Cook the Books

Host Carly Flynn picks the brains of chefs, culinary stars, and food writers in this New Zealand-based series that focuses on two participants per episode, who converse with Flynn and test out a recipe from their featured books. One episode visits chef Al Brown, who prepares both kingfish sashimi and a crayfish corn dog hybrid from his book Depot, as well as Cala Goodwin, who makes confetti-bright rocky road candy from her cookbook Bluebells Cakery, named after her Auckland café. In another episode, Chef Martin Bosley offers up lamb shanks with rosemary aioli and sticky pork ribs, and Lauraine Jacobs—former editor of Cuisine magazine—shows off her “signature” duck breast salad. Also included in the eight-episode series are nibbles with MasterChef New Zealand-winner Nadia Lim, who makes a “nude” beef lasagna and a mandarin syrup cake from her The Good Food Cookbook (featuring recipes “not dressed up in fancy packages and additives”). Flynn is an interested and amiable presenter, smartly interviewing the foodies and helping out in the kitchen, and while many of the names here may be unknown to Western viewers, the series is sure to have appeal for connoisseurs of global cuisine and those epicures wanting to test out new ideas. Recommended. Aud: P. (J. Williams-Wood)