I’m a Bill Granger groupie from way back, so when I learnt he was bringing out a cookbook loaded with recipes just for kids, I shouldered my fellow Babyology writers out of the way to grab the review copy!
Bill Cooks For Kids is a cookbook you’ll want to add to your collection too if you spend any time at all cooking for the family. A compendium of ninety of Bill’s most popular family-friendly recipes, there’s breakfast, dinners, snacks and even party and play-date food.
Here’s the thing I love most about self-taught cook Bill Granger. His recipes always work. Always. Which is essential when you have hungry kids afoot. And they’re simple too, so there’s no phoofing about in the back of the pantry or fridge trying to find obscure ingredients, or wondering whether you can get away with substituting good old Coon for gruyere. (The answer, if you’ve been wondering too, is no!)
I live by Bill’s own ethos that there’s no “us” and “them’ when it comes to cooking for kids. My trio rarely get special “kid” meals at home – for the most part, we all eat the same family dinner, even if it happens to be a curry with a bit of kick to it. So I like how the main focus of the book is recipes for the entire family – things that kids and adults will both enjoy – with a few quick and easy kiddy recipes for back-up (hello, Too Tired to Cook Pasta with Cheese!).
Some of the Bill Cooks For Kids recipes, like Bill’s choc oatmeal cookie (trust me, this will become your go-to recipe for cookies) are already firm favourites in our house. Others aren’t familiar, even though I have six other well-thumbed Bill Granger cookbooks. I tested a few, including the apricot bars (pictured above), caramel chicken, sweet potato and chickpea tagine with couscous, and Giovanni’s sausages with rosemary roasted potatoes (pictured below) and my family literally gobbled them up.
My husband and children have already put their orders in for other delights, including iced jumbles, fish burritos and a new twist on bread and butter pudding that calls for wholemeal bread. Can’t wait!
Bill Cooks For Kids: No Fuss Food for the Whole Family (RRP$29.95) is a new release this month from Murdoch Books. You can find it at booksellers nationally, or order a copy online at Book Depository.
Want more cooking ideas for kids? Then check our previous post on child-friendly cookbooks.
4 Comments
We all eat the same meals unless it is something that DD particularly doesn’t like and even then it’s usually something she can put aside on her plate and eats the rest.
I actually have this cookbook and I can wholeheartedly recommend it. I have twins and am always looking for new ideas for dinner that we can all eat. This cookbook is really easy to follow and makes simple but delicious fuss free staples. Love, love this book.
I will have to check this book out i am always looking for new ideas for all of us.
To be honest, I just brought this book and it’s quite disappointing. I wanted to some new ideas for family type meals but this book is unlikely to be used very frequently. For example, the recipe for sausage rolls is puff pastry wrapped around sausages. I was hoping for something a little more inspiring.