Lauraine’s blog
15 March 2010
I have become a total farmers’ market addict. I spend almost every weekend in the Matakana region and every Saturday I arrive at the market as close to 8am as I can. I grab a coffee (the clever boys at Matakana Roasters know exactly how I like mine) and check out the fresh seasonal vegetables and fruit, real free range orchard laid organic eggs, artisan products, fresh fish and meat, smoked goodies, and a truly tempting array of freshly prepared ready to eat food. I need to take at least three baskets which I always seem to fill.
(If I do have to stay in Auckland I always head to the Parnell farmers’ market in the car park of the Foundation for the Blind. The vegetables there are superb, and the crowd is much later to arrive than I am used to so it’s really easy to move around.)
This summer has been the best ever for the Matakana market. We’ve seen many new stall holders and every single week there’s a new surprise for those who look carefully. I love the Something Fishy stall, and this weekend was thrilled to see Bluff oysters, meaty chunks of tuna and fresh whole salmon. I bought the oysters, and then found wonderful aubergines, incredibly intense sweet bright orange baby tomatoes and lovely lettuce and rocket with the dirt still clinging to the roots in a nearby veggie stall. And many other things: smoked salmon, baby beetroot, avocados, smoked garlic, roses, green beans, passion fruit, grapes, buffalo fresh cheese, and a jar of locally made mustard.
But what I love most is watching the development of the stall holders. John and Wi of Pak Thai grow Asian produce, and this week John came up with a new innovation. He put together large brown paper carry bags filled with all the ingredients, including a recipe, for a green Thai curry. For $13.50 I got a packet of green curry paste, sachets of kaffir lime leaves, birdseye chillies, those pea-sized Thai aubergines, a can of the best coconut cream I have come across, a chicken stock cube, and large bunches of fresh coriander and sweet basil. I didn’t buy chicken, but instead made a potato and aubergine curry for friends on Saturday night. Lovely!
Annabelle Guinness never fails to surprise me with her wonderfully innovative bowls of food. She started out with sorbets, mayonnaise and fudge, then developed a range of superb soups (the shiitake tea soup is my all time favourite) and now makes ready to eat treats each week. I can’t go past her breakfast polenta topped with poached plums, figs, apples or pears, swathed in cream and honey and finished with a sprig of mint. But she also has potato and mushroom gratin, beans and croutons in tamarind on rice, and other amazing combinations of delicious food.
And it’s been great to see the return of Silvana Silvestro and her husband Mike, who make authentic, inspired Sicilian food including sweet custardy cannoli, a rich lasagne made with Salumeria Fontana sausage, and fantastic rice suppli which Silvana will heat to eat at the market.
These people have all become friends, and as those of us who have long recognised, the connection of grower to consumer is the real strength of a farmers' market. There’s trust, faith and understanding. As much as I love my local New World in Remuera, the amazing Jack Lum and Co, and Remuera Fisheries, it can never be quite the same as knowing exactly who grew my food and presented it to me.
14 March 2010
I can't stay away. I was at Soul, yet again, on Friday. This time to join Jacqui Dixon's 50th birthday celebration. Where have the years gone?
It seems about five minutes ago I visited Jacqui and Phil Dixon's home in Parnell where they had stuffed their garage full of top class superb Italian products. They threw a dinner to showcase pasta, balsamic and other Italian delights at 82 Gladstone and chef Leanne Kitchen cooked up a classy storm that night.
And it's been non-stop since then as their business Sabato has encompassed far more than the best products of Italy. The showroom in Mt Eden is crammed with every luxury thing item from afar and New Zealand that a cook could desire (although I haven't seen caviar in a while.)
And the Soul menu of delicious mozzarella and vine ripened tomato salad, tender juicy duck breast and a tiny creme brulee with raspberries and lemon sorbet made for a deliciously fitting tribute to one of Auckland's food champions.
I have been privileged to share the journey. Happy birthday, Jacqui!
4 March 2010
There’s one restaurant in Auckland that’s light years ahead of the pack when it comes down to knowing their market and dealing to it. It’s Soul Bar and Bistro, which can be found occupying the top position on the city’s Viaduct Basin.
I have always admired owner Judith Tabron as the most sassy restaurateur this country has, and probably has ever had. (Valerie Littlejohn, Madame Louise, Bob Sell and Lada Ourednik were good, but not as good as The Blonde.) She knows how to pull the crowds, she knows her customers and exactly what they want. She instigated witty viral marketing campaigns, has great mates in the wine world, and is not afraid to risk it all for a fabulous promotion that will bring new punters along to the restaurant, sipping and swilling alongside the regulars. Fashion parades, underwear exposés, literary lunches, Melbourne Cup Days complete with the tote, and promos where girls get free Moet all contribute to a constantly moving and developing scene that’s unrivalled in New Zealand.
