Lauraine’s blog
13 March 2013
What better way to proclaim Italian connections and influence than a lunch at NSP in Parnell? I almost thought I was in Napoli today sitting in the restaurant's Italianate courtyard in the dappled sunlight eating a superb menu of grilled vegetables with fresh mozzarella, beautifully seasoned seafood salad (insalata di mare) and a hearty duck confit cannelloni with porcini. Matched to excellent Poderi Crisci wines. Their extra virgin olive oil from the Waiheke estate is pretty delicious too!
The occasion was the launch of Nespresso's new limited edition coffees, inspired by the cities of Trieste and Naples. The star turn was the affagato, a scoop of tiramisu ice cream with Napoli espresso poured over for dessert. I can't help thinking of the Mafia when I hear about Naples, and this special coffee is bold, assertive with woody, smoky overtones and a dark intensity that really is totally suited to the name! Very Italian, very complex.
I try to limit myself to one coffee a day but I sipped on the Trieste as well and found it a silky, slightly lighter style. Bella Italia!
11 March 2013
Sometimes you eat something almost life-changing. It needs to be simple, approachable, fresh, tasty and above all made with love, respect and passion.
Last night as we sat at the table talking and drinking superb wine, our host disappeared into his garden and came back with these tomatoes. Within twenty minutes of plucking them from the vines, he'd prepared an absolutely life-changing tomato salad. There were about fifteen varieties of tomato, all chopped up and dressed with a mixture of pounded basil, some salt-cured anchovies he'd carried back from Sicily a couple of years ago and some fine extra virgin olive oil. Absolute bliss, and if anyone, anywhere, anytime has ever had a finer tomato salad I don't believe them!
(You might just get something similar for the next few weeks at Fishbone in Queenstown as the salad came from the Fishbone garden, prepared by Darren Lovell who is not only Fishbone's chef/owner, but he tends the garden too.)
12 February 2013
Sometimes, and I have to say they are exceedingly rare times, you encounter service that almost takes your breath away. In the past twelve months, I experienced two dining occasions in New Zealand where this happened. And it may well be significant that both were not your typical Kiwi experiences, nor delivered by locals.
The first was at Herzog, a stunning European-styled restaurant set amongst the vineyards and gardens of the Hans Herzog wine estate near Blenheim in the sunny but windy Marlborough region. The elegant restaurant offers a tasting menu that�s upmarket, completely delicious and perfectly pitched to match the stunning wines crafted by the owner Hans Herzog. Service was decidedly European too, and although kind of formal, the sommelier had a twinkle in his eye and that wry sense of humour. A great evening and as they say, it was worth the detour.
The second occasion of amazing service was totally on our doorstep, and worth the detour from the Ponsonby Strip, albeit just over to Symonds St. Symonds St, you say? Must be the French Café? (Actually the service is pretty exceptional there too, I must admit.) But no. It was at a small place with a totally unprepossessing street frontage in the strip of shops that extend from Newton Rd towards the Southern motorway where it crosses below Symonds St.
This occasion of amazing service was at Kazuya, and despite a couple of odd reviews, this restaurant remains one of Aucklands better kept fine dining secrets. Owned by Japanese chef, Kazuya Yamauchi, the menu is French/European with hints of Asia, and a distinct Japanese influence is evident in every aspect of this stunning little restaurant. Kazuya only seats about 24 people, in fairly intimate spaces, and is staffed by very smart Japanese professionals, including the whizz-bang sommelier, Mojo Horiuchi. This is an oasis of style and sophistication where Mr Horiuchi adds a touch of theatre to his extensive knowledge of wine, beverage and food service. He�s gathered the best of French and local wines for an inspired and classy wine list that ups the ante on smart lists around the city.
I reckon that whatever you pay there for the meal, (more of that later) it�s worth going there to order a beer to start; just to see this clever sommelier deliver it, open it, check the clarity of the glass and the temperature, and then pour the golden liquid for you in front of your eyes with flair and panache. I guarantee you have never experienced such amazing attention to detail and style when being served a beer!
Chef Yamauchi offers three tasting menus; a simple $65 menu of five courses, the seasonal $85 menu and a degustation at $125 that must be ordered at least 24 hours in advance. I recommend choosing the seasonal menu, which kicks off with a play on Caprese salad; a delightful concoction of tomato, basil and mozzarella that�s full of textures and intrigue, signalling the care, attention and passion that is poured into every bite emerging from his kitchen.
Textures is the signature dish, and the large plate arrives, with more than 30 seasonal vegetables and herbs, artfully arranged and a total visual delight. If there�s anyone that tucks in immediately, they are in the wrong place as this is like an artists palette produced by a chef with a superbly sensory palate. It needs serious viewing before devouring, like any good painting. Yet once started, every tiny bite is there for a reason and is not to be missed.
