Book Review: Feed Your Brain The Cookbook by Delia McCabe 

Delia McCabe has over 20 years of research into brain health and nutrition up her sleeve, and has previously released the highly successful book, Feed Your Brain: 7 Steps To A Lighter, Brighter You!

Now she is back with her latest book, which not only shares Delia's hints and tips about foods that are not only healthy for your body, but for your brain too.

The layout of the book is great. It is simple to follow, and there's a lot of information about adding extra nutrients to our diet, as well as information about the nutritional benefits of certain foods including nuts, legumes, vegetables and fruits. 

I also like that it isn't bulky or heavy like many cookbooks tend to be. 

The book contains over 100 recipes that are plant-based, vegan, and gluten free, including the following two recipes:

Sweet corn, pea and coriander (cilantro) salad 

PREPARATION: 15 MINUTES | SERVES 4-6

'We had some fresh sweet corn, lovely ripe avocados, fresh peas and fresh coriander (cilantro), so we decided to toss it all together for this simple salad — the result was quite delicious. The bright yellow and green result also looks amazing. You could easily use fresh basil — it would work just as well — although in that case I would add small, ripe cherry tomatoes. The roasted red capsicum (bell pepper) salad dressing (see recipe on page 71) or the tomato salad cream dressing (see recipe on page 67) both work well here, enhancing the colour and flavour.'

1 cup sweet corn (frozen or fresh and chopped off the cob)

1 cup peas (frozen or fresh)

1 cucumber, sliced into matchsticks

1 medium red onion, peeled and finely sliced

1 avocado, diced

handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

1 small bunch fresh coriander (cilantro), finely sliced

Lightly steam the corn and peas over boiling water for 5 minutes and then remove from the heat and cool on a large plate.

Over a sieve, drain the liquid off the cucumber sticks.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining salad ingredients. Add the corn and peas and toss together, then toss in the drained cucumber sticks. Serve immediately with the salad dressing on the side.

Variation

Replace the coriander with finely sliced fresh basil leaves. 

Tip

Flower petals can add colour and interest to salads — just make completely sure they are pesticide free and edible, and don’t add too many, because some petals can be quite spicy. Use the flowers of chives, garlic and leeks, as well as borage, calendula/marigold, carnation and jasmine petals. Chamomile flowers, along with coriander (cilantro) and dill flowers, are pretty and tasty, while citrus blossoms are highly scented and can be overpowering.

Roasted red capsicum (bell pepper) salad dressing 

PREPARATION: 5 MINUTES (PLUS 10–15 MINUTES TO ROAST THE CAPSICUM) | MAKES 2 CUPS

This is a beautifully bright and wonderfully flavoured dressing. If you’re short of time, simply use a raw red pepper. Salads with asparagus, tomatoes and butter lettuce go well with this dressing, as well as any salad containing quinoa (such as on page 102). 

1 medium roasted red capsicum (bell pepper),skin and seeds removed 

1 cup olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

4 cloves garlic, roasted

salt and pepper, to taste

2 teaspoons freshly chopped thyme 

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. 

Refrigerate in an airtight glass container for up to 5 days.

Tip

Roasting capsicum (bell pepper) enhances its natural sweetness. Simply put your fresh capsicum on a grill, turning regularly for 10–15 minutes until the skin is blackened. Transfer them to a large glass bowl and cover with a tea towel. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the black skin and seeds and you are left with lovely strips of smoky capsicum.

Tomato salad cream dressing 

PREPARATION: 10 MINUTES | MAKES 2 CUPS

'Children of all ages enjoy dipping their crunchy vegetables or oven-baked sweet potato chips into this salad cream — and it is much healthier than store-bought sauces. It is good with all fresh vegetable salads as well as grain salads but looks especially appealing on green salads, because the pink contrasts beautifully with green leaves.'

