Author: Bunny Eats Design

Tofu Tuesday: Halloween dress ups

Published by

We had a pretty awesome Halloween party at our neighbour’s place on Saturday. Tofu the bunny still has lipstick on his face, there is still a little tidying up to do and I’m still feeling like I need another day or two to recover. Here’s Tofu the eyeless pirate obliging to a little photo shoot. Surprisingly, Tofu the bunny enjoyed being in this trick or treater’s bucket. I think it perfectly hugged his fluffy round butt. He snuggled right in. Click here to see more editions of Tofu Tuesday.

What to eat and see at Taste of Auckland 2015

Published by

Taste of Auckland starts on this Thursday! Running Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 November 2015, this will be their second year at the new location of Western Springs. A haven for foodies, this festival is now in it’s 7th year. Consider it a walking, living, breathing, build-your-own degustation. Tickets are available online or if you prefer to wait and see what the weather is doing, there are also door sales. I haven’t missed a single Taste festival yet. Yup. You could say I’m a fan. Gourmet Hangi For the first time at Taste, there will be a gourmet hangi. Each session a different chef or restaurant team will be offering a gourmet take on the Māori hangi. Be in quick, portions are limited and on first in first serve basis. I grew up in Rotorua where hangi feasts were fairly common but since moving to Auckland 20+ years ago, there’s been a distinct absence of hangi from my life. You can bet I’ll be trying as much gourmet hangi as I can! The Gourmet Hangi will be …

Balsamic garlic mushrooms

Published by

We are obsessed with mushrooms at our house. I disliked mushrooms as a child but now I don’t go more than a couple of days without eating mushrooms. I love that mushrooms are great for breakfast, lunch or dinner and you can bet that I have eaten them at all times of day. In fact, I have distinctly awesome memories of eating mushrooms from The Burgerie on K Rd late, late at night (or is that early hours of the morning) after a night out. If you haven’t had those mushrooms before, they are dangerous morsels of delicious molten lava. You have been warned. Four mushrooms or a handful is considered a good daily dose to reap all the benefits mushrooms offer. Mushrooms can be eaten raw or cooked, raw is healthier, cooked is tastier (in my opinion). It doesn’t take much time to prep mushrooms and even The Koala can rustle up some tasty mushrooms. Thanks to Meadow Mushrooms I have a mushroom prize pack worth $25 to giveaway to one Auckland mushroom lover. …

Crispy fried chicken skins and sweet drinks at PappaRich Auckland

Published by

PappaRich is a franchise serving up Malaysian classics across Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and very recently, Auckland. The first New Zealand store was promised for months on social media (I know because I was waiting patiently) and their loyal expat fans were insistent, verging on enraged that their beloved store opening was delayed. I think some people would have rammed the doors down if they thought it would get them a PappaRich meal earlier. Set on Level 1 of the SkyCity Metro complex (aka “IMAX”) on Queen Street in the city, this is a full size restaurant with all the furnishings and bright lighting you might expect from an international franchise. After soft opening for a couple of weeks, I was invited to the official opening a few weeks back where my sister and I, and others including bloggers Cecilia from Ultimate OmNoms and Sheena from As Told By Sheena. I was born in Hong Kong but grew up in New Zealand and I grew up eating Chinese/Malaysian food. So much to the point that I assumed it was Cantonese food …

Cheese and Chocolate givaway: winner

Published by

With special thanks to Whitestone Cheese and Wellington Chocolate Factory, I am pleased to announce the winner for the Cheese and Chocolate giveaway. The prize consists of the latest products by both companies with the Lindis Pass Camembert being released just last week: Whitestone Cheese Ferry Road Halloumi Whitestone Cheese Lindis Pass Camembert Wellington Chocolate Factory Peanut Butter Bar Wellington Chocolate Factory Great War Bar Drawn by Random.org the winner is…**drum roll please!** Kris van de Water Congratulations Kris and thanks to all who entered. You can find all these new products at New Zealand stockists. This was the final giveaway in my series of giveaways to celebrate Bunny Eats Design turning 5 years. Hope you’ve enjoyed receiving goodies as much as I’ve enjoyed giving them away! To keep up with announcements including giveaways, make sure you follow me on Bloglovin’ or Facebook.

