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Milk Bar Life – A Review

Posted on June 2, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Milk Bar Life by Christina Tosi
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Christina Tosi is well-known for Milk Bar, the sister bakery of David Chang’s restaurant, Momofuku. Prior to receiving this cookbook for review, I was unfamiliar with either Tosi or Milk Bar. Warning: this cookbook is NOT a collection of fancy desserts found at the bakery. This is a collection of recipes that Tosi creates when she’s off the clock. Some of the recipes featured are family recipes passed down from her grandmother or those that must make an appearance at family gatherings. There are recipes that are made for “family meal” when her kitchen staff eats together before service begins. There are supermarket-inspired recipes featuring corn flakes, Ritz crackers, boxed cake mix and refrigerated tubes of crescent rolls. I’m not sure that some of the recipes can even be called recipes like Brown-Butter Cinnamon Toast and Blue Cheese Pretzels?!! This is not a stuffy cookbook, but one that focuses on flavors, not fuss. This book shows that chefs don’t always have the time nor energy to create fancy schmancy meals when they get home at who knows what hour after a long day in the kitchen. Milk Bar Life reads like a conversation with your best friend. Tosi’s writing is so down-to-earth and real. I love her philosophy that we all deserve at least one cookie a day, or for her, more like five a day…and that’s not including work cookies! This book has been in my possession for over a month now and I have yet to make anything from it. While this is a fun read, it doesn’t have many recipes that are appropriate for my every-day repertoire. On my to-try list though are a few of the desserts. Nothing earth-shattering, but Crock-Pot Cake, Hershey’s Kiss Roll and Crackle all appear to be easy and tasty.

Since receiving this book, the Weekend Chef brought home cookies from Milk Bar which he got from their stand at pop-up UrbanSpace Garment District in New York City. It was nice being able to read this book while sampling some of the deliciousness that Tosi is so well-known for. Tosi is a judge on the sixth season of MasterChef, that premiered May 20. This is not the last that we will be seeing or hearing about Christina Tosi or Milk Bar!

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Universal Yums! May 2015

Posted on May 27, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

There’s something fun about getting a surprise package in the mail! After waiting for months, I finally got off the wait list for ipsy and was receiving make-up bags each month. The Weekend Chef was getting a monthly subscription to Birchbox for Men. However, as fun as these boxes were to get every month, there’s only so many male grooming products out there that the Weekend Chef could use. For myself, I just don’t wear make-up very often, so most of the products went unused in the cute bags I received each month. We decided to cancel our subscriptions and find something the whole family could enjoy.

As food lovers, what a better subscription for our family to enjoy than a food-themed one?!!! But, there are so many different ones out there to choose from. Well, we decided to try Universal Yums! This is an international snack subscription box that started in December of 2014. Each month they send a selection of snacks from one particular country. Previous countries include Scandinavia, China, Italy, Brazil and Germany. Unfortunately, you cannot currently order a previous month’s box. The selection includes a mix of salty, sweet, spicy and more. You can choose between either The Yum Box (6 or more snacks in each box) for $13 or The Yum Yum Box (13+ snacks each month) for $25. Of course we decided to opt for the larger, Yum Yum Box.

I received an e-mail on a Wednesday that my May box had shipped and the box arrived on Friday, shipped 2-day priority mail. May’s snack box theme was Israel.

When you first open the box, the snacks are wrapped in tissue paper that looks like the flag of the country. an information card is enclosed that provides facts about the featured country as well as a run-down of the products included in the box.

So what was included in the box?

1. Original Bamba – This was a 1 ounce bag of Bamba peanut snacks. These have the appearance of a puffed cheese doodle with a peanut butter flavor. They only have four ingredients, peanuts, corn, palm oil and salt. The adults thought these were okay, the kids liked them a lot.

2. Bamba with Hazelnut Crème Filling – This was a 2.1 ounce bag of Bamba snacks that are similar to the original, but include a hazelnut filling. The flavor reminded the Weekend Chef of Reese’s Puffs cereal, with a hint of chocolate and the shape reminded him of Combos. We all enjoyed these and this was my daughter’s favorite snack in the box!

3. Elite Popping Milk Chocolate – This was a 3 ounce chocolate bar and definitely won has most fun item in the box. This is a chocolate bar that contains Pop Rocks so with every sweet bite you get a popping party in your mouth! This was the Weekend Chef’s favorite snack in the box!