1 small (10-centimetre/4-inch) piece celery, roughly chopped

1 spring onion (shallot, scallion) , roughly chopped

¼ cup tomato paste

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 large garlic clove, peeled

½ teaspoon herb salt

¾ cup coconut milk 

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve as a dipping sauce or with the gorgeous green garden salad on page 96.

Refrigerate in an airtight glass container for up to 5 days.

Mango ice-cream

PREPARATION: 10 MINUTES | SERVES 6–8

Mangoes are a summertime fruit, so it’s the perfect time to make mango ice-cream. This is a very simple recipe to make, because you simply combine all the ingredients, practise patience overnight, and wake up to delicious, golden mango ice-cream. You can use popsicle moulds to freeze in individual portions, but you don’t have to — it’s perfectly fine frozen in a glass container too.

2 cups mango flesh, fresh or frozen

½ cup cashew nuts, soaked in water for 2–3 hours, rinsed and drained well

¼ cup coconut cream

2 tablespoons coconut nectar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla essence (vanilla extract)

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until they form a smooth and silky cream. Transfer the mixture to either popsicle moulds or a glass container that can hold 6 cups of liquid. Freeze overnight.

If you are using a glass container, remove about 10 minutes before you plan to serve the ice-cream, because it needs to thaw slightly. If you make popsicles, dip the bottom into some plain white chocolate^ and immediately dip into some buckwheat nibbles * or roughly chopped almonds.

As you can see, these recipes are healthy and delicious, and the best thing is that these recipes can be enjoyed by the whole family, including the kids.

For further information on this title, head here

From Feed Your Brain. The Cookbook, by Delia McCabe. Available from www.exislepublishing.com and wherever good books are sold. RRP $34.99 Images from Vanessa Russell. 

Children's Book Review: The Amazing Monster Detectoscope by Graeme Base

I adore Graeme Base books, so was super-keen to get my hands on his latest one, The Amazing Monster Detectoscope.
This is a beautiful large, hardback book featuring a little hero puppy who has a house full of monsters, and sets about facing his fears by finding them with his Detectoscope. 
As he journeys through the rooms of the house and outdoors, the reader is able to open up the viewfinder to reveal the hilariously horrendous monsters lurking about!
When I read this with my two younger daughters for the first time, we were all so amazed at the attention to detail, and marvelled at the monsters that were hiding. Some of them gave us quite a shock (in a good way!) as we didn't know what to expect.
The element of anticipation makes this book a real winner.
I'm sure that any young reader would enjoy slowly turning the viewfinder to see what is hidden.
This is a book that will be read over and over again in our household.

The Amazing Monster Detectoscope is available this October, and has a RRP of $29.99
For further information on this title, head here

DON'T FORGET: There's still time to enter my latest giveaway to win a delightful children's book, What Makes Me A Me here!! 

Children's Book Review: Scarface Claw, Hold Tight by Lynley Dodd

I adore the Hairy Maclary range of books, and was delighted to receive the latest book in the series, Scarface Claw, Hold Tight! which is released this October.

Scarface Claw is having a snooze in the morning sun, but what he doesn't realise is that he is actually napping on the roof of the postman's van!
When the vehicle begins to move as the postman makes his deliveries, Scarface Claw is taken on a rather adventurous ride through the town, but can he manage to hold on tight?

This is another great book from Lynley. Her illustrations capture the theatrics of Scarface Claw, and other characters in the book, beautifully.
The rhyming verse makes for a great read-out-loud book. 
This is sure to be another hit amongst fans of the classic Hairy Maclary series.

Scarface Claw, Hold Tight! is released through Penguin Random House Australia, and has an RP of $19.99
For further information on this title, head here 

Does your young reader enjoy Lynley Dodd's books? Which one is their (or your) favourite? Feel free to share below! 

