2007 Culinary Quills Awards

28 September 2007

Julie le Clerc and Penny Oliver top
NZ food book writers
2007 Culinary Quills Awards

Two new books have taken the top food book awards in the 2007 Culinary Quills Awards presented in Wellington today, during NZ Book Month, by the New Zealand Guild of Food Writers.

Julie le Clerc won the Kapiti Fine Foods’ Book of the Year with her beautifully produced ‘Taking Tea in the Medina’, published by Penguin. The judges praised le Clerc for a book “containing superb writing and photography that let the reader share the pleasure of travel and food.”

A book of easily accessible recipes for ‘Beach, Bach, Boat, Barbecue 2’ by Penny Oliver and published by New Holland took out the Rangitikei Chicken Recipe Book of the Year. “A well planned and presented book with its user clearly catered for is one of the best measures of excellence in food writing,” the judges remarked.

These were two of nine awards presented to food writers at the lunch, sponsored by Cervena and Wines From Martinborough with UCOL International School of Cuisine. Reflecting the diversity of writing about food in New Zealand, the other awards honoured newspaper food sections, articles, electronic media, recipe writers, food stylists and emerging food writers.

The 2007 Culinary Quills Awards winners are:

Canterbury University Food Section Journalism Award
o The Press, “Zest” section, edited by Kate Fraser

The Ocean Spray Electronic Media Award
o Richard Till, for “Kiwi Kitchen”

The Fisher & Paykel Gastronomy Award
o “Consuming Roses”, by Mary Browne and Helen Leach

Regal Salmon Food Styling
o Fiona Smith, for “Delicious Liaisons”

The Tui Flower Recipe Award
o Fiona Smith, for “Presents with a Past”

NZ Pork Award for Educational, Health & Nutrition Food Writing
o Fiona Carruthers, for “Why We Crave”

Kapiti Fine Foods’ Book of the Year
o “Taking Tea in the Medina”, by Julie Le Clerc

Eggs Incorporated Emerging Food Writer Award
o Lindsay Neill, for “Comer Con Gusto”

Rangitikei Chicken Recipe Book of the Year
o Penny Oliver for “Beach, Bach, Boat, Barbecue 2”

In his opening comments, chief judge Joseph Peart of Auckland University of Technology said that, about eight years ago, he noted among things that food writers were writing about included a progression from dining on Asian foods to preparing them… and cooking them, with the right ingredients and the right techniques.

“The other trend that has continued over that same period is the awareness, not just by cooks, but also by diners, of the provenance of ingredients, especially fruit and vegetables. You will all be aware of the degree to which, in Europe, this also extends to meats.

“Most of all, I see a responsive, socially-aware professional craft, practiced by talented people with a passion for food and a passion for writing.”

The 2007 Culinary Quills Awards were presented during NZ Book Month, the month-long nationwide celebration of NZ books and writers, 3-30 September 2007. See www.nzbookmonth.co.nz for further information.

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