Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Dr. Seuss
By Georgeanne Brennan, photography by Frankie Frankeny
Random House; $16.95
64 pp.; ISBN-13: 978-0679884408

Review by Amy Brozio-Andrews

With an inventive eye for creativity and cooking, award-winning cookbook author and cooking school proprietress Georgeanne Brennan presents the Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook. What better way to dazzle your children -- the same ones who want to hear The Cat in the Hat 900 times -- than by whipping up a Cat in the Hat Tub Cake?

Brennan bridges the whimsy and fun of Dr. Seuss' world with the practicality of cooking and baking. She has adapted and invented recipes for breakfast, lunch, snacks, beverages, and desserts. Brennan combed through 44 books written by Dr. Seuss for mention of meals, snacks, and drinks as well as culinary inspiration -- from the straight-out-of-the-book Yinks' pink ink to the made-up Schlottz's Knots (fancy pretzels). Brennan's very "Seussian" style and tone that she uses in recipe descriptions, paired with food photographer Frankie Frankeny's (The Star Wars Cookbook) photos and Dr. Seuss's illustrations, reflects the style and tone of the original works. Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook is quite complementary to any Seuss bookshelf; my own child easily recognized it as a Seuss-y book, what with the photo of green eggs and ham on the cover.

Brennan leans heavily on healthy ingredients and stove/oven free cooking. Most of the recipes incorporate fruits, vegetables, yogurt, etc., however detailed nutrition information is not included, nor is preparation or cooking time. Substitutions for various ingredients (like cilantro, chilies, etc.) are readily suggested, as are shortcuts. For example, in the eponymous recipe, a glazed ham is patted with bright green cilantro, but Brennan suggests halving the cilantro and substituting half parsley if desired -- it's easy to further adapt the recipe and cut out the cilantro completely if your family so desires. In a nod to busy parents everywhere, store bought angel food cake and doughnuts are OK-ed for two dessert recipes.

A clever combination of Seuss illustrations and food photography -- the Yink drink is a cool-looking Pink Yink Ink Drink (a blend of fresh fruit, milk, and honey) -- further identify each recipe with its corresponding Dr. Seuss title. Quotes from the relevant book introduce each recipe.

This covered spiral-bound cookbook's recipes include many steps that kids can accomplish themselves or with minimal assistance. A few of the recipes do require some cutting and oven or stove use, but for the most part, these are very family-oriented recipes, with parents and kids working together in the kitchen. This joint effort is part of Brennan's goals and in this, she succeeds marvelously. Most parents probably do remember a favorite Dr. Seuss book of their own -- here's the chance to share it with their kids and take a little trip down memory lane. While the book may look a bit gimmicky at the outset, the kid-oriented recipes could cook up some family fun in the kitchen. And really, isn't that what it's all about? (Besides, green food coloring in the eggs and ham really only works once, doesn't it?)