4. – 7. Toffee Fruit Chews – The box contained four of these fruit chews – 2 strawberry, one peach and one green apple. We all got to have one. The kids liked these, the Weekend Chef and I thought they were okay. They tasted like fruit toffee and were okay. This was my son’s favorite snack in the box!

8. Falafel Bissli – This was a 2.5 ounce bag of super crunchy little falafel-flavored sticks. Prior to eating these, I made falafel so the kids would be familiar with the flavor. Although they weren’t the biggest fans of these, these were my favorite snack from the box. I love falafel and thought these snacks were flavorful.

9. Pinuki Cola Dragees – This roll included 12 pieces of cola-flavored candy. Our son really liked these, but no one else did. I’m a big soda fan and to me, these had an “off” type flavor that didn’t remind me of the alleged cola flavor.

10. Achva Marble Sesame Halva Bar – This 2.45 ounce bar was the family’s least favorite snack in the box. From the wrapper, our daughter thought it would have a chocolatey-flavor. Boy was she disappointed! This bar was chalky and dry with a sweet flavor that none of us liked.

11. Pesekzman Elite Classic Chocolate Bar – This 1.59 ounce milk chocolate bar consisted of five squares that had a wafer-like hazelnut filling. This was one of my favorite candy’s in the box The wafer filling reminded me of the inside of a Ferrero Rocher chocolate. The Weekend Chef wasn’t a big fan of this one, but that meant one square for everyone else and two squares for me!

12. B&B Pretzels Mega Sesame Sticks – This was a 5.3 ounce bag of pretzel sticks. These sticks are baked, not fried and are covered in sesame seeds. They are pretzels…….nothing special, but a decent size portion of the snack.

13. Kif Kef Chocolate Bar – This 0.65 ounce candy bar was about the size of a snack size Kit Kat bar. Even the name Kif Kef sounds like Kit Kat. It tasted like a Kit Kat bar to us. This was a “snack size” serving so we each only got a bite.

14. Mini Elite Hazelnut Chocolate Bar – This 0.63 ounce chocolate bar was the size of a Snicker’s snack size candy bar. Again, we each only got a small taste of this candy bar. This had a nougat-like filling with hazelnuts. The Weekend Chef thought this was similar to a Snickers bar, which the info card compared it to (and he didn’t look at the card!). I didn’t think it tasted like a Snickers and it wasn’t my favorite.

15. Bissli Smokey snacks – This 2.5 ounce bag of crunchy wheat snacks had a smoky flavor to them. My son thought they had a “bacon-y” flavor and liked them, where my daughter thought they were just okay. I love salty, crunchy snacks, so I enjoyed these a lot. While the bag notes that it’s 2 1/2 servings, if I was eating these out of the bag, I’d eat the whole thing in a sitting!

This was a fun box of snacks! Although we didn’t love everything, it was a great experience getting to try new snacks from another country. There was a great mix of sweet and savory. Size-wise, the majority of the snacks were shareable for our family of four where we each got a decent taste of each snack. Although, we literally each only got a bite of the couple of snack-size chocolate candy bars. We paced ourselves to try about one snack a day, so the fun of our box lasted for quite a bit of time. Although now I can’t find it, I thought that I had read somewhere that Universal Yums! was not going to be sending chocolate items during the summer months (probably so you don’t have a melty chocolate mess!).

While this box is fun and tasty, as a former teacher, I feel like this box is a great teaching tool as well. Although this was only our first box, we enjoyed it a lot and the Weekend Chef and I think it’s a fun way for the family to experience a new culture together! Be sure to check out tomorrow’s Armchair Travel: Israel post on how we extended our learning about Israel after receiving our snack box!

*We purchased this box.

Recipe for Adventure: Hong Kong!

Posted on May 26, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

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Recipe for Adventure: Hong Kong! by Giada De Laurentiis
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This book is the third in Food Network chef Giada De Laurentis’s Recipe for Adventure series. While most children’s chapter book series don’t have to be read in order, this is a series where I do recommend starting with the first book Naples! This way, readers will get a little background into Zia (Aunt) Donatella and how siblings Alfie and Emilia travel to different countries. In this book, the brother and sister are transported to Hong Kong and are mistaken for foreign exchange students who are supposed to be visiting Ying and her family. The two end up helping Ying’s family as they get ready to open a restaurant, The Golden Lion. The book takes place at the start of the Chinese New Year. The reader gets an in-depth look into the food, traditions and symbolism of the holiday. Alfie and Emilia receive new clothes, which is a custom of the New Year (and helps since they never arrive in the selected country with luggage!) and watch parades and fireworks. As with the other books in this series, De Laurentis really gives a detailed description of the food in Hong Kong. Red melon seeds, kumquats, chicken feet and pan-fried oyster cakes are only a few of the foods mentioned. Alfie struggles with learning how to properly use chop sticks and discovers stabbing the food with the chopstick is considered bad luck. Other superstitions, like not cutting or breaking long noodles, which represent prosperity are also mentioned. There’s also a side story that takes place in which Ying disobeys her parents and sneaks around to practice gymnastics, which she’s really passionate about and very good at it. Alfie and Emilia help Ying show her parents how skilled she is.

