Ashburton Guardian YOU Magazine, Saturday, May 15, 2021

you Saturday, May 15, 2021

AND YOUR LIFESTYLE

From

the world stage to

Ashburton

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YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE | Saturday, May 15, 2021

Above – Publicity comes before performance. As the Queenstown Winter Festival’s snow goddess, Kathi Craig sang in freezing conditions for the media prior to a concert at ground level with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.

Left – As Carmen, Kathi taunts American tenor, Ron Stevens (Don Jose).

Right – Learning a score can be tough work.

Kathi had to memorise pages of music from the operetta, The Land of Smiles.

An opera diva’s life can be varied. It requires you to sing from stages around the world. Mostly they’re indoors at opera houses, town halls, theatres and concert venues, but sometimes the venue can be the grass, the winery, the deck of a ship or even up the mountain.

Ashburton’s Kathi Craig has experienced all of them in a career that’s spanned five decades. This is her story.

K

Love and music is Kathi’s mantra

athi Craig has probably reached greater heights than any other singer.

The heights reached was the top of Coronet Peak when she was invited to be the Snow Goddess as part of the Queenstown Winter Festival.

To attract local and international tourists, she was asked to front the campaign, wear a New Zealand Wool Board cape, launch a new chairlift and sing an aria at the top of the peak.

It was a successful campaign and Kathi featured on the front page of the Sydney

Morning Herald. But there was also a down side. “I found it difficult to breathe up there, I caught a chill and ended up in Christchurch Hospital with pleurisy.

“The lengths you go to for your art. Next time I’ll ask for a stunt double.”

Kathi, who’s recently moved to Ashburton, has vivid memories of the festival. She was also guest soloist with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra which was flown to Queenstown and performed outdoors on a stage that jutted out over Lake Whakatipu.

“I sang Ebben ne andro lontana from the opera, La Wally. It’s a dramatic aria, where the heroine sings in the snow and then dies in an avalanche. For that reason, the opera is seldom performed, but the aria is a favourite with many singers,” she says.

But there’s always a danger performing outdoors in winter, even if the stage is covered. It can’t protect the artists from perpendicular rain.

Kathi found herself drenched and, even the antics of compere, Paul Holmes, leaping about like Mary Poppins holding an

umbrella, couldn’t prevent water pouring into her mouth as she sang.

“I almost drowned.”

But Coronet Peak didn’t deter her from heights. She’s sung Climb Every Mountain from The Sound of Music many times and starred as Mother Abbess in several productions.

“It’s a song of hope where the audience is transported to a special place, but it’s also fiendish to sing. You need to have a good range.

“I love the mountains and have a sense

Saturday, May 15, 2021 | YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE

Above left – Kathi, at home in Ashburton.

Above right – Kathi has taken great delight in performing with her twin daughters, Marissa (left) and Marla, in concerts in New Zealand, Australia and the United States.

of awe when I drive up Walnut Avenue and see the Southern Alps.

“But you can’t live on the mountain top forever and, for every high, there’s a low.”

She recalls walking on stage in Albert Herring, a Benjamin Britten opera, and only the occasional note came out. Later she discovered she was pregnant which caused the loss of voice. She’s also sung opposite a tenor who, in distress, gestured he’d lost his voice. “It was a nightmare.”

Every artist had to cover the musical gaps including the line-up of singers and other tenors hastily brought in to sing behind the curtains or on-stage holding a score.

One particular highlight was being a Mobil Song Quest winner. Kathi’s Dunedin teacher, Vincente Major, formed a group of singers called The Majorettes. Their repertoire was a change from serious opera studies and they entered the group section of the contest.

The recording session leading up to the final coincided with the birth of Kathi’s twins, Marissa and Marla. Because of

hypertension, she was on bed rest for 12 weeks prior to their birth with no voice, but then had to stay at Queen Mary Hospital for a further three weeks.

“My teacher suggested I leave hospital to record and then return and so just over a week after they were born, I was in the recording studio. Three months later we were a Mobil Song Quest winner in the Christchurch Town Hall,” Kathi recalls.

“I felt elated. I never expected to be there because of the drama leading up to the birth. I was exhausted.”

In a five-decade career, she’s sung title roles in Carmen, Tosca, La Traviata, The Merry Widow, The Barber of Seville and studied Madame Butterfly.

Of the operas, Tosca remains a favourite.

She’s sung the role twice and says Floria Tosca is a strong woman who supports her lover, Cavaradossi, and has a strong religious belief.

