What’s for Pudding by Alexa Johnston

Alexa Johnston is an interesting character.  An art historian, who was the curator at the Auckland Museum for 20 years, Alexa was also responsible for bringing amazing exhibitions, like Hillary (The life of Sir Edmund Hillary) together.  Her connection to Hillary continued in fact, and she published the amazing book on Sir Ed’s life.  Alexa is now also a bestselling cook book author and has just released her third cook book “What’s for Pudding?”

I was luckyenough to spend a couple of hours with her last week between appearances and book signings. I have both her books “Ladies a Plate” and “A Second Helping”, but if you have seen my recipe book collection you won’t be surprised to hear that.  Alexa, I find too has a huge recipe book collection, but hers consists of those never fail, always useful and usually completely underrated books that represent the tried and true recipes in the form of the New Zealand Woman’s Institutes “New Home Cookery Book” or the Tokoroa Free Kindergartens “Cooking for Fun”.

These books represent our heritage and it is this angle that intrigues the historian in Alexa.  Times change, new ingredients and styles of food are introduced into our diets yet these recipes still remain popular, so popular in fact that Alexa’s second book came about because she had too many recipes to fill just one.  “What’sfor Pudding” was a book Alexa knew she needed to do as all the books she poured over for the first two had at least two – three sections on puddings.  And whenever Alexa would do talks for “Ladies a Plate”, puddings would invariably come up.

A great cook herself Alexa says she started cooking with her Mum at about 7 years old.  There are quite a few instructions for each recipe in Alexa’s books.  Along with a
bit of a story or some background to the recipe her instructions are more elaborate than what would have appeared in many of the original texts.  This, Alexa tells me, is simply because
everyone cooked back then and the instructions were short and simple, often little more than one line.

I think this is wonderful.  For those of us who bake we know the joy of creating something from simple ingredients and then the feeling you get when friends and family enjoy your labour. We also know that baking is not that hard.  Books like Alexa’s make these recipes attainable and will hopefully encourage a new generation of home bakers.

All the photos for the books have been taken by Alexa in her own kitchen.  What better proof that they were tried and tested?  I’m keen to know how the recipes
are selected or perhaps more to the pointed whittled down to the ones that appear in the book?  Are there any in there that just had to be?   Sago pudding
says Alexa “it had to make it.”  This I find funny as my Nana (on my Father’s side) made a Sago pudding which my Mum just had to have the recipe for when she died.
Alexa discovered this memory of great sago puddings was a common one and knew she had to find a great recipe. There was much trial and error before the right one was chosen and made it to the book Alexa laughs.  Sago, like rennet are ingredients that are no longer common place in our pantries yet you
will still find them on the supermarket shelves.

The book also includes the ever popular chocolate self saucing pudding, lemon delicious and apple pie all of which just had to be included.  So is there a fourth book in the wings?  Following the theme of great home cooks one on jams and preserves is likely in the near future.

What’s for Pudding? is available at Poppies Casabella Lane in Hamilton, along with a huge range of other wonderful cook books!