Move over Annabel Karmel – there’s a new puree chef in town. Except this one, of course, has Michelin stars and a string of globally renowned restaurants to boot. But here is Alain Ducasse with a book entirely dedicated to feeding kids from weaning through to toddlerdom. And there are far more interesting and complex flavours than you are likely to find in any other baby book – for babies there’s Green Asparagus and Eggs Mimosa or Beet Soup with Fromage Blanc and Chives or a Pumpkin, Roquefort and Hazlenut Soup – the kind of food of course that you would happily eat yourself. And this is really the point – Ducasse introduces as many flavours as possible into his recipes so that babies quickly become used to and appreciate all foods. He also places a very strong emphasis on cooking local and seasonal produce. The book is arranged chronologically so there are recipes for toddlers too, with things like Red Lentils, Salmon and Tarragon or an unctious Leek Clafoutis with Aged Comte. There’s even a seriously indulgent looking First Birthday Cake which trades refined sugar for agave syrup. Even if you have missed the boat and you now have strong-willed toddlers who laugh in the face of a broccoli floret, this book could help to transform them into veg and fruit lovers – and to that end there’s a chapter dedicated to really clever ideas for fruit too.
