The best cookbooks for kids and parents

Why am I passionate about this?

Gina Meyers is well known for her popular culture television trivia and cooking expertise books related to Harry Potter, Twilight, and the iconic television show Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie. Gina's Love At First Bite, The Unofficial Twilight Cookbook was featured on the NBC hit show, The Office. Gina's goal is to reignite the spark of imagination and creativity in the kitchen, introducing youth, teens, and fans of magical sitcoms to the culinary arts.


I wrote...

From Muggles to Magic: The Complete Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

By Gina Meyers,

Book cover of From Muggles to Magic: The Complete Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

What is my book about?

Smuggle in some muggle magic with The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: From Cauldron Cakes to Butterbeer And More! Inside this new and improved edition of The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: From Cauldron Cakes To Butterbeer, you will find all things sugary to satisfy your sweet tooth, including Ron’s Love Spell Sugar Cookies, Butterbeer Cupcakes, Pumpkin Juice, Hermione's Precious Potion, Mulled Mead, Rock Cakes, Treacle Crisp, Pumpkin Fudge, Yorkshire Pudding, Cauldron Cakes, King’s Cross Butterscotch Bars, Harry’s Tea and Get Out Of a Jam Cookies, Cockroach Clusters, and much, much more, if you dare.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Official Bewitched Cookbook: Magic in the Kitchen

Gina Meyers Why did I love this book?

I love this cookbook because it is a collectible and a treasure. Kasey Rogers was Louise Tate, the boss's wife from the television show, Bewitched. I was fortunate to have coordinated a book signing at Barnes and Noble in 2005 with Kasey. I got to hear firsthand knowledge of her memories of being on the set of Bewitched. She actually was able to participate in a lot of cast parties and be invited to the star of the show’s home, so the recipes are authentic. Everyone knows that "Samantha Stephens" didn't have to lift a finger in the kitchen... Now, "Bewitched" fans everywhere can share the kitchen with "Louise Tate" (the boss's wife) as she conjures up the magic that turned "Samantha Stephens" into a household name. In The Bewitched Cookbook, you'll discover "Cousin Serena's" "I-don't-cook" quick-fixes, "Dr. Bombay's" exotic banquets, "Maurice's" special drinks and delicacies, "Endora's" wickedly tasty tricks and treats, "Samantha's" never-before-revealed private recipes for Perfect Pizza and Benson's Chili Con Carne - the special dishes that saved "Darrin's" career, and hundreds of other fabulous recipes that are as simple as a twitch of the nose!

By Kasey Rogers, Mark Wood,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Official Bewitched Cookbook as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Everyone knows that "Samantha Stephens" didn't have to lift a finger in the kitchen... Now, "Bewitched" fans everywhere can share the kitchen with "Louise Tate" (the boss's wife) as she conjures up the magic that turned "Samantha Stephens" into a household name. Join Kasey Rogers and TV's most eccentric cast of characters for a delectable return to our television heritage - and a delicious reminder of why "Bewitched" still charms and dazzles after thirty years!
In The Bewitched Cookbook, you'll discover "Cousin Serena's" "I-don't-cook" quick-fixes, "Dr. Bombay's" exotic banquets, "Maurice's" special drinks and delicacies, "Endora's" wickedly tasty tricks and treats,…


Book cover of The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

Gina Meyers Why did I love this book?

With this cookbook, dining a la Hogwarts is as easy as delicious. If you are looking for a unique themed cookbook and want a lot of British-inspired recipes, look no further. With more than 150 easy-to-make recipes, tips, and techniques, you can indulge in spellbinding meals drawn straight from the pages of your favorite Potter stories.

By Dinah Bucholz,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Synopsis coming soon.......


Book cover of At Home on the Range

Gina Meyers Why did I love this book?

I met well-known author Liz Gilbert at a book signing in San Francisco. She was friends with a fellow cookbook author from Estonia and New York who recommended we meet Elizabeth Gilbert. While Liz was unpacking boxes of old family books, she rediscovered a book called At Home on the Range, written by her great-grandmother, Margaret Yardley Potter. Having only been peripherally aware of the volume, Gilbert dug in with some curiosity, and soon found that she had stumbled upon a book far ahead of its time. Part scholar and part crusader for a more open food conversation, Potter espoused the importance of farmer’s markets and ethnic food (Italian, Jewish, and German), culinary shortcuts, and generally celebrated a devotion to epicurean adventures.

