Bedford Gazette p.13

Sam Stern has been a passion-ate cook for as long as he can remember. This is his first cookbook. It’s brilliant.”

That succinct review on the inside jacket of “Cooking up a Storm” is accurate, if some-what immodest, for it was penned by none other than

Sam Stern. That it comes off as mischievous rather than arrogant is a tribute to the talents of this spiky-haired 15-year-old from England, whose self-styled “teen sur-vival cookbook” is captivating multiple generations of readers on both sides of the Atlantic.

With its bright print, ample photographs, easy-to-follow directions and versatile menus, the book (Can-dlewick Press, $16.95) is the perfect gift for a son or daughter heading off to college. The recipes range from homey (Silver Dollar Pancakes) to exotic (My Friend Joe’s Thai Green Curry), with plenty of vegetarian op-tions. A front cover featuring an author as handsome as your dream prom date is a definite plus.

But what sets “Cooking Up a Storm” apart from other beginners’ cookbooks is its tone: blunt, humor-ous, enthusiastic and unmistakably adolescent. Its authenticity was apparent when San Stern gave an impromptu cooking lesson in New York City in early August to three teenagers recruited by The Associated Press to test recipes from his book. “

I wanted to write a book for kids like me in our own voice,” he explained in a lilting Yorkshire accent while his three students chopped and stirred.

“Some of my friends didn’t eat well because their par-ents work long hours — they’re doctors and such —

and I thought it might be nice to kind of point them in the right direction. They needed someone to give them a shove.” Sam needed no shoving. The son of an an-tique-book dealer and a Shakespearean acting coach, he’s the baby of a blended family of five children who all cook, and is 10 years younger than the next in line. By the age of 3, he was helping his siblings knead bread. By age 9, he was combing his mother’s cookbooks for recipes to make on his own. “The first thing I tried was gazpacho,” said Sam. “I had no idea what it was; I just thought it sounded cool.”

By age 11, Sam was watching all the cooking shows on British television and competing in the kitchen with his brother Tom, 21. “He likes to take over,” Sam Stern said with a laugh, “so I take up the challenge.” When the Tom left home for medical school, he sent text messages home requesting recipes from the fam-ily files. “We had never written them down, so my mom assigned me that task,” said Sam, who was 13 at the time. “It had to be simple enough to fit in a text message. That gave me the idea of putting them in a book to teach kids my age to cook.” He divided the recipes into categories that reflect their function in his life. The result is chapters with titles such as “When Friends Stop By,” “Exam Survival,” “Party, Party, Party” and “Impress Your Crowd.”

With his parents’ help, Sam pitched the concept to an agent, who promptly got him a contract with Walker Books, a London publishing house. Sam completed the manuscript during his summer vacation — “Well, technically,” he confides. “Then I had to chop it all down again, for I wrote far too much.” T h e book’s publication in Britain last October caused an immediate sensation. Sam made the rounds of the

morning television talk shows, and was invited to cook at a charity gala with his culinary hero, Jamie Oliver. “I was so nervous, I was like ‘Oh! Dear!’” Sam recalled. “But everyone was really nice to me, so helpful, and after it felt so good!”

Robust sales in Britain led to publication of the U.S. version this month by Candlewick, and an appearance on the NBC Today Show. He has a contract to write three more cookbooks, including one divided by fla-vors — “You know, like sweet, sour, salty and such” and another according to the time needed for preparation, “like, 10, 20 or 30 minutes.”

Will success spoil this unassuming young man be-fore he even graduates high school? Not to worry. Sam refuses to view any of his taped televised appearances — “It would be too weird watching myself ” — and pur-posely gave his friends the wrong airing dates so they’d miss his shows. Nor is there much of a buzz about him at school, he insists, despite his trans-Atlantic fame. “We have several outstanding athletes, including boys who’ve played cricket and rugby for England (against other countries),” he said. “So publishing a cookbook is not that big a deal.”

The recipes below from “Cooking Up a Storm” were prepared successfully for The AP by untrained cooks ages 13, 16 and 17. When served together, the dishes make an elegant three-course meal suitable for a din-ner party. “They were easy to make, they taste good, and I could even serve them to my parents,” said Darby Nelson, 17, an incoming senior at Bronx Science High School.

“This great Thai-style soup is so sweet you could al-most believe it’s not healthy,” says Stern, “but it’s full of great body boosters and improves night vision.”

Sam Stern

THE ARTof

“Cooking UpA Storm”

4 tablespoons butter 1 medium onion, chopped 10 carrots, peeled and chopped 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped Handful of chopped cilantro 4 cups of canned vegetable stock or water, or 3 cups

water plus 1 cup canned chicken stock 1/2 cup of canned coconut milk Juice of 1 orange 2 limes, cut into wedges Salt and pepper Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Tip in

the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook gently on low heat for about 5 minutes to soften without browning. Add the carrots and potatoes. Stir. Cover and leave to sweat for 10 minutes. Add the cilantro, stock or water, coco-nut milk, orange juice, a squeeze of lime, and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and sim-mer, covered, until the carrots are soft. This could take 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the carrots. Let cool, then liquidize in a blender until smooth. Reheat gently on a low flame, stirring, and check seasoning. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing. Makes 4 servings

Carrot Soup With Coconut and Cilantro

Cook up your own storm

2 garlic cloves

2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled

6 green onions

1 cup green beans

1 cup sugar-snap peas

1 cup baby corn

1 cup broccoli

2 tablespoons sunflower oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Pinch of sugar

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Juice of 1 lime (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)

1/4 cup cashews (optional)

Finely chop the garlic. Grate the ginger. Trim, cut in half, and

slice the green onions lengthwise. Cut the beans, peas and corn

into short diagonal lengths. Break the broccoli into small bits.

Heat the oils in a wok or large frying pan until hot. Add the

onions, garlic and ginger and stir for 1 minute. Add the other

veggies in turn, stirring between each addition. Stir for 5 more

minutes. Season with sugar, salt and pepper. Add the soy sauce

and the lime juice, cilantro and-or cashews, if using. Makes 4

servings as a side dish, 2 as a main dish for vegetarians.

Veggie Stir-

Fry

Food Features

Sweet Thai-styled soup

By Molly Gordy

Photo by AP Photo Staff

Photo by AP Photo Staff