THE GREAT NEW ZEALAND COOKBOOK: The Food We Love from 80 of Our Finest Cooks, Chefs and Bakers (Thom and PQ Blackwell)

When Murray Thom has an idea it is always smart to listen, his track record is impeccable.

This is the man who -- in the Eighties -- became the youngest head of a record company in the world when he took over CBS New Zealand (later Sony) while still in his 20s.

And when he quit after a fine career in that business he went to a small idea which few saw any potential for: personalised number plates. Needless to say that business soared.

Then Thom did something else. Music was still in his blood (he was a great supporter of Dave Dobbyn's career among others on his own Thom Music imprint) and so he started a series of easy listening albums which include Martin Winch's Espresso Guitar, Carl Doy's many piano albums, Brian Smith's' Moonlight Sax and Nathan Haines' Music for Cocktail Lovers among them.

And so many other high-end music/photography and print projects. 

Among them the Great New Zealand Songbook, then the Great Austraian Songbook. No need to tell you how successful they have been.

Recently, sniffing the air and smelling cooking shows everywhere, he has been behind The Great New Zealand Cookbook, a 440 page, lavishly presented hardback with 190 recipes from the likes of Al Brown, Peter Gordon, Josh Emett, Julie Biuso, Jo Seager, Simon Gault, Tony Astle, Annabelle White, Sid Sahraway, Alison Holst . . .

Eighty cooks, chefs and bakers who offer recipes from bran biscuits (by Tui Flower) through crepes (Jacob Brown of The Larder) to mussel fritters (Simon Gault) and banana cake (Jo Seager).

And so much more.

With the permission of Murray and chef Michel Louws of Huka Lodge we are delighted to present here a recipe that sounds and looks mouth-watering.

The Great New Zealand Cookbook retails at $50, or you can find out more at the website here.