There aren’t many food-related, travel fiction books for children. This is a fun series, geared toward older elementary-aged students (grades 3 through 5) that gives them an in-depth look at the food and customs of different countries around the world. Alfie and Emilia are characters that children can relate to and the stories are engaging and adventurous. Each book also comes with two recipe cards, which for this book included “Zia’s Scallion Pancakes” and “Zia’s Shrimp Dumplings.” There are currently five books in this series. We highly recommend this book, as well as the first two and we will continue to read the rest of the series.

Edible Arrangements: A Gift For Any Occasion

Posted on May 21, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Last week I had laparoscopic surgery. The day after my surgery I received a flower delivery from a friend and the edible arrangement, pictured above, from my nieces. This box contained four chocolate covered strawberries, bananas and green apple slices. The strawberries and apple slices are dipped in semisweet chocolate and the bananas are dipped in a semisweet/white chocolate combo. Chocolate-covered fruit is best eaten in a day or two, as the strawberries can get a bit juicy/mushy. There are four of us in the family so we each got to try one piece of fruit (even though when I called my sister to thank her, she told me to hurry up and eat them before the kids got home!) and finished the box in two days. The fruit was fresh and sweet. This box was a perfect, “Get Well Soon” gift that didn’t cost a fortune. Many people who are ill or have had surgery like myself, are either on special diets or often just don’t have their normal appetites. While those giant edible fruit arrangements look beautiful and are tasty, they may not get eaten if sent as a “Get Well” present. Those large arrangements need to eventually be taken apart. Cut fruit must be stored in the refrigerator and does not have a very long shelf-life. So, maybe save those larger arrangements for family gatherings (a graduation or large birthday celebration?) where they will get eaten!

Even though my sister lives in Maryland, she was able to place the order and have a local franchise deliver it to my house. Edible Arrangements creates fruit arrangements that can range anywhere from $29, like the box I received, to arrangements that cost almost $700! They have special kids themed arrangements including Disney, SpongeBob and Hello Kitty and can create arrangements for any special occasion or holiday. Edible Arrangements is a franchise operation, with over 1,200 stores in 12 different countries around the world. For additional information or to place an order check out the Edible Arrangements site.

*I was not compensated for the following review. I received the Edible Arrangement box from a family member as a gift. I enjoyed the product and wanted to share a review with you.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (Book Review)

Posted on May 19, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

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Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I knew author, Barbara Kingsolver, as a fiction writer, having previously read her book The Poisonwood Bible. I had first started listening to the audiobook version of this book, narrated by Kingsolver and her family several years ago. I had not finished listening to it before it was due back at the library and hadn’t attempted to finish it until now. For those who have read Plenty (see our review here) this book will seem familiar. Kingsolver and her family move from Arizona to a farmhouse in the southern Appalachians, with the goal of eating locally for a year. Kingsolver and her family use the land to grow vegetables and raise chickens and turkeys. If they can’t grow or raise it themselves they choose to buy it from someone local who does. This book differs from Plenty, in that it is a family undertaking. Lily, is just eight, when the family underwent their year of living locally. The family also allowed for some luxury “cheat” items, including coffee, hot chocolate and dried fruit. Although Kingsolver’s teenaged-daughter, Camille, was away at college for the majority of the year, the book includes occasional excerpts in which she shares her thoughts on the experience. She also provides recipes and seasonally appropriate meal plans. Kingsolver’s husband, Steven, also provides additional commentary and information on current food issues. The book is not all serious and preachy. I found Kingsolver’s chapter on turkey mating to be humorous and interesting.

