Hi there,
There is so much happening around foodlovers at present and I for one am loving it.

Our huge prize on offer of course is the wonderful trip to Sydney and the Hunter Valley.  With all of our prize draws you do need to be a foodlovers subscriber but that is completely free and just means you will receive recipes and ideas from us each week.
While we generally just have prizes on our win pages you will start to notice them popping up in other places – particularly in features.  We sometimes will share these with the win pages but not always so it pays to keep your eyes open!
Our features this week include eating your way around Central Sydney,
Finger food recipes for parties and Christmas Cake recipes.
Don’t forget to come and “like” us on facebook.

Happy Cooking!

This month we are celebrating Australia here at foodlovers with a prize up for grabs that I am not allowed to give out details of until later this week.  I am just about bursting with anticipation and can only say that one lucky foodlovers reader will be over the moon come draw date mid December!
For the rest of November we are dedicated to solving your party and Christmas catering dilemmas with some fabulous features on edible gifts, Christmas cooking, party catering and more.
If you happen to be a facebook user then it would be great if you could “like” foodloversnz – ie us!  Your “like” will help us to successfully build our facebook profile.

Happy Cooking!

Hi there,

Thank goodness the RWC is over and we can now focus on other things such as new season asparagus, fresh strawberries and if you are extremely lucky – fresh whitebait.
A recent trip to Hokitika meant we got to witness our whitebait being caught and then turned into light and fluffy whitebait patties that night!
We have some great new features ideas coming up with parties and Christmas fun an absolute priority.
November is an exciting month with some great giveaways – not just on our win pages but attached to features as well so keep your eyes open!
happy cooking,

Hi there,

With the RWC final this weekend and also Labour weekend it is sure to be a weekend of fun and entertaining all around the country.
I have spent the last week in Hokitika and was pleased that the kids got to see whitebaiters in action and get an understanding of where those little wriggly white fish come from.
We all have our own favourite way of cooking them but my personal favourite is when the eggs are separated and the whites whisked and then folded into the mixture at the end.  Not too much flour either –  about 1/2 cup per 500g of whitebait to 4 eggs, yum!
On a completely different topic, the children have been making Nellie’s gingernuts these holidays and reminded me what great biscuits these are.  Very crisp with lots of flavour and perfect for dunking into a cup of tea.

Happy Cooking!

Hi there,

This week we have decided to take a step back to traditional baking with a special feature on  making the perfect sponge cake with Sally Cameron.   While Sally’s article is extremely comprehensive if you do have questions then please don’t hesitate to post them by scrolling to the bottom of the feature (yes I know it is a long way!).

Our win pages are continually being updated with new prizes so do keep a look out for exciting prize draw opportunities.

This week NW supermarkets are celebrating their wine awards and have all the recommendations you need to find the perfect drop at an affordable price.

While our facebook numbers are growing we really would like them to grow some more – if you are a facebook member then it would be great if you would follow us at Foodloversnz.  We post most days so you will have lots of recipe suggestions coming your way.

Happy Cooking!

Helen

Hi there,

As a little support and thought to the teams competiting in the RWC we have been discussing recipes from the specific nations involved on the Kitchen and Garden Show, Radio Live.
Last week was Irish and we had a selection of lovely sounding recipes arriving in.  One which sounded positively delicious is a Guinness Chocolate Cake that was originally in St Patricks Cathedral cookbook, Dublin (published 1991).  I have made the cake and it is seriously good and decadent!  If you don’t want to drink the remaining Guinness then you could always add it to a beef stew.
With France playing this weekend there are sure to be a few more recipes to share!  Think I might make a cassoulet – a dish that is easily extended should numbers increase.

The best of NZ food is being showcased at the Cloud – Queens Wharf, Auckland.   I particularly liked the beef braised beef pie with kumara mash and macadamia topping.  Grahame Dawson has graciously shared this recipe.

Over the next few weeks we will have some exciting new features for you and some spot prizes around foodlovers forums and blogs.

Happy Cooking!

