Kids in the Holiday Kitchen: Making, Baking, Giving

The holidays are a time when everyone just wants to create. Weather it be crafts, gifts or yummy treats to eat- the time that we get to spend together is so much better spent when we get our hands sticky, right!? Kids (and even adults) of all ages will find some eye-catching pictures in Kids in the Holiday Kitchen, pictures that will reel them right in to want to make the recipes/crafts. From the Stuffed French Toast (on page 14), the Sugarplum Lollies (p. 36) to the crafts of Stellar (felted) Stockings (p. 81) and the Let There Be Light (colourful beeswax candle) (p. 88) there is more than enough so that everyone in the family will find a “must make”.

These projects are made to be kid friendly and most kids preschool age and older could do a portion of the work with a parent helper. Older kids could do them completely by themselves. It is a way that children can take ownership of making their gifts for their teachers, aunts or that special friend that needs a little encouragement. It is never to early to encourage giving and Kids in the Holiday Kitchen encourages a season of giving all year round, even from the littlest hands. This books gets two thumbs way up from me. I am leaving you with a recipe from the book that would be perfect for your New Year’s celebrations!! Yum.

New Year’s Nuggets

Chocolate-Caramel Popcorn, from Kids in the Holiday Kitchen (p. 45)

You’ll Need:

1/2 Cup Dried Yellow Popcorn
Scant 1/4 Cup Water
3 Tablespoons Canola Oil (optional)
1/4 teaspoon orange extract (optional)
1 Cup Sugar
8 Ounces Milk Chocolate
1/2 Cup Light Corn Syrup

What to do:

1. Pop the popcorn.

2. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper.

3. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Heat over medium-high heat until golden brown, and 5 minutes. Stir gently, add the orange extract, if using, stir again. Add some of the popcorn and coat it with the caramel. use a wooden utensil to help coat the corn. Place the coated kernels on the parchment paper to cool. Repeat.

4. When cool, break up the clumps of caramel corn, keeping the corn clumps on the parchment.

5. Heat the chocolate over low heat in the top of a double boiler, or in a metal bowl over a saucepan filled with 1 inch of hot water (creating your own double boiler). Heat the chocolate until it’s smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Make sure the chocolate doesn’t burn.

6. Fill a ladle with the melted chocolate and lightly drizzle over the caramel corn. Let the chocolate caramel corn cool for 30 to 45 minutes. To make gifts, put small batches in cellophane bags; otherwise, wrap in parchment paper and keep in a Tupperware container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

Makes 4 Cups

Watch Chronicle Book’s Kids in the Holiday Kitchen book trailer:

Title: Kids in the Holiday Kitchen
ISBN: 9780811861397
Subtitle: Making, Baking, Giving
Author: Jessica Strand & Tammy Massman-Johnson
Photographer: James Baigrie
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Subject:Holiday – Christmas, Crafts for Children, Handicraft, Recipes
Publication Date: November 2008
Pages: 95

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Title: The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide To Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America’s Most Imaginative Chefs

Author: Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg

Pages: 380

Genre: Cookbook, Culinary Reference Guide

Awards: IACP Award- Winning Authors of What to Drink with What you Eat

Yearly Count b: 96

This is insanity, insanely amazing for sure! The Flavor Bible was written as a reference type guide for when you have several ingredients but enhancing their unique flavours for the best culenary experience result is just beyond you. How does it work? Well, you figure out what you are interested in working on, for me that means what I have in the fridge that I need to eat, or sometimes what I buy on impulse at our amazing Saturday Market and then blunder because I have no idea how it should even be cooked. After you have your ingredient/s you check out what pairs well with it, and for each ingredient or spice there is a crazy long list that you can drool over and choose from. And probably designed especially for me, there are sometimes parings to avoid and they are also listed, YAY!

There are also sections titled Flavor Affinities where you can plan a trio of yummy delight, or the ” understanding [of] what herbs, spices and other seasonings will best bring out the flavor of whatever it is you’re cooking” (p. 33). I can’t wait to try some of the ones I see listed! More than a cookbook, this is a reference guide that any person who likes their food to taste good would enjoy. The Flavor Bible lists so many options for most ingredients, many times probably saving you the trip out to the store for that unnecessary item, and that extra candy bar (for the road, you know!).

Most of the book is what the authors call, Flavor Matchmaking: The Charts, but there are two other chapters as well. The first chapter is titled: Flavor= Taste + Mouthfeel + Aroma + “the X factor”: Learning to Recognize the Language of Food. And really it is a great chapter emphasizing the importance of things such as saltiness, temperature, bitterness, texture, and pungency. I was intregued by “the X Factor” and that is how the food affects us emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

The second chapter is called, Great Cooking= Maximizing Flavor + Pleasure by Tapping Body + Heart+ Mind + Spirit: Communicating Via the Language of Food, seriously that is a great title as well! This Chapter discusses things such as ” Understanding the Essence of the Ingredients”, the ” Understanding the Essence of the Moment” (p. 25)

This really is a great one, in so many ways! I actually think it is “practically perfect in every way” haha, that is no joke though, it is exquisite! Check out this video below and then you will want it even more

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The giveaway part!!

Here are the details:

-I have 3 copies of The Flavor Bible (thanks to Anna at Little, Brown!!!!)

-Post a recipe (the whole recipe) on your blog, previously posted recipes work as well….but I am looking for some of your favourites here, so please make sure it is a favourite!

-Comment below and paste the link to your recipe in the comments.

-Yes your recipes posted for the other giveaway count, but you will need to comment on THIS post if you want me to count you in on this giveaway (the same recipe is fine unless you are feeling into it, I’d love more recipes!!!)

-You have a week to do it, you can send me your recipes up through the 19th. I will select winners the next day.

- Sorry, only US and Canada and no PO boxes

Yummmm!!! I can’t wait to eat what you guys love, this is so fun!!! I will post all the links for both the giveaways after the date is up, then you can all enjoy each other’s favourite foods!! YAY! (I think this is really fun, and hope you enjoy it too