Tofu Tuesday: 1000 on Instagram

Published by

Bunny Eats Design has reached 1000 followers on Instagram! It might not be much compared to some accounts but it’s a big deal to me. Thank you for your love and inspiration. Since starting on Instagram this year, I have felt that my compositions are getting better and faster. Instagram is like photography study for people on the go. Plus, it’s hugely addictive. See what the fuss is about if you haven’t already followed me over on Instagram. Click here to see more editions of Tofu Tuesday.

Fiercely seasonal in the Bombay Hills

Published by

A regular contender at Taste of Auckland, Bracu’s elegant dishes are celebration of quality local produce. Bracu has always been foodie destination on my “one day” list. They also do weddings and even though we visited on a wet spring day, it’s easy to picture a glorious sunny day in the micro-climate of the Bombay Hills. Bracu (pronounced brah-KOO) is set within the 96 hectares of Simunovich Olive Estate who produce olive oils and olive-based beauty products. You can enjoy claybird shooting, archery or even knife throwing if you prefer, before relaxing over food and wine in the idyllic setting of Bracu. Think rolling hills, thousands of olive trees, and country luxury.   Last week, I was invited to sample from the new spring menu at Bracu. Spring must be a dream for chefs, especially when there are items that are so fiercely seasonal. You get to play with these bright and delicate flavours for just a short period of time and if you’re lucky, you get suppliers that have all sorts of weird and …

Taste of Auckland double pass: winner

Published by

With special thanks to Taste of Auckland, I am pleased to announce the winner for the double pass for this spectacular foodie festival next month. Drawn by Random.org the winner is…**drum roll please!** Will Coady Congratulations Will and thanks to all who entered. Early bird tickets for Taste of Auckland are available for this week only so get them before the price bumps up to full price. For more information about Taste of Auckland, or to buy tickets, visit Taste of Auckland website here or their Facebook page here or their Twitter feed here. There is still one giveaway to draw next week, a chocolate and cheese prize courtesy of Whitestone Cheese and Wellington Chocolate Factory, make sure you enter here. To keep up with announcements including giveaways, make sure you follow me on Bloglovin’ or Facebook.

Tofu Tuesday: Onion weed in spring

Published by

Onion weed is in full force in our garden this spring. They might be a thorn in gardener’s side, but the white flowers are straight out of a fairytale. Did you know onion weed is edible? Both the green grassy bit and the flowers are edible. Use in place of chives or use the flowers as a garnish. Of course, with any foraged food, only pick from places you know are free from chemical sprays. Click here to see more editions of Tofu Tuesday.

Asparagus for adults in spring

Published by

It might only be the start of spring but it feels like the tail-end already. We’ve had bright sunny days that suggest that summer is just around the corner. Daylight savings has begun, which means I get to photograph food in natural light in the evenings instead of having to save it for the weekend. This means (potentially) more recipes and more blog posts! Yay!   Last week, The Koala and I went to Cornwall Park to see the spring lambs. They were super cute. If you’re in the southern hemisphere, I would advise seeking out a lamb visit. It’s worth it. After our visit with the lambs, we invited a couple of friends over for the first barbecue of the season. It’s been all of winter since we taught ourselves how to use our charcoal barbecue and we’ve still got the skills we picked up in summer. I don’t remember spring barbecues being a thing, but going by the lovely smells in our neighbourhood, we’re not the only ones barbecuing in spring. Spring also means asparagus season. I …

Skinfood prize pack giveaway: Winner

Published by

Apologies for this later than advertised announcement. With special thanks to Skinfood, I am pleased to announce the winner for the Skinfood prize pack (worth $150).   Drawn by Random.org the winner is… **drum roll please!** Hoi Yan Yeung   Thanks to all who entered. There are still two food-related giveaways up for grabs (Taste of Auckland tickets and a chocolate and cheese prize courtesy of Whitestone Cheese and Wellington Chocolate Factory), make sure you enter them here and here. To keep up with announcements including giveaways, make sure you follow me on Bloglovin’ or Facebook.

The Foodbox “Big Bang” giveaway: winner

Published by

Apologies for this later than advertised announcement. With special thanks to Foodbox.co.nz, I am pleased to announce the winner for their Big Bang fruit and vege box (worth $45). We’ve been getting the Big Bang and it really is big. A little too big for 2 adults and rabbit, but it keeps us on our fresh food eating toes. Drawn by Random.org the winner is… **drum roll please!** Kellie Lee   Thanks to all who entered. I loved reading your answers and have some great ideas for coming posts using yummy produce. Check back later today when I announce the winner of the huge Skinfood prize pack. There are still two food-related giveaways up for grabs (Taste of Auckland tickets and a chocolate and cheese prize courtesy of Whitestone Cheese and Wellington Chocolate Factory), make sure you enter them here and here. To keep up with announcements including giveaways, make sure you follow me on Bloglovin’ or Facebook.