Helen

Hi there,

While Spring is officially here I prefer to wait until the 23rd of the month before I acknowledge the season change – at least we will have asparagus and a few more signs of a seasonal change by then.
Over the next month there will be lots of excitement across NZ with the start of Rugby World Cup.  Later this week we will have some inspiring recipes that are perfect for tv sport entertaining.
My children are becoming great flag spotters and as we drove across town yesterday it was great to see so many nations represented with flags flying off cars – I think we may have left it too late to find them as the shopping centre seemed to have sold out.
This week on foodlovers you can read about Koh Samui, Thailand in our travel feature, Virgil explores the Chelsea Bun and our blogs have a variety of entertaining stories.

Our slice recipes are proving popular and over the next few weeks we will be going through our different recipes and doing a sort out of recipes.
If there are any recipes you think we should be building on or comments you would like to make then please do tell me [email protected]

Happy Cooking!

Hi there,

At this time of year we are just about feeling over winter and are ready for some warmer days – particularly with the amount of snow and cold weather that has blasted the country lately!
We were lucky enough to manage a couple of weeks on an island in Southern Thailand and over the next few weeks I will have a travel and food feature ready to share.  The food of course was fabulous and a bargain at around $8NZ per meal!   In the meantime we have a travel feature on the food and wine cruises currently running out of Auckland on the beautifully refurbised Pacific Pearl.  If I didn’t get so seasick I would be out there in a blink but unfortunately will have to leave it for you to tell me about it!
This week Virgil examines the ethics of fish eating in NZ – the choices we make and the minefield it is.
Fiona eats here way around Melbourne and I decide to cook up some schnitzel with coleslaw – yum!
While we generally like to view food in a positve way there is a humourous discussion running on your worst meal ever!
Happy tasty cooking!

Helen

Hi there,
While we may have been lulled into thinking we were having a mild winter, it has quickly changed with snow and storms buffeting the country – just in time for school holiday skiing.

Helen Jackson’s Kitchen has been receiving some great reviews and while you can buy it a good book stores around the country for convenience you can purchase it online here at Cook the Books.

This week, Virgil brews mead in our blogs and examines that surplus of kitchen clutter!

Happy Cooking!

Hi there,

My book Helen Jackson’s Kitchen hits the shelves in April – April 1st is the release date.   The book has over 100 recipes and is a compilation of the things I like to cook and my friends and family like to eat.  Many of the recipes are here on foodlovers but in print form they each have a gorgeous photo from Carolyn Robinson to accompany them.  It should be available in all good book stores but you can order it online here or enter in the draw to potentially win a copy here.
With Easter just around the corner I am perfecting my hot cross bun recipe so I can go into school and make it with the kid’s classes –  with at least 70 children to share them amongst I am hoping the recipe will be well and truly perfect by the time we are finished.

To those of you in Christchurch our heartfelt thoughts go out to you.  The televised scenes are reflective of  a war torn country and not what we would have ever expected to see in a local situation.  
I know many would like to offer pracitical support and there are hotlines for those willing to host evacuees in both Wellington and Auckland and donations can be made to reputable organisations such as Red Cross or the Salvation Army.  Some of the banks are also collecting funds and vodafone customers can text donations.
Aside from this it seems as though all we can do is to hope that there will continue to be success stories in the days to come.

It is lovely to be in holiday mode and to wind down from the inevitable pre Christmas rush.
We have been catching up with friends and family and the outdoor table is permanently inside pushed up against our regular table so we can fit 16 around it with ease.
Chicken Salad and Asian Beef Salad are my year after year favourite dishes to feed a crowd.  Desserts are simple and are often gifted chocolates with cherries from Off Our Tree  although now that I have mastered the perfect pav I find it an easy dessert to make ahead of time and it is great with summer berries.

Happy New Year!

Helen

Hi there,

My highlight on Mothers Day was a box of Petal Cupcakes – these arrived at the door mid afternoon Sunday, perfect timing for afternoon tea.   One bite and you can tell these are made with the best ingredients and by a seriously good baker!  The flagship store is due to open in Teed St Auckland so watch this space.
As well as making cupcakes Laurel is also finding time to blog on foodlovers – love her easy pastry recipe and I am defnitely planning to try that one.
Our WIN pages are loaded with great prizes so don’t forget to scroll through the pages in case you have missed any.  Some finish at the end of May.

Happy Cooking,