Stirred But Not Shaken by Keith Floyd
This past weekend I finished reading a book that I can’t wait to share with you.
Like many South Africans of my generation, I have grown up with numerous celebrity chefs gracing my television screen. From Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson to the potty mouth king Gordon Ramsay. However there is one charismatic man who quite possibly, started it all. I am speaking of none other than Keith Floyd.
Over the years his show reached millions. Viewers were drawn in just as much by his drinking, and no-holes barred commentary as by his cooking.
One of my favourite episodes featured Floyd cooking an ostrich casserole in the middle of a field full of ostriches. When it was time for him to move on to cooking an ostrich egg he states (and I am paraphrasing here) that he has done some daft things on this program, but trying to cook an ostrich egg, in the middle of a field in deepest, darkest, wonderful South Africa, where the wine flows happy and the smiles are frequent. This is total madness. I can’t bring myself to cook that thing so I’m not going to. I’ll have a drink instead.
Floyd died at the age of 65 from a heart attack however just before he did so, he completed his personal memoir reflecting on the highs and lows of his career and his life. It is a fascinating read and I could just picture him narrating it while swirling a glass of wine in his hand. It highlights the dangers of fame and is both amusing and very sad and brought back many memories of watching Floyd’s shows on TV. If you enjoy cooking, celebrity chefs or just a good memoir, I urge you to give this book a try.
Stirred But Not Shaken by Keith Floyd
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Pan; Reprints edition (7 May 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0330511580
ISBN-13: 978-0330511582
Image courtesy Amazon.co.uk
Noisy Farm by Jessica Greenwell (Author), Lee Wildish (Illustrator)
Let’s face it; story time can be less than relaxing when you are trying to read a book to a toddler who has the attention span of a goldfish. I have learnt though, that the more senses I engage at story time, the longer my daughter pays attention to the story. Books that make sounds, have different textures and have interactive flaps are all winners.
My new find is Noisy Farm (Usborne Noisy Books). It has a panel of sound buttons on the right hand side and each page has a farm animal that corresponds with one of the sound buttons. Not only do I get to teach my daughter the names of all the animals but she also gets to learn what sounds they all make. It is a lovely book with bright, bold illustrations and it isn’t too long either. Don’t worry if you can’t find this particular sound book, most book stores carry a variety and I am sure you will be able to find one that suits you and your little one.
Noisy Farm (Usborne Noisy Books)
by Jessica Greenwell (Author), Lee Wildish (Illustrator)
Hardcover: 10 pages
Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd (1 May 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 140952454X
ISBN-13: 978-1409524540
Image courtesy Amazon.co.uk