Gadgetology

Book excerpt: Getting kids involved in the kitchen at an early age is a great, hands-on way to introduce them to new foods and teach them valuable skills. Gadgetology makes it fun - kids and parents alike will love this activity book, chock-full of experiments, recipes, and games using 35 kitchen gadgets. Parents will appreciate spending quality time with their children, broadening their kitchen horizons at an early age. Children will love using ''grown-up'' gadgets - from an apple peeler to a whisk - to play games, try simple recipes, make crafts, and conduct fun experiments. A box grater is certainly handy for shredding mozzarella to make Super Easy Lasagna, but its also great for shredding crayons onto wax paper to be ironed into ''stained glass.'' Leftover walnut shells cracked with a nutcracker for Fudgy Walnut Brownies turn into perfect sailboats. In Gadgetology, Pam Abrams offers so many creative, fun, and safe uses for everyday gadgets that the kitchen will become an educational playground. An avid cook and self-described ''gadget junkie,'' Pam has been cooking with her two children since they were in highchairs. She recently began encouraging other kids to engage their curiosity and interest in food and gadgets through teaching cooking classes at home in Brooklyn, New York.