Woman cooks up idea for kids' book of recipes
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com

YUMMY- A cast of colorful characters present authentic Italian recipes in Yvette Garfield's new cookbook for young chefs.

Yvette Garfield never hesitated to hop on a plane to visit friends studying overseas.

Whether she traveled to India during her college years or went to China for a children's rights conference, Garfield relished bringing home souvenirs for the family, in particular native cookbooks for her many cousins, aged 3 to 12, who loved to help their parents in the kitchen.

"There just wasn't any geared toward kids, and nothing specific to the region," said Garfield, 28. "When I was on a long plane ride back from India, I made the decision- I'd just do it myself."

Perhaps it's a perk of growing up with parents who were small- business owners. When Garfield saw a niche that needed tackling, her first thought was to take it on herself. After her fourth year at UCLA, Garfield studied ancient Roman history, which helped her decide to try an Italian book first.

Garfield, a Calabasas resident, worked on the project throughout law school, and her first book, "Handstand Kids Italian Cookbook," hit stands in May.

"I love food. I love to travel. I love community service, and I love children's rights- those are my passions," said Garfield, who studied international children's rights in law school. "I also thought it would be a great way to spark the interests of different kids in different cultures."

The successful, colorful book, now packaged in a bright pizza box with a chef's hat, is jam-packed with kidfriendly recipes like spaghetti, minestrone, biscotti and Italian soda. The book also introduces Italian words to its young readers.

The utensil "strainer" is translated to "pasino," and the ingredients "garlic" and "ice cream" are presented as "aglio" and "gelato." But it's not Garfield's narrative voice leading the kids through Italy- it's the Handstand Kids: Izzy, Felix, Gabby, Marvin and Ari deliver the recipes in every book. They are introduced in the beginning with their pictures, birthdays, favorite foods and other fun facts.

"I thought it would be more fun to follow different kids," Garfield said. "Each kid that looks at the books will identify with at least one of them. We live in America, here in L.A. There are different types of people everywhere."

And why did Garfield choose Handstand Kids as her company name? Simple.

"In my late 20s, I can still do a handstand," Garfield said. "This is about kids taking a stand in their own kid-friendly way, being active in their own community, learning these

cooking skills, stepping up and giving back." Next up is a Mexican cookbook, followed by books focusing on regions all over the world. Garfield wants to continue the series and perhaps eventually take the Handstand Kids to television.

"Handstand Kids Italian Cookbook" can be found in stores like Whole Foods, Storyopolis and M. Fredric, as well as the Marriott, Fairmont and Four Seasons hotel chains.

For more information, visit www.handstandkids.com.