It follows her tried and tested philosophy that good food doesn't need to cost a lot; you can eat healthily and in season inexpensively, and if you do choose something luxurious, you can make a little go a long way.
There is advice on menu planning and shopping smartly, and gluten and dairy-free options among the recipes.
There are quick and tasty stir-fries, hearty soups, stews and fresh salads, sweet treats and desserts as well as tips for making a meal out of nothing - leftover pasta, fritters, fried rice, and a useful recipe for instant oats - process oats with cinnamon sugar and low-fat milk powder, pack into small zip-lock bags and just add boiling water for a healthy, calming breakfast snack on the run and much cheaper than the bought stuff.
It's a delicious mix of family and a few slightly posher recipes for destitute gourmet entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Author Michal Haines, who runs specialty food stores in Auckland, has trawled the world, from east to west Asia, North Africa and the Americas for a selection of enticing recipes, many of which I wanted to cook, such as an aubergine and potato cake with nutmeg and black pepper with fish scented with cloves, fennel, oregano and smoked paprika, or hard-boiled eggs tossed in black pepper, cumin, coriander and cinnamon which were a favourite with Muslim pilgrims, or a roast shoulder of lamb stuffed with rice flavoured with onion, garlic, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, saffron, honey and orange blossom water.
Recommended.
New Zealand Chili Handbook (Bateman, pbk, $25) describes and explains how to grow and use different types of chilli and peppers available, from the fiery little habaneros to the bigger, milder poblanos, and gives a selection of recipes.
It's not just for chilli-heads though.
The recipes are labelled according to heat scale.
"Food should be able to be eaten by even the most timid amongst us.
It is far better to have a dish with only a little heat that everyone can eat, than a blistering macho obstacle course that leaves your guests as sodden, sweaty and nervous wrecks."
Worth exploring.
