Lauraine’s blog
29 November 2013
I have two stories about the egg. It is the most complete food, and if there's an egg in the house there's always going to be a meal in the house.
Recently I made my almost famous ham and egg sandwiches for a supper after a concert we held at our house for an emerging young pianist, Sylvia Jiang. Three people told me they were the BEST sandwiches they'd ever had! The recipe can be found by clicking on the RECIPE bar to the top right of this page.
Next, we spent a week in Tokyo in late September and on our last night went to one of the top restaurants. Takazawa, in that wonderful city of culinary adventure.
Every course was really adventurous, but apart from the set of 16 tiny jellies flavoured with the tastes of both red and white wine that we finished with, the one that captured my mind was named "Breakfast at Takazawa." It was a small bowl of something like cornflakes that turned out to be crisp little potato flakes, and another bowl with a generous pile of freshly shaved truffle, and hidden underneath that was an egg. Not just any ordinary egg, but the brightly orange coloured yolk that only a free ranging fowl could produce. We piled on the 'cornflakes', and then dipped our spoons in, and the runny yolk and white served as the 'milk.' What a combination; potatoes, truffle and the perfect egg.
I love Eggs.
28 November 2013
Lots of cooks shy away from duck, thinking it's a bit too hard to cook. So they miss out on all that deliciousness.
Getting started with duck is easy. I suggest buying duck breasts which are no more expensive than a piece of very good steak, and just as easy to cook.
Score the skin on the duck breasts in a diamond pattern and cut off what may look like excess fat on the edges. Place the duck breasts skin side down in a dry, cold, heavy frying pan and turn on the heat. As the pan heats, the fat starts to run and after a minute or two the duck breasts will be happily sizzling. Turn the heat down and allow the duck to cook on the skin side for about 9-10 minutes so it becomes golden brown. Then turn the breasts over, cook for another 2-3 minutes and they're done! Rest the duck while you heat a little stock for moistening the dish. Serve the duck with the stock poured over and some fresh cherries, pips removed, as they are in season right now! It is that easy.
There will be lots of fat in the pan so carefully tip this into a contanier to keep. It is useful for the best roast potatoes you will ever make.
27 November 2013
I couldn't let the C Day pass without mentioning Champagne. I know this blog and A to Z Challenge is all about Grow, Cook and Eat but it was quite canny that I attended a Champagne Lunch on the sunny flower decked terrace at Soul Bar & Bistro today.
Champagne Mumm were the hosts and we sipped four different expressions of their lovely Champagne matched to Chef Gareth Stewart's delicious food.
For me the most outstanding Champagne was the Blanc de Blancs, made entirely with Chardonnay grapes. It was well rounded smooth and subtle.
And on a menu that included Tio Point oysters, sashimi and salad, goat cheese ravioli with lemon butter, grilled crayfish, and a raspberry chocolate tart, it was the crayfish that totally won me over. The big C's of the day; Champagne and Crayfish. Wow!
27 November 2013
Continuing the Daily A to Z food Challenge here's today's entry. Courgettes are perhaps the easiest vegetable to grow as long as it's warm and there's plenty of water.
I love making fritters as simple lunch time treat for myself.
- one free range egg
- one courgette, finely grated and squeezed to remove excess moisture
- one tablespoon crumbly feta
Combine all ingredients, season with a little salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper, and cook in large tablespoons in grapeseed oil until crisp and golden.
Makes 4 fritters.
26 November 2013
All through spring I have been devouring tender little pale green broad beans from our garden. They have been my new favourite vegetable. If I pick them early enough there's no need to squeeze them from their skin, once removed from the pod. But the crop is over now and we will be planting climbing beans in that spot.
So I bought broad beans in the Matakana Farmers' Market on the weekend and to my surpirse when I opened the pods they were a light bronze colour. They certainly needed to be both podded, steamed and peeled but were just as delicious once those tasks were done. Best way to eat them? Drizzled with Lot 8 citrus oil and lots of salt and pepper.
26 November 2013
Love these tender new freshly dug Agria potatoes. Grown by Marie Claydon of Quail Farm in the rich peaty soil of Omaha Flats.
