These sausage rolls are full of flavour and so much better than anything you can buy pre-made.
They can be prepared in advance and frozen in logs.
Simply thaw, slice, brush with egg, sprinkle with dukkah and bake as needed.
These have great flavour and texture, just the thing for parties.
Queensland’s Sunshine Coast is putting its rich food culture in prime position on its tourism menu with the launch of the Sunshine Coast Food Trail.
The Food Trail was launched by famed Sunshine Coast chef, Peter Kuruvita (Noosa Beach House), at an event at Mooloolaba’s Rockliff Seafoods, whose local spanner crabs are featured on Peter’s new national TV program ‘Coastal Kitchen’. The Rockliff spanner crabs have also been championed by pioneering Sydney chef Tetsuya Wakuda, who uses the product in his Singapore restaurant Waku Ghin. They are also exported to Japan, Hong Kong, USA and Taiwan.
The new interactive website (www.visitsunshinecoast.com/foodtrails) will enable visitors to create their own personalised food trail taking in the region’s best producers, markets, restaurants, cooking schools, events, wineries and brewers.
The Food Trail has been developed by Visit Sunshine Coast in partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland, the Department of State Development, the Sunshine Coast, Gympie and Noosa Shire Councils and Destination Gympie Region.
Visitors will be able to create their own journey with directions to guide them on their food tour of the region. The site will be enabled for desktop, tablet and mobile devices.
The aim is to showcase the freshness and rich variety of Sunshine Coast food and produce, while providing new and emerging food operators with the opportunity to promote their produce to a wider audience.
The Sunshine Coast – which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the region’s naming in August 2017 – has been a rich agricultural destination for well over a hundred years, based originally on sugar cane, pineapples and dairy, but now covering everything from feijoas and snails to ginger, macadamias and world-renowned seafood.
Complementing the growth of the region’s produce, has been the expansion of high-quality restaurants, cooking schools, food events, wineries and breweries.
The site will provide visitors with full information on the producer or the experience with location, operating times and contact details.
With the Sunshine Coast’s ease of access and relatively compact space, the drive trails can be designed to suit anything from a half-day ‘taste’ to a multi-day ‘buffet’.
“We believe the Sunshine Coast is qualified to own the title of Queensland’s leading ‘food tourism’ destination and this new site will help visitors truly engage and interact with the region’s extensive and diverse product mix,” said Simon Latchford, CEO of Visit Sunshine Coast.
“From the region’s earliest days, the Sunshine Coast has been synonymous with food. It was a great dairy region and now we have some of the finest cheese-makers, Buderim Ginger was an early pioneer and now we have an incredible range of Asian-inspired cooking schools, and of course our coast is a fishing haven, and Mooloolaba and Tin Can Bay prawns and Noosa mud crabs are now established as favourite menu items for chefs around the world.
“Vibrant markets such as Eumundi and the Noosa Farmers Markets have allowed specialist producers to blossom, and with that has come a wide range of ‘hatted’ restaurants, wineries, breweries, coffee roasters and food attractions.
“The new food trail is aimed at showing that while our beaches and sunshine may be a primary attraction for many tourists, there is far more depth to the region’s tourism menu. The beauty is that you can enjoy time at the beach in the morning and head off to the Hinterland for a food discovery tour in the afternoon.
“Visitors will be able to follow an authentic year round food tourism trail and add seasonal product and part time producers to their itineraries, along with key festivals, markets and restaurants that feature Sunshine Coast produce.
“The food trail covers a region from the Glass House Mountains in the south to the Hinterland and Mary Valley in the west, and north to Noosa and the Gympie region, and all three councils (Sunshine Coast, Gympie and Noosa Shire) have come together in partnership, with the support of Tourism & Events Queensland, to showcase the region’s outstanding food pedigree,” said Mr Latchford.
Award-winning chef, Peter Kuruvita said, “Since moving to the Sunshine Coast three years ago and recently filming the region for SBS Coastal Kitchen, I have been amazed at how the area has expanded both its food scene and variety of produce over recent years.
