Healthy interest led to recipe book
Clinical nutritionist teams up with recipe book author for new edition of series
Bailey Scott had been using Linda Duncan’s recipe books in her cooking for years – but now she’s been able to help write one. Scott, who is a clinical nutritionist at Coregood in Paraparaumu Beach, had always wanted to help improve people’s health in a more accessible way by writing a healthy recipe book but she wasn’t sure how to go about getting one published.
“I’ve always been interested in health food – it’s always been a part of my life.”
But when she met Duncan, who is an accountant in Taupō and an author/publisher, at the Martinborough Fair a few years ago, the two got to know each other and eventually an opportunity came up for Scott to help write one of her books.
It would be the fourth instalment of Duncan’s series titled The World’s Easiest Recipes but would be a healthy-options version.
Initially, Scott sent through five of the easy recipes she often gives her clients. Duncan loved them and requested 80 more.
All the recipes had to align with Duncan’s previous books, which meant they had to be easy to make, with few ingredients and a short preparation/cooking time – a maximum of 30 minutes for most of them.
It took Scott about four months to create the other 80 recipes. She had to test each one multiple times, while also giving them to friends and neighbours to test. Duncan also tested them.
Scott said most of the recipes had been compiled over long periods, with some of them being family recipes she had held onto since she was young.
“Like the corn salad recipe – I was given it as a child.”
A lot of the recipes were polished by friends and relatives, including an aunt and friends Michelle and Keitha, who helped her figure out if anything was missing from each one.
Once she was finished writing, she visited Duncan in Taupō to make the meals and have them photographed by an expert.
Scott said the completed book looked “fabulous” and she was pleased with the finished product.
“It was very exciting to hold it in my hands – it’s quite an achievement.”
She’s been getting good feedback too, having sold 40 presale copies at the Horowhenua AP&I Show in Levin last weekend.
Duncan has sold 900 presale copies in only two days.
The book, which will cost $35, will be launched at 7pm on Thursday at Tuatara Brewery, in Sheffield St, and Duncan may come down for the event.
Scott said the message she wanted to send was simple: ”[Eating healthily] doesn’t need to be that expensive.”