Latest news with #VanyaInsull
NZ Herald
16-05-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Slow-cooking secrets: How to master flavourful meals with ease
First, a clarification. The terms 'slow cooker' and 'crockpot' are often used interchangeably. Technically, 'Crockpot' is a brand name for one of the original slow cookers invented in the 1970s. These days, however, most slow cookers share the same essential design: a removable ceramic or porcelain insert housed in a metal casing with a heating element. The principle is simple. Food cooks over several hours at a low, consistent temperature. Slow cookers are particularly suited to busy lives: throw in the ingredients in the morning, set the timer, and come home to a ready-made meal. The main slow-cooking methods Slow cooker The electric slow cooker is the most hands-off method. It excels with soups, stews, curries and pulled meats. Some models allow you to sear directly in the cooking insert, although basic ones require any browning to be done beforehand on the stove. Advantages: Extremely convenient – can be left unattended. Energy efficient compared to oven cooking – ideal for batch cooking and freezing leftovers. Disadvantages: Can produce watery sauces if not adjusted for condensation. Less caramelisation and depth compared to oven methods. Try: Vanya Insull's oven-baked five spice pork belly Crockpot (branded slow cooker) While fundamentally the same as other slow cookers, Crockpot models often come with more advanced settings such as programmable timers or multi-cooking functions, like sauté and steam options. Advantages: Versatile models can replace multiple appliances. Programmable features provide more control. Disadvantages: More expensive than basic slow cookers. Learning curve with additional features. Cast iron casserole in the oven This is Vanya's go-to for building deep, concentrated flavour. Heavy cast iron dishes distribute heat evenly, allowing food to braise gently. Sauces thicken naturally through evaporation. Advantages: Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Superior flavour development through reduction. Excellent for rich, hearty dishes like ragù or brisket. Disadvantages: Higher energy use over long periods. Requires a little more monitoring than an electric slow cooker. Stovetop simmering An older but still valuable method. Here, a pot simmers very gently on the hob for several hours. It allows for easy adjustments throughout the cooking process. Advantages: Flexible – easy to taste and tweak seasoning. Can be faster than other slow-cooking methods if needed. Disadvantages: Needs occasional attention to avoid sticking or burning. Harder to maintain an even, low temperature without careful management. Tips and tricks for slow-cooking success With a little knowledge, slow cooking can become one of the most effortless ways to cook. Here are a few expert strategies to get the most out of every method. Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Use the right cut Tougher cuts of meat such as brisket, chuck, lamb shoulder or pork collar are ideal. Their connective tissue breaks down over time, becoming meltingly tender and full of flavour. Do not overfill Slow cookers work best when filled halfway to two-thirds full. Overcrowding leads to uneven cooking and less reduction of sauces. Build layers of flavour Although Vanya recommends trying easy 'set and forget' recipes first, searing meat and sautéing aromatics beforehand can dramatically boost the final result. Advertise with NZME. Be careful with liquid Slow cookers do not allow for much evaporation. Reduce the amount of broth or water in a slow cooker recipe compared to an oven or stovetop version. If a dish looks too wet towards the end of cooking, remove the lid and cook on high for the last 30 minutes. Use herbs wisely Fresh herbs tend to lose their vibrancy during long cooking. Add hardy herbs like rosemary and thyme at the beginning but reserve delicate ones like parsley and basil for garnish. Finish with texture and acidity A squeeze of lemon, splash of vinegar or scattering of crunchy toppings can lift a rich, slow-cooked dish beautifully. Batch cook and freeze Vanya points out that slow cookers are ideal for large batches. Meals like pulled pork, Mexican beef or Asian-style braises can be divided into portions and frozen, ready for fast midweek dinners. 'Then you can portion up leftovers and pop them in the freezer for another easy meal with baked potatoes, pasta, rice, tacos etc,' she says. Slow and steady wins the race For Vanya, the magic of slow cooking lies in its flexibility. 'Try some easy recipes where you can just put everything into the slow cooker at once, set and forget,' she advises. Beginners need not worry about mastering elaborate techniques straight away. Once the basics are mastered, slow cooking offers endless possibilities – a way to coax out incredible flavours with minimal stress, letting time do most of the work. Whether you opt for a sleek new multi-cooker or a sturdy old casserole dish, the slow road is often the most rewarding one to dinner.