By Margaret Yardley Potter,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked At Home on the Range as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

_______________ 'Ideal for those who like their recipes to come with a back story ... The book is tremendously funny, and her cooking was way ahead of her time' - Sally Hughes, BBC Good Food Magazine 'Hilarious' - English Home _______________ Recently, Elizabeth Gilbert unpacked some boxes of family books that had been sitting in her mother's attic for decades. Among the old, dusty hardbacks was a book called At Home on the Range, written by her great-grandmother, Margaret Yardley Potter. As Gilbert writes in her Foreword: 'I jumped up and dashed through the house to find my husband, so…


Book cover of Essential Nourishment: Recipes from My Estonian Farm

Gina Meyers Why did I love this book?

I met Marika Blossfeldt in Paris, France at the Gourmand Cookbook Fair. She wrote a beautiful and nourishing cookbook from her farm in Estonia. Essential Nourishment is a cookbook and nutrition guide fusing an appreciation for the sensual pleasures of natural foods with a sensible approach to nourishment. There is a yummy carrot ginger soup and lots of immunity booster recipes.

By Marika Blossfeldt,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Essential Nourishment as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Visually stunning and potentially life-changing, Essential Nourishment is a cookbook and nutrition guide fusing an appreciation for the sensual pleasures of natural foods with a sensible approach to nourishment. It is your feel-good guide to living well, one delicious meal at a time, one nurturing action at a time.

The recipes inspire you to create dishes that are both mouthwatering and easy to make. These flavorful, nutrient-dense meals also give you the energy you need to lead an active life for years to come and pursue your passions with enthusiasm and delight.

Essential Nourishment helps you to:

choose food purposefully,…


Book cover of Betty Crocker Cookbook

Gina Meyers Why did I love this book?

An original and one of the most helpful cookbooks I have come across. There is no wrong answer when it comes to cooking, everything in the Betty Crocker cookbook is step-by-step. Learn to make chicken pot pie, how to make great pie crusts and more.

By Betty Crocker,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Betty Crocker Cookbook as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is the book home cooks have come to trust; the 12th edition of the Betty Crocker Cookbook, with updated recipes, new photography, plus expanded and new chapters to meet the needs of today's home cooks. With 1,500 recipes and variations, and more than 1,000 photos, this colourful new edition packs a punch. How-to step-by-step photos show rather than simply tell how to get great results. The new Technique features explain fully the concepts behind techniques such as braising, deglasing, and hot water-bath canning. A Make-Ahead feature shows how to make a batch of one item and use it various…


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The Wonder of Jazz: Music that changed the world

By Sammy Stein,

Book cover of The Wonder of Jazz: Music that changed the world

Sammy Stein Author Of Fabulous Female Musicians

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been passionate about music for almost my entire life. Jazz music in particular speaks to me but not just jazz. I love music, full stop. I really discovered jazz when I attended a jazz club workshop in London and there, I had to join in or leave. I chose to join in and since then I have never looked back. I was introduced to more jazz musicians and now write about music for three major columns as well as Readers’ Digest. My Women In Jazz book won several awards. I have been International Editor for the Jazz Journalist Association and had my work commissioned by the Library of Congress. 

Sammy's book list on female musicians

What is my book about?

With input from over 100 musicians, the book discusses what exactly jazz is, and how you know you are listening to it. Do we truly know when and how jazz first originated? Who was the first jazz musician? How does jazz link to other genres? What about women in jazz? And writers and journalists? Do reviews make any difference? 

This book is a deep dive into jazz's history, impact, and future. It discusses jazz's social, cultural, and political influence and reveals areas where jazz has had an impact we may not even realize.Its influences on hip hop, the connection to…

The Wonder of Jazz: Music that changed the world

By Sammy Stein,

What is this book about?

This book is very different from other, more general jazz books. It is packed with information, advice, well researched and includes experiences from jazz musicians who gleefully add their rich voices to Sammy's in-depth research. All genres, from hard bop to be-bop, vocal jazz, must instrumental, free jazz, and everything between is covered in one way or another and given Sammy's forensic eye. There is social commentary and discussions of careers in jazz music. The musical background of those in the book is rich and diverse.
Critics comment:
"This new book by Sammy Stein is a highly individual take on…


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