A colourful, comprehensive cookbook that teaches kids (ages 9+) and beginner chefs to cook, and arms them with accessible yet impressive recipes they can make with little-to-no parental supervision.

If the young gourmands on MasterChef Junior are anything to go by, lots of kids are eager to get into the kitchen. So why wait until they’re off at college facing the (gross) communal microwave in their residence lounge? Seasoned cookbook author Danielle Acken, food stylist Aurelia Louvet, and their six proteges (age 7 to 17) are here to help. Let's Eat brings together kitchen basics, tools, terminology, and 60+ recipes with loads of variations to suit a range of tastes.

The book opens with a chapter of recipes to build basic techniques—making eggs, rice, pasta, salad dressing, mashed potatoes, bread, and roast chicken (what? Yes, really)—that will set kids up for culinary success, before branching into breakfasts, fresh snacks and sides, hot main courses, and desserts. Learn to make hits like:

• Sticky Soda Pop Ribs
• Spaghetti Bolognese
• Falafel Veggie Burgers
• Deviled Eggs
• Pulled Chicken Tacos
• Sweet Potato Curry
• Teriyaki Baked Salmon
• Oven Baked Doughnuts

Following this fun, choose-your-own-adventure style primer, with its bold, colourful photography, kids will soon advance from quick afterschool snacks and summer picnics to breakfasts in bed and full-course family dinners (with dessert, of course).

Danielle (DL) Acken is a Canadian born international food photographer who splits her time between London, UK and her farm studio on Canada’s beautiful Salt Spring Island. A self-proclaimed compulsive traveller, her photography is inspired by the multitude of palettes and moods found throughout her wanderings. See her work at dlacken.com.

D.L. Acken's profile page

Aurelia Louvet is a dedicated home cook and food stylist based on Canada’s gorgeous Salt Spring Island. Having lived and eaten around the world, Aurelia is known for her evocative style that combines modern North American sensibility and classic European beauty. Visit her at aurelialouvet.com.

Aurelia Louvet's profile page

• Short-listed, Taste Canada Awards

"This is an extraordinary kid’s cookbook." —Youth Services Book Review

"With a toolbox of basics (how to boil an egg; how to mash potatoes) . . . it’s sure to inspire your littles to make dinner for the family." —Globe and Mail

"new books for gifting, or keeping, this holiday season." —EAT Magazine

"a choose-your-own-adventure style cookbook that aims to arm young cooks with the skills they need to follow recipes on their own, with little to no parental supervision." —Globe and Mail

"DL Acken is a food writer and photographer who splits her time between the U.K. and Saltspring Island, while Aurelia Louvet is a food stylist based on Saltspring. The two teamed up to produce Let’s Eat: Recipes for Kids Who Cook, which teaches basic kitchen techniques to tween and teen chefs." —Montecristo

"Fostering improved literacy, problem-solving, critical thinking, and independence, Let’s Eat will inspire hours of fun and memorable experiences in the kitchen. Get in there as a family and enjoy this book together!" —Daily Mom

"Let's Eat . . . is for older children ready to tackle real cooking. The book "includes familiar things, like burgers and tacos, but also more adventurous fare, like crispy sesame chicken and falafel." —Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Your older kids will really get a kick out of this book . . . dive into some essential basics, some well-loved foods, and others that are sure to bring proud chef smiles from your children." —First Time Parent

“If you've been searching for that elusive kids’ cookbook that takes young cooks seriously—but not too seriously—while also respecting that they are kitchen beginners, pick up Let’s Eat and head directly to checkout. This fabulous book is vibrant, fun, and full of tips and recipes that manage to be kid-friendly without being too kiddish. Perfect for budding school-aged cooks!” —Stacie Billis, Co-host, Didn't I Just Feed You podcast