Lauraine’s blog
23 June 2011
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
22 June 2011
I wanted to let you know about a Sicilian Culinary Adventure, with my amazing friend Faith Willinger. I did a similar trip two years ago and it was truly sensational. 5 days of cooking lessons with master chefs and home cooks, wine and extra virgin tastings, visits to Baroque cities and archeological sites, restaurant meals and more. She'll be based at the COS (exceptional biodynamic winery) Locanda, during the grape harvest, a very exciting moment. Participants can add on a few days of independent travel, renting a car in Ragusa, for an itinerary that concludes in Catania or another that finishes in Palermo.
Sunday, September 25—transportation from Catania to COS estate, welcome dinner prepared by Domenico Colonnetta and Francesco Patti from the restaurant Coria in Caltagirone
Monday, September 26—Ragusa visit, COS winery tour and tasting, intro to local ingredients lunch—salumi, ricotta, grilled sausage, seasonal vegetables and fruit, almonds, PM lesson and dinner with Accursio Crapparo from La Gazza Ladra in Modica
Tuesday, September 27—AM lesson and lunch with Pino Cuttaia from La Madia in Licata, PM visit to Baroque jewel Scicli, chocolate tasting in Modica, dinner at a local trattoria
Wednesday, September 28—AM lesson with Angela Occhipinti, winery lunch, PM guided visit to archeological site Camerina, visit to fish market in Scoglitti, fish lesson with Pasquale Ferrara followed by dinner at his restaurant Sakkaleo
Thursday, September 29—visit with Arianna and Faustina Occhipinti at their winery, extra virgin tasting, lunch from the garden, farewell dinner at COS
Friday, September 30—Depart for Catania. Or rent a car in Ragusa and take one of two special itineraries, departing from Catania or Palermo.
1750 euro per person, 250 euro supplement for single occupancy, maximum of 14 participants
Any questions, just ask me or to sign up send an email to info@faithwillinger.com
29 May 2011
There's a really good reason to go to Wellington. (Actually there are hundreds of good reasons to go there but they can mostly wait for another time.)
I stayed at the Museum Hotel while cooking at the Food Show and thought, I will eat in at the hotel. I hadn't booked at Hippopotamus restaurant on the hotel's third floor (that's why there's a hippo on the roof!) but Timothee Lepoutre, the talented and knowlegeable sommelier found me a spot even though they were fully booked. I am so grateful as the meal, eaten alone, was superb.
My entree, served with a glass of Pegasus Bay Riesling Bel Canto, the salmon sashimi (pictured above) was absolutely the most divine salmon I have ever eaten. Each piece was wrapped in the thinnest of cucumber, flavoured with wasabi, topped with wakame and sat on some perfect ginger soy syrup. Sublime!
The restaurant overlooks the harbour and the recent refurbishment has made it a luxurious dining spot that's comfortable, spacious and elegant. The staff are terrific (mostly French) and chef Laurent Loudeac's food is sophisticated and hits the mark. It's a major cut above most hotel food, and I would be happy to eat there every week.
Loudeac's menu ranges from the expected (steak and frites) to fresh clever dishes with lots of imagination. My kingfish with cauliflower puree was good, although I would like to have cooked it a tad longer. The accompanying salad was excellent and the extensive wine list has been put together with the food in mind, as it should.
And as for the Hotel, all that wonderful quirky art that owner Chris Parkin collects, the spacious rooms and the biggest bath ever makes this a perfect place to indulge oneself . I did not even need to leave the hotel.
28 May 2011
Just back in tonight from the Wellington Food Show. By the way, how precious are those folk in Wellington, not wanting that sign? Do they not see the power of branding? The power of something edgy and fun? That the gorse clad hill needs something just like that to catch our attention? Oh dear. Wish we had some clever clogs marketers in Auckland like that.
And how good is that Museum Hotel? More on that tomorrow.
But the MAIN EVENT. Loved the Food Show at the Westpac stadium; love Dona White and her savvy team at Northport (thanks Tim!) who put the best people on the celebrity stage. Love the enthusiasm of the Wellington crowd who were genuinely pleased to come and watch my cooking demonstrations on both the Celebrity Chef stage, and at the Electrolux stand where I could really show just how great those induction cooktops are. Anyone who came past and already cooked on induction swore they would never have any other type of hob again.
For the Celebrity Chef demo, I cooked a Regal salmon starter, a Silver Fern Farms venison main course and then a dessert. Recipes in My Recipe section and on The Food Show website.
Pictured above is COOK Grant Allen's photo of my surprise dessert. A real surprise as up until 20 minutes before I went on stage I did not know exactly what I would do. Honestly!
Collective Dairy have a new sugar-free Greek style thick yogurt. Perfect as I have been agitating for so long to find one that does not have added sweetening, so that I can use it for curries, raitas, and when I want to add my own personal sweetening like this.
