Two beer experts share their tips for making the most of your brew, from how to store your bottles to the best kind of glasses to use. Too many of us aren’t treating our beer with the love, care and attention it deserves. It starts with the lack of respect we often have for beer, … Read more
In which Al Brown praised Simon Day’s grillin’ skills and we got it on tape… and then disaster struck. But don’t worry, the recipes survive. If legendary chef Al Brown demands you cook his own recipes for him, you spend all night in the kitchen. And when he tells you how delicious everything is and … Read more
For a very long time the electricity market has been dominated by providers. The Spinoff spoke to a company shifting the balance towards the consumer. Imagine sitting at the pub having a beer on a cold winter’s night and your phone vibrates in your pocket alerting you to a sharp drop in the spot price … Read more
Simon Day spoke to Sir John Kirwan about what he’s learned about living well – and why he’s determined to help young Kiwis learn, too. This story originally ran in Barker’s 1972 magazine under the title How to Enjoy Grappa Sir John Kirwan is relaxed. Standing in his kitchen chopping parsley and garlic, the view of Rangitoto … Read more
Simon Day has a meal with a criminal narcissist. This post was originally published July 10 2018 Somewhere between the sweet-and-sour tripe and the dramatic dissection of the five-spiced suckling pig, we discover that our entrancing new acquaintance named Alex is actually called Wayne, and is one of New Zealand’s most prolific conmen. Over the … Read more
Simon Day uncovers the fascinating history of New Zealand’s longest running music festival. Twenty years ago on the rugged cliffs above Karioitahi Beach, an hour south of Auckland, somewhere between 500 and 700 people gathered to spend two days celebrating the end of 1998 and the beginning of 1999. It was a wild bush trance … Read more
Every day in the lead-up to Christmas, open the door to reveal a Spinoff writer’s short, sizzling commentary on a weighty subject. Our arbitrary and strictly enforced word limit: 365. Today: Simon Day on the scourge of the scone. I’ve spent the last six months trying to like scones. After seeking advice on where the … Read more
Every day in the lead-up to Christmas, open the door to reveal a Spinoff writer’s short, sizzling commentary on a weighty subject. Our arbitrary and strictly enforced word limit: 365. Today: Simon Day on why cricket is the best sport in the world (and rugby sucks). Today is officially the first day of summer. December … Read more
Every day in the leadup to Christmas, open the door to reveal a Spinoff writer’s short, sizzling commentary on a weighty subject. Our arbitrary and strictly enforced word limit: 365. Today: Simon Day on why Kiwi MC, Tom Scott, is the Greatest rapper Of All Time. An essential part of hip hop culture is making … Read more
Alarmed by the disconnection between his food and its source, Simon Day visits the home of his bacon. I‘ve eaten a lot of bacon. And roast pork shoulder with crispy crackling. I’ve used cured pig’s cheek to make carbonara. Glazed ham at every Christmas. And barbecued so many sausages. But I’d never recognised how disconnected … Read more
Simon Day sat down for fish tacos, beers and yarns with spearo Ant Broadhead. Ascension Island is a chunk of volcanic rock in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It’s 2,250km from the coast of South America and 1,600km from Africa. Other than the island and its British air force base, there’s almost nothing anywhere … Read more
DiscoveryCamp is inspiring young Māori and Pasifika students to persist with science. Simon Day talks to three graduates about the opportunities the programme has provided. From studying chemistry in the classroom, suddenly Cha’nel Kaa-Luke (Ngāruahine, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Porou) was in a real lab, learning about quantum computing, the science of social media, and how to … Read more
‘Too much of anything is bad, but too much champagne is just right,’ according to Mark Twain. Simon Day has a cleansing glass of bubbles (or three) to go with a history lesson on champagne. Champagne and fried chicken make surprisingly good tablemates. The sharp, cleansing effervescence of the wine cuts through the rich fattiness … Read more
Food and drink are the source of many memories. Simon Day remembers a hangover and his childhood with milkshake guru Matt Fitzgerald. Of all the scenes from 1982’s Spielberg science fiction classic E.T. to be preserved in Matt Fitzgerald’s mind, it’s the moment young Elliott is sent out to get pizza by his brothers that’s … Read more