But this week will be hard to top, IMHO. Tuesday was the annual Soul Bluff Oyster Lunch. Keith Lovatt, the champion oyster opener and fisherman from the deepest South (where they only have two drinks I am led to believe: Speight’s and a frothy concoction of Kahlua, ice and milk, sipped through a straw) was flown up to shuck his way through an impressive 200 dozen oysters in less than three hours. (He had quite some blisters by the end of that performance.)
And more than 230 people fronted up with $130 for the privilege of tasting the first of the new season’s bivalves, accompanied by Deutz Prestige Cuvee or Mumm Champagne. And they were well rewarded as Judith budgeted on about 4-5 dozen oysters per head (yes, you read that right.) We ate plate after plate of freshly shucked oysters, briny, sweet and delicious, and then followed that with half a dozen fried oysters on a minted slaw, a cup of rich satisfying Oyster Broth, and a cute little oyster and beef pie that was superb. (see photo). To wrap up the lunch there were more freshly shucked oysters and a sublime dessert of Peach Melba.
The stars were out in force for this including Kerre Woodham, Marcus Lush and even some Visitors From Wellington and partying continued as long as the oysters lasted, which was well after the sun had set.
And to top all that, Soul launched their newest promo tonight, Garden of Soul, with Havana Heaven Party. Loved those mojitos and Kantuta playing!
Xanthe White was commissioned to turn that amazing deck into a garden, complete with fountain and an array of living plants. Over the next few days there will be a Morning Glory High Tea in the garden (Saturday), a party to celebrate the Garden of Good and Evil (late night Saturday Masquerade Party), and a Fire and Brimstone Barbeque (Sunday from 4pm). I’ll be back, although the deck may never be the same without that lush green growth to fancy it up. Judith confesses she’s organised this promotion as she misses arranging the flowers that used to dominate the centre of her previous restaurant Ramses. I thought her mother came in to do the flowers there. Whatever; it is certainly not to be missed, running from 4-9 March.
24 February 2010
My son is getting married this weekend! And so we are celebrating all week long.
Such a special occasion calls for family favourite food, and I have shared two traditional family classics on my recipe page. I prepared both these recipes for a party on Monday night and we're still eating the leftovers. Check them out!
19 February 2010
Chinese New Year is perhaps the most auspicious and important time on the calendar. The celebrations last for fifteen days from the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar until the Lantern Festival 15 days later. It’s time to clean the house, greet friends and feast on special foods that will bring good luck.
In honour of Chinese New Year the NZ Guild of Food Writers (I am the current president) held a traditional New Year Banquet at Grand Harbour restaurant in Auckland’s Viaduct Basin. We planned the dinner to be a cultural learning experience, especially important for us, as predictions are that in six years time every third person residing in Auckland will be of Asian origin and the majority of the group will be Chinese.
Our dinner was an unqualified success. Everyone wore something red, to symbolise the importance of the occasion and to bring luck. Tables were garnished with boxes of sweets and oranges, and as president (supposedly the most important guest) I was given special sweets to bring me the gift of a son in the forthcoming year - I hope it’s a grandson, not a son, and you never know as my son is getting married next week!
Every dish served had special significance and many of the dishes are served specifically for New Year. The twelve course menu was amazing, and a far cry from what most of us would ever order if presented with the wide choice that such large restaurants as Grand Harbour offer to diners.
My favourites were the braised pork tongue slices with dried oysters and black moss, a huge braised crayfish on a bed of tasty e-fu noodles, stir fried scallops in XO Sauce with crispy milk fritters (just wonderful) and a large packet of steamed duck and mushroom rice wrapped in a lotus leaf, which has a small version that I always order as Yum Char lunch.
Jenny Yee Collinson, a long time Guild member and expert on Asian cookery explained each dish to us, and half way through the evening a traditional Lion Dance was performed. How the lion manoeuvred through and around the tables, I’m not sure, but all diners presented the dancers with a lucky red packet in appreciation.
Our dinner finished with Chinese New Year dessert cake, sweet, sticky and superb. I think we will be making this an annual event.
(thanks to William Chen for photo)
15 February 2010
With dismay I read over the weekend that Feran Adrià and his restaurant partner Juli Soler are to close El Bulli, on Spain’s northern Mediterranean coast. (The kitchen itself is far more impressive than the actual restaurant. The chefs cook in an airy space with stunning work benches and art on the walls. The diners eat in a relaxed well decorated series of dining areas that have a distinct country feel.)
