Kids' Kitchen, Vol. 1--Cookies

Lee Hascall is the host and instructress for this brief introduction to making cookies which is aimed at children aged 6 and up. After a few cautionary words about cleanliness in the kitchen, the program covers four simple projects: stir and drop sugar cookies, brownies, ice box cookies, and "mix-up" (this last being a kind of creative free-for-all where, depending upon the ingredients the child adds to the basic recipe, the finished product may be more like bread or more like cake). Although it's nice to see the subject of cooking handled in a creative and pleasant manner (as opposed to an overproduced, special-effects laden program, that makes the kitchen resemble a Disneyland ride), the ambience is a bit too old-fashioned for today's children. Right off the bat, a child is going to run into problems, when Hascall emphasizes the importance of using a flour sifter (we're not sure that that many modern families own flour sifters). While the concept and the instruction are good, the tape seems to be locked in a time warp; it's nostalgic without being attuned to the realities of the modern kitchen. Not a necessary purchase. (Available from: Kids' Kitchen, P.O. Box 25503, Portland, OR 97225.)