Sachie Nomura
Sachie Nomura runs a cooking school in Auckland and last year had her own food series on Prime TV. Not bad for someone who arrived here at the age of 17 to study English, knowing little about New Zealand other than it had sheep - lots of sheep.
From leading Japanese chefs she honed the cooking skills she had learned from her mother in Japan.
Sachie's Kitchen, her first book, is full of passion and ideal for those who love Japanese cuisine.
I asked her some questions:
You were born in Hekinan City in Japan, and grew up there. Tell us a little about your childhood.
Hekinan is in a rural area close to the sea, where you will find many vegetable fields and rice fields.
A childhood memory is hearing the sound of frogs croaking - there were so many and were so loud.
I was a very active child and loved sports.
My parents never pressured me to study but they were very hard on me and my younger brother to play sports because they believed it taught us discipline, teamwork and respect for others.
Who were the biggest influences?
I started to cook when I was 7. Both my parents were extremely busy working full time so I had to learn how to become self-sufficient and to make sure my younger brother was fed. I did the prep work as a kitchen-hand for my mum when she would return after work and then she would cook the meals.
As to other big influences, one was my aunty, who taught me to love food and specifically that love comes from your hands so that whenever you eat good food it has been cooked by a loving person.
I was also very fortunate to have been helped by some top Japanese chefs for about a decade when they were on overseas exchanges. They all lived close to each other in Auckland and I lived nearby.
What was the first thing you cooked?
Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes) with my dad.
Describe your style of cooking.
Uncomplicated. I travel overseas a lot to constantly learn new techniques from chefs and locals, but I strive to keep everything simple. When the produce is amazing, like in New Zealand, you don't have to do much to create delicious meals.
What drew you to New Zealand?
In my second year of high school I had to decide whether I was going to university or to work. My mum suggested that perhaps I should go overseas to study English.
That was the beginning of a travel seed germinating.
I was originally meant to go to the US but a friend who had just returned from studying in Palmerston North told me all about New Zealand.
He said that New Zealand was incredibly safe, people were friendly, there were no guns, and it had a similar climate to Japan.
That that pretty much sold me on the idea and I've never left - I've now spent almost exactly half my life here and I met my husband, who is Chinese, here in New Zealand.
What made you decide to start your own cooking school?
Two incidents five years ago. Two of my colleague's partners died of heart attacks on the same day. That day it made me think about what my purpose is in life and what my passion was.
My mother always told me that if there is something you want to do in your life you should give it a good shot and even if you fail you can still stand up tall and say, "I've done it" - hence no regrets.
You also have a cooking series on Prime TV. How did that come about?
I had been approached to do some spots on Good Morning , thanks to the success of the cooking school. Then one day one of the large production companies here in New Zealand visited. I originally thought they were looking for a venue to hire when in actual fact they thought there was a concept for a TV show.
One thing led to another and now I'm really excited for people to get a peek into the food culture of Japan, of which I'm really proud.
What is your favourite Asian dish?
That's like asking a parent, "Who is your favourite child." It is an incredibly hard question - the answer would totally depend on the situation. For sure, if I had to choose a cuisine that I would have to eat for the rest of my life it would be Japanese - it is comfort food for me.
And your favourite Kiwi dish?
Roast lamb is my favourite Kiwi national dish. I love roasts because you don't cook a roast for yourself. You cook for two or more, which means company, laughter, and it's a family dish of New Zealand.
I must say, I also love pies now. It was a foreign concept to me when I arrived. Pie means sweet in Japan; I never equated it to being a savoury filling.
Sometimes if there is a traditional home-made steak and cheese pie and delicious gravy, mmm, I can't resist. Everything in moderation though.
Tell us five of your favourite ingredients.
Soy sauce, cooking sake, dashi, fish sauce and shrimp paste. But it's very hard to limit them to just five.
What utensils are necessary for Asian cooking?
That's easy: a very good, sharp knife - I like to use Japanese steel - and a good pair of chopsticks.
What is your favourite recipe in Sachie's Kitchen ?
I think oyakodon, which is chicken and egg stew on rice. I can eat this at any time of day.
This recipe is special to me - my staff and I tried the recipe five times - as we did for all the recipes - to guarantee that the flavours were just right for anyone to be able to recreate.
Tell us three things about yourself that would surprise us.
I used to make all my own clothes.
I used to have two dogs; my first, Love, just passed away this year after 17 years and my second, Momo, which means peach, is now 15.
I am bad at waking up in the morning except for when there are wild herbs to be picked in the mountains in Japan - then I have no problem waking at 5.30am, putting on my gumboots and trekking out.