The Mix-it-up Cookbook

by American Girl (Editor), Tracy McGuinness (Illustrator)

"Includes space to rate our recipes and write in your own!"--Cover.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction

96 pages, Spiral-bound

First published September 1, 2003

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite the interesting way to package a cookbook!

Here we have ten staple ingredients/techniques and after you learn the basic way to prepare it, the cookbook provides many variations on the original.

For example, under the "Eggs" heading, you are taught how to make scrambled eggs. Once that technique is mastered, the cookbook provides aa page with ingredients to make variations - like cheesy, pepperoni pizza, "confetti" (diced peppers), or sunny aloha (pineapple + red bell pepper).

If you continue through the cookbook, you learn how to make a boiled egg, followed by deviled eggs, egg salad, or an egg sandwich. The last recipe is the most complicated, where you learn how to make "egg nests" - a baked egg dish.

The other sections in this cookbook are Pancakes, Quick Breads, Pizza, Tortillas, Noodles, Chocolate, Popcorn, Ice Cream, and Mix-a-Meal (which are various combinations of fruits and veggies).

I rather like this concept for a cookbook for a younger child. The base recipes aren't particular difficult and there's real creativity shown with all the variations on the original recipe.

I like how the book shows something familiar, like pizza, and gives ideas on how to reframe the 'regular' food. If you want, you could just go straight pepperoni but also there's hula ham, triple cheese, barbecued chicken or you could really switch it up and make a sweet version (apple pizza pie).

All in all, this could be a really fun cookbook for a family to enjoy!

[therese · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite cookbooks. I especially like all the variations they show and the space they allow you to make notes.

Favorites? The PB pancakes, the wraps, and the drinks section.