All posts filed under: Culinary Adventures

Heart Shaped food for Valentines Day

Published by

So, it’s Valentines Day tomorrow and I look at every celebration as an excuse to eat. Don’t you? Here are a couple of easy recipes with puff pastry that I’ve made in the past: Strawberry Heart Puffs and Lemon Sugar Palmiers. Seriously easy stuff. Get the recipes here and here. These two got me curious about other heart shaped foods for your Valentines. There are heaps out there so I leaned towards ones that The Koala and I would actually enjoy eating. Heart Shaped Foods for Valentines Day 1. Heart shaped pizza with heart shaped pepperoni Originally made by Dominos, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t make this yourself. Image found via Rebloggy. This would be an easy ticket into The Koala’s heart. I don’t know why I’m telling you this. Hands off my husband. 2. Heart shaped Toad in a Hole. Got a heart shaped cookie cutter a slice of bread and an egg? You’ve got breakfast. Found via Neatarama, made by Petite Kitchenesse. You could even make heart-shaped nutella sandwiches or heart-shaped french toast …

Year of Firsts tag

Published by

The Koala and I have just come home from a long weekend at a sweet house by the beach celebrating my sister and her boyfriend’s birthdays. It was wonderful to hang out with them and a group of their best friends. Being married and with a tight group of my own friends, I don’t meet new faces often. I’m an introvert but it’s great to get out of your comfort zone. New experiences encourage growth. Over the long weekend, Elise over at The Confetti Room proposed a Year of Firsts tag, where bloggers write a list of 20-30 firsts they want to experience this year and blog about them. I was lucky to sit next to Elise at the recent #brunchclub Auckland event and within 10 minutes of meeting, we discovered we went to the same primary school in Rotorua. It’s funny to wonder if our paths may crossed over 20 years ago. Serendipitous! I am all about bucket lists and new challenges. Especially food related ones. Two years ago, I started the link up party Our Growing Edge to challenge fellow bloggers to …

Our Growing Edge – February Intro

Published by

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 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. The February link up for Our Growing Edge is live. This month is hosted is hosted by Kim from Love Live Life by Kim. Kim is a Psychology student based in London with an inspiring blog hoping to achieve a better lifestyle and body by eating clean and exercising. With her love for food and passion for photography she hopes to create inspirational articles. The majority of her recipes are gluten and lactose-free, easy to make, and healthy (with the occasional cheat-meal). To join, click on the submission button below:   …and just in case you missed it, check out the round up by Christine and Kathy …

Monday Bunday: The White Rabbit

Published by

Monday Bunday went on holiday last week, I don’t know if anyone noticed but today I present a double whammy Monday Bunday rolled into a restaurant review. I recently joined the NZ-based bloggers group #brunchclub. Here, bloggers can network, share tips and advice on all things blog related and of course, meet regularly for brunch. On Saturday, I attended my very first#brunchclub meetup. I was super excited not only to meet local bloggers (some who I have followed for a while) but also because it was at a newish cafe/bar/restaurant called The White Rabbit. This week’s Monday Bunday is a review this visit. History of the space The White Rabbit is in downtown Auckland on the corner of Customs Street and Gore Street, where the slightly dingy pub Rose & Crown and later Britomart Brewery used to be. The building, originally known as Hotel Britomart was established in 1864, just a year before Lewis Carroll published Alice in Wonderland. Painted white and fitted out in Scandinavian inspired light fittings, the space is light, bright and very white. …

Sawadee Kaaaaa – Zomato Meetup

Published by

I have three food-related events on this week. On Sunday there was The Auckland Seafood Festival and on Tuesday I indulged in a night of tasty Thai food, kitschy cocktails, and foodie conversation. I have one more event up my sleeve this week. More on that later. My fellow reviewers, bloggers and the lovely ladies from Zomato converged on Sawadee, a Thai restaurant at the K’ Rd end of Ponsonby Road, across from the sunken buildings at Western Park. It’s been around for about 20 years so I was embarrassed to admit that while I love Thai food, I had never been to Sawadee before. Sawadee is much larger than you might expect from the street. The decor is inviting, well lit and flowers and electric candles set the scene. Sawadee’s special summer cocktail menu is all retro tiki-bar. I tried the Crying Tiger (brandy, Cointreau and lemon juice, rimmed with sugar). I picked this because it seemed like the sensible choice out of the very flamboyant list of cocktails. It was perfect. Not too sweet, no crazy colours or …

