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CRISP AND DELICIOUS

I had resisted buying an air fryer even though several friends were swearing these cookers were the best thing since sliced bread. I gave in because I was asked to write an opinion piece. And I fell in love! However, I cook mostly for two people. When the family rocks in, the kids like to cook their own oil-free chips — great for after sport. Cooking for a family of six would be imprudent as meals would need to be cooked in batches. It would be better to use conventional cooking.But potat...

Question: WHO WAS MARLBOROUGH’S FIRST WINEMAKER?

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A+ FOR AVOCADOS

According to my son, there’s not a meal in the house if there isn’t an avocado in the fruit bowl. And he was delighted to discover a new variety, the AvoGrey®, twice the size of a Hass. Gisborne’s David and Judy Grey have been developing their Greenskin avocado for several years and this season they have enough to supply our local market. This avo has a long shelf life, is easy to peel, has a firm flesh and doesn’t discolour in a way other varieties do. Store these avocados at...

FAB FEIJOA CAKE

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RED HOT RED CENTRE

Michael G. Ryan explores Australia's mystical heart....

TEMPTING TOMATO TREATS

Small, yellow — and supposedly an aphrodisiac — the first tomato was native to the Peruvian Andes. Over the years it has had many name changes, transformations and descriptions. Few vegetables have had such culinary impact as the tomato. Botanically it is a fruit but it is enjoyed as a vegetable. There is some debate about the nutritional content of tomatoes. Is it better to eat them raw or cooked? Water-soluble vitamins such as C and B which include folate, leach out of vegetables w...

YULE BE SWEET

“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.” Miles Kington, British journalist. Fabulous, flavoursome, healthy, versatile — summer stone fruits and berries take centre stage just in time for festive feasting.  Traditionally enjoyed piled on pavs or cheesecakes or served as combos in an attractive glass bowl, summer fruits can also enhance ice creams, smoothies and sauces. Enjoy: puréed strawberries drizzled over raspberries; or blueberrie...

GOOD ON SAM!

Award-winning, Marlborough chef Sam Webb, has launched a new venture at Wairau River Wines. Almost a year on from the temporary closure of the Rose family’s iconic Wairau River Cellar Door and Restaurant on Rapaura Road, Sam has created ‘Number 11 at Wairau River’, to showcase his tasty talents. www.wairauriverwines.com/Sam and his team deliver flavours and textures the 'Wairau way' and since opening on November 7, the lunchtime venue has been packed. ...

FUN FOOD

Offer me a selection of interesting finger foods at five o'clock and I'm in heaven. At this time of the year, these delicious little morsels sometimes replace my traditional dinner.  Tapas — the fashionable small plates of delicacies — were first created to suit the Spanish lifestyle. The trend towards enjoying nibbles while sipping a drink with friends after work is civilised socialising. Tapas are intended to whet the appetite not gratify it fully. However, the idea of serving...

JINGE BELL BAKES

It's time to fire up your festive baking skills. A rich fruit cake will keep for years and like wine, it often improves with age. Prepare traditional cakes at least one month before cutting. During this time, the flavours mellow and the texture improves making the cake easier to cut.This year I experimented with two new (to me) cake pans. A friend made me a wooden cake box with sides but no base. You sit it on top of sheets of newspaper and baking paper, fill it with the cake mixture then cook i...

LAID BACK LUNCHES

Last weekend I enjoyed a relaxed lunch on a friend’s patio. The sun gods were obliging, the slight breeze was balmy and I realised that summer was just around the corner. Hurray! Laid back lunches are great for catching up with friends and family. They don’t need to be exotic — just good food served simply. My friend dished up a crisp and colourful salad topped with an award-winning, Kiwi-produced burrata — mozzarella-like on the outside but gloriously gooey on the inside. The ro...

KIDS’ KITCHEN

1 slice wholemeal breadbutter or table spread2 cheese slices2 thin slices luncheon sausage or salami2 capers1 black olivesprig dill or fennel Place the bread on a plate. Lightly spread with butter or table spread. Top with 1 cheese slice. Using a small biscuit cutter or top of a jar, cut 2 rounds from the luncheon sausage to make a head and body. Place on the cheese. Use the trimming to make ears, arms and feet. Cut ovals of cheese to make a nose and the base of the feet. Place the capers above ...

BURGER BONANZA

Despite its name, the first hamburger as we know it today, did not originate in Hamburg. In the early 19th century Hamburg butchers did, however, chop steak very finely, combine it with onions and seasonings and form it into ‘steaks’ or patties. As there was no refrigeration these steaks required almost immediate cooking.When later in the century German immigrants arrived in America, many opened restaurants. A version of the Hamburg steak appeared on menus — as the most expensive item.But ...

THE HUNTER’S GOOD LIFE

An easy two-hour drive north of Sydney, the Hunter Valley is Australia’s oldest wine-producing region, but it is certainly no museum piece. The Hunter is a dynamic wine, food and cultural destination with over 100 wineries, 50 restaurants, numerous art and craft galleries and outdoor concerts in summer.There are so many opportunities for wining and dining in the 29,000 square kilometres of the Valley that it requires a week or more to explore. Most wineries are situated south of the Hunter Riv...

