules for myself:
All of the food is prepared, not assembled. (The pizza recipe, for example, uses homemade crust and sauce, not an english muffin and canned sauce.)

Everything in a photo was prepared by a single cook in a home kitchen, is edible, and doesn't use anything "extra" to make it pretty. I love coffee-table cookbooks as much as the next cook, but my food never looks that good. I want the littlest chefs to feel like they can make a dish that looks like the picture in the book.

Nutritional data is included with each recipe, both for the readers and as a way of keeping my recipes realistic while I wrote the book. Not every recipe is super healthful—there is a Minty Cool Chocolate Cake that is rather indulgent—but most are good, everyday food.

Tips and variations are included everywhere I could fit them! This helps mastering skills and encourages experimentation, both very good when you are in the kitchen with a small person.

What I hope people get from the book:
One six-year-old I know about got his hands on the book and within a week was cooking Pirate's Eyes for his parents at breakfast, "all by himself!" (Well, with a watchful parent across the room.) The sense of pride and accomplishment he gained from a simple breakfast dish is a joy to hear about. His dad loves to tell the story of his new little chef. If I could have one wish for the book it is that parents and children cook a dish that teaches them something, nourishes their bodies, and builds a connection with each other.

My favorite recipe:
This is tough! I think I'd have to go with bethCookies, a mèlange of oatmeal, chocolate chips, coconut, and macadamia nuts. It's my signature cookie and, more importantly, what I use as a launching point when helping kids create their own personal cookie recipe. The book has a few other original cookie recipes, along with how they were created and suggestions for how to make your own. I hope to see lots of kids' creations as time goes on.

–Beth Sheresh

Copyright 2003-2010 Mary Rosewood. All rights reserved.