Practice makes perfect

Alexa Johnston, author of Ladies, A Plate.

Alexa Johnston describes herself as a home cook. She's had no training at all, just a lot of practice, she says, reading cookbooks and having fun in the kitchen. COLLEEN THORPE talks to Johnston about her latest book, Ladies, A Plate: Jams & Preserves. She tested all the recipes and took all the photos herself in her home kitchen in Auckland.

Where did the name Ladies, A Plate come from?

This phrase appeared often on invitations to church and community events when I was growing up. It was a signal to women guests to bring some food for sharing and the assumption was that it would be home-made.

It is faintly archaic now, but I think it still suggests that sharing food with friends and neighbours and baking at home is a good thing - and luckily no longer restricted to women.

Give us three key points to successful preserves.

Take time to read the recipe properly.

Make smallish batches, not cauldrons-full.

Enjoy yourself.

And what are we doing wrong if our jams or curds won't set?

Jams won't set if the fruit is low in pectin or acid - you need both. You can remedy this by adding some high-pectin fruit or some lemon juice.

But don't aim for solid rubbery jam, keep it soft for more flavour. I realise that it's not good to have jam running off your toast, so I have a table in the book of pectin and acid levels in different fruit. Fruit curds need to be cooked gently until the eggs will thicken the liquid. This happens at 80C, so use a thermometer if you wish. And remember that curds will set more in the fridge as the butter cools.

What is your cooking philosophy?

Cook from scratch as much as you can rather than from prepared foods; share what you make and enjoy being in the kitchen.

Cooking is not a waste of your time and makes a vital contribution to human health and happiness.

Who cooks at your home?

I do most of the time.

Do you take a list to the supermarket or are you a random shopper?

I always take a list, but I watch out for specials.

How did you go about deciding what recipes to include in this book?

I started with what I like to make and then researched and tested traditional recipes from community cookbooks and newspapers. I added a few from other countries as most cultures have preserving traditions.

Which recipe in this book is your favourite?

Mango chutney - a revelation.

What is your all-time favourite?

Impossible to say, there are far too many contenders.

What was the first thing you cooked?

Special Chocolate Cake, a one-egg wonder my mother taught me when I was about 7. It appeared in my first cookery book and I still have people exclaiming over the ease and deliciousness of the recipe.

Who inspired your love of cooking?

My mother, Paula, who realised that if she encouraged me I might take over from her so she would have more time to read and sew. It worked. And my father bought me Larousse Gastronomique, which was a bit over my head when I was 11, but remains a treasure.

Where did you train to be a chef?

I'm a home cook. No training, just a lot of practice, reading cookbooks and having fun in the kitchen.

Apart from writing cookbooks tell us what else takes up your time?

Reading, writing, gardening, swimming, knitting and embroidery.

Tell us three things about yourself that would surprise us.
Too hard. I think I'm pretty unsurprising really.

EXTRACT: Ladies, A Plate: Jams & Preserves

HERB JELLIES - ROSEMARY, SAGE, MINT, TARRAGON

INGREDIENTS

900g cooking apples*
Large bunch of rosemary, sage, mint or tarragon
3 cups cold water, 750 ml
1/2 cup white wine, 125 ml
Vinegar
White sugar
1/2 cup extra herb leaves, very finely chopped
* Windfall apples are particularly good for this jelly.

These are simply apple jellies made a little tart by the addition of cider vinegar and with finely chopped herbs suspended in them.

For the rosemary jelly I added the cores and peelings of a couple of quinces to the apples and this made the jelly pink rather than green. It's delicious with roast meat and cheeses.

PREPARING AND COOKING THE FRUIT AND HERBS

Roughly chop the apples, skin, cores and all. Put the chopped apples in a large preserving pan with a large bunch of the herb of your choice, the water and the vinegar. Cover the pan and bring to the boil, then cook very gently until the apples are very soft and pulpy(about 20 minutes).

Ladle the juice and pulp into a jelly bag, hang the bag over a bowl and leave to drain overnight.

GETTING READY

Wash jam jars and their lids in hot water, rinse them and put them in the oven at 120C for 30 minutes to drain and dry. Put a couple of small saucers into the freezer - you'll use them to test the jelly for setting.

MAKING THE JELLY

Measure the liquid in the bowl and allow 1 cup/200g sugar for each 1 cup/250ml of juice. Warm the sugar for a few minutes on a tray in the oven above the jars.
Tip the juice into the preserving pan, turn on the heat, add the warmed sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved.

Turn up the heat and bring to a rapid boil, watching it like a hawk to make sure it doesn't boil over. Adjust the heat if this seems likely, but a quick boil means a better flavour.

Start testing for a set after five minutes. To do this, remove the pan from the heat, put a small spoonful of jelly on to one of your chilled saucers, wait about 30 seconds, then push a finger gently through it. If the surface wrinkles slightly in front of your finger the jelly is ready. Turn off the heat, remove the hot jars from the oven and put them on a board.

Skim any froth from the top of the jelly and let it sit. It can take anything from two to 10 minutes for the jelly to thicken enough to keep the herbs suspended. Be patient. It will begin to thicken as it cools.

Stir through the extra finely chopped herb of your choice, ladle the jelly into a heatproof jug and pour it carefully into the jars.

Seal the jars immediately and try not to move them until the jelly is cold and set. Label and store in a cool, dark place. the quantities given here make about two cups/500ml.

Reprinted with permission from Ladies, A Plate: Jams & Preserves, by Alexa Johnston. Published by Penguin Group (NZ), $47.