Burger King’s ad for its Vietnamese-inspired burger shows customers trying to eat with a pair of giant novelty chopsticks, to which Asian-New Zealanders ask ‘why’? It’s a crime against food Food crimes come in many forms: putting pineapple on pizza, pouring milk before cereal, and cutting bagels into slices like a loaf of bread. But … Read more
When hope seems all but lost, Juliet Speedy finds solace in the kitchen. When my stepfather was suddenly diagnosed with lung cancer, he lost his appetite. I made him casseroles, lasagnes, stews. He attempted small mouthfuls but couldn’t eat much. Then, one day I made him a lemon posset. He loved the sweet easy texture … Read more
Another delicious reason to get hold of some sourdough starter ASAP. Sourdough crumpets are wonderful for when you have excess starter you need to use up, or if the bread-making boat has sailed for the day but you’re in need of something bread-like! I often make these in the morning before school for the kids … Read more
On Friday March 29, the Spinoff published a ranking of every chip flavour in New Zealand. Everyone promptly lost the plot. Chip ranker Madeleine Chapman wonders where she went wrong. I didn’t have anything else to write about. That’s why I ranked all 123 chip flavours in New Zealand from best to worst. Not because … Read more
The censorship of a food writer’s Instagram post of piggy trotters and ears on a kitchen bench is a disturbing example of how disconnected from our food we really are. The other day while I was mindlessly scrolling Instagram, I came across an image posted by London-based Ukrainian food writer Olia Hercules. My rapidly swiping … Read more
Expand your horizons by giving these less popular white varietals some love. A nice glass of white wine is one of life’s great pleasures, but if you’re restricting yourself to the iconic trio of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and pinot gris, perhaps occasionally branching out into a cheeky riesling, you’re really missing out. It’s understandable: if … Read more
The New World Beer and Cider Awards are serious business in the industry – so why not send along a beer rookie to see what it’s all about? “Burnt butter.” “A sort of minerality.” “Quite a firm, long, furry kind of bitterness.” “Grapefruity.” These are some of the ways head judge Michael Donaldson describes the … Read more
Taking the time to make pasta by hand is a soothing, restorative experience, as is making sourdough bread. Combining the two, then, is a recipe for a very zen afternoon – not to mention a delicious dinner. I’ll never forget the first time I made pasta. I was 13 or 14 and we lived in … Read more
With the erstwhile corporate king of Easter now a persona non grata, where’s a marshmallow egg fan to turn? To this list, that’s where. Let’s be honest here. Let’s be truly blunt with each other, New Zealand. The only reason we need a Top Five Marshmallow Easter Eggs 2019 is because you can no longer … Read more
In the second part of a series in which The Spinoff gets to know who, what, where and how our food gets to our plate, Alex Casey learns about how olive oil is made. The bright lights and smooth floors of the supermarket are a world away from the soil and sun, the plants, animals and … Read more
Madeleine Chapman goes through starchy hell to rank every flavour of chip available in New Zealand*. *Of course I will have missed some and of course you’ll let me know. Sorry and thanks in advance. This list is so long it really doesn’t need an intro. Hell-123) Any novelty flavour ever Get directly in the … Read more
Despite being in its infancy, Thorvald had won multiple awards and could barely keep up with demand for its sheep’s milk cheese and yoghurt. But Tasman’s devastating drought has effectively put the company out of business. For many, particularly those geographically and socially removed from rural life, it was hard to come to grips with … Read more
Proceeds from the sales of a new cookbook that shares recipes and stories from people from refugee and migrant backgrounds will go towards funding a new scholarship. Sakina Ewazi, a visual arts graduate originally from Afghanistan, weeps quietly during the minute’s silence. We’re at Ōtāhuhu library in south Auckland for the launch of Tastes of … Read more
In the first part of a series in which The Spinoff gets to know who, what, where and how our food gets to our plate, Jihee Junn learns about cherries. The bright lights and smooth floors of the supermarket are a world away from the soil and sun, the plants, animals and humans which have toiled … Read more
New Zealand has lagged behind the rest of the world in its attitude to hemp, but now innovative businesses are tapping into the nutritional benefits of this ancient crop. A pharmacist and a banker selling hemp? It sounds like some kind of dodgy drug deal. It’s not though: it’s the leading edge of the hemp … Read more
Switch up the flavour combination to suit your mood, or the contents of your pantry. Everyone