Kids in the Kitchen

Fannie in the Kitchen: The whole story from soup to nuts of how Fannie Farmer invented recipes with precise measures by Deborah Hopkinson.
Our Review: We enjoyed reading this book as a family. Little Marcia loves to help her mother with her domestic duties around the house. Little Marcia tries to cook for the family; but fails at it miserably. Her mother ends up hiring Fannie Farmers to be her mother's helper. Marcia isn't happy about Fannie taking over in the kitchen until Marcia declares that Fannie's blueberry pies sweeter than a summer sky. Fannie ends up writing a notebook full of tips on how to cook in order to teach Marcia. Well, she tries to bake a cook but ends up failing terribly. I love this part of the book "Cookery is magic, " declared Marcia one day, crunching a hot gingersnap. Fannie shook her head. "Preparing food well isn't magic. It's an art and a science that anyone can learn." Fannie shows Marcia how to follow precise measurements in order to bake and cook delicious meals it isn't magic but science. The illustrations in the book are hilarious. In one scene Marcia's mother is licking her plate clean of the cake that Marcia made following Fannie's recipe. Also, what I loved best it teaches kids about historical person from the 19th century and how the first cookbook came about.

Science Project:

The best part of this book is the griddle cakes recipe at the back of the book. Important note...what Fannie calls griddle cakes are what we call them pancakes now. I didn't realize at the time that the book ends with a recipe. The kids couldn't wait to get started. If you follow her recipe precisely you will end up with the best tasting ever pancakes.

Remember baking is a precise science...follow her instructions and you can't mess this up.

Fannie Farmer's Famous Griddle Cakes

2 cups Flour

1/4 cup Sugar

1 tsp Salt

1 1/2 tbps Baking powder

1 Egg

2 cups Milk

2 tbps Melted Butter

Mix and sift dry ingredients; beat egg, add milk, and pour slowly on first mixture. Beat thoroughly and add butter. Drop by spoonfuls on a greased hot griddle; cook on one side. When puffed, full of bubbles, and cooked on edges, turn and cook other side.

Serve with butter and maple syrup.

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Note: I feel very strongly that's its very important to let kids help out in the kitchen. So many people discourage their children from helping out. I think is this a huge mistake. It's so important to let the kids help out with the process. How do we expect them to be able to cook as adults if they're never allowed to help out in the kitchen.

Enjoy...These are seriously the best tasting pancakes ever!