Kitchen of Wonders
Summer’s the perfect time for culinary exploration and playing with food in the kitchen — particularly with little ones. So, we turned to the Cookie Fairy blogger Inbal Lavie, recipe developer Dana Sides, and pastry chef Rinat Tzadok and asked them to develop delicious summer recipes with kids in mind. They drew inspiration from their favorite cookbooks from childhood and collaborated with their families to create recipes for ice cream cones, rainbow sandwiches with veggies, and many more for kids of all ages.
Before the era of screens and social networks, Israeli children relied on Ruth Sirkis’s “Yeladim Mevashlim” (Hebrew for “Kids Cook”) cookbook for their tasty creations. Published in 1975, it was the first Israeli cookbook that catered to a younger audience. With simple recipes, accompanied by illustrations and clear instructions, the book was accessible to every kid, ensuring their kitchen tasks were easily understood, and the dishes always turned out well. Another iconic kids’ cookbook, “Mevashlim Kemo Gdolim” (Hebrew for “Cooking Like Grown-Ups”) by Hana Shaolov, was published in 1990; featuring colorful pictures and large, clear writing, it became a must-have for many children who loved cooking. Over the years, numerous children’s cookbooks have been written and translated, many of which can be found in Asif’s culinary library.
The kitchen is a wonderful experimental playground for children of all ages. Cooking fosters the development of essential skills, creativity, independence, and self-confidence. So let’s encourage them to explore and experiment!
