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ON THE SIDE

Festive meats are great and salads, sides and sauces make them even better. What would a roast of be without the pleasures of an awesome sauce? If you’re planning on serving some simple steamed greens then a couple of flavoured butters will add to their appeal. Bring butter to room temperature and using about 150 grams for each flavour add a dash of smoked paprika; or crushed garlic and a squeeze of lime; or mashed anchovies. Roll the butter into small logs then roll up in baking paper twistin...

SWEET ON CHRISTMAS

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. There’s a touch of tension in the air. Who is coming to the Christmas feast? Why won’t the family make up their minds? It’s often a bit awkward with families. Some live in different towns; there are the in-laws, siblings and cousins to consider. What are we going to eat? Why don't you all just bring a plate! However, I’m not one for being caught short and the following recipes can all be prepared in advance.  Pavlovas are great — ...

FESTIVE MAIN EVENTS

Christmas is a time of celebration and festive foods. And if dishes can be prepared ahead — well great! The more time spent with family and friends the better. Turkey is an excellent special occasion meat and it can always be prepared in the slow cooker — if you have one large enough. This allows you can use the oven for baking and roasting vegetables without any hassles.  Make a sling for the turkey from a length of folded foil. Place some veggies on the base of the cooker...

A MATTER OF TASTE

Christmas is a time for giving, sharing and caring. It is a time for catch up with friends and neighbours. Whether the fraternising happens before Christmas or during the holidays, a small gift is a great way of showing the friendship is appreciated. Interesting wrapping papers or containers add individual flair to your gifts. And there’s always a chance you can recycle by keeping any interesting jars left over from pasta sauces or jams to fill with your own tasty creations. Sturdy wine glasse...

YULE BE RIGHT

“Bring out the figgy pudding” rings the Christmas song. But what is it and how is it made?  Originating in England in the 1600s, this fruit pudding was the forerunner of the Christmas plum pudding — neither of which generally contained figs or plums. The pudding was a mixture of dried fruits steeped in brandy or sherry, with bread, spices and suet and which was either baked, boiled or steamed. Originally animal casing was used to wrap the pudding while it boiled in the laundry ‘...

Jan's Dukkah

1/2 cup each: flaked almonds, sesame seeds, pumpkin kernels 4 tablespoons each: cumin seeds, coriander seeds2 teaspoons each: rock salt, oregano, fennel seeds1 tablespoon each: ground turmeric, paprika Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the almonds and seeds (but not the fennel) in different areas of a large roasting pan and bake for about 5-10 minutes. If some items cook more quickly than others, remove them with a spoon. Cool, then place in a food processor or blender with the remaining ingredi...

TROPICAL TEMPTERS

I recently relaxed for a few days in Fiji and noticed a change in the culinary climate. I’ve always enjoyed the tropical fruit, kokodu (marinated fish) and the local curries, which are often a little milder than the true Indian versions. However, a raft of new chefs have introduced a more modern approach to many menus. At the adults-only Koro restaurant at the Hilton, locals and tourists alike are relishing the shared small plates multinational menu. You could be anywhere in the world but for ...

Mercury Bay Estate Vineyard

Mercury Bay Estate Vineyard, Winery & Cellar Door on eastern Coromandel Peninsula is a showcase for local and Hawke’s Bay grapes. Simon & Veronica Ward purchased a piece of an original vineyard choosing a Pinot Noir block purely as an ideal location to live.   However, they have developed their Cellar Door & Restaurant so locals and tourists can relax and enjoy the beauty of the area while tasting wines — together with platters of local food. The current range of wines include ...

LIGHTEN UP

With warmer weather approaching now is the time to say ‘no’ to deep-fried foods, muffins for morning tea and snacks before dinner. If you want to look your best at the beach then now is the time to start thinking ‘thinner’s a winner.’ Instead of nibbling on chippies it’s healthier to chomp on a carrot. It certainly curbs the appetite more efficiently and is much lower in kilojoules. A glass of water every so often will also add to that full feeling, as does a hearty helping of fresh ...

SPICES OF LIFE

‘Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves’ has a musical ring — it could have been an alternative name for the Spice Girls. But no, the combination is one of baking’s most popular flavourings — mixed spice. Depending on the manufacturer, the combo may also include ground ginger, cardamom, coriander seeds, caraway and cassia. Cinnamon is obtained from the bark of the cinnamon tree. It’s one of the oldest spices known and is the predominant scent used in incense. It’s equally po...

CAN DO

As gastronome Andre L Simon stated: ‘Canned foods at times are essential — although there are probably many people who believe anchovies have been born and bred in a can.’ The French wax lyrical about their favourite restaurants, the first asparagus or strawberries of the season or the best ‘boulangerie’. It is therefore perhaps curious that a Frenchman was the first to preserve food in cans, thus introducing convenience to cooking. Nicholas Appert, a confectioner, was the father o...

SUPER SIMMERS

Add a little variety and flavour to family meals with pickled or corned meats. The traditional method of cooking these treats is commonly known as boiling. However, the term is a misnomer. Boiling is spoiling — simmering or poaching is best as this prevents the meat from toughening.   Generally corned meats are placed in a saucepan of cold water to cover and slowly brought to a simmer. Placing the meat directly into boiling water causes the meat to shrink. Seasonings such as suga...

