Cooking and design have been central to Gretchen Lowe’s life since childhood. Growing up in Ōpōtiki, she spent countless hours in the kitchen alongside her grandmother Davina and aunty Heather – both talented bakers – soaking in the joy of baking and creativity.

Now based in Auckland, Lowe is sharing her passion with the release of her debut cookbook, My Weekend Table, Celebrating simple food from Aotearoa and beyond, published by Bateman Books and released last Friday.

The book, over a year-and-a-half in the making, is a true labour of love. Lowe not only wrote it, but also styled and photographed it herself.

The book had to fit in around her busy life with two young daughters.

“I wrote it when we were making those recipes,” she said. “I styled it a bit more than I usually would and photographed it, but it really had to fit in with our life. This book feels like it has been 20 years in the making and I am so proud to have it out there.”

Although this is her first cookbook, Lowe is no stranger to the food world. A food creative, stylist, and photographer, her work has featured in magazines, on TV and radio, and in collaborations with major brands including Fonterra, Pic’s Peanut Butter, Fisher & Paykel, and Annabel Langbein Media, among others.

“A few years ago, I also helped rewrite some of the Edmunds Cookbook. It was a real privilege to revise and rework some of those classic recipes,” she says.

You can hear Lowe speak on Radio NZ’s Jesse Mulligan show, where she contributes to food segments.

Packed with recipes, My Weekend Table is generous in spirit and substance.

“A lot of these recipes, I’ve been writing for years. I wanted to create a cookbook with food I was craving myself. The recipes are special and elevated, but still simple and not complicated.”

The book is themed around weekend moments, with chapters like Friday-Night Bites, Saturday Brunch, Feasts to Feed a Crowd, Date Night & Extra Special Meals, and more.

“There’s a section called Fussy Kids, another called Gather & Graze for when you have people over and want to have shared plates, a big vegetarian section, and a huge baking chapter.”

Many recipes reflect a blend of modern flavours with nostalgic comfort.

“I have one recipe called Mrs Holyoake’s golden syrup chocolate sponge, which we made for every birthday growing up, and it is just a beautiful recipe mum has got from some old cookbook.

“And then my grandmother on my mum’s side has this beautiful Dippy Date Cake, with a toffee butter cream, and I have rewritten that and made it a bit bigger.”

Adaptability is key throughout the book: “Everything needs to be adaptable now,” said Lowe.

“A lot of recipes can be adjusted to be lighter, or tailored with ingredients already in the fridge.”

Some recipes offer gluten- and dairy-free options, too.

She’s also mindful of food waste, including practical recipes like Clear-Out-the-Fridge Frittata and Clear-the-Fridge Dumplings.

Her husband Blair, a keen cook himself, contributes with favourites like Caramelised Onion and Cheddar Burgers. The book also includes a batch-cooking section for Sundays, designed to make weekday meals easier.

Dessert lovers will find plenty to enjoy in the Sinful Baking, Wholesome Treats & Desserts chapter – think showstopping cakes, classic loaves, and indulgent bites like a raw peanut slab with coconut cream ganache, and a dark chocolate Caribbean rum and raisin torte.

“There’s something for everyone in there – cocktails, mocktails, and even beautiful coffee recipes,” Lowe says.

At its heart, the book is a deeply personal project.

“It’s a legacy for my girls, so they have all the recipes I grew up with,” she said. “And I kept getting people asking for my recipes – so it felt like the right time.”

Her food journey began early, inspired by the wedding cakes she helped her grandmother Davina create.

“I loved the icing and the artistic side of creating,” she recalls. “I did all the baking in the house from about age seven.

“I went to Ōpōtiki College and throughout school I would cater for all my friends’ parties, mum and dad’s dinner parties.

“My childhood was all about baking, and I’m so proud of where I come from – the Bay of Plenty is such a big part of my life.”

After finishing high school, she completed a three-year diploma in Hotel and Catering General Management, covering subjects like wine, business, and hospitality. At just 19, she became head of events at Auckland’s Millennium Hotel, all while continuing to cater and cook on the side. Lowe’s culinary influences also come from her travels, including time spent living in Europe and two years in the Caribbean.

Though her book is freshly released, she’s already onto her next adventure: a cooking school in Spain. “It’s going to be super fun.”

My Weekend Table is available at Paper Plus and through Lowe’s website, gretchenlowe.co.nz, where you can also find signed copies.

Kūmara gnocchi with burnt sage butter & pecorino

500g kūmara
1 cup good ricotta
½ cup grated pecorino or Parmesan,
plus extra for serving
1½ tsp salt
1¼ cups plain flour, plus extra for
dusting
olive oil
knob of butter, plus 150g
20 sage leaves
lemon zest, to serve
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION:
Swap the flour for gluten-free
flour.
SERVES 4

We often cook this meal with music and a dry Riesling on ice. The process is relaxed, the flavours rich, and the evening is perfectly set for making memories. You can even make the gnocchi dough in advance, so your evening’s cooking consists solely of finishing the dish and browning the aromatic sage butter.

Preheat the oven to 190°c fan bake. Line a tray with baking paper.
Place the kūmara on the lined tray and prick with a fork a few times.
Bake for an hour or so, turning once.

Once cooked and cool enough to handle, carefully scoop out flesh into a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork. Mix through ricotta, pecorino, salt and flour, then transfer the dough onto a cutting board and knead for one minute.
Add more flour if needed. You should have a compact yet soft and slightly moist dough. Be careful not to over-knead.

Quarter the dough, then roll each piece into a sausage about 30cm long and cut into even, bite-sized chunks. Lightly press using the back of a fork, then set aside on baking paper. You can do this a day ahead and store the gnocchi in the fridge.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.

Working in batches, drop the gnocchi in and cook for 2–4 minutes until they rise to the surface, then scoop out using a slotted spoon. Set up a plate lined with a paper towel. Add the oil and knob of butter to a large frying pan.

Fry the gnocchi for 4–6 minutes, turning often until golden and crisp on the outside. Remove gnocchi from the pan, and transfer to your paper towel-lined plate. To make the brown butter, melt the 150g butter in a frying pan over
a medium heat and cook, swirling