The little library cookbook by Kate Young

Eating and reading are two pleasures 

that combine admirably  CS Lewis

Well here is a first for this blog - an adult book and yes it is a cooking book or as the library term would say a cookery book.

On Friday I said goodbye to my school library and received an avalanche of gifts, hugs, events and even some poetry.  Our local bookseller presented me with this book The little library cookbook.  I am not sure how she knew this would be such an utterly perfect, unexpected and generous gift.  If you have been reading this blog for a long time you will know if a book mentions food I will mention the food they mention!  Also I am a cake nut.  In fact when students borrow 'cookery' books from the school library I often flip the pages and show them the recipes I think would be delicious.  I as they move off I say remember Miss L loves chocolate cake!

I don't think I have ever read a 'cookery' book from front to back but I read every word on every page yesterday of this book.  There are some things I would like to cook but more importantly there are references to books I have read and loved.  I smiled on every page.  If you are a reader and a cook you should hunt out this book.

To begin with I read contents list which is divided into before noon, around noon, after noon, the dinner table, midnight feasts, parties and celebrations and Christmas.  Reading this I discovered references to Australian children's and I was puzzled because the author Kate Young lives in London and has an award winning food blog.  It was in the introduction that I discovered Kate grew up in Australia - in Queensland and this is where she read and heard books like Two Weeks with the Queen by Morris Gleitzman, Wombat's don't have Christmas by Jane Burrell and of course Possum Magic by Mem Fox - no food book could miss that one and I imagine you can easily guess which recipes she has featured.

Kate Young had me hooked when she mentioned honey cake.  I have talked about this delight in several of my posts.   She says "the scent of a honey cake transported me to the back seat of our old car, listening to Alan Bennett read Winnie-the-Pooh on audiotape as we drove to Canberra."

Here are some of my favourite books/recipes from this book - I was especially excited to see the reference to Redwall by Brian Jacques - his books are filled with an abundance of delicious sounding foods. I am only listing the children's book references - of course there are adult books listed by Kate Young too.

Pippi Longstocking - Tunna Pannkakor
"they thought it was a very good pancake."

Redwall - Fruity nutbread -
"Matthias seated himself to an early breakfast ... nutbread, apples and a bowl of fresh goatsmilk."

Little House on the Prairie - Baked Beans
"Ma was busy all day long cooking things for Christmas ..."

Charlotte's Web - Blueberry Pie "Just in time for a piece of blueberry pie' said Mrs Zuckerman."
The tale of Peter Rabbit - Currant buns "She bought a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns."

There are also recipes from The Little White Horse (I adored that book when I was about 10 and still have my copy), The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone, Danny the Champion of the world and The Secret Garden.

Where to now?  Well I have a jar of honey given to me by a student last week from their own backyard hives so I will make the Fruity Nutbread which has honey and another favourite ingredient - walnuts.  I might also try the crumpets from Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and apple pie from The Railway Children.