Emilia Wickstead

“I’m finding ways to be creative at home with work and with my children, most of all. But something I have always wanted to do is to rummage through a family copy of New Zealand’s Edmonds Cookbook — it’s iconic. It, of course, focuses on quintessential, traditional New Zealand cuisine. It was first published as The Sure to Rise Cookery Book in 1908 as a marketing tool by baking powder manufacturer Thomas Edmonds and every family had a copy at home. As a little girl, I remember analysing the pages filled with perfect home-baking, and I loved the kids’ party pages. Everything I dreamt of, the Edmonds cookbook pictured it. I watched my grandmother and mother make dishes from their copies with flour on their apron or hands. I would pour over those pages for hours on end but never actually used it until now, myself as a mother and with two small children. It feels like I’m bringing a little piece of my homeland to my London home and to my family; a touch of nostalgia, which is so healthy and vital. So, before I attempt to use my new Ottolenghi and Gwyneth Paltrow cook books, I am going to keep it simple and focus on ease in the kitchen, with some classic recipes that nurtured our souls once upon a time.”