Family Table: Recipes and Strategies

In this bright, accessible collection, dieticians Breton and Emond (co-authors of Lunch Box: Creative Recipes for Everyday Lunches) offer over 100 recipes designed not only to get kids gathered around the dinner table, but also to get them helping out in meal prep. After a lengthy introduction covering everything from dinner table etiquette to the importance of daily routine to the logistics of cooking with children in the kitchen, Breton and Emond offer up simple recipes for kid favorites like meat loaf, pizza, Tex-Mex Tacos and Chicken Enchiladas, and a fun, quick and customizable baked egg dish called Eggs A La Carte. Most recipes are rounded out with tasks for kids like mixing spice rub for grilled flank steak, or dipping sandwiches in egg wash for Mozzarella Carozza (a meatless cross between a Monte Cristo and a grilled cheese sandwich). Many of the recipes will be familiar to children and their families, though some, such as Apple Veal Cutlets, Tomato Pesto Pork and Steak with Mushroom-Coffee Sauce may require parents to employ their salesmanship skills.