Lauraine’s blog
17 April 2011
I am loving the tree-ripened pears in the farmers markets right now. At Matakana I have been buying some brilliant crimson-red skinned pears that are delicious. But stuck in the city this weekend, I have come home from the farmers markets with three varieties all worth eating.
Pears are at their best when they begin to turn yellow, unlike apples which tend to become floury once the skin is yellowish.
In the bowl pictured here the greenish hued pears with brown marks on their skin are Conference variety. They are quite grainy, but very popular with children apparently as they are crunchy with good mild flavour and lots of juice.
The very large brownish gold pear is a Beurre Bosc which is a buttery pear (just wouldn't you know that by the name!) which is a good for eating and even better for cooking.
And the pear that has the green golden hue and sits at the back of the bowl is a Doyenne du Comice pear. To me it's the Kate Middleton of pears - the name on everyone's lips and absolutely the star of the moment. I love Doyenne du Comice for the perfume, the flavour and the juice that runs down my chin when they are at their optimum. Yum!
(And in case you're wondering, yes, those roses are from my garden.)
17 April 2011
What a treat! Clevedon market on Sunday morning is the go. My first visit proved to be the last on that particular site, as next week this charming, country meeting place for great food moves into a new barn, two or three paddocks further down the road.
After the obligatory coffee we wandered about, tasting and talking. We caught up with gardening guru Lynda Hallinan, a regular there, and Helen Dorrestyn who started the market and the Clevedon Valley Buffalo cheese company, and ran into several friends there too. Despite my visits to three markets yesterday (see below) I came home with yet another overflowing bag of goodies. My picks from the market today;
- Sarah Stacey's authentic Cornish pasties (she's from Cornwall and makes a tasty filling of beef, swedes, onion and dried herbs and black pepper in her flaky pastry case.) Her pork pies are terrific too.
- Clevedon Valley buffalo mozzarella and cinnamon yogurt
- Kipdale Farms free range organic chicken
- Mount Eliza Cheddar
- Sweet outdoor grapes
- Healthy parsley plants for my garden
- Freshly picked Conference pears
- Outdoor field mushrooms with dirt still attached
- Wild Wheat Mixed grain bread
I'm set for the week, and am on the job menu planning right now. Lots of tasty dishes coming up.
17 April 2011
It’s rare for me to have a weekend in the city. I’m usually at Omaha Beach and the visit to the Matakana Farmers’ Market each Saturday morning at 8am is de rigueur, whatever the weather. So despite horrendous wind and rain, (not to mention a 9am wake-up after my night at Moochowchow) I was off this morning to three central city markets.
Parnell Market at 545 Parnell Rd in the old Foundation for the Blind buildings and car park was my first stop, and my favourite. It’s a fortunate market as they have the luxury of moving inside to the Jubilee Hall when it’s inclement. Like today (see above.) Fabulous vegetables from local growers; baby Asian eggplants, baby leeks, baby carrots are on the menu tomorrow night with a gorgeous looking free-farmed pork rack, produced by happy pigs on a Houhora farm in the far north. I also bought cheese, figs, and the soft white baps from Pukeko Bakery that I can also buy in Matakana. And some Doyenne du Comice pears, which are actually worth their own story (I will post that tomorrow.)
Auckland City market, cnr of Gore and Galway streets in Britomart was really struggling this morning in the wind and rain. A good selection of peppers, pears, breads, and vegetables, but I felt so sorry for the stall holders who had to cling onto their tents. It’s small but sincere market.
But for sheer innovation and imagination you can’t beat the La Cigale French market in the lower end of St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell. It was humming. Mike and Elizabeth Lind have no boundaries with their business here, and the harnessing of consultant chef Warwick Brown’s skills and passion for food has taken the market to new heights. Originally the Linds imported French antiques and Parisenne fashion, (still there) but now the focus is imported French food and wine, highly popular casual French dinners Wed-Fri, and the French market on Wed afternoons, and Sat and Sun mornings. It is huge.
