Weeknight Winners, Family Dinners - by Jack Zhang & Emmy Zhang (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

From the beloved family behind the internet phenomenon Cooking for Levi, a practical collection of 30-minute meals designed for the whole family--with eight keys to raising good eaters while also developing connection and language.

Weeknight Winners, Family Dinners does two things exceptionally well: 1) It delivers eighty recipes that come together in less than an hour--most in thirty minutes--and that will please kids and adults alike. 2) Provides key tips that give parents and caregivers ways to connect with their school age kids over the dinner process, even during the weeknight witching hour. They include Let Kids Eat Off Your Plate, Ask Open-Ended Questions, Make it Tender, Erase the Bogeyman, Don't Force It, and Let Your Kid Pick Out Stuff While You Shop. Each recipe includes a "What kids can do" idea and conversation starters that develop language and connection. Jack and Emmy Zhang show that all the things you are doing anyway, from shopping to prepping to lighting candles, are opportunities to connect and have fun with your child, while also naturally building language, confidence, curiosity, and kitchen skills.

Recipes for main dishes of all kinds, noodles, salads, sides, snacks, and desserts include the following:
- Shiitake Mushroom Stroganoff
- Five Spice Butter Chicken
- Bean and Onion Stir-Fry
- 5 Minutes Cheesy Garlic Toast
- Baked Potato Soup
- 30 Minute Chili
- Brown Butter Banana Brownies
- Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Review Quotes

"Levi is the enchantingly articulate little boy whose videos have captured the hearts and fascination of close to two million social media viewers. Now we can enjoy the inspiring and inventive meals his Dad Jack and he make together. Their story is beautifully written and shared by his charming Mama Emmy. It is a beautiful marriage of Emmy the linguist and Jack the chef, both encouraging and educating their imaginative child to be his own person. Levi has the gift of making us all see things anew with his engagingly clear-eyed vision. The lessons and recipes are invaluable for everyone." -Rose Levy Beranbaum, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Cake Bible

About the Author

Jack Zhang is a chef who has cooked at casual and upscale restaurants and for NFL players in the Buffalo, New York, area. With his wife, Emmy, he launched Cooking for Levi, the wildly popular online cooking channel featuring their now four-year-old son, Levi. Along the way, fans learn recipes and tips for developing both a love of food and cooking as well as language in a kid. Jack was born in Guangzhou, China, and raised in Brooklyn.

Emmy Zhang earned her MA in child development from the University of Buffalo, where she also earned an undergraduate degree in applied linguistics. A native of Buffalo, she is a writer and English professor.