Some critics of this book feel that Kingsolver gets a bit preachy and they are not wrong. For many of us, it is unrealistic for us to grow our own food, make our own bread, can fruits and vegetables, raise chickens, etc. But I agree with Kingsolver that tomatoes in January, transported to the grocery store from across the country (or world) do not taste as good as the fresh tomatoes grown in our garden in the summer. Just because we can get any type of produce throughout the year, doesn’t mean we should. However, while making homemade cheese sounds fun it is realistically not something that I see myself doing. My husband is not home to make fresh bread daily (and that’s not something that I am undertaking!). Reading this book will make you think about the food you’re eating in a new way. It brings up the importance of eating locally and seasonally and the effects that industrial agriculture has on small farms. I am almost positive everyone who reads this book will learn something new.

*I borrowed this book from the library.

My Mom Loves Me More Than Sushi

Posted on May 12, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

My Mom Loves Me More Than Sushi by Filomena Gomes
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This picture book is a great way to introduce children (and adults!) to different foods from around the world. The little girl who narrates the story tells the reader that her mom loves her more than ____ (a different food around the world). Each food named (sushi, biscotti, samosas, etc.) has an illustration of what the food looks like and a little, white flag with the name of the country it comes from. For the most part, the foods are described well enough for the reader to get an idea of what the food is. A map in the beginning and end of the book illustrates where each of the foods mentioned in the book comes from. I see this book as being a great starting off point in cooking and trying new foods. “Remember the biscotti from Italy that the girl and her mom ate? Why don’t we try some?!” There were foods mentioned in the book that I was unfamiliar with like canja and megadarra. This book is illustrated, but could me more interesting and educational if actual photographs of the food were shown as well as flags of the different countries.

*We borrowed this book from the library.

Blue Hill At Stone Barns- A Review

Posted on May 6, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

We were fortunate to dine at this year’s winner of the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant. Hosted this past week in Chicago, the James Beard Awards are like the Academy Awards for the food world. Blue Hill at Stone Barns had been on our food bucket list for years. Price-wise, this is a special occasion meal to be sure. We thought our eleventh wedding anniversary was worthy of such a trip! Taking the economic hit to one’s pocket out of the equation, we would go monthly since the experience and menu changes almost non-stop. The restaurant is located on the farm at Pocantico Hills, NY. As you drive to get to the restaurant you pass the fields and animals that your food is coming from. Blue Hill is a farm-to-table restaurant and whenever an ingredient is at its peak, that’s when it’s put on the menu. There is no menu, so-to-speak, to order from. Instead, diners are greeted with a field guide of sorts that outlines the monthly calendar of those ingredients, from summer tomatoes to winter preserves that are in season. You are also provided with details of what is going on at the farm year-round: harvesting, pickling, canning, planting, etc. Chef Dan Barber and his staff then create a tasting menu incorporating those ingredients. We were there just at the cusp of warm weather in the first week of April. The winter was exhausting this year and the menu reflected a larger percentage of winter versus springtime ingredients. Chef Barber and his team don’t fight the seasons, they embrace the availability as nature provides.

We lost count of how many courses our 3.5 hour meal consisted of. The deconstructed salad course, consisted of three different plates. We didn’t get utensils until at least the third or fourth plate in. Since April’s theme was “grazing, pecking, rooting” we were encouraged to eat with our fingers. One perfect mussel sitting on a bed of mussel shells, a piece of dried moss flaked with dried venison, smoked fish on a piece of wood….the dishes sound simple, but had layers of flavors and ingredients. The simplicity was found in the presentation, where the food was plated on interesting dishes but without a lot of garnish. Some of our favorite dishes were the kohlrabi tacos with all of the accoutrements as well as our special field trip to the kitchen where we sampled bread made from specially designed wheat with homemade ricotta cheese made from the milk of the cows on the farm. By the dessert courses, the Mrs. was so stuffed that she had tastes of everything but couldn’t eat it all!

For wine lovers, the restaurant has an extensive wine list. There was a nice selection of seasonal cocktails and the bartender even created non-alcoholic cocktails for the Mrs. based on her taste preferences. Blue Hill offers a wine pairing to go with the menu as well as a non-alcoholic cocktail pairing if you so choose, for an additional fee.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns is not only within the confines of a functional farm, but there is also an educational center on the expansive property. Dan Barber has an ongoing quest to innovate and educate and that is evident during service. We were given lessons by our captain about the ingredients, cooking and preserving processes and historical context for several of our courses. Although we are both eager to learn, it was challenging sometimes to pay attention while anticipating the next course, knowing it will be more than fantastic.

And we can’t not mention the impeccable service. While we were on our “field trip” to the kitchen our table was set with a new tablecloth and napkins. Crumbs were wiped away, dishes were taken away and water was refilled as unobtrusively as possible. On our way out, our car was waiting for us with the engine running and the lights on.

