"The best part is finally being out and about and meeting all of the warm and friendly people. I love it."
She shot to fame after winning the second series of MasterChef New Zealand in 2011. Let's Eat is the food writer, television personality, founder of My Food Bag and celebrity chef's seventh book.
"I love all my books but this one is the most personal. It's a bit of a reflection of our family with recipes used by my parents - food that I ate as a child. Now I'm a mum I find myself returning to them.
"Some of the recipes are the same and some I have combined or altered. Think Bounty Bars, Jelly Tips, meatballs and a bit of a twist on cauliflower cheese. There are so many memories and then, of course there, are my dad's Malaysian recipes as well."
She said she did get recognised a lot when she was out but that because it had happened gradually she didn't feel like her life had changed much.
"People are always so nice and friendly toward me. - it's not like I'm a villain on Shortland Street, that would be another story."
Ms Lim is always thinking about recipes. "It never stops really. I might be on holiday and have a great idea so I jump on my laptop and make some notes then take it to the test kitchen when I get home."
She thinks people are returning more and more to good old fashioned home cooking. "If you are in an urban space and spending a lot of your work time with technology, cooking and handling food is the only way some people can connect with nature. People are instinctively going back to cooking from scratch."
While her home doesn't have a lot of garden space she says she makes the most of what she has by planting herbs and is in the process of planting more citrus trees. She is looking forward to visiting Hawke's Bay with her husband "who loves the Bay" and their son.
EVENTS
■Taradale Let's Eat! book signing
Paper Plus Taradale
285 Gloucester Street, Taradale
Friday from 11.30 am - noon
■Waipukarau Let's Eat!
Paper Plus Waipukarau
77 Ruataniwha Street Waipukurau
Friday 3.30 pm - 4pm
■MAIN EVENT
Ellwood Events Centre
15 Otene Road, Waipatu Hastings
Friday 7pm - 8.30 pm
■For tickets to any of the above events go to: nadialim.com/events/
SUMMER F.A.W.C!
■F.A.W.C! Electrolux Masterclass with Nadia Lim
MTG Century Theatre
10.45am - 11.30am
■Celebrate Everything Spring
with Nadia Lim
Summerlee, Te Awanga
6.30pm to 10.30
■For tickets to the F.A.W.C! events go to: fawc.co.nz
