All posts tagged: food

Naturally Organic 3

This winter, I’m testing out a few CSA and produce delivery companies in Auckland. I have already tried Foodbox.co.nz and now I am trying is Naturally Organic. Naturally Organic is a market based in Albany, Auckland and their produce boxes are only a small part of what they offer. Unlike other companies that have a set delivery day, Naturally Organic offer 6 day delivery. Check their website out for specific details for your area, but I can order up to 7 days in advance and get same day delivery Monday to Friday if I order by 9.30am. First impression Our first Two Person Box was overwhelming and the One Person Box wasn’t really enough so this round I requested the Two Person Box with more vegetables than fruit. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen and once again we received heaps of fruit. 44 pieces of fruit! As before the produce is of excellent organic quality and the box was huge but felt a bit empty. I ordered some chicken this week and these were were individually wrapped in …

Smoked Salmon and Urenika

If you like colourful, accessible food, this one is for you. This recipes shows off the lovely purple Urenika potato but you can substitute any good quality potato and the flavours will be the similar. Coloured potatoes contrast beautifully with smoked salmon and lemon so if you can, opt for colour potatoes. The deep purple Urenika or Maori potato is precious here in New Zealand. They are pretty boring looking the outside, and their secret is within. The small knobbly spuds can be found at most farmers markets but are absent from supermarket chains and as there is no mass farming of these potatoes. It’s as shame as they are quite beautiful to look at and taste earthy. I guess their rarity makes them more special. I’ve heard these potatoes can be quite easy to grow. In any case, at the end of summer, I poked a few sprouting potatoes into a planter box. The tomatoes were finished so I figured I had nothing to lose. A plant that looked liked nightshade sprouted up and …

Make Risotto

I go weak in the knees for smoked salmon risotto. If it’s on the menu at a restaurant, it is what I’m going to order. Still, I always did feel a little naive paying $20 for a rice dish. After I ordered some Aoraki Hot Smoked Salmon from Naturally Organic, I figured it was finally time to attempt risotto. I used the stainless steel sauté pan that Mum gave me and it was perfect for the job. You need something with decent sides but also plenty room for the rice to absorb liquid in. While it might be possible to use a skillet, you would have to be extra careful while stirring. In hindsight, I could have added a little more stock at the end. While the rice was cooked, it absorbed even more liquid on standing. Some sources say to stop just before the rice is cooked. Once upon a time, you could only get cold smoked salmon but now you can find both in equal abundance. I prefer hot smoked salmon but I …

Naturally Organic Menu 2

We had one of those weekends where you divide up your day into two-hour slots so you can get everything done. I attended Creative Mornings last Friday and witnessed the entertaining magic of Otis and Sarah Frizzell’s taco truck adventure. Inspirational stuff. When you look upon their setbacks, I think most sane people would have quit long ago. I learned that sheep scrotums taste like bacon. Considering how many sheep we have in this country, perhaps this is a largely untapped market? On Saturday The Koala and I happened to chance upon The Lucky Taco in Ponsonby so we shared four tacos and their flagship rice milk drink. I tried not to fan-girl too hard, I popped my head in the side door and maybe I gushed. Hopefully, Sarah and Otis were too busy to notice. I met up with my friend Vanessa to help her set up a blog and she sent me home with a gang of lemons from her tree. I’m super excited this week to play with the lovely delivery from …

Naturally Organic box 2

This winter, I’m testing out a few CSA and produce delivery companies in Auckland. I have already tried Foodbox.co.nz and the next one on my list is Naturally Organic. Naturally Organic is a market based in Albany, Auckland and their produce boxes are only a small part of what they offer. Since our last order was a little overwhelming, this round I went for the smallest box and added some fun extras. I ordered the One Person Organic Fruit and Vege Box for $19 plus $7.98 delivery and also added some Māori potatoes (urenika) and onions to bump up the produce to $26.25 to be comparative. The $19 produce weighed 5.4kg (vegetables 2.4g, fruit 3kg) and the onion and potatoes an extra 1kg. Unlike other companies that have a set delivery day, Naturally Organic offer 6 day delivery. Check their website out for specific details for your area, but I can order up to 7 days in advance and get same day delivery Monday to Friday if I order by 9.30am. First impression Even though we …

