I went to a very unusual book launch today. I got to make pasta and wonderful chicken pasta salad – with Annabel Karmel, the UK’s best-selling author on baby and children’s food and nutrition. I have to say this was not something I ever expected to find myself doing all those years ago when I was busy following one of her first books all about how to feed toddlers and getting immensely frustrated because my baby wouldn’t eat. I’d buy all the ingredients, spend ages cooking and pureeing everything and freezing them in little ice cubes and then feel a massive failure as a mother when my child STILL spat stuff out all over the place.
Anyway. The fact is that my children consider me to be one of the world’s worst cook’s. I can and do cook, I’m just not that interested. It doesn’t inspire me much – my children love cooking much more than I do (but that is probably because the alternative option for them would be rummaging in the neighbours bin looking for sustenance). However, when I got invited to go and meet Annabel I was intrigued and delighted and anyway her new book is on pasta and my youngest child was desperate to take the day off school and come with me so I thought the least I could do was go and get the book for him.
I had a great morning chopping and mixing and eating the finished products and listening to Annabel discuss her passion for food. She introduced herself and launched immediately in to how she had started cooking and writing books. I thought she was going to talk about how to chop onions so when she talked instead about the death of her firstborn child, Natasha and how it had dramatically changed her life, I nearly cried. What a tragedy. She has three other children in the 18 – 21 bracket although you’d never know it. She looks amazing. She’s very petite and lovely.
Her new book (her 22nd!!) is launched tomorrow. I was so inspired by my day that I came home and cooked a chicken pasta recipe from the book which my kids loved. I’m looking forward to getting my 9 year old to review some of the recipes in due course.
In the meantime, here is Annabel preparing her pork meatballs with tagine sauce:-
Hayley
May 13, 2010From all the pics and reviews looks like everyone had a wonderful time! I was meant to go but didnt make it unforunately! Glad it inspired you! Well done!
Family Affairs
May 13, 2010Oh thats a shame Hayley – would have been good to meet Lx
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May 13, 2010Awesome post, hey I found this post while googling for lyric updates. Thanks for sharing I’ll tell my friends about this too.
Chic Mama
May 17, 2010Just been catching up on your week….I went there as well,in the afternoon. I really enjoyed it. :0)
Family Affairs
May 17, 2010OH NO Can’t believe I missed you Lx
Hal Gaekle
May 18, 2010Hi, I found this page on Bing and just wanted to say thank you for posting this list. I would have to agree with it, thanks again!
Pasta Making
May 21, 2010Tripolini or “little bows” were given the name to pay tribute to the Italian conquest of Tripoli in Libya.
Aaron Aquil
July 13, 2010Thank you for a fantastic post. I enjoyed it.
Cletus Lucius
November 23, 2010Man, my grandmother was from Sicily and she made the most amazing meatballs I ever tasted, like you had died and gone to meatball heaven. Sadly, she didnt leave a single recipe for me so I’ve been trying to figure it out on my own… slowly working my through the meatball recipes here, I still cant figure out what her secret ingredient was though!!!