Photo by : Sharyn Smart
Jo Seagar is well known for her passion as a cook but many people do not know about her other passion – Hospice.
In the 2014 New Years Honours she was privileged to be named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the community, including 15 years helping Hospice New Zealand.
“I’m as passionate about Hospice as I’m about cooking. I’ve been the Ambassador for all the Hospices in New Zealand since 1999. My job is to raise funds and awareness by just getting the message of Hospice out there. It’s all about a philosophy of care and living each moment surrounded by your loved ones.”
The philosophy behind Hospice and the level of care they received meant a lot to Jo and her family when her father was fighting for his life.
“I started volunteering at Hospice in 1999 shortly after the death of my father. Thanks to Hospice he was able to die peacefully at home surrounded by family.”
Jo Seagar’s personality is full of flavour – just like her cooking. She is welcoming and friendly sprinkled with a super sense of humour.
“My whole philosophy is about getting people around the table. It’s about easy cooking and food being more than just fuel. I just think it’s about having a great time and there is nothing nicer in the English language than the words ‘I’ve made this for you’.”
Her book “A Bit of What You Fancy” was released giving her loyal followers an inside peek at some of the many tricks of the trade that she has mastered over her career so far.
“I have written this book to convey my passion for and pleasure in home baking, as well as explaining shortcuts, techniques and even tricky cheats that have taken me fifty odd years to master. I want this book to be your “go to” baking book, full of delicious recipes that you can count on working successfully.
Jo is passionate about creating whether it is a new book or a recipe.
“It’s a wonderful thing writing cookbooks. Everyone says to me you must be giving away all your recipes, have you got any more? The moment I send it to the printer I’m already working on the next thing.
“I feel very strongly that a recipe or a collection of recipes is like owning a load of kisses. I’ve said it before what is the point of having kisses when you really have to give them away to make them count.”
Jo delights in creating short and no fuss recipes that don’t require a small fortune or hard to find ingredients to carry out.
“I don’t understand that thing about complicated recipes. I don’t know what that is about. If it goes over the page, what’s that about? I can’t be bothered with that. I find that extraordinary. So my recipes, and hopefully I know you and you know me, that there is a kind of trust that is “Oh it’s Joe’s – they will work and they won’t have a whole lot of complicated things in them.”
Jo’s international cooking tours have led to many super adventures and of course experiences as the group savour the local cuisine enhanced with their wines.
“I think as my cooking evolves I’m quite influenced by the Italian theme. Twice a year I go and take trips to Italy. It’s just fabulous.
“I like short recipes. I just don’t get those big long lists of ingredients. The Italians are very much about getting everyone around the table. They have some tomatoes and some palenta and just whip up a feast. I love that frugal style and food from the land. It’s certainly influenced me with simple good recipes.
“I do have a lovely job and when you fill in the forms on the aeroplane – like what your job is – I do have fun writing Food travel writer. I think that’s the dream job. I’m living the dream.”
Recipe simplicity is important to Jo and this is reflected in her presentation of each dish. She puts a lot of emphasis on sharing the meal and her elegant and gorgeous serving up techniques are a major hit.
“Nowadays I don’t use the words ‘dinner party’ as I just think that is crazy. I say ‘I’m just trying a few new things and I would love for you to join us.’
“I think that kind of diffuses the situation and for me, I don’t believe that business about not trying new recipes on friends.
“I just think it’s great to try things on your friends, as hopefully you’ve had enough of a journey with me already that you can trust my recipes and try them on your friends with confidence knowing they work.”
Jo has never felt tempted to turn herself into a TV celebrity cook instead she has focused on “gorgeous and simple” recipes that all her readers can easily prepare no matter what their skill level.
“I have worked hard to be the Jo Seagar brand that is not driven by advertorials. That’s why you haven’t seen me on television. I refuse to do Chelsea, country goodness or be a judge on master chef, that’s just not me. I know that those programmes are terribly entertaining and well watched but I just want to do simple cooking.
“I cook for praise and I’m very happy to tell you that. I love the praise and I love everyone saying “Oh gosh that was beautiful you’re so clever.” I can’t be bothered with the whole idea of starting to cook Tuesday for Saturday night.
“I do love to entertain and I do love to keep it gorgeous and simple.”
Jo took some time to find her career path as a cook. She left school and trained as a nurse working in London for five years.
“I was chosen as the NZ nurse on the British Heart Research team. I had a fabulous time in London. I’m a bit of an expert on men’s health, so watch out guys when I put my rubber gloves on (she bursts into laughter).
“At the end of my time in London I went to culinary school and turned that passion into a profession. I was always very keen and interested in recipes. I ripped out old Australian Womans Weekly recipes out of books at the doctors. When you got there and the recipe was missing I had been already!”
“I’m a veracious reader especially of magazines and get lots of inspiration from cooking and talking to people. I like that frugal cooking and growing your own ingredients.
“If anybody is going through Nana’s old NZ cookbooks feel free to share. That’s what I love. I really love our food culture. I like the old shearing recipes of feeding a gang of blokes to enable them to do a hard day’s work.”
Nursing still plays an important role in Jo’s life as she is a member of the Oxford First Response Ambulance team.
“When the beeper goes it’s a race out the door with my husband Ross who is in the Fire Brigade.
“I tell young people that say they aren’t sure what they want to do, have a short term goal. For me nursing was the first stepping stone.”
Jo loves to entertain and presents her meals with style and simplicity.
“I’ve met a lot of the chefs but class myself as just a simple kiwi girl. I just love simple food. My family and I love to entertain, to share and break bread together and to do it stylishly but not with too much hard work and too many ingredients.”