License to Cook

The latest entry in the "You Can" series (the last, You Can Fly a Kite, was reviewed in VL-11/95) is an entertaining hoot. The "You Can" kids are stuck at the summer camp from hell where the food consists of green jello and a main dish that looks like something you'd use a pooper scooper on instead of a fork. The chef is a mean-spirited villain named Eunice Bumble ("I saw Annie 14 times; best documentary ever made") who clearly hails from the "dark side of food service." When the kids just say no to another day's slop, and decide to challenge Ms. Bumble to a food test (the kids argue that they can make a better tasting, more nutritious meal), the gastronomic battle lines are drawn. Although the kids encounter a few trials and tribulations along the way, they pick up some excellent pointers at the California Culinary Academy where they (and young viewers) will learn how to make a pretty darn healthy pizza. Fun, educational, and scripted with more than a little wit, License to Cook passes the taste test with flying colors. Highly recommended. Two additional new titles are available: Bake My Day and Household Marching Band. Aud: K, E, P. (R. Pitman)