“Vissi d’Arte or Love and Music, Floria’s aria, is my mantra. I love Puccini, my music, family, teaching and my students and want to give them the very best of me,” she

‘

I just jumped and hoped they would move out of the way. They did very quickly

says.

In the final dramatic moments of the opera, Tosca sees her lover killed and decides to take her own life by throwing herself off the palace parapets.

“I had to learn to jump and land and, for many performances, I leapt about four metres on to seven or eight mattresses.

On the final night, I looked down and there were four stage hands lying on their backs waiting to catch me.

“I just jumped and hoped they would move out of the way. They did very quickly!”

When she left Dunedin she toured Christchurch, Wellington, Hawkes Bay, Hamilton and Auckland in operas, often appearing with Dame Malvina Major.

“I was on the road for several years, but I didn’t enjoy living out of a suitcase. I was lonely, missing my husband and family,”

Above: Kathi and Marla duet together in a recital in New York in 2019.

Kathi recalls.

She also had opportunities to sing in Australia and the United States, but family commitments prevented her.

However, in the mid 1990s she was given the opportunity to travel to San Francisco and study voice science with one of the voice doctors at the Conservatorium of Music.

“The study reinforced to me how important it is to study the physiology of singing and aerobic and diaphragmatic support,” Kathi says.

“I was taught to breathe at an early age, but some singers find breath control difficult. If you don’t breathe well, you don’t sing well.”

It’s even life-saving, as Kathi found out.

In 2003 she suffered a series of transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). She was taken by ambulance to Wakefield Hospital in Wellington to have major blocked arteries in her neck replaced.

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YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE | Saturday, May 15, 2021

Above – One of Kathi’s highlights in 2020 was receiving the MNZM (Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit) for her career as a singer, teacher and musicologist from the Governor-General, Dame Patsy Reddy.

Inset – It’s sometimes difficult to “dance all night” in the musical My Fair Lady, especially when you’re glammed up for the Ascot scene.

From P19 “I now have replacement arteries,” she says. “My breathing saved me. Working my breath when I had TIAs helped the air flow to the brain.”

For weeks Kathi didn’t know whether she could sing again. The neck is known as tiger country and the nerves in her neck were affected by surgery.

Although opera was her first love, Kathi also had a passion for musical theatre, something that was part of her repertoire from Dunedin days. She’d played Eliza in My Fair Lady, Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls, Anna in The King And I and numerous leads in such shows as The Gypsy Baron, White Horse Inn, Land of Smiles, Evita and even the Joan Collins cameo in Joseph.

“In Land of Smiles I came across my worst nightmare. I had a leading man who spat while he sang. It was pre-Covid-19 days and great globs of saliva flew through the air in my direction. I had to turn away from him and the audience and wipe my face,” she recalls.

“In one opera I was attacked with a knife.

It missed me but pinned my costume to the set. I had to die standing up.”

Kathi recalls losing her crinoline petticoat in The King and I and having it sewn back on between scenes or having her costume stood on so many times that she yo-yoed across stage while singing.

There’ve been many highlights in a career that’s lasted more than 50 years. One was singing Scottish ballads for popular tenor, Kenneth McKellar, who wanted to take her back to Scotland. That was an achievement for a soprano with Greek heritage.

Above – Kathi as Floria Tosca and Les Cleveland as the villain, Scarpia, pose for a publicity shot from Dunedin Opera’s production of Tosca.

Another was appearing in Chariots of Fire with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and leading Olympic and Commonwealth Games competitors. The programme celebrated our sporting heroes and heroines with music appropriately sung by Kathi and Ray Woolf or played by the NZSO. Sir Murray Halberg was very emotional and said it was his first experience of sport and culture coming together so effectively.

Kathi’s also sung for royalty, for politicians and prime ministers – Sir Robert Muldoon liked her bottom – and appeared as Marilyn Monroe with the Rodger Fox Big Band.

“I sang I Want To Be Loved By You in a pink dress, with diamonds and a pink feather boa. Marilyn is a tough act to follow. I just made myself believe I was her,” she says.

One of her greatest pleasures has been

performing with her identical twin daughters, Marissa and Marla. They’ve sung throughout New Zealand, at the America’s Cup and in Australia, the United States and Europe.

“They could sing even before they could talk and both have gone on to professional careers overseas,” she says. “We have natural harmony and can instinctively sing together. You see the emotion on people’s faces when we sing our rendition of The Rose.”

Kathi has a lasting impression of singing with Marla and her husband, Daniel Rodriguez, in New York two years ago with stellar accompanist, Roger Buchanan, from Ashburton. She then went on to enjoy Daniel and Marla’s recital at Carnegie Hall.

