Having children in the kitchen is not a recent innovation. Children and teens often learned how to cook by watching relatives throughout history, as a normal aspect of family life and routine. It is common for people to credit their mothers, grandmothers, and/or other family members for their knowledge, and the passing down of recipes. The memories of time spent in the kitchen together are often fondly remembered. In the cookbook, A Russian Jew Cooks in Peru, the author dedicated the book to her mother “who always allowed little kibbitzers in her kitchen.” Over time, the idea of children in the kitchen took on a different meaning and significance. Previously, children learned how to cook as a matter of domestic economy and as preparation for homemaking. They were now able to do so for fun and enjoyment. As such, cookbooks that were specifically written for parents and children were initiated by professional publishing houses, demonstrating the market for such items. We have multiple examples of these trends in the AJHS cookbook collection. Well-known food writers such as Joan Nathan have written books exclusively about cooking with children (The Children’s Jewish Holiday Kitchen, first published in 1987). In past decades, there has been a proliferation of books about this topic, encouraging parents to cook with their children and introduce them to kitchen skills. These cookbooks often focus on using kitchen tools and techniques in age-appropriate ways, and feature recipes meant to appeal to children. Pizzas, simple baked goods, and other healthy snacks are consistently featured, as well as non-food recipes, such as play-dough.
A large component of the AJHS cookbook collection falls into the category of “community cookbooks.” Such cookbooks are authored by organizations and their members for fundraising or outreach purposes. AJHS has hundreds of community cookbooks in our collection from all over the United States that showcase regional foods and communities. We have some examples of cookbooks written by children and teenagers for school fundraising, while simultaneously highlighting their schools and communities.
What’s Cookin’?, a cookbook published in 1981, was written by the Hanna Sachs Girl’s High of the ICJA of Chicago. This book was meant to raise money for the Senior Annual fund. The recipes included are kosher, and they range from stuffed cabbage, cholent, and tongue, to chicken chow mein, chop suey, and ‘health foods.’ These recipes were commonly featured in community cookbooks written at this time. Interestingly, a recipe for ‘Katharine Hepburn brownies’ was included in the book; this recipe stemmed from an incident where Hepburn was in a car accident and was given brownies by a neighbor as a ‘get well present.’ However, Hepburn had revisions for the neighbor about her recipe (specifically, ‘too much flour!’), so the recipe was tweaked accordingly. This incident was written about in various publications, including The New York Times.
Tasty Tiplets: All Time Recipes, a cookbook published in 1995, was written by the 6th grade girls at the Brookline Torah Academy in Brookline, MA, and was dedicated to their English teacher, Mrs. Lewenberg. According to a letter titled “Dear Cook” at the beginning of the book, the idea came about because the young women would sit in class on Thursday and discuss what recipes they would be cooking with their mothers over Shabbat. Mrs. Lewenberg then suggested the girls create their own cookbook, as they all seemed accomplished in the kitchen. The group created the illustrations and invited other students and faculty to submit recipes, with a prize given for each recipe submitted. We know the prize was one Laffy Taffy for each recipe, as the students thank their teacher for paying for the candy herself to encourage a high level of participation.
These two cookbooks, like the community cookbooks written by their adult counterparts, show the connections within communities, the pride and love for their families, and the desire to share a “favorite family recipe” with others to enjoy – and the creativity and time expended by the people who create them.
