A mixed bag of the latest books includes diets and lifestyle changes from the kitchen to the table,
Eat Less Crap Lose That Fat by Sam Pease (Struik Lifestyle)
The reason I read this one was because I mistakenly thought it was the local radio personality whose name is also Sam who had written the book and I was intrigued by how she had lost all her weight. Nothing read as I would have imagined her story to run, and about a third of the way through I realised the writer was a Kiwi and not from our shores.
By then it was too late to retreat so I kept going.
The notes on the back of the book read that this is one to help you lose anything from 5kg to 50kg – easily – with Sam’s secrets.
She describes herself as fat and frazzled and none of the popular diets appealed because she knew she wouldn’t stick to them. They wanted her to give up everything she liked and exercise for an hour three times a week, which she hates.
She knew it wouldn’t work and decided to find a way to get back to her old trim self. One of the first things she did was to “spy” on thin people and follow fat people around to see what they did differently.
From all the information she gathered, she put together an eating plan that suits her tastes and lifestyle and which allowed her to shed kilos – and keep them off – without losing her mind.
The style can become slightly irritating because it is a chatty book about losing weight. But if you go through it with your own sensibility in hand, you might want to make a few lifestyle changes. What she has to say isn’t that outlandish. And it might work for you as it did for her.
She walks you through her life and how she copes with every situation. It’s adaptable to your own lifestyle, points out any pitfalls and makes it easy to adapt some of her methods and eating plans to your own circumstances and personality.
Sugar Brides and Grooms: 20 to Make by Katrien van Zyl (Metz Press)
Personally, cake icing isn’t my thing, but I know quite a few amazing chefs and artists who specialise in this kind of artistry on the side and what they achieve is awesome.
I imagine they would scoff at these particular designs because of the “cute” factor. The brides and grooms remind one of dolls from a specific period, certainly a passé last century and not a more trendy new millennium look.
But this might appeal to a whole bunch of cake icers out there and they will probably be delighted by these designs and the methods that come with each couple on how to make them, assemble them and then add them to a cake. Those who enjoy this hobby will know if this book is their thing. The idea is fantastic.
Wheat Belly Cookbook by Dr William Davis (Thorsons)
It was the success of the initial diet that has resulted in this book of recipes to support it. The cover says the writer was unaware that his research would have such impact on people’s lives, but anyone who suffers from wheat intolerance will immediately know why it has such an impact if you go without it.
South Africa has become Noakes country, and this is very much his way of thinking too, with a few adjustments. But it means these recipes will apply to everyone who has to go without wheat for some reason.
And when you look at the pictures, the first thing you see is pasta, bread and cake, all things obviously produced by flour. But modern man is a wondrous thing. As soon as they have to go without something that’s important to them, they come up with a plan.
Apart from 150 wheat-free recipes, there’s an introduction of 94 pages for those who don’t know about the weight-loss plan that takes you step by step through the advantages and disadvantages of what you’re about to embark on.
The author has thought of everything and gives a list of resources.
And while he’s not local, he has brought the internet into play, which adds that scope to your searches.
If you think you could benefit from a wheat-free diet, don’t go into decline – it’s much less painful than you would think.
And it doesn’t mean you can never have another croissant.
It simply means that you break the rules when you think the occasion is important enough.
Sense of Taste (uncomplicated food for any occasion) by Chef Peter Ayub (Human and Rousseau)
Peter Ayub describes his food as stress-free and easy to prepare. He takes you by the hand and starts from the beginning, sourcing the best produce. And if you don’t know that by now, hopefully he will enforce this most important fact when it comes to cooking.
The thing that’s appealing are the recipes. He caters, takes part in cookery shows and writes for different food magazines like Taste and Food & Home, which means he’s at the forefront of what is happening in the cuisine sphere, but has also kept in touch with ordinary people interested in food.
His scope is awesome. From Thai spiced crispy egg salad, tahini, spicy Turkish lentil and bulgar soup, saffron risotto or Persian herbed rice, green mango, apple and mint chutney, East African pea, tofu and lentil curry served as a bunny chow, vine leaves stuffed with aromatic minced lamb, North Indian Kashmiri or Rogan Josh lamb curry to the more classical Beef Wellington, bread and butter ostrich pie – the list goes on.
He also takes you through different cooking techniques that many food writers might feel their readers should know – but it is exactly that assumption that stumps home cooks.
What we know is often hit and miss and it takes someone like this enthusiastic chef to lead the way.
Cupboard Cuisine by Francois Ferreira (Lapa)
This is a fun book to page though because it gives the impression that it’s packed with information. As the title suggests, it’s about maintaining a cuisine cupboard so that you don’t have to dash to the shops on every occasion but have the basics at hand whether you’re cooking for family or friends.
From teaching you about herbs and spices and which to keep and how, laying down the rules of storing olive oil, going through many different bread recipes before tapping into fresh ingredients which starts with classic salad ideas, different dressings and then runs off into more complicated territory.
From a boerewors and blue cheese soufflé to a modern pap and vleis duo, rice grains and other seeds, including mieliepap and cheddar fritters, to packets, bags and tins which leads into pasta, potatoes and pods which includes okra with coconut and with a tomato stew (not many are prepared to work with this tough but interesting vegetable) and then deli delights which include snoek terrine, lemon atchar, beetroot syrup to a delicious range of flavoured oils like citrus and fennel, sage and cumin or Cape spiced oil.
The book concludes with soups and sauces, sweets and party time, which more or less take you through any food emergency.
It’s fun, practical and flavourful.
Pretoria News