There are many stall holders in the market area selling artisan produce, delicious food, and much more. I loved the Turkish deli items and bought a stack of Turkish flat bread for an Easter party I’m planning, some fresh raspberries, and Cathedral Cove macadamias. I was tempted by an antique olive urn but didn’t have the $2000 in my purse. I am hanging out for Lotto tonight so I can return tomorrow!
8 April 2011
Mollies Hotel is under new ownership. This boutique hotel, in a grand villa between Ponsonby and Herne Bay, is now being run by resident owners, Murray Rose and Nicola Guinness and their family.
I went along last night to the very first event to be held since the family took up residence last week. I have been to a number of functions and meals there in the past, and always found the atmosphere a little cloying. That it is not the case any longer.
Nicola is a woman of extreme talent. Her Front Room business in St Kevins Arcade produces extraordinary fabrics, furnishings and linen that are elegant and unique. So the new curtains, screen printed tablecloths and other pieces she has made, along with her chic art collection, bring a new modern quirkiness to the hotel.
The same team remains in the kitchen and they did a fine job of our dinner last evening. The canapes were some of the best I've had; petite, full of flavour and only one bite each. Perfect with the Veuve Clicquot!
A great modern interpretation of Caesar salad to start was followed by moist flaky hapuka with dill and miso. No fuss about dessert, just a well chosen, properly ripened cheese selection with lots of fruit and nuts.
Dierdre Irons played Chopin nocturnes and Ravel. Nicola and Murray proved to be superb hosts. Get prepared to see Mollies become a fun place to be.
7 April 2011
There's a new place to eat in town that's hot. Serafin Bueno Sanz, the talented Spanish chef who presided over the kitchen of The Regent Auckland hotel back in the 80s has returned to our shores and opened an utterly sophisticated Tapas, Montaditos and Pinchos bar.
It has been purpose built, tucked in behind the building at the junction of Dominion Rd and Walters Rd in Mt Eden. The design is stunning; the pale wooden ceiling formed in a concertina effect reflects light, and there are lovely overhead lights hanging so you can actually see the food and the freinds you're relaxing with. There's even an internal courtyard that's reminiscent of the clever space at Matterhorn in Wellington, the likes of which we haven't seen in Auckland before.
We went the other night to a private opening celebration and I was delighted by the tasty morsels that emerged in a steady stream from the kitchen. My favourites? The bellotta ham on lovely fresh crusty bread, potatoes smothered in a garlicky uncutous sauce, and a tiny bowl of tasty lentils topped with a slice of perfectly cooked duck.
We were served Spanish albarino wine as this was a private party. Unfortunately Serafin has not received his licence to sell wine yet as one couple in the neighbourhood has lodged an objection, which won't be heard in Wellington until May 19. Why they would object defies me, as this is exactly the sort of friendly little tapas bar that most neighbourhoods in New Zealand would kill for.
It also brings up the point of mindless legislation that kills creativity, business and common sense. About a pebble's throw away there is a large noisy bar that seems to me to be a watering hole where Eden Park goers often linger before and after games at the ground knocking back bottles and bottles of beer while standin gon the pavement and even spilling out into the road. Here we have a quiet, shy European of enormous talent who cannot get ahead with his business that is raring to go, and in the process wil be improving our culture by introducing sophisticated snacks to enjoy over a glass of wine.
And what's wrong with the Auckland Council that they have to hand the hearing over to some authority in faraway Wellington? Go figure.
Serafin. 225B Dominion Rd, Mt Eden T; 09 630 0228
1 April 2011
Last night I presented a cooking class at Andrea Hinchco's Taste Matakana kitchen and wine shop in Warkworth.
All my recipes can be found under RECIPES on this website.