Children's Book Review & Giveaway: What Makes Me A Me? by Ben Faulks & David Tazzyman 

Everybody is different in their own unique way, and this thought-provoking children's book explores the things that make us who we are. 
As the little boy in the story discovers, whilst we have things in common with others, and even inherit traits from our families, no two people are the same. 
We each have our own identity, and What Makes Me A Me highlights this in a very clever and funny way. 
The sketch-like illustrations (by David Tazzyman - illustrator of You Can't Take An Elephant On A Bus), are bright and detailed, adding to the charm of the story.
The book is released this month and has an RRP of $14.99, and I am pleased to let you know that the lovely people at Bloomsbury  have given me a copy of What Makes Me A Me to give away to one lucky follower!

To enter: 

You must be a follower of my blog (either by liking my Facebook page/twitter/Instagram. I don't mind which one you opt for but you must do at least one please), and

Answer in the comments section below:

Who would you give this book to if you won, and why?



The most creative/original answer will win, so get entering, and please include your email with your answer so I can contact you if you're the lucky winner! 


Terms & Conditions:
1. This giveaway is open to residents of Australia only. 
2. Giveaway closes on 30th October 2017, 9 pm. Winner will be contacted via email within 24 hours. Failure to receive a response from the winner will mean the prize is forfeited and a new winner will be chosen.
3. Winner will be selected on a basis of skill, not chance - the most creative and/or interesting answer deemed by the judge/s wins. 
4. The prize is not redeemable for cash.
5. In  The Good Books blog will not be responsible for items that go missing through Australia Post postal services.
6. This promotion is not associated or endorsed by Facebook.
7. Those who 'unlike' or 'unfollow' after the giveaway ends will be disqualified from entering future giveaways.

Children's Book Review: Dinosaur A To Z by Dustin Growick 

Does your young reader love Dinosaurs? If so, then this book is sure to delight!
Dinosaur A to Z offers a fantastic look at the fascinating world of these prehistoric creatures.
The hardback book begins with an explanation of what a dinosaur is, as well as dinosaur groups (Theropods, Sauropods, Ceratopsians and Ornithopods), and the special features relating to each group.
The dinosaurs are featured in alphabetical order, with interesting facts about each one, and they are even colour coded so the reader can see which period the dinosaur came from. 
There are feature pages about certain dinosaurs, and details about their diet, weight, and names.
There is also a large fold-out poster included for you to display. 
The pictures are very detailed, and vibrant too. There are over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures featured throughout the book. 

Dinosaur A To Z is available through DK Books this October, and has an RRP of $35.
For further information about this title, head here

Children's Book Reviews (and a giveaway!)
Spot Goes To The Fire Station by Eric Hill

This newly released board book is ideal for younger readers.
In Spot Goes To The Fire Station, Spot enjoys a day at the fire station with his grandpa.
He thinks that he is ready to be a great fire fighter, but his grandpa isn't so sure!

RRP $12.99, available through Penguin Random House Australia. 
To win a copy of Spot Goes To The Fire Station, head to my Facebook  or Instagram  to enter!

Peppa Pig - Peppa Visits The Outback 

                

Peppa, along with Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig, and brother George, head to Australia to visit Kylie Kangaroo. 
Mr Kangaroo flies them to the outback to enjoy a picnic together. It's a magical time for all!
This board book is perfect for younger readers, and fans of Peppa Pig.

RRP $9.99, available through Penguin Random House Australia. 

Recipe Book Review:  Bourke Street Bakery All Things Sweet by Paul Allam and David McGuinness

I was delighted to receive a copy of Bourke Street Bakery All Things Sweet to feature here on the blog, especially as I have a rather sweet tooth!
Authors Paul Allam and David McGuinness are chefs and bakers who co-own the very successful Bourke Street Bakery empire.
They have previously released another recipe book, Bourke St Bakery Cookbook, which is an International bestseller.

Now they are back with this stunning hardcover book, which features many delicious recipes and helpful hints. 
Some of the recipes include: lamingtons, brioche, croissants, nougat, tarts and biscuits, and many more.

