"Kids with Knives" is a celebration of food - from historical origins and cultural significance to kitchen chemistry that introduces simple, delicious global cuisine to teen chefs. The recipes provide a solid background in baking and in preparing soups, salads and one dish meals that will carry young cooks off to college and beyond. "At the Table" sections include questions that spark conversation and awareness about our dependence on food. The author honors humanity and builds community one recipe at a time!

Kids with Knives by Judith Weinstock is designed for people who love and work with teens including teachers, parents, and grandparents. By using the educational tools and questions included along with all the fascinating fun facts – this book will appeal not only to teens – but to everyone! Kids with Knives fits into a “food first” philosophy that uses wonderful recipes to make healthy food and cooking an enjoyable experience with potentially long-term positive health outcomes. As a nutritionist, I will recommend this to my young clients who need to understand the powerful consequences of the food they eat.

The layout of the book is easy to follow and is different than other cookbooks. The organization into basics – such as breads, muffins, one-pot meals, etc, -lets us know that thinking in these terms leads us to good foods, healthy eating choices, and recipes that can be simple and delicious or made more complex for the sophisticated pallet. Examples are the bread or muffin recipes – from the simple to the more flavorful ingredients – teaches us to use some creativity to expand possibilities. The one pot meals and soups show us healthy and tasty ways to get ingredients that together create super nutritious meals. And what a wonderful way to help notoriously poor teen age eaters enjoy salads and different dressings and sauces to broaden their taste buds. And the pesto chapter is filled with new ideas for so many who have always thought of pesto as only basil based.

Weinstock embraces our need for sweets in our lives and addresses desserts from a healthy perspective. Homemade foods are always healthier than restaurant or packaged/processed foods – and dessert is no exception This book gave me new insight into the creativity of cooking. What a gift for teens and those who interact with them to expand their understanding, skills, and enjoyment of food while protecting the earth and themselves through best choices.

This seems like a great book but was not exactly what I was expecting. It is much more academic in nature, and the "kids" in question are more likely to be older teens. I read a great deal of the book before it got to anything resembling what I had been expecting. Don't get me wrong, it is well-researched and interesting, but I think anyone who is looking for ideas of what to cook with kids who are new in the kitchen will be confused or disappointed by this title. I think the description did not make it super clear what was in the book.

Excellent read and filed with many straightforward and fun sounding recipes. This would be a great addition to any home and I plan to add to my classroom library!

This book has a strong educational focus and teaches many cooking skills. What surprised me the most was that it does not include many photos or illustrations. It is a very informative book with a more serious approach.

It is aimed at teenagers who already have some independence and want to feel more confident in the kitchen. It also explains where food comes from and helps readers become more familiar with cooking.

The contents are well organised and move from simpler topics to more complex ones. I liked that the book gives some advice before you start, such as keeping your work area clean, asking about food allergies or dietary restrictions if you are cooking with friends, and preparing a container for food waste.

I think this book is interesting because it sees teenagers as people who can cook on their own, not just as someone helping an adult in the kitchen. Not every recipe is easy, though. Many of them are more difficult than I expected.

Kids with Knives is the book I wish I had in my kitchen growing up.

Each section of the book is carefully crafted with one-page recipes, concise histories, and honest and engaging questions to create conversation around the table. What comes through most in these recipes -- for things like bagels, pesto and zucchini-almond cake -- is not that skill or knowledge are required to cook, but that curiosity and care around ingredients, techniques, and history are truly what make the act of cooking together special.

Weinstock fills an important gap in the literature of cookbooks, priotitizing wonder and curiosity in the same way that others focus on tablespoons and temperatures. Kids with Knives has the power to create special memories in the minds of cooks young and old.

I found Kids with Knives to be eminently readable with enticing recipes and interesting information about the historical and global connections of where our food comes from and most importantly why we should care. It is an entertaining mix of recipes, food preparation, historical aspects of how plants and spices affected the process of colonization and the wonder of the natural world. The book invites the reader to share meaningful and enjoyable time in the kitchen with a teenager to create, play and enjoy making tasty food together. I particularly enjoyed the interspersed "fun facts" in the various sections and the humorous food quotes scattered throughout. I plan to use it for sharing special time with my grandchildren.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
📱 Format: eBook ARC

Kids with Knives feels like a grown-up cookbook made for young cooks, and I’m a fan!

One thing I think parents should know going in: I wouldn’t consider this a beginner cookbook. This feels better suited to a child who has already spent some time in the kitchen helping with prep and has a basic understanding of cooking. For my daughter, I know she’d be able to follow along, but she’s had that previous kitchen experience.

The book does start with the basics, beginning with things like bread, but it evolves pretty quickly from there. The recipes aren’t presented with step-by-step photos, and while I would have loved to see more photos of the finished dishes, I don’t think that takes away from what the book does well. How much parental guidance is needed will really depend on the child’s age and experience in the kitchen.

I especially loved the variety of recipes. There’s a nice combination of familiar favorites alongside recipes and flavors from other countries, which we love! The book also incorporates education beyond the recipes, including information about spices and where they come from, kitchen basics, and even making clean-up part of the process.

And we put it to the test! My daughter and I made the blueberry muffins, and we loved them. 🫐 She’s already excited to make more and has picked the pho to try next! 🍜

Final Verdict: This isn’t necessarily a first cookbook for a child who’s never been involved in cooking, but for a young cook who already understands some kitchen basics and is ready to do more, I think it’s a great next step. It offers real recipes, introduces different foods and cultures, and encourages kids to continue building their kitchen skills. I’m a fan! 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Girl Friday Productions for providing this eBook ARC in exchange for my honest review.