Naturally Organic Menu 1

This winter, I’m testing out a few CSA and produce delivery companies in Auckland. Currently our delivery is from Naturally Organic. Naturally Organic is a market based in Albany, Auckland and you can view the contents of the box on my post here. A brief menu this week. Plenty of leftovers for lunch though. Naturally Organic Menu 1 Items in bold are from our Naturally Organic box. Spiced pumpkin soup with garlic toast Orange roast chicken with beetroot, pumpkin and carrot Chili bean chicken with kale yellow rice Minted lamb chops with sauteed kale, mushrooms and The Koalas fried potato Cheesy kale and mushroom macaroni with breadcrumb and parmesan topping Grilled pork chops with caramalised pear, sauteed cabbage and potato mash. Beef and bean nachos with cheese Maple French toast with banana and bacon Porridge with banana Hong Kong style breakfast: macaroni soup with ham, fried egg and sliced cabbage. Chinese tea egg salad with spring onion, sesame, bean sprouts, red cabbage, grated carrot and orange   (pictured) Ham sandwich with cheese, red cabbage, bean sprouts and pickle Prawn, red cabbage, carrot and spring onion …

The Shanghai Chicken Project

The premise I’ve followed the blog Sybaritica for a while and I enjoy John’s experimental and honest love of Asian cuisine. It was there I found out about The Shanghai Chicken Project and his buddy Stefan’s Gourmet Blog. The Shanghai Chicken Project is based on a mysterious chili chicken dish of dubious origin with pine nuts and broccoli leaves. If you have been following my blog for a while, you’ll know I love a good foodie challenge. I also happened to have some premium New Zealand pine nuts and a fermented chili paste I was hoping to play with so it like it was meant to be. The Shanghai Chicken Project rules: Prepare a dish inspired by Bamboo Restaurant’s Shanghai Chicken. It has to include chicken, chiles of some sort, vegetable greens, and nuts. It could be a known recipe or one of your own — traditional or newly invented. Blog about your dish or send Stefan photos and a description of what you did. Lee Kum Kee’s Chili bean sauce (Toban Djan) Toban Djan …

Naturally Organic box 1

This winter, I’m testing out a few CSA and produce delivery companies in Auckland. I have already tried Foodbox.co.nz and the next one on my list is Naturally Organic. Naturally Organic is a market based in Albany, Auckland and their produce boxes are only a small part of what they offer. Their products are marked organic, spray-free, gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free and local where appropriate, so if that kind of thing is important, you can shop online with ease. They have a huge catalogue of products like baby products, cleaning products, drinks, pantry items and you can get even get Aoraki salmon and Harmony/Freedom Farm pork delivered with your product box. This week I ordered the Two Person Organic Fruit and Vege Box for $30 plus $7.98 delivery. Unlike other companies that have a set delivery day, Naturally Organic offer 6 day delivery. Check their website out for specific details for your area, but I can order up to 7 days in advance and get same day delivery Monday to Friday if I order by 9.30am. First …

Tequila Joe’s

Tequila Joe’s had only been open for a couple of days when we happened upon it. They don’t get heaps of foot traffic over on Vivian Street, but we passed this place twice a day on our walk in and out of town. The Koala has had a yearning to open a tequila bar in Auckland for the last little while. No such thing exists in Auckland (yet) so when we saw this tequila spot we had to try it out. Come here for… California-style Mexican food and top shelf tequilas. Unexpectedly wonderful… Caramba Pink Reposado sipped with a sangrita. A delcious tequila with caramel flavours. If you have ever had tequila treat you bad, this is the one to make you fall in love all over again. The most interesting thing on the menu… Churros and the Mexican hot chocolate. I would come back to try… The snacks and a cocktail or two. The atmosphere is… Still working itself out. It’s in a funny part of town and the word hasn’t got around yet. …

Sweet Mother’s Kitchen

Thanks to our friend Elijah for this recommendation. I am obsessed with New Orleans cuisine so I was already biased. We ate a breakfast and a dinner shift and would have eaten a lunch too if they were open on Queen’s Birthday. Sweet Mother’s Kitchen stole our hearts (arteries and all). Photos are only of breakfast because night time photography is rubbish. Is it self righteous to say they play really, really good music when really, I just mean they play all my favourite bands? Maybe. I was stoked to be able to try chicken and waffles. We don’t eat chicken for breakfast in New Zealand. It’s just not a thing. So for those who have never heard of chicken and waffles, it’s deep fried chicken served with waffles and syrup. Sounds crazy right? Come here for… Cajun and Creole dishes from Louisiana and a smattering of Mex snacks. Unexpectedly wonderful… Curly fries with Creole mayo. The most interesting thing on the menu… Gumbo, jambalaya, chowder and hush puppies are obvious classics. But I was …