“We have incredible and abundant seafood, a huge variety of ethical organic produce being farmed covering everything from nomadic chickens, macadamia’s and indigenous bush tucker to camel milk. The producers are passionate and the local community incredibly supportive of them.
“All this, along with a thriving and expanding restaurant scene and food and wine festivals throughout the year, have really cemented Sunshine Coast on the culinary map. Oh, and the surf and beaches aren’t bad either!”
Nespresso opens quite possibly New Zealand’s most comfortable pop up café
Auckland, NEW ZEALAND – 9 November 2016:
Home, sweet home is about to take on a whole new meaning with the opening of your new Ponsonby local – Creatista Café.
To celebrate the launch of Nespresso’s latest machine, Creatista, the premium portioned-coffee brand is opening a pop-up café – and what’s so unique? The coffee is complimentary and the space is designed to feel just like home.
Inspired by the Creatista and its innovative automatic steam-wand technology, Creatista Café combines the luxuries of home with the convenience of a local café. In fact, it may just be New Zealand’s most comfortable – and it’s open for a limited time only.
From 11 – 20 November between 7am and 2pm, customers can experience what it’s like to enjoy a barista-style coffee ‘in the comfort of your own home’ while they relax in the ultra-comfortable space.
Some of Auckland’s top baristas will also be on-hand to teach coffee-loving Kiwis how to create simple latte art using the Creatista and Lewis Road Creamery’s premium milk range.
To create the homely vibe, Nespresso enlisted the expertise of interiors stylist and writer Michelle Halford of The Design Chaser; a global blog with a focus on Scandinavian interiors and design.
Choosing a natural colour palette incorporating a welcoming mix of neutrals and greys, Michelle curated the space sourcing homewares and luxe items from leading furniture, homeware and lighting specialists including Città and Cult Design, ECC and Simon James design – the coffee café features a sofa, lounge chairs, dining table and more.
“For this unique concept, I wanted to create a living area that would not only fit seamlessly within a cafe environment but also exude the feeling of a stylish, comfortable home,” says Michelle.
Building on the relaxed atmosphere; warm wood, textual layers and graphic accents are used throughout, complementing the clean lines and understated elegance of the furniture. Lighting plays a key part in bringing the home element to the space, with a combination of beautiful statement pieces that incorporate both form and function. Art prints, including a mix of handpainted abstract and New Zealand photography, inject further personality and warmth.
Nespresso New Zealand Country Manager, John Ciaglia, says the Ponsonby pop-up is an exciting opportunity for Kiwis to experience the revolutionary new machine.
“It’s no secret Kiwis love a good flat white and other milk recipe coffees, so we’re thrilled to showcase the new Creatista in this unique Ponsonby pop-up environment,” says John.
“Creatista is the first Nespresso machine that allows users to select their preferred milk texture and temperature to create silky smooth milk – that even enables the creation of latte art – thanks to its multiple milk foam textures.”
Combining Nespresso’s coffee quality and expertise, and unprecedented system, with Breville’s stunning design and milk technology, Creatista allows users to easily and conveniently create everything from a creamy cappuccino through to a velvety smooth flat white or even a latte, which they can top with a beautiful milk foam design.
Creatista café – your new local
277 Ponsonby Road (Three Lamps end of Ponsonby)
Open 11 – 20 November
7:00am – 2.00pm daily
#CreatistaBarista / #TDCstylingandphotography
In a world where we are constantly searching to find the elixir of life, turmeric is the latest health food trend, following on the tail of the coconut oil craze.
Turmeric grows as a rhizome and is from the same family as ginger.
Outside of the tropics turmeric is commonly sold in powdered form where it lends a bright yellow hue to rice dishes, curry powders and of course curries. Fresh turmeric is becoming more widespread and grows in the warmer parts of New Zealand. Plants can be ordered from Russell Fransham’s Subtropical nursery.
So what is all the turmeric fuss about?
