This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
I am a glutton for a cookery book, but I often find only a handful of recipes in each book that I really use. However, in this article, I have featured three cookery books. The first two are health orientated and my third is by a chef, Jane Lovett, that I really admire. Her cookery books are packed with recipes that really work and are truly tasty.
TASTE & FLAVOUR | THE LIFE KITCHEN
The team at Life Kitchen, the non-profit cookery school that helps people whose sense of smell and taste has been affected by cancer, have now turned their expertise to supporting Covid sufferers. Their new cookery book, TASTE & FLAVOUR, tackles some issues known to affect those who’ve had coronavirus, such as going off onion and garlic and offers recipes designed to help rekindle a love of food.
Using their five principles of taste and flavour – umami, smell, stimulating the trigeminal nerve (responsible for sensation in the face), texture, and layering flavour – they have taught over 1,000 people with cancer to enjoy food again. Therefore, they wanted to apply these principles to create recipes for those who have lost their senses of taste and smell as a result of Covid.
It is free to download at www.lifekitchen.co.uk, or there are some copies that they are giving away for just the £3 P&P charge. A great present for someone you know who is suffering from a lack of taste and smell after Covid.
THE 30 DAY ALZHEIMERS’S SOLUTION | DEAN SHEERZAI, MD, PhD, & AYESHA SHERZAI, MD, MAS
I have read a lot in the past about foods that will maintain a healthy brain. This book is written by two doctors. They have studied Alzheimer’s and have created an excellent programme with recipes that are beneficial for the long-term health of your brain.
This book is divided into 4 parts:
- A proven plan for Alzheimer’s prevention
- What to eat, what not to eat, and why
- The Neuro plan: 30 days of brain-boosting
- Recipes
It really is beneficial to read the first two parts and understand the whats and whys. It is written clearly and concisely. You will find yourself nodding as you will know many of the facts, but here they are all are written down. I have not done the 30-day plan however, having read the first two sections, I understood what to do, and in many cases, I was eating the right foods.
I am using many recipes and am finding them easy to follow. The results are a delicious and nutritious feast. For example, recently, I made the Sweet Potato Bean Burgers and a Berry Nice Cream Cake. The ingredients include many seeds, nuts and plants. It is amazing to find healthy versions of meals that I would normally make just by substituting some of the ingredients.
JUST ONE PAN | JANE LOVETT
I have mentioned Jane Lovett on numerous occasions as she is one of my favourite cooks. I have been on a couple of her demonstrations, and her latest recipe book is an absolute winner.
‘Easy family cooking at its absolute best . . . Ten stars’
India Knight
I love these easy-to-follow recipes, which fit my busy lifestyle with family coming and going. Your friends will ask for the recipes because they are so tasty.
I also find her handy hints extremely helpful. Some of them you may know but, like me, forget, so it is a good refresher course to browse these at the beginning of this book.