Last year she received recognition for her decades of singing and teaching.

Kathi was honoured by the Queen and received the MNZM (Member of the New

‘

I prayed I wouldn’t trip as I walked to the podium to receive my honour from the Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy Zealand Order of Merit) in a ceremony at Government House in Wellington.

“I felt very nervous. For one who is used to facing thousands of people on stage, I was humbled and felt very honoured,” she said.

“I prayed I wouldn’t trip as I walked to the podium to receive my honour from the Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy.”

Kathi loves Ashburton and its people who’ve made her very welcome. “I’m enjoying the opportunities to speak about my life, my career and music,” she says.

She’s been commuting to the North Island for master classes and teaching and, while she hasn’t advertised locally, she’s already receiving inquiries about teaching in Ashburton. Kathi’s accepted a couple of students and has been impressed with their talent.

While living in Dunedin, she pioneered Start Singing, classes for people who would love to sing, but believe they can’t, or those wanting to resume singing in a non-threatening environment.

“I say to people ‘do you want to sing?

Think you can’t? Yes you can’!”

Over the last 30 years she’s taught thousands of people to sing who never believed they had a voice.

“I teach them how to move and find their voice. It’s a class, not a choir,” she says. “The benefit of singing is that you feel happier, your health improves, you gain confidence, it improves your social skills and keeps you young.

“The end result is you can sing and use your voice to benefit yourself, those around you and the wider community.”

Saturday, May 15, 2021 | YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE

YOUR

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YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE | Saturday, May 15, 2021

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Live it your way R

etirement today is a very different stage of life to the retirement experienced by today’s retirees’ parents and grandparents.

Where once the day you no longer had to head to work was something everyone looked forward to, today, retirement is a fluid thing. Some people opt to stop work the day they qualify for superannuation, others never really leave the workforce.

Retirement is no longer a category, it is more a state of mind, and a stage of life that for some never really arrives.

Rather than describing themselves as retirees, many now describe their work status as part-time, casual, or consultancy.

Keeping active in retirement, whether that means continuing in some form of paid employment, volunteering, or simply getting out there and being active, is proven to add life to your retirement years.

That so many over 65s continue to

work is not only great for those individuals, it’s a win for the workforce. Just because you reach official retirement age, it doesn’t mean you are no longer capable of continuing in the job you may have successfully held for decades.

There’s a lot to be said for experience in any workplace.

The goal for many people when they do finally call time on work is usually to remain in their own home, living independently. Some may opt to move from the family home to a smaller property to reduce the amount of work, or to free up capital, but the goal is always independence.

In the Ashburton District we now have another option, to remain in your own home and that comes with the number of retirement villages that are now part of our community.

These villages offer independent living with the bonus of being part of a community of like-minded people and freedom from many home ownership

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Dr Sean Every is now conducting a monthly clinic at Ashburton Eyecare. An expert cataract and vitreoretinal surgeon from Southern Eye Specialists, Sean provides extensive expertise, insight and treatment into a wide range of eye conditions.

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chores.

Terrace View, Rosebank, Lochlea and Coldstream all offer villas for active retirees who want to retain their independence while having the advantage of a range of community facilities.

The villas, apartments and studio units in those lifestyle villages are becoming very popular options to independent home ownership – all the advantages of having your own home without the hassles.

One of those, Lochlea, is now well down the track in building its second cluster of homes on Allens Road.

Those properties on Lochlea Two will have their own community centre and will be just a short walk away from the gym, pool and bowling greens of Lochlea One. Terrace View offers a range of villas, apartments and studio units and there is a cluster of villas in the grounds of both Rosebank Lifecare and Coldstream Lifestyle Village.

Saturday, May 15, 2021 | YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE

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Stages of retirement

etirement is just one more stage of life, and the Commission for Financial Capability has prepared a planning-for-retirement document that encourages people to think about ageing well and preparing for the future.

expenditure. Many people in this stage consider releasing equity from their family home as they downsize to plan for future expenditure.

At this stage, you may need to plan for future health issues and allocate savings for future health services.

THE DISCOVERY STAGE (AROUND 65 TO 74-YEAR-OLDS)

In this stage, you may still be working part-time or be self-employed.

You may be interested in doing all the things that you did not have time for when you worked fulltime, such as travelling, spending more time on your hobbies and interests, learning new skills, and visiting family.

You may still be physically and mentally capable of leading a fairly active lifestyle.