Turmeric contains an active ingredient called curcumin which is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Circumin has been said to prevent a list of diseases including Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease and a few minor ailments.
It is the quantity of curcumin required that seems to be conflicting, some researchers say that as little as a teaspoon of powdered turmeric per day or 3g of fresh is enough whereas others say that it needs to be in an extract supplement form to provide benefit.
Turmeric does need food companions as poor bioavailability (absorption) of circumin means it doesn’t linger in the body long enough to do any good. To get the health benefit it needs to be paired with complimentary compounds. The protein and fat in milk can help with absorption or alternatively combine turmeric recipes with black pepper. Black pepper containes a substance called piprine which helps with absorption of circumin.
Countries such as India have consumed high amounts of turmeric for ever and while they have significantly lower rates of many cancers, they also have a predominantly vegetarian diet, are one the highest consumers of fruit and vegetables in the world and also incorporate lentils and beans into their diet as well as many other spices. So, it may be that their total diet is conducive to health as opposed to just the turmeric consumption.
For those interested in science based information and research on turmeric/circumin then this research papper from the University of Maryland is worth a read. It is particularly significant for those with compromised health as large doses of circumin may not be suitable for you.
Indian families have enjoyed Haldi Dhoodh (hot turmeric milk), for hundreds of years.
In the past year it has quickly made its way into the west, is all over social media and the name has changed to Turmeric Latte. Haldi dhoodh is traditionally made at home and served to those with sore throats and colds whereas Turmeric lattes are a growing café craze.
The word latte is misleading as typically there is no coffee added although some cafes do offer a shot of coffee as well.
The milk used is a personal preference, the health food fans are likely to choose a nut milk (apparently now called mylk) while you can of course have cow’s milk if you prefer.
Whatever the name or type of milk the drink is actually quite soothing and pleasant and at the very least it is something quite easy to drink.
Turmeric Latte
2 cups milk of choice (nut, coconut or cow’s milk)
1 tablespoon grated turmeric or 2 teaspoons ground turmeric mixed with 1 teaspoon boiling water
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons coconut oil
Gently warm the milk in a saucepan, add the turmeric, ginger, black pepper and cinnamon. Simmer without boiling for 5 minutes. Stir in the honey and coconut oil.
Whisk until frothy and then pour into two cups.
Sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon if you like. Serve warm.
Serves 2.
Yes this is a food site but there are times when I experience something completely unrelated to food that I just have to share.
On an extraordinary trip to Vomo Island Fiji with Tourism Fiji, a huge highlight for me – aside from the pure indulgent luxury and sensorial overload – was snorkelling on the edge of some of the coral reefs surrounding the island. I am
With daughter Daisy’s go pro in hand I was determined to return with a lovely tropical fish video so was almost bursting with excitement when we discovered clown fish i.e. Nemo and his family.
Unfortunately the video was on the wrong setting and I ended up with a staccato of images.
Next morning the gorgeous boys from the dive shop take pity on me and off we motor again to another spot and there we find not only Nemo but masses of the most gorgeous fish. This little video is only 13 seconds long but gives a glimpse of the wonderful snorkelling in this gorgeous patch of the Pacific.
Is anyone else snorkelling mad?
These are completely delicious and I promise you no one will guess that there is avocado in the filling. As long as you use barely ripe avocados then you will get a lovely creamy texture but no noticeable avocado flavour.
The New Zealand Anchor Food Professionals’ team of chefs has taken out silver at the 2016 Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany.
The team won the silver medal in the all-important Hot Kitchen section with their New Zealand-focused menu of salmon entrée, lamb loin main course, and South Pacific-inspired dessert.
This comes on top of winning two bronze medals in the cold Culinary Arts section two days earlier. Pastry chef Ganesh Khedekar created a chocolate centrepiece featuring Gollum which was a huge drawcard for the crowds.
Fonterra’s director of Global Foodservice Grant Watson, who’s with the team in Germany, congratulated the team and says the silver medal is thoroughly deserved.
