Juanchos 1 is a children’s cookbook created by renowned Puerto Rican Chef Marisol, designed to encourage family cooking and introduce children to Puerto Rican gastronomy in a fun, educational, and emotionally meaningful way.
This project was born out of a love for traditional cooking and a desire to turn meal preparation into a family experience where parents and children can share, learn, and create memories around the table. More than a children’s recipe book, Juanchos 1 is an invitation to cook together, strengthen bonds, and spark children’s interest in the flavors, ingredients, and culinary culture of Puerto Rico.
Why create a children’s recipe book?
The kitchen has always been a place of connection. It is where we talk, learn, wait, fail, and try again. Juanchos 1 is rooted in that everyday reality: the kitchen as a stage for family connection.
More than teaching recipes, the goal was to open a space where parents and children could:
Cook as a family
Encourage children’s creativity
Allow children to express themselves, draw, and create
And, above all, turn it into a tangible keepsake of shared moments
That is why this book is designed so each family can live the experience at their own pace and according to their own dynamics.
The birth of Juanchos 1
This book was born as a deeply human project. It was not designed around perfection, but around the real experience of cooking with children: the mess, the questions, the curiosity, the unexpected laughter, and the excitement of saying, “I made this,” celebrating every small victory and valuing the little things.
Through this process, we understood that every family experiences the kitchen differently. Some cook every day, others only on weekends. Some follow recipes exactly, others improvise. Juanchos 1 was created to adapt to all of those realities, without rigid rules or impossible expectations.
The book invites families to enjoy the process, respecting each child’s pace and allowing every experience to be unique. There is no single correct way to use it, because every home gives it its own meaning.
Each page invites interaction: drawing, adding photos, writing notes, and creating personal versions of the recipes. Over the months, the book becomes a record of lived moments, repeated recipes, and shared memories.
In this way, Juanchos 1 stops being just a children’s cookbook and becomes an emotional object, full of family history.
We also included recipes designed for pets, because we understand that for many children, cooking is also a way of caring for those they love.
The children who brought Juanchos 1 to life
This book comes to life thanks to the children who participated in it. Each one contributed their personality, their tastes, and their unique way of seeing the kitchen. We did not want them to be anonymous, because this book also celebrates identity and individuality.
Its pages feature children such as Antonio Ignacio, the Vázquez Triplets, Kai Mateo, Gabriela Zoé, Mikel, Isabella Mia, Olas, Lucciano, Kamila Sophia, Jorge Arturo, Salma, and Mateo Andrés, who, through their authenticity, reminded us that cooking does not have to be complicated to be meaningful.
They did not just prepare recipes; they created experiences, proving that when children are trusted, wonderful things happen.
The launch: a project that began to travel
Juanchos 1 was launched organically, prioritizing the coherence of the project over traditional launch formats. From the beginning, the intention was for the book to find its way naturally, reaching families who connected with its message and with the value of cooking together.
Distribution through Amazon made Juanchos 1 available to a broad audience within Puerto Rico, while its arrival in bookstores strengthened its presence as an editorial project meant to be lived, not just read. This process marked an important first step: understanding that Juanchos is not an immediate product, but a project with a long-term vision.
Cooking as a family: more than an activity, a bond
Beyond ingredients and recipes, the kitchen becomes a space for children’s emotional learning. That is why we understand that cooking is also an opportunity to develop skills that are not always explicitly taught.
When a child cooks, they learn to make decisions, take on small challenges, and feel capable. Measuring ingredients, following steps, or suggesting changes to a recipe strengthens their autonomy and confidence. At the same time, sharing this process with adults strengthens communication and teamwork.
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Cooking together allows families to talk, listen, and validate emotions. It is not about doing it perfectly, but about doing it together. In that process, mistakes become learning opportunities and achievements, no matter how small, become shared celebrations.
That is why Juanchos 1 does not just propose cooking, but living the kitchen as a safe space where children feel valued, heard, and actively involved in the family experience.
This children’s cookbook is a perfect gift for all ages, allowing families to share beautiful moments of unity, learning, and fun.
Juanchos within Chef Marisol’s journey
This project is a natural continuation of Chef Marisol’s culinary journey, built over years of experience and close relationships with families. It is born from a love for traditional Puerto Rican cooking and from the desire to pass that love on to children through recipes that use fresh, local ingredients from Puerto Rico.
Chef Marisol’s career has not only been based on culinary technique, but also on the belief that the kitchen should be a close, accessible, and meaningful space. With Juanchos, her experience is translated into a language children can understand and enjoy, while they develop life skills and learn to care for their health by preparing simple, nutritious foods that respect Puerto Rican culinary traditions.
Juanchos 1 seeks to bring back the most human side of cooking: a place where learning happens without pressure, where making mistakes is part of the process, and where every recipe becomes an opportunity to support children in their growth.
This book is born from real experience and from observing how children relate to food, as well as from the conviction that cooking together strengthens bonds that can last a lifetime. Through easy-to-prepare recipes, children discover new flavors, aromas, and textures while developing healthier eating habits.
Upcoming releases: Juanchos 2 and Juanchos 3
Juanchos 1 is only the beginning of a journey that will continue to grow with new stories, new children, and new kitchen adventures in the upcoming cookbooks Juanchos 2 and Juanchos 3.
Today, this children’s cookbook is already reaching homes through Amazon and Casa Norberto, ready to build the most beautiful memories around the kitchen.
Because in the end, it’s not only about what we cook, but about the moments we create as a family around the table.
