24 June 2010
KUDOS AND GENEROSITY
This has been an amazing week and it’s not over yet. Over the past few weeks I’ve been fortunate to be involved in a couple of terrific big projects where many people have come together to create something that’s very special. And both, as you would expect if I am spending time writing about them, involve food.
On Sunday, the day started out stormy and dark, but absolutely perfect weather for the Mercy Hospice Brunch in the Hyatt Auckland Ballroom. It was the fourth time this glamorous event has been held. ‘Ten – A Celebration of Tastes’ has become a must-attend fixture on the Auckland calendar and a major fundraiser for the hospice. Ten restaurants and caterers each prepare a special signature plate of well designed and cooked fare and each is paired with a winery so that the brunch guests can collect great food and wine combos to take back to their table. 450 guests paid $200 each to attend and there was a waiting list for weeks before the big day.
Hawkesby (the senior, most talkative member of that talented family) and I have presided over the proceedings each year and I swear his jokes become sharper, his wit more savvy, and his powers during the day’s big auction more persuasive each year. I’m there to keep him, and the day on track, for as every one knows, we really do not need many more Waiheke jokes. (His best joke this year? The announcement that anyone who was tiring of the proceedings could join Shane Jones in room 618 to see the in-house movie just ordered.) We had a surprise guest judge this year to pick the best food and wine match, Masterchef winner Brett Mc Gregor, who chose Prime Bistro’s beef osso bucco with truffled potato tortellini and gremolata, matched to Ransom Wines Dark Summit 2005 rich flavoursome Cabernet blend. A fabulous choice and there will be much more about the wine and food matching on the day on my ‘wines to drink’ page of this blogsite.
The live auction, silent auction, donations, raffles and ticket sales raised well over $215, 000, and the winner on the day was the generous soul who paid $8100 for a private cocktail party on Soul’s deck. Restaurateurs, caterers, private donors, benefactors like Bob McMillan, John and Alma Sax, Shane Cortese and others too numerous to mention, along with a well motivated and connected committee and hospice staff make this a really feel good event for a really worthy cause that I am proud to be part of. I’ll be back next year! And so will Hawkesby, I’m sure.
And then if that was not enough excitement for one week, yesterday we finished shooting the food photography for a new book, ‘Comfort – Food To Share’ which is due out from Random House in late October and all royalties will be given to the Starship Children’s Hospital. This is another project that relies on extreme generosity of so many good people. Members of the NZ Guild of Food Writers have shared their very best recipes for food which will be perfect to make for families in need of tender loving care. Nick Tresidder has given many hours to photograph the food, and his wife Stephanie has done the styling. Food writers Kathy Paterson, Ginny Grant, Laura Faire and myself made the food with several other food writers preparing and bringing their own dishes into the studio. Janene Draper of Farro Fresh donated much of the food for the shots, and no doubt many more people will be involved before the book is finished.
It’s generosity on a big scale; each contributor putting pieces of the jigsaw together to make a wonderful picture. And the shots of the kids scattered through the book will make you smile. Don’t even think about Christmas shopping this year. Wait, and buy this lovely book for everyone you know.
And I’ll be back next week after my trip to Wellington tomorrow. I am off to the Museum Hotel to present food writer Lois Daish with an honorary Life Membership of the Guild of Food Writers. I can’t think of anyone in the country who has written about food with such a wonderful social conscience and such a real understanding of what and how families could and should cook. Let’s hope the Wellington wind doesn’t do its thing too much!