Kids In The Holiday Kitchen by Jessica Strand

On the first floor of the Riverwalks Shops, situated at the end of Mill Street in historic Occoquan sits one of my favorite stores.  Salt and Pepper Books is the brainchild of owner Christine Myskowski, a long-time collector of cookbooks with a dream of opening a specialty book store.  Christine opened Salt and Pepper Books just over a year ago, and is about to launch the store on-line at saltandpepperbooks.com.

You must believe me when I say that there is something special about this little shop.  I have yet to meet a bookstore that doesn't make me want to curl up and call it home; I hold dear my collection of library cards, one from every place we have been stationed; I read, on average, three books a week.  All this is to assure you that I know a great bookstore when I find it.  Walking into Salt and Pepper Books inspires in me every culinary ambition I have ever held.  As I peruse the shelves, I can imagine baking the breads I used to purchase from the Bäckerei truck in Germany, perfecting my Pad Thai and entertaining like Martha.  Okay, I don't really aspire to be like Martha, but goodness knows my entertaining skills could use a boost.

Since it's that gift-giving time of year, I asked Christine for a list of her best-selling children's cookbooks.  You can kill two birds with one stone here, first by knocking out some Christmas shopping for the children on your list, and second, by arming yourself with creative and healthy menu ideas for your young cooks. 

Kids In The Holiday Kitchen by Jessica Strand

A kid-friendly guide to a host of easy-to-make Christmas projects for children, including recipes for simple main courses and holiday treats, decorative ornaments, craft projects and gift ideas. 

What’s Cooking?: A Cookbook For Kids by Thomas Keller

This cookbook is inspired by Disney/Pixar's movie Ratatouille, and mixes fun and flavor to shows kids how to make recipes like Emile's Sewer Sandwiches; includes an introduction and recipe from Thomas Keller, the chef and owner of The French Laundry. 

Pillsbury Kids Cookbook: Food Fun For Boys And Girls

A fun collection of recipes designed to teach children the basics of cooking, including plans for tea parties, slumber parties and other special occasions. 

Kids Cook 1-2-3 by Rozanne Gold

Using only three ingredients in each recipe, this simple cookbook teaches children how to make tasty treats for every meal of the day, such as Smiley Eggs, Tomato Melt and Bowties with Broccoli. 

Kitchen For Kids: 100 Amazing Recipes Your Children Can Really Make by Jennifer Low

This cookbook offers recipes that provide clear instructions about the ingredients, methods and tools, and includes sections on meals, breads and cookies. 

Honest Pretzels by Mollie Katzen

The author of the Moosewood Cookbook presents 65 amazing recipes for cooks ages 8 and up, including Spaghetti Pie and Crunchy Zucchini Circles, all beautifully hand-illustrated. 

Pretend Soup by Mollie Katzen and Ann Henderson

The author of the Moosewood Cookbook, Mollie Katzen pairs up with educator Ann Henderson to present extensively classroom-tested and home-tested recipes for children preschool age and up, including whimsical step-by-step directions for the children and instructions for the adult helper.