Cooking Up a Storm: The Teen Survival Cookbook

by Sam Stern, Susan Stern

What's cooking? An enthusiastic young chef shares his teen-tested tips and recipes for everything from breakfast to dinner, desserts to brain-boosting snacks.

A kid's gotta eat — and what better way to make sure that the food on your plate hits the spot than to make it yourself? Fourteen-year-old Sam Stern, with a bit of help from his mom, Susan, is more than happy to share dozens of his favorite recipes for all occasions. There are pancakes for breakfast and easy lunches like soup or salad to pack up for school. Quick meals like spaghetti or omelettes are best for busy school nights; for weekends there are serious dinners like homemade lasagna or whole roasted chicken. And don't forget fancy, mouth-watering desserts; addictive but healthy snacks; and even special menus and suggestions to help keep your brain awake during dreaded exam time. Especially geared toward teen readers is the lively running commentary from Sam, plus colorful photos of food preparation and the ultimate chef's feasting with friends.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Young Adult, Food and Drink

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 3, 2005

About the author

Sam Stern was raised in Yorkshire, England, with three fantastic sisters and one brilliant brother -- until they went to college and he was left to his own devices. It is not unusual that a high school student loves to eat but his ability to cook and write sets him apart. He describes one of his first memories cooking with his mother, Susan, making her famous treacle bread and opening the oven to see it and says "the smell was great!" This appreciation for cooking led him (when he was a bit older) to write COOKING UP A STORM with his mother. He wanted to write a book "for kids like me who enjoy cooking or who want to learn to cook. It's full of simple tasty recipes -- the kinds of things that my friends and I like to eat." Their second book, REAL FOOD, REAL FAST is an effort to lure all those time-pressured teens away from their fast-food fixes.

Writing and cooking share some of the same creative skills. Sam says "when I write I just like to chill. Sometimes it's so easy and the words just come flooding out. Other times I get frustrated. I like to write to music because it helps everything to flow. I like to be creative with my writing but with the cookbook, it had to be really short and sweet. It was really hard to cut it down sometimes." Regarding cooking he notes "well, I'm usually pretty impatient, but I can spend hours chopping stuff, blending, whisking, and mixing. I find all that activity really relaxing. The first thing I do when I get into the kitchen is put on some music."

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great easy to read cook book for teens. Nice pictures. I would recommend this product to any youngster who wants to cooks so easy tasty meals. I think Sam Stern would appeal to young people.

[Dan Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this for my 11 yr old son who is a budding chef and he absolutely loves it. So far he's cooked the tortilla, chicken liver pate and chilli con carne recipes - they were all fantastic. The instructions are clear, easy to follow and there is a mixture of more advanced 'adult' & tasty snack 'teenage' recipes although they all look good. The added bonus as parents is that we no longer have to cook all the meals!

[Nicci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better and healthier food than I expected for a teen cookbook! He took some gourmet type recipes and made them seem easy. I found some good ideas and a lot of recipes I'd like to try.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good recipes within the book. The book itself was good quality. Since we have bought the book my kids have cooked a couple of dishes. One was duck with Hoisin sauce and pancakes and also sweet potato and chickpea curry. I can recommend the book to the highest.

[Jill Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a young person about the house, this splendid book will enable them to learn how to cook for themselves and as a bonus- how what they put in their mouths will help or hinder them in exams and in their future lives.
A super book and family Project

[Boadicea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good recipes, but not terribly suitable for uni, which is what I bought it for. Lots of ingredients and processes that aren't suitable for a tiny studio kitchen. Nice photos though!

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, lots of pictures, good food.

[Carmen Díaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libro de cocina para adolescentes (y los que ya no lo sean)
Funciona!!!!

[Audrey Foo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, I will be slightly honest and say that: i just enjoyed looking at the photos...but hey, it made me feel hungry. Still, it deserves 4 stars for the good photos ;) oh-kay, now I am hungry.

[Julia]

Great for people who want to cook.