My theme was "Locavore" (and you'd expect that from me, as I'm passionate about the local artisan producers and growers) and I used the fabulous Matakana Smokehouse hot smoked salmon from Pete Clementson, and Greg Scopas' Salumeria Fontana Sicilian Sweet Fennel Pork sausages.
Taste is doing regular intimate cooking classes right there in the shop. Call Andrea on T; 09 425 0302 Neville St Warkworth.
1 April 2011
Even the most ardent Reublican would find it hard to resist the incredible Tea Royale being served throughout April in honour of the marriage of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton. I wore my tiara to the launch of this special event this week.
The Langham Hotel almost invented Afternoon Tea in their superb classical London property, back in 1865, so they really know their stuff. I can't even begin to describe the savoury trolley, but the highlights for me were the little Yorkshire pudds with rare roasted beef and horseradish cream, and the most sublime prawn and spring onion sandwiches.
The cake stand with all the sweet treats (eight of them, including a peppermint jelly on chocolate crunch) is pictured above and speaks for itself. I will be taking my mum along for sure as at $59 incuding a glass of Champagne and tea or coffee is a very small price to pay for a truly regal event.
1 April 2011
I'm pleased I went to the Auckland International Cultural Festival on Sunday. Despite damp weather, it was incredibly heart warming to see so many cultures on display in one large site in Mt Roskill. More than 40 countries were represented in a day long celebration of music, dance, crafts, sport and food.
A country or region's cuisine has always been at the heart of every culture and it is something that transcends border changes, emigration and relocation. When people are displaced it is comforting to see that they take comfort in cooking up the treats and the everyday meals they grew up on in their homeland. It's also the way they can often make an income when jobs are not easy to come by.
There was so much pride on display and a wonderful ambient feeling of cameraderie and friendship in both the music and the food of so many different people.
Some of the higlights for me were the amazing Ethiopan coffee, brewed on site and served in delicate little china cups, the aromatic baking of the Finnish people, the tiny dim sum of the China Society, the Serbian breads, an array of Somalian dishes, sweet Indian treats, our own Maori Rewana bread, Croatian pies, delicious and unusual food from the Karen Society repreesnting Burma, and so much more.
In the Malaysian Pavilion a host of specialties were cooked by local Malaysian restaurants, and their Trade Commissioner, Mr Md Shaiful Md Sharif had flown in specially from Sydney to support his country. (The tireless Auckland mayor Len Brown was there too.) Jacky from KK's was cooking his satay with a lovely sauce (pictured above) and I took a bag full of other delicious Malaysian curries from A Taste of Malaysia and Sri Puteri restaurants so the festival continued at home for me.
19 March 2011
There’s nothing like the intensity of attending Masterclass. Over two days attendees can go to eight sessions of culinary workshops, cooking demonstrations and wine tastings. Held in The Langham Melbourne, the stars rock up from around the world to strut their stuff to a sell out crowd, as a finale to the wonderful two weeks of the Melbourne Food and Wine festival. I was there for the weekend only.
This year’s themes were Women in the Kitchen, the Lost Arts and Masters of Spice. One of drawcards was no less than Nigella Lawson, but as attending her session meant travelling to the Convention Centre and sitting amongst a cast of what appeared to be thousands, I was more than happy to stay within the hotel. Miss Lawson did attend the opening night cocktail party and up close I can report she has that very English perfect porcelain complexion and very real curves from all those midnight trips to the fridge. She’s fabulous!
Perhaps the best presenter I watched was Angela Hartnett, who, after years of working for Gordon Ramsey, has her own restaurant, Murano in London. She had plenty to say about Gordon and it was all incredibly positive. She was well organised, skilled and had superb communication skills. I loved her tomato terrine and will get out and pick more outdoor grown tomatoes at Mrs Young’s garden in Mangere this week to make that. In 75 minutes she successfully made tortellini including the pasta, the tomato terrine and a stunning chocolate mousse. Murano is now at the top of my list next time I’m in London.
