The Green Teen Cookbook Paperback – Illustrated, 1 Mar. 2012

Good cook book for a teenager, perhaps a little thin, but well presented.

The name is catchy, the ease of use as a functioning cookbook works well (pages open wide), the recipes seem pretty easy to follow, but the tone of the entries inside are set by the images on the front cover, and they are just not enticing for a teen looking for something to start from. Having teens myself, they were excited about the cookbook, especially with one being in the pastry arts at the local tech school, but it because quickly evident that these recipes were just not the kind they had much of an interest in. There is a varied amount of recipes in the book; How To's, guide, basic sections and a big bonus is that the dessert section does not take up any more than the other sections. I can't say how many times I've picked up a cookbook to find that the majority of the recipes were desserts.There are plenty of different recipes in this cookbook. Everything from how to boost up your basic yogurt to those with flair, such as rancheros. There are numerous ethnic type recipes in this book that are great beginner type recipes if one's interested in expanding their palate. The downside is once again, the pictures with the recipes. Several of them just aren't eye appealing to the point of wanting to try them out. Another downside is that there are just too many ethnic recipes in the book. A different name for this cookbook could provide a whole different outlook on it and as the primary chef in the household, I have to say that it's marketability would rise.I do like the fact that the majority of the recipes have ingredients that aren't hard to find and have the common names used. If you've ever gone looking for Asian chili paste, you know this dilemma well. The guide in the beginning of the book is full of great information for the upcoming consumer. This guide gives information on how to eat healthy and seasonally. It also provides the basics on organic food, vegetarianism, the pros of buying locally and what is fair trade. Everything that consumers young and old need to know, throwing out a lot of the mystery and giving the reader the beginning knowledge to either take as is or grasp and research further.All in all, a good cookbook for teens who are looking to mix things up a bit. A bit of a overhaul on the pictures and possibly a name change are things that I find would really make this cookbook stand out over all the others on the market. Cookbooks are kind of like restaurants, the good ones prosper and are well visited, those that are kind of all over the place get one time visits and those that just don't pop and sizzle from the get go, are rarely looked at.

Looking for an easy to follow, but environmentally friendly cookbook, then this is the book for you. Simple,tasty recipes. So if you want to eat well, pay less, and help save the planet then this is the book for you.