Lauraine Jacobs

Biography

Lauraine Jacobs, author of The Confident Cook and several other award-winning cookbooks and a former food editor of Cuisine magazine, currently writes The New Zealand Listener's weekly food column. Passionate about the food, wine and artisan producers of New Zealand, she divides her time between Auckland and Matakana, shopping daily for fresh, seasonal food.

There are few food writers more experienced or more expert than Lauraine. She trained at the London Cordon Bleu cookery school, and for almost 40 years since she has travelled widely, championed New Zealand food and wine producers, including as an ambassador for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, judged restaurant awards, been president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the New Zealand Guild of Food Writers, sat on the government advisory panel the Food and Beverage Taskforce, mentored many young food professionals, written several cookbooks, and eaten at some of the world's finest restaurants. Above all, she has never stopped loving cooking and exploring new ways to bring beautifully prepared meals to the table. She became a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009, for services to the food industry.

Her books are: New Taste New Zealand; The New Zealand Baker; Baker – the best of international baking from New Zealand and Australian professionals; Taste: Baking With Flavour (with Dean Brettschneider); The Confident Cook; Matakana; The Treasury of New Zealand Baking; The New Zealand Vegetable Cookbook;and Everlasting Feast.

Lauraine lives in Auckland and at Omaha with her husband, Murray Jacobs. Her very popular blog is www.laurainejacobs.co.nz/blog/