Author: Bunny Eats Design

Tofu Tuesday: Local elections

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It’s local election time and reading through this year’s candidate booklet, I’m reminded why I have never voted in local elections. I can’t summon any enthusiasm for the candidates. Voting is important and I have voted in every general election since I turned 18, but local elections…? Not once. The voting booklet is peppered with a huge variety of candidates from serious runners to society’s extremists. The terrible writing makes me wonder if the whole thing is a joke or just a soapbox for crazies to mount every few years. Tell me who to vote for. Please. Click here to see more editions of Tofu Tuesday.

Pinot Pinball at Pinot Palooza

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My friend Miss A and I attended the first Auckland Pinot Palooza on Saturday at Shed 10. This celebration of pinot noir is aimed specifically at wine drinkers rather than wine snobs. There was very little else aside from pinot noir so it was eye-opening to try pinot noir from different climates and vintages all one after the other. Pinot Palooza has been running in Australia for 5 years and has a cult following of feel good wine drinking over there. With over 60 pinot noir producers on site, each offering an average of 3 bottles each, there was no way we would get through them all. Not even close and especially since we weren’t spitting. Sauvignon Blanc are the number one planting in our vineyards taking a massive 72% of our production but Pinot Noir is (a very distant but growing) second with 8% of NZ wine production (Source: NZ Wine). After starting with a couple of wines from Wine Australia followed by Framingham in Marlborough, we quickly devised our plan of action which …

Our Growing Edge – September 2016 Intro

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September edition of Our Growing Edge is hosted by Chrystal from The Smallwood Parsonage.  Theme: Family Recipes Family recipes are important to foodies and food bloggers because the dishes we grew up with nurtured our love for food. Family recipes are often forgotten by adventurous foodies as we look for trendy and new recipes. This month’s theme asks for us to step back and dig into our family culinary histories. So pull out those old family recipe books, phone your family and share those family recipes. Some ideas you could try this month: Update a family favourite Beg a family member for their treasured recipe to share on your blog Cook something from a family cookbook and share it’s origins Host a pot luck with the theme of “Family Recipes” Recreate a dish from your childhood from scratch To submit a post, click on the submission button below: More info on the event can be found here. Last month’s event Cheryl at Business Chic was the host for August’s edition of Our Growing Edge. I know Cheryl from wine festivals here in Auckland and also because the blogging scene …

Pies and wine

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I had the BEST foodie day in Britomart last Friday. A couple of hours work in the morning and then lunch at Ortolana with fellow bloggers Ari Eats and Miss Charlotte Cake, followed by a gourmet pie masterclass, followed by coffee at Oaken (one of my favourite spots), followed by a food and wine matching class by Ostro, followed by dinner at Indochine with my bestie (and more wine).   Social Kitchen I was invited as a guest to a couple of masterclasses at Fisher and Paykel’s Social Kitchen in Britomart, set up as part of Auckland Restaurant Month. With a covered seating area, stage and demonstration kitchen, these were presented by Kelly Gibney of Bonnie Delicious blog. Chefs, restaurants and food personalities represented included Paul Carmichael (Momofuku Seiobo), Kyle Street (Depot, Federal), Gareth Stewart (Euro, The Culpepper), Michael Dearth (The Grove) Jordon Rondel (The Caker), Giapo Grazioli (Giapo) and more. Each class was starkly different and there really was something for every level of foodie. The weather was glorious so it was nice to see beanbags out …

Did someone say Palooza?

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I consider Pinot Noir the “gateway red” and next Saturday on September 3rd, Pinot Palooza, a celebration of Pinot Noir is coming to Auckland. Auckland’s first Pinot Palooza features unlimited tastings of 150 wines, 60 producers from New Zealand and Australia. Regions represented are Central Otago, Hawkes Bay, Marlborough, Wairarapa, Waipara Valley, North Canterbury and Nelson. You may recognise some of the producers such as: Pegasus Bay  Neudorf Sileni Estates Giesen Wines Villa Maria Though there are many more, check out the full list here: http://pinotpalooza.com.au/auckland-your-wine-list/ If you’ve been to any other Bottle Shop Concepts events such as Game of Rhones, then you can expect the same token-free experience. That’s right no tokens meaning you can taste wines to your heart’s content without worrying how many pieces of silver you have left in your pocket. There will be music, there might even be dancing. Who knows? Tickets are $60pp which includes an EPIC crystal Plumm RedB Glass (value $35) or VIP tickets which includes early access, a food voucher, a curated tour and a special …