NZ Herald
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Top 10 bestselling NZ books: May 10
Our bestselling local books. Photos / Supplied 1.(1) Everyday Comfort Food by Vanya Insull (Allen & Unwin) Vanya Insull, aka VJ Cooks, is back to the top of the bestsellers with her third cookbook, focused on satisfying winter meals (you can find recipes from the book here). Her publisher writes: 'Vanya has built her reputation on simple, delicious, never-fail recipes. She knows what works in the kitchen when it comes to feeding a family and how to whip up the perfect dish for every occasion. Following on from the runaway success of Everyday Favourites and Summer Favourites, Everyday Comfort Food celebrates the colder seasons, with warming winter meals and nostalgic treats to keep the whole tribe happy — as well as more of the everyday winning dishes Vanya is known for. From hearty soups, tender slow-cooked lamb and flaky golden pies to sweet delights and indulgent self-saucing puddings, Everyday Comfort Food delivers 70 mouth-watering recipes that taste like home.' Everyday Comfort Food by Vanya Insull. Photo / Supplied 2. (3) No Words for This by Ali Mau (HarperCollins) TV journalist Alison Mau's new book promises to be an 'inspiring, honest and intimate memoir about family, love and rising from the ashes'. From the publisher: 'From the age of 12, Alison Mau wanted to be a journalist like her father. He was a beer-swilling, straight-talking Aussie who was rough around the edges but could quote passages of Hamlet at will. He taught Ali everything – from how to skin a rabbit and throw a punch to how to craft a sharp sentence – and she craved his validation as she navigated the sexist badlands of Australian print and television journalism through the 1980s and 90s. 'From Melbourne to London and Auckland, Ali built a glittering career and became a media darling – until an unexpected call from her sister brought her professional and personal lives crashing together with devastating force. As an investigative reporter bringing New Zealand's #MeToo stories to light, she had to survey the wreckage of her family myth and ask herself, 'Am I strong enough?' and 'Are there words for this?'' No words for this by Ali Mau. Photo / Supplied 3. (2) The Bookshop Detectives: Tea And Cake And Death by Gareth and Louise Ward (Penguin) The bestselling Bookshop Detectives, owners of Sherlock Tomes, have another mysterious case to solve. From the publisher: 'In this rollicking new adventure, Garth and Eloise (and Stevie) must sniff out a prolific poisoner ahead of a vital fundraising event, the Battle of the Book Clubs. As time runs out and the body count rises, it seems the bad actors are circling closer to the people and places they care about. Could Pinter, the infamous serial killer from Eloise's past, somehow be involved? And when anyone could be a suspect, how can Garth and Eloise keep their customers, their small town and their beloved bookshop safe?' You can read more about how Gareth and Louise Ward found inspiration for their Bookshop Detectives series here. The Bookshop Detectives: Tea and Cake and Death by Gareth & Louise Ward. Photo / Supplied 4. (4) Three Wee Bookshops at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw (A&U) Manapōuri bookshop owner Ruth Shaw returns to tell the second half of her fascinating life story. The Listener noted: 'One could be forgiven for looking at the cover of this book, with its gentle peach and grey-blues, the idyllic three buildings lit up like little beacons, and the title (I mean, little bookshops! How appealing can you get?) and expect a book of lovely little tales about finding the perfect book for the perfect reader. These tales are here, but they are interleaved between chapters of Ruth's adventures. The main thrust of this book is the second half of her memoir, begun in The Bookseller at the End of the World. 'In that book she detailed her first 35 years, and now she delves into her life from 35 to 78, admitting wryly but without guile that this 'period of my life was not as chaotic as my first 35 years'. This has to be a good thing. Surviving another 35 years as eventful as Ruth's first, which included three marriages, several tragic deaths and close encounters with pirates, would take more fortitude than one can imagine – perhaps more than even Ruth has. But she still takes on considerable adventures with gusto in this period, advised or non-advised.' Three Wee Bookshops at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw. Photo / Supplied 5. (5) Black Silk and Buried Secrets by Deborah Challinor (HarperCollins) Deborah Challinor returns to the story of her intrepid heroine Tatty Crowe and the world of Sydney's Victorian funeral business. From the publisher: 'Sydney, 1871. Twenty-five-year-old widow Tatty Crowe is the owner of busy undertaking firm Crowe Funerals. Life and business are good until Tatty notices how many women are dying after unlawful abortions, and after a terrible tragedy strikes close to home, she vows to expose the culprit. 'And then there are the whispered rumours of baby farming. Once again, Tatty sets out to investigate the crisis and finds herself immersed in the dark and sometimes heartless world of paid foster care and adoption. Along the way, she encounters an old foe, and clashes with a new adversary who, it transpires, is far more dangerous. 