Those who’ve meandered down Havelock North’s gentile main street would know the name Pipi, and probably those of her owners as well. For Alexandra Tylee, her life is so intertwined with the restaurant she started more than a decade ago that she often doesn’t know where Alexandra ends and Pipi begins. This cookbook, however, tries to separate the two, in order to simplify a life now filled with bringing up sons on a lifestyle block in the beautiful valley of Poukawa. The move, says Tylee, has given her family a chance to be themselves and reconnect with the power and beauty of the land in rural New Zealand. “If Pipi were a person,” Tylee says, “the recipes in this cookbook are the ones she would 38 APRIL 2016 Growing up vegetarian on an organic vegetable farm wouldn’t generally tilt you towards a career in rocket science or industrial engineering, and Raglan-based former chef and creator of the multi-award-winning food blog My Darling Lemon Thyme, Emma Galloway, doesn’t buck the trend there. The food photographer and mother-of-two went on to cook professionally as a chef and her first book My Darling Lemon Thyme, published two years ago, now sells in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. But if I told you that her work has featured on Oprah.com, Huffington Post, SBS Food and in the Guardian newspaper, you can see just how phenomenally successful this New Zealander actually is. A feast of new and seasonal vegetarian and gluten-free recipes await readers of Galloway’s new book, which follows the rhythm of her own garden and kitchen, showing how to choose produce at the right time, explore the bounty of the seasons and re-connect with a more natural way of eating. “Food is life,” she says, “but it’s so much more than sustenance alone. People are much more aware of what they put into their bodies now. Taking ownership of what you eat is the single most powerful choice we have as humans.” Attributing her ultimate success to years of simply playing in the kitchen with the produce from her little garden and local farmers markets, Galloway is definitely on track for further global attention. cook at home. They’re the ones I cook at home.” There’s way more than just recipes, though. Poems, anecdotes and memories abound throughout, paying homage to the generations of Kiwi men and women who – while caring, providing and cooking for their families – have silently built up a huge pool of recipes, ideas, beliefs and traditions. Tylee’s character seeps into every pore, making this a unique New Zealand offering to those who have gone before. “I wish Katherine (Mansfeild) was alive today,” Tylee says at the start. “I would very much like to sit somewhere outside with her, have a cup of tea and just quietly talk for quite some time.” And just perhaps take a thumb through this beautiful book. With an instantly recognisable face, Pete Evans’ personal attachment to New Zealand is two-fold… he is soon to marry Kiwi model Nicola Watson and he is the face of My Kitchen Rules Australia, which broadcasts each year on Kiwi television. However, he’s way more than that. Award-winning chef, restaurateur, author, television presenter, health coach, adventure-seeker and father – it makes you wonder where on earth he finds the time to write, especially as he hosts his own television programme The Paleo Way. Yet here it comes…100 easy paleo meals to roast, braise and slow-cook for busy people wanting delicious stress-free dinners like stews, roasts, braises, curries, stir-fries and even Pete’s favourite meatloaf recipe…all of which can be prepared in just one pot (or wok). Drawing inspiration from around the globe, including Vietnam (beef curry) and Morocco (spiced leg of lamb), the cookbook is promised to make you feel great, using fresh vegetables, sustainable seafood, freerange chicken and meat, healthy fats, nuts, seeds and spices. What you won’t find is dairy, legumes, grains or refined sugar, and there are extra instructions for using your slow cooker or pressure cooker for many of the recipes. “This book,” says Evans, “is dedicated to everyone who loves to fill their home with intoxicating aromas, to excite their taste buds with delicious flavours and, most importantly, to nourish their body with the most effective form of medicine on the planet – beautiful and nutritious food, cooked from the heart, always with love and laughter.” Mmmmmmmm…I can smell it now… THIS MONTH’S LUCKY SUBSCRIBER, LINDA HOLMES from Cuisine Resources in Pukekohe, will receive all three of the publications reviewed on this page. Enjoy, Linda! B O O K R E V I E W S A YEAR IN MY REAL FOOD KITCHEN By Emma Galloway (HarperCollins Publishers, $44.95, available now) PIPI AT HOME By Alexandra Tylee and photos by Richard Brimer (Random House NZ, $65, available now) A YEAR IN MY REAL FOOD KITCHEN PIPI AT HOME ONE POT FAVOURITES ONE POT FAVOURITES By Pete Evans, (MacMillan, $39.99, available now)
FT-Apr16-vol51-3
To see the actual publication please follow the link above