Big Bad Wolf – Gourmet Charcuterie

This post is part of Our Growing Edge, a monthly blogging event to encourage us to try new food related things. Chandler from The Chef With Red Shoes is the host for month’s event. If you have a blog and have cooked, eaten or experienced a new food this month, come and join this event. I can’t remember where I read about Big Bad Wolf, but the idea of eating at a gourmet charcuterie (sha-koo-te-ree) had me swooning. Charcuterie refers to (mostly cured) meat products such as bacon (pancetta, prosciutto), ham, sausages and salamis, terrines and pâtés. Ham is one of my favourite things in the world and though I made bacon once I prefer to leave my small goods to the pros. We visited Wellington last week and when I divulged this place with The Koala he was just as excited as me. It wasn’t our intention to eat alpaca, but it just turned out that way. We dropped in for a nibble and beers on Sunday and Big Bad Wolf did not disappoint. We would have come again …

The Crab Shack

The Koala and I had a gluttonous jolly good time eating our way around Wellington city last week. One thing that struck me with Wellington is that they are super conscious of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diners. The Koala and I don’t fall into either of these categories, but I normally get the feeling that anything meat-gluten-whatever-free is a pale version of the original. Not so in Wellington. Some of the vegetarian dishes looked so good that I ordered them instead of my regular omni choices. That’s not usually a thing. Many of the menus we saw had plenty of selection for even the most discerning eater. Over the weekend, I will be posting my reviews of the places we ate and loved, from the perspective of an out of towner. The Crab Shack First up, the place I had my eye on – due to a severe lack of crab eating in this country – was the newly opened restaurant on the waterfront: The Crab Shack. New Zealanders don’t eat crabs. It’s just not …

Foodbox 4

  First impression Winter is really here. This weeks box lends itself to roasts and soups. The produce in our Appetiser Foodbox weighed 7.5kg. Vegetables Mushrooms – Portobello x 10 (300g) Cabbage x 1 small Broccoli x 1 Leek x 1 Carrots x 2 Beetroot x 2 Kumara (sweet potato) x 2 Potatoes x 10 Fruit Apples – Royal Gala x 4 Apples – Lemonade x 4 Mandarins x 8 Kiwifruit x 4  Add ons 1 dozen free range eggs The most interesting thing in the box A cute little cabbage and our first winter leek. CSA Link Party If you are interested in CSA and what see what other people around the world are getting each week in their boxes, please check out at the weekly link party What’s In The Box over at Heather’s blog In Her Chucks.

Foodbox Menu 3

Winter is coming. Over the last week, The Koala and I have hunkered down and watched three seasons of Game of Thrones. According to story, since we had a long and hot summer we will have a particularly long and cold winter. Joy. The Koala’s job requires him to be on the road all day so he doesn’t have the luxury of a microwave or fridge. Last summer, I bought a nifty warmer/refrigerator to take with him on the road. Because of this, I have been able to send him to work with hot lunches. It’s getting chilly now and leftovers have become a welcome part of our work day. I can tick off one of my bucket list items. Woo! I used to buy my lunch but now I bring leftovers and we have so many leftovers I can barely keep up. Not a bad problem to have. I’ve had to put more than one meal in the freezer to enjoy another time. One day I’ll remember there’s a couple of roast drumsticks and baby potatoes that need …

Foodbox 3

First impression Red and purple are my two favourite colours. Maybe not together all the time as they can be quite grabby intense, but certainly on their own. So it was a delight to unpack our Foodbox this week and see lots of red and purple. We got heaps of apples this week. I specifically requested more apples apples so it was cool to have 2 kinds of apples this week. Vegetables Red cabbage half Red capsicum x 1 Red kumara x 2 Baby red potatoes x 25 (1.6kg) Tomatoes x 2 Broccoli x 1 Button mushrooms x 250g Fruit Apples – Envy x 6 Apples – Lemonade x 5 Mandarins x 3 Lime x 1 Kiwifruit x 3 Banana x 3  Add ons 1 dozen free range eggs The most interesting thing in the box 25 baby red potatoes. They’re like a little army. They look so lovely I have to resist biting into them like I would an apple. CSA Link Party If you are interested in CSA and what see what other …

