SHARING SWEET SECRETS
Gluten & wheat free
Pamela Moriarty
Published by Pamela Moriarty deluxe paperback $29.95 available nationally at Wheel & Barrow stores and selected bookshops and news agents

There was a time when self–publishing was deemed in appropriate, but modern design and printing techniques and the failure of so many publishers to take on new authors has led to many private individuals taking a step into the arena. They are not, as they were once considered wildly eccentric and generally with books that no one in their right mind would publish. They are instead committed professionals willing to commit substantial amounts of their own money (and time) to publish in a manner that is both exciting and saleable. Sharing Sweet Secrets gluten and wheat free is just one of those ventures. It is a modern, stylish and very attractive publication with wonderful pictures by Jacqui Way. A strong spiral binding and quality paper mean this is a book for using. A professional cook, Moriarty, a diagnosed Coeliac for 20 years brings accumulated knowledge to the topic of cooking gluten and wheat free.
Her book offers the full spectrum of basic sweet components from crepes to choux and then sets about using them in interesting, simple and delicious ways. Having briefly experimented fairly unsuccessfully with translating base sweet recipes to gluten and wheat free recipes, in particular pastry and cakes the time and effort that has gone into perfecting the recipes in this book is quite remarkable. At a time when busy kitchens are being requested for more and more gluten and wheat free options, they are frequently lumped into the same category as vegetarians of just being just too hard. A good book from the domestic and professional cook alike and especially valuable since we’ve have tried a lot of gluten free recipes on the net that never work.

HEART FOUNDATION
The New Classic Cookbook
Loukie Werle
Published by Park Street Press, quality spiral bound P/B $16.95 www.heartfoundation.org.au or book stores, newsagents and shops

My old doctor long since retired once asked ’don’t you eat your own food? ’ Yeah, perfect cholesterol and heart check and blood pressure again. Not everyone is so lucky to be able to indulge so recklessly. Having watched friends struggle with the news that they have heart problems and need to restrain their eating and drinking it is possible to see the value of this cookbook. A book of this nature could be full of very unappetizing boring food, and whilst it is certainly pared back it does offer suggestions and combinations that are well beyond old–fashioned invalid cookign or dangerous fad diets. The dietary information at the bottom of each recipe could also prove useful for devising other recipe options for anyone unlucky enough to have to eat so carefully.

DAKSHIN
Vegetarian Cuisine from South India
Chandra Padmanabhan
Published by Periplus Editions (Hong Kong) Ltd P/B $37.95

This is a book that I have never tired of and with each year that passes it becomes more splattered and loved and in seven years we have tried around fifty percent of the recipes. With pictures to drool over, the recipes are well written but reading Important Notes p.9 before you start cooking clarifies the weights and measures used in the recipes. The book has extensive bread and sweet recipes including the wonderful lacy Semolina Dosai that are utterly delicious with a good vegetarian curry gravy. The great thing about these wonderful recipes is that once you have grasped the taste and intent of the dish most of them can be cooked without rigidly following the recipe. All of the ingredients can be found at Indian grocer.

NUTRITION FOR THE BRAIN
Feeding your brain for optimum performance
Dr Charles Crebbs
Published by Michelle Andersen Publishing Melbourne, P/B $24.95

It is only recently that scientists are really starting to understand how the brain works and what sections of the brain trigger certain reactions. The determination to fully understand the functionality of the brain has in recent years brought great improvements especially in the area of depression and the drugs used to treat it. We now know the importance of exercise when treating depression is not just a feely touchy but actually produces natural serotonin, which is an antidepressant. You don’t just feel better because you exercise for 30 minutes your brain naturally manufactures a drug that is basically an upper.
Of course we all know, or think we know what foods make us feel better, but Crebbs’ research takes eating and brain functionality way beyond natural instinct and personal observation and provides hard core instructions as to what a healthy active brain needs to function at optimum.
Having always chosen stressful workplace situations and being in situations of people managing under impossible conditions the section ’Effects of stress on mental performance’ was not really surprising but what happens to the brain was and explained why some people cope and others don’ t. At least eighty percent of us from surgeons to criminal lawyers to mothers and fathers with young children (old children) and chefs deal with extreme stress on a daily basis and frequently the long-term effects are clearly obvious. Crebbs suggests dietary supplements and details carefully the brain’ s requirements. Nutrition for the Brain is a fascinating insight for the lay–person into brain functionality and the benefits of the right foods. There is ample clear instruction and information at the back of the book and while reading the glossary of terms was especially useful.