Congratulations to Matthew Locricchio who was mentioned along with his newly released cookbook, “The 2nd International Cookbook for Kids”, in The New York Times today.

“The 2nd International Cookbook for Kids” exposes young chefs to authentic flavors and cultures from around the world – Brazil, Greece, India and Thailand. While there are many new cookbooks for kids this winter, Locricchio’s cookbook is getting rave reviews from both adults (The New York Times) and the most important critics - kids (Oregonian).

Click on the article below to view the whole story.

Just how do you get your kids in the kitchen to cook? Give them Matthew Locricchio’s The 2nd International Cookbook for Kids!

This is a very exciting time for kids cookbook author and chef Matthew Locricchio. His newest cookbook The 2nd International Cookbook for Kids was released on October 1st and by October 14th his book was included in a feature story on the front page of the FoodDay section of the Oregonian. His book received a great review by 10 year old Lia Knox-Hershey. Congrats Matthew! This looks to be a great gift for kids this holiday season. You can read more about Matthew and his cookbooks at www.cookbooksandkids.com.

The 2nd International Cookbook for Kids in the Oregonian

Spicy Chicken Salad

He doesn’t have his own Food Network show and his name isn’t on plates in Macy’s, but kids love to learn about food from this guy. Matthew Locricchio wears many hats – chef, teacher and award-winning author. He is the real deal. His cookbooks whisk kids away on a global adventure, connect them to cultures and build their confidence through pure and authentic recipes. With the success of his first international cookbook for kids, Locricchio is gearing up to release The 2nd International Cookbook for Kids in October 2008.

Shrimp with Feta Cheese and Tomatoes

Locricchio’s first international cookbook for kids featured “the big four” of world cooking – China, France, Italy and Mexico. In 2005, it was the winner of several awards including the Disney Adventures Magazine Award for Best Hands-On Book and the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for the Best Cookbook for Children and Families in the USA. The 2nd International Cookbook for Kids maintains the same high standards and design of the first book but includes “the next big four” of world cooking – Brazil, Greece, India and Thailand.

Finished! Shrimp with Feta Cheese and Tomatoes

We received one of Locricchio’s advanced cookbooks and took full advantage of the recipes. I chose to make the Spicy Chicken Salad (Thailand), the Shrimp with Feta Cheese and Tomatoes (Greece) and the Brazil Nut Cookies. These recipes are more advanced than the typical kids cookbooks I remember from my childhood and what I’ve seen in the bookstores today, but they are all easy to follow. This would be a great gift for the holidays for your child or grandchild and a great resource to teach kids about culture through food.

Lota chose to try out the Hearts of Palm salad (Brazil)…

It’s me Lota. Maybe I’m just a kid at heart, because I truly enjoyed reading each and every step of the simple-to-make Hearts of Palm Salad, but most importantly I LOVED eating it.

This is a 10 minute recipe that may be designed for budding chefs that can still count their age on two hands, but it could just as easily be a last minute dish for entertaining people closer to middle age. So for my purposes, I’ve renamed this dish “The Kid-At-Hearts of Palm Salad.” The simplicity is surprising, because the complementary flavors in the salad are actually complex and the presentation is gorgeous.

This is officially my new summer potluck dish. It’s easy to prepare, beautiful, a little exotic and pleasing to palates of all ages. Try it and you’ll like it, I swear… cross my heart.