These are the ‘doing’ years and this may come with increased living costs as you explore what you can do in retirement. It is important to plan your expenses and savings to ensure you can enjoy this part of retirement and continue to be comfort-

THE REFLECTION STAGE (85-PLUS-YEAR-OLDS)

In the later stages of retirement, you may need more help as your health and finances limit your personal independence and choice.

Many people enjoy these years of retirement by spending time with loved ones, making memories, and reflecting on past memories. tine may help manage your energy so you able in the future.

The cost of living at this stage may drop can maintain the activities you enjoy. dramatically as you spend more time at THE ENDEAVOUR STAGE It may be a good time to consider down- home, but if your health declines this (AROUND 75 TO 84-YEAR-OLDS) sizing your house or to find ways to reduce may rise rapidly. It is important to plan for The middle stage of retirement may be a home maintenance. Financially, you may future health needs, which may require time where you focus on developing your still be pursuing hobbies and travel, but family support, and government and comskills or exploring new ones. Having a rou- at a slower pace which will steady your munity agency support.

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YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE | Saturday, May 15, 2021

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Care options

I

ndependent living might be the goal for most retirees, but ill health or increasing frailty may mean other options need to be considered.

The thought of moving into a care facility may be an unwelcome one, but the teams of professionals working in this sector today ensure that living in one of the Ashburton District’s residential homes ensures you can continue to live your life

the way you wish. We’re spoiled for choice when it comes to care facilities, with options ranging from resthome care, where you retain your independence in terms of having a room to call your own, but with the advantage of no longer having to cook or do housework, to hospital level and dementia care.

Resthome care is all about providing residents with a full and rich life with plenty

ENJOY VILLAGE LIFE

of experiences that keep them part of the greater community.

There are activities co-ordinators and there are plenty of outings to local events and activities.

For many people moving into a residential facility, the government will cover most of their costs, through a residential care subsidy.

Qualification for this, however, depends on an individual’s assets and income and some may be required to pay most of the cost of their care.

Most resthomes have a range of services such as hairdressers, podiatrists, newspapers and internet access that will need to be covered by the resident.

Residential care facilities are staffed by registered nurses and by highly skilled carers who become an important part of residents’ lives.

Across Ashburton there are facilities that cater for all levels of care.

TERRACE VIEW

Terrace View on five acres of park-like grounds on Tinwald’s Carters Terrace offers a full range of villas, apartments and studio units as well resthome and full hospital level care.

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Rosebank Lifecare offers a hospital, resthome facility and independent villa living and serviced apartments. It is located opposite Ashburton Domain.

COLDSTREAM LIFESTYLE VILLAGE

Coldstream Lifestyle Village offers resthome, hospital and respite care as well as several villas for independent living. It is also linked to a cluster of villas in the grounds of St Stephen’s Church.

RADIUS MILLSTREAM

Radius Millstream is positioned alongside the Lochlea Lifestyle Resort ensuring residents can receive the care they need without leaving the complex they may have called home for several years.

There are two facilities that specialise in caring for patients with dementia.

PRINCES COURT

Princes Court has rooms that look out onto landscaped gardens. It’s a facility that offers respite and specialised dementia care. Residents have access to a range of activities and are taken on regular outings.

TUARANGI HOME

Tuarangi Home includes two dementia wings, 12 units in the Twigger Wing, 10 in Moule Wing. Both these wings are modern and purpose built to allow as much freedom as possible for residents.

METHVEN HOUSE

The district’s smallest care facility is Methven House, with residents living in a villa owned by the people of Methven.

The house is administered by a committee comprised of community members.

Looking to the future Methven House residents will move from the character villa to a new complex to be built in Camrose Estate.

Saturday, May 15, 2021 | YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE

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T

Planning finances

he earlier you begin planning for retirement, the more prepared you will be when you do retire.

The New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super) payment for people over the age of 65 does help cover expenses in retirement, but will most likely not be the amount that you want to spend in retirement.

You will need other sources to supplement your income in retirement such as personal savings, KiwiSaver, investments and assets.

er selling their house and downsizing or moving into a more manageable property.

You can also consider getting a reverse mortgage on your house, which is when you borrow an amount of money against your property to be repaid when you sell the house or when you pass away.

Applying for a reverse mortgage is a big decision that should be done with independent legal advice. You can find more information about that at Consumer. More information on releasing equity can be found at Sorted.org.nz.

PAYING OFF DEBT

If you have debt such as from credit cards or a mortgage, you should aim to pay these off as quickly as possible.