Favourite Seafood Recipes

Published by

Summer in New Zealand is all about gorging on simply prepared seafood. This summer has been particularly seafood filled. Here is a collection of five my favourite seafood recipes. Just click on the images to view the recipes. Enjoy!   1. Steamed Garlic Prawns Super easy recipe for Steamed Garlic Prawns, a very popular dish at Kingsland’s Canton Cafe. Includes a handy guide to prawn sizing in New Zealand.   2. Pan Fried Flounder The most popular recipe on my blog by miles, this buttery golden pan fried flounder makes use of a whole flounder. You’ll need a flounder (or two) butter, more butter, flour, salt and pepper. 3. Raw Fish Salad I fell in love with Ika Mata (raw fish salad) in Rarotonga. Here’s my version of it using fresh tuna fillets, though you can also use any firm white fish. 4. Oysters Kilpatrick Oysters Kilpatrick are an easy crowd pleaser. Oystes, bacon, tasty sauce and cheese. What could go wrong? 5. All-in-one Seafood Stew I test out Adie McClelland’s all-in-one seafood stew from her …

Bacon Jam

Published by

The Koala and I spent Christmas in Christchurch. Our first meal off the plane was at Terra Viva Cafe with The Koala’s parents. When I saw Hot smoked salmon and bacon jam salad on their menu, I didn’t look any further. I didn’t have to. Nothing could beat that combo for me. The salad was both tasty and light, the perfect meal for a “just got off the plane and I’m going to have an epic dinner later”. You can read my review and photos over here. Since then, I’ve been dreaming about bacon jam. “But Genie, what the hell is bacon jam?” I hear you cry. Well, bacon jam is bacon (of course) cooked down with onion, garlic and sweet gummy goodness until it is caramelised and crazy good. I had to make it. I had a browse at some recipes and decided on this one from Dinner With Julie. I’ve simplified an already simple recipe. Seriously, if you are a fan of bacon, you need this in your life. This recipe will make your house smell …

Our Growing Edge January 2015 – Intro

Published by

  I hope you have all suitably recovered from the summer holidays (those of you in the southern hemisphere). I’ve been back at work now for a week and a half. We’re still on skeleton staff, but work is picking up both in freelance and at my day job. I can feel in my bones that 2015 is going to be a big one. I know many of you have resolutions (because I’ve read them). For yourself and for your blog. Whether it’s to find happiness, motivation, health, fitness or adventure we’re all dreaming and setting goals. For those who have just started reading, I’d love to introduce Our Growing Edge to you. 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. This month is hosted by Francesca …

Mr Fancy Cabbage Pants

Published by

The Koala enjoys cabbage boiled, I prefer it cooked quickly on high heat. We both eat cabbage either way. Sometimes, I tease The Koala about how white people smell like milk and cabbages. It’s not true. I love milk and cabbages just as much as the next girl, maybe even more than the next girl. We don’t smell like milk and cabbages (unless we’re immune to the smell). Kale was fashionable in a big way, then came brussels sprouts. I think cauliflower tried to knuckle in (particularly with cauli rice and cauli crust pizza) but it’s time for the humble cabbage to make a comeback. Of all the brassicas, cabbage is the most affordable by weight. A dependable, good value vegetable. It’s time to get creative with cabbage. Very Pinteresting I kept seeing grilled cabbages on Pinterest. To be more precise, cabbage wedges with a special dressing. I browse Pinterest quite a lot and grilled cabbage food porn kept popping up as different bloggers posted variations of the recipe. It came with glowing reviews like: “I don’t really like cabbage, but I fixed this recipe …