The report I read suggested that Feran and Juli had been losing up to half a million euros each season, and so at the end of next year, El Bulli will serve its last degustation meal. I am not surprised about their cash flow, as when we ate there the pair were exceedingly generous, plying us with an almost never ending flow of superb Spanish wines all evening, and only charging us for the food! They are two lovely men, each bringing something truly unique to the art of dining, creating an experience that has seen El Bulli named top restaurant in the world for the past four years.
I wrote about our experience there at the time, calling the story, ‘My Culinary Pilgrimage’ and I share that here:
“The road to el Bulli restaurant twists and turns through uninhabited hilly Mediterranean coastal land near the summer resort town of Roses. The journey is a culinary pilgrimage to this Spanish temple of dining where Ferran Adrià and his kitchen team of 35 chefs and 15 front of house staff deliver an extraordinary experience to 55 privileged diners each night for six months of the year.
It is a meal like no other on the planet, an adventure of feasting on an array of more than 30 innovative and original tiny courses (with no meat) that left us happy and satisfied but neither groaning or overfed. Adrià is a master of taste and texture, a magician who creates truly remarkable food that had us intrigued, amazed and sometimes puzzled.
A large scented red rose (to excite the senses) accompanied by a tall glass of hot and chilled Roses ginger, honey and peach tea kicked off the meal. Paper thin crisps of lemon and black olive, brittle toast with an accompanying tube of peanut butter, rabbit ear crackling, a tin of caviar fashioned from ripe melon so that it looked like salmon roe, and lemon rind tempura with the aroma of licorice followed in quick succession.
The chefs spend their winter devising and dreaming up these culinary quirks of imagination and each season open with a menu that is more inventive than the previous.
The ninth course, four perfect fresh almonds: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, presented on a granite slab with accompanying shot glass of ice cold water really focussed our attention and brought the realisation that Adrià was literally playing with our senses. We tasted mint, coconut and curry candy floss, foie gras ‘water’, crab cannelloni that was shrouded in thin avocado slices, ‘sunburnt’ sardines, veal bone marrow with black pepper, parmesan cheese spaghetti where the pasta was made from cheese, and gnocchi made from water on a bed of lychee soup. But it was the foam that he has perfected, a glass cylinder filled with carrot froth like sitting above a spoonful of bitter coconut milk that captured our attention most for the sheer brilliance of colour and intense flavour.
Desserts were equally stunning and the frozen loaf of white chocolate and yogurt was unbelievably standout, rather like a sophisticated version of pavlova.
In a world where dining experiences are measured by Michelin stars, this added up to an experience that deserves the invention of an fourth star as it is unprecedented and worth every penny of the round the world air ticket to get there.”
Even now as I sit at my desk five years later and look over the menu from that evening, I can conjure up most of the colourful dishes. As you can see, at that time the foam impressed. It is probably Feran’s gift to the world which has been the most emulated and the most abused.
But, sadly, we won’t be going back, and foodies who dreamed of such a pilgrimage will not have that experience either.
25 January 2010
This list is the first of several “My Favourites” I plan to compile over the next few weeks. Products, restaurants, books, wines, and more to come….
Aromatics “Hamming It Up” ; The talented Noel Crawford hit the jackpot with his fabulous glaze and baste for our Christmas and summer ham. Spicy, sweet and delicious. And so easy!
Mandy’s Horseradish; We couldn’t be without this spicy condiment in our refrigerator. Perfect for roast beef, sausages and smoked salmon
Seasmoke Cold Smoked Salmon; This particular smoked salmon produced by Regal is miles ahead of the pack, and there’s always some in my frig. A Norwegian visitor this summer declared it the best she’d ever tasted and I agree.
Proper Hand Cooked Potato Crisps; I love the way these potato crisps from Nelson are packaged with the name of the person who hand made them, and with the potato that was used. (I hadn’t even heard of Lady Rosetta potatoes!) They’re the most more-ish potato crisp and nothing artificial about them.
Purewasabi; Grown in Canterbury and wonderfully pungent and creamy. Already mixed with a little lemon, oil and salt it has been an essential addition to our sashimi this summer at the beach, and puts the artificially coloured Japanese tubes to shame.
Piako Yogurt; Thank goodness Nosh opened in Matakana in December so I can get my fix of the mango flavoured yogurt, although my friends prefer the passionfruit version.
