Pav Deconstructed: Pavlova Through the Eyes of Everyday Kiwis

by Kathy Derrick (Editor), Jac Jenkins (Editor), Claire Gordon (Editor)

Pav Deconstructed: Pavlova through the eyes of everyday Kiwis is a luscious, hard-cover, coffee-table-style book loaded with sumptuous stories, mouth-watering poems, and ambrosial art. With more than 150 contributors including Dick Frizzell and Fifi Colston along with many new voices, Pav Deconstructed shows pavlova is not just a dessert, it is community.

252 pages, Hardcover

Published December 3, 2023

Reviews

[Alison Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pav, that classic NZ dessert (or is it Australian?) -- whatever, it's the subject of so many family memories, whether it be topped with kiwifruit, passionfruit, raspberries, strawberries, or berries. This book stirs a lot of pavlova memories -- successes and failures, happy and sad stories, tall tales and true. There's pav poetry, pav recipes, pav paintings and even a knitted one. The book is 230 pages and beautifully presented, which is only right for a pavlova.

[Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Pav Deconstructed. It is a well produced, comprehensive and amusing account of that
Kiwi icon, the pavlova. It is beautifully illustrated, and is a literary showcase for New Zealand artists and writers to explore all there is to know about pavlovas. Congratulations Kathy Derrick, you've put together a quality book that will find a ready place on the coffee tables of New Zealand and around the world.

[Lee Clift]

This is a gorgeous large format book. If you have ever eaten a pavlova, made a pavlova, or are simply fascinated by this iconic Aotearoa New Zealand dessert, I recommend this book. It's not a recipe book. It is full of stories, art, photography, poetry, snippets of history, and much more. From pavlovas in outer space and family kitchens to quotes and cocktails, it really does have something for everyone. I love dipping into it when I need something to lift my spirits.