Cooking With Max

I'd like to meet:

Max would like to meet: kids who like to cook, Alton Brown, Mario Batali, Wolfgang Puck, Jamie Oliver, Paula Deen, Racheal Ray, Robert Kiyosaki, The Atlanta Braves, LeBron James, Rufus Thomas, the voice of Ron in Kim Possible, Jack Black

Max's Mom would like to meet: Alton Brown, Mario Batali, Wolfgang Puck, Jamie Oliver, Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, Al Roker, Rodney Yee, other yoga instructors, Zaphod Beeblebrox

We'd both like to meet kids who are interested in cooking, people who are interested in cooking with kids, and anyone interested in learning more about or purchasing a copy of COOKING WITH MAX. Max will even sign a copy for you!

Here are what people are saying about COOKING WITH MAX:

Small Bites: Food News That's Easy To Swallow. By J.M. Hirsch, The Associated Press.

It's hard not to admire the sort of pluck involved in a 8-year-old boy publishing a cookbook. A vegetarian cookbook at that. And Max Nania, author of "Cooking with Max: 45 Fun and Kind of Messy Recipes Kids Can Make," demonstrates plenty of pluck.

Max's book (assembled with help from Mom, Sienna Nania) feels one part family scrapbook, one part kid-friendly cookbook. It's a formula children will relate to and enjoy -- and that's reason enough for parents to embrace it.

Max has the potential to be a great role model for children. He demonstrates not only that food and cooking can be fun, but also that boys as much as girls can and should get in on that fun.

The recipes are simple and most can be completed with just a bit of adult help (the Tarzan Wraps, for example, are whole-wheat tortillas slathered with peanut butter and covered with sunflower seeds and banana slices).

An especially nice touch -- each recipe includes suggested reading, a children's book loosely tied to the theme of the recipe.

Max is a cute kid with a good idea. It's just a matter of time before he's on a morning show near you.

Adrianne M. Murchison, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The real joy of cooking for 8-year-old Max Nania of Kennesaw is the mess he gets to make in the kitchen.

Take his dish, Max's Favorite Dessert. He pours a mountain of brown sugar inside a wide ring of strawberries and forms a little crater to plop in sour cream.

Then there are his Inside Out Ice Cream Sandwiches. The young chef mushes ice cream on top of a fresh baked brownie, then tops it with another brownie. On top of that, he mushes more ice cream, then freezes the whole thing...

His book is subtitled "45 Fun and Kind of Messy Recipes Kids Can Make" and includes tips on getting a grown-up assistant to chop foods and do other prep work.

Wes Sarginson, WXIA-TV Atlanta

Sometimes you may find yourself wondering why you wasted so much time getting to where you wanted to be in life. Meet a young man who found success so soon, that one has to wonder what he'll be able to do for an encore.

The full story aired on NBC's Wes Side Story with Wes Sarginson

Jill Epstein, Publisher, Boston's Where to Eat and Drink Magazine

Not many chefs can say that four years is a long time to spend in their profession, but for Max Nania that's a little more than half his life. This budding seven-year-old has grown up in the kitchen and has acquired a special talent when it comes to creating kid-friendly treats and recipes that will be featured in his new book, Cooking With Max.

Cooking with Max: 45 Really Fun and Kind of Messy Recipes Kids Can Make is a collection of Max’s favorite recipes from the years he has spent learning to cook and create with his mom, Sienna, who encourages his creativity as long as he cleans up. From Inside-Out Ice Cream Sandwiches to Disappearing Veggies, this cookbook offers an array of specialties so creative and fun that they could only come from a child’s imagination.

FROM AMAZON.COM: 5 STARS! A nicely organized and illustrated cookbook for kids, By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)

... nicely organized and illustrated cookbook for kids by Max Nania that truly lives up to its title. Each of the forty-five featured and thoroughly 'kid friendly' recipes features a clear list of ingredients, utensils, and step-by-step instructions that any boy or girl can accomplish with success in their mother's kitchen. Of special note are the 'Max Says' comment on each recipe that adds a little background and encouragement for that particular dish. From Groovy Green Beans; Cookie Cutter Cheese; Dad's Seasoned Popcorn; and Georgia Lemonade; to Kid's Chocolate Baguette; Breakfast Sundaes; Tie-Dyed Pancakes; and Marshmallow Candy, "Cooking With Max" is an ideal and very highly recommended 'starter cookbook' for aspiring young chefs!

Music:

Max loves the Funky Chicken, Stevie Wonder, Blues NV, Schoolhouse Rock. Congratulations to Herbie Hancock and Joni Mitchell!!!

Max's Mom likes Neil Finn, Tim Finn, Celtic music, Chris Isaak, Anonymous 4, Norah Jones, Blues NV

Movies:

Max loves Star Wars, Spirited Away, Gojira, Spiderman, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, Castle in the Sky

Max's Mom likes the Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, Fantastic Four

Television:

Max loves Avatar, Naked Brothers Band, American Gladiators

Max's Mom likes Heroes, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, The Food Network

Books:

COOKING WITH MAX!

Max loves to read Dr. Seuss, Avatar novels, Stanley's Great Big Book of Everything, Harry Potter, Escape From the Rat Race by Robert Kiyosaki, Call of the Wild. We're reading White Fang now!

Max's Mom likes The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Harry Potter, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, Rich Woman by Kim Kiyosaki, Awaken the Giant Within, Dream Big, Illusions, Anne Rice, The Secret

Heroes:

Max: Spiderman, Fantastic Four, Superman, Avatar, Blood Donors

Max's Mom: moms, volunteers, teachers, blood donors, kids that care and want to change the world