A few years ago, I was food editor at a daily newspaper. We had a column that featured quick recipes and another about microwave cooking. When I was out and about, readers would pull me aside to praise the columnist, who was a 7-year-old cute kid — she had impressed me so much with talking about all her cookbooks that I had asked her to write a column reviewing them and spotlighting the recipes.

"Don't ever drop that kid," I'd hear from reader after reader of the column that ran for seven years and garnered national TV talk show appearances for the sprite.

"I'm embarrassed to say, I don't have my kids cook from the column, I do because I'm so busy with work and family and errands and the recipes are so quick and easy!"

Turns out, there wasn't any need to feel embarrassed, just clever. I, too, started cooking from kid's cookbooks once I saw how thorough, yet fast and simple, the recipes were. It's also easy to improve your cooking skills with all the basic instruction and definitions they provide along the way.

Take a look at the type of topics you can speed through in a fraction of the time it would take to master the same from adult cookbooks:

— Learn all the trendiest techniques and how to use many of snazzy kitchen equipment from your favorite gourmet stores in books like "Williams-Sonoma The Kid's Cookbook" (Time-Life, $19.95), which founder Chuck Williams put his stamp on as editor. It includes everything from sophisticated fare, like baked carrot "fries" dusted with finely chopped fresh rosemary to flat-out fun desserts, such as multicolored frozen pops that start with a carton of your favorite refrigerated yogurt.

— Take the short course to learning all the secrets of your favorite restaurant and TV star chefs, like Emeril Lagasse, who served up "Emeril's There's a Chef in My Soup!: Recipes for the Kid in Everyone" (Harper Collins, $22.99), where his trademark adult phrases, like "Bam!" seem right at home. It's part of a whole series for families by the chef, including one that takes the brood around the world.

— Learn the healthful cooking techniques you've been putting off for so long with choices like Mollie Katzen's "Salad People and More Real Recipes" (Tricycle Press, $17.95) and "The Jumbo Vegetarian Cookbook" by Judi Gillies (Kids Can Press, $14.95), which dishes out dazzling renditions of Mediterranean couscous and chickpea curry.

— Take the stress out of holiday cooking with innovative, yet easy recipes, from an entire holiday series by Emily Raabe, including "A Thanksgiving Holiday Cookbook" (Power Kids Press, $21.25).

— Yes, we know you've been meaning to take those international cooking classes for years. For now, pick up a kid's cookbook and start whipping up impressive beginner's global fare tonight! Try "The International Cookbook for Kids" by Matthew Locricchio (Cavendish, $18.95). Or try the whole "Young Chefs" series (Crabtree, $8.95 each) by Rosalba Gioffre and Karen Ward, which covers Chinese, French, Italian and Mexican cooking.

MULTICOLORED FROZEN FRUIT-AND-YOGURT POPS

1 cup strawberry yogurt

1 cup orange juice

1 1/2 cups raspberry juice

Yields 8 servings.

Set frozen pop molds or paper cups on work surface. Spoon an equal amount of yogurt into each mold or cup; press down with spoon to fill bottom evenly. Cover the molds. If using cups, cover each with a square of aluminum foil, pressing firmly around sides. Poke a Popsicle stick through each foil cover, pushing into middle of yogurt. Set molds or cups in freezer until beginning to set, about 40 minutes.

Remove molds from freezer. If using cups, carefully lift off foil, but leave sticks in place. Pour an equal amount of orange juice into each mold or cup. Cover, return molds or cups to freezer and freeze until firm, about 40 minutes.

Repeat procedure with raspberry juice. Freeze until solid, about 4 hours, or as long as overnight.

To serve: Slip pops from molds, or remove foil and peel away paper cups.

— "Williams-Sonoma The Kid's Cookbook: A Great Book for Kids Who Love to Cook!" Chuck Williams, General Editor, Recipes and Text by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Time-Life, $19.95).

COCONUT PUDDING

3 cups low-fat or skim milk

1/3 cup uncooked long-grain rice

3/4 cup flaked coconut

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Yields 6 servings.

Put milk in saucepan, and place on burner over medium heat. Bring milk to a boil (look for bubbles, which means it's starting to boil).

Stir in rice with wooden spoon.

Reduce heat to low and cover pan. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until most of milk is absorbed.

Have an adult carefully remove pan from heat. Stir in coconut, sugar and vanilla extract.

Have an adult carefully pour pudding in a bowl. Sprinkle with nutmeg and place in refrigerator to cool.

—"The U.S. History Cookbook: Delicious Recipes and Exciting Events from the Past" by Joan D'Amico and Karen Eich Drummond (Wiley, $14.95).

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "Cooks' Books" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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