Cookbook: Teen Cuisine

the appetizer:

Teen Cuisine by Matthew Locricchio includes recipes like Alabama Festival Shrimp; California-Style Pizza; and Grits and Cheddar Cheese Soufflé.

Teen Cuisine

by Matthew Locricchio

Click to buy Teen Cuisine

Matthew Locricchio, a professional chef and award-winning cookbook writer, has received acclaim for both editions of his popular International Cookbooks for Kids. He now turns his attention to the next age group with Teen Cuisine.

More than ever food is having a powerful influence on teenagers. With working moms and dads, teenagers have taken up the responsibility of preparing meals for younger brothers and sisters. TV is an important culinary presence with popular cooking shows on the Food Network, PBS and Top Chefs Food is a constant in magazines and the Internet. Add the increasing interest in healthy cooking and sustainable ingredients, and today's teens are better informed about food than any previous generation.

Teen Cuisine features the stunning photography of renowned cookbook author James Peterson, and presents more than 50 recipes—both cool and sophisticated—with step-by-step instructions that give young cooks the skills and confidence they need for a lifetime of great cooking.

Taking a more adult and sophisticated approach, Teen Cuisine dispenses with the usual format of condescension and fake hipness. Getting deliciously to the point, Locricchio gives young cooks the recipes they want to cook and eat. Organized, safe, and encouraging, this cookbook provides today's teens with:

Over 50 teen-worthy recipes from breakfast to dessert that are American favorites
Chapters on soups, salads, sandwiches and burgers, snacks and sides
Four styles of pizza: New York, Chicago and California-style and calzone
Gorgeous James Peterson photography—over 60 color photos
Entrees both familiar and sophisticated
Recipes organized for success with tips to maximize flavor and taste
Helpful sections on safety, key cooking terms and definitions, and a metric conversion chart,
A Kitchen Essentials Pantry as well as an illustrated equipment guide
Strong emphasis on fresh, nutritious, organic ingredients for healthy eating

Teen Cuisine provides plenty of recipes that today's teens crave such as Tomato Soup, The Burger, New York Style Pizza, and Max Mac and Cheese. It also seeks to challenge the cook's increasing abilities as it encourages a maturing palate. Fresh Fruit Tostados, Grits and Cheddar Cheese Soufflé, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad with Fresh Lime Dressing, Glazed Pork Tenderloin, and Fourth of July Shortcake meet these goals and more.

Segment subjects for discussion and demonstration might include:

Recipe demos that emphasize safety and the best use of the kitchen
Why cooking and entertaining is an important, interactive and pleasurable social skill and how you can use it as a social ice breaker
Why cooking at home is healthier than take-out or processed foods
The benefits of gathering at the table on family and social life for the future
Great party ideas such as pizza, fondue, as well as party food when the gang is coming over

Teen Cuisine is the first step towards that life-long ability to nurture family and friends.

About the Authors

Matthew Locricchio was born into a restaurant and catering family and has worked in the food industry most of his life. His professional resume includes stints at the well-known Gandy Dancer in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the West Coast Stock Exchange's private club in San Francisco, and the legendary Barbary Coast restaurant. He frequently speaks and gives cooking demonstrations at the American Library Association's annual convention, the American Museum of Natural History, and at culinary schools throughout the country. He's also appeared in many culinary TV and radio programs.

Photographer James Peterson's cookbooks have earned for him both the James Beard and the International Association of Culinary Professional awards.