Blind author Simon releases cooker y book

A VETERAN from Ashbourne who lost his sight nearly eight years ago has released a cook book.

Blindness has never held back Simon Mahoney, 73, of Brookside, and his previous challenges have seen him flying an aircraft, and walking coast to coast along Hadrian’s Wall – but his new book documents one of his toughest struggles.

The ex-royal Marine had to learn how to use his own kitchen after his wife died in March last year, and he describes his book, which explains how he manages to cook for himself while being blind, as a “survival guide”.

He said: “The primary target is people with significant vision loss or blindness.

“It would also be helpful to widowers, students, teaching children or individuals with special needs and young parents who have never been taught to cook.

“It is not a cook book as such.

The recipes are merely a vehicle to demonstrate various simple techniques and safety tips. The emphasis is on organisation and safety.

“There are, however, 39 steps leading from making a cup of tea to a roast chicken dinner for four.”

Simon maintains that anyone can cook. He says there is nothing mysterious or difficult about being able to cook what and when you want, and it is a major step towards independence, even when completely blind.

The book has been entitled First Catch Your Rabbit, and is a nod to Mrs Beaton, his mother and “the absolute need to get your ducks in a row”.

He said: “There is nothing pretentious or sophisticated about the book.

“It is an account of how to produce simple, tasty food by reducing the process to a drill or SOP [standard operating procedure] and the reasons for this are explained in the book.”

“It is a guide to safe rough-cooking of nourishing and tasty food.” First Catch Your Rabbit is the second book Simon has written since losing his sight. His first, called “A Descent into Darkness”, documents how he overcame his loss of sight and rose to the challenges.

Both books are available in hard-copy and as an ebook from Amazon.

This is an account of how to produce simple, tasty food by reducing the process to a drill.

Simon Mahoney

To find out more, visit his website at www.wingingitblind.com