Foreign Minister Bishop launches cookbook

Julie Bishop - Australia's diminutive foreign minister known for her strict running regime - often believes the answer to every question is chocolate.

Launching her friend of 20 years Carolyn Hartz's sugar-free cookbook, Ms Bishop's admission drew appreciative laughter from the small crowd in the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne on Monday evening.

She covered foreign aid to the Pacific, domestic health policies and the importance of women in business all in five minutes, declaring: "Carolyn's book is a timely reminder of everything in moderation and, notwithstanding conventional wisdom, you can have your cake and eat it."