All posts filed under: Our Growing Edge

Our Growing Edge – August round up

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The August round up for Our Growing Edge is live. Check it out here: http://sneaksandsweets.com/our-growing-edge-a-recipe-roundup A big thank you to Lindsey at Sneaks and Sweets for hosting this edition. The September link is live and Corina from Searching For Spice is this month’s host. Corina loves to use spice in her cooking and her love for Indian, Mexican, North African, Thai and Chinese food shows. As a busy mother of two, her recipes are simple to follow and unfussy. Corina is totally getting into baking at the moment so if you’re a little stuck on what to turn your growing edge to this month, why not try some baking? To join Our Growing Edge this month, click on the submission button below:  

Our Growing Edge July Round Up

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Hello lovelies, just a quick invitation to check out the round up for Our Growing Edge over on Organic Ash. Some very cohesive cooking last month. Definately some colour co-ordination. It’s almost as if we bloggers were on the same wavelength. Hive mind if you will. Lindsey from Sneaks and Sweets is the host for this month’s event. If you have a blog and you are eating or cooking something new this month, click below to join. More information here.    

Crispy Roast Pork: Cantonese style

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This post is part of Our Growing Edge, a monthly blogging event to encourage bloggers to try new food related things. Ash from Organic Ash is the host for this month’s event. If you have a blog and you are eating or cooking something new this month, click below to join. More information here. Crispy roast pork (siu yuk) can be found hanging among roast ducks and slabs of shiny red BBQ pork in the windows of Cantonese BBQ restaurants everywhere. Traditionally, pork is roasted with seasoning in a charcoal furnace and is served as an appetiser* with your choice of dipping sauce. Soy sauce and hoisin sauce are popular but I love it dipped in mustard. Served with a bowl of rice and some Chinese greens, it’s a simple and delicious dinner. It’s interesting to note that the words “siu yuk” directly translates to roast meat, not roast pork. I guess pork is so ubiquitous in Cantonese cuisine that meat equals pork by default. While I have made English-style roast pork on many occasions, I’d never considered cooking the …

Our Growing Edge July Intro

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        Phuong of My Kitchen of Love who is currently in Vietnam has just posted the round up for June’s edition of Our Growing Edge. Check out the sumptuous 13 item feast here.   July’s edition is being hosted by Ash from Organic Ash.   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 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 trying something new with food this month, come and join us!

Our Growing Edge June intro

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Apologies for being late this month with this post. First I’d like to direct you to Eva from Kitchen Inspiration’s round up of May’s edition of Our Growing Edge. It’s so lovely to see a good mix of regular contributors as well as new faces. Next I’d like to invite you to join us for June’s edition of Our Growing Edge. Phuong from My Kitchen of Love is our host for June’s edition. If you have a blog and are trying something new with food this month, please submit your post to the link below.   Have a delicious week!

Fig and Gorgonzola Rounds

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This post is part of Our Growing Edge, a monthly blogging event to encourage us to try new food related things. Phuong from My Kitchen of Love is the host for this month’s event. If you have a blog and you are eating or cooking something new this month, click below to join.   Orleans I’ve been obsessed with New Orleans since I was an angsty teenager. Long, long before I had any interest in food, I fell in love with the people, the French influence, the mystery  and the vampires. I blame Anne Rice novels. I’ve yet to visit New Orleans but it is number 100 on my bucket list. When I “grew up” and my interest for food developed, my obsession with New Orleans deepened. At the start of March, on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras celebration day in New Orleans) my friends and I converged on the newish Auckland restaurant, bar, speakeasy, smoky blues and jazz club called Orleans, in Britomart. Traditionally the day of debauchery before Lent starts, Fat Tuesday is all about living large with …

Our Growing Edge April Round Up

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Dana from I’ve Got Cake has posted her round up of Our Growing Edge April. Perhaps the most colourful commentary in Our Growing Edge history and you can check out out here. 16 submissions with huge contrasts. Coconut & Lemongrass Tofu Soup vs Seal Flipper Stew. Never seen before udon bundles vs nostalgic Pastafrola (quince jam pie from Argentina). April also saw many Easter and spring time dishes. So inspiring and drool-worthy! May’s edition of Our Growing Edge is now open and you can join us via the button below.

