Lightning Strikes: Disaster Chef

Lightning Strikes: Disaster Chef by Meredith Costain (Walker Books)
PB RRP $12.95
ISBN 9781921977794
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Ollie is a sports champ with a room full of trophies. He’s the star of the family. His identical twin, Julian, is a quiet homebody, interested in cooking who is encouraged to enter a cooking show competition when a call out appears in the paper.

Ollie is no longer the focus of the family. He is so dejected when his dad decides to attend Julian’s cooking try-outs, that when the finals roll up he plays badly, pushes his opponent, and gets a suspension on top of the match.

As the cooking show progresses and Julian enters the final weeks, things begin to go wrong. Ollie, now an audience member each week, notices that sneaky Serena is sabotaging Julian in one way or another. But he has no proof.

It’s when Julian gets sick with glandular fever that Ollie has to step in for the finals. Will he pull it off? Cooking is nothing like sport. Most importantly, can he expose Serena’s diabolical actions?

This humorous, cleverly written and entertaining book could almost be seen as a spoof on what actually happens behind the scenes on cooking shows.  Meredith Costain’s sharp writing style adds pace and holds the reader’s attention from start to finish. It’s a great read that will appeal to readers of the 9+ age group, but also others who enjoy excellent books no matter what age they’re written for.

Stew a Cockatoo My Aussie Cookbook

Stew a Cockatoo My Aussie Cookbook by Ruthie May, illustrated by Leigh Hobbs (Little Hare)

HB RRP $16.95

ISBN 978-192154151-3

Reviewed by Lillian Rodrigues-Pang

www.thestoryline.com.au

This book is a breath of fresh air. You can learn Australian culture, lingo, history and food recipes. There is even a recipe on how to stew a cockatoo – page 21.

This is a cultural offering for all the family. Ruthie May describes iconic Australian speech such as rhyming slang and offers interesting facts such as the number of meat pies consumed at an AFL Grand Final day in the MCG. From this book I learned the history of many iconic Australian dishes, including a few of our family favourites. The lamington, which was accidently created by Lord Lamington and the creation of the pavlova in Western Australia to honour the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova – I wonder if anyone called her pav for short?

Some of the introductions are priceless – “Thighs, breasts and eggs – chooks have it all…” (pg 20), “The Aussie barbeque is the natural habitat for many Aussies…the shielas make salads…the blokes guard the barbeque…and everyone swats flies.” (Pg 24)

Over recent years my children have received or borrowed many childrens cooking book and one of the things I dislike are the ridiculous recipes. Usually they are colour and sugar filled concoctions that I do not want my children making let alone eating. This book offers healthier recipes as well, on page 16 there is the Dinky-di Icy Pole recipe made from blended kiwifruit, oranges apples strawberries and passionfruit – yum!

The graphics are by Leigh Hobbs – really how could it get any better? The pictures of Uncle Daz tenderizing the meat, Dame Melba inspiring peaches and cream and bush pig fairy bread are hilarious. Highly recommended as gift for visitors, children and anyone inbetween.

I Can Cook! American Food

I Can Cook! American Food by Wendy Blaxland (Macmillan Education Australia)
HB RRP $31.99
ISBN 9781420290035
Reviewed by Vicki Stanton

I Can Cook! American Food is a cook book, history book and travel book rolled into one. Wendy has chosen traditional American recipes that kids will be running into the kitchen to cook: hamburgers, blueberry muffins, pancakes (no one does pancakes better than the Americans), homemade lemonade, apple pie and, of course, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

The layout of the book is exceptional, full of colour and information, and budding young cooks will find it easy to read and follow the instructions. Each recipe is laid out with each step in its own text box and with accompanying photograph/graphic. The recipe is introduced with a brief history of the food. All equipment and ingredients required are listed as are prep and cooking times. The addition of information on special diets for either health or cultural reasons is highly commended. Experimentation is encouraged with each recipe with suggestions for variations and a Try this! section which suggest activities to learn more about American food. Cooking basics and safety in the kitchen are explained with text, photography and graphics.

