By Julia Rose
As we celebrate Read Across America Day, it is wonderful to consider the creative ways we can foster a love for reading (and cooking) in kids.
Nanette Lavin, author of “Recipe Road Trip, Cooking Your Way Across the USA” lived in Connecticut for years without ever realizing New Haven was the home of the first hamburger (at least according to Louie’s Lunch!). And for many people, this is reflected in their own lives. For example, did you know that ketchup dates to a Virginia recipe from 1824? Every year, Americans are eating tomato sauce that can be traced to a recipe from 200 years ago!
Researching the rich history of food in the U.S. and territories, Nanette was surprised by the fun facts she learned, especially after discovering that in Longview, Washington you can find squirrel bridges. It’s a fact I think will bring a smile to most people’s faces. But these facts aren’t just fun — they are empowering!
Ever since Nanette was a young girl, baking her highly adored chocolate chip cookie bars for friends and family, she realized that food brought people together. Cooking birthday cakes and comfort food for the kids around her, as a mother and preschool teacher, Nanette found that they would “light up” when tasting new foods for the first time. These experiences are what encouraged her to take her love of cooking and turn it into a children’s cookbook.
“Recipe Road Trip” isn’t just a cookbook, though, it’s a journey through America. As Jackie Kennedy once said, “There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.” Nanette hopes these recipes inspire parents to have conversations with their kids about cooking, geography, and the wonderful cultures that exist within America. In “Recipe Road Trip,” you can find a map of the country. “Where will we go today?” and “What type of cultures are here?” are questions that Nanette hopes parents ask to fuel their children’s curiosity about places they didn’t know existed. She believes that cooking is the best way to foster community and asks readers throughout the country, “Why don’t we all try a bite of each other’s food”? Read, cook, and taste across America; you never know what you might discover!