I was at another NZ Book Month event yesterday, the Sunday Star Times Literature Feast. Up on the stage Doris Mousdale was interviewing Kim Knight, Allyson Gofton, Peta Mathias, Lauraine Jacobs, Shonagh Koea and wine guru Michael Cooper. It was a celebration of food and how food contributes to the social history of New Zealand. There was lots of discussion about where our food comes from, what's in it, what your children will remember as their favourite food. Plus a bit of recipe sharing - add more fruit if you're making marmalade and want to make sure that it will set; make scones with sour milk for fluffiness; when making 'bread and milk' add a dash of nutmeg to flash it up.
A stand out for me was Shonagh Koea. She was very laid back with a wicked sense of humour. I added my reserve on her book "The kindness of strangers : (kitchen memoirs)" as soon as I could. Also a favourite, Peta Mathias has a new book out "Can we help it if we're fabulous? : and other thoughts on being a woman". Apparently she's following it up with a book on men. (She says she knows nothing about the subject despite years of careful research.) Lauraine Jacobs has a new book coming out later in the year about Matakana which promises to give us lots of ideas for a local weekend-away.
I asked about their favourite food for spring and here are their answers
Freshly laid eggs
Whitebait
Asparagas
Scallops
Ice-cream
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