Book Review: The Catholic Kids’ Cookbook
Starting the New Year with New Family Culinary Traditions!
A New Addition to Catholic Culinary Treasures
A while back, I did a review of four Catholic cookbooks you might want to consider adding to your collection. I love cooking, and the older I get, the more I enjoy the treasury of culinary experience one can find in a good cookbook.
I was, therefore, pleased when the good people at Word on Fire sent me a copy of the newest addition to their growing catalog, The Catholic Kids’ Cookbook by Haley Stewart and Clare Sheaf. Like other cookbooks I covered in my previous article, The Catholic Kids’ Cookbook structures recipes around saints and the liturgical year with this critical distinction: it is specifically oriented toward children. The goal is not only to introduce tradition to the kitchen but also to get families cooking together, introducing children to the joys of food preparation while simultaneously catechizing them about the liturgical year.
A Beautiful and Durable Cookbook for Families
The first thing I noticed about The Catholic Kids’ Cookbook is how well put together it is. It’s a beautiful hardcover book with debossed text and gold leaf lettering on the cover. The pages are thick and hardy, suitable for use in the kitchen. I get annoyed when cookbook pages are too thin or flimsy because they inevitably take a lot of damage in the kitchen from splatters. So, I appreciate the sturdiness of The Catholic Kids’ Cookbook.
I should also mention the excellent full-page illustrations for every recipe. This is not only great from an aesthetic perspective, but it also gives you an idea of what your finished product is supposed to look like. Sometimes, cookbooks don’t have pictures for every entry, leaving you a little uncertain if you are on the right track or unsure how the dish should look. So, just in terms of its appearance and durability, The Catholic Kids’ Cookbook already gets high marks from me.
Cooking with Kids: A Simple and Joyful Experience
I wanted to try a recipe for this review, so my kids and I whipped up Our Lady’s Fig Tarts for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. This recipe uses puff pastry, fig jam, blackberries, honey, and brie to create a tasty treat that is sweet, rich, and flaky. I liked this particular recipe because it offers a delicious candied dessert that doesn’t have a lot of sugar. In fact, the recipe doesn’t call for any sugar at all, although I did sprinkle some powdered sugar on at the end just for presentation. I am happy to say the tarts came out beautifully and were quite delicious:
What to Expect: Simple Recipes for Young Chefs
A few things you should know about The Catholic Kids’ Cookbook:
First, it is a kids’ cookbook, which means the recipes are relatively simple. You’re not going to find complex recipes for fancy dinners in here. The selected recipes are very basic, as they are meant to be accessible to children (with adult oversight). I think the most complicated items in the book are probably the sushi rolls and Epiphany King’s Bread.
A Festive Focus on Desserts and Treats
Second, I’d say around 80% of the recipes are desserts/treats. This may simply be because it’s a kids’ book and kids like treats, but I also considered that since this is structured around the liturgical feasts of the Church, most of these recipes are meant to be festive, which we tend to associate with desserts.
Final Thoughts on The Catholic Kids’ Cookbook
Overall, The Catholic Kids’ Cookbook is a very well-produced, beautiful, and usable cookbook that understands its target audience well. For Catholic homeschoolers, this book can be a fantastic asset to your curriculum by incorporating hands-on, practical learning while reinforcing lessons on the liturgical year and the lives of the saints. Cooking together provides opportunities to teach math, science, and life skills, all while fostering faith and family connections.
I look forward to working through that King’s Bread recipe come Epiphany!
What are your thoughts on this topic? To continue the discussion, join me and other Catholic homeschooling parents at our Homeschool Connections Community or our Facebook group!
