KAI ORA

Fresh, healthy food made with aroha

Anne Thorpe

Random House - $49.99

I have had the great good fortune to attend many book launches during the 40 years I have been involed in the book world but few would compare to this one.

First off there was live entertainment throughout what proved to be a four course sit-down lunch at one of Ponsonby's finest and most durable restaurants, SPQR.

Secondly the food was all from the book being launched and it was absolutely divine!

Look at this, makes a change from my usual lunch of ham and tomato sandwiches!

Here’s the menu as described to us by chef/author Anne Thorpe:

Caprese Salad - A little iconic starter of Buffalo mozzarella
Tasty prosciutto ham, Vine ripened tomatoes, Sweet basil and flaky salt
Served with delicious OliveNZ extra virgin olive oil

Paua Risotto
The paua arrives fresh on the day from the Far North, thanks to commercial free-diver Sam Kereopa. I’m combining it with the creamiest, tastiest Arborio rice and I can tell you now, this dish is truly wicked!
Koura Linguine (pic left)
Sam’s out on the Hauraki harvesting crayfish for this event. He’ll be straight in the water as soon as he returns from the Far North. You will thoroughly enjoy this super-fresh dish, served with the beautiful flavours of fresh limes, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, chilli and tonnes of aroha!

Aporo & Calvados
Organic New Zealand apples oven-roasted and flambéed with Calvados liqueur
Served with the sexy French St Agur cheese

And then enter the the wine sponsor - Yealands Estate.

These guys practice environmentally sustainable practices and run the world’s first winery to be constructed entirely under the green building code. I understand too that Yealands is NZ's largest privately-owned vineyard. Built from scratch in 2002 and the wines were a perfect food match. I tried both the Pinot Gris and the Resiling and both were excellent.

The event, for that is what it was, was superbly MC'd by Makai Smith , while the entertainment was provided by Cydel, Ardijah's Betty-Anne (love that ukelele babe!) and Ryan, and cousin of the author, super star Whirimako Black ,(I have all her CD's, bought at Matakana's Village Bookshop).

So it was stunning food, great music and most pleasant company. I had the privilege of being on the Random House table with publisher Nicola Legat, publicist Sarah Thornton, Random House author Denise L'Estrange-Corbet , book designer Olivia Haddon and the man who wrote the foreword to the book, Cancer Busting Food, Anne's surgeon , Trevor Smith.

What a lunch, what a book launch.

As publisher Nicola Legat ,(how many books a year does this woman launch ?, and she does them all so well), said in her opening remarks, this is unique New Zealand food being presented to a mainstream audience and I reckon she was spot on.

The recipes in this superb book (with spectacular photography by Aaron McLean) feature mainly kai moana (seafood) and Anne brings to these recipes a unique Maori emphasis and flavour. She is of course a renowned TV chef but more importantly she is a superb chef/hostess in her own home and I am greatly privileged to have been one of those who has enjoyed the hospitality of Anne, and barrister husband Fred (another Gisbore old boy!), in their wonderful beach home on the Nortland coast (pic left).

Yes, it was indeed a memorable lunch. I may need a nap before dinner! And as an aside I don't believe I have ever been to a book launch with such a large number of media people present, some working while others enjoyed the lunch and entertainment.

Thanks to Anne, Random House, our entertainers, and SPQR, owner Chris Rupe, (an old friend of the author), was even waiting on the tables himself along with James, maitre'd extraordinaire.!