BOWLED OVER

It’s ironic that we’ve come full circle. We start our lives eating or being fed from a bowl. And after years of designer food served on flat plates, there are now sections on restaurant menus dedicated to ‘bowl food’. Even Lonely Planet has published a book on the subject — The World’s Best Bowl Food. It is believed that the trend started in New York where time-poor hungry workers wanted healthy salads they could devour easily with a fork. Power bowls and Buddha bowls h...

LEMON ZINGERS

Is this the year of the lemon? My tree is laden and so are the trees of all our neighbours. Gifts of our lemons are being refused — for the first time in my lemon-growing life. Mine are the Meyer variety which do not have the same tartness as the firmer Lisbon lemons. However, they do juice easily. Store these beauties in the fridge to keep them firm but return the lemons to room temperature before use so they juice more readily. Pop them briefly in the microwave or warm them in hot w...

KIWI CHEESES PLEASE

New Zealand cheeses are overwhelmingly tops. And the variety is such that you could savour a different delight almost every day of the year. Cheese is the perfect after school snack and the ideal nibble with drinks. Many of our cheeses have their origins in Europe. Gruyère originated in Switzerland. With its nutty, fruity flavour and smooth creamy consistency, gruyère is a great melting cheese and is used traditionally in fondues, sauces and hot dishes. Several Kiwi cheesemakers have take...

New Orleans comes to SOUL

It’s American Express restaurant month in Auckland and SOUL at the Viaduct brings some bohemian extravagance....

CLEVER COFFEE COMBOS

There’s nothing quite like a good cup of freshly brewed coffee to rev up your day. However, coffee has other uses. Not only does it add flavour to desserts and bakes, the liquid and the grounds make an excellent marinade for meat Coffee, like red wine, is acidic and acts as a tenderiser for meat. The grounds can be mixed with spices, garlic and sugar and rubbed over meat before grilling. The result is tenderness plus a spicy crust. Strong, sweet coffee is an excellent baste for roast lamb or i...

WICKED WINTER WARMERS

Puddings — as we know them — are distinctly English creations. There is a school of thought that the Roman sausage was a type of pudding, and the Portuguese have their pudimand the Spanish their pudin. However, it was a new style of oven which revolutionized English home cooking and established ‘pudding’ as their sweet national treasure. In 16thcentury England, many ordinary houses introduced small ovens built into their chimneys. The ovens were not very hot w...

MAKE MINE MEATLOAF

According to my American friend Susan, the newest dinner craze in California is one of the oldest standbys — the meatloaf. This summer she has been barbecuing meatloaves but says they’re popular sliced cold in sandwiches the next day so occasionally pops one in the oven to cook alongside baked potatoes. Meatloaves are versatile menu makers. With a little imagination, economical minced meats can be turned into attractive meals for family or friends. And they’re quick to prepare. They’...

SHELLFISH FOR COMPLIMENTS

Hundreds of oyster buffs at the recent Coromandel Oyster Festival enjoyed warm and rain-free weather between days of showers and gales. Held at The Mussel Kitchen just south of Coromandel township, organiser Anne Louden said it was a great example of how smaller communities support each other.  Sliders were my favourite of the day. Oysters were dipped in a tempura-like batter, deep-fried then skewered between split slider buns containing tangy slaw. Raw oysters were plentiful and served wit...

EAST-WEST EATS

Many of our dishes now embrace Asian flavours with gusto. Gone are the days when we thought ‘fusion food’. Kiwi cooks are creatively and instinctively combining foods and flavours from around the world. A popular new sauce appearing in many recipes is sriracha (see-rotch-aa), a hot Thai sauce prepared from a paste of chilli peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. It is named after a city on the east coast of Thailand — Si Racha — and it is frequently used as a dipping...

"I'm A Man in Love with Words"

In 2005, Anthony Bourdain, in New Zealand to promote his Les Halles Cookbook, chatted to Jan Bilton, editor of the Foodtown Magazine....

Curry In Favour

Due to the huge numbers of Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani restaurants in Britain (over 9000), the UK has adopted curry as a national dish. According to the National Curry Week website, about 23 million people eat curry regularly.  In Britain the word curry was first used to signify any leftover meat served in a western-style sauce flavoured with curry powder. The word is derived from the Tamil ‘kari’ or spiced sauce which was originally a thin, soup-like dressing for meat and vegetab...

EXOTIC INFLUENCE

In 1980 New Zealand kiwifruit hit New York for the first time. They cost one US dollar each and were celebrated hugely “in tart after tart, fruit salads, savoury salads and sauces lending an algal tinge to beurre blanc,” according to The New York Times. It was everywhere and even featured on the back of cake mix boxes. Kiwifruit became ‘cultish’. After three years the Times declared it passé. However, what our kiwifruit did do was open the eyes and awaken the palates of New Yo...

GREENS ARE GOLD

There’s a new leaf in the superfood stakes. Or is it so new? Kumara leaves are becoming popular not because of their novelty value but because recent research undertaken in the USA recognizes that the leaves have three times more vitamin B6, five times more vitamin C, and almost 10 times more riboflavin than the actual kumara. Nutritionally they are similar to Mr superfood spinach. However, they have less oxalic acid. Kumara leaves are available from specialist greengrocers, farmers’ markets...