KITCHEN SHELF
New books for the inspiration-hungry.
Egg & Spoon
Alexandra Tylee and Giselle Clarkson
Harpercollins, $40
Right from the little egg on the cover with its jaunty golden crown, this book declares itself child-friendly and fun. This collection of recipes from chef Alexandra Tylee (of Havelock North’s Pipi Café) and illustrator Giselle Clarkson is bound to appeal to junior Masterchefs and busy parents alike. From after-school snacks to breakfast-on-a-stick and cakes, slices and dinners, Egg & Spoon is designed to teach kids (and remind grown-ups) that cooking can be a joy, not a chore – and sometimes just a little bit magic. Many of the recipes are nutrition-packed and/or gluten-free or vegan, but you won’t find earnest reminders to ‘eat your veges, children’ on any of these pages. Instead you’ll encounter playfulness both in the cute illustrations – like the unicorn with a corn-on-the-cob horn (Corn Fritters) – and the text; in the Sesame Noodles with Cucumber, you are urged to suck each individual noodle and get sauce all over your face. Some dishes are doable for the littlest littlie, such as the five-ingredient Walnut Thumbprint Biscuits and the four-ingredient Chocolate Rice Bubble Crackles. However, techniques such as folding and ‘how to melt chocolate’ are also beautifully explained, as are other concepts such as foraging, the basics of a risotto and ‘how to cook a fritter or a pancake’. If you want to feed your children’s creative side (and get some help in the kitchen at the same time), Egg & Spoon is the perfect place to get cracking. Everyday Fresh
by Donna Hay, Harpercollins, $50
Simplicity paired with stylishness: these are the twin hallmarks of Aussie food writer Donna Hay’s 26 award-winning recipe collections. Now she’s cooked up another winner – Everyday Fresh, a selection of visually stunning and highly approachable ‘meals in minutes’.
These recipes are a lifesaver in a world where repeat lockdowns have underlined – even for the busiest foodie – the importance of quality, fuss-free home cooking. The need-for-speed is met in the chapter ‘Almost Instant Dinners’ with dishes such as Italian Baked Beans; Warm Lentil Salad with Smoked Salmon; and Mint Pesto Broccoli Bowl with Blistered Tomatoes. In ‘One-pan Wonders’ you’ll find effortless dinners with minimal clean-up required – Super Green Baked Risotto; and Minted Lamb, Eggplant and Feta Pie. In ‘The Switch Up’, you’re invited to riff on a flavour profile or ingredient you love, using a ‘three ways’ approach. So there’s Sticky Miso Chicken roasted on either sesame pumpkin, broccolini or soy eggplant. Make the Cauliflower Rice Bowl with either crispy chilli eggs; chilli black beans and toasted corn; or smoked trout and cucumber yoghurt. The desserts are a blend of nostalgia and modern sensibilities: maximum satisfaction, less sugar. And of course the photography is superb. Feast your eyes on a white-as-snow tray of Coconut Ice-cream with its accompanying bowl of glossy dark chocolate. Or the vibrant fuchsia berries in Summer Fruits with Toasted Honey Marshmallow. This is a book whose contents you’ll devour again and again.