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CHEESE CHAMPS

‘Try a new New Zealand cheese’ is the catchcry for October – NZ Cheese Month. This annual event helps support local cheesemakers and introduces new taste temptations to Kiwis. Many of our fabulous cheeses have been created by immigrants from Europe. For example, the Rosevear family from Holland have been cheesemaking in Northland for 35 years. They’ve won a multitude of awards and this year their Mahoe Very Old Edam won a supreme award in the NZ Champions of Cheese competition. The chees...

RECYCLED REWARDS

Another unexpected hunkering down at home has seen a complete cleanout of my pantry. I discovered large bags of sumac and ground turmeric left over from a photography shoot 18 months ago and just past their best-by dates. Their flavour intensity was a little diminished but they were still usable. I had two days of turmeric lattes (heat a half teaspoon of ground turmeric, a quarter teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and ginger and a dash of vanilla essence in a cup of milk), then married the remain...

BIG ON BRASSICAS

Do you remember your mum saying ‘Eat your greens’? Followed immediately by those discouraging words ‘They’re good for you.’ Nothing about how delicious they were, nothing about the preparation (ie ‘I’ve stir-fried them in orange juice’), and certainly no interesting background facts.  Did you know that silver beet has a noble past? It’s one of the vegetables recorded as growing in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; it appeared in the writings of Aristotle; and it was pro...

KITCHEN CAPERS

In many ways, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between school holidays and lockdown. But to keep spirits up during the hols, encourage the kids to enjoy some simple fun playing chef in the kitchen. The following recipes don't require much cooking so they are suitable for kids of all ages. It’s throw together food. However, give a little guidance, if required.  • First, make sure hands are washed in hot soapy water and dried thoroughly.  • Read the recipe first and place...

SOLD ON CITRUS

This is the season of citrus at its zingy best. Oranges, lemons, mandarins and grapefruit are versatile, tasty, and low in kilojoules. New Zealand-grown navel oranges are a one of my faves: luscious, juicy and moreish. Segments add pizzazz to winter salads. Combine them in a bowl with crunchy greens, super grains or winter fruit combos for eye-catching colour and fabulous flavour. The juice makes a wonderful low-cal dressing.   If you’re gin drinker or if you enjoy lemon-flavoured wa...

PANCAKES AND PIKELETS PLEASE

The accidental creator of the famous pancakes, Crêpes Suzette, was a 14-year-old boy, Henri Charpentier. He was cooking a crêpe sauce for a special restaurant customer, Albert, Prince of Wales. The sauce — a combination of citrus, sugar, butter and various liqueurs accidently caught on fire. Henri thought his sauce was ruined but when tasted, it was delectable! He plunged the crêpes into the sauce and served them — much to Albert's delight. The creation was named after a little gi...

COUCH POTATO PICKS

I love a feel-good story and the winner of the 2021 Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover challenge certainly has one.  Steve MacDougall of Blenheim lost his job at a local restaurant when Covid hit. He became a stay-at-home dad to three-year-old John and nine-year-old Komal. During this time he developed an online keto bread business to make ends meet. It became very popular and continues to evolve. Once lockdown ended chef positions were as scarce as hen’s teeth. Eventually he was appointe...

FRYING PAN FAVES

For my husband and I, frying pan meals have come into their own over the last two months. We have been waiting to shift into a new house. After initially staying with kind friends, we rented a tiny apartment with extremely limited cooking facilities. But it did have an excellent frying pan. And I just love whipping up one-pan meals. They’re so easy. This pan had a very heavy base so it distributed the heat evenly. It was non-stick which meant I didn’t have to use oil in much of my cooking. T...

TIME FOR TEA

The Chinese accepted the medicinal values of tea as early as the fourth century BC. Wild tea leaves were gathered from trees and bushes and combined with water to produce a tonic. During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 AD) it was found that covering the leaves and steeping them in hot water produced a more flavoursome brew. Thus, the first teapot was developed. Farmers began cultivating small tea bushes to keep up with the demand and a system of drying and processing gradually developed. In the thir...

HEALTHY HANDFULS

‘Tiny but mighty, nuts and seeds deliver protein, fibre and a nutrient punch with every bite’ Havard Health. Nuts are actually the seeds of plants with most coming from trees. However, peanuts are the seeds of a legume. Sesame seeds have been cultivated for well over 5000 years. The tiny, oil-rich seeds grow in pods on the ‘Sesamum indicum’ plant. Sesame seeds may protect against heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. However, you need to eat significant amounts — a handful per day...

BAKES BEATS BLUES

The winter weather maybe frightful but your home-made bakes will be delightful! Baking requires attention to detail. Pans need to be prepared in advance and measurements must be exact. To get the best cake, creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy will help enormously. However, in this day of ‘busy, busy, busy,’ the food processor has a place. It can be used for nearly every meal occasion as well as preparing batters for waffles and pikelets and a processor speeds up the preparat...

CHEAP AND CHEERFUL

Budget meals don’t have to be boring. Try different combos of herbs, spices or sauces to add interest to your dishes. They’re relatively economical and once your pantry is well stocked, your creations are only limited by your imagination.  Meals with rice, pasta and noodles can be great budget beaters. And there always seems to be a new variety to try.  Ramen noodles are named after the popular Japanese soup they are used in. They are an adaption of the Chinese wheat noodle and onl...

FRUITFUL SEASON

Persuading kids – and even ‘big kids’ — to eat their veg is often a challenge. I tempt my family with broccoli trees and a dip of mayo and tomato sauce; or fresh Vietnamese-style spring roll wraps with finely shredded cabbage, julienned carrot and capsicum; or julienned assorted greens in fritters. It easier to persuade your family to enjoy fresh produce in the winter because seasonal fruits can add pizazz to greens. Tamarillos stir-fried with mushrooms and broccoli; tender spinach l...