The menus include Cambridge duck, Wagyu beef, scallops sourced from the chef�s home town in Japan, the wonderful Cloudy Bay diamond clams, the freshest of fish and more. You could order from the á la carte menu, but you would be crazy to do so. In the past few months I have read a couple of put-downs of dégustation menus by local chef/foodwriters who should know better. Actually, the chef in charge of any given restaurant does know best, and diners should put their appetites in the hands of the master in the kitchen. Kazuya�s menus are an example; perfectly pitched, perfectly balanced and perfectly paced. No-one could leave hungry, nor bursting, and all will have experienced a well-planned evening that includes a variety of carefully sourced and exquisitely treated food that will remain in your head for weeks.
I am not sure if I would have appreciated my Kazuya experience so much if I had not just returned from Tokyo. In Japan, in fine dining places, in sushi restaurants and even in every casual place we ate, it seemed that everything was ever so carefully and thoughtfully placed on my plate for a reason. So it is at Kazuya. From the moment I stepped in, I knew that this was as close as perfection as I could find. There is an element of Japan about the place that will have me going back again and again.
Highly recommended for a very special and unforgettable experience.
Kazuya, 193 Symonds St, Newton T 09 377 8537 www.kazuya.co.nz
10 February 2013
Now that stopping by a café has become almost a daily occurrence for many of us, I’d like to pose a question for the many café owners around the country. (It’s the mini rhubarb muffin recipe here that got me thinking.)
Why does all the food in the cabinets have to be so ‘big’? It is all very well if the café is situated in the middle of an industrial area, or in the centre of the workplace, to provide hearty sandwiches, muffins, wraps and cakes that satisfy the hunger and healthy appetites of zealous manual workers. But it’s very hard anywhere to find delicate small bites to go with a cup of coffee or even for a very light and healthy lunch for the rest of us.
It’s daunting to walk into a café and see rows and rows of chunky sandwiches filled to bursting with thick layers of fillings, humungous-sized pies, large slabs of pastry-encased vegetables, meat and cheese, and giant slices of cake that could happily feed four old ladies. Why not make mini muffins? Dainty club sandwiches? Little asparagus rolls? Delicate little cakes? And perhaps, or maybe I am asking too much, some healthy snacks that don’t rely on a heavy hit of carbohydrates.
Lots of us just want a little treat with our coffee or tea. Please.
3 February 2013
Last night we had this stunning peach tart for dessert. It may be the best and easiest tart ever, made with goodies from some of my favourite artisans and farmers.
THREE ingredients!
- Paneton's ready rolled Flaky Puff Pastry
- Fresh peaches grown by Jenny Quayle at her Waybyond organic farm in the Wayby Valley.
- Heilala vanilla syrup
Place the pastry on a baking sheet.
Halve the peaches removed the stones and place them face down on the pastry.
Bake at 200C until the pastry is golden brown (20 minutes.)
REmove the tart and drizzle over the vanilla syrup.
Serve with Whangaripo buffalo yogurt and runny cream, and for a special treat that gorgeous Tokaji dessert wine (courtesy of Mark Godden of Fishbone, Queenstown.)
31 January 2013
I’ve always thought that the very best restaurants are those that continually work at reinventing themselves - but not changing direction nor completely modifying every single detail from the menu to the décor. Rather, the canny restaurateur knows how to refresh, tweak and invigorate the business constantly while retaining the things that their loyal customers love best and return again and again for. Just like Simon Wright and Creghan Molloy Wright do at The French Café.
Last night I attended a sublime dinner at The French Kitchen at The French Café, and was completely bowled over by this talented pair's newest initiative. They must be Auckland’s most consummate restaurateurs, as everything, as always, was perfect. I’ve been dining at the French Café for the best part of thirty years, ever since Annie Mantell and Barrington Salter opened it in that little back room that you had to enter through a side door of a lane that led to the Symonds St building’s courtyard.
Well now, not only does that courtyard contain the most stunning kitchen garden to supply the restaurant with herbs and seasonal vegies, but on the far side there’s a new state-of-the-art airy kitchen with space for dining, cooking demos, parties and events for up to 25-30 people. There are white walls, big glass doors, a great Electrolux modern kitchen, a fantastic wooden floor (made from floorboards in the old Orange Coronation Hall where my mother used to dance with Bill Sevesi) and some well chosen art.
Simon Wright cooked for us: five fabulous courses that were light, and formed with superbly well thought-out combinations of vegetables, herbs, and seasonal treats. We stood first in the courtyard, admiring the garden and nibbles on pre-dinner appetisers including little round toasted sandwiches filled with whitebait that were buttery, crunchy and that almost stole the show from the meal that followed.
I’m not sure if the dishes were on the regular French café menu, but if the kingfish ceviche with crème fraîche, caviar and garden greens is listed I’ll be back to eat that dish, and the egg yolk confit on smoked potato with peas and the last of the season’s asparagus, and that perfect seared duck breast with spiced fresh cherries, parsnip and red wine, and the strawberries and cream that came with meringue, cream, raspberries and mint. As for the accompanying wines – total delight, especially the demi-sec Roederer with dessert.
Service at the French Café is always stunning. And now it’s combined with the theatre of the French Kitchen. It’s a real treat to watch the intensity of Simon Wright and his chef, with their complete focus and concentration on cooking and plating the food, only metres from the tables. Like so much of the alterations, additions and fine-tuning they’ve brought to the restaurant over the years, this new project should yet again catapault them into the premier position on New Zealand’s restaurant scene. Well done!
The French Café, 210 Symonds St, Auckland City T 09 377 1911
20 January 2013
My husband thinks this is the best salmon he's ever eaten! Here's how I cured it:
I had half a side of super fresh NZ King Salmon. I cut this in half lengthwise (leaving the skin on.)
I made a mixture of 150g sea salt, 150g sugar, and half a cup of excellent vodka. Once dissolved, I poured this over both pieces of salmon, added about half a cup of fresh chopped dill and pressed the two halves together, with the skin on the outer.
I placed the salmon in a shallow glass terrine, covered it tightly with plastic wrap and pressed a weight on the top. It was then into the refrigerator for 48 hours. The final step was to remove the skin, easily done with a sharp knife by putting the salmon skin-side down on a board and running the knife flat along the skin betwen the skin and the flesh.
To serve, slice thinly and serve with wasabi-flvoured mayonnaise. DIVINE!
7 January 2013
An email received today! It was a truly wonderful dinner Pete made for us.
"Hi Lauraine,
Thank you so much for your book - it's a treasure. Tried to comment on your blog but technology stifled me - you can use if you so wish:
True story - was staying with friends this summer in a rented bach when we invited our delightful neighbours over for drinks and as is common right around NZ as it was my night for cooking I invited Lauraine and Murray to stay for dinner. I knew of Lauraine's expertise so it was with some trepidation when I looked at my meagre offering to be prepared and had thoughts probabably similar to Custer after he waved his troops towards Little Big Horn. Well I can say this, I did to that meal what only Spain or Greece can do to an economy and as I finished my last mouthfuls in silent humilation.
Lauraine put her knive and fork together and stared across the table "Is it all right if I have seconds?" - what kindness, what a class act. I don't know much about food, but I can recognise goodness in a person, kindness, love for a family and a passion for life. I was honoured to get to know her and humbled by her and Murrays presence and good cheer - have since got her book "The Confident Cook" and I smiled from page to page and it has easily allowed me to build a bridge between my cooking and healthy digestion for those who have had previously the liability to receive - Thank you, Lauraine, I will never forget your kindness and good grace,
PS. Haven't forgotten the 22nd of April and seriously loved the book, (and Murray.)
Cheers,
Pete and Annie
1 January 2013
My new year resolution is to try to keep a record of the dishes I mess around with each day. When my son was young he used to say to me, "Write the recipe for that dish Mum, so we can have it again." So many times I'd cook something simple and delicious but with no record, it would often only ever appear once on our table.
Today for lunch my daughter Katie wanted something substantial; probably because she had a Big Night Out last evening. So I delved into the wonderful 'Jerusalem' by Ottolenhi and Sami Tamimi, and came up with my own version of their Conchiglie with yogurt, peas & chilli. We had to use linguine as that's all that is currently in the pantry, and I added some of the leftover roast lamb to give the dish a bit more depth. It was light, full of interesting flavours and textures and the recipe is on the RECIPES page of this blog.
22 December 2012
If you’re visiting Matakana this summer you may like to share some of my foodie surprise stuff and special secrets, plus a few new places and what not to miss.
Phuong’s Vietnamese Food Truck: On Thursdays and Fridays throughout the summer, this truck will be in the carpark below Charlie’s Gelato on Sharp Rd, not far from the main Warkworth-Matakana Rd. Steamed pork buns, Vietnamese spring rolls, a several delicious meals to choose from for a tasty lunch or snack.
A new German patisserie and bakery operates at Plume Café at the roundabout at Matakana Cinema. Some of the best sourdough I have ever tasted, plus beautifully made pastries. A great classy café set in a peaceful garden for casual meals.
Matakana Pub – a complete transformation of this historic pub to make it the centre of the action in the village. Burgers, fish and chips and hearty pub meals served with flair and style.
The Village Bookshop in Matakana Village has one of the best selections of cookbooks around, plus everything you ever wanted to read.
Coffee at Fossick. Kate Arbuthnot makes Supreme Coffee, Fri to Mon in the side of the old Cream Factory in Matakana Village. Fossick around her little store of collectables and I'm sure you will return come home with a superb cut crystal bowl for trifle.
Cheese at the Matakana Farmers Market; Whangaripo Buffalo cheese make a stunning range and the best is their Marin Blue which is creamy and dreamy. And the smiley Italian Cheesemaker, Massimo Lubisco in the far corner of the market has been making a sensationally soft burratta mozzarella for me on request.
The Waybyond Farm stand and Patrick Holmes-Miller's Vegetables are opposite each other in the market and everything they offer is fresh and beautifully grown. Don’t miss Jenny’s free range organic eggs and her bags of sweet or spice greens from her farm in the Wayby Valley, or the diverse range of seasonal veges Patrick grows at Mangawhai.
If you venture out to Omaha Beach for a swim or walk on the surf beach, stop in at the Kick Back Café for a coffee and the Iranian owners’ special lamb salad. A recipe from their mother, the boys marinate the lamb for seven hours before cooking it. Their middle eastern flair makes everything pretty tasty. And fish and chips for $12!