Cookbooks

The latest Masterchef NZ winner, Chelsea Winter's cookbook At My Table (Random House) is out. The recipes, she says, are ones which have fond memories attached to them and ones she has cooked countless times, some being passed down through generations.

Perhaps one of the latter is speculaas, a Dutch spiced cake with almond filling which her oma (grandmother) used to make, but many are accessible: thin crust pizzas, fresh salads, pastas, desserts and dishes with Indian, Mexican, Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian influences, and a few with nods to contemporary restaurant food such as scallops with cauliflower puree and lemon and thyme oil.

 

Healthy desserts might sound like an oxymoron to some people, but Australian Lisa Fabry aims to redeem their reputation in her book Divine Vegan Desserts (Wakefield Press). Her recipes are dairy and egg-free, and many are gluten-free, wheat-free, low in sugar, nut-free and some are even raw. Besides her own recipes are a selection from restaurants around the world, including Revel Cafe in Auckland. A book not only for vegans and people on dairy-free diets, but also for those who are looking for healthier alternatives to some luscious-looking desserts.