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Gina Ford is a child care expert who has written several books about sleeping, feeding etc in the past seven years. Her experience as a
nanny and consultant to many parents has boosted her arguments for strict guidelines on parenting. (Most of her books come with case studies of children who's potty
habits were turned around in a matter of days by her, and so on.)
Even if you're not a fan of her sleep and feed training from birth, techniques, you can still find useful advice and recipes here, though the
introduction refers you back to her other books quite a lot. Indeed, you'd swear a child couldn't possibly have been weaned without
her!
Still, fan or no fan, the Cook Book is worth checking out. For a start, many parents seek inspiration on first meals once their baby has
moved on from mushed peas and carrots. It's sometimes hard to know how far you can push a baby's palate or how textured food should
be. Here Ford offers tips on what age a dish is suitable for and when to mash, chop or leave whole.
She also provides some useful recipes for basics like a tomato sauce or a vegetable stock. These are invaluable as you will find when you
realise that you can't rely on your adult kitchen cupboard stock of salty flavourings.
Organisation
There is a short introduction about eating habits from six months to toddlerdom, though this book doesn't overwhelm you with nutritional
facts and figures.
There are chapters on meals and finger foods, treats and party food, as well as batch cooking for things which are always handy to have in
the freezer or fridge.
Recipes are clearly laid out and are not over-wordy. The ingredients are not obscure and the photographs are so lovely you'll be inspired
to take up your utensils immediately!
Range of dishes
There is a good range of different textures and tastes on offer in Ford's recipes, and many dishes will appeal to the whole family. However,
vegetarians are not especially well catered for which is a bit of a shame - don't think I've ever seen a 'mixed grill' in a cookbook for children
before!
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The
ThinkBaby verdict
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A well-designed and easy to use recipe book for everyday meals and special suppers.
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Usefulness: | 4/5
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Readability: | 4/5 |
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Value: | 3/5 | 
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