COOKING USA

The Fourth of July is party time in the United States when families gather together to celebrate the Declaration of Independence from Britain in 1776. I’ve experienced a couple of Independence Day parties in the USA and on both occasions was amazed by the quantity and quality of the food offered. Everyone brought a plate of food large enough to feed twice the number of guests. Buffalo wings (or just ‘wings’ as they’re called for short) were popular. Unbreaded chicken wing sections are ge...

SPICE OF LIFE

Love is like a spice. It can sweeten your life — however, it can spoil it too. Confucius. Using spices in cooking is a balancing act. Too little can be too vague, too much can dominate.Chinese Five-spice is a pungent combination of ground cinnamon, star anise, fennel seeds, cloves and Szechwan peppercorns. It enhances pork, beef, poultry and seafood and should be used in moderation. Add just a little at the beginning of cooking as it can always be spiced up at the end or just sprinkled ove...

FOUR DAY’S FARE

Monday to Thursday you need dinner fast. These meals have to be tasty, easy to cook and family friendly.  The term ‘munchie’ originally referred to snacks that were devoured before dinner to relieve hunger pangs. In recent years it has become a term for yummy food that can be eaten easily, usually held in the fingers. The Monday Munchie became family slang for burgers that were more often than not served on Monday.   Which got me thinking about Taco Tuesdays. The name taco ori...

GLUTEN-FREE TREATS

“Removing gluten from one’s diet isn’t a choice but a necessary way of life for up to 70,000 Kiwis living with coeliac disease,” says Coeliac NZ General manager Wendy Bremmer. Even a tiny portion of gluten has serious consequences for coeliac sufferers and that’s why families living with this disease need two toasters — one for common bread and one for gluten-free — to avoid mistakes. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats and causes inflammation and gut d...

PORK APPEALS

Pork provides more bang for your buck than many other meats. It’s a firm favourite on the summer barbie and a top choice for warming winter winners.   The key to producing tender, juicy pork is to avoid over-cooking. Pork schnitzels take about 1-2 minutes each side to cook depending on the thickness. Sliced in a stir-fry, schnitzels take 2-3 minutes to cook.  And the New Zealand Pork Board has been advocating new rules for cooking chops and steaks. It’s the ‘6+2+2’ method....

KIMCHI

Add julienned carrot if preferred or combine a mix of red and green cabbage. 1/2 large Savoy cabbage4 tablespoons salt1 tablespoon sugar4 cloves garlic, crushed2 tablespoons each: finely grated root ginger, fish sauce, gochujang (Korean chilli paste)4 each: spring onions, round radishes, thinly sliced Remove any thick core from the cabbage. Chop the leaves into 3cm pieces and place in a large ceramic bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and mix it in with your hands. Stand for 1 hour...

Kim Chi Lamburgers

Burgers: 500g lean minced lamb3/4 cup kim chi1 small egg, beatenfreshly ground black pepper to taste1-2 tablespoons olive oilExtras: 4 small buns4-6 tablespoons mayonnaise2 cups finely shredded lettuce1/4 cup mint leaves (sliced if large)4 slices tomato or cooked beetroot1/2 cup mint jelly, melted Place the lamb in a large bowl. Drain the kim chi well and finely chop. Squeeze out any excess moisture. Add to the lamb with the egg and mix well. Form into 4 patties the same diameter as the buns. Se...

VIVA ITALIA

For me, many of Italy’s dishes are feel-good comfort food. And countless dishes have been embraced by other cultures and countries and become firm favourites. Indeed, the bible of the French kitchen Larousse Gastronomique, makes the concession that ‘Italian cooking can be considered for all countries of Latin Europe, as a veritable mother cuisine.’ Lasagne (or lasagna) is an all-time favourite in Italy. It is thought to have originated in the city of Naples during the Middle Ages. However,...

AUTUMN APPEALS

This is the season of mellow fruitfulness and apples and pears are available in juicy abundance. Both marry beautifully with other more robustly flavoured fruits such as raspberries, feijoas and tamarillos. There are many varieties of apples — the ‘king of fruits’. Supermarkets, however, tend to carry only a select few — ones with the best shelf life. Most apples are at their peak in autumn but innovative chilling facilities have extended their season without loss of quality. The...

MAKE MUM’S DAY

Mother’s Day beckons and all I want is a happy family gathering — someone to make me laugh and to cook a meal and clean up afterwards. Many of my friends share my simple wishes. I wonder whether my hopes will be realised? The origin of Mother's Day can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. However, the celebrations as we know them are only about 100 years old. Mother’s Day is celebrated in over 40 countries (although on different dates) and is a popular event. Besides New Ze...

HIGH-FIVE FAVES

You don’t need a supermarket in your pantry to create and enjoy delicious meals. And when you’re running from work to make the school pick-up followed by the shuttle service to dance classes or sports practice, when you get home easy meals are a must. Five-ingredient meals using clever combinations plus a few basics from your pantry can be quickly and attractively prepared. The flavourful dinners that follow prove that you don't need much to make a great meal. I kick off today’s recipes wi...

SQUASH CHAMPIONS

My love affair with pumpkin started many years ago when I dined at the Chateau in Tongariro National Park. The chef served pumpkin soup with orange. He had cooked the pumpkin in a concentrated mix of water, orange juice and finely grated orange rind. I can still remember the unique taste. The grey-skinned, crown-shaped pumpkin is a member of the squash family which also includes the rich green round buttercup, the curious spaghetti squash, the elongated cream-skinned butternut and the vivid oran...