In addition to being a great cook, my mother taught Spanish and Italian.  I have many fond childhood memories of cooking with my mother. I remember making flan, crepes, pasta, pizza and all sorts of different foods. I traveled around the world by way of my kitchen. 

Cooking encouraged a love of languages, and I grew up to be an adventurous eater. I’ve traveled around the world, and I’ve tried all sorts of exotic and delicious foods. 

If your child is a picky eater, try preparing meals together.  If your child feels some ownership over a meal, he’s more likely to eat it.  Start by picking an easy-to-make recipe or by using a children’s cookbook.

I received a review sample of the Handstand Kids Chinese Cookbook, the newest book in their cookbook series for children ages 3 to 12. The Handstand Kids Cookbook series introduces children to the language and cuisine of other cultures through fun, easy-t0-make recipes. Ingredients and utensils are listed in both English and Mandarin.

The Handstand Kids Chinese Cookbook comes packaged in a large takeout box with child-friendly plastic chopsticks. Recipes are rated by difficulty from 1 to 4 chopsticks. A 4 chopstick recipe requires more parental help, but an older child should be able to make a 1 or 2 chopstick recipe with minimal assistance from mom.   

With my help, my young product tester made The Great Wall of Chicken Lettuce Wraps while learning about the Great Wall of China. The food was healthy and delicious, and we had fun in the kitchen.

You can buy the Handstand Kids Italian, Mexican or Chinese Cookbooks online for $28 at www.handstandkids.com or at Amazon.

• Shrek Cookbook: Dine with Shrek and Fiona
• The Littlest Foodie
• The Baby Bistro Box: It’s What’s For Dinner