Our Growing Edge October 2015 Intro

Published by

This month is hosted by Kerene from The Dream Bakery. To join, click on the submission button below: We all have bucket lists. Whether they’re written down somewhere or kept in our heads and hearts. Our Growing Edge is the part of us that is still learning and experimenting. It’s the part that you regularly grow and improve, be it from real passion or a conscious effort. This blogging monthly event aims to connect and inspire us to try new things and to compile a monthly snapshot of what food bloggers are getting up to. If you have a blog and are planning to write about a new food related experience, join us! More info on the event can be found here. Some ideas you could try this month: Cook with a Spring or Autumn ingredient Try a new local restaurant Recreate a favourite restaurant dish Forage for your dinner Visit some local markets you have never been to before Cook a dessert from a foreign cuisine Below is a preview of some of the submissions from September’s edition of Our …

Bunny Eats Design turns 5 – Cheese and Chocolate giveaway

Published by

Bunny Eats Design turns 5 this month and at my birthday, I like to serve cheese and chocolate. Thanks to Whitestone Cheese and Wellington Chocolate Factory, I have some of their latest products to give away for my blog birthday celebrations. To enter, just fill in the form at the bottom of this post including a skill question (the answer which can be found here). Due to the logistics of sending cheese, this competition is open to New Zealand residents only. Sorry guys! This prize includes: Whitestone Cheese Ferry Road Halloumi Whitestone Cheese Lindis Pass Camembert Wellington Chocolate Factory Peanut Butter Bar Wellington Chocolate Factory Great War Bar Whitestone Cheese Whitestone Cheese is based in Oamaru which is roughly between Dunedin and Timaru. Originally a family farm that diversified into cheese making, the farm has since been sold and now they just make cheese. With a factory, viewing room, deli and shop, Whitestone has over 50 staff and their cheese are available in supermarkets, delis and specialty stores across New Zealand. Check out the FAQ section of their website where you can find the answers …

Bunny Eats Design turns 5 – Taste of Auckland giveaway

Published by

Taste of Auckland is my favourite, favourite, favourite foodie event. Taste is 7 years old this year and I have been attending religiously every year since inception, including the bonus Taste at The Cloud during RWC year. Obsessed much? Taste of Auckland is coming up in November and tickets are on sale now. With special thanks to Lemongrass Productions, I have two tickets to give away to one lucky reader. To enter, just visit my Instagram account and name one dish I have posted to Instagram recently. Entry form at the bottom of this post. The main drawcard of Taste are the restaurants, each serving up a small menu of tasty morsels. This year there will also be Brew Street, a craft beer special with 10 minute meet the makers talks. The Social Kitchen by Fisher and Paykel is always popular with the festival goers. Nothing quite like an interactive, edible exhibit. You can also look forward to a gourmet hangi. A first in Taste history. Bloggers, reviewers and food pornographers will be happy to learn that Canon will be running a Food Photography workshop during the festival. Tickets: $50 per person including your …

Pumpkin Soup for Pumpkin Haters

Published by

I know I sound childish and not at all like a sophisticated foodie when I say, “I hate pumpkin”. Maybe hate is too strong a word, but I have a strong dislike for it. Whenever we get roast dinner takeaways (best hangover food) I transfer my pumpkin pieces onto The Koala’s plate. The Koala loves pumpkin so he accepts it happily. I say pumpkin, you say squash Before I go further, I should mention that here in New Zealand, we call all things in the squash and pumpkin family simply, “pumpkin”. So when I say, “I hate pumpkin“, elsewhere, I would say, “I hate squash“. Anyway, I know it’s good for you and when it’s in season, it’s everywhere. Since The Koala loves pumpkin and pumpkin soup, and since pumpkins keep appearing in our Foodbox, I’ve been experimenting with pumpkin soup recipes. This recipe is for the pumpkin haters among us. Spices I’ve used garam masala and cinnamon, feel free to also try turmeric and ground coriander. Spices make pumpkin palatable. A little cream doesn’t hurt either. …