COOK THE BOOKS - an invitation
Cook the Books is delighted to be hosting an evening with Anna on Wednesday 11 November from 6pm. We will be serving canapes selected by Anna -matched with wine. And Anna will be sharing her thoughts on Coco, The Modern Pantry & anything else gastronomic we feel like chatting about.
If you would like to join us on the 11th please reply, address details below, - reservations are essential. Cost $10pp redeemable on the purchase of Coco from Cook the Books.

About COCO - $85
"Coco" is an exciting, unprecedented guide to the most exceptional talent in the international restaurant world. "Coco" presents 100 of the best emerging chefs from around the world. It is selected by 10 superstar chefs: Ferran Adria (Spain), Mario Batali (US), Rene Redzepi (Denmark), Alice Waters (US), Jacky Yu (Hong Kong), Gordon Ramsay (UK), Ferguson Henderson (UK), Shannon Bennett (Australia), Alain Ducasse (France) and Yoshihiro Murata (Japan).
The selected 100 chefs are creating the most innovative cuisine today. From Singapore to New York, Stockholm to Surrey, Hong Kong to Paris, these chefs are pushing their craft to new heights and have just begun to receive attention for their cooking. Arranged alphabetically by chef,it includes the curator's presentation of the chef, a sample menu by the chef, and two to three of the chef's signature recipes.
Also included are photographs of each recipe as prepared by the chef, their restaurant, the chef at work, and the chef's environment, including farmers' markets and favorite ingredients. In the second half of the book, each chef-curator discusses one specific dish that has had a particular significance throughout his/her life or career, accompanied by a recipe and photograph of the dish. Part cookbook, part guide to the world's best new restaurants, and part who's who of the international food scene, "Coco" showcases the cooking of today's best new chefs, as chosen by today's culinary icons.
About Anna Hansen.
The 39-year-old New Zealander, who has received rave reviews since she opened The Modern Pantry 14 months ago, is now regarded as one of London’s top female chefs. She was one of 10 chefs chosen for Coco by English chef curator Fergus Henderson who owns St John restaurant in London and is famous for his Nose to Tail Eating philosophy of using offal and other neglected cuts of meat. Henderson, who employed Hansen as a kitchen porter at his French House Dining Room when she first moved to London at the age of 22, says selecting only 10 chefs for Coco was an enormous challenge because the list of talented people to chose from was huge and Phaidon’s criteria were exacting. “But Anna stood out. She’s in there because her food is absolutely super,” says Henderson.
“Fusion” cuisine can be very hard to get right. But Anna’s food has a real process behind it and a grounding that makes it successful.” Her food philosophy includes taking the Asian approach of using combinations of sweet, sour, salt and spice in most dishes. Some of her favourite ingredients include miso, tamarind, lemon grass, star anise, dried shrimps, Turkish chilli and cassava. “Anna has a very gentle touch. She does lots of tasty small things and everything is delicious.
“She washed pots when she came to work for me and she worked her way up to be the head chef running the kitchen in the French House Dining room which is remarkable. It also says a lot about what a wonderful spirit Anna has.”

Hansen says she feels both honoured and flattered to be included in Coco. “Going out on my own and setting up my own restaurant took quite a bit of courage and it has been a lot of hard work. So it’s great that all that effort is paying off ,” she says.
Hansen employs more than 30 people at The Modern Pantry, a Georgian built town house and former steel foundary which now has a 26-seat private dining room, a 40-seat ground floor cafe and a shop which sells baked goods and icecreams.
From the NZ Herald.

COOK THE BOOKS
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AUCKLAND

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