Blue Moon Soup: A Family Cookbook

Blue Moon Soup will appeal to all the children in your house, even the ones who are now just kids at heart. The youngest ones will enjoy having it read to them, recipes and all, while they look at Jane Dyer's enchanting illustrations of dancing broccoli, a marching chicken, and a star-spangled, juggling clown. Hearing about Polka Dot Soup (black bean soup dotted with chopped sweet red pepper) and Brrroccoli Soup au Gratin (cheesy and creamy) might even enchant fussy youngsters into tasting something they normally shun. They can then assist in the kitchen as you make Ch-Ch-Chili or they can wonder at the magic of Abracadabra Soup, in which a beaten egg spins strands that cook in simmering, cozy chicken and rice soup (Avgolemono to the grown-up set).

Children old enough to chop can do much of the preparation for One Potato, Two Potato, as well as for Lickity Split Pea Soup. Ultimately, for soups that have become family favorites, older kids may want the accomplishment of cooking from scratch on their own. If they do, the grownups will have no complaint, as the dishes in Blue Moon Soup are as sophisticated as in any cookbook for adults. Most recipes are mild enough to suit young palates, as author Gary Goss uses the same seasonings as he would for adults, calling only for lesser quantities, such as one-half teaspoon of dry mustard in his fish soup, and two tablespoons of optional wine. For some youngsters, though, omissions may be desirable, while for the adults, adding more generous amounts of the seasonings will avoid blandness.

The recipes in Blue Moon Soup are grouped by the seasons, but stirring up a batch of Believe It or Not! Ice cream soup is sure to bring smiles all around the table at any time of year. --Dana Jacobi