Dish

The Great Dixter Cookbook

BY AARON BERTELSEN

Great Dixter, once home to influential gardener

and writer Christopher Lloyd, is an historic

house and garden located on the borders of Kent

and Sussex in England. New Zealander and keen

gardener Aaron Betelsen initially volunteered at

the site in the mid-nineties and returned in 2005

to go on to become the vegetable gardener and

cook, a role he still holds today. This beautiful

tome is a collection of seasonal recipes and

expert planting guides from the property.

Starting with “Growing Fruit & Vegetables”,

there are top tips for nurturing everything from

beetroot to herbs, and fruit trees to potatoes.

You’ll then want to move on to the delicious ways

to prepare this garden bounty – there are salads,

soups, traditional English suppers and plenty of

biscuits, cakes and desserts for afters. Surplus

of produce? Get stuck into the “Preserves”

chapter – recipes for Pickled Pears, Beetroot

Chutney and Plum Jam are just begging to stock

the larder. A handy Garden Diary at the back

of the book means you’ll know when to do what

as the seasons turn. And as Aaron is regularly

invited to speak about gardening at events

worldwide, his advice is sound. Aside from all that

practicality, this book looks just gorgeous and

would be an asset to any coffee table repertoire.

Phaidon – $60 (hb)

BOOKS

Reviewed by Nikki Birrell

The Cocktail Garden

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ADRIANA PICKER

AND RECIPES BY ED LOVEDAY

Oh so pretty, is how we’d describe

this wee cocktail gem. The delightful

illustrations on every page have us

hankering after some of the luscious

concoctions within. Starting with

Syrups, Purees, Tinctures and Infusions,

these flavoursome additions are then

put to use in drinks so inviting, you’ll

want to whip out the good glasses.

We are so ready for a Strawberry and

Tarragon Pisco Sour or a Honeydew Fix

to sip on as the days get longer.

Hardie Grant Books – $29.99 (hb)

Sweet

BY YOTAM OTTOLENGHI

AND HELEN GOH

When Yotam releases a new cookbook,

we get excited. And this one is no

exception. Sweet is a collection of, you

guessed it, sweets, by Yotam and his

long-time collaborator Helen Goh. More

than 110 recipes promise to create

indulgent moments of joy. There are

simple mini-cakes and cookies for

parents to make with the kids and then

there’s beauties like Cinnamon Pavlova

with Praline Cream or an elegant

Campari and Grapefruit Sorbet. Mmm.

Ebury Press – $65 (hb)

Little Bird Goodness

BY MEGAN MAY

Special diets are here to stay and

Megan May is a shining example of why

gluten, dairy and refined sugar-free

recipes are not just for those with

intolerances. She makes it so deliciously

appealing to give a largely raw plant-

based diet a go. This way of eating is

about feeling great from the inside out

• but we’d happily tuck into Mexican
  Iceberg Tacos with Walnut Chilli and
  then nibble on a Cacao Raspberry
  Brownie just for the love. A definitive
  guide to this style of “cooking”.
  Penguin NZ – $60 (hb)

Real Food by Mike

BY MIKE MCENEARNEY

You’ve heard it before - “you are what

you eat”. Mike McEnearney, a chef and

restaurant owner in Sydney, reckons,

then, we should be real. Simple,

generous and sustainable wholefoods

form the foundation of his food and

we’re on board if it means we get to

eat dishes such as Roast Chicken with

Verjuice, White Grapes and Tarragon

and Shaved Persimmon, Preserved

Lemon and Capers. Fresh, innovative

delicious wholesome recipes leap off

every page. A great spring manual.

Hardie Grant Books – $50 (pb)

DISH 123