Happy birthday to Cook the Books

Happy Birthday to us! It doesn't seem like 12 months since we moved from our little cottage on Ponsonby Road to bigger, brighter and more accessible premises premises on Richmond Road, but it is. Saturday 14th July is Cook the Books on Richmond's 1st birthday! It also happens to be Bastille Day. So we've  invited our friends from Tourism New Caledonia in for the day to spread a little bit of joie de vivre. COOK @ Cook the Books our demonstration kitchen will come to life from 10am serving up food that celebrates Pacific flavours and French flair. Pop in early for a coffee and pastry, or as the day moves on you might find us cooking up some Marinated Venison, or Tamarind Pork - (and sharing the recipes) both delicious in any weather, but perfect winter fare. Felicity from Cook the Books and Grant Allen COOK have both travelled to New Caledonia on a trip the celebrated the unique gastronomy of the region and will be sharing all the tips and tricks that they learnt along the way. But that's not all we have happening in the next few days - Chef, Author & Farmer's Marketer Extraordinaire Chris Fortune is coming to do a Smoking & Preserving Master Class on Thursday 5 July. He will be demonstrating freshly smoked fish, showing us how & why to brine meat, and what the secrets are to fantastic preserves. Then we will be serving it all up with freshly baked bread & delicious home-made chutney Click Here to Book! Saturday 7 July we are back to our 1st Saturday of the month knife-sharpening with Lance from Mr Sharpy. Lance will be here from 10am, and you can drop your knives in earlier in the week, or come by on Saturday and enjoy a complimentary coffee while you wait. Monday 9 July we have ex-pat kiwi Alex Mackay back in town for the launch of his brand new book - all the details are below, or click here for more info.  COOK @ Cook the Books is in full swing. Although it might not always look like we have a lot going on, we are now booked out 2-3 nights a week for private groups. If you would like to get together with some friends or workmates and do a class, give us a call 360-6513. Coming up we have All About Soup on Tuesday 10 July & Spain - the Pig & Paella on Tuesday 17 July (11 July  fully booked) & A Feast From Persia on Monday 23 July & South-East Asian Street Food on Tuesday 24 July & Hearty Winter Braising on Wednesday 25 July & With love from Africa - Veggie Dishes from many Lands on Tuesday 31 July. Click on any of the links for full descriptions or to book your spots. The Marvellous Marly from Mad Millie's is back with more cheese making classes in July.  We have a few spots available for  Fresh Halloumi & Ricotta on Wednesday 18 July - 7pm. Fresh Mozzarella & Marscapone is super-popular with the next available date being  Monday 30 July - 7pm. Classes are $60pp and include a $40 Mad Millie Beginners Italian Cheese Kit. Or book into both for just $85. Nana's Pea & Ham Soup To warm you up on these cold days, this is my Nana's recipe for pea & ham soup recipe. It is incredibly simple and hearty, but freshened up with the addition of mint. 500g green split peas - soaked in cold water, at least overnight. 2 leeks - white part only finely chopped 2 meaty ham hocks 2 tbs dried mint handful of fresh mint leaves Heat a dash of oil in a small pot and slowly sauté the leeks. Meanwhile, place the ham hocks in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. This will remove any excess salt. Drain and discard the water. Place the sautéed leeks, ham hocks, soaked split peas & dried mint in your slow cooker. Cover with a jug (or so) of boiling water from the kettle. Cook on high till the meat is falling off the bone (5-6 hours). Remove the ham hocks and shred the meat. Toss in the fresh mint and blitz the peas etc to a puree, add back in the shredded ham, and season as desired. Everybody Everyday by Alex Mackay $50: Alex Mackay believes that cooking is an adventure and that good food should be for everyone. He knows that most of us shop in the supermarket, work long hours, and are often stuck for inspiration in the kitchen. The trick, he has discovered, is to know a few basic recipes inside-out and to reinvent them so they never grow