The best of Alison Holst

If you're a kiwi and you haven't heard of Alison Holst, you must have been living under a rock. She's been gracing our screens since 1965 as a television chef, and has sold over four and a half million cookbooks. And, if that doesn't ring a bell, you may have heard of her bulk whole foods brand "Alison's Choice" which launched at Pak'n'Save supermarkets nationwide in 2010. 

This book, The best of Alison Holst is an absolutely necessary companion for every kitchen. It's filled with over 1000 recipes, kitchen tips and years of wisdom, making it a household essential. Reading this book made me feel like I was getting tips from my own grandmother, as there's literally a chapter for everything. Starters, soup, eggs, all the various meats, legumes, grains, potatoes, salads, pies, sauces, desserts, bread, baking and confectionary. Included is a range of tried and tested microwave recipes, perfect for those who are short on time, or have limited use of a kitchen. 

The chapters I liked the best were the ones on meat. The fish chapter has tips on filleting, whole fish recipes and a range of shellfish dishes. The variety of chicken dishes has enough to please the fussiest of eaters. The pork chapter includes roast, crackling, BBQ pork bones, spareribs, ham and bacon recipes. While the chapter on lamb includes pictured step-by-step instructions on how to bone a lamb leg, forequarter, rack, short loins, or chops; all with the complimenting recipes. It would be a shame not to mention the recipes including offal of sweetbreads, tongues, liver, and kidneys for those who are game - personally, I'm a fan, it's all about how it's cooked and I can't wait to try these recipes. The beef chapter also includes descriptions of the best ways to cook the different cuts of beef and the chapter on mince and sausage has some meatloaf and hamburger nostalgic classics.  

Though Alison is a New Zealand household name, her cookbook isn't just kiwi fare. It's filled with a variety of cuisines which she has adapted over the years: Spanish empanadas, Middle Eastern Casserole, German chicken, and some delicious Asian twists. 

Rest assured it's not all meat dishes. The egg and cheese chapter, legumes and tofu,  plus the rice and grains chapter is filled with family friendly vegetarian recipes. 
As I said earlier, this book is an absolute essential for every household. 

Fill the tins with Simon and Alison Holst

Last year I gave up junk food. Yes. Truely. 
However, I should really define what I mean by 'junk food'. 
To me junk food is all that processed packaged, often individual serving size wrapped junk. The stuff where you read the ingredients and don't know what half of it is or what the numbers mean, yes, that JUNK. Emulsifiers, acidity regulators, 'natural' flavour (what does that even mean?!?), humectant, stabiliser 223, colour 110... yes, it's in some of our favourite supermarket aisle treats. Don't get me wrong I'm no saint, the convenience of muesli bars and packeted treats are pretty neat... 
... However home baked treats are hard to beat. Home baked goodness, where you know exactly what went into them. Where they are full of actual whole ingredients, sugar, butter, flour. Where you don't add numbers, chemicals, stabilisers, or anything from the world of food-science flavouring. Where you can eat real, home-made food, that all have that secret ingredient of love and effort. Yes, you can taste it, and yes, it is good. 

Sunday baking has become a bit of a ritual lately, and Simon and Alison Holst's The Complete Home Baking Collection is a great resource for keeping those tins full. 

It has all the classic treats that Grandma used to make, plus some awesome twists, plus there are whole chapters dedicated to baking fresh bread, festive treats, and gluten free baking. 

Gingernuts were the first thing I saw when I first opened this book, late one weeknight eve. The drive to make them was overwhelming, so I whipped up a batch right there and then (that's how easy they were) and took them in for staff morning tea the next day. Check the recipe below. 

Another time saver recipe I whipped up this weekend was the Mix-in-a-minute Dark Chocolate Cake, which I filled with raspberries, whipped cream, and smothered in a dark chocolate ganache. Literally mixed in a minute, thanks to the food processor method. 

This is also great way to get kids into the kitchen, building their awareness of how food is produced and helping fill their own lunch boxes. 

But what about the sugar, the fat, the healthiness you ask? What about it?? My grandmother had a great saying, "everything in moderation, including moderation itself" so go on, make that cake, and eat it too. 

Mix-in-a-minute Dark Chocolate Cake (pp.48)
Ingredients (makes a 30 x 20cm cake):

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp canola or other oil
• 1 1/2 cups water 
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence 
• 2 cups of plain flour

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 (170 fanbake), with the baking rack just below the middle. Line a 30 x 20cm baking pan or small roasting pan with baking paper and coat with non-stick spray. I used a 22cm round cake pan, so it took 50 minutes to bake in total. 
2. Put sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda in a food processor, and pulse to mix. Add oil, water, eggs and vanilla essence to the dry mixture and process for about 20 seconds to combine well. Add flour and pulse briefly about 5 times again until smooth. Pour the fairly thin mixture into the prepared baking pan. 
3. Bake for about 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cook cake in pan on a rack, then turn out or cut straight from the pan. 
4. Ice as desired (there's a dozen icing recipes to choose from in the book) or top pieces with whipped cream and fruit or berries. 

Gingernuts 
Ingredients (for 80 small biscuits):

• 100g butter
• 1 rounded household tbsp golden syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 - 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/4 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 (170 fanbake). Line baking trays with baking paper. 
2. Melt the butter in a medium-sized pot, or microwave safe bowl. Remove from heat when melted. Dip an ordinary tablespoon into hot water, then measure the syrup with it. Add the syrup, sugar, ginger (use more for a stronger flavour) and vanilla essence. Add the egg, then mix well with a stirrer or wooden spoon. 
3. Sift in the flour and baking soda. then mix everything together again. 
4. Stand pot or bowl in cold water to cool the biscuit mixture so it is firmer. With wet hands, roll teaspoonfuls of biscuit mixture into small balls. Put these on the prepared baking trays, leaving room to spread. Bake one tray at a time, for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. While biscuits are still warm, lift them onto a cooling rack. When cold, store in an airtight container. 

Note: if biscuits don't spread, you have used too much flour. If they spread too far, you have not used enough.