Fish at work

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It doesn’t matter if your co-workers love fish, zapping a fish lunch in the staff microwave is just bad manners. I love fish, especially smoked fish but I’ve always been careful not to have bring fish to work. Smoked fish pie and fish curries – while delicious – are dishes I enjoy at restaurants or at home. This smoked fish recipe is work-place appropriate. Because it is served cold, no one else needs to know you’re enjoying some yummy smoked fish. Kahawai is a firm white fish commonly found in New Zealand and most of the time is served hot smoked. Reasonably priced at around $25NZ per kilo for boneless sides, a 250gram (half pound) fillet will set you back less than $7NZ. If you can’t get a hold of smoked kahawai, feel free to use any smoked fish fillet – hot smoked trout would be a great substitute. Spring is just around the corner here and in my garden, the rosemary bush and onion weed is flowering so I’ve used these as garnish along with …

Winner of ETA UpperCuts $100 Cassia voucher

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With special thanks to ETA UpperCuts #OpenUpInteresting I am pleased to announce the winner for the Cassia $100 voucher giveaway. Cassia won Metro’s Best Restaurant 2016 and Chef Sid Sahrawat is considered one of our most innovative and inspiring chefs, recently taking the title of Cuisine’s Chef of the Year. Drawn by Random.org the winner is… **drum roll please!** Jason Alipao Congratulations Jason! I loved picking out this prize and I hope you enjoy your visit to Cassia. To keep up with giveaways and announcements, make sure you follow my Facebook page here.  

Tofu Tuesday: Semi Permanent swag

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I’ve had a creative supercharge after 2 days at Semi Permanent, a creative conference here in Auckland. with 20 speakers over 2 days, it certainly gave my brain a work out. It’s been a good few years since my last Semi Permanent, I started attending  in 2004 when I was a bright-eyed third-year graphic design student. Now that I’m a freelancer and own my own business, the conference has a different meaning to me. The speakers this year included various entrepreneurs, creative directors, an architect, a poet, UX designers, social media and business people. I was a little gutted there were any illustrators, photographers or typographers represented as these are things that are close to my heart. There were 2 speakers that had food backgrounds though which pleased me. This year felt much more business, technology and philosophy orientated. While I am a business owner, I find business conversations pretty boring. My favourite speaker would be Sam Bompas of Bompas & Parr fame. If you love food with a healthy dose of wonder and magic, I suggest you look them …

Curious chips for seasoned foodies and a hot giveaway

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Being a curious foodie can be a double-edged sword. I love trying new things, but am never satisfied with the same old flavours. Food tastes and food culture are constantly evolving and finding the next big flavour can be a constant pursuit. I often find inspiration from new foods, cuisines, chefs, and restaurants so I was delighted to learn that Eta have done the same by exploring dozens of ingredient, flavour combos and food trends around the world for the release of four interesting new Eta Uppercuts flavours. I’m excited to share with you two of the new flavours: Sriracha Chilli Corn Tapas, and Cheddar with Black Pepper Deli Cut along with the dips I have created to match. These recipes make generous portions of dip, good for 2-3 bags of chips each. Great as a snack or as a party food, I’ve tested these combinations with my enthusiastic band of guinea pigs friends and I’m pleased to say that both chips and dips were reduced to nothing. A tasty dip can elevate a great …

Tofu Tuesday: Threshold

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A blind, fluffy rabbit hesitates on the threshold. It’s been sunny but cold lately so Tofu the bunny wasn’t too sure if he wanted to go outside to play. In the end he decided yes. But first he sniffed and examined everything on our deck before making his way down the stairs and into the garden. Our deck is a bit of a mess at the moment with potted plants and washing baskets for Tofu the bunny to carefully consider with his whiskers. Anything he “chins” is claimed as his. Click here to see more editions of Tofu Tuesday.