A floury yellow spud that's perfect for baking, roasting and for gnocchi, and even better for the all time BEST EVER potato recipe; Potatoes with Prunes and Caramel from Yottam Ottolehghi and Sami Tamimi's Jerusalem cook book.
The greens to accompany the potatoes are all from our garden. Mmmm.
26 November 2013
Love this idea from Stephanie Alexander. It's a daily A to Z Food Photo Challenge to promote her new Cook's Companion App.
I have signed up and will post a new picture everyday. Keep your eyes out and be prepared to get hungry! The posts will also be on Twitter.
Join me and if you're a Kiwi add the hashtag #atnzfood on your Twitter posts
28 October 2013
I was completely bowled over and extremely humbled to be named as one of three recipients of a Founders Award from my old school, Epsom Girls Grammar School this year.
At a very pleasant dinner at Romfords on Tamaki Drive almost 100 Old Girls and a handful of present senior pupils met and chatted and then heard the remarkable stories of the 2013 recipients; Lisa Harrow, actress; Jill Mandeno, infotech pioneer and business woman; and myself, a culinary professional. I never regard myself as a high achiever but when the citation was read out I was quite astonished to learn of my own accomplishments over thirty years of teaching, cooking, writing and mentoring.
And there's still work to be done for
I am passionate to see our own New Zealand food as part of our tourism strategy and for all New Zealanders to recognise and supprt thse who grow and produce our food within our country.
Pictured above, My sister Chris, My niece Rebecca Chrystall, myself and my 90 year old mother Patricia Stevens. All EGGS girls!
28 October 2013
Some things I do are a real privilege. We drove to Rotorua for dinner last week. Angus Beef was holding their World Conference for Angus Beef farmers in the convention centre in that city and on the penultimate evening a celebratory dinner was staged.
The first Angus cattle, a shipment of eight beasts, arrived in Otago 150 years ago and to honour that historic occasion the Angus Association her einvited Chef Greg Heffernan to create an Angus beef dinner. The picture above was our beefy entree and it was followed by a gargantuan plate of the fabulous roast Angus beef. No rooom for vegetarians at this table!
Suffice to say all our beef was totally succulent and delicious. The entertainment, a re-enactment of the arrival with both a Maori welcome and a full Scottish Pipe band from the Manawatu really was truly spectacular.
Who knew the Angus had so much history here?
28 October 2013
Once again, you had to be there. No amount of words or pictures, however beautiful and clever can do justice to the brilliant Gather & Hunt team that put this now annual event on.
Last year I was bowled over by the art, the food, the sheer effort that went into this collision of artists and chefs. Five talented pairs each work together to create new art work, matched to a course of dinner. Once again, like last year, the result is a spectacular evening that's fun, delicious and thought provoking. It is held in the Nathan Club a space that provides a blank canvas for both the art and the food.
This year we were met at the door with a stunning spring flower work of art, but look closely at the pic above and you will see far more than just flowers! It was the work of Laura Farest who paired with chef Ed Verner of Sidart to serve FRsh & Bloom, a frothy concoction of venison, goats curd and seaweed.
Each course was remarkedly individual; We started with Cock Tail, a startingly lovely prawn cocktail by Kyle Street of Depot, made to match the provocative work of artist Hye Rim Lee. Kyle went the extra mile for as the reel played of Hye Rim Lee's anime presentation, dancers appeared with jars of South Island shellfish, a little like the geoduck.
Them the fabulously modest Makoto Tokuyama of Cocoro had constructed a tasty 'Zen Temple Garden' with confit Ora King salmon and asparagus, miso and cinnamon to match the structural sculptural work of Antony Denham. Teh result ing dish was superb.
Dariush Lolaiy of Cazador brought new meaning to the concept of beef wellington with his unravelled hare loin in a mushroom blanket. His inspiration was Amber Wilson's paintings that combine the abstract of 20th Century painting with overlaps of centuries old traditions of decoration.
And finishing on a sweet note, Sonia Haumonte of the superb Vaniye patisserie in Parnell offered a wonderful concotion of coconut, passionfruit, mango and the divine dulce de leche inspired by Matt Molloy's challenging art work that explores life like a scientist. She'd even provided a petri dish into which something, I know what not, was added with an eye dropper. (I survived)
Another fabulous on-the-edge evening.