‘Gadgetology’ makes cooking fun for kids

Getting children interested in cooking is all about making it fun. Cookbook author Pam Abrams wants to show you how.

Her recent book, “Gadgetology,” offers creative ideas for using 35 common kitchen gadgets for a variety of food and craft projects.

Abrams offers simple recipes and projects for each gadget. A meat mallet makes chicken satay, as well as smashed berry “paintings.” Wooden skewers go into kebabs and stick figures (cork bodies and paper clothing added). A salad spinner is used to make spinach quesadillas and to create spin art with paper and food coloring.

Some of the projects will require close adult supervision (the immersion blender and marinade injector among them). But most (such as turning a balloon whisk into a maraca by filling it with bells and craft pompoms) are child-friendly.