Summer Berry LiLLiPiES
Adapted from a recipe in Pie for My Birthday, a cookbook for young people.
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Sweet Inspiration: A Princeton Baker Nurtures Young Chefs with a Cookbook Written Just for Them
LiLLiPiES Bakery (Princeton) chef-owner Jen Carson grew up in a big Italian family, one that took great joy in cooking together.
“Every holiday all the ladies would cook and chat,” she says. “When I was a little girl, I felt like I was part of a very exclusive club when I was able to join in the preparations. I treasure the memories of cooking and baking with my mom, aunts, grandmothers, and great-grandmother.”
A pivotal event in Carson’s culinary education occurred on a visit to her school’s library in the first grade, and the power of that experience recently inspired her to write a cookbook for children.
“I had checked out a children’s cookbook and remember thinking I had found a treasure,” she says. “The book was very old and had some black-and-white line drawings. I brought it home and my mom and I baked our first loaf of bread.
Pie for My Birthday author Jen Carson and illustrator Sofia Schreiber
“It felt like magic to be able to bake something we had never made before,” she says. “I remembered the joy of baking that loaf when I wrote our little book.”
That book, Pie for My Birthday (illustrated by Sofia Schreiber), includes recipes that are simple, tasty, and thoughtfully written. Carson’s goal is to encourage young bakers to roll up their sleeves and bake—and she invites the grownups in those kids’ lives to participate as well.
“If you enjoy cooking, ask your child to join you. Let your kids be your guide,” she says. “Expect that there may be a mess. Seek out local farmers’ markets, orchards, and farms to show kids where their food comes from. Even a trip to the grocery store can be inspiring.
“Children can learn so much from hands-on cooking,” she continues. “They practice patience, measurement skills, delayed gratification, listening, organization, planning, and small motor skills, and can take pride in a job well done. They can experience the joy of making something special for someone else. And the memories of baking with loving adults can last a lifetime.”
Pie for My Birthday is available at LiLLiPiES Bakery and Homestead Princeton. Order at Amazon or at lillipies.com for delivery anywhere in the continental U.S.
LiLLiPiES Bakery
301 N. Harrison St., Princeton
lillipies.com
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