by Debbie Wareham and Kim Jurgens (Random House Struik)
This is more than a cookbook. It takes a parent through the journey of feeding a child, from breast-feeding to the family meal table.
Jurgens is a La Leche League breast-feeding support leader, and the section on this topic is helpful and practical. The book advocates baby-led weaning, which means offering the child safe and healthy food, allowing him to help himself and control how much he eats when he shows an interest in solid foods.
There are recipes for puréed and finger foods, and food to tempt fussy toddlers.
Wareham, who owns a restaurant in Durban, trained at the Christina Martin School of Food and Wine in 2000, and there are more than 120 recipes to be enjoyed by little ones and the whole family. Soup, beef stew, chicken à la king, spaghetti bolognaise, bobotie and macaroni are all there.
There are also snack items that will tickle kids’ imaginations, like cheesy biltong wheels, iced Marie biscuits and jelly boats. The book is packed with ideas for making good food fun for kids.