summer reading something for everyone
L
BooKs
\ A VAST RANGE OF BOOKS FOR
KIDS OF ALL AGES WILL KEEP EVERYONE HAPPY THIS CHRISTMAS, WRITES CORRIE PERKIN
ast year Little Veggie Patch Co owners Fabian Capomolla and Mat Pember opened their St Kilda East nursery and gardening shop. A few months later Plum – an imprint of Pan Macmillan – published The Little Veggie Patch Co: How to Grow Food in Small Spaces ($45) and the book quickly became a bestseller. This Christmas the boys are back. The Little Veggie Patch Co’s Guide to Backyard Farming ($45) follows the same design and size as their previous book, and this time provides you gardeners with a detailed month-by-month guide to preparing, planting and harvesting your own vegetables, herbs and fruit, as well as delicious recipes. For cooks, our stand-out recommendation is Jerusalem by Israeli-born, London-based chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi ($49.95). The authors’ city of birth provides them with culinary inspiration for this collection of creative recipes, photographs and autobiographical jottings. We are also impressed by Matt Preston’s 100 Best Recipes ($39.99). Preston is not only a MasterChef judge and highly respected food critic, he is also a keen home cook who draws upon the produce he finds in his Melbourne suburban neighbourhood. “It is simple, honest food that doesn’t bust the bank and doesn’t take two days to make,” writes Preston in his introduction. “With the swimming squad, footy training, school drop-offs, band practice, netball, dishwasher unstacking, washing folding, dog walking
and soccer regime that comes with three children under 12, it has to be!” Melbourne chef Shannon Bennett returns this Christmas with another travel-and-recipe book. His 28 Days in Provence: Food and Family in the Heart of France ($39.99) is a food diary of the month Bennett spent last year living in Provence. From his farmhouse kitchen near the village of Menerbes, and using locally grown produce, Bennett cooks up a storm then records each day’s shopping, preparing and tasting. Dishes we’d like to try: Daube Provencal (Day 5), Lemon Honey and Olive Oil Cake (Day 12), Fresh Herbed Omelet With Smoked Trout (Day 21) and Lamb Cassoulet With Preserved Lemons and an Olive Oil and Potato Purée (Day 27). Bennett’s travel-friendly paperback features a small wine section at the back, but for serious wine buffs we recommend the annual Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2013 ($19.99). Johnson is one of the world’s most respected wine writers, and his pocket-sized guide – now in its 36th year – is mandatory reading for anyone interested in local and international wine trends. Cycling enthusiasts will find The Casual Cyclist’s Guide to Melbourne by Matt Hurst ($19.95) a helpful and informative gift. Hurst highlights 25 cycling routes around Melbourne that focus on the city’s sights, historically significant buildings and hidden treasures such as cafés, museums and parks.
THE BMW SUMMER SALES DRIVE BMW X1 sDRIVE18d from
52,900
$
Doncaster BMW
Bundoora Doncaster
BMW X5 xDRIVE30d from
89,900
$
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BMW 318d SEDAN from
60,900
$
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2012 PLATED MODEL RUNOUT AT DONCASTER BMW. The BMW Summer Sales Drive is on now at Doncaster BMW. With outstanding runout opportunities* now available across the entire BMW range of 2012 plated new and demonstrator models, it’s the perfect time to own the ultimate. Drive now, live now. Bundoora 62 Enterprise Drive, Off Northern Ring Road (Plenty Road Exit). (03) 9468 8000. Doncaster 812-814 Doncaster Road. (03) 8848 0000. doncasterbmw.com.au LMCT 8560 *Offer applies while stocks last to selected new and demonstrator 2012 plated vehicles ordered and delivered between 1st December and 31st December 2012 and cannot be combined with any other offer. Private and ABN buyers only. 1. Drive away price for a BMW X1 sDrive18d Automatic with no optional extras. 2. Drive away price for a BMW 318d Sedan Automatic with no optional extras. 3. Drive away price for a BMW X5 xDrive30d Automatic with no optional extras. Prices are based on the vehicle being garaged in Melbourne metro and a private owner with a good driving record and may vary according to individual circumstances.
16 The weekly review \ DECEMBER 12, 2012
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