When you dine at Blue Hill you are not having dinner, you are having a dining experience. And if you are like us, after you have dined once, you will be counting down the days until you are able to go back and experience it all again!

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

Posted on May 4, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

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Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I first listened to this book on CD many years ago. I only recently picked up the book to read again and loved it as much as I did listening to it the first time. This memoir follows Ruth Reichl from 1993 through 1999 while she was the restaurant critic for The New York Times. Well-known, and recognizable, Reichl realizes even before she officially starts her job that she’s going to need to disguise herself while dining out. Through this book we meet several of her different personas including Molly, Miriam, Chloe and Brenda among others. Reichl discovers that when dressed in “character” she actually becomes a different person, from her behavior and mannerisms, to her speech. I found it fascinating to get an inside peek at the life of a restaurant critic. I’ve always said that a restaurant critic is my “dream job.” However, reading this makes me see that it isn’t always that glamorous. We see that recognized restaurant critics get preferential treatment over the everyday diner. Reichl has had to eat many less than stellar meals and sometimes experience horrible service when disguised. She would dine at restaurants like Le Cirque five times before writing a review. She isn’t a food snob though and enjoyed little hole-in-the-wall restaurants as much as the fancy ones. I also realized that restaurant critic isn’t such a great job for a mother, when Reichl’s young son wishes his mommy could eat dinner at home with him every night. This book is not focused much on cooking but you will get some of Reichl’s recipes and amazing descriptions of foods that she’s eaten in the many restaurants that she’s reviewed.

*I borrowed this book from the library.

Foodie TV Review: The Layover

Posted on April 30, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

The Layover (2011) Poster

This week’s review from the Weekend Chef is on another TV food series. As promised last week, we’re seeing Anthony Bourdain again. Love him or hate him, he has been prolific over the last decade with food-based programs and especially food-based travel programs. Don’t be surprised if he pops up again in a future review.

The premise of The Layover is the idea that if you have a couple of days in a city during a layover, how do you make the best use of the time? Anthony Bourdain gives the impression that every episode involves a real layover on his way somewhere else. I’m not buying it. Just be honest with me, Travel Channel, and say it’s pretend and then I can stop thinking about it while I watch. In any case, every episode of the show focuses on one city (Los Angeles, Amsterdam, London, etc.). He typically has a local guide of sorts taking him to all the best food spots in town. Some are in the main tourist areas and some are off the beaten path. Anthony tries to boil down and enjoy the essence of the city in the short span he’s there. He interviews both chefs and locals alike to get a handle on the culinary and cultural trends. More often than not, the real and best parts of a city can be enjoyed both inexpensively and without pretense: pubs, taco shacks, greasy spoons. This is essential the way our family tries to access a new place, by ignoring the overpriced tourist traps and franchises and find the unique and local. It would probably help to have a dedicated guide and a bunch of chefs eager to share their wares, but we seem to do ok without. Internet research can be your friend.

How do you find your way around a city? Please share in the comments section!

Children’s Books About Gardening

Posted on April 28, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Spring is officially here and the weather has finally started warming up. That means it’s time to get ready to garden! Here is a collection of books that we’ve read recently in preparation. This year we will be creating home-made earth boxes and doing some other container gardening, for lack of space. If you need a little gardening inspiration, here are some children’s books that we recommend!

Board Books:

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Planting a Rainbow by Louis Ehlert
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This classic picture book is now in board book as well! The child narrator describes the process of planting a rainbow, starting with bulbs, ordering seeds, selecting seedlings and watching and waiting for the rainbow to grow! The end of the book contains layered pages with different colored flowers. Each flower is named. This book has simple text and bright, colorful pictures.

We borrowed this book from the library.

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The Secret Garden: A Flowers Primer by Jennifer Adams
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is a colorful board book for very young children. It’s a great introduction to flowers, with bright, beautifully illustrated, flowers. Each set of pages names the flower and contains a quote. It’s simple yet captivating.

*We read this book at the book store.

Fiction Picture Books:

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The Imaginary Garden by Andrew Larsen
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Theodora, a.k.a. “Theo” visits her Poppa in his new apartment. She loved the garden that he used to have at his old house. While it’s too windy on his balcony for real flowers, she comes up with the idea to plant an imaginary garden. Poppa buys a large canvas and the two spend time planning and then “planting” their garden. My daughter felt “the story was just okay but the book has really pretty pictures of flowers.” I liked that the story focused on Theo and her Poppa sharing a memorable experience. However, I think even a city dweller with a balcony can have a small container garden and grow something.