For me, what makes this book stand above other children's cook book is the additional cultural, historical and geographical information included about America: the influence of native Americans and migration on contemporary American food, regional variations, American produce, landscapes and climates, and the American celebration of Thanksgiving.

Wendy Blaxland's marvelous six book I Can Cook! series also includes titles on Chinese, French, Italian, Mexican, and Middle Eastern Food with each of these following the same format.

I Can Cook! French Food

I Can Cook! French Food by Wendy Blaxland (Macmillan Education Australia)
HB RRP $31.99
ISBN 9781420290059
Reviewed by Vicki Stanton

I Can Cook! French Food is an outstanding cook book for younger children. Not only are there simple recipes for cooking French food which requires minimal assistance from adults, this book discusses French culture, food traditions and styles, regional produce and ingredients, French landscapes and climates as well as basic cooking equipment, measurements, safety and hygiene. I loved the page 'Try this!' which encourages readers, among other things, to grow vegetables, celebrate Bastille Day or search out a French patisserie to try petits fours (my personal favourite!).

Each recipe is introduced with a brief history of the food. Equipment and ingredients required are clearly stated. A fantastic initiative has been the inclusion of a section stating whether each particular food is suitable for special diets such as vegetarians, nut-free or kosher. The recipes are laid out in an easy to follow step-by-step format with clear pictures and simple instructions. Visually, the book is very attractive with the liberal use of text boxes, and bright and colourful photography.


I highly recommend I Can Cook! French Food. It is one title in a six book series on world food by Wendy Blaxland.

Can we lick the spoon now?

Can we lick the spoon now? by Carol Goess, illustrated by Tamsin Ainslie (Working Title Press)
HB RRP $24.95
ISBN 978 1 921504 16 7
Reviewed by Jenny Mounfield

WARNING! Reading this book will induce uncontrollable chocolate cravings!

When two bored children (and baby) ask: ‘What can we do now?’ (a question that strikes dread into the hearts of many a weary mother), Mum, in her infinite wisdom, says: “‘Let’s bake a cake!’” And so begins a worthwhile, if not somewhat frantic, endeavour enjoyed by all—even Mum.

“In goes the butter. Beat beat beat.
  In goes the sugar. Whip whip whip.
  ‘Can we lick the spoon now?’
  ‘No, not yet.’”

Finally, of course, everyone gets to lick the spoon. Then while Mum and kids are waiting for the icing to set, a sneaky someone eats the cake! There’s nothing left to do but start over.

There are few activities kids love more than making—and eating—cake. By creating a story around this popular activity, Goess demonstrates the organisation and skill needed to complete such a task. Her use of rhythm and repetition sets the perfect pace for the action, giving the story a sense of rushing towards something. When it’s revealed that something isn’t the expected feast, but the cake’s disappearance, readers are sure to be surprised. But once the story is over and little hands thumb back through the pages, the cake thief’s intention becomes clear.

Ainslie’s illustrations are deceptively simple, yet detailed enough to infuse kids with a sense of familiarity and warmth. While the colours she has chosen are generally muted, splashes of bold red, blue and inky black draw the eye. Other books she has illustrated are: One Sheep, Two Sheep by Patricia Byers (Little Hare), The ABC Book of Lullabies (ABC Books) and Little Dog by Katrina Germein (Scholastic).

As noted at the start of this review, this title really ought to come with a warning sticker. The inclusion then of a chocolate cake recipe on the endpaper is truly inspired. I haven’t yet put this recipe to the test, but can say with confidence that given that the ingredients list includes 200g of melted chocolate, I am certain it will be a hit.

Jenny Mounfield is the author of three novels for kids, her most recent title being: The Ice-cream Man (Ford St). She has been reviewing for Buzz Words since ’06.