Entering retirement mortgage-free will free up your NZ Super payments and will give you a chance to build your savings before you retire.

You can find more information about paying off mortgages before retirement at Sorted.org.nz.

KIWISAVER AND NZ SUPER

WORKING IN RETIREMENT

There is no compulsory retirement age in New Zealand, and many people continue to work with flexible hours, part-time, or casual hours during their retirement.

You can still receive NZ Super if you are over 65 and working or receiving an overseas pension. You can find more informa-

tion about receiving NZ Super and another income at Work and Income.

EQUITY RELEASE

If you own a property or other valuable asset, you may find a lot of your money is unusable.

During retirement, many people consid-

KiwiSaver is a voluntary savings scheme that helps you put money aside for retirement. You choose a percentage of your salary to be deducted and saved with a KiwiSaver scheme provider such as your bank.

It is designed to help you save for retirement or to buy a first house. You can find out more about KiwiSaver on the IRD website. NZ Super is a pension that people 65 and over can receive. You can still receive it if you are not retired and it is not income tested. The NZ Super rate depends on your living situation, whether you are single or in a relationship, and whether you receive any other benefit. You can find general information about NZ Super at Work and Income.

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Sorted, which is the financial guidance service developed by the Commission for Financial Capability, has a retirement planner tool that can help you see if you are financially on track for the retirement lifestyle that you want.

They also have a calculator to track your KiwiSaver contributions to plan ahead for retirement.

You can find more tools for planning, budgeting, debt repayments, savings, and more on the Sorted.org.nz website.

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TAKE A PERMANENT RATES HOLIDAY

When you budget is tight, finding money to pay your quarterly rates bill is not easy.

However, the Ashburton District Council offer two options that take some of the pain away – a rates postponement scheme that means you can say goodbye to rates payments for ever, or a rates rebate scheme that offers a rates discount for people on a low income.

RATES POSTPONEMENT

The Ashburton District Council offers home owners aged 65 and over the opportunity to cease paying rates for the rest of their lives.

Sounds too good to be true – it’s not. It simply means you can opt to no longer pay rates and leave the outstanding bill for your estate to take care of. And that means more money in retirees’ pockets to spend enjoying life.

It’s a flexible scheme that allows an over 65 home owner to postpone payment of all or a portion of their rates for a fixed or an indefinite period. This is subject to the full cost

Retirement rates

of postponement being met by the ratepayer.

This includes interest payments and administration costs and the council being satisfied that the risk of loss in any case is minimal.

The council needs to do its sums to ensure that there will be enough value in your property to pay the full amount of rates postponement when it is sold. If not, they may offer you a part postponement instead.

Signing on for rates postponement is not undertaken lightly and the council requires the home owner to have at least one session with a Presbyterian Support counsellor to ensure they’re making the right decision for them.

If you have a mortgage you can still apply for the scheme, however you will need to have written agreement from the financial institution which funds your mortgage.

The flexibility of the scheme means a property owner can opt to repay their postponed rates in full or in part at any time without penalty.

If the postponed rates remain unpaid when a home owner dies (or in the case of a

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couple, when the second partner dies) the council will allow up to 12 months for payment to be made.

If the property owner sells up, the council will require the postponed rates to be repaid, but if they purchase another property within the Ashburton District the council will consider transferring the outstanding balance.

The costs associated with the scheme are carried by the person whose rates are being postponed, there is no contribution from other ratepayers.

Annual costs are interest at the council’s borrowing rate, an annual 1 per cent levy to cover management of the scheme, an annual $50 council administration fee and a oneoff cost at the start of $300 that is paid to Presbyterian Support. There is also a 0.25 per cent fee that is paid into a reserve fund levy.

If you opt to join the rates postponement scheme you can still keep tabs on the costs you’re accumulating and the council can give you a snap shot of your costs compared to the value of your property at that time.

The council ensures property owners do not get deep in rates debt, with postponement ceasing if your debt reaches 80 per cent of the value of your property. You will then be required to pay your rates up front again.

There will never be liability beyond the value of the property. If there is a shortfall when a house is sold due to falling property values, this will be covered by a reserve fund levy.

Properties in the scheme must be insured and you still retain full ownership of your property if you join the scheme.

Saturday, May 15, 2021 | YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE

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and options

RATES REBATE

Income is the main qualifying criteria for consideration for a rates rebate.

To be considered for the full amount of a $655 rebate a home owner must have an income of $26,150 or less before tax.

Even if your income exceeds the income threshold, you may still be eligible, depending on the amount of the rates. Non-retirees are also eligible. For them, the amount of income allowed increases by $500 for each dependent child.

