Welcome to The Kitchenmaid.
I think some of the best stories start in (or lead back to) the kitchen, just like the best parties.
I was lucky enough to grow up in a family where food was of paramount importance, whether that was cooking it, eating it, discussing it or reading about it. I didn’t realise how good I had it until I went to boarding school aged 13 and entered a world of congealed banana custard, pineapple-laced coleslaw, fruit you wouldn’t feed pigs and meat of dubious origin.
I became a journalist nearly 20 years ago, mainly because I like telling stories. Since then I’ve written about everything from anthrax to zoos – and a fair bit in between – for print and digital platforms in New Zealand, Australia and the UK.
As a journalist, I love the way food connects people with their families, their culture and their roots. As a cook, I know of no better way to make friends and influence people than to sit around a table and eat together. And as a mother, I love being able to share family traditions and foster new ones.
Now, as a freelance writer and editor, I regularly contribute to a range of publications, including Cuisine, Frankie and New Zealand Life & Leisure. From 2015 to 2018 I wrote a a weekly recipe column, published every Wednesday on stuff.co.nz and in the Dominion Post, The Press and the Waikato Times.
From 2019-2020, I wrote a fortnightly recipe column for Be Well, a magazine published every Monday in the New Zealand Herald. You can find them online here.
In January 2020, I started writing a fortnightly blog for thisnzlife.co.nz, which you can find here.
And in October 2021, Penguin Books NZ has published my first cookbook, Homecooked.
If you want to get in touch, here’s how to do it.
Bon appetit!
Lucy
Hi Lucy. So pleased to have found your blog – thank you Stuff on a Tuesday morning 😉 I will read on!
Hi Lucy!
What a fabulous blog you have going here!
We've just started our own blog called Honey & Lulu based on food, fashion and lifestyle…..a bit of everything really!
If you are interested in supporting us and following the blog that would be absolutely fantastic and we would love to follow your blog too 🙂
The blog is: http://www.honeyandlulu.blogspot.com.au/
Have a lovely day
Chloe & Sarah
hello lucy,
i'm loving your blog 🙂 so much so that I now have you listed here http://www.diginhobart.blogspot.com.au/p/favourite-things.html … Let me know if you don’t want to appear though.
Hope you are well – e
Hi,
We've recently launched the site Everyrecipe.co.nz, where users can search through thousands of recipes from the best food sites and blogs of New Zealand.
We noticed that you have a lot of delicious recipes on your blog and would like to suggest you have a look at our Top Food Blogs section here: http://www.everyrecipe.co.nz/top-food-blogs.
Follow the instructions on our site to add your own food blog to the list. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us on http://www.everyrecipe.co.nz/.
Hopefully your food blog will be up there in the top!
Warm regards,
Emilie
Everyrecipe.co.nz
Hi Lucy, love getting your recipes every week in the life mag. I have a question… I just made your Banana and Date Scones and something went horribly wrong! First off is 2 tablespoons of baking powder correct?? Secondly I added the 1 and a half of milk and ended up with a gooey mess so I kept adding more and more flour, so you could say it was a disaster. What am I doing wrong. Oh and didn't want to be anonymous just didn't know what the other drop downs where hahaha not computer savvy. Cheers Jane.
Hi Jane, so sorry to hear that (and for this shamefully late reply). Do you want to drop me an email and maybe I can figure out what happened? Thanks, Lucy
Hi Lucy,
Love the sound of the Yogurt with Salted Caramel sauce in this weeks life edition. We too are big fans of all things Zany Zeus! They make the best ice cream.
Anyway just a quick question on the above mentioned recipe – Although Miso paste is mentioned in the ingredients list, it doesn't mention when to add it in the method.
I'm really keen to make this so would appreciate if you can post a reply telling me when to add the Miso paste to the mix.
Many thanks Peter..
Hi Peter, so sorry, I thought I'd replied to this weeks ago but the comment obviously didn't stick. Anyway… that bit fell off the recipe in the editing process, but it has since been updated and you can find it here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/recipes/84110912/three-ways-with-greek-yoghurt
Best of luck and happy cooking,
Lucy
p.s Zany Zeus is THE BEST!
Hi Lucy, I made your 'slow-braised beef with orange and leeks', it was in the Life supplement on 14 Sept I think it was. I had a problem with it. The list of ingredients had 1/4 cup of soy sauce, but the instructions didn't say when to put it in. I was doing the leeks, garlic, ginger, chilli and I put the soy in after I cooked them a bit. Then I finished the recipe off as per instructions. It didn't end up tasting particularly good, so what should I have done. Thanks Jenny
Hi Jenny, you added the soy sauce at the right time. Sorry you didn't like the result – it has been a big success for everyone I've cooked it for. Thanks for getting in touch, Lucy
Hi Lucy
Just seen your recipe for plum cheesecake in the paper. What is the spice that should be in the base and how much do you use?
Thanks Alison
Hi Alison, sorry, that's a typo – there is no spice in the base! I'll get that amended in the online version. (You could always put 1/2 tsp ground ginger in the base if you wanted though, it would work well.) Best of luck, Lucy
Hi Lucy
I want to make the chocolate and ginger fruitcake featured in dominion life magazine 30/11/16. The query I have is that the recipe states that it makes one large cake yet the advised cake tin size is 18cm square cake tin, which is quite small. Is that the correct size tin as I don't want to bake it and have cake mixture oozing over the tin.
Many
thanks, Jan
Hi Jan, apologies for the late reply – yes, that is the correct tin size. It makes a small, but high/deep cake. Good luck!