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Alexander Donowitz

Beet and Cheddar Risotto

First things He Ever CookedScrambled eggs at age two; pesto at three.Favorite ingredient Beets. "They're my favorite color—red—and they're sweet. Why do other kids not like beets so much? They're sweet, they're juicy: What could be in them that kids don't like?" Favorite kitchen tool Whisk. Favorite foods Lentil soup, pad thai and steamed dumplings. Least favorite food Tofu. On creating his risotto recipe "It's based on a dish at a restaurant in Brooklyn called Chez Oskar. I added cheddar cheese because I like cheddar cheese and it tastes good with beets." Future plans "My friends and I are hoping to open an Italian restaurant in 10 to 15 years. I'd be the chef. My friend Ewan likes to wear a tie, so he could work in the front."

Dani Shaub

Easy Chicken Fajitas

Favorite kitchen tool "I love my purple hand mixer. All of my kitchen tools are purple, like my bowls, my spatulas and my cutting board." Favorite ingredients Butter and peanut butter. Favorite cookbook "My mom made me a family cookbook for my birthday. It has recipes, stories and pictures from my relatives." Favorite food Steak. "It's my dad's favorite food, too, so we get to have it twice as much." Least favorite food "I am not a big fan of green vegetables, but I sometimes eat lettuce and cucumbers. Spinach and green beans? No and no." On cooking for a cause "Last summer, my mom and I had a five-day cooking camp at our house. Sixteen kids came, and we taught them how to bake, then we sold the baked stuff to raise money for a child I sponsor in South America. We raised $1,000. This year we're using our church's kitchen, and we'll teach 40 kids." future plans "When I grow up, I want to be a chef, a model and a babysitter."

Catherine Ralston

Spotted Porcupine Cookies

Favorite cookbooks Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten and The Mix-It-Up Cookbook from American Girl. Last thing she cooked "This is sort of embarrassing: French toast, which I just made for an after-school snack." Favorite kitchen tool Lemon zester. Favorite food Roasted chicken. "I call it 'chicken on a bone.' " Least favorite food Asparagus or spinach. Favorite ingredient Brown sugar. "I like it because it tastes good and it's fun to mix together with my hands, because it feels like sand." Future plans "I want to open a bakery called Daisy Bakery, where we would serve my Spotted Porcupines, sugar cookies shaped like daisies and my sister Hannah's chocolate-cookie sandwiches with toasted marshmallows. And lots of cupcakes. I also want to open a restaurant called CG Roller Skates. I would serve American diner food, like hamburgers and chili dogs, and the waiters would ride around on roller skates."

Andrew Zavala

Gooey Walnut Brownies

Favorite cooking shows Food Network's Good Eats and Iron Chef America. "I like Alton Brown. He's smart and funny, and he taught me about emulsification. I like the science part of cooking." Favorite ingredients Sugar, chocolate and chicken. Favorite foods, Buffalo wings, french fries and grapes. On edible gifts "When I was younger, I made breakfast for my mom on Mother's Day: heart-shaped eggs with 'Happy Mother's Day' written out in ketchup." Why he cooks "It's a challenge for me, and I like it when everybody goes, 'Mmm…yum.'" Future plans "I want to be a chef or a pastry chef—I can't decide."

-Nick Fauchald