May Day

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Happy first of May! For those celebrating May Day, I hope your day is filled with freshness and warmer weather. For us in the southern hemisphere, we have a gorgeously crisp Autumn day. A new month brings a new edition of Our Growing Edge. If you plan on cooking or eating something new this month, please join us via the submission link below. More info about the event on the Our Growing Edge page here.  

Hot Cross Buns with Custard and Cognac

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  I’m not much of a baker so we feast on store-bought hot cross buns every Easter. No shame. If you’re itching for something a little fancy this Easter, I recommend trying this version of bread and butter pudding. This recipe serves six adults (or two giant gluttons with regret). Bread & Butter Pudding Hot Cross Buns with Custard and Cognac (adapted from jamieoliver.com) Serves 6 Ingredients 2 cups milk 2 cups cream 1 vanilla pod or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste 4 eggs 3/4 cups white sugar 6 hot cross buns, cut in half and smeared with butter butter for buns 1 handful of sultanas soaked in 2 tablespoons Cognac overnight 1 tablespoon Cognac Icing sugar for dusting 1-2 cups cream for serving Preparation Pre-heat oven to 170°C / 325°F. In a large pot, bring the milk and cream to just before simmering point. Cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds into the pan. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with sugar until pale, then pour egg and sugar mix into the …

Something Something Fritters

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Fritters are a New Zealand summer icon. Any neighborhood fish and chip shop sells mussel fritters, paua (abalone) fritters, even pineapple fritters. These are usually deep fried, but at home, most kiwis pan fry or bbq (grill) fritters. I had never tried making a fritter. It was one of those simple iconic New Zealand foods that had somehow escaped me. A few weeks ago, with sweetcorn the cheapest it will ever get, 5 ears for 2 bucks, it was time to fritter. Sweetcorn fritters with salsa cream Makes 4 giant fritters or about 20 to 30 fun size fritters Recipe adapted from Lifestylefood.com.au Ingredients for fritters Sweetcorn kernals cut from 2 cobs 1/4 cup sliced spring onion A handful of coriander, chopped 1 cup grated cheese 1 1/4 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder paprika salt freshly ground black pepper 2 eggs, beaten 3/4 cups milk vegetable oil Preparation In a large bowl, combine corn, spring onion, coriander, grated cheese, flour, baking powder, salt, paprika and pepper. Stir to distribute ingredients evenly. Add beaten eggs and milk and …

Our Growing Edge March

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The start of March marks the beginning of Autumn here in New Zealand. Autumn is my favourite season and autumn in Auckland means warm days without humidity and crisp, cool nights. With a new month, comes a new round up of Our Growing Edge. Medha from Mimi’s Mommy blog is hosting the March edition of Our Growing Edge. If you have a blog and are looking at cooking or eating something new this month (or this year), please join us. Submission deadline is at the end of this month. Check out this page for more info.

Final call for Our Growing Edge February

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This is the final call for Our Growing Edge February. It feels like a short month. I feel cheated of those missing days. Our host this month is Kindra from California Cavegirl Kindra. Kindra eats and cooks as clean as possible, following a mostly Paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, raw dairy, locavore mission. I’m always looking out for local food producers and celebrating local eating is good for every community. Look out for the round up on California Cavegirl Kindra coming up soon! Our Growing Edge is a celebration of new food related experiences. If you have a blog and are looking at eating or cooking something new this month, submit your post here. More information about the event can be found on the Our    Growing Edge Page here.

Heads and wings

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Dear reader, I have fallen in love with some weird fish bits. Creamy, fatty, sweet, savoury and undeniably moreish. They are wings. Salmon wings. Salmon wings (also known as salmon collars) are one of those budget cuts that will probably become too popular (like pork belly, beef brisket and lamb shanks) and see a price increase. Get them while they are still cheap! If you have never had salmon wings before, think of them as ribs or buffalo wings of the sea. You may get your hands dirty but it’s worth it. One day I was just ambling through my local supermarket, minding my own business when I spied a tray with 2 large salmon heads. I didn’t expect to see salmon wings at the supermarket. I’ve never cooked with salmon wings but I’d seen a few blogs mention them before so I grabbed them instantly. The salmon heads cost about $2.22NZ ($1.84US) each and had plenty of eating on them. If you are not confident with fish bones or are serving less adventurous eaters, …

Gong Hei Faht Choy!

