TV adventure star samples the wild life

Hawke's Bay will be broadcast to the world when an episode of the series Catch and Cook! with American host Adventure Aaron goes to air.

Aaron Carotta spent three days in Hawke's Bay last week, filming the show, which focuses on adventure and diverse foods, and features internationally regarded guest chefs.

His challenge while in the Bay was to catch a wild pig, which chef Peta Mathias made into a gourmet "boil up" at a Master Class at Cape Kidnappers Lodge.

"We were able to catch a wild pig and stopped off at the Hastings Farmers Market, which was an adventure in itself," Mr Carotta said.

"The scenery was just amazing but, to be honest, it was encounters with the people in Hawke's Bay that made it really special. They were just so friendly."

Catching the wild pig, was a special experience for Carotta.

"In the air, we roamed for the pig and caught it by jumping out of the helicopter," he said. "I think they call that bulldogging."

Mathias chose to cook the pig using a traditional recipe with a "gourmet twist".

"During the Master Class, she added a lot more gourmet stuff," Mr Carotta said. "The result was something very tasty,"

The series is to be shown on Food TV in the South Pacific and will also air in the United States and Europe.

Fresh from the filming of the second series of Alive! with Adventure Aaron, in Spain, Carotta began his cooking series in Northland, New Zealand, at the start of January and will finish down south at the end of February.

During the trip, he has experienced the very best New Zealand has to offer and ties adventure in with finding local delicacies in different regions.

"I wanted to appreciate the little things and that includes food," Mr Carotta said. "We wanted to illustrate where it comes from. "That includes things like local Maori giving us tips on going free diving for kina."

As a cancer survivor himself, he will also be raising funds for CanTeen on his journey.

For more information you can visit the website: www.adventureaaron.com/catchandcook.