Melanie Jenkins and Jo Wilcox’s Take Me to Spain was born out of a trip, a stage of life, and shared passions. Jenkins is a photographer, and Wilcox a food stylist and writer. The book is designed to celebrate friendship, bonds, great food and the easy-going sunny vibes of Spain.

The book has all the visual beauty you’d expect with bright, stylish food, and the interspersed images of Spanish architecture and lifestyle provide evocative atmosphere. Kete grabbed Jo and Melanie to answer some questions. Read on to hear about their journey.

Kia ora, Melanie and Jo! What a stunning book you’ve created. I’m almost tempted to call it a travel book rather than a cookbook—but that would be unfair. Still, the whole book is deliberately trying to evoke a specific mood?

Jo: Yes, it’s really about transporting you back or recreating that holiday feeling of enjoying great company and delicious food.

Mel: I agree with Jo about transporting you back to a place and time. I love to revisit the flavours and styles of what I have eaten on my travels as it brings back so many memories and promotes great conversations around the dinner table. The travel photography is as important to me as the food photography. I wanted to recreate the scenes, the textures, the lighting and the overall vibes from Barcelona and Ibiza in the food photography we created in my studio. To bring Ibiza and Barcelona back home with me.

In Jo’s story, she says she has tried to create ‘‘sunshine food’ – dishes that use peak-season ingredients and are simple yet flavourful’. How tricky was it to recreate Spanish dishes into ingredients that are peak-season and plentiful in Aotearoa’s summer?

Jo: The key for me is to create recipes that don’t only pack a flavourful punch but are also simple to prepare and use easily accessible ingredients. Luckily many Mediterranean style fruit & vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, melon & citrus all grow beautifully here too, so with a few extra Spanish inspired ingredients like smoked paprika, Jamon and Manchego you are all set…

Mel: I have noticed in NZ we seem to have enough of the ingredients available to create most of Jo’s dishes all year round, and with the base sauces she has created, you can easily add these to almost anything and really wow your family and guests.

Is it like asking for a favourite child to ask for both your favourite recipes in the book? 

Jo: Ooh that’s a tricky one– the Baked Chicken Thigh With Chorizo & Tomato is a go-to dinner that my family love,  but I also adore the simplicity of the goats cheese whip with pistachios, honey & pink peppercorns it’s a match made in heaven. What about you Mel…

Mel: I couldn’t possibly answer this question if it was about my children as they are both incredible kids, but as it is about food, and Jo knows I love all her recipes, a personal favourite for me is the churros. I loved photographing this one and I snuck my special Gaudi book into set. I simply couldn’t resist them. I kept asking Jo to make mistakes so I could eat the rejects. ‘Too long, too short, too twisted, not twisted enough, sorry I accidentally ate that one, can you make some more…’

Do you have plans for another trip and another book, perhaps a ‘Take Me to…’ series?

Jo: So glad you asked, we definitely have plans to add more to the series. Italy, Paris, Morocco & Bali are on the list!

Mel: We have 1 of these locations currently underway, and the others are still in the planning stages.

Thank you both for talking to us. Take Me to Spain (Beatnik Publishing) is available in bookstores now, and check out the indulgent churros recipe that Beatnik has kindly allowed Kete to publish—it’s decadent!

Mel: I am so pleased you have my favourite shot.