The Silver Spoon, Phaidon | Book Review

The Silver Spoon provides easy weaning tips and recipe for babies starting from 6 months and ending at 2 years.

Introduce your baby to the tastes and textures of real foods with nutritious and delicious home-cooked recipes from The Silver Spoon, the world’s trusted Italian cooking authority. The Silver Spoon: Recipes for Babies presents 50 inspiring, easy-to-prepare meals alongside advice on fuss-free mealtimes and baby-led weaning – the Italian way. Developed for babies and children aged six months to two years, these modern recipes range from wholesome first foods to family-friendly options for more adventurous eaters, providing the important nutrients your growing child needs while introducing the widest possible range of dishes.

Chapters are divided into:

• Easy weaning
• Recipes for 6 to 7 months
• Recipes for 8 to 24 months

Creating a baby-friendly kitchen and other advice

Many first time parents might feel out of their depth when it comes to a new born. Sound advice that offers guidance to weaning, choosing a high chair, what to buy, and how to set the scene is so helpful. When Hannah was teething I noticed that all the teething biscuits had sugar as an ingredient. This is mentioned in the book and breadsticks are suggested as an alternative. Seems like a no-brainer, but it never crossed my mind.

Recipes that caught my eye:

• Baby’s first pasta sauce (p110)
• Baby’s first pasta carbonara (p112)
• Pasta with beef ragù (p120)
• Baby’s first Mediterranean couscous (p130)
• Gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free cookies (p156)

My impressions:

This book arrived on my desk wrapped in clear film and upon opening it I thought no expense had been spared in publishing it. With coloured pages, some with no printing, this is the initial impression. But upon paging through the book one can see that this extravagance did not extend to the recipes themselves. There is not one photograph in the entire book. Each recipe has its own page, and alongside it is a generic picture of one or more of the ingredients. Hannah has been introduced to solids the Italian way, eating freshly made food, and the same as what the adults in her life eat. This is the main reason I wanted to page through this book to get fresh new ideas for meals for her.

What I made:

I made the gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free cookies but they did not come together without the addition of extra flour. Hannah seemed to enjoy them, liking the ones with the sugar free ‘smarties’ on more than the plain of course. As couscous is a regular feature in our house, I tried the recipe for baby’s first Mediterranean couscous. This is the first time I have added Parmesan to couscous, and it won’t be the last. This very simple salad is delicious.

Publishing information:

ISBN: 9781838660574

Disclosure: I was sent the book to review by Jonathan Ball Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. This post is in line with my blogging policy.

Inspiration published on Lavender and Lime December 16

• • 2019: Chocolate Mousse Cake
  • 2016: Olive Oil Poached Trout
  • 2015: The Supper Club
  • 2013: Traditional Frikkadels
  • 2011: Secret Santa Round Up
  • 2010: Cake Jewellery

Today, Dave and I are celebrating our 18th wedding anniversary. From tomorrow I am on leave and will be back at work on the 4th of January. I will pop into my blog when I can over that time.

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