In my last post, but one, called Short Stories, I promised to provide recipes for the featured spicy lentil soup and easy fruit and nut cake. I dealt with the soup in my previous post, so now it is the turn of the cake. Whilst the soup recipe had its genesis in my trusty Edmonds Cookery Book, the fruit cake recipe comes from another trusted and reliable source of everyday cooking wisdom in New Zealand; Dame Alison Holst. ( http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/new-years-honours/4504137/Dame-Alison-Holst-Queen-of-the-cookbook/ ) A food writer and television chef ( and oh so much more, in my opinion ) she produced the first of her many cookbooks in 1966. Today, there are approximately four million of her books in print. Again, like the Edmonds Cookery Book, that would equate to about one Alison Holst cookbook for every person in New Zealand!
The fruit cake recipe is from ‘Very Easy Vegetarian Cookbook” by Alison and Simon Holst, first published in 1998 by New Holland Publishers (NZ) Ltd 
The recipes that Alison and her son Simon present are meticulously tested and are fail safe. They are utterly reliable and delicious, easy to prepare, and I haven’t met one yet that I didn’t like.
The ingredients for Easy Fruit and Nut cake
The method (with apologies for the poor photos) and the final result.
-
- Method
-
- More method
-
- As it looks in the book
-
- As it looks in my cake tin
Dame Alison, who was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2011, graduated from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Home Science and was a lecturer in Home Science before she began her present career. Over the years, as well as cook and write, she has raised over $4 million for charities. She is a ‘star’ in New Zealand and held in such high esteem that, one year, it was rumoured that she was to be appointed as our next Governor General. She was not, but, this year, she was placed 4th on the annual Reader’s Digest most trusted people list. (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1306/S00264/new-zealands-most-trusted-in-2013-revealed.htm)
At the top of the most trusted list is Sir John Kirwan, former All Black, coach, and depression awareness spokesperson and advocate. Next comes Willie Apiata, soldier and Victoria Cross winner and, in third place, is Richie McCaw. He was the All Black captain who brought home the all important Rugby World Cup in 2011! At the time, he was akin to the saviour of the nation. The current Governor General holds the position of the 8th most trusted person in New Zealand, well behind Dame Alison, the cook.
Now, the most trusted list is not something I take very seriously but I do find it interesting. And it’s fun to compare our list with the Reader’s Digest list for America where the top positions of trust seem to be held by actors and news anchors.( http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/readers-digest-announces-100-most-trusted-people-in-america-206435821.html) In both countries, politicians occupy lowly places on the list, which makes me wonder, at least in the case of our country, why we vote for them at all, if we don’t trust them! In fact, it seems quite nonsensical.
Perhaps we would be better off if we simply voted, via the likes of Reader’s Digest, for John, Willie, Richie and Alison to lead the country. Under the guidance of these multi talented individuals, we would most likely be a fitter, healthier country. Alison would see we were well nourished, John would guide us mentally and physically, and Willie and Richie would help us maintain the team spirit to fight the good fight for the nation’s wealth and prosperity. Indeed, with these four trusted leaders in charge, the governing of our country could become efficient and economical and ‘common sensical’, just like one of Alison’s good, wholesome, everyday recipes. With our improved health and nutrition and fitness, the Ministry of Health would have very little to do; as would the Transport MInistry, because, with our new-found energy, we would all be able to walk so much further and faster than we do now. Alison, with her teaching skills and home science degree, could organise the education and budgetary needs of the country; Willie could take care of security and defence, with a little policing thrown in; and Richie, being a lad of the land, could take over all matters agricultural. Lots of politicians and massive Government bureaucracies would be surplus to requirements. What a saving; there would be enough money freed up to provide everyone with a living wage, and a lot else besides.
Joking aside, Sir John, Dame Alison, Willie Apiata and Richie McCaw, and many others at the top of the list, are wonderful examples of fine citizenship. We are lucky to have them. They make a fine mix.
-
- John
-
- Willie
-
- Richie
-
- Alison
Enjoy your cake.
Photos from these sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Apiata
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richie_McCaw
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/sir-john-kirwan-most-trusted-kiwi-5470276
http://alumni.otago.ac.nz/page.aspx?pid=782
© silkannthreades
silkannthreades 