Teens! Want to turn up the heat and get cooking in the kitchen? Check out these great recommendations to get you started or to continue your culinary capers!

How to Cook Everything: The Basics by Mark Bittman
Do you learn better using illustrated step-by-step instructions? Do you want to know what kitchen tools will make it easier for you to cook? 

Each recipe in this cookbook includes a picture to help you follow the directions. The book explains and demonstrates basic cooking techniques as well as useful kitchen tools. The recipes all include suggested variations, so you can customize dishes to your taste. Be sure to check out the basic macaroni and cheese and an egg drop soup with lots of variations. 

Teens Cook: How to Cook What You Want to Eat by Megan and Jill Carle, with Judi Carle
Do you want to find an easy way to cook some of the foods that you like to eat in restaurants? Do you like straight-forward recipes that you can make for your friends and family? 

The recipes in this cookbook are easy to follow—most have only five or six ingredients. You will find this book handy if you are cooking for yourself or for others. The recipes are illustrated by colorful pictures, so you know what the dish should look like when you have finished. The next time you’re in the kitchen, try preparing the chicken quesadillas and roman apple coffee cake. 

How to Boil Water: Life Beyond Takeout by The Food Network
Do you want to know more about how to select ingredients at the store? Do you want to prepare dishes that stand out? 

You can learn some basic techniques from this cookbook that will help you make a variety of different dishes. It takes you from the supermarket to the table, helping you choose the right ingredients and then showing you how they can be used in a wide array of dishes. There are lots of great tips that will help with your cooking skills, including how to choose and prepare fruits and vegetables and store food safely. We liked the smoothie recipe, the crispy broccoli with spicy garli,c and maple-roasted butternut squash. 

Knife Skills How to Carve, Chop, Slice, Filet by Marcus Wareing
Do you want to make your meal prep go faster? Do you want to feel more confident in the kitchen? 

This book explains how to use knives correctly to help you become a better and safer cook. Informative images show you how to cut everything from fruits and veggies to chicken, meat, and fish. We liked the directions for cutting french fries and cutting a whole chicken into eight pieces. This book does not include recipes, but the techniques will help you with everything you cook.

Twist It Up by Jack Witherspoon
Do you need more recipes you can make when you don’t have much time? Do you want some good basic recipes?

This cookbook contains lots of recipes that are great for weeknight meals. Several of our favorites are spinach and cheese enchiladas and roasted sweet potato wedges. The author, Jack Witherspoon, is a young cancer survivor who is sure to inspire his readers with personal stories as well as meals worth savoring.
 

Booklist compiled by Phyllis Snyder, Culinary Literacy Center volunteer.