WINNING MASTERCHEF in 2012 completely changed Chelsea Winter's career path.
"It was my husband (fiancé at the time) who encouraged me to enter and have a go," Chelsea tells me as she relaxes at Chantels in Napier and laps up the sun. She's in Hawke's Bay to promote her new cookbook Scrumptious.
"Is it always this sunny here?" the Auckland-based cook asked me.
I have to admit I was excited about meeting Chelsea. I watched her win MasterChef and have followed her success over the past five years.
She was relaxed, chatty and really down-to-earth.
"I decided early on that I was going to make the most of the opportunities from my win. This was my golden chance."
She's certainly done that. Last year her book Homemade Happiness was the best-selling cookbook in New Zealand for 2015. Her cookbooks At My Table and Everyday Delicious have been hugely popular and now her fourth book, Scrumptious, looks set to follow suit.
She is a great believer in simple, healthy meals that anyone can make.
"The ingredients needed for my recipes are readily available at all supermarkets. The recipes are easy to understand and simple to cook," Chelsea says.
"I think everyone should have an opportunity to cook. You can actually make these dishes and they will look like the pictures. There's even mince on toast in this book - that's what I'm all about, making everyday meals special.
"I use a lot of fresh herbs. It's easy to grow your own."
Chelsea's top picks for homegrown herbs are rosemary, Italian curly parsley, thyme, sage and oregano.
She is also a firm believer in everything in moderation.
"I'm certainly not into fad diets or paleo this or low carb that. It's a whole lot of nonsense. I think we have to be careful about giving people an unhealthy view on some foods. It should not be about what you don't eat [sugar-free, carb-free] but about being conscious of what you do eat. A bit of home baking is not going to hurt you."
In fact, eating homemade food is what Chelsea puts down to her own health and fitness. "I do yoga and walk the dog and the vast majority of what I eat is made from scratch in my own home. It's about being sensible."
Chelsea thinks cooking should be taught in schools.
All the recipes in Scrumptious are tested in her home.
"My daily routine is to draft a recipe, then cook it. My intuition comes into play as I make changes and write notes."
Her new cookbook is very much a family affair with Chelsea's sister designing the book and her family and friends featuring in the fantastic photos by Tam West.
Chelsea loves the feedback she gets from people who have tried her recipes.
"I love hearing about how excited they are to cook something easy that tastes good and looks like the pictures. It makes me feel good that I have helped them make positive changes in their lives."
She says she never gets sick of doing what she does.
"There's such a variety of things you can do with food and I never lack inspiration. I've found my stride and I love it."
Chelsea is certainly not one to sit on her laurels - she is already working on her next book.