23 June 2011

A DAY IN MY LIFE

My body is back in Auckland but my head is still in the beautiful Sri Lanka. It was an amazing trip and I will write lots on that later.

Meanwhile the rigours of a food columnist's life are no better explained than my day yesterday. I finished my next piece for the Listener (vegetable cookery; due in the 9 July issue). Then it was off to Euro for the launch of Selaks National Roast Day to be held on Sunday 7 August.

Simon Gault's kitchen team started with a small pie (roast lamb, delicious) and ended with a large pie (roast apples, delicious) and in between served a roast main course to die for. A whole roast pig, filipino style which in Simon's world means stuffed with chicken, potatoes and spices, moistened with Sprite (yes really!) and cooked over a spit. Also roast beef rump nice and rare, his famous Euro roast chicken, and an enormous platter of roast vegetables including the crunchiest potaotes ever which I am guessing spent a little time in the deep fryer. All served up with the elegant Selaks wine selection.

The best bit was I got to bring home a fabulous pack of the best ethically produced meat around from RUBY'S LIST, complete with olive oil, Glasseye sauce from the wild west coast, and bottles of Selak's wines. There will be some good meals coming up at my place. See pic above!

Then if that's not enough excitement in a day, off to Moochowchow for a girl's night out with the three best food writers in NZ to celebrate Kathy's birthday. That place was packed, probably the most popular restaurant in Auckland last night and certainly the noisiest. Loved all the spicy Thai inspired food and we ate our way through at least nine or ten of the dishes. Don't miss the pork spring rolls, and the cocktails are fantastic and spicy too!

I think this is going to be a lazy day of recovery.

Moochowchow, 23 Ponsonby Rd, T; 09 360 6262

• www.rubyslist.co.nz
• www.selaks.co.nz