I was excited and inspired when I first heard about this book. As someone who works in Care, I could really appreciate just how much carers are relied upon to cater for as well as look after individuals. In one of my previous employments, many carers found it was just too complicated cooking for their clients, as it took up too much time and energy that needed to be applied to physical care. The end result was ready meals, slimy frozen pies and oven chips. There is so much work to be done when you are caring for people, and depending on client capabilities, the list of tasks can often be unending and exhausting.

The Carers Cookbook is divided into three main sections, Useful cooking information- including basic cooking instructions for eggs, meat, fish, vegetables and potatoes as well as conversion charts and cooking times, A twenty-eight day selection of recipes with three for each day- a light meal, main meal and pudding, and miscellaneous additional recipes.

All the recipes have been checked by Senior Dieticians and Food Editors, to ensure they are healthy and nutritional. The recipes are full of variety and flavour, and there are enough meal suggestions in this little book to pick and choose through on a daily basis without your repertoire ever growing stale. There are classic English favourites such as Baked Gammon with Honey Glaze, and Blackberry and Apple Crumble, as well as an extensive range of world flavours as well, such as Coq au Vin, Chicken Risotto and Moussaka.

There are also plenty of varied and imaginative vegetarian options, which is refreshing to see - often, vegetarian options seem like an afterthought, and tend to be bland and uninspired. The vegetarian recipes in The Carers Cookbook include Potato and Parsnip Bake, Vegetarian Bolognese and Celery in Cream.

Most of the recipes seem quick and easy to prepare, and the longer ones are meals that can be cooking in an oven while you attend to your clients other needs, so there is no stress involved, which is very important. My only minor complaint is that there are no pictures whatsoever, which could be useful if you are caring for clients that need visual aides- but that could be a whole book in itself, separate to this one…

I have spent time in hospital, and appreciate just how important a good meal is to both physical and mental recovery. As Angela Hamlin says “I have always realised how important meals are to patients… as an important break in the day, causing a diversion in the often enforced monotony of the day.” There is nothing worse than spending the whole day savouring a meal only for it to be a let down. If carers use this cookbook either directly or for reference and inspiration, then meal times for patients and clients will be a joy.