The Associated Press
ON THE BOOKSHELF: ‘‘Cooking with Max’’ (Little Five Star, 2007, $14.95)
It’s hard not to admire the sort of pluck involved in a 8-year-old boy publishing a cookbook. A vegetarian cookbook at that. And Max Nania, author of ‘‘Cooking with Max: 45 Fun and Kind of Messy Recipes Kids Can Make,’’ demonstrates plenty of pluck.
Max’s book (assembled with help from Mom, Sienna Nania) feels one part family scrapbook, one part kid-friendly cookbook. It’s a formula children will relate to and enjoy — and that’s reason enough for parents to embrace it.
Max has the potential to be a great role model for children. He demonstrates not only that food and cooking can be fun, but also that boys as much as girls can and should get in on that fun.
The recipes are simple and most can be completed with just a bit of adult help (the Tarzan Wraps, for example, are whole-wheat tortillas slathered with peanut butter and covered with sunflower seeds and banana slices).
An especially nice touch — each recipe includes suggested reading, a children’s book loosely tied to the theme of the recipe.
That said, here’s hoping Max’s mom steers him away from processed foods in his next book (to focus on snacks). Too many recipes rely on packaged items, which can be loaded with sodium and fat.
Sure, given the intended audience there is a necessary emphasis on ease. But children can be just as happy playing with food made from scratch as from a box.
That aside, Max is a cute kid with a good idea. It’s just a matter of time before he’s on a morning show near you.
Food
Food news that’s easy to swallow
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Harvest food is just around the corner
The calendar says it’s almost autumn, and that means time for harvest festivals and good food.
The word is out — pumpkins may be scarce this year, so if you need pumpkin for that pie, buy now so you won’t be without when Halloween and Thanksgiving roll around. -
School ‘daze’
I can’t believe summer is over for thousands of kids. Now begins nights of homework, tests and maybe sports of some kind.
My grandson, Jeffrey, started school in Plano Monday and came home with homework in four subjects. I can’t ever remember having homework assigned on the very first day of school. Things have really changed. -
Pretty peachy in Parker County
As a cook, I look forward to certain times of the year. One is pecan time in Texas, and the other is Parker County peach season.
There is nothing any better on a summer day than a juicy, fresh peach. Peaches are versatile as well, and there are peach recipes that have been around for years. -
El Rey Taqueria — the small restaurant with big taste
At 1213 Fort Worth Highway, there is a little jewel of a restaurant. El Rey Taqueria has been open four months serving good homestyle Mexican food.
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Sis-boom-bah
I cannot believe June is almost gone and July is waiting in the wings. We are in he middle of a heat wave as far as I’m concerned. I love summer, but I don’t want the temperature to go above 90 degrees. Of course, Mother Nature doesn’t listen to me, and she gives us what she wants us to have.
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Summer’s bounty is here!
I love the months of June, July and August. School is out and I will get to see my grandkids who live in Plano more often. It’s also swim time at our place, cookouts, family get togethers and shopping for those lovely, luscious vegetables and fruits that are in the markets and stores.
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Brother Ed and Brother John
I’ve written many times about the fun I had whenever I got to be around my cousins in Comanche County. I always hoped we would go on a Friday evening. That way June, John, Claudia, Gary and I would have a chance to play all day Saturday. On Sunday more cousins would show up.
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Have we gone too far?
Late night TV is a vast wonderland for those of us who have trouble sleeping at night or choose to stay up late.
Last night I saw the ultimate, most useless item being hawked on one of the shopping networks. It was for an automobile automatic lap top computer. -
The best friend I ever had — May 11, 2011
As a child, I never knew the joy of having a dog. My mother didn’t think a dog should live in the city. I accepted her feelings, but when I had a family and my girls wanted a dog, they got a dog. Whiskey, a stray, was named by the family who first found her because of her color. When their son went away to college, they didn’t want to keep her, so we got her. She fit in just fine, and for 11 years she was a part of our family.
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Wow, what a week it was!
This past week, in my estimation, was momentous. First, the royal wedding of Kate and Wills (as he is known in England). It was a beautiful wedding with all the pomp and circumstance of royalty.
Wills and his brother Harry gave it a little comic relief. Harry was very cheeky as the English called him. Wills had a grin on his face as if he was enjoying himself. - More Food Headlines
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