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YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE | Saturday, May 15, 2021

Shona overwhelmed by local support

hona McGrath is humbled by financial support she’s receiving from Ashburton people.

Several fundraisers have netted close to $10,000 which has gone into a targeted account. Shona says the donated funds will be used for equipment or house modifications to assist her rehabilitation when she returns to Ashburton.

While Shona was hoping to return home later this month, she said recovery was taking longer and it could be late next month before she’s discharged from Burwood Hospital.

Infection has seen her admitted to Christchurch Hospital’s emergency department twice, the last being earlier this week.

“I’ve had a number of setbacks which have slowed my progress,” she says. “I’m starting to rebuild again shortly.”

Since her serious accident on January 4 while mountain biking at the Christchurch Adventure Park, Shona has been at Burwood Hospital adjusting to her new life. She is paralysed from below her shoulders and her treatment includes gym work twice a day to increase her upper body strength, physio and occupational therapy.

She’s also had a couple of traumatic brain injuries, one three years ago in a bike accident and the other at the time of her January 3 injury. “I was foggy for a while, but I’m going to be fine.”

“I’m at the rehab part of Burwood in a hostel allowing me to be more independent. I’m learning those skills I need when I return home,” she says. “It takes so much longer to have a shower and get dressed and I have to adjust to that.”

At present Shona is experimenting with a trial wheelchair. It has a number of special features and Shona is trying out different frames and wheels until it becomes fit for purpose.

Her challenge is to get back on a bike. “It needs to be adapted for the mobility I have, but riding has been a passion of mine for some time,” she says. “It may be a little way down the path but it’s one of my goals.”

Another challenge is to drive her car and “get out with my dog”.

Her long-term goal is to return to Advance Ashburton where she’s finance manager. The position is being held open until

Left – A recent photo of Shona McGrath before her accident, with two miniature schnauzer puppies.

PHOTO LISA FENWICK

Below – Shona adjusts to life in a wheelchair as part of her independent living at Burwood Hospital.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Shona is ready to come back.

Recovery has been slow, but Shona can’t see the point of “being negative or getting down”.

“While I’m disappointed, I have a lot to live for, have wonderful support from family and friends

and I want to give something back to the community,” she says.

Shona understands her needs will be different on her return.

While ACC will pay for part of her ongoing rehabilitation, she is

aware her home and transport will require adaptation. She says the funding she’s received will be used for that purpose.

Saturday, May 15, 2021 | YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE

29

RECIPE BOOK REVIEW recipes from Shared Kitchen

Shared Kitchen – Real Food From Scratch

By Julie and Ilaria Biuso

C

heck out the cookbook stash in many homes and it’s likely you’ll find one or two with the name Julie Biuso on the cover.

With 16 recipe books to her credit, it’s great to see her adding a new title to her stocks, this time one written in conjunction with her daughter Ilaria. And like its predecessors, Shared Kitchen is another hands-down winner.

The book is a collection of innovative new food ideas, along with plenty of classics with the special Biuso shake-up.

Shared Kitchen is all about making food easy, creating dishes that have eye and palate appeal without their creator having to spend hours in the kitchen.

Among the recipes that cover just about every dining occasion are dishes that make the most of leftovers and vegetables are also given the star treatment.

The book is based on the pair’s online foodie spot, Shared Kitchen. It was developed as a way of encouraging people to keep cooking from scratch. And that’s a Buiso specialty – no shortcuts.

Julie is all about food as a way to bring family members together and her children Luca and Ilaria have been kitchen regulars since they were tiny. Working with her daughter on Shared Kitchen was an extension of her family-in-the-kitchen philosophy.

That early exposure to cooking rubbed off on Ilaria and, in Shared Kitchen, she adds her youthful approach to her moth-

er’s vast experience and knowledge to create a book that is an intergenerational approach to food.

The book is divided into 10 categories, ranging from nibbles and all-day breakfasts through to midweek meals, outside dining, shared food, comfort food and sweets.

Each recipe comes with a short introduction that adds a personal touch and many come accompanied by handy recipe notes.

In an era when recipe books may seem to be giving way to “ask Google”, Shared Kitchen is a great reminder of the pleasure of having a recipe book to browse through and find inspiration from.