Waiheke Island Herb Spread; Hand made by Wendy Kendall with 12 different herbs and Waiheke olive oil, this spread has appeared on almost every meat I’ve barbecued this summer and was superb with fresh kingfish.
Diehl’s Breads; We plan our trips north to suit the opening hours of Diehl’s German bakery in Hillside Rd, Glenfield. Dark chewy rye, a lighter caraway seed loaf, yogurt bread and much, much more.
Mahurangi Oysters; These sweet creamy oysters have been fabulous, shucked in front of my eyes in the Matakana farmer’s market each Saturday. They’re spawning right now but as soon as the weather starts to cool, I will be right into them again.
Montebello Sugo di Pomodoro al Basilico; I always thought the absolute best product stocked at Sabato was the Salvagno Pitted Olives in evoo. But now I think this amazing tomato sauce from an organic company in Italy is equally addictive and has a depth of flavour I can hardly produce in my own tomato sauce. A store cupboard essential!
11 January 2010
The start of a new decade is a time for contemplation. Foodies have not been served well in the past ten years, IMHO. Around the beginning of this century we had a bright and burgeoning food scene with a terrific choice of foods, a real future in artisan production and some superb restaurants where individual chefs displayed unique skills and put together original clever food that they could stamp with their own individuality.
So what has gone wrong? We continue to have great food available, farmer’s markets have really taken off so enlightened cooks can shop locally each week and as New Zealanders we are exporting fine fare around the globe. But something is missing. We have a nation of people where many are seriously overweight and sick from bad diets, we don’t sit around the table enjoying fresh food and company on a regular basis anymore and too many of us buy all our food from a supermarket system of one stop shopping. (If we must do this at least we should try to favour the chain with local ownership and a real sense of community, where the profits stay firmly in New Zealand.) After all we’ve been through the decade where Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Barbara Kingsolver and many more awakened us to the inherent dangers of much of our food supply chain.
First and foremost I blame the food writers. Too many, both here and overseas, have convinced us that we have no time to cook any more, that we can put a meal on the table in about 5-10 minutes by merely ‘assembling’ ingredients and that our store cupboard should be filled with tins, frozen packets and pre-cooked foods. They produce endless recipes that seem remarkably similar and have forgotten about the joy of simple food, carefully chosen, beautifully cooked and lovingly served. Everyone can find time to cook properly, as it is a matter of organisation and prioritising time.
Secondly, I blame the rise and rise of food on television. Not the wonderful food programmes where passionate cooks like Rick Stein, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and the amazing team at Market Kitchen in the Borough Market in London’s East End inspire us. But think about all those hideously competitive cooking programmes like Iron Chef, Master Chef, Hells’ Kitchen, Chopping Block, Ready Steady Cook and other ridiculous reality shows where cooks are reduced to tears and cooking is viewed as passive entertainment so people dial up pizzas while they watch. Food as competition does not inspire people to cook, just to watch criticise, and often cringe.
Thirdly the rise of molecular gastronomy or in its new guise, techno-emotional cooking. Chefs have moved away from glorious simple delicious food that is not mucked about and seem to emulate Ferran Adria, Heston Blumenthal or Grant Achatz. Those guys are experts, know what they’re doing and have refined their techniques over many years. A young chef should not read the latest book and instantly become an expert, unleashing experimental food on the paying public.
Bring back beautiful fresh food that’s not mucked around with.
There are many more reasons for concern, and also many good things to celebrate. But all is not lost. We do have some superb practitioners in our restaurants, we have many intelligent and thoughtful food writers and we can take inspiration from the world’s best real cooks on our screens. And good food is there for the taking (or buying is probably a better word.) So let’s make this the decade where we actively all think carefully about what we eat, who we support, and ensure we celebrate great food, cooked with love that can be enjoyed around the table with appreciative and thoughtful friends and family.
20 December 2009
I have been thinking about Christmas food all week, but don’t have too many worries as my sister has let me off the hook this year and will be doing the family feast at her place. But I have had calls from three different people this week wanting to buy copies of my book “The Confident Cook” as there are two recipes they absolutely need for their Christmas feast. I want ot share these two all time stars with you.
There’s nothing like a ham, gleaming with a sticky glaze, moist and pink and still warm from the oven. There’s always far too much to eat at one sitting so over the days after Christmas meals and snacks become easy as the ham sits in the fridge. At our place you can observe many of those Nigella moments when various family members sneak to the fridge and slyly slice a sliver or two of ham when they’re hungry.