Other Women in the Kitchen I loved were Margaret Xu, who has a tiny restaurant in Hong Kong and impressed with her Forgotten Lemon Chicken, Anna Hansen the Kiwi chef/owner of The Modern Pantry in London who cooked up freestyle fusion food that shows her knowledge of Asian ingredients (her take on steak and chips was really very good) , and two of my favourite cooks, Stephanie Alexander and Maggie Beer who did a duo act, chattering away while cooking their own dishes.
I loved Zachary Pellacio from the Fatty Crab in New York with his lovely Malaysian inspired food, and Roy Choi of Kogi who is a cool dude with trucks that race around Los Angeles each night serving tasty $2 tacos and dazzle customers with street food that is fast, easy and accessible (he has a bar and restaurant too, but it was very hard to nail him on their exact location.) The session with the most personality was when George Colombaris took to the stage with his Greek mother, Mary. It was so much fun and made even more so by the interjections of the King of Wit and Kitchen Wisdom, Matt Preston who is absolutely larger than life. George and Matt judge together on Australian Masterchef and they are stars. But for my money, Mary was the true star of this performance.
And amongst all these sessions of tastings and cooking I managed one wine class. The Bledisloe Cup of wine. Helen Masters, winemaker at Ata Rangi and Tom Carson who makes wine for Yabby Lake and Heathcote Estate presented four varietals, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz/Syrah and Cabernet Merlot. There was one from New Zealand and one from Australia in each category and even though I am a Kiwi girl who loves her local wines, I have to admit that in every case, I preferred the wine made across the ditch. For the record: Coldstream Hills 2009 Chardonnay, Yabby Lake Block 2 Pinot Noir 2008, Heathcote Estate Shiraz 2008 and Cullen Diane Madelaine Cab/Merlot 2007. Go Aussie Go!
Pic above: Angela Hartnett on stage.
17 March 2011
Taste of Sydney; We’ve seen Taste Of Auckland here last November at Victoria Park, and I was lucky enough to be across the ditch for the sister event in Centennial Park last Thursday on opening night. The evening gave me an opportunity to observe the effort that goes into promoting New Zealand food products to a market that’s hungry for good food. Under the umbrella of NZTE, Whitestone cheeses (their Windsor Blue is outstanding) , Kohu Rd ice-cream (how the crowd loved that Golden Syrup flavour), Wines from New Zealand (a huge variety offered for tastings), fresh vacuum-packed shellfish including clams and Greenshell mussels, and Regal Salmon.
Elsewhere Villa Maria wines and Giesen wines showcased their ranges and it was almost impossible to find time to talk with the people on any of the stands as they were kept busy pouring and serving food for an appreciative audience.
For me, it was exciting to see how well the Aussies have taken to our food. Particularly impressive is the effort Regal Salmon has made to promote their lovely salmon. Lyndey Milan, former food editor of Australian Women’s Weekly, TV star and the undoubted queen reigning over Sydney’s culinary scene, told me she truly believed our King Salmon, a species not grown or found in Australian waters, is absolutely top notch. Lyndey had been taken to the Marlborough Sounds on a press trip to observe the salmon farms last year, and admitted they had been moved to tears by the care that goes into raising these very special fish (or ‘feeesh’ as the Sydneysiders say).
Top Sydney chefs were strutting their stuff and Matt Kemp, Head Chef at Restaurant Balzac and Alex Herbert, the delightful Head Chef and Co-owner of Bird Cow Fish used our salmon for signature dishes on their stands. They wandered over with plates to try and I was really impressed with both; fresh salmon potato cakes made by Alex, and Matt’s seared King salmon with a salad of pomegranate, mint and feta. Really delicious and paired with a special Sauvignon Blanc from Giesen, I was in heaven. Too bad about any Aussie food on show. I’m proud to be a Kiwi.
Pic. Matt Kemp with Regal salmon canapes.