Cookery book for nearly-8 year old

[EndoplasmicReticulum]

My son has been inspired by Junior Masterchef and wants to start cooking meals for the family. He is not the sort to just experiment in the kitchen, he likes to follow instructions. I'm after a recipe book with good photos, clear instructions, and that makes stuff we all want to eat. Not kiddy meals or anything in the shape of teddy bears, proper food, if you see what I mean.

Any recommendations welcome!

Usbourne do a good range but I recently got Hungry out if the library (by innocent smoothies company) and that would be good.

I'd highly recommend the HFW family cookbook as well as it educates you a bit about food and cooking. Also every recipe I have cooked from there has become a family favourite. It is my most used book and I have cooked about 80% of the recipes (which is good as I'm a cookbook junkie).

Oh, was going to recommend Revolting Recipes, but it might be a bit on the silly side. My dd loves it though!

I'd recommend Usborne too! Love their books!

What does HFW stand for nicknamegrief?

Another vote for Usborne!

Had a look at Usborne on Amazon, but the "cookbook for boys" and "cookbook for girls" thing has annoyed me - the boys one does look good, but if I had a girl she'd only eat pink biscuits!

Can't help with a good answer, but yes, the girl's Usborne one is pretty crap (I didn't buy it for dd!) - even if what you want to do is bake the recipes aren't great. Looks like a marketing thing rather than a cookbook written by someone who cares.

There is a teenager who writes good cookbooks, annoyingly I can't remember his name, we've had them from the library. Sure someone will come along who knows him.

I've got Usborne Book of Baking which is good. If your DS really gets into it (maybe a couple of years older) then the Heston Blumenthal family food book is fascinating.

Our local library had a good selection.

www.amazon.co.uk/River-Cottage-Family-Cookbook/dp/0340826363/ref=sr_1_16?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354177130&sr=1-16
Agree about Hugh-really good book with proper cooking and lots of advice about why we do things-eg knead bread etc.

a couple of reviews on that RC family cookbook say that the times given are not correct. Things take a lot longer to cook than the recipes state. Is that your experience too?

dd has the DK Ultimate Cookbook for children which is good, I think, for a beginner.

River Cottage book looks good, will look out for a copy for dd (and me) - thanks!

Thanks for recommendations - the Usbourne ones do look good. My mum has the River Cottage book so might give that a borrow.

I chose this one in the end, from Amazon:

[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Easy-Peasy-Real-Cooking-Kids/dp/0091868408/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354382985&sr=1-5]

Didn't get a new one though, funny Amazon prices! It's just what I was after.

sorry, try link again
www.amazon.co.uk/Easy-Peasy-Real-Cooking-Kids/dp/0091868408/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354382985&sr=1-5

have never come across that book before. Hope it is what you want. I think it is nice to have some pictures in a cookbook, dd likes to thumb through them getting ideas and I think it the picture more than the name of a particular recipe that catches her eye.

I liked the look of the Usborne ones too but what puts me off American cookbooks is the different measurements they use (non-metric and also things like a stick of butter etc). My dd has an American cookbook which has nice recipes but for this reason it just isn't straight-forward to use and I thought the Usborne ones are probably the same.

That book looks great, I might buy it for my dds (and dh lol!)

We have the Sam Stern books http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooking-Up-Storm-Survival-Cookbook/dp/1844287742/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354526157&sr=8-1 was his first one. Aimed at teenagers but ideal for your son I should think. My DDs love them.

Sorry, rubbish link try again

Read whole thread now and see you have already got one, but Sam is worth checking out for next time.

I'm thinking about getting the River Cottage family cookbook for dh to cook with the kids. Good one to get? Amazon reviews are v good.

V expensive though, even the used copies.

WH Smith have it for half price:

www.whsmith.co.uk/Products/The-River-Cottage-Family-Cookbook+Paperback+9780340826393

Whoops - posted too soon! It's paperback, maybe it's better to splash out for the hardback - might stay open better...?