In today's Bite: Cooking for mum

Puy lentils and quinoa salad. Photo / Bite magazine

Find all your favourite bits from today's Bite magazine online. Follow the hyperlinks in Jo Elwin's editor's letter and lose yourself in bite.co.nz.

My advance copy of Peter Gordon's new book Savour: Salads For All Seasons has already found a home on the small shelf in the kitchen where my "cook from it often" books reside. This is opposed to the wall of books in the study that are only used occasionally or that I refer to when I am looking for something specific.

Salads from Peter Gordon's new book: Spiced, roast cauliflower salad and a venison & coconut-curried pumpkin salad. Photos / Bite magazine

Savour is a salad recipe book and I just can't get enough of it because (yes, I have said it here before) I could eat salad a couple of times a day, every day and am spoilt for choice in this masterpiece. Peter has chosen three recipes to share that are suitable to this time of year in New Zealand: A spiced, roast cauliflower and garlic with tahini yoghurt dressing, a puy lentil, quinoa, pomegranate, roast grapes and tomatoes with chilli, mint and basil and venison, coconut-curried pumpkin and mustard cabbage.

Trust me this is the tip of the iceberg, if you love your mum, buy this book for Sunday. If you are a mum, place an order!

If you are cooking for mum try polenta with mushrooms and thyme for a rustic lunch or vegetarian dinner. Or go all out with slow-cooked duck with Vietnamese flavours.

Polenta with mushrooms and thyme. Photo / Bite magazine

Vietnamese slow-cooked duck, baked pear and ginger cheesecake and a delicious chocolate passionfruit spread. Photos / Bite magazine

For dessert a baked pear and ginger cheesecake or make her a buttery, wholesome, and not too sweet apple cake with currants, hazelnuts and lemon icing for morning or afternoon tea. For any time of the day whenever Mum decides she wants some (after dinner with cheese please) there is honey and walnut bread. Kylee Newton, our modern preserver is making jars of chocolate passionfruit spread that will keep things sweet.

For dessert try apple cake with lemon icing or if mum likes savoury try making this honey and walnut bread. Right: Tonight's dinner of roast sausages with apple and kumara. Photos / Bite magazine

But first up, it's roast sausages with apple and kumara for dinner tonight.

From the wellbeing team:

• Mikki Williden on the magic of mushrooms
• Louise Thompson on the pursuit of happiness

- bite.co.nz