“It’s been 28 years since a New Zealand last competed in the Culinary Olympics here in Germany. What they’ve accomplished is nothing short of amazing. Their hot dishes were exquisite and loved by the 110 guests and judges who were at the dinner.”
Fonterra’s global foodservice business, Anchor Food Professionals, sponsored the team to compete at the Culinary Olympics through a shared love of creating great food, using top quality ingredients.
Prior to heading to Germany, the team honed their skills and the menu at a series of regional ‘feasts’ up and down the country, while also practising for their cold table presentation.
NZChefs’ president and chef de mission to the New Zealand team, Graham Hawkes, says the team is thrilled with the result.
“The chefs have put everything into this competition. The food they served up to a sold out service really wowed the guests and the judges, and gave them a real taste of New Zealand,” Graham says.
The chefs who competed in the Hot Kitchen section at the Culinary Olympics are Steve Le Corre, Mark Sycamore, John Kelleher, Darren Wright, Richard Hingston and Corey Hume, aided by kitchen technician Anita Sarginson.
The first Culinary Olympics was held in 1900 in Germany, when four countries competed but has grown to more than 2000 chefs from 40 countries serving up their best for the judges.
Fonterra Global Category and Innovation Manager Keith McDonald, who’s handled logistics for the team in Germany says the chefs have run on adrenalin and very little sleep since arriving there.
“Every minute has been spent driving perfection in their dishes so to take out silver against other countries’ teams that spend all year travelling from competition to competition is a fantastic achievement. These guys have definitely earned this medal,” Keith says.
“And in 2020, we hope to be back for gold,” adds Graham.
The overall winner for 2016 was Singapore.
Galangal is a knobbly rhizome that looks a little like ginger and although they are related their flavours are vastly different.
Galangal is used almost exclusively in recipes from SE Asia where its pungent earthiness yet also citrus notes, gives a depth and interest to both broths and curries. Young galangal has creamy white skin with pink shoots but as it ages the skin thickens and the colour changes to a deep gold.
Fresh galangal can be grown in gardens in warmer parts of NZ. You will sometimes find it at Farmers Markets and fresh produce markets such as Avondale markets. It is also available frozen in Asian supermarket or conveniently minced and sold in jars in your local supermarket.
When using fresh galangal it is either sliced into very thin strips or grated with a sharp fine grater, as you would with ginger.
1cm of fresh galangal is equivalent to around 1 teaspoon of minced.
Some of our favourite recipes using galangal include;
Chicken Satay originates from Malaysia but due to its popularity can be found on menus around SE Asia. There are many recipes available. most have long ingredient lists but remember the method is simple.
Fish Amok. A popular Cambodian dish and one that is a staple on cafe menus. This is my version and one that I think stacks up pretty well compared to those we ate in Cambodia.
Tom kah Gai or Thai Chicken and Coconut Broth would not be the same without galangal where its earthiness adds a great depth of flavour. Similarly Beef Rendang is made even more delicious with the addition of galangal.
The flavours in this caponata are fantastic, it is perfect for warmer months and can be served hot or at room temperature.
Add a pinch of chilli flakes if you like and top it with fresh parsley, basil and/or oregano.
Jazzing up hummus with leafy greens adds interest to the flavour and colour.
Try kale, spinach or rocket as we have here.
I am hugely excited by my next Taste Of trip with World Expeditions to Vietnam, leaving end of April 2017. This is completely hot off the press although judging by the number of emails flying around I get the feeling that it may fill quickly.
Our previous trips have been so much fun and I am sure this one will be too, the price is reasonable and Air NZ currently has Asia on sale…. tempted?
On a local note, it is so lovely to have fresh asparagus on a daily basis, quality local avocados, very early strawberries and imported pomegranates to brighten our food.
Happy Cooking.
This salad is positively delicious and one that we are making repeatedly.
Having now made it quite a few times I also like to add roasted cashew nuts if I have some on hand.