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Happy Chinese New Year to you! This year is the year of the horse. The Koala is actually a horse so I suppose this is his year. We’re heading to my parents house for a celebratory feast, though I’m sure every Chinese restaurant the world over will be packed this weekend so if you’d like to take up the chance for a Chinese feast, make sure you book ahead. With a new month comes a new edition of Our Growing Edge. Thank you to all the bloggers who submitted to last month’s event. It’s always a delight seeing what others are pushing themselves with each month and sharing tips, failures and inspirations. Check this space for the round up by Louise at Crumbs and Corkscrews. The host for February is Kindra from California Cavegirl Kindra. Kindra eats and cooks as clean as possible, following a mostly Paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, raw dairy, locavore mission. I’m always looking out for local food producers and celebrating local eating is good for every community. Our Growing Edge is a …

Shared meals and late nights

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With a new month, comes a new round up of Our Growing Edge. Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, December’s host is Leah from Sharing The Food We Love. While there is never a theme for the event, it was a delight to see many dishes inspired by French cuisine. I guess French cooking is way, way up on bucket lists. The submission list was small but deliciously formed. Read the round up here. More/Less I’m sure I wasn’t the only busy person last month and I hope you all had safe a delicious holiday season. The Koala and I are home after a holiday out in the countryside at on a friend’s farm. Friends old and new, delicious shared meals three times a day and plenty of laughing, chewing the fat and imbibing with friends, some of which we hadn’t seen in years. I had an epiphany. I don’t enjoy cooking at home for groups (it stresses me out), but cooking on holiday is fun. It’s spontaneous and low key. Everyone pitches in a bit of this …

Duck Liver, Cognac and Sage Pâté

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This post is part of Our Growing Edge, a monthly blogging event to encourage us to try new food related things. Leah from Sharing The Food We Love is the host for this month’s event. If you have a blog and you are eating or cooking something new this month, click below to join. ‘Gnac Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone! It’s a great season for eating and drinking. Let’s begin with a little shout out to Cognac. The Koala and I have been enjoying Cognac since winter. At 40% alc/vol it’s a serious tipple but goes down smooth as silk. I also love how low maintenance it is. Just pour and enjoy. No ice, no mixer, no fluff and cheaper than I would have guessed. With Cognac in the house, I wanted to do something else with it this month and perusing my foodie bucket list, I found just the thing. Years ago, I was a little obsessed with liver after I read about the super rat science experiment: “A group of scientists that have been …

Happy December!

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Happy December! December always seems to be a month of decadent food and plenty of drink. This week I have woken up with a hangover three mornings in a row, so today was thinking that I wouldn’t be drinking again for a little while. I thought I  wouldn’t be buying any booze at the market…that is until I saw the Wild Side Cider that I featured on Monday Bunday this week! A sucker for cute labels and especially one that I featured this week, I decided to get a bottle “for research purposes”. I hope you all have more willpower than I. A new month means a new Our Growing Edge Event. Last month’s Our Growing Edge roundup will be posted by Becky at My Utensil Crock and December’s event will be hosted by Leah from Sharing The Food We Love. Join us!  

Duck fat two ways

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I refuse to believe every “new fact” I read about food because facts change as science and attitudes change. You can shop around for the truth you want to hear. Once you find it, you can hold onto it tightly. Blind to other truths. So today I read that duck fat is considered by some as a healthy fat. Healthier than butter, closer to olive oil. Oh GOOD. Because I bought a jar of duck fat just last week. One version of the truth is good enough for me. A new fat I’ve never cooked with duck fat before, so in the spirit of research here’s two simple recipes that might inspire you to cook with duck fat. Duck fat can be found in glass jars in the oil section or in plastic tubs in the meat section of your supermarket or at fancy food shops. You can even make your own duck fat as a by product of cooking duck like this. Duck Fat & Sage Roast Potatoes Sage is easy to grow and …