'From the grim slums of Chippendale and Newtown to the grand houses of Woolloomooloo to Sydney's rowdy Criminal Court, comes the next chapter in the story of compassionate and clever – but headstrong – Tatty Crowe.' Deborah Challinor talked to in 2024 about the research behind her books. You can read more here. Black Silk & Buried Secrets by Deborah Challinor. Photo / Supplied 6. (6) See How They Fall by Rachel Paris (Moa Press) Sydney-set thriller from Auckland writer Rachel Paris features a Succession-style family gathering in their retreat after the patriarch dies. Tragedy ensues and, as the Listener noted: 'The gilded family will fall … Some of the family will fall by dying. By poison. Others by other methods: loss of reputation, loss of fortune. Those golden sands turn out to be quicksand which swallows nasty rich people up. You have to applaud.' See How They Fall by Rachel Paris. Photo / Supplied 7. (NEW) High Heels and Gumboots by Rebecca Hayter (HarperCollins) 'A city girl and a lot to learn,' runs the subtitle. Based on the author's column of the same name, this is a 'candid, hilarious, heartbreaking and heartwarming' story of an Auckland yachting journalist who, on a whim, bought a lifestyle block on the beach at Golden Bay at the top of the South Island. 'Unexpectedly in charge of chickens, sheep and an orchard, Rebecca shamelessly exploited local knowledge as she tackled drought, isolation and the mysteries of her Massey Ferguson 135. As a journalist, she explored local politics and the differences between urban and rural New Zealand. As a daughter, she explored the most complex relationship of her life.' High Heels and Gumboots: A city girl and a lot to learn by Rebecca Hayter. Photo / Supplied 8. (10) Northbound by Naomi Arnold (HarperCollins) Journalist Naomi Arnold spent almost nine months walking the length of Aotearoa New Zealand on Te Araroa, which runs the length of the country, fulfilling a dream. Her story is promised to be an 'upbeat, fascinating and inspiring memoir of solitude, love and friendship, and the joys and pains to be found in the wilderness. 'On her own, she traverses mountains, rivers, cities and plains from summer to spring, walking on through days of thick mud, blazing sun and lightning storms, and into cold, starlit nights. Along the way she encounters colourful locals and travellers who delight and inspire her.' North Bound by Naomi Arnold. Photo / Supplied 9. (7) The Bookshop Detectives: Dead Girl Gone by Gareth Ward & Louise Ward (Penguin) Back in the top 10 as the new book is released (see No.3), Gareth and Louise Ward's first cosy thriller. 'When we opened Sherlock Tomes people warned us that we'd made a terrible mistake. People warned us that e-readers were taking over. People warned us that we'd never compete with Amazon. The one thing they didn't warn us about was the murders.' And so begins this first joint novel from actual Hawke's Bay booksellers Gareth and Louise Ward, a cosy murder-mystery that promises bookshop insider tidbits and literary puns galore. The plot has Garth and Eloise and their dog Stevie, who, telling the story in alternate chapters, 'are drawn into the baffling case of a decades-old missing schoolgirl. Intrigued by the puzzling, bookish clues, the two ex-cops are soon tangled in a web of crime, drugs and floral decapitations, while endeavouring to pull off the international celebrity book launch of the century'. The Bookshop Detectives: Dead Girl Gone by Gareth & Louise Ward. Photo / supplied 10. (8) Sea Change by Jenny Pattrick (David Bateman) Jenny Pattrick returns with a contemporary story packed with classic themes: good vs bad, authority vs community, wealth vs resourcefulness, greed vs friendship. The Listener's review sets the scene: 'The title of Sea Change is meant literally as a community is ravaged by a tsunami after a violent South Island earthquake. Unnamed but located on the Kapiti Coast of the North Island, it is a typical small town. A handy map at the beginning of the book illustrates the layout: church, school, community hall, rugby field, railway station and numerous small houses, sandwiched between the overshadowing hills and the roaring sea at its base. As the tsunami strikes, the sea wall is breached, reducing the village to a fraction of its size. On the same day, aftershocks create rockfalls in the hills, blocking off outside access as 'tonnes and tonnes of rock roar down the hill and out to sea'. Within the reduced housing area lives a group of self-named 'individualists and alternative oddballs' … Above the town, Dylan, a recluse 'with a clever mind', witnesses the 'tiny people running, leaving the log-jam of cars by the shops, heading on foot up the hill road'.' You can read more about Jenny Pattrick's writing and artistic life here. Sea Change by Jenny Pattrick. Photo / Supplied Source: NielsenIQ BookScan – week ending May 3.
NZ Herald
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Top 10 bestselling NZ books: May 3
Our most popular local books: Food, fiction and fact. Photos / Supplied 1. (2) Everyday Comfort Food by Vanya Insull (A&U) Vanya Insull, aka VJ Cooks, is back to the top of the bestsellers with her third cookbook, focused on satisfying winter meals (you can find recipes from the book here). Her publisher writes: 'Vanya has built her reputation
