Gerhard said they had been two years ago where they met an array of people from all over the world. These included like-minded cookbook publishers and publishing houses.
Last year about 208 nations took part in the awards, he said.
He said what he enjoyed about putting the books together was meeting the people along the way. "You meet fantastic people and that makes it very special."
The book looks at the stories behind the food New Zealand grows, harvests and produces, showcasing the people who make it happen.
"It's different, it's not a cookbook per se ... no chef can provide great food without great produce. We wanted to bring those people forward and showcase their history."
Henri said they wanted the book to be personal and easy to read, one which people could pick up and read snippets from.
"We wanted it to reflect New Zealand and our culture."
She said they did absolutely everything on the book, other than the printing and proof reading. "It's very personal."
This is the third book to be written and published by Gerhard and Henri.
Volcanic Kitchens, come and join us, published in 2012, was an award winner at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for Best Photography Cookbook in New Zealand and runner-up for the Australasia/Pacific section for fundraising.
A Cut Above, cooking with AngusPure, published in 2014, was an award winner at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for Best Meat Cookbook and silver medal winner at the Independent Publisher Book Awards of America.
