The Librarian

My dear friend Gin (of bake club fame) has supplied me with just about every beautiful recipe book I own. I consider myself spoilt - I've been a grateful recipient of some real classics.  Last Christmas Gin bought me the Ripe deli book  Ripe Recipes  by Angela Redfern.  I've looked through plenty of recipe books in my time. While most inspire me to dream,  it takes a special cookbook to inspire me to action. This one did. I have used it numerous times in the last six months, and absolutely love it. I made brioche for the first time, a little tentatively (my husband is half-french and he's got a frenchman's taste for brioche!), but I needn't have worried, they were such a hit. The recipe was really straight forward, and the filling (rhubarb and custard) was divine! I'll be making them again. To continue the rhubarb theme, I also made the rhubarb butterscotch layer cake. It wasn't quite as straightforward (it took me three tries to get t...

I was so so excited to see this new book on the display shelves of the book shop today. Published by Random House Pipi restaurant is a Hawke's Bay favourite. It is colourful, quirky and very much itself. It all works; the unconventional marriage of pink and red paintwork, the retro/elizabethan features, the romantic outdoor gazebo, the poetry pasted all around the bathrooms, the mismatch of everything from tables to candlesticks, the untraditional pizza combinations (who knew that caramalised onion, sliced potato and blue vein cheese went together so well?)and the free giant jaffas. The book is an incredible new step for the restaurant owners. While the recipes look amazing. I think it is worth looking at for the styling alone, they've got it going on! It's exquisite.

I should get this out in the open...I'm what they call a 'francophile'. It sounds a bit dinosaury but it's not. It's just that I'm mad on France. Anything French. The scenery, the language, the food, all those little churchy churches - I just love it all. So, I will pick up any book that promises a bit of a window into French life. I'm here to tell you there have been a few...but I have my favourites, and today I'm going share them with you, because even if you're not dinosaury-french-mad, I think you'll enjoy these books. My Life in France by Julia Child was definitely my 'book of the year' last year, because as well as being set in my fave part of the world, Julia Child is one inspiring woman! And such a nice love story too. It's a goodie. Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard is a light memoir written by an American girl who fell in love with a French boy and lived with him in Paris. This wasn't my all-time fave, but it wa...

Hello friends! Book chat time again. Thank you so much for your replies to last month's book chat. I love knowing you are out there!! Don't forget to add your latest book recommendations this month too.   My book recommendation this time is Common Table , a delightful little book written by two old school friends, Janice Marriott and Virginia Pawsey, who met at a reunion and began writing to each other. Their letters have been published in two books. The first, Common Ground , chronicled their gardens, one in central Wellington and the other in Canterbury hill country. In Common Table they share recipes and reflect on the differences between city and country life. It's lovely!     Remember, I promised I would bring food to book chat? Well, this month I am very excited to welcome bake club  to book chat. Have a look at their fabulous blog. And, aren't these macarons amazing. Basil lime macarons Talk soon. Love, Library ...