Despite embracing the web for almost everything in our lives, we’ve always preferred to keep our cooking firmly rooted in books – whether much-loved old classics or new favourites. We’ve never really been seduced by the myriad foodie apps available or, for that matter, tuned into videos or tutorials. Which is probably why we’d never heard of sister duo Lucy and Claire McDonald whose Crumbs Food YouTube channel is a hugely popular destination for family food ideas. But now the bloggers – and working mothers – have poured all their time-saving ideas into one place – The Crumbs Family Cookbook. There’s an odd gap in the market for family-focussed cooking, probably because it’s not quite as sexy as a culinary voyage around the Levant or as seductive as a baking bible. But no matter, because the McDonald sisters have transformed family cooking into an entertaining book that’s packed with good ideas from suggestions for weekend breakfasts (there’s even a breakfast cake) and seriously cosy comfort food through to kids’ suppers to whip up in a matter of minutes (like the utterly stress-free salmon and dill pasta) to slightly more time-consuming but worth it weekend lunches. This isn’t the most inventive or sophisticated food (although it’s probably how most of us eat), but for stressed out parents who need some guidance this book will most probably be a gem.
