60 years of Tina Duncan's best recipes
After spending more than 60 years cooking (she started very young), Tina Duncan has finally sat down to bring together some of her favourite and most tried and trusted recipes.
Tina was a founding director of Savour New Zealand, a food masterclass series that brought some of the greatest chefs and food writers in the world to Aotearoa.
Tina is touring her book, Plated, and appeared at Wardini Books in Napier last Wednesday.
Tina Duncan sat down for a Q&A with Wardini Books shop owner Louise Ward:
Q: You’ve been cooking for a while now. How has the way we eat evolved over that time?
A: Several things come to mind. We used to eat meat and three veg, which were often from the garden, and there were never any processed foods in our farmhouse kitchen except for perhaps Chesdale cheese.
We ate out very rarely, and for most of us not at all. Fizzy drinks were for special occasions and certainly not often and the only takeaways were fish and chips and the odd Chinese meal.
Now it is very common to be eating out regularly and having takeaways often.
Q: What’s your favourite thing to eat, and your favourite thing to cook, and why?
A: My favourite thing to eat is often what I’m eating at the moment, but if you want to treat me, then crayfish is an absolute favourite.
I love making desserts and I think my book reflects that. I do have a sweet tooth.
Q: You describe cooking as a love language. How so?
A: Cooking for people is absolutely how I show love, and nothing gives me more pleasure than being around a table with friends and family.
Q: You’ve cooked for some
major names, Antonio Carluccio, Anthony Bourdain, Maggie Beer, Stephanie Alexander and Sophie Grigson, to name just a few. Do you have a cool, fun or interesting moment to share from your time in such an esteemed company?
A: A very special memory is being in a country kitchen with Antonio Carluccio where he cooked some porcini that had been just foraged in butter, and we ate them with salt and pepper and a glass of Pinot Noir. I will never forget that morning.
Q: How did Plated come about? A: For 40 years people have been asking me to write a book, and
eventually I decided it was time to share my recipes and catering knowledge, which can be easily translated into the home kitchen. I also wanted to leave a legacy to my children and grandchildren.
I have self-published the book and it’s been truly a family affair, with my daughter Katie helping me with a lot of the words, and my sister Maria who took all of the food photography on her mobile phone — yes, her phone.
We had some fabulous advice and it’s been a real joy to produce and I hope a joy for people to take into their own kitchen and share the results with their friends.
Q: Lastly, what are some words of wisdom for our readers?
A: Never be afraid to have friends for dinner, and don’t waste energy anguishing about what to cook. The important thing is the people — the food comes second.
It just pays to be well-organised and have everything prepped in advance.