And here’s a tip to get the most out of your ham:
Wrap the ham in a tea towel or special cloth ham bag that is kept moist by dipping the cloth in a solution of water and white wine vinegar. Keep refrigerated at all times.
And Salade Rouge is a vegetable salad I dreamed up for a Christmas feature about four years ago. I wish I had a dollar for every reader and fan who has stopped me to tell me how much they love that recipe. It’s easy to prepare ahead, looks remarkably festive with the contrasting shades of red and is really delicious.
Carrots, beetroot, roast red peppers, tomatoes, red onions and basil are bathed in a lovely dressing made with orange juice and honey. I can guarantee this will become part of your festive recipe repertoire.
Here are these two all time favourites:
Enjoy!
Salad Rouge
My most requested recipe of all time. Properly cooked vegetables are the best part of a meal for me. This bright fresh vegetable salad with contrasting crunch and flavour adds a real hit of colour to the festive table. Prepare everything ahead, refrigerate but bring back to room temperature before serving.
- 5 small red peppers, de-seeded, stalks and membranes removed and cut into wedges
- 3 small red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
- 4 medium beetroot
- 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into neat diagonal slices
- 2 large acid free tomatoes
For the dressing:
- 1 orange, juice and zest cut in thin strips and blanched
- 1 tablespoon runny honey
- ¼ cup olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- a few fresh basil leaves for garnish
Heat the oven to 180ºC and roast the pepper and onion wedges until soft and mellow (about 25 minutes.) Keep aside
To prepare the beetroot, boil in water for about 40 minutes until tender, cool and remove the skins. Cut into rough chunks.
To prepare the carrots, cook in salted water with a pinch of sugar for about 10 minutes, until soft but not mushy. Keep aside.
Wash the tomatoes well and cut into neat chunks.
Make the dressing by mixing everything together in a small screew top jar.
Place the vegetables on a large white platter, and drizzle over the dressing. Garnish with a few torn basil leaves and serve at rooms temperature. Serves 10-12.
Traditional Glazed Ham with fresh orange slices
Cooked hams are improved by very slowly heating them in the oven and glazing with juice, sugar and spice to give extra sweetness. Choose a ham on the bone, or, for really easy carving, a “champagne” ham with almost all the bones removed is far chunkier and rounder than the traditional ham on the bone.
- 1 whole cooked ham on the bone (6kg to 9kg)
For the glaze:
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cardamom
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
For the garnish:
- Sugar syrup made with 2 cups water and 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 oranges
- 3 tablespoons cloves
Carefully cut around the skin at the shank end of the ham, leaving about 6cm on the bone. Remove the skin from the ham by sliding your fingers under the skin to loosen it, leaving a good coating of fat on the ham.
With a sharp knife score the surface of the fat into small even diamonds. Place the ham in a large baking dish and pour over one cup of the orange juice.
Put the ham in an oven pre-heated to 160°C and cook for about 15 minutes per kilogram. (Hams are generally between 6kg and 9kg.)
About 15 minutes before the total cooking time, remove the ham from the oven and turn the heat up to 200°C. Mix the sugar, cardamom and mustard together with the remaining orange juice and spread this over the ham. Place in the oven and cook for the final 10-15 minutes so the skin is nicely glazed. Remove and decorate with the oranges and cloves.
To make the orange garnish, bring the sugar and water to a simmer, making absolutely certain all the sugar is dissolved before the syrup boils. Allow the syrup to boil for 20 minutes to reduce and thicken. Cut the oranges into thin slices with the skin on, and drop them carefully into the syrup. Poach for 5 minutes and leave in the syrup to cool.
The ham can be done well ahead, but keep refrigerated until serving.
18 December 2009
This year I edited a great book, A Treasury of NZ Baking, which was published by Random House. It’s a very feel good story as generosity is at the very core of the project.
New Zealand’s top food writers and chefs shared their very favourite recipes, legendary food writer Tui Flower wrote her “baking wisdom” tips and hints. Celebrity baker Dean Brettschneider flew in from Shanghai courtesy of Air New Zealand to bake every recipe for photography. The AUT patisserie students assisted him in the school’s kitchens and learned lots in the process. Aaron McLean, NZ’s top food photographer by a country mile, shot all the photos in three days and the Auckland City mission got to serve all the baking to the hungry and needy at the end of each day.
But it does not stop there. All the royalties from this book go to the Breast Cancer Foundation and as the book went to Number 1 on the best seller list, the foundation stands to make a handsome sum.
In the spirit of Christmas and to honour the munificence and spirit that built this book, think about giving it to someone who will appreciate the story and the 104 beautifully photographed timeless recipes.