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Hunter's MiruMiru™ A Winner

Two of my favourite bubbles keep on winning. Awards and Accolades MiruMiru™ Reserve 2016GOLD – Champagne Sparkling Wine World Championships, October 2021GOLD – The Marlborough Wine Show, October 2021GOLD & CHAMPION SPARKLING – Aotearoa Regional Wine Competition, October 2021GOLD – Winestate Annual Champagne & Sparkling Wine Show, September 2021 MIRUMIRU™ NVGOLD – The Marlborough Wine S...

SEAFOOD SAVVY

I’m looking forward to dangling a fishing line over the back of a boat this summer. It's years since I’ve enjoyed fish straight from the sea. My only fresh ‘catch’ in recent times has been a trout — given to me by a neighbour.  Do salt-water fish taste saltier than the freshwater variety? No. Fish have a special physiological mechanism that prevents them from becoming as salty as the water in which they live. They are, in fact, low in sodium. A 100g portion of raw fish contain...

FRUITY FLARE

Peaches and their copycat cousin, nectarines, are two of the tastiest delights of summer. Juice running down your chin is joy – but not, of course when it hits your T-shirt! Prunus persica — the botanical name for the peach — had its origins in China where the blossoms are thought to ward off evil spirits and provide vitality and the tree symbolises longevity. It’s one of China’s most popular fruits and the country is the world’s largest producer of peaches — about...

CELEBRATION NIBBLES

We may ring in the New Year like it’s going out of fashion — but it isn’t and it won’t.  Celebrations to mark the beginning of the New Year began several millennia ago. The first were recorded about 2000 BC in the city of Babylon in ancient Mesopotamia. Festivities in other regions of the world were often connected to the land or astronomical events. For example, in Egypt the beginning of the year coincided with the flooding of the River Nile, which usually happened when the sta...

EASY ANSWERS

Those festive leftovers are easy, economical mealmakers after day or so of hectic entertaining and eating. There’s nothing easier than to pull the ham from the fridge and serve it sliced with a salad and some crusty bread. But it’s on the third or fourth day we start to think, “Not ham again.”  Here are some tips for ‘hamming it up’ with leftovers:• Croquettes: Combine minced ham with mashed spuds and mustard, roll into small logs, dip in beaten egg to coat then in crisp ...

ASIDE FROM MAINS

Magnificent main course meat dishes might be the centrepiece of your festive table but side dishes also need to live up to expectation.  Sides and accompaniments should complement and showcase the mains — they are the bridesmaids in this celebration. But if some veggie dishes can act as a substitute bride then this makes it easier for menu planning — especially when there are vegetarians at your get-together. Veggie dishes that can be prepared ahead are a cook’s best friend. T...

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...

TASTEFUL GIFTS

For me, giving gifts to friends reinforces our connection and their unique relationship to me. And Christmas is the perfect opportunity to cement this bond. It’s a way of expressing appreciation, and home-made cookies, candies and cakes say, ‘you’re sweet’! My mother was always making and giving bakes and at Christmas would make a huge traditional festive cake, cut it into eight pieces, cover each with almond icing and then butter icing. Wrapped in cellophane it was her way of thanking n...

CHEERS TO HAPPY HOUR

Having drinks and nibbles with friends after work came into its own during the Prohibition years in America (1920-1933) when the production, transportation and sale of liquor was banned. People would host secret ‘cocktail hours’ at home or a speakeasy then visit a restaurant where alcohol was not served. The term ‘Happy Hour’ can be traced back to the early 20th century when the United States Navy offered personnel a weekly entertainment programme to alleviate boredom. This ‘Happy Hour...

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...

DELICIOUS DELI DELIGHTS

Delis are one of my favourite haunts whether it be our local stand-alone or the deli section of the supermarket. There’s always some new delight worth checking or old favourites to savour again. I’m amazed at the selection of pastas. A new variety for me is a gluten-free winner from Italy. The home of traditional durum wheat pastas is changing with the times to cater for international dietary preferences. I chose a gluten-free, vegan pappardelle prepared from corn and rice flour. It takes le...

WEEKEND WINNERS

My weekends are a time for relaxation. If I can cook one big dish that will provide two dinners and a lunch — such as my Rolled & Roasted Meatloaf that follows — then I’m happy. This tasty treat is also sophisticated enough to serve to friends who might normally think meatloaf is passe. So where did meatloaf originate? One theory is that it was first concocted around the fifth century in Europe — a Mediterranean dish of finely diced meat scraps combined with fruits, nuts and ...

VIVA VIETNAM

The unique blend of cultural influences in Vietnam has created a light cuisine with its own distinctive characteristics. Although related to Chinese cuisine, Vietnamese food could never be mistaken for that of its northern neighbour.  At the heart of Vietnamese cuisine is a salty, pale brown, fermented fish sauce called nuoc mam. Prepared by layering fresh anchovies with salt in huge wooden barrels, it is more pungent than the fish sauce from Thailand (nam pla) and other Southeast Asian cou...

SPRING REWARDS

Cheers for spring! And the fresh tastes it brings — like asparagus and strawberries. And although the weather has not been at all spring-like, I was still able to raid a friend’s asparagus patch to find enough stalks for a recipe this week. Interestingly, some of the lower stem ends were white.  Completely white asparagus is considered a special treat in New Zealand as it’s not readily available. It is produced by growing the green or purple varieties in total darkness. White aspa...

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...