Brother and sister's cookbook a recipe for mental wellbeing

A new book giving new meaning to the term ‘comfort food’ has just hit shelves across New Zealand.

Written by brother and sister, Paul and Jane Rangiwahia, it’s a cookbook and mental well-being book combined.

“We’re calling it a lifestyle book,” laughed Jane.

It features 45 mental health tips, matched with 45 recipes. Jane whipped up the food.

“People say, 'What do you do?', and I say, 'I do food. I love it'.” The wellbeing tips come from Paul, an artist and mental health advocate.

“Ten years ago I created a mental warrant of fitness, and it was just creating a guide for myself... it's 45 points that I can access through art,” said Paul.

“I was going through bankruptcy at that time, so I wanted to change my direction in life. And I was at that point where I had to look in the mirror and confront who I was, what I valued, and what was important to me.

"And I thought a good thing to help me would be a guide.”

The 45-pointers include things like: ‘Don’t judge or compare yourself’, ‘Trust your instincts’, and ‘Guard your reputation — you only have one'.

Paul put his human Warrant of Fitness onto canvas. And while the original artwork hangs in his New Plymouth home, it’s available to everyone in the city thanks to an oversized three-dimensional installation outside the city’s library.

“It’s just things like, ‘Stay alert for signs’, ‘Don’t dwell on the past’, and number 12 which is a favourite of many children... ‘Covering a poo in hundreds and thousands will only alter its appearance — it still stinks’.

"If you’re in a stink relationship, get out! It doesn’t matter what you sprinkle on it."

Paul is also the founder of Well I Am, which uses art to empower people to make positive changes to safeguard their mental health.

During lockdown, he and big sister Jane decided to combine their skills to create a book to get the mental health WoF message to more people.

And the dinner table was key.

“People bottle things up and food is a connector. Yes, it’s nourishment for the soul and we need for our bodies to function,” said Jane.

“But we need it socially as well,” agreed Paul.

“The book came out of — I hate saying it... the C-word — Covid times. But it was fantastic because it gave us a little bit of a project."

Paul said they wanted to create a book that was easy to follow. "You pick it up and there’s a cool recipe to follow and enjoy, [and] a wonderful piece of art or a lovely message to share with someone," he explained.

“And it went from there,” added Jane.

Kai and Kindness takes a dash of Warrant of Fitness-wisdom and matches each tip with a delicious recipe, to nourish the body and mind.

Jane was in charge of pairing up the 45 tips on the WoF checklist with suitable accompaniments.

“That one there, that one there... oh, no, I’ll change them around. It was fun. Some are the complete opposite but I did that on purpose,” she laughed.

Tip number 11 is 'Under-promise and over-deliver’.

"I've been guilty of getting excited about what could be and promising that. And what I've found is with a family, you can disappoint people by promising things that don't happen," explained Paul.

Jane’s matched it with what she calls a 'Snacky-doo platter' that features salmon pate, red wine jelly and goat cheese feta whip.

Tip number 26 is 'Go outside'. It’s paired with a cauliflower and mushroom risotto.

“Go outside literally, or outside your current thinking if it’s not serving you well,” explained Paul.

Number 14 says, ‘Anything accompanied by love is more powerful’.

“I’ve matched dill pickle burgers,” smiled Jane. And a family favourite – 'Darling's prosecco chicken' – is matched with tip number 33, ‘Say kind words’.

The book was launched in Taranaki, where the siblings grew up.

Paul proclaims, “We are Hawera-born, we grew up in the glory days of Hawera – it was an amazing time. I’m massively proud of that time of my life. Our marae is there, mum and dad are still there.”

“Older sister, four younger brothers — can you imagine?” Jane laughed.

“We grew up sitting around a big table – there were five kids, mum and dad, and there were always extras. I can’t remember many meals with just our family.”

It was important to them the book was first served up at home.

“It’s the spiritual home for the book, and it means a lot to me to have the support of Taranaki. The people have been amazing,” Jane acknowledged.

Jane has kept the recipes simple yet delicious.

“I never want to set people up to fail when cooking.”

And the advice is easily digested.

"Getting mentally fit is doable," insisted Paul.

"If you look at New Zealand, we’re a sickness service. If you get sick, you get serviced. But it’s getting harder and harder to get serviced — so that model doesn’t work.”

Jane said working with her little brother had been a joy.

“I'd do it again and again and again,” she said.

“We are so lucky. My brothers are my friends, they’re part of my social circle. A day doesn’t go by that I don't talk to one or four of them.”

Paul agreed. “To have that relationship is so important in a world where one of the biggest challenges is loneliness.”

“One thing we never are is lonely,” Jane laughed.