Street Eats 2016 – Eats

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Some of the most delicious things happen by pure chance. On Saturday morning, while eating a whitebait fritter on slice of bread, AND a bag of crunchy deep fried chicken skins (both uncommon in my life), I realised I could combine the two. The result was better than either food on its own. Soft, fish, lemon, crunch, salt, chicken-y. It was so good. I should start my own stall. Ha. My friend and I set upon Street Eats at Shed 10 on Auckland’s Queens Wharf ready to eat and ready to be wowed. This year, Street Eats spanned two levels of Shed 10 giving more room for visitors to move about and there was plenty of seating available. A family friendly affair, there was plenty of activities to keep kids occupied which is great even if you don’t have kids…If you know what I mean. We ate, we drank, we enjoyed atmosphere as guests of AirAsia. We arrived early at 10.30am and didn’t come across any queues, though we did hustle through to avoid crowds. I …

Our Growing Edge – August 2016 Intro

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August edition of Our Growing Edge is hosted by Cheryl from BusinessChic. Theme: WORK DAY EATING   I love Cheryl’s theme suggestion of WORK DAY EATING this month. The majority of lunches are eaten at work and it’s hard to eat well at work if you’re not prepared. When I first started working full time (way back in my early twenties), I ate out every day. I didn’t make the time to prepare lunch in the mornings and I liked having a bit of “me time” in the middle of the day while I checked out local cafes. Eating out for lunch cost me $50 to $70 per week but I didn’t mind because I had gone from a student budget to a full time salary. I was splurging. Then I got smart. Eating out every day is a big waste of money. Nowdays, I’m all about leftovers, whether it’s straight up leftovers or rehashing it slightly for lunch – such as a chicken salad using leftover chicken from the previous night’s roast dinner plus some chopped salad ingredients. You hardly notice a cost difference if you cook …

Tofu Tuesday: House rabbit

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Home is where the house rabbit is. Here in New Zealand, a rental property is known as a “flat”. It doesn’t matter if it’s a unit, a stand alone house, or an apartment. From a real estate point of view, a flat refers to an attached unit regardless of ownership status. When you are “flatting”, it means you’re renting with others and a “flatmate” is the equivalent of a “roomie”. Still, it doesn’t seem quite right to say that my husband and rabbit are my flatmates. BTW…Flat whites have nothing to do with flats and house reds have nothing to do with houses. Just a weird coincidence. Click here to see more editions of Tofu Tuesday.

Freestyler in the Kitchen: Throw-together recipe #3

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  Being able to chuck a bunch of ingredients together and create something delicious isn’t so much a skill as a way of thinking. When cooking, I enjoy getting creative, using recipes only for inspiration. I find sticking to recipes tedious and restrictive and always find myself deviating. Understanding your own cooking style can help make your kitchen time more enjoyable and efficient. When I took Fisher & Paykel’s online quiz WHAT’S YOUR COOKING STYLE? I was branded the Freestyler. Find out what type of cooking style you have by taking the quiz quick here. Thanks to Fisher & Paykel, I’ve created a series of throw-together recipes that celebrate the Freestyler approach to cooking. If you enjoy this recipe and this style of cooking, please check out the other recipes in this series. Throw-together recipe #3 This is a easy, naturally gluten-free omelette for one that is good for any meal of the day. I make this style of omelette at least once a week and I like how each one can be customised without fuss. We’re …

Winner of the Long White Vodka prize pack

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With special thanks to Long White Vodka I am pleased to announce the winner for the 12 piece contemporary stoneware dinnerware set and a 16 piece gold toned cutlery set valued over $250. Drawn by Random.org the winner is… **drum roll please!** Lisa Gladkova Congratulations Lisa! I hope you enjoy the beautiful set perfect for easy entertaining.   To keep up with giveaways and announcements, make sure you follow my Facebook page here.    

The Food Show Auckland 2016 – review and packaging porn

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I went solo to The Food Show today. If you’ve never been on your own before (this was my first time solo), it’s totally awesome. You can zip around quickly, miss the things you’re not into and spend longer chatting about food and to exhibitors generally being a big food NERD. Also, you can take photos of pretty packaging for as long as you like without anyone thinking, “Come ON, let’s GO (you weirdo)”.  The Food Show is huge. Like, MEGA. You could conceivably visit every day for 4 days and still find new things you missed before. I recommend allowing 3 hours, any longer can be a bit overwhelming and it’s easy to get lost. If you do, don’t panic. Eat something and just enjoy. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, The Food Show is packaging and food design HEAVEN. If you’re a budding graphic designer looking for food-related inspiration or even someone looking to get into making and packaging their own product. Go to The Food Show. I even saw creatives walking …