Carrot Sweets
We borrowed a Chilean cookbook from the library recently and it had some intriguing recipes. There was Huevos falsos (false eggs as a dessert). We thought the kids would love that – will write about those in a later blog. … Read more
Blogs
Chillies in a Curry
Ray Street When you think of chillies, you usually think of a curry. But, believe it or not, chillies did not originate in India. Nor did they originate in Asia. Chillies came from the New World of Central and South … Read more
Capulin Cherries
Virgil Evetts I get peeved when I see cherry trees for sale in Auckland garden centres. There should be a law against selling false hope. Come to think of it I think there is… Although a sweet cherry might do … Read more
Hibiscus Tea
Recently we did some experimenting with hibiscus tea. It seems most of the world already knows about this stuff and loves it – from Africa and the Middle East, to the Caribbean. It also has many names; Roselle in Saudi … Read more
Growing and Eating Caigua
Virgil Evetts As a flavour chaser from way back, and a gardener whose tastes run to the fanciful, I’m forever trying new things out back. But despite this rather naive enthusiasm, it’s not very often that I stumble upon a … Read more
What is a Curry?
Ray Street Just to clarify, I’m not talking about where the word came from. You can read lots about the word “curry” coming from kari and it means gravy or sauce. But that’s not the purpose of this blog. What … Read more
Lamb Stew in the Clouds
Over the Christmas break we all got away for a short camping holiday. We often go to Purple Peak[http://www.purplepeak.co.nz/]. It’s only 10-15 minutes from Akaroa, but it could be a million kilometres away. There’s no power, no mobile coverage and … Read more
The Staff of Life.
Karl Summerfield Bread. Sometimes it isn’t a very interesting topic of conversation. In my experience we spend more time discussing the filling of our sandwiches, rather than the bread that holds the filling. There’s nothing particularly interesting in a loaf … Read more
Berry Good
Virgil Evetts Finally, success in the berry patch! My various currants and brambles are performing like never before this year- with the ongoing exception of my blackcurrant. I’m finally ready to accept that Auckland is just too warm for … Read more
To Market, To Market…
Virgil Evetts On Sunday I had cause to head out to Avondale market. I hadn’t been for a year or so (it’s a bit out of the way from Devonport, you know), but nothing had changed, in so much as … Read more
Taste of Auckland: The best new show in town?
Virgil Evetts Any event offering what to an idiot might appear to be free food brings out the very worst our species. Take The Food Show for example – a fine distraction which I look forward to every year but … Read more
Empanadas
Fiona Summerfield It would seem all over the world there are various ways of putting meat inside some sort of pastry! In New Zealand we have inherited pies and pasties from England, but in Russia there are piroshki, in China … Read more
MSG, alright by me
Virgil Evetts I was raised to shun MSG. It’s a poison after all, Hitler in powder form really. It causes headaches, flue-like symptoms, stomach cramps, rectal bleeding… Oh the things it does! Actually, says who? MSG (or monosodium glutamate), is … Read more
Attack Of The Pine Mouth
Virgil Evetts It started off so well, one of those effortlessly lovely warm-weather meals. Pan-fried gurnard, fresh tomato sambal, gently sautéed slices of Perla new potatoes (more on them here), and a generous sprinkling of milky, sweet pine nuts. And … Read more
