www.foodtechnology.co.nz 25 THIS MONTH’S LUCKY SUBSCRIBER, LEIGH MORTON OF D&L PACKAGING IN AUCKLAND HAS WON THE BOOKS FEATURED ON THIS PAGE B O O K R E V I E W S Anyone vaguely familiar with the raw food momentum – particularly those living in Auckland – will recognise the name Little Bird. Founded by environmental scientist Megan May, the company - boasting two award-winning Unbakery cafes, a products range stocked in food outlets nationwide and a best-selling book - offers high-quality and organic plant-based foods…and May is now considered to be the matriarch of the wholefoods movement that has transformed the New Zealand food scene for the past eight years. It was health that got May interested in food. Growing up on an organic farm at a time when we were very limited in gluten, dairy and refined sugar-free options, she suffered from intolerances and spent a large segment of her childhood sick. After failing ill in her mid-20s, she decided to take her health into her own hands, and her passion for wholefoods combined with sheer determination accidentally created Little Bird Organics. May began experimenting with raw, gluten-free and dairy-free crackers, macaroons, granola and cereal after realising that a predominantly raw plantbased diet made her feel positive, clear-headed and energised. “Raw foods provide an abundance of nutrients to fuel your body,” she says, which is why she’s recently released her second book Little Bird Goodness – filled with 130 recipes, and showcasing where food comes from and how food choices can transform “personal and planetary” health. “This book is a celebration of my life in food, the foods I make at home for my family, and favourite foods that we serve in our Unbakery cafes,” May says. Whilst her first book The Unbakery was entirely raw, this new collection also includes cooked plant-based dishes, allowing newbies to a plant-based diet the chance to ease slowly into the lifestyle. “I wanted to create recipes that were accessible to both those new to a raw plant-based diet, as well as ones to inspire those already well experienced with new ideas. In my experience, eating mostly raw plant-based food makes you feel amazing, and so I wanted to showcase just how easy it was to add more raw food into your diet, so people could see just how energised Wanaka-based restaurateur and television personality Angelo Georgalli sure has the Kiwi pioneering spirit down pat. Food and family, he says, are essentially all that are needed for a good life…and his gorgeous new book certainly sells that idea. Filled with wholesome and nutritious cooking that is simple and user-friendly, Georgalli’s seasonal offerings expose a taste of a wild and holistic approach to food and cooking, and he covers everyone with gluten-free, vegetarian and dairy-free options. The Game Chef – whose show is broadcast by TVNZ on Saturday afternoons – says his passion for the great outdoors and wild food is a culmination of everything he’s learned from life. “I believe it is important that we are teaching our kids to appreciate, to love and to be passionate about nature, the wild, the great outdoors – and real good food.” This is the perfect Christmas present for any family member, and the coarse linen-feel cover gives the book a real distinction from the rest. ANGELO’S WILD KITCHEN BY ANGELO GEORGALLI (BEATNIK PUBLISHING), $44.99, AVAILABLE NOW WHOLEFOOD HAPPINESS ANGELO’S WILD KITCHEN LITTLE BIRD GOODNESS BY MEGAN MAY (PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE NZ), $60, AVAILABLE NOW they can feel for themselves.” May says it’s important not to obsess over food. “It’s okay not to eat the perfect wholefood diet 100% of the time. Don’t waste time stressing that you ate something at an event that was processed or wasn’t organic – enjoy being with friends and family, and enjoy eating. If you can start at a young age to listen to your body and develop a healthy relationship with yourself and the foods you eat, where they come from and how they impact on the environment, you are already winning.”
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