Welcome in Fall with a Good Book: What's Cooking at 10 Garden Street (Review)

Disclosure: I was sent a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

Buy now in hardcover from Amazon for only $11.99

This is not just a fun picture book to read, but it is also a recipe book of sorts, as it contains the full recipe for kids and their parents to try the different recipes that the folks from different ethnic backgrounds are cooking up at an old apartment building located at 10 Garden Street.  

My girls really enjoyed how there was story on page, and the on the opposite page, the recipe was presented in a fun way -- showing pictures of the ingredients along with the measurements, followed by simple instructions to follow to complete each dish.  As soon as we were done reading this book for the first time, both of my girls turned to me and asked if we could try the recipes.  They really wanted to try the guacamole and gazpacho recipes, and have a fun "What's Cooking at 10 Garden Street" themed dinner, where we would feature a handful of the recipes included the book, and read the story again.  

I thought this was a great idea, so we went food shopping, after putting together a list of ingredients from a handful of the recipes in this book. I told the girls to choose a few to start, and then we could do another night where we tried some of the other recipes.  My girls love being int eh kitchen and cooking and baking with, and loved how this book gave them the opportunity to try their hand at cooking different dishes from different culinary traditions/ethnic backgrounds.  

We really had a blast whipping up the different recipes from this children's picture book, and then reading the story again at bedtime.  My girls talked about how fun it would be to live in an apartment with other families from different ethnic backgrounds. They thought it would be fun to come together and share the different dishes in a communal style dinner.  I told them that that was a great idea...and that they didn't need to live an apartment building to do this, as many of their friends are of different nationalities/ethnic backgrounds, and would probably love sharing a family recipe sometime, or exchange recipes so that we can try other recipes similar to ones that you find in this new Prestel Publishing book for kids.

More about this book:

"This delightfully illustrated children's cookbook offers a global menu of dishes to share with friends, family, and neighbors.

Something delicious is cooking in the old apartment building on Garden Street! Pilar is mixing gazpacho, Monsieur Ping is stir-frying broccoli, Señora Flores is preparing a pot of beans, and Josef and Rafik are rolling meatballs. Other neighbors are making mini-quiches, baba ganoush, dhal, and peanut butter cookies. 

When they're all finished cooking everyone gathers in the garden to enjoy a delicious meal and each other's company. Each inviting spread in this storybook offers a recipe from a different culinary tradition. Dishes that kids love, like guacamole, spaghetti, and banana bread are interspersed with others that include less familiar ingredients, such as mirin, tahini, and turmeric. 

The recipes explain how each dish is made and come with fun and detailed illustrations. Combining simple, fresh flavors with recipes from around the world, this book will nourish and inspire budding cooks while whetting the appetites of their more experienced helpers."

What’s Cooking at 10 Garden Street by Felicita Sala (Prestel Junior; 9/24/2019; ISBN: 978-3791373973; Hardcover $14.95; Ages 6-9; 48 pages)

Disclosure: I was sent a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.