Artisan Bread

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Swiss baker Gregor Michaud has worked all over the world and the recipes in this glossy book reflect his international influences. Another one for serious breadheads, it covers history, farming, wheat science, additional ingredients, extensive information on ferments, baking techniques and production methods… and that’s before you’ve even reached the recipes.

When you do, chapters span ‘Natural Starter Breads’, ‘Special Breads’, ‘Savoury Breads’, ‘Sweet Breads’, and ‘Croissants and Danishes’. The book’s presentation makes it easy to navigate despite being published in dual-language format. The author knows his stuff and the baker senses he’s being lead by an expert- which always instils greater confidence when trying recipes in a home kitchen. Each recipe comes with a photograph and a small box for ‘Suggestions and hints’ to inspire further creativity.

Artisan Bread
by Gregor Michaud
Photographs by Johnny Han
Published by Food Paradise Publishing Co.
RRP HK$168

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Children’s Cookbook

The Dorling Kindersley imprint now offers quite a selection of titles aimed at encouraging children into the kitchen as more than mere observers. This book is aimed squarely at beginners – of all the DK books, I felt it contained perhaps the most helpful introductory tips – and explains basic techniques like melting chocolate and boiling eggs. Many of the recipes acknowledge the benefit of a healthy diet, which is a great thing to get across to a child, given the daily pressure of advertising for confectionery and convenience foods. But surely, the best way to encourage children to eat well throughout their lives is to awaken their interest in home cooking – and this book makes an excellent starting point.

I liked the clean layout and clear step-by-step photos (typical of Dorling Kindersley), and given that cooking can have hidden hazards which little fingers might not be aware of, I appreciated the fact that any step which might be fraught – like using a kitchen knife or heating up oil – was marked with an exclamation mark inside a bright red triangle.

Although only about a third of the recipes are for baked goods and desserts, this book remains an excellent buy for those who want their kids to enjoy cooking with them. The ‘health’ emphasis extends to pages on individual food groups, not to mention a whole host of healthy breakfast recipes, including making your own crunchy oat and nut cereal. Many of the dishes are rich in vegetables and fibre, and the book is keen to stress the importance of a varied diet.

Despite this healthy eating theme, a few recipes (such as the vegetable tart) feature quite rich ingredients, yet make no suggestions about making a more balanced meal. I also wonder if dried yeast may be easier for young cooks to handle than the fresh yeast required by the recipe, not to mention easier to find in the shops.

However, criticisms of this book are few, and the ‘Children’s Cookbook’ is a great purchase if you want to involve your kids with cooking. The book asks ‘why not make it yourself?’- a refreshing approach in a sadly ‘pre-prepared’ world where fast food is considered a treat.

Children’s Cookbook
By Katharine Ibbs
Published by Dorling Kindersley, October 2004
128 pages; RRP £13.99
Target age group: 8-15

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