5. Good Organic Gardening - September-October 2016 AvxHome.in

ooks | REVIEWS
Cover to cover
Leafing through books for gardeners and nature lovers
Harvest
Illustrated by Emilie Guelpa, Hardie Grant $29.99
It goes without saying that cookbooks these days are among the most visually stunning publications
on any bookshop’s shelves. French designer and photographer Emilie Guelpa adds an extra
dimension with her beautiful watercolours of the produce featured in Harvest’s 200-odd recipes,
divided by seasons and featuring the likes of Barbecued Quail with Baby Carrot Salad & Black
Quinoa, Seared Tuna with Fennel Confit, Chestnut Risotto with Sage & Pancetta, Lemon Olive Oil
Cake with Raspberry Curd, and Dulce de Leche & Banana Pavlova with Salted Praline. The pictures
alone will start you salivating.
Vegan Bowl Attack!
By Jackie Sobon, Allen & Unwin, $27.99
The title might sound like a Hollywood action movie, but vegan blogger and food photographer
Jackie Sobon is eager to dispel the notion that vegans “eat just grass and dirt”. In fact, she espouses
the theory that “form follows function” and says, “Food tastes better when it looks better!” She’s also
a big fan of exclamation marks. But aesthetics and punctuation aside, Sobon believes in the form and
function of the bowl, too. Before she plunges into this book of photogenic recipes — from breakfast
(Peanut Butter Pretzel Oatmeal!) to dinner (Cashew-Crusted Tofu Stir-Fry!) to dessert (Amaretto
Cherry Ice Cream!) — she first explains how to build the perfect bowl, from the base of grain to the
protein on top. So grab a bowl and get ready to “chow down on recipes that won’t disappoint!”
Grain Bowls
By Anna Shillinglaw Hampton, Hardie Grant $19.99
More bowls, and another book dedicated to making healthy food look and taste good. Food stylist
Anna Shillinglaw Hampton is excited about the resurgence of interest in “ancient grains” — bulgur
wheat, freekeh, quinoa, farro, buckwheat, wheatberry, kamut and spelt — as well as the more familiar
rice and barley. These are now all available once more in their unprocessed forms, which is another
tick for healthy eating. Grain Bowls presents 80 recipes that include one-pot dishes such as meat
stews and risottos as well as bowls that can be assembled in advance for a quick snack or informal
weeknight dinner — just add sauces and dressings. The recipes are, of course, endlessly adaptable
for fussy eaters. Eating healthy was never easier.
Soups
By Anna Helm Baxter, Hardie Grant $19.99
Is there a comfort food more comforting than soup? The restorative powers of soup are part of our
language in the French word restaurant, which originally referred to a cheap, concentrated broth sold
on the streets as an antidote for exhaustion. Here are soups for every occasion, whether classics
like bouillabaisse, chowder or split pea and ham, or the slightly more exotic courgette and brie, or
chickpea and hazelnut. Let’s not forget the chilled summer delights of gazpacho and vichyssoise,
the subtle pleasures of miso and other stock-based soups and the accompaniments and toppings
to go with them such as cheese or pâté toasts, chorizo crumbs or roasted kale with za’atar. For even
tastier soups, the book provides recipes for making your own delicious stocks.
Wholefood from the Ground Up
By Jude Blereau, Murdoch Books $39.99
“Born in the 1950s to a mother of Italian descent,” writes whole and natural foods expert Jude
Blereau, “I was fortunate enough to grow up in a family and society that understood food: how to
grow it and source it, supply and prepare it so that it nourished both body and soul.” So this is more
than just another cookbook; it is in part a call to change our industrialised food culture and return to
the solid values of good soil and whole, natural and unrefined foods — including animal fats — that
provide not only nutrition but also good gut ecology. Aside from more than 120 nourishing recipes,
Blereau provides clear information on what constitutes “good” food as well as a guide to building
your own wholefood pantry and practical tips for planning and preparing food ahead.
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