For more than a century, Edmonds and Kiwi cooking have gone hand-in-hand. Any Kiwi in the kitchen worth their salt has that distinctive orange cookbook, pages stuck together with sauce splatters and cocoa powder in the creases.
Now even the youngest Kiwis can fall in love with the iconic book, with a reissue of its junior cookbook. With the iconic illustrated step-by-step layout of the original Edmonds Junior Cookbook, this edition makes it easy to learn to cook classic New Zealand recipes.
From pikelets to afghans, banana cake to scones, the cook book still contains some of New Zealand's best loved recipes. But it also reflects our changing tastes. Within the pages, gems such as poke bowls, tabbouleh, dumplings, sushi, falafel and bliss balls all feature.
The book is divided very simply into two categories - savoury and sweet. Each recipe features simple steps, accompanied by simplified pictures. List of ingredients, timings and quantity of the meal also feature. A well mapped index features at the back of the book, as well as guides on weights and measures, oven hints, and 'using the recipes'. The heading offer some simple cooking hints new chefs may not quite have got a grasp on - making sure you preheat the oven, or checking you have all the ingredients before you begin.
The back inside cover offers some simple food safety tips too. Washing hands, reheating food, and safe refrigeration are all ticked off. The inside front cover offers space to write your name, and provides a brief history of Edmonds.
With an effective spiral bind, Edmonds: My First Cookbook is sure to inspire a life-long love of baking and cooking in Kiwi kids.
Reviewer: Rebekah Fraser
Hachette New Zealand, RRP $24.99