“Well of course we need another cookbook!” grouched octogenarian Tui Flower when asked to contribute some recipes to the Great New Zealand Cookbook.
Fortunately she relented so last week I was able to take a walk down memory lane and bake her old fashioned raisin loaf. We’d almost forgotten how good such a homely and economical loaf tastes with a cup of tea.
The Great New Zealand Cookbook’s creators, Murray Thom and Tim Harper, were the duo behind the very successful Great New Zealand Songbook. For nine months their team travelled the length and breadth of New Zealand. They had a wonderful time meeting eighty of New Zealand’s best chefs, cooks and bakers and recording their stories and recipes.
Something that makes this book really special are the brilliant portraits shot on location including many familiar faces like Joe Seagar, Sir Des Britten, Lorraine Jacobs and Martin Bosley. Such a great way of showing my granddaughters that recipes are not just something you find by googling on the net but that behind each great recipe there is a passionate cook who has spent many years perfecting their art.
No book deserves to be called a Great New Zealand Cookbook without a recipe for a really good pav. Dame Alison Holst divulges that this was never one of her strengths but anyone can make her easy one-bowl version.
Out of the many delicious desserts in the Great New Zealand Cookbook who could possibly resist Geoff Scott’s Hokey Pokey Icy Slicey with salted caramel sauce?
Those who have visited Fleur’s place will be delighted to discover her recipe for seafood chowder here. The prep time depends on whether you gather your ingredients from the wild and your garden or from the supermarket!
For pie lovers it would be hard to go past Tony Astle’s Chicken, Leek and Mushroom pie which has been on the menu at Antoine’s for forty years.
“Don’t touch it If you’re on a diet” he cautions. “It’s full of cream, booze and butter.”
I highly recommend the Great Kiwi Cookbook as it has so many family friendly recipes which make good use of the fresh and local ingredients which New Zealand has in abundance. Most of the recipes are affordable and uncomplicated. It deserves a place on everyone’s kitchen shelf, alongside the Edmond’s Cookbook.
The Great New Zealand Cookbook
PQ Blackwell – $50.00
Full of stunning photographs this book could be placed on a coffee table as well as in the kitchen. Much more than a recipe book, it also tells the stories behind the vineyard, its history, wine making process and its philosophy.
Amisfield vineyard, established 25 years ago produces wines from fruit grown on its 80 hectares in the Pisa Region of Central Otago.The Amisfield bistro which looks out over Lake Hayes and snow-capped mountains followed a decade ago. In this special place the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were entertained on their recent royal tour
Over a hundred of the bistro’s delectable recipes have been divulged by Californian born Chef Jay Sherwood and his team. Some of the classics were already on the menu before his time but were so well loved by customers that they stayed there. The sourdough bread first appeared 10 years ago and is still going strong.
Chef Jay Sherwood’s own recipes show a Californian, Spanish and Italian influence. And he has also introduced the art of making fresh pasta. He relished meeting the challenge to create dishes which match the Amisfield wines.
He and his team trialled the recipes in their home kitchens so they have been thoroughly tested and scaled down for cooking at home. But they make no apologies for the fact that many are quite complex and will take time.
This is a cookbook for cooks who love the challenge of creating extravagant meals for special occasions. People who are interested in viticulture and wine making will also love this book. And it would make a great gift for overseas visitors who have had the opportunity to sample some of New Zealand’s great wines and food.
Amisfield : Food, Wine and Stories from Central Otago
Publisher: Random House RRP $59.99
Once the family leaves home it’s tempting to give your slow cooker away as it takes up a lot of bench space. But it will come into its own again when the family turns up for dinner or grandchildren arrive for the holidays. Food cooked this way is so easy to prepare and can be left to its own devices while you enjoy spending time with them.
This useful little recipe book, by Simon and Dame Alison Holst, is full of reliable slow cooker family meals including good old meat loaf, easy beef pot roast, Alison’s Lazy Lasagne and Moroccan-style Chicken.
Title: Every Day Easy Slow Food Fast
Authors: Simon and Dame Alison Holst
Publisher: Hyndman
RRP $14.95
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