Three easy-as PB recipes for the toast lover in your life. Peanut butter is one of the greatest foods in existence. It’s varied, versatile and deliciously simple. And it’s also one of the easiest things to actually make yourself. Why would you fund someone else’s career crisis at $8.50 a jar when you can supplement … Read more
Taking over New Zealand’s most lauded restaurant is not a move for the faint-hearted, but risks tend to pay off for Sid and Chand Sahrawat. In 2014, when I first ate at Cassia, my palate was racist. I knew the food at the new modern Indian restaurant hidden down a back alley in the heart … Read more
Simon Day has a meal with a criminal narcissist. Somewhere between the sweet-and-sour tripe and the dramatic dissection of the five-spiced suckling pig, we discover that our entrancing new acquaintance named Alex is actually called Wayne, and is one of New Zealand’s most prolific conmen. Over the course of the evening, and four courses of … Read more
A quest for pasta perfection takes one carb enthusiast from Mt Eden, Auckland, to Bologna, Italy. This story originally ran in Barker’s 1972 magazine. During my three-week honeymoon in Europe, I gained 7kg. Despite spending only two days there, I believe Bologna is where the majority of the weight was assumed. I am obsessed with pasta … Read more
Fifty-two people were trapped on an Auckland train last night with no access to toilets, no food and no information from Auckland transport, for over three hours. A city bound train on the Eastern Line struck something outside the Meadowbank station just before 8:30pm on Thursday and the train was still stuck there at 11:50pm, … Read more
From the moment he arrived in Italy to play rugby Sir John Kirwan fell in love with the food and wine. He speaks to Simon Day about bringing a taste of his corner of the country back to New Zealand. In 1985, a 20-year-old (not yet Sir) John Kirwan was living in Mangere earning $150 … Read more
Tēnā koutou katoa, haere mai ki Te Bulletin, ko Simon Day tōku ingoa. I’m stepping in for Alex Braae this morning and in today’s edition: Winston Peters jumps Fonterra, Spark gives 1900 people five days to decide on their future, and Mycoplasma Bovis spreads in the North Island. Prime minister proxy in waiting Winston Peters, … Read more
Māori are in the process of choosing which electoral roll to vote from. Simon Day spoke to Dr Paerau Warbrick about what that decision means. I grew up firmly in te ao Pākehā. I also grew up very aware of my Tainui whakapapa, and the story of grandfather’s family – his father a legendary Māori … Read more
Today, even large corporations are trying to be agile, experimental and collaborative — an approach that could be termed ‘hacking’. Simon Day talks to the author of a new book about what business can learn from hackers. This story originally ran in Barker’s 1972 magazine. When I think of hacking, I think of the The Net, … Read more
One third of all food produced is thrown away, at the same time as one billion people go hungry. Simon Day met some of the people trying to fix our broken food system. On Monday evenings, when most Auckland restaurants rest, Gemmayze St is consistently host to more than 200 customers. While the award winning … Read more
Is there nothing that public transport can’t do? My commute nearly killed me. And it also came pretty close to dismantling my marriage. To get from my home in Titirangi to my previous job in Penrose, I had little choice but to drive. The journey by car was 30 minutes to an hour depending on … Read more
Māori, Pacific and low income groups have health outcomes well below the rest of the population. In Dunedin there’s a community that’s come up with the medicine to treat itself. On the grounds of an old school in the South Dunedin suburb of Caversham, there’s a village of healthcare services that’s a vision into a … Read more
In 2015 Simon Day travelled to Adelaide to observe the inaugural day/night test. Yesterday, he caught the train to Eden Park to see the first pink ball test match played in New Zealand. I feel sorry for Neil Wagner. This summer the test specialist only gets to play four games for his country. That’s eight innings … Read more
Today New Zealand’s first day/night test match starts at Eden Park – part of a scheme to cure test cricket of its apparent terminal illness. Simon Day argues test cricket will never die. I’ve watched test cricket lie lifeless on its deathbed, just a few hundred people gathered at a rugby field to mark its … Read more
On Saturday the second Auckland City Limits went down at Western Springs. Simon Day spent the day roaming the speedway with his camera. The Spinoff’s music content is brought to you by our friends at Spark, a major sponsor of Auckland City Limits. Listen to all the music you love on Spotify Premium, it’s free on all … Read more