Slow Cooked Bœuf Bourguignon

This post is part of Our Growing Edge, a monthly blogging event to encourage us to try new food related things. Sonya from And More Food is the host for month’s event. If you have a blog and have tried something new with food this month, come and join this event. Mother’s Day is a popular day for eating out, because mothers generally get a holiday from kitchen duties. Interestingly, the Entertainment Book is invalid on Mother’s Day, but not Father’s Day (which is traditionally a popular day for eating in). With my sister and her boyfriend currently eating their way through Turkey, this is the first time where I get to play only child. Being more confident in the kitchen, I offered to cook for Mum. Now, I never thought I had a tiger mother, but maybe I was wrong. For Mother’s Day, Mum requested Julia Child’s Bœuf Bourguignon! I had never made this dish before and I was also using a slow cooker for the first time. A perfect candidate for Our Growing Edge this month. This slow …

Foodbox Menu 2

A delivery once a fortnight is perfect for our two person (plus one bunny) household. I’m glad we’re not getting these once a week. Possibly if we ate only fruit and vegetables, but we’re omnivores so the Tuesday box of goodies is only part of what we eat. I wouldn’t mind a little more fruit to get us through, but other than that, the vegetables are spot on. Because we only get the $33 Appetiser box, that makes it great value at $16.50 a week. Vegetable garden I’ve been slacking off in my vegetable garden lately due to the rain. I think my radishes, carrots and beetroot are suffering. Would it be considered crazy to poke clear umbrellas into the soil to shield them from the weather? Planning I’m getting the hang of planning for the two weeks at a time. The bonus is that we shop less than so I can spend more time cooking, writing, photographing, and dreaming up new projects (also eating, being wrapped in blankets, drinking wine, playing with a fat …

Foodbox 2

Our second Foodbox arrived yesterday afternoon and though we had a dinner date, I couldn’t help but sample one of the lovely ambrosia apples before we left. Easily the best apple I have eaten. Ever. I made the amateur mistake of putting the apple core in my office bin instead of the heavy, lidded kitchen bin. When we got home from dinner, the rubbish was knocked over, the apple core missing, scattered seeds in the hallway and one nonchalant rabbit. I guess we’ll never know who did it. First impression Good. Seemed just as heavy as the last box though I couldn’t be bothered weighing everything this time. Some exotic things to our regular shopping list. A good thing as it’s a chance to experiment a bit with cooking and eating unfamiliar things. Vegetables Kale (cavalo nero) x 1 Mini white cabbage x 1 Sweet stem broccoli x 1 medium bag Spinach leaves x 1 large bag Mung bean sprouts x 1 medium bag Potatoes x 8 Carrots x3 Swede (rutabaga) Italiano Cherry heritage tomatoes x 1 …

Tomato Soup

It’s been raining all weekend and we spent a hungover day holed up at home, wrapped in blankets, watching movies and feeling pathetic. It’s not super cold yet, but when you are feeling fragile, comfort is priority. Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches was just the ticket – pretty easy to make and to eat. I always have canned tomatoes in the pantry. I buy 3 to 4 cans at a time because one brand or another will have a special deal on. Canned tomatoes are a handy base for pasta dishes, nachos, stews and more recently, tomato soup. In terms of equipment, you really need 1 large saucepan and a stick blender. You can use a regular blender if that’s all you have. I would use 1/2 a cup of milk minimum. If you’re prefer a bit more milk or even full fat cream, go for it! Tomato Soup Serves 4 Ingredients 1 tablespoon cooking oil 1 onion 1 clove garlic 2 cans of canned whole or diced tomatoes (400 grams/14.5oz each) 1 can of …

Simple Hash Browns

Who thought that something so simple would be so popular? I cooked this for The Koala on the weekend and shared a photo on this blog and the response was overwhelming. So here is my recipe. Easy enough for a man or a child accomplice…or a man-child accomplice. This recipe made two large hash browns, but you could easily divide it into four thinner hash brown, just do not cook as long. Simple Hash browns Makes 2   Ingredients 3 medium potatoes 1 free range egg Pinch of paprika Generous grind of sea salt Dried or fresh herbs of your choice (chopped) 1 tablespoon oil Preparation  Peel potatoes and grate. A handful at a time, squeeze all the liquid from the potatoes, discarding the liquid (I do this over the sink) and put squeezed potato into a mixing bowl. Add the egg, paprika, salt and herbs. Mix well. Leave for 10 minutes. More liquid will be expelled. Squeeze liquid from potatoes again, discarding the liquid. Divide the mixture into two and in your hands, press …