The images in All Things Sweet are a visual feast, and guaranteed to make you drool!

I'm glad to share with you some of the recipes that can be found in All Things Sweet:

Chocolate Brioche doughnuts

'These came about after we had a build-up of chocolate ganache from our Chocolate ganache tarts on page 154 and we were looking for a home for
it — which we found, within these beautifully moist, deep-fried brioche balls.
We are lucky that these get into our shops at all, as they only get made on
a Friday to Sunday and the office staff devour them.'

Makes 20

1 quantity Sugar brioche dough 

cottonseed oil, for deep-frying

100 g (31/2 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

800 g (1 lb 12 oz) Chocolate ganache 

Shape the brioche dough into 40 g (11/2 oz) balls and leave
to prove for 3 hours at 26–28°C (79–82°F).

Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or large heavy-based saucepan to 170°C (340°F), or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden in 20 seconds.

Meanwhile, spread the sugar and cinnamon on a plate, mixing to combine.

Working in batches, fry the doughnuts for 5 minutes in total, flipping them over halfway through.

Remove the doughnuts using a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towel. Immediately roll in the cinnamon sugar and allow to cool.

Attach a thin nozzle to a piping (icing) bag, and use it to pierce a hole in each doughnut. Pipe about 30 g (1 oz) of chocolate ganache into each doughnut.

These doughnuts will last a day, if you don’t have children.

Sugar brioche

Makes two 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) loaves

375 g (13 oz) bakers’ flour

250 g (9 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

11/2 teaspoons salt

2 large eggs

70 ml (21/4 floz) milk

125 g (41/2 oz) unsalted butter, diced and softened

mild-flavoured oil, for brushing

Starter

125 g (41/2 oz) bakers’ flour

95 ml (31/4 floz) milk

30 g (1 oz) compressed fresh yeast

Put the starter ingredients in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Wrap the bowl with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 3 hours. 
Transfer the yeast mixture to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the flour, sugar, salt, eggs and milk. Mix on medium speed for 8–10 minutes, or until a smooth dough is formed.
Rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Add the butter to the dough and mix on low speed 
for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes, or until the butter has been incorporated. 
Transfer the dough to a clean, greased bowl or container and cover the surface of the dough with plastic wrap. 
Refrigerate overnight; this step needs to be done to set the butter in the dough, and allow the yeast to ferment. 
The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and 
set aside for 30 minutes. 
Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball 
and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. 
Brush two 9 x 17 x 10 cm deep (31/2 x 61/2 x 4 inch) loaf (bar) tins with oil. Form each piece of dough into a loaf shape and place into the loaf tins. Set aside for 3–5 hours.
Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Bake the loaves for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.
The loaves will keep in a tied-up plastic bag in your bread bin for 4 days.

Chocolate Ganache tarts

'Paul’s nephew, Elijah, when he was three years old, used to scoop and lick out every morsel of the chocolate tart filling, leaving the tart shell entirely empty and perfectly clean. His birthday cake for years was a mound of these tarts. 
These tarts are so popular we couldn’t help sharing this recipe from our first book. At Bourke Street Bakery we use Belgian chocolate in these tarts. It is worth spending a little more on the highest-quality chocolate you can lay your hands on — you’ll taste the difference… or the Elijah in your life will, at least.'

Makes 20 tarts, 8 cm (31/4 inches) in size

1 quantity Sweet shortcrust pastry (see page 134)

chocolate ganache filling 
850 g (1 lb 14 oz) good-quality milk chocolate, finely chopped
500 ml (17 floz/2 cups) thin (pouring) cream (35% fat)