tired. In Everybody, Everyday he shows how to cook six basic ingredients, six sauces and six slow-cooked meals, and then offers a kaleidoscope of variations for each. Order EVERYBODY EVERYDAY with free delivery in NZ Don't forget we have Alex in-store from 6pm on Monday 9 July for the launch of this fab book! Join us for an evening of Food, Wine & Stories. There is no charge to attend the launch, but for catering purposes we would appreciate you letting us know you're coming YES! RSVP to Alex Mackay   Pizza by Pete Evans $50: Pizza is the all new book from Pete Evans the host of 'My Kitchen Rules', and author of My Grill & My Party.  Pete has had a life-long love affair with pizza. As a child, his mother would make them from scratch for him and his friends - and he later trained with an Italian pizzaiolo so he could learn all the tricks of the pizza-maker's trade. Pete's award-winning restaurants include Hugo's Manly, Hugo's Bar Pizza and Hugo's Lounge in Sydney.  With more than 90 recipes the book cover classic pizzas and more modern versions, and include breakfast pizzas, seafood pizzas, vegetarian pizzas and pizza desserts. Order PIZZA today - with free delivery in NZ  Odd Bits by Jennier McLagan $60: In a world of shrink-wrapped meat it's easy to forget about the more economical, but less lovable parts of the beast - bellies, brains, cheeks, hocks, shanks, and offal. Historically, these 'odd bits' had a regular place on our plates and in our culinary repertoires.  So why do we eschew and waste valuable protein? Since when have our sensibilities become so squeamish? In short - when did we decide offal had become awful? Jennifer McLagan, award-winning author of Cooking on the Bone and Fat, is on a crusade to bring the nose-to-tail style of cooking and eating back onto our dining tables. Her mission: restoring our respect for the whole animal, developing a taste for its lesser-known parts, and learning how to approach them in the kitchen confidently. Much more than a cookbook, Odd Bits delves into the rich geographical, historical and religious roles of these unusual meats. Her enthusiasm should convert even non-believers to the pleasure of odd bits. Order ODD BITS today - with free delivery in NZ   Sweet Paris $40: Paris is not only the city of romance & light, but also of delicious sweets like no others on earth. From the first recipe (Parisian Chocolate Truffles) to the last (Classic Caramel au Beurre Sale) we were in love! Take your tastebuds on a tour of Paris in this sumptuous collection of pastries, desserts and chocolates to die for. Author Michael Paul's stunning photography captures the real ambience and joie de vivre of this remarkable city. Saunter past traditional pattiseries, sit with artists sipping chocolat chaud in Montmartre and savour the delights of the local chocolatier. Sweet Paris is more than a cook book: it's a sweet-toothed guide to Paris; a city where even the desserts are chic. Order SWEET PARIS today - with free delivery in NZ  Super Natural Every Day $30: Author Heidi Swanson is the creator of the award-winning culinary blog 101 Cookbooks. And her approach to cooking whole, natural foods has earned her a global following. She introduced us to a less-processed world of cooking and eating and helps us make nutritionally packed meals part of our daily repertoire. The recipes are approachable, good for the body, and most importantly - delicious. The recipes are all vegetarian, yet if you aren't a vegetarian, you don't notice the meat is missing. Gorgeously illustrated,  Super Natural Every Day reveals the beauty of uncomplicated food prepared well and reflects a realistic yet gourmet approach to a healthy and sophisticated natural foods lifestyle. Order SUPER NATURAL EVERY DAY today - with free delivery in NZ.   Enjoy great whisky and fine food? If so, Nostalgia Restaurant (formerly Prohibition) on Ponsonby Road is joining forces with The Whisky Shop at 7pm on Thursday 19 July to host a five course dinner with perfectly matched whiskies - a dining experience to remember (if you don’t drink too much whisky of course)!  For tickets to this exclusive event ($150pp), please call Nostalgia on 09 361 5858 or book online at www.nostalgia.net.nz