Fragrances for Foodies

Published by

Was duty free shopping an all-ages field trip in your family? As a kid, I spent a lot of time at duty free stores. My uncle worked in duty free and we always had family or friends going to or coming back from Hong Kong. My sister, cousin and I spent hours browsing the displays, snacking on beef jerky or kiwifruit lolly samples, and reviewing all the perfumes. We collected all the paper test strips in our teeny-tiny handbags to enjoy later. We never noted the names of the perfumes and of course, the strips marinaded together in our bags and smelled sickly sweet, but it kept us amused. Gourmand fragrances I have always been always drawn to gourmand fragrances. A gourmand fragrance has notes like candy/fruit, honey, chocolate or vanilla and are also known as foodie fragrances. Gourmand fragrances appeared in the early ‘90s and were descendants of Oriental fragrances which were made with exotic notes from the Middle East and India. There are gourmand fragrances for both women and men. Sugary sweet The …

Fruity Philanderer

Published by

Two months ago, The Honesty Box announced they would no longer be offering their home delivery service. The Honesty Box was my jams. We got their small fruit and vege box regularly, but they wanted to focus on their commercial service. Our little run was over. It was a little bit like, “It’s not you, it’s me”.

Our Growing Edge November 2014 Round Up

Published by

The round up for Our Growing Edge is now up! Thanks to Linda from The Orange Bee for hosting. You can check out the lovely entries here. Thank you for all the bloggers who participated last month. The photos looked great! December is hosted by Christine and Kath from Garden Eats. To join, click on the submission button below:   We are looking for hosts for 2015. It is wonderful having Our Growing Edge hosted on blogs all over the world. Hosts post a round up of highlights of the event on their own blog at the start of the following month. It is an exclusive post. If this sounds like a good fit for your blog, let me know.

Our Growing Edge December – Intro, Festivities and Indulgence

Published by

It’s the start of December, which means the start of summer and the weather is getting better here in Auckland. Sorry to rub it in for those suffering wintery weather. Sorry. Not sorry. With a new month comes a new edition of Our Growing Edge. This month will be hosted by Christine and Kath from Garden Eats. Christine and Kath are keen organic gardeners and foodies in New York and California. Checking out Christine’s Instagram, it’s hard to imagine she’s starting winter. San Diego is currently at 18°C / 65°F today and Auckland is currently at 16°C / 61°F, it’s warmer there than it is here. Madness! To join us this month, click on the submission button below:   Festivities It’s no secret that December is a time of big spending, festivities and gluttony. I love gluttonous festivities! As of this week, New Zealand has lowered it’s drink driving tolerance. A strategic move. Last week, an average sized dude could drive 5 standard drinks, an averaged sized lady could drink 3.5 standard drinks and then legally get …

Taste menu announced

Published by

Taste of Auckland have announced their menus for the festival which starts next Thursday. There are 38 dishes to try this year including 5 limited edition icon dishes. I’ve had a quick squiz and it’s a little overwhelming, especially since it’s almost 2pm here and I haven’t eaten my lunch (yikes!) but here’s my first thoughts on what I might like to eat at the festival…

Grilled prawns with cashew coriander pesto

Published by

Since I was diagnosed with Graves disease earlier this year, I’ve been eating more whole foods and incorporating nuts into my diet. I replaced the instant noodles in my desk drawer with a box of mixed nuts. Brazil nuts come highly recommended for Graves disease patients because they contain high amount of selenium so I always make sure there is a generous quota of Brazil nuts in my mix. The Nation’s Nuts National Nut Day falls on Tuesday 21 October 2014 and is a day which celebrates the humble and nutritious nut. Nuts are great for you and the NZ Nutrition Foundation recommends a handful of nuts per day. With vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein, nuts make a guilt free, low maintenance snack. Thanks to Alison’s Pantry, I get to experiment with cashews this month. Alison’s Pantry offer a bulk food range in New Zealand supermarkets. Great if you just want raw ingredients without the fancy packaging. Alison Holst is the “Mother of New Zealand Cooking” and growing up, every mum in New Zealand follwed her trusted …

Wild Venison

Published by

Meat Pack I made an order with Eketahuna Country Meats last week. The first time I ordered from them, which I blogged about here, we got 20kg of beef in various wonderful cuts. This time I went for their $145 mixed meat pack rather than all beef. Buying this way really pushes my growing edge and forces me to cook with cuts and meats I would never normally buy.