Reviewed by Sue Newman

Lamb and eggplant burgers

Lamb patties: 500g lamb mince 1/3 C finely chopped shallots 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed 1/2 t allspice 1t dried oregano Salt and pepper 1t crushed coriander seeds Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 2T red wine 70g feta cheese patted dry with paper towel Olive oil

Eggplant and burgers: 1 large eggplant Olive oil Flaky sea salt 2 long pide loaves or 16 slider buns Spicy tomato chutney Baby rocket or lettuce leaves 16 or more cherry tomatoes, halved

Yoghurt dressing: 1C Greek yoghurt 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed 2T shredded mint

– Combine all patty ingredients except feta.

– Mix in 2T of water and then add feta.

– Shape into 8 large or 16 half-size patties.

– Stack on plate and cover with food wrap in fridge.

– Can be made up to 8 hours ahead.

– Bring to room temperature before

Oven-baked potatoes with garam masala and lime zest

1.2kg floury potatoes, choose long, oval ones Flaky sea salt 1/4 t chilli flakes Finely grated zest of two limes 1t garam masala

– Preheat oven to 190°C. – Peel potatoes and cut into fat fingers.

– Soak potatoes in a bowl of cold water for 10 mins.

– Drain and roll in a tea towel to dry.

– Put potatoes in a shallow ovenproof dish lined with baking paper.

– Sprinkle with 1t of salt (or to taste) and chilli flakes.

– Drizzle with oil.

– Lift paper to gently toss potatoes and seasonings.

– Bake for one hour, turning once or twice.

– Stir through lime zest.

– Sprinkle with a little more salt and garam masala.

– Toss gently and serve.

FREE Frooze balls Alive Foods, the company that makes Frooze balls is giving away a box of their new dual-filled range for a lucky Mid Cantabrian who would like to try all the new flavours!

They are: – Peanut butter and jelly (fruit-sweetened strawberry jam) – Choc hazelnut (with their own made chocolate sauce and peanut butter) – Lemon cheesecake (with cashew butter and a marmalady lemon curd in the centre) – Blueberry crumble (with cashew butter and a fruit-sweetened blueberry jam)

cooking.

– Combine all dressing ingredients and cover in fridge.

– Slice eggplant into thin rounds.

– Brush both sides with oil.

– Cook on preheated hot plate until tender and golden.

– Transfer to plate and sprinkle with sea salt.

– Cook patties on preheated grill.

– Lightly toast bread or serve fresh.

– Spread bread with chutney.

– Stack patties and eggplant on top.

– Drizzle with yoghurt dressing.

– Add a few green leaves and 2 halved tomatoes.

– Place half bun on top and serve immediately.

HOW TO ENTER: Email your name, address and phone number (daytime) to goodies@ theguardian.co.nz Or Send your letter to Frooze balls, PO Box 77, Ashburton Please include the name of the competition – Frooze balls – somewhere prominent ie in the subject line or on the envelope.

RULES AND ELIGIBILITY: One entry per person and per household Guardian staff and immediate family members are not eligible for entry All entries must be received by 9am, May 31.

The winner will be contacted by phone.

30

YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE | Saturday, May 15, 2021

Get busy in the garden whatever the weather

W

inter is just around the corner and while some of us may dread the countdown to colder, wet days, there is still plenty to do in the garden, so get the gumboots on and dig in!

Planting winter vege seedlings Winter vegetable plants should be well established by now. Keep planting out cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, silverbeet and spinach for a steady supply over winter.

Sowing ‘green manure crops’ You can rest parts of your vegetable garden over winter by sowing a green manure crop.

Sow fast-growing annuals like common lupin and mustard directly into the soil.

These plants improve soil structure, add nutrients, like nitrogen, naturally into the soil and can protect beds rather than leaving bare soil exposed to the elements.

Once they have grown about 20cm and before they flower, cut the plants to ground level.

After a day or so, chop them into pieces with a spade and dig them back into the soil.

Leave them to break down in the soil for six to eight weeks before you plant anything new.

When planting into the rows, place strawberry plants 15-20cm apart and make sure the crown of the plant (just below the leaves) is sitting slightly higher than ground level. Add plenty of mulch on top of the soil around the plants.

Hedge pruning A good month to do a final tidy-up trim of hedges. There won’t be much growth until spring so don’t be too heavy-handed!

Planting garlic Garlic needs a longer growing season to grow lovely large bulbs, so May is the preferred month for planting.

Buy garlic seed bulbs from your local garden centre as fresh is best – and the better the seed bulb, the greater the success!

Always select a healthy-looking specimen, avoiding any that are too soft or have mould on them.

Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil that has been prepared with plenty of compost before planting.

Gently break off each clove from the seed bulb (don’t bother with the very small cloves) and plant them individually about 40mm deep and 60mm apart with the pointy ends facing up.

