Veggie Tales of Woe

Whatever happened to the Mommy Dearest approach to making kids eat their vegetables? Back in the day if you didn't finish your veggies, you had two options: 1) Sit at the table long after everyone else is gone and build up the nerve to force them down. 2) Seal your lips and refuse to eat them, but don't be surprised if breakfast is a big plate of last night's veggies, chilled and congealed. It seems that the deceptive approach to getting kids to eat their veggies is the current rage.

For those not familiar with the battle of the sneaky soccer moms, in 2007 cookbook author Missy Chase Lapine's book The Sneaky Chef was turned down by HarperCollins but was eventually published by Running Press. HarperCollins published Jessica Seinfeld's (wife of Jerry Seinfeld) Deceptively Delicious six months later. Lapine hired a lawyer to sue Seinfeld and HarperCollins for plagiarism. Jerry went on Late Show with David Letterman and called Chase a "wacko."

Chase has since published a second Sneaky Chef book, and Seinfeld is working on her second book with HarperCollins. To this day the battle rages on over at Amazon.com in the comments section that range from snark to support, depending on which camp the soldiers belong to.

Both books have become bestsellers; and the battle rages on. Regardless of who wins this great vegetable epic, there's sure to be some sound, nutritional advice in both books.