Taupō foodie releases cookbook with Kiwi classic inspired dishes

Taupo foodie Olivia Moore will release her first cookbook in September.
A lifelong dream has become reality for Taupō foodie Olivia Moore, 21, as she publishes her first cookbook That Green Olive.
From helping to stir the family’s breakfast porridge and collecting recipes in a flip folder as a little girl, to hunting and fishing with her dad and posting her culinary creations on Instagram – food has been at the centre of Olivia’s life ever since she can remember.
“Food has always been my thing,” she said.
“I basically grew up in the kitchen. My mum would always get me and my sister involved, like with stirring the porridge and licking the bowl.”
Inspired by her mother’s orange syrup cakes, Olivia created her first recipe at the age of 8.
“I wanted to create my own version of [the orange syrup cakes], so I sat in my room with recipe books scattered out in front of me and I merged bits and compared ratios.
“I [also] collected recipes in a flip folder. I borrowed books from the library and typed out the recipes I liked.”
Nowadays, Olivia draws inspiration for her recipes from dishes on restaurant menus and ingredients in her pantry and fridge.
“The kitchen is my happy place. [Cooking and creating recipes] is a creative outlet for me.
“It’s quite therapeutic, I can just switch off and … I enjoy finding new flavour combinations.”
A passionate foodie, Olivia started sharing Instagram posts of her creations and food she was eating when dining out.
It didn’t take long until brands started reaching out to her for collaborations, allowing her to transition from home cook to a professional food photographer, recipe developer, and content creator.
In 2022, Olivia was working with Pic’s Peanut Butter who asked if she wanted to contribute to Pic’s Really Good Recipe Book.
“I emailed Penguin Books to supply my recipe and I thought ‘What’s the harm in asking if they were interested in a recipe book from me?’.”
Much to Olivia’s surprise, it turned out they were keen.
“Having my own cookbook has always been my dream. I just didn’t expect to achieve it so early on in my career – I’m only 21.”
Getting the okay was “unbelievable”, she said.
“I mean, I hoped they would say ‘yes’, but I didn’t really expect them to. I thought maybe they are going to tell me they would look at it further down the track.”
What followed, was eight months of creating recipes exclusive to her book and photographing the finished dishes.
Most of the recipes are inspired by Kiwi classics.
“I’m using a lot of ingredients, like venison and trout, that mean something to New Zealanders. A lot of [the recipes] are inspired by things I grew up eating – like Marmite and cheese scrolls.”
The book also includes recipes for venison tartare, candied trout and kūmara ginger kisses.
The book will be published under the name That Green Olive, the same name as her website.
“My nickname has been Olive – or olive oil – when I was little and initially I was cooking with lots of vegetables so that’s where the green came from.”
The book will be released on September 3, but pre-orders are available online via her website, Paper Plus and Whitcoulls.
Olivia will also hold a public book launch and signing at Paper Plus Taupō on Friday, September 6. There will be drinks and nibbles, including recipes from the book.
More information can be found on her website thatgreenolive.com.
Danielle Zollickhofer is a multimedia journalist and assistant news director at the Waikato Herald. She joined NZME in 2021 and is based in Hamilton.
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