Meet Deanna Cook, a Kids Cookbook Author
One of our favorite things about cooking is that it teaches kids not only kitchen skills but also cultural literacy. Throughout ChopChop Magazine, you’ll find recipes derived from all over the world that anyone can try at home. And, in our local ChopChop Test Kitchen, we teach classes that feature these recipes as well.
That’s why we were elated to learn about best-selling author Deanna Cook’s cookbook, “Cooking Class Global Feast!: 44 Recipes That Celebrate the World’s Cultures.” The cookbook (which is released today!) shows how food is a fun way to celebrate diversity. Through its step-by-step photos and tips, it helps kids gain practical kitchen skills in creative, interactive ways all while discovering cuisines from a variety of cultures.
In honor of her book release, we are featuring an interview with Deanna. Get to know her below and be sure to check out her cookbook.
Can you tell us a bit about who you are?
Hello! I’m a kids’ cookbook author and children’s book editor at Storey. I grew up with the last name Cook and I always believed I should cook. I loved to whip things up in the kitchen when I was a little girl. After I graduated from college, I traveled around the world collecting recipes for kids and wrote my first cookbook. Since then, I’ve authored and edited many children’s activity books and cookbooks that you can see on my website.
What do you champion about ChopChop Family?
I love how ChopChop Magazine teaches kids to cook from scratch with fresh colorful ingredients. The kids featured in the photos of ChopChop make cooking look fun (and easy!). The photographer Carl Tremblay for ChopChop also photographed two of my cookbooks, “Baking Class” and my newest book “Cooking Class Global Feast.”
What is something you think all kids should learn to cook?
Eggs! They are fun to crack and scramble and fry up in the pan. Plus, a scrambled egg is an easy way to help yourself to a healthy breakfast or snack.
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Bread! I love all kinds of breads, from sourdough to pita to pretzels. I think life would be boring without it!
Do you have a recipe you’ve been trying to recreate from your childhood? Why is this recipe significant to you?
I am ¼ Lebanese and loved eating lentils and rice when I was younger. So I’ve tried to perfect that recipe (called Jadadara) in my new kids’ cookbook “Cooking Class Global Feast.”
Can you tease or share one of the recipes with us from your upcoming cookbook?
Yes! There are lots of recipes to choose from. A few of my favorites are Caprese Salad, Terrific Tabbouleh, Happy Hummus, Scottish Shortbread, and Shakshuka.
Anything else you’d like to share?
In the November issue of ChopChop, we have a sneak peek of “Cooking Class Global Feast!” with a food passport. Kids can taste and rate foods from different countries around the world. Cooking is a great way to celebrate all the cultures of the world, and right here in America, too!
Did our Q&A with Deanna captivate your attention? You can purchase her new cookbook today wherever books are sold as well on Storey Publishing’s website. If you were to write a cookbook, what you would write about? Send your answers to info@chopchopfamily.org for a chance to be featured on our digital channels.