Gone To Pot

Although we tend to think of slow cookers as a relatively new ‘best friend’ to the home chef, the first one appeared in 1940 introduced by an American, Irving Naxon. He was inspired by his mother’s stories of preparing a Jewish bean-based stew in her home country of Lithuania. She would start the cooking on the Friday, and at the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath that night — a time of rest — the ovens would be turned off and the residual heat would continue to cook the beans for hours u...

CURRIED VEG VIM

I remember the day I discovered one of the secrets of a successful French chef in Melbourne. Standing next to him as he cooked, I noticed a tiny pinch of curry powder being added to a sauce. (Very non Cordon Bleu!) The taste wasn’t obvious in the sauce at all — it just made it intriguing. I’m sure he wouldn’t admit to his fellow countrymen that he used curry powder. Powder was the only type of curry in my mother’s pantry. Today we are spoilt for choice. There are Thai green and red...

CANNED DELIGHTS

Health professionals encourage us to eat more fruit and using canned varieties is an economical way to bump up your daily intake. However, where possible, choose canned fruits in juice rather than syrup to prevent adding excess sugar to your diet.  The advantages of using canned fruit in meals include: they’re a time-savers as they are already prepared; any fruit leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container without loss of nutrients; they are sometimes cheaper than seasonal fres...

Gluten-free Japanese Cheesecake

I decorated the cheesecake with some whipped cream and freeze-dried strawberries.3 eggs, separated150g plain cream cheese50g butter1/4 cup milk70g gluten-free self-raising flour1 teaspoon vanilla essencefinely grated rind 1 lemon1 tablespoon lemon juice1/4 cup sugarPreheat the oven to 125°C. Lightly grease an 18-20cm round cake pan. Line the base with baking paper. If using a springform pan, wrap the outside base and sides with foil as the cheesecake is baked in a bain marie.Place the egg yolks...

MOCHA & HONEY ROASTED PEANUT PAVS

The peanuts add a salty sweetness. Special occasion treats.3 egg whites1 1/4 cups caster sugar2 teaspoons cornflour1 teaspoon each: white vinegar, vanilla essence4 tablespoons boiling water50g dark chocolate, meltedToffee Shards: 1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup boiling waterTopping: 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules1 tablespoon boiling water 1 cup cream1 tablespoon icing sugar1/2-3/4 cup honey roasted (salted) peanutsPreheat the oven to 190°C. Line one or two oven trays with baking paper. Lightly mark s...

LARGELY LENTILS

Lentils are a nutritious versatile food. A key ingredient in soups, salads, sides, casseroles and savoury bakes, they’re ridiculously cheap and can be stored in airtight containers for months. Lentils are high in protein and fibre and low in fat making them a healthy substitute for meat. They're also packed with folate, iron, phosphorus and potassium. However, the protein in lentils is incomplete. For proper nutritional balance other protein foods such as grains, nuts, seeds, eggs or dairy pro...

Sideways New Zealand by Rex Pickett

Have you viewed the film Sideways (adapted from Rex Pickett’s book of the same name) where the lead character Miles Raymond introduces his about-to-be-married actor friend Jack Manse to Pinot Noir during a trip to northern California wine country? There are high jinks galore, Jack not being the most faithful fiancé. The popularity of the film launched Pinot Noir into orbit around the world. Winemakers in the region call it the Sideways effect. I love the movie. A huge laugh with a dash of poi...

POSITIVELY PRUNES

The other day I noticed that America’s Sunsweet Prunes is running a promotional campaign on social media and it brought back memories of my early career.A few years ago, when I was finishing my marketing degree, I was shoulder-tapped by the management of Sunsweet Prunes to help improve their NZ sales. To me, prunes were an old-fashioned breakfast food that my grandmother enjoyed.However, prunes are much more. They are nuggets of nutritional goodness: rich in soluble and insoluble fibre, a good...

AUTUMN APPEALS

Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits.Samuel Butler, English author. So let’s enjoy these seasonal treats: apples, nashi and eggplants plus pumpkin. Eggplant — commonly thought of as a vegetable — is actually a fruit, or more specifically, a berry. Also known as aubergine it is popular around the world. It originated in India but was introduced to Europe over 1500 years ago where it is now a staple. Eggplant belongs to the nightshade...

PETAL PIZZAZ

The creative use of flowers and herbs in cookery was a feature of Roman banquets. They were also popular (and still are) in medicines and Chinese and Indian recipes, and plates gaily decorated with flowers were particularly prevalent during Queen Victoria’s reign. It is important that all the flowers and herbs you serve are pesticide free. They should also be allergy-free, non-toxic and preferably organically grown. Check a good garden reference book or a reliable web site for information...

Arbour

It’s earned two hats from the prestigious Cuisine magazine’s Good Food Awards; Best Regional Restaurant NZ, Cuisine Good Food Awards; and a five star rating on TripAdvisor. It must be good. Arbour restaurant is nestled in Marlborough wine country about a 20-minute drive from the Blenheim CBD. Business partners, Bradley Hornby and Liz Buttimore spent two decades in five-star hotels, resorts and award-winning restaurants before settling in Marlborough with their respective partners. They estab...