Virgil Evetts I used to view snails on a dinner plate with such squinty-eyed scepticism – for all the usual reasons I suppose – their sliminess, their squelchyness, the havoc they wreck in the garden. On the rare occasions when … Read more
Virgil Evetts Being on the receiving end of long-winded holiday recaps can be so bloody boring don’t you think? It’s like hearing about a really great party that you wern’t invited to. So, as much as possible, I like to let the … Read more
Virgil Evetts I’m one of those people who sulks and pouts their way through the dark months. I loathe the short days, cold nights and the lack of vital produce, and so desperately wait for the first tell-tale signs of … Read more
Virgil Evetts Mince gets a bad rap these days. It’s gained a low-rent reputation, and is subject to so many scurrilous lies and rumours about its origins – nought but snouts and sphincters according to some. But preciousness and pretensions … Read more
Virgil Evetts I don’t know about you, but I just can’t go anywhere near the supermarket on an empty stomach. I’ve done it a few times and ended up stumbling around the isles in a starved stupor, eventually getting home … Read more
Virgil Evetts Since my recent foray into deep-frying, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the many oils we use in the kitchen. At any one time I have at least 4 or 5 different types of oil in … Read more
Winter Canapés By Michal Haines Winter entertaining can be a drag. The colder weather seems to makes everyone ravenous. It can be hard to concentrate on your cooking when your guests turn up at your door looking like they may … Read more
Virgil Evetts The thought of deep, earthy slow cooked food is so very appealing amidst the miserable chill of winter. Tough but tasty cuts of meat cooked until meltingly soft, swimming in rich complex gravies along with sweet nuggets of … Read more
Slices are a great favourite of mine, they are generally quick and easy to make and are fairly quick to cook. While most of mine don’t get a chance to make it to the freezer many of them are easily … Read more
Sunday Best-Rules of Roasting By Michal Haines The classic New Zealand Sunday roast is a tried and true tradition. I recently did a wee poll at work and found, quite to my surprise, the traditional Sunday roast is still going … Read more
Virgil Evetts I’ve been thinking about the term ‘peasant food’ lately. It’s become such a clichéd part of the western food lexicon. We use it to describe anything vaguely rustic and it makes us think of crumbling Tuscan farm houses, … Read more
Virgil Evetts How many times have you heard it? Usually from the young and fervent, or the bored and vapid: ‘this book changed my life!’ I tend to stop listening at about that point, because what follows is usually a … Read more
Virgil Evetts I can think of few harsher deals in life than a nut allergy: I eat so many nuts, in so many ways, that the thought of being unable to indulge is enough to make anaphylactic shock seem like … Read more
By Michal Haines Beans have a long history throughout the world. An excellent source of protein and fibre they were great for those of humble means. Poor man’s food, they grew wild in some cases and could be gathered, dried … Read more