Cover with soil and a fine layer of mulch on top.

New growth will appear in three to four weeks, but they won’t be ready to harvest until summer.

Fruit tree pruning

Strawberry planting time If you had a lack of fruit last season or your strawberries were small in size, consider removing any strawberry plants that are older than two to three years as

fruiting reduces over time. Replace old plants with new ones or plant out runners (baby plants also known as stolons).

Prepare strawberry beds for planting by adding in plenty of compost and mound up the soil 80-100cm above existing soil into rows that run in a north/south direction.

Time to get pip and stone fruit tree pruning under way.

Before you start, make sure your tools are sharp and clean to stop the spread of any disease.

Always make a clean cut at a 45-degree angle so water will run off the cut and not invite fungal diseases.

Having good access to fruit at harvest time means reducing the height of your fruit trees where needed. Remove any weak, thin growth and inwards growing branches. Thin out areas where branches are crowded – good airflow and access to sunlight is essential to ripen fruit. Spray trees with copper compound after pruning and add a layer of mulch around the tree, but not touching the trunk.

For more gardening advice or information on the wide range of Daltons products visit www.daltons.co.nz

Saturday, May 15, 2021 | YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE

31

A question of rust

Sheryl O’Reilly is this month’s winner with the following question: What can I do to avoid/minimise “rust” on my garlic? Can I still eat garlic that has rust by peeling off affected foliage?

It is quite common to see rust (a fungal disease) on the foliage (leaves) of garlic plants. It is most prevalent in humid conditions where there is considerable rainfall or heavy night dews. Heavy clay soils that are poor draining will also increase the possibility of rust infections.

Always ensure your garlic is growing in an open, sunny position in soil that is free draining.

Fortunately, rust does not affect the culinary qualities of the garlic bulbs so is safe to eat.

Unfortunately, once the rust has appeared there is little that can be done to treat it, therefore prevention is the best strategy in overcoming this problem next season.

After the garlic has been harvested, destroy the infected foliage and remove from your property to reduce reinfection. Plant new, clean garlic bulbs into a part of the garden where garlic has not been grown before. Ensure this part of

the garden is weed free as rust may be present throughout the garden, infecting a number of common garden weeds.

The soil should be well drained with fresh compost added prior to planting.

FREE

Daltons Tree and Shrub Planting prize pack We have one Daltons Tree Planting and Shrub Planting packs to give away valued at over $80, containing 2x Garden Time™ Compost, 1 x Daltons Premium Planter Tabs, 1 x Garden Time™ Tree and Shrub Fertiliser and 1 x Daltons Organic Bioinoculant Granules, 1 x Daltons 60L Coir Mulch, PLUS a pair of comfortable, versatile Red Back gardening gloves from Omni Products www.omniproducts.co.nz.

Be in to win Email goodies@theguardian.co.nz with Daltons Tree and Shrub prize pack in the subject heading, or write to

Tree and Shrub

pack giveaway, Box 77, Ashburton.

•

•

•

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY:

You must provide a gardening question for the Daltons experts to answer.

Please include your address and phone number in email and letter options!

Giveaway entries must be received by 9am, May 28.

For more information on Daltons products visit daltons.co.nz

All questions supplied are entered into the draw to win a Daltons prize pack, but the Guardian reserves the right to choose which questions and answers will be published.

Daltons post the prize to our lucky winner.

www.

Protective sprays of a copper compound throughout the growing period will also help prevent rust appearing.

Remember, garlic is not the easiest of garden plants to cultivate so it is best to

experiment with different parts of the garden until you are successful.

You may find it helpful to read our free How to Grow Guides: www.daltons. co.nz/how-to-guides.

32

YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE | Saturday, May 15, 2021

Treasures we love Genuine Victorian Bookcase Chiffonire, adjustable shelving. $1350

Chaise Louge, mid 1800s, English Oak $925 Colonial four drawers with turned feet $495

Grandfather Armchair Tapestry $495

Watches We Love Spaces Available for the 2021 Ball Season

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Make an appointment today and you can have the DNA experience for your big night – why do it yourself when for just $30 you can join our environment of fun and pampering with the ‘Express Lane’ Offering curls or straightening.

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Large English Wash Bowl with floral decoration $55

Carved Ladies Walnut chair

HORNCASTLE ANTIQUES and fine furniture

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160 Burnett St, Ashburton 7700 dnahairdressing@xtra.co.nz 03 308 4504 www.dnahairdressing.co.nz

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