Not long after I started The Lunch Tray in 2010, a new kids’ cooking magazine called ChopChop was launched by Sally Sampson, a James Beard Foundation nominated author of twenty cookbooks, as well as a frequent contributor to magazines like Food & Wine and Bon Appetit. But when my friend Donna first told me about the magazine, I was worried: in my experience, most kids’ cooking magazines and cookbooks seem to operate on the assumption that kids have no interest in making anything except sugary foods and beverages.
But ChopChop turned out to be a revelation, full of easy, nutritious, and ethnically diverse recipes, along with useful cooking tips for kids and adults alike. And the magazine was (and is) backed by an impressive advisory board drawing from the experts in public health, nutrition, academia and more. (You can read my 2010 interview with Sally Sampson here.)
Since then, ChopChop has moved on to new heights, even winning a James Beard award for 2013 Publication of the Year. The editorial duties have been turned over to Catherine Newman, a blogger and writer I adore (Ben and Birdy!) and in August the magazine released a gorgeous new kids’ cookbook which I’m pleased to review and give away today.
Called ChopChop: The Kids’ Guide to Cooking Real Food with Your Family, this new cookbook offers over 100 recipes for every meal, everything from “Fish Tacos with Purple Cabbage Slaw” to ” “Crazy-Good Buttermilk Biscuits” to “Any-Many Bean Soup.” Each recipe is accompanied by a full color photo as well as an easy-to-read coding system that tells children whether an adult’s assistance is required and how long the cooking will take. And scattered throughout the book are amusing and informative little blurbs entitled “Did You Know?,” discussing topics as diverse as what an anchovy is to the origins of the phrase “cut the mustard.”
ChopChop: The Kids’ Guide to Cooking Real Food with Your Family is so good that here in Texas, it’s going to be placed in every one of our public libraries and over 1,000 of our public schools! I can’t wait share it with my 11-year-old chef, and now one lucky Lunch Tray reader can win a free copy of their own.
Just leave a comment below by 6pm CST, Thursday, November 7th. You can tell me why you’d like to win or you can just say hi. I’ll use a random number generator after the comment period closes to select one lucky winner and if you comment twice (e.g., to respond to another reader’s comment), I’ll use the number of your first comment to enter you in the drawing. I’ll email you directly if you win and announce the winner on TLT’s Facebook page, too. (This giveaway is open only to U.S. residents.)
[Blogger disclosure: As with most of my book reviews, I received a free copy of this book for my perusal. However, I never accept any other form of compensation for the book reviews you see on The Lunch Tray.]
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Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2013 Bettina Elias Siegel
Vicki says
Would love to add this to our cookbook library! PS. Wow – go Texas! Thinking I need to talk to our superintendent and see if we can get it put in all of our school libraries.
Andi Georgsson says
Cookbook sounds wonderful. My boys were cooks, but that’s fallen off. Thank you for reminding me to get them back into the kitchen. Coded hashtag personal to bes: #thursdays! #mybad
Michelle Szekely says
Would love to add this book to my collection of kid’s cooking books !
Alissa says
I only recently discovered Chop Chop (how is that possible???) but am in love and would be very excited to have a copy of the book!
Donna says
Glad to see this glowing review. You know we are big ChopChop fans. I’m delighted that TX is leveraging the good work that went into the cookbook by making it broadly available, as you mentioned. Hats off to TX Comptroller Susan Combs for making that happen:
http://m.digitaljournal.com/pr/1531024
kathy says
Hi Bettina!
Hope you & Mr. TLT are well.
My cousins are budding chefs and would love this book.
Courtney Barge says
Would love to have this! My kids (7&10) adore helping out in the kitchen, and already can cook several things by themselves (with stove supervision, of course). They love lots of different kinds of food, and I just want them to have fun learning to prepare it. Everytime I try to find a cookbook geared toward them, half the book is filled with dessert recipes & food that is merely served in “kid-friendly” ways.
Looking forward to finding a copy of this book.
Emily says
We love this magazine!
Tina says
We love Chop Chop! I especially love it that our pediatrician’s office has copies for people to take home with them.
Rachel says
This cookbook sounds marvelous! Love the magazine too!
Janice says
I have 6 grandkids, and would love to use this book with them!
Julie Eigsti says
I would love this for my 8yo son who is on the spectrum. He loves to help me cook and is always asking for cookbooks!
Vanessa says
I love any cookbooks but ideas for my kids is great!
Cee says
I’d love to win this for my daughter. She’s currently really into cooking, and frequently tells me that she wants to be a “chef cooker” when she grows up 🙂
Erika says
Would love to check this book out! I love to cook & would love if my kids would get more interested in helping out in the kitchen. They are loving watching the Kids Master Chef Junior on tv right now.
Gary says
My grandson would love this
Miranda says
I love cookbooks, and this sounds like a good one
bill says
sounds like a good Christmas present
Gretchen says
If they cook it, maybe they’ll eat it? (We can hope…)!
Monika says
A cookbook that is kid and real food focused would be a great to getting my kids in the kitchen more.
Kathy says
Love your blog! Love Chop Chop! I’d love to win!
Sydney McCoy says
Dear Ms. Siegel,
The new cookbook from ChopChop Magazine would be a great addition to my cookbook collection. I would like to present a proposal for our NC Schools to carry it in their libraries. I have been working to get kids and parents more involved together in the kitchen, having fun while eating healthy home made food. I think it is very important to get kids thinking about the food that they eat, get physical exercise and take charge of their future health. Please visit my web site, Sydneymccoy.com or see my cooking videos on You Tube.
Adrienne says
Looks like a great cookbook! Would love to use it with my kids and share recipes with my clients!
audra rose says
Would love to have my child experience healthy cooking and eating with his help.
Jane says
I’d love to win a copy of this to give my little cousin as a Christmas present! Chop Chop is a fun way to get kids to eat healthy food, and set them up with a skill set they will have for life!
kristi says
Love to cook with my kids and think we’d enjoy this!
Alicia says
I’ve been needing something like this.
Lynn Weldh says
My kids love to cook and would love this cookbook. Thanks for running the contest.
Debra says
Love the Chop Chop magazine. My 5 year actually ate the carrot salad we made from their recipe–and we had a great time making it.
Bettina Elias Siegel says
The entry period for this giveaway is closed.