Cookbook author Simon Holst, 54, became a household name after publishing more than 40 family-friendly cookbooks with his mum Dame Alison Holst, as well as another nine of his own. The father of two is now a senior advisor for New Zealand Food Safety, but has very fond memories of creating recipes with his biggest mentor. The Weekly catches up with Simon over a takeaway coffee as he reveals what it was like working with his mum and how he’s coping with her failing health, due to dementia.
Simon, we met a woman the other day who says that after 11 years, your chicken risotto is still her family’s favourite meal. Do you get that a lot?
Wow, no – I’m flattered. What I’ve found is that you drop out of people’s minds quite quickly if you’re not trying to maintain a presence.
Why did you stop producing cookbooks?
I felt like it was time for a change. I’d been doing books for 20 years and there was quite a pile.
What was it like writing cookbooks with your mum?
This story is from the February 22, 2021 edition of New Zealand Woman's Weekly.
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This story is from the February 22, 2021 edition of New Zealand Woman's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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