Follow the instructions on pages 135-136 to roll out the pastry and use it to line twenty 8 cm (31/4 inch) round, fluted loose-based tart tins. Rest the pastry cases in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.
Blind-bake the tart cases in a preheated 200°C (400°F) oven for 20–25 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
To make the filling, put the chocolate in a stainless 
steel bowl. Pour the cream into a saucepan and bring 
to the boil over high heat — this needs to happen quickly 
so the cream doesn’t evaporate and reduce in volume. 
Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon until well combined. Be careful not to create air bubbles, as these will give a pocked look 
to the top of the tarts. 
Pour the chocolate mixture into a jug, then pour it into 
the cooled blind-baked tart shells, filling them to the brim.
Allow the tarts to set at room temperature overnight 
in a plastic airtight container. 
These chocolate tarts are best not refrigerated and should be eaten within 24 hours. If you do need to keep them for longer, they can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, then brought back to room temperature to be eaten, but condensation will form on the top after refrigeration, 
which will affect their appearance. 

Custard tart

'This is a golden oldie. On road trips into the country when I was a kid we 

would always have Devonshire tea at some point, or custard tarts. 

The key to a really good old-fashioned custard tart is to make sure the custard is silky, firm and light, but still a little wobbly. After you lightly sprinkle some nutmeg on top, it’s ready to eat — taste the past and enjoy.'

Makes one 28 cm (111/4 inch) tart

melted butter, for greasing

1 quantity Sweet shortcrust pastry (see page 134)

900 ml (31 floz) thin (pouring) cream (35% fat)

150 ml (5 floz) milk

100 g (31/2 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

15 egg yolks

2 vanilla beans, seeds scraped

grated nutmeg, for sprinkling

Roll out the pastry to 4 mm (3/16 inch) thick and cut it into 

a 32 cm (121/2 inch) disc. 

Knead the excess dough back together and roll it out again to get a few smaller discs to keep in the freezer.

Place the pastry round on top of a 28 cm (111/4 inch), 3.5 cm (11/4 inch) deep tart tin, ensuring it is in the centre, and use your fingers to gently push the pastry into the 

tin, moving round the rim until all the pastry has been inserted — you should now have about 1 cm (1/2 inch) of dough hanging over the sides. Use your index finger and thumb to work your way around the edge, forcing the pastry into the tin so that little or no pastry is left protruding. Where the upright edge of the pastry meets the base, there should be a sharp angle where it has been firmly forced into the corner — this method of lining the tin is to counteract 

the pastry shrinking once baked.

Rest the pastry case in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Blind-bake the pastry case for 20–25 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Turn the oven down to 110°C (225°F), without the fan on.

Set the cooled blind-baked tart shell on a baking tray. 

Put the cream, milk, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla seeds 

in a bowl and whisk to combine, being careful not to aerate the mixture. Strain the mixture and pour into the tart shell. 

Bake for 11/2–2 hours, or until the filling is just set; halfway through baking, turn the tray around and dust the top of 

the tart with grated nutmeg. 

Cool for 1 hour before serving. The tart will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

I love the layout of the book; it is set out into ten chapters, and each chapter has a lot of hints and tips to guide you through, so even if you are not a very experienced baker, you will be able to create a lovely sweet treat following Paul and David's guide. 

Bourke Street Bakery All Things Sweet is available this October though Murdoch Books. For further information on this title, head here

Please note: Images and recipes from Bourke Street Bakery: All Things Sweet by Paul Allam and David McGuinness (Murdoch Books, RPR $55.00) Photography by Alan Benson.

Children's Picture Book Review:Colour Me by Ezekiel Kwaymullina and Moira Court

Colour Me is a lovely picture book that celebrates the beauty of every colour, as well as the power they create when combined.
Using the hues of a rainbow as a metaphor for our individuality and uniqueness, Colour Me is a beautiful, bright book that will help to teach children about diversity and accepting others as they are.
The book is written by Indigenous author Ezekiel Kwaymullina. The colourful screen printed images by Moira Court depict the true beauties of nature - rolling waves, velvet nights, and blooming dawns to name a few.
It was released in August through Fremantle Press, and has an RRP of $24.99. It is aimed at readers 3-5 years old, although I am sure that older readers will enjoy this book too.
For further information, head here