Emeril's There's a Chef in My Family!: Recipes to Get Everybody Cooking
Grade 5 Up–Emeril's many fans will eat this up. The introduction emphasizes the fun and learning involved in cooking together as a family. The use of fresh ingredients is definitely a plus, but many of the recipes are quite complicated, making this a good book for children and adults to use together. Front matter (the first 25 pages) covers equipment, safety tips, basic skills and terms, and measurements. Seventy-six recipes follow, logically arranged to begin with breakfast and continue through dessert. The step-by-step directions are clearly laid out, and most of the dishes look delicious. The fresh and attractive design includes a mix of simple paintings (for the food) and photos (for the people). Emeril himself is shown throughout, conveying his enthusiasm and sense of play and offering a familiar note for media-savvy cooks. Nutritional information is not included, which may be a good thing, since many of the recipes are sinfully caloric (the hot chocolate recipe calls for whole milk and heavy cream and chocolate chips). For this reason, many of the dishes will be better suited for special occasions than for everyday enjoyment.–Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, ILCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.