Kitchen Chaos is the first book in the fun new MG series, SaturdayCooking Class, by JillEllyn Riley and Deb Levine.
The authors stopped by to chat with the MUF. Here’s what they had to say:
Deb:
I love food. I love to read about it, think about it, shop for it, and–of course–eat it. But I don’t love to cook it. Oddly enough, it took me most of my adult life–that’s thousands of meals–to realize this about myself. The thing is, I love the idea of cooking–it’s the act of doing it I dislike. I don’t have the patience for all of the measuring and peeling and chopping and mixing and blanching…you get the idea. I’m a lazy chef, and an even lazier recipe follower–which drives my husband, who comes from a long line of Viennese bakers, absolutely crazy. If I don’t have an ingredient on hand, I’d rather skip it or improvise than run to the store and buy it. Sometimes, I’m lucky, and whatever I substituted actually works. Other times, my slacker tendencies are a recipe for disaster.
I’ve written about food from time to time throughout my career, for magazines and in a non-fiction book I authored about the history and traditions of Valentine’s Day (with recipes!). But before The Saturday Cooking Club books ( The Icing on the Cake , the second in the series, hits shelves in September) , I’d never written so much about the act–or, as I now understand it, the art–of cooking. A few chapters into Kitchen Chaos, I discovered that I have almost as little patience for writing about cooking as I have for, well, doing it.
Luckily, I have a co-author who understands that good food–and good food writing–can’t be rushed. JillEllyn’s instincts about how much detail and history to include in the chapters about cooking (which is most of them) made our books not only more authentic, but also more fun. With her help, as long as The Saturday Cooking Club series continues, I’m determined to keep fending off my impatience with the cooking scenes. I’m not quite as committed to self-improvement when it comes to actual cooking, however. So if you send me an invitation to a dinner party and I promise to make something, what I really mean is that my husband will bake.
JillEllyn:
Unlike my co-author Deb, I don’t get swept up in recipe reading or get excited walking through a farmer’s market imagining what we could eat for dinner. But as she would quickly point out, I do cook. I definitely cook. There is something about the chopping & the measuring, the pouring & the sifting, the folding & the beating, that feels like telling a story. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end. There is a journey from start to finish, an evolution. While I cook, I feel like I am telling a story, the story of my family. In our family, the food defines us, the food tells us who we are and where we came from — it describes the time of year, celebrates the occasion, sets the tone and reflects the atmosphere. Summer is here when a blueberry buckle emerges from the oven, with its cinnamon topping bubbling and crackling. If not for the dozen different kinds of Christmas cookies–some requiring complicated steps over multiple days at a time–will the magic of Christmas really unfold?
Both of my grandmothers were excellent cooks. One grandmother relished the planning and the prep, she found the hours in the kitchen productive, nurturing, and necessary. For my other grandmother, there were books to be read, surfaces to be painted, ideas to be pondered. Still, she always cooked. They used their food to tell the story of our family. The treats on their tables showcased the eras that shaped them–the stringencies of the Depression or the conveniences of the 50s & 60s (Jello salad anyone?). Now, in the years since they died, great-grandchildren continue to ask for Nana’s fudge or apple sauce or wilted salad. Cooking their food brings them with us, keeps them in the ongoing story even as it writes itself in Brooklyn–years and miles away from where it started. So I may not love to cook, but I do love to keep telling the family story, through food.
Kitchen Chaos is the story of three diverse, spunky seventh grade girls who discover that sometimes, you just have to stir things up. Their adventures mix friendship, family, food, and a pinch of romance. When they wind up taking a cooking class with their trio of strong-willed moms, well, things definitely get hot in the kitchen…
Thanks, you two! You’ve got our mouths watering. Deb and JillEllyn are giving away FIVE Copies of their new book. To be eligible, just leave a comment below.
Tricia is the author of many books for middle grade, most recently "Every Single Second" (HarperCollins) and the third book in the Cody series, "Cody and the Rules of Life" (Candlewick Press). A frequent speaker at schools, libraries, and conferences, she lives in Cleveland OH. You can find out more about her and her work at www.triciaspringstubb.com
Thank you all for your excitement about Kitchen Chaos–we did our best to make it “full of flavor.” And a special thanks to msyingling, one of our earliest fans–I hope you find The Icing on the Cake to be a real treat!
I love cooking (mostly baking) I’m not always successful, but I keep trying anyways. I do find that books about food inspire me which is usually produces good results in the kitchen. 🙂
I loved this one! We need more books about young people who have a passion for something and work on it! This was upbeat, diverse… so many good things. Hooray for you both! Can’t wait to see what you come up with next. (PLEASE make it happy, too!)
Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Amie and Shannon. We’re thrilled to have you here. Congrats on the launch of Dancing in the Storm. It’s so inspiring and powerful. I had...
From the Mixed-Up Files is the group blog of middle-grade authors celebrating books for middle-grade readers. For anyone with a passion for children’s literature—teachers, librarians, parents, kids, writers, industry professionals— we offer regularly updated book lists organized by unique categories, author interviews, market news, and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a children's book from writing to publishing to promoting.
This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, please see here: Read MoreClose
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Discover more from From The Mixed Up Files
Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.
This sounds fun! I have a home ec club and this might be great to add to our fun!
Oh wow, this book sounds right up my alley! Loved hearing about the authors 🙂
I side with JillEllyn when it comes to cooking. It is quite like telling a story!
This sounds really good. Can’t wait to get my hands on it! 🙂
This looks like a really fun book and series. Thanks for the post and the chance to win.
This will be a popular one in my school’s library!
Thank you all for your excitement about Kitchen Chaos–we did our best to make it “full of flavor.” And a special thanks to msyingling, one of our earliest fans–I hope you find The Icing on the Cake to be a real treat!
My stomach’s already rumbling!
This definitely is a yummy giveaway! Can’t wait to sink my teeth into these books!
yay!! It looks yum.
Mmm… food is one of my favorite subjects!
I love cooking (mostly baking) I’m not always successful, but I keep trying anyways. I do find that books about food inspire me which is usually produces good results in the kitchen. 🙂
This looks like a really fun read – the kind of thing I’d have loved in middle school.
I loved this one! We need more books about young people who have a passion for something and work on it! This was upbeat, diverse… so many good things. Hooray for you both! Can’t wait to see what you come up with next. (PLEASE make it happy, too!)