AL BROWN, ALLEN & UNWIN, $49.99

Somehow the original version of this iconic book passed me by when it came out in 2017 (I blame it on living overseas at that time), so I’m delighted to have it nudged back into the limelight with this revised edition. Taking an unashamedly nostalgic swerve to re-emerge as ‘the bach edition’, this version celebrates life at the humble Kiwi bach as Al Brown reminisces fondly about weatherbeaten shacks packed with wonky furniture, battered board games and faded Formica tables – all those time capsules of summers and winters past for those lucky enough to enjoy them. No bach? Don’t give up on this book – the bach life can be as much a state of mind than an actual experience, a sense of letting go and comfort, cooking generously and having fun. This is good food with heart, great flavour and dishes I want to eat – such as smoked kahawai mishmash, pulled oxtail with polenta and Al’s famous black doris plum trifle – no matter if dinner is on the deck with the sound of the sea, by the fire in a mountain cabin or at the kitchen bench in a suburban apartment. As the man says, the thing that makes a good cookbook more than just a collection of smart photos, instructions and measurements is the personality behind the words, and here one of New Zealand’s favourite chefs speaks loud and clear about good food cooked well. I have just one quibble – he talks up his mum’s awesome ginger crunch, so where’s the recipe, Al? TRACY WHITMEY