Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes
by Roald Dahl, Felicity Dahl, Josie Fison, and Quentin Blake
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Roald Dahl's Even More Revolting Recipes
by Felicity Dahl, Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake, and Jan Baldwin

The inspired concoctions in these books were compiled by Dahl's wife, Felicity, from foods and dishes mentioned in Dahl’s stories. Entertaining illustrations by Quentin Blake enhance the photographs of the dishes and tell stories. It’s uncanny to see literary things come to life, like Mr. Twit's Beard Food, a festive, edible, portrait fit for a party centerpiece. Other recipes are more for everyday noshing, like the famous Snozzcumbers from "The BFG." (Cucumbers striped with poppy seeds and dotted with popcorn, stuffed with tuna.) Or Boiled Slobbages, from “James and the Giant Peach” (egg noodles with a tomato, basil, mozzarella sauce). Lickable Wallpaper is simply beautiful. And the deserts excel, like a Plate of Soil with Engine Oil (a crumbly mound of chocolate cake with a creamy chocolate sauce).

Kids Cook 1-2-3
by Rozanne Gold

This cookbook has a great premise - 3 ingredient dishes. What could be better for busy young cooks on the go (or with short attention spans)? The simple recipes range from a tasty Green-as-Grass Spinach Soup (potatoes, spinach, butter) to an easy Chocolate-Pecan Fudge (pecans, condensed milk, semisweet chocolate chips). In between you can dig into Crazy Leg Drumsticks (pesto, chicken legs, Parmesan cheese) with a side of Crunchy Fried Tomatoes (tomatoes, cornmeal, vegetable oil for frying).

Teddy Bears' Picnic Cookbook
by Abigail Darling and Alexandra Day

Who doesn’t love a pic-a-nic, right Yogi? This is a sweet little charmer and another family affair. It’s illustrated by Alexandra Day (of “Good Dog Carl” fame as well as an illustrated version of “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic” song book) and is written by her stepdaughter, Abigail Darling. It offers simple ideas and recipes for indoor, outdoor, summer, winter and rainy day picnics. The menu for a rainy day picnic: vegetable soup, bread or crackers, baked apples, milk. We see from an illustration that Truffles au Chocolat should be eaten while wearing berets. And I have to agree that stuffed baked potatoes are perfect for a winter picnic.

Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook for Young Readers and Eaters
Tales retold by Jane Yolen; recipes by Heidi E.Y. Stemple; illustrations by Philippe Beha

This combo literary/cookbook is the result of another family collaboration. The veteran children’s book author, Jane Yolen, teamed up with her daughter, Heidi Stemple, to turn stories into food. The tale of “The Little Mermaid” is accompanied by a recipe for Shells Stuffed with Seaweed (jumbo pasta shells with a spinach ricotta mix, surrounded with a tomato sauce from scratch.) Some of these recipes are a little complex, but others are simple and rewarding, like the pancakes that accompany the story of “The Runaway Pancake.” Besides the full-on stories, the book includes entertaining facts and information which are fun to read during the boring parts of cooking.

Emeril's There's a Chef in My World!: Recipes That Take You Places

This is a cookbook for ambitious cooks and adventurous diners. It has a well written section on basic skills and includes spices and ingredients that may be new to a lot of kids. The introductions to the dishes are interesting and include fun food and cultural facts as well as pronunciations of dishes. It’s a nice introduction to international foods and a view into what other cultures eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and snacks.

Fair warning: Many of the recipes are a tad complex and call for a lot of ingredients, including the author’s own brand of seasonings. But there are enough straightforward recipes like stir fried dishes, simple edamame for snacks, classic potato latkes, and a Dutch sandwich of white bread with butter and chocolate sprinkles to balance out the Spanakopita (spinach and feta in phyllo dough) and Toad in the Hole (popovers with sausage bits) to make this a worthwhile addition to a cookbook collection.

Winter is a great time to stay indoors and go on gustatory adventures with kids. Collaborating with kids to select recipes, create the dishes then eat the results is hugely satisfying from start to finish, but always keep an extra egg for the one that inevitably misses the bowl and lands on the floor. There is no 5 second rule for splattered eggs.

Also check out our other great posts about books:

Great Mysteries to Read Aloud to Your Kids

Three Great Children's Books for Contrarian-Loving Kids

3 Best Book Series for Kids

or food and cooking:

Eataly Italian Food Market near Madison Square Park, but is it Kid Friendly?

5 Brooklyn Spots for Seasonal Sweets (and Places to Play Nearby!)

Shopping at NYC's Fantastic Ethnic Markets with Your Kids

Have Your Fun and Eat It Too: 8 Great Cooking Classes for You and Your Kid