MasterChef Junior Cookbook: Bold Recipes and Essential Techniques to Inspire Young Cooks

by MasterChef, Christina Tosi (Foreword)

Creativity, hard work, and lots of fun —that’s what it takes to cook like a master. Beloved television competition show MasterChef Junior fosters all of this within each of its pint-size home cooks, and what they whip up is truly impressive. This book aims to give any aspiring young chef the tools he or she needs to hone essential cooking skills, with 100 recipes inspired by dishes that the contestants served in the first five seasons, as well as timeless techniques, tips, and advice. With this book, anyone can become an excellent cook.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Childrens, Food

240 pages, Paperback

Published October 3, 2017

Reviews

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one schmancy "kids" cookbook. I enjoy watching the TV show with my kids, so it's entertaining to see the photos and recipes from the show, but will I ever actually make any of them? Probably not. Will my kids? Even less likely. My 11-year-old did make macarons for a science project -- with quite a bit of guidance from me -- so it's not like he's not culinarily daring, but many of these recipes are beyond his skills/budget.

Some recipes are fairly basic:
Molly's fish tacos with guacamole (and pomegranate seeds) from Season 1
Avery's crawfish etouffee from Season 4
apples "fries," kale chips (fried, not baked), basic pasta recipe, roasted potatoes, sweet potato puree, etc. (The "sides & salads" section is, by far, the least complicated.)

Others are a lot more complicated:
Samuel's "Arctic Char & Rice Noodle in Curry Broth" from the Season 2 Finale
Addison's "Miso Black Cod in Coconut Ginger Broth" from the Season 4 Finale
(Both of these are ones I might try if I'm feeling adventurous.)

If you've watched any of Gordon Ramsey's shows, you know how much the man LOVES Beef Wellington, so that's in there. And risotto (pronounce riz-ah-to). There's a "deconstructed Shepherd's pie," because cooking shows gotta deconstruct. There are two panna cotta recipes, another darling of cooking competitions. (The more that can go wrong with a dish, the more likely it is to be attempted.)

In short, if you're a fan of the show, this is worth a quick read. If you're actually looking for a kid's cookbook, I would recommend The Kid's Cookbook: A Great Book for Kids Who Love to Cook! (2002 version that we have) or The Cookbook for Kids (Williams-Sonoma): Great Recipes for Kids Who Love to Cook (2011 version).

[Tracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Gordon Ramsay and I watch his shows, Master Chef Junior being my favorite. So I know going into this book that the recipes are going to be complicated an the ingredients unusual and hard to find. But I want to learn how to make Beef Wellington, how to pan sear scallops and make a duck breast. I want to learn the advanced techniques. I was able to make several of the recipes and they tuned out great (for the most part). Some of the reviewers seemed to be expecting a children's cookbook: maybe they just looked at the title and didn't do any further research. If your child is a beginner cook, you want to go with Betty Crocker Boys and Girls cookbook. This book is for kids (and adults) who desire to learn and master some challenging techniques and also want to be creative. This is what I'm going to pull off the shelf when I want to try something new and maybe do it several times until I can perfect the dish. LOVE it.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this would be a really cool book. I kinda watch this show but I am not an avid fan. All and I mean ALL of the recipes in this book are not what the "normal" chef would take the time to make. So many ingredients and so many instructions, it just does not seem practical. I did not love this book nor did I hate it, it just was not the book for me. I would not buy or recommend this book for anyone else.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute cookbook! If you've seen Masterchef Junior, you know that these kids have sophisticated palates. This book caters to the same level of home cook.

For fans of the show, I see the appeal. If you're wanting to try recipes featured on a show or read a bit about the kid's reasoning for choosing a dish--the book's a fun read.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The recipes are obv not of the everyday ''meatloaf'' variety but there is a wealth of; knowledge, humour and dishes served with flair from pint sized chefs. Personally i love this cookbook more because i love the tv series so much, and not for its own intrinsic usefulness.

[Christine Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad cookbook. The directions were nice and clear. Only downsides I had were that there was not a picture with each recipe and that it seemed a little too fancy for my taste. I was hoping for simpler but great recipes (since it was from Masterchef Junior).

[Sharie · Rating 2 out of 5]

too many odd things to cook with "regular" junior cook

[Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty decent book - my son really enjoyed it and we are going to be trying out some of the recipes. Not really a great read for me as an adult, but great for children to read.