Honest Pretzels
The cover of this book grabbed my attention one day as we were waiting for story time at the library. Someone had left it out in the children’s section, which I found odd; why would a cookbook be in the children’s section, after all?
It turns out that Honest Pretzels is a children’s cookbook, and a delightful one at that! It’s full of fun and simple ways to make everything from homemade pretzels to scrambled eggs and more. As a very so-so cook (okay, I pretty much stink at everything but baking), I thought this cookbook was an awesome find. People like me who lack the culinary skills that many seem to wield so easily can learn to make plenty of different dishes and snacks with this easy how-to guide.
Every step is broken down in order, so those of us who get confused with the simple paragraph of instructions that typically come with a recipe (we usually overanalyze them, don’t we?) won’t get bogged down in the details. Some really creative ideas include making an egg with the aid of a funnel and adding broccoli to grilled cheese (and I thought peanut butter was weird!).
Though the book is geared at ages eight and over, it has some pretty delicious sounding recipes, like homemade macaroni and cheese (isn’t the crumbly, super-cheesy kind the best?) and vegetarian chili. In fact, all of the recipes are vegetarian, though eggs are used in some concoctions.
Like most recipe books, a list of ingredients is presented with every recipe. In addition, the breakdown of the amount of time required, a list of tools needed, and specific things that a child might want to ask an adult for help with are also noted. (So for those of us grown-ups using the book, I suppose that would indicate our significant others or parents, if any of them can cook!) Written by Molly Katzen, the author and illustrator of several other children’s food books, Honest Pretzels is The Joy of Cooking for the people who actually hate to cook or simply never really learned how to cook in the first place.
Sixty five recipes make up the book in total, including breakfasts, snacks, drinks, desserts, salads, and even main courses. It’s a fantastic book to give to any fledgling cook (of any age); as both a gag and a practical gift, it would definitely work for your favorite high school graduate!
