My daughter Emma and my long time recipe tester Eshun have just launched a book Whining and Dining: mealtime survival for picky eaters and the families who love them published by Random House.

Emma was never a picky eater but realized that her son and many of her friends' children were falling into that category. She teamed up with Eshun, who also had a picky eater to deal with and they collaborated on this terrific book. It is written in a warm witty style with lots of tips, quotes and family friendly advice on how to deal with the subject. One important piece of advice I learned was not to be a short order cook for your family. Kids will never choose to starve themselves. It is the perfect book for families who have picky eaters but also for families that are looking for tasty easy to make recipes that are kid and adult friendly. It's fun and lively to read and has lots of pictures of kids (some of them related to me!). One of my favourite quotes in the book came from my grandson Liam, aged three, "look Mummy, I am food!" he said while standing on a table. He started to run around. "Look Mummy I am fast food!" The book is available everywhere and on line too.

These decadent but easy short cakes are a pleasure at this time of year. Fill with fresh strawberries or strawberry jam and top with whipped cream. These are not for everyday but a special treat (and great for entertaining). There is another everyday scone recipe.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon melted butter

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Combine flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and mix well with a fork. Add whipping cream and stir with a spoon until dough just comes together.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to flatten it to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.

Use a 4 inch round cookie cutter to cut out shortcakes, gathering and flattening the scraps of dough until you have 4. Place them on a baking sheet; brush with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Bake for  20 to 22 minutes or until golden. Slice in half and top with strawberries and whipped cream. Serves 4