Book celebrates Volcanic Zone
Ilove the philosophy behind the books by Henrietta and Gerhard Egger. They celebrate our multicultural community and showcase our beautiful countryside and our people. However, the recipes take their books to another level. They are not written by names you will recognise, rather they come from people you might pass in the street.
The couple's latest book Volcanic Kitchens — a further collection of recipes, stories and photographs is just superb. Rotorua and Taupo are the Volcanic Zone and there are some stunning photos of the area. The recipes include delights such as Aunty Bea's Curried Chicken and 10/10 Dessert. I asked them some questions.
What do you like the most about Rotorua and Taupo?
There is so much to like about this area, and we think that is reflected throughout the book — where to start? Firstly, the natural environment, it really is so diverse and of great beauty; the numerous lakes each with its own identity, the native bush with a wide variety of walks suitable for any ability, the Redwood Forest which has not only great walks but also the best mountain bike trails in NZ. The volcanic landscape; fumaroles, geysers, boiling water and mud and of course the stunning volcanoes and then there is the cultural diversity, which is also represented in the book.
Do you think people have gone back to basics a bit more when it comes to food and if so why?
I am not sure about basics, but people seem to have rediscovered the joy of baking and cooking. The whole sourdough bread baking craze, which started at the first Covid lockdown was phenomenal. And it seems to be carrying on, it's a bit like knead and bake or cook to relax.
Tell us a bit about the journey from start to finish with Volcanic Kitchens?
The journey! Each time we put a book to bed we say to each other “no more!” and then you think, maybe one more . . . We do everything ourselves other than the final prepress and printing and we also get assistance in editing and proof reading. However, there are a lot of ‘discussions' to be had over the dinner table, whether it be design aspects, paper, title, cover
. . . the list goes on and unless you have been involved in publishing a book, you will have idea of the work that goes into it. We really wanted to illustrate and celebrate our community and for us, that was by engaging our community and asking for recipes and stories. Gerhard was a chef many years ago so food is a natural lure for him. Everybody enjoys food right? It is part of any culture and a means of celebration. In many ways Covid lockdown was good for us — we were able to get on with the finishing design aspects and editing with little interruption. However, Covid also had us wondering if people were going to be in a financial situation to purchase books, they are a luxury item. Getting The Rotorua Community Hospice on board was a bit of a win-win situation. We hoped the community would enjoy the book enough to purchase a copy knowing that if purchased through the supporting outlets that our local hospice would benefit. We are hoping that hospice will earn over $20,000 through this project, although people must purchase either directly through them (online or at their shop) or through one of the businesses in town who are also supporting them.
What did you enjoy the most while creating this book?
Meeting so many people from our community. Knowing that funds from selling the book goes back into the community.
What was the hardest part?
Getting people on board and getting the recipes in. However, a bit of perseverance went a long way.
What’s your favourite dish to make and eat?
For Gerhard who is originally from Austria it has to be our All Blacks Captain Sam Cane's Beef Schnitzel. Nothing fancy but quick and easy to cook and always morish. For Henri the Pavlina, a simple recipe that makes a great dessert and as our daughter is celiac — it is perfect.