*We borrowed this book from the library.

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Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

In this picture book, Mr. McGreely is excited to plant a garden. As his garden grows, three bunnies come and “visit” every night eating his vegetables. First Mr. McGreely builds a small wire fence. But when that doesn’t work he tries building a wooden wall and finally a fortress around the garden. He finally outsmarts those bunnies…..or hasn’t he?!! This was an okay read for us. Unfortunately, I can relate, but have to fight deer, instead of bunnies!

*We borrowed this book from the library.

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Strega Nona’s Harvest by Tomie dePaola
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Tomie dePaola brings back Strega Nona and Big Anthony in this picture book about gardening. It is spring and Strega Nona takes out her seeds and gets ready plant this year’s garden. She has special methods of gardening, including never planting seeds in the same spot, waiting until the full moon to plant the garden and singing a special song. Big Anthony decides that he’s secretly going to plant his own garden as well. Strega Nona’s garden brings a bounty of vegetables which she stores for the winter. But Big Anthony’s garden also does very well and he leaves piles of vegetables outside Strega Nona’s door each night. The rest of the town’s gardens didn’t do so well, so Strega Nona delivers vegetables and holds a Harvest Feast for everyone. At the end of the book though, she still doesn’t know who has been leaving all of the vegetables! dePaola is a well-known children’s author, with many children being familiar with Strega Nona and Big Anthony. This story is a bit lengthy for very young children, who may not have the attention span to sit through the entire book. There are several Italian words used throughout the book, but unfortunately, with no pronunciation guide!

*We borrowed this book from the library.

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Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

To help feed his hungry family, Hare comes up with a plan to become business partners with lazy Bear. Hare and his family use Bear’s land to plant and harvest and the two split the profits. This sounds agreeable to Bear until he discovers how sneaky Hare is. When Bear gets tops and Hare gets bottoms Hare and his family get carrots, beets and radishes. When Bear calls bottoms Hare gets lettuce, broccoli and celery. This is a cute story that illustrates how different vegetables grow.

* We borrowed this book from the library.

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The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This picture book is narrated by a young girl who doesn’t like that her mother’s garden looks different than all of her neighbors’ gardens. They all have pretty flowers while her family’s garden grows ugly vegetables. But when her mother uses the vegetables to make a tasty smelling soup that has all the neighbors stopping by, the girl’s feelings about her mother’s garden changes. The author includes a picture glossary of the ugly vegetables that includes their pronunciation, definition, and the names written in Chinese characters. There is also a recipe for Ugly Vegetable Soup.

*We borrowed this book from the library.

Non-Fiction Books:

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Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is a picture book biography about Will Allen, former professional basketball player turned farmer. The book tells the story of how Allen took deserted greenhouses and turned them into a thriving garden. He then went on to educate and teach others how to farm. The book has an afterword that Allen giving young readers pointers in how they can help people around the world have “better, safer and healthier food to eat.” He also invites them to visit Growing Power Farm, his urban farming project, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The illustrations and the text in this book teach kids about the importance of urban gardening in a fun and easy to understand way. It shows how believing in something and hard work can pay off. I had actually not heard of Will Allen until we read this book.

*We borrowed this book from the library.

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Kid’s Container Gardening: Year-round projects for inside and out by Cindy Krezel
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This book starts with a quick introduction of what plants need to survive. Then, starting with spring, author Cindy Krezel provides four container gardening projects for each of the four seasons. I liked that the list of supplies needed for each project was fairly short. The directions for each project are simply written for kids to follow, noting when parental assistance is needed. A glossary of more advanced terms used in the book is provided at the end. Unfortunately, my daughter wasn’t interested in any of the projects and said she’d like to help me when I do my gardening.

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The School Garden: Reason with Shapes and Their Attributes by Sebastian Avery
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This non-fiction book published by The Rosen Publishing Group is part of the Rosen Readers Common Core Math series. This book focuses on geometry showing real-life application of skills needed to plan a garden. The narrator describes the planning of a school garden. Each class chooses a different size garden to plant and decides on different things to grow in their garden from flowers to vegetables to herbs. Each set of pages shows how the garden is partitioned and uses fractions and different colors to illustrate. The book has colorful photographs and includes a glossary at the end. This is a good book to reinforce fractions and shows how such skills are useful in “real life” that can be used both at home or in the classroom.

*We borrowed this book from the library.

If you have any other recommendations for children’s books about gardening, please share in the comments section! We are always on the look out for new books!