Peeled persimmons cut into wedges, gently toasted hazelnuts (on the gentlest heat of that Electrolux induction hob with no added oil, just the dry frying pan for about 30 minutes), lots of Collective Dairy's Straight Up yogurt and best of all, Heilala's Vanilla amazing syrup poured generously over. Sweetening? Yes, but my choice with the wonderful natural vanilla rather than questionable added sugars like the other thick creamy yogurts on the market! And it took three minutes to put together on stage.
Can't wait for the Auckland Food Show to see what else I can put together to surprise myself and the crowds.
26 May 2011
Tetsuya. He’s an old friend as we met at a private dinner party about twelve years ago here in Auckland...he didn’t have to cook. He was there, like me, to taste some exquisite Japanese food and even more importantly drink some very special wines including Providence from Matakana and Cheval Blanc from Bordeaux. I have eaten at his restaurants, first in Rozelle and then in Sydney’s central city area, and run into Tetsuya in a few unlikely places, including one spectacular dinner in Minneapolis a few years ago.
So I was thrilled to emcee his Electrolux Masterclass last night at the Seafood School in Auckland’s Fish Market for an audience of food and design editors. Tetsuya now has two restaurants; his flagship in Sydney, and Waku Ghin, just named best restaurant in Singapore. But we weren’t there to observe the complexity and work that goes into the food of those temples of dining. Rather we were treated to two hours of incredibly simple cookery that we could all replicate at home. (Well, some might!)
He cooked eggs, and there’s no connection at all to the scrambled eggs we usually think of. These were ever so gently moved over heat and served with butter, ricotta, cream and chives. Yum! He cooked crab, simply flavoured and stirred. A paua, writhing and live one minute, then placed over the lowest possible heat from the induction cooktop until it gently cooked for two hours, was the most tender thing you can imagine. As for the thick wagyu steaks, seared over high heat (no salt and pepper) and then placed in a very low oven for at least 90 minutes; tasty , juicy and meltingly tender.
The final act was a tagine of chicken. Spices, raisins, dates, vegetables, tomatoes, well marinated chicken thighs and more, served over couscous. Inspiring!
And then dinner at the French Café. I did not really need that, as delicious as it was, but who would give up the chance to dine with the Master?
Pic: Tetsuya with his head chef Luke, originally from Wellington, and assistant Nicole.
26 May 2011
What a privilege. Madhur Jaffrey made her first visit to New Zealand and I spent ten days accompanying her at a host of events. Many will be familiar with Madhur’s book, Climbing the Mango Trees, the account of her childhood in Delhi. She lived in large house where more than 30 people sat down to meals everyday and enjoyed a carefree life. Until the partition of India in 1947 that tore a nation in two. It’s interesting that she still thinks of the Indian sub-continent as her homeland and enjoys the culture and foodways of the total region.
She’s an eloquent and elegant actress and food writer, captivating the large attendance that listened to her at the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival. She spoke at a session chaired by Alexa Johnston at the Aotea Centre and at a fabulous Curry Lunch at The Langham Hotel. The NZ Guild of Food Writers had a private dinner with Madhur at Satya restaurant in Great North Rd, where the Authoka family cooked a banquet that was truly delicious, and included some fabulous new dishes for the occasion. (Loved that lamb gongura and their famous dahi puri.)
It was then Wellington to Ruth Pretty for Indian High Tea, followed by my idea of bliss; dinner in the kitchen with Ruth and Paul feasting on scampi and lamb. See the ‘Wines to Drink’ section of my Blog for Paul’s cellar treats. The final engagement was a lovely six course dinner at the James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel for over 100 people. A huge success!
But the real fun began for me when we drove to my beach house at Omaha and Madhur and I cooked together. We shared simple food; preparing a feast for friends that included spiced lamb, braised chokos, eggplant cooked in a tamarillo sauce (a creative first), Madhur’s special potatoes and a divinely creamy mango pudding. For me it was a master class in using spices!
Madhur wrote to me in an email I received this morning, “I am deliriously happy about everything you let me see and taste -- those very expensive, delicious crayfish, the likes of which can only be compared to the finest Maine lobster (though the Maine lobster has nothing much in its legs), the sea-and-land whitebait fritter we shared in the market that I might not have had a chance to even know about, the tamarillos that turned out to be so versatile, and of course, your stunning, welcoming beach house with its sea and hearth.”
I hope she returns, soon.
20 May 2011
It's been a whirlwind tour. The Auckland Writers and Readers Festival events, a food writers dinner with Madhur at Satya restaurant in Newton, then a flying trip to Wellington.
An Indian style High Tea at Ruth Pretty's, then a splendid dinner for more than 100 of Madhur's fans at the James Cook Hotel gave everyone a real insight into this fabulous woman's life in food and the acting world.
Now we're at Omaha , planning a home-cooked dinner we will prepare together tomorrow, Madhur-style for Saturday night, before she flies back to her home in New York on Sunday.
Above is a pic of Madhur signing her books at Ruth's and you can read about the wonderful hospitality there on the Wines to Drink page of this website.
16 May 2011
Sundays can return to normal. We will get to see proper drama instead of bullying, shouting and tears. And congratulations to the dietitian Nadia, who overcame her profession’s propensity for bland food and cooked her heart out in a cool and calculated way. Such a pity she’s now left the job she was trained to do - that girl could make a difference. My heart goes out to Jax who bubbled over with enthusiasm and passion for food throughout the series. There were four truly memorable personalities in the series; Jax, cuddly judge Simon Gault, villainous Chef Volker, and the rough and ready adorable Cam, who struck a chord with viewers and contestants alike.
I have a few questions about the final; Where did Simon Wright disappear to? He was there, tried the food, but didn’t bother to hang about to give judgement on a two hour session. * What on earth were polystyrene plinths doing on a cooking show? * Who made the buttercream and was Jax’s sabotaged? (My engineer husband said the logic behind the explanation of construction failed miserably with him.) * Larousse Gastronomique tells me Bouillabaisse has parsley and bay leaf, and rock-fish and shellfish so why were the first two omitted and where do we think John Dory come from – the rocks? * How could a gal who’d never cooked pork before know to press the belly like that before crisping up the crackling?
And a big challenge for next season if there is to be one. How about making it a truly New Zealand series and using fresh produce from artisans, farmers markets and local farmers to showcase our country’s amazing wealth and depth of fabulous food? Oh, I know the answer to that one. The Aussie-owned supermarket chain came up with all the dollars.
11 May 2011
I have returned from three days of driving around the Coromandel and judging their annual Café Crawl. It’s a jolly affair, three nights, three restaurants in each town in a sort of progressive dinner, and a theme of ‘pioneer spirit.’ Suffice to say my lips are completely sealed about which town won; Thames, Tairua or Coromandel Town.
What truly impressed me however was the extensive use of local produce in every establishment I ate in. Chefs and restaurant owners put their heads together to construct dishes that truly reflected the Coromandel terroir, making use of everything that’s grown and produced on the peninsula. The region is known for misty bush clad hills, sandy beaches and narrow winding roads that cling to the cliffs or the shoreline.
Coromandel includes the peninsula from Whangamata north to Cape Colville and the Hauraki Plains. So in food terms that means abundant seafood and aquaculture, dairy produce, honey, nuts, plenty of meat and fruit and vegetables from fertile farms and gardens. Almost everything a kitchen needs. We ate very, very well. (See other posts on my blog, and also in a forthcoming Listener food column I am writing.)
It has occurred to me that this incredible use of everything local that’s edible was mainly due to the spotlight this challenge threw on the region. I hear we are getting about 85,000 international visitors for the forthcoming Rugby World Cup. Not only will these visitors watch rugby, drink our beer and try bungy jumping, but they will have to eat. Wouldn’t it be amazing if everywhere they ate around the country the fare they were served truly reflected the local produce?
That would mean that if they went to any restaurant in Marlborough they would see mussels, salmon and sauvignon blanc listed on the menu. While in Taranaki they’d enjoy fabulous local cheese, and lamb culled from those salty paddocks that face the stiff westerly breezes from the Tasman Sea every day. In Northland they’d feast on locally caught snapper and fruits from the citrus orchards. And so on……
Sometimes I think the cafés around the country have one central kitchen, making big paninis stuffed with ham and cheese, meat pies and humungous scones, muffins and carrot cakes. How can we get them to wake up to the artisan producers in their districts, to the fresh farm produce that some farmers would be only too happy to deliver and to realise that food they serve should be an expression of everything local.
Pictured above is Ruth Pettitt at Colenso Gardens in Whenuakite near Hot Water Beach. Ruth is exemplary in her approach to local food. I missed her Feijoa Friday last week but she showed me a complete menu of local feijoa treats she would be preparing. She uses local produce for all her cooking and maintains an extensive garden for her stunning café. We need to clone Ruth and send her to every café around New Zealand NOW!
6 May 2011
It's not quite harvest time for macadamias yet, but come July/August the Pilkington family will be gathering their nuts. I was keen to visit as I had met the family at the Saturday La Cigale French market in Auckland and knew that they had just attended Slow Food in Turin.
Coromandel has a Homegrown food trail, and one of the most inviting stops is a self guided meander through the Pilkington's macadamia orchard near the brilliant Cathedral Cove on Lees Rd, Hahei.
These creamy crisp nuts, which are actually native to Australia grow very well in the Coromandel climate and have a myriad of possibilities, as they're great in baking, wonderful roasted and served with drinks, and can be crushed to a crumb and used for coating fish or meats. For five years in a row the Pilkingtons have won the Whitianga Scallop Festival challenge with their lemon kelp macadamia sprinkle coated scallops.
The family property is on fertile slopes and I could see the guiding principles and philosophy of Slow Food were well practised here, as chickens, orchards and a large garden make for sustainable and a self sufficient living. So good to see a life style block put to such good use.
And if you can't get to the Coromandel you can order all their products on line at cathedralcovemacadamias.co.nz.