Feeding children can, indeed, be a less than joyous experience. There's whining. There's mess. And there's guilt. Are they eating enough? Too much? Are they eating the right things? What are the right things? Too often, harried parents are tempted to take the path of least resistance and feed their kids what other parents seem to be feeding their kids: chicken fingers and fries. Restaurants collude, offering "kids' menus" of mac and cheese and pizza. "All she'll eat is white food," the mother opines, and it's no wonder. But there is another way.

Blazing the trail is "Food Adventures: Introducing Your Child to Flavors From Around the World" by Elisabeth Luard and Frances Boswell (Kyle Books, 2006). It is based on the premise that - as the book jacket says - "in most societies even quite young babies join the grown-ups at table ... eating what the grown-ups eat - fresh, nutritious food in child-friendly form." It espouses the notion that "babies and small children are naturally adventurous." The problem is, we often don't give them a chance.

Starting with simple purees for the 6-month-old child (Chinese rice congee is perfect baby food) and working up to lunchbox treats for the school-aged child (Caribbean ham pastries pack beautifully), the authors give kids' taste buds a welcome workout. Before you say, "My child won't eat THAT," stop and think.

"The reality is that you, the parent, cannot tolerate the storm. But you have more control than you think," writes Luard, food director at Real Simple magazine.

"The nice thing about feeding children is that we have three opportunities a day to do it," she said in a recent phone interview from her home in New York City. "Sometimes we can get it right." She says her 2-year-old "eats everything," while her 5-year-old has recently started to balk at certain foods. "I'm not going to make the table into a battleground," Luard said. "But I don't cook her separate meals, either." Her theory is that there's always something at dinner - maybe just the carrots from the Dutch hot pot (below) - that her daughter will eat. "I know she won't starve, and maybe, next time, she'll try the rest."

The nicest thing about many of these recipes is, they were developed to serve a family of two adults and two kids. Let the adventure begin.

BEEF AND CARROT HOT POT (HOLLAND)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound lean stewing beef (skirt steak works well), sliced into bite-size slivers

2-1/4 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced into slivers

salt and pepper

2 cups water

1 pound onions, peeled and cut into slivers

2-1/4 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy saucepan and fry the meat and carrots, stirring, until they brown a little. Season with salt and pepper, add 1 cup of the water, turn up the heat, cover and cook gently without opening the pot. Shake it every now and then so the meat won't stick to the bottom. Check the meat after 25 minutes. It should be tender, with little moisture left in the pot. If not, cover and cook a few minutes more. Remove the meat and set it aside.

Reheat the pan with the remaining tablespoon of oil and fry the onions, gently, for 10 to 15 minutes, until soft and golden brown. Push the onions aside and add the chopped potatoes to the oily juices in the pan. Turn up the heat, salt lightly and add the remaining cup of water. Reduce the heat, cover and cook gently until the potatoes are soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Combine the meat and carrots with the potatoes and onion and reheat everything in the rich meat gravy.

Yield: enough for 2 children and 2 adults

Recipe from "Food Adventures" by Elisabeth Luard and Frances Boswell (Kyle Books, 2006)

PORK BRAISED WITH CINNAMON AND ONIONS (GREECE)

18 ounces boned pork, chopped

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

18 ounces baby shallots or pearl onions, peeled and trimmed

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped

1 tablespoon raisins

1 short (2 to 3 inches) piece cinnamon stick

a curl of an orange peel

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

1-1/2 cups water

18 ounces potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar, if needed

Trim the meat, discarding any gristle but leaving the fat. It will melt during cooking, tenderizing the meat.

Heat the oil in a roomy, heavy pan, and fry the shallots or onions gently, shaking the pan until they brown a little. Push them to one side or remove and reserve. Add the meat, carrot and celery, and fry until the meat takes a little color. Add the raisins, cinnamon stick, orange peel, bay leaf and enough water to cover everything completely, returning the whole onions to the pan if you've taken them out.

Season with salt and pepper; bring to a low boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently, loosely covered, for an hour or so, until the meat is tender and the juices are cooked down. Bring 1-1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add the boiling water and the potatoes to the pot, bring back to a boil, reduce the heat again, cover and simmer for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and their starch has thickened the juices a little. Taste and check the seasoning; if it's a little sweet, sharpen it with the vinegar. Remove the cinnamon stick and serve warm.

Yield: enough for 2 children and 2 adults

Recipe from "Food Adventures" by Elisabeth Luard and Frances Boswell (Kyle Books, 2006)

SINGAPORE FRIED NOODLES

9 ounces cellophane or rice noodles

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sunflower, soy or canola oil

2 eggs

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks

2 to 3 scallions, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal

2 to 3 tablespoons shredded leftover cooked roast pork, chopped bacon or cooked shrimp

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

Soak the noodles according to the package instructions. Stir them with a fork every now and again to loosen the threads. Drain and toss with a teaspoon of the oil to keep them from sticking.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with a fork. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet. Pour in the egg mixture, tilting the pan to coat much of the bottom and letting the egg set into a thin pancake. Take it out, roll it up and cut it into narrow ribbons. Set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and toss in the carrot and scallions. Add the pork (or bacon or shrimp) and stir gently until the carrot softens a little. Sprinkle in the curry powder and stir-fry to blend and develop the flavors. Toss in the noodles and the egg ribbons, turning them to blend thoroughly, and allow the noodles to heat. Sprinkle in the soy sauce and serve.

Yield: enough for 2 children and 2 adults

Recipe from "Food Adventures" by Elisabeth Luard and Frances Boswell (Kyle Books, 2006)

Taming and Feeding the American Family" (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.