Emeril's There's a Chef in My World!: Recipes That Take You Places
Grade 4 Up&mdash;There's a celebrity chef in this cookbook, and, judging by the frequent use of heavy cream, whole milk, butter, sugar, and cream cheese, he is apparently unaware of the childhood-obesity crisis. Each spread combines simple color illustrations of food with photos of corresponding international locales and Food Network chef Emeril mugging for the camera. The first 27 pages of cooking how-to and safety tips are followed by 75 recipes that include "Moroccan Couscous" and "Orange-Scented Chocolate Gelato." Europe, North America, and Asia are well represented, with little space devoted to Africa or Central or South America. The recipes are complicated, involving techniques like using a pastry bag and handling delicate phyllo dough and much work with sharp knives and pouring hot liquids; adult supervision will be crucial. Small "safety icons" included with each recipe indicate concerns like "handling hot objects" and "use of sharp objects," but the key to identifying the icons is buried in the introductory material. The ingredients are clearly listed, and the numbered directions have sufficient detail; a bit of historical or geographical information is included with each recipe. Many of the dishes call for the use of Emeril's branded seasoning and other food items, and two appendixes list his corporate sponsors' Web sites and the locations of Emeril's Restaurants around the United States. Libraries serving the chef's devotees will find this a useful addition for its browsing appeal, but be sure its shelfmate is Matthew Locricchio'sThe International Cookbook for Kids(Marshall Cavendish, 2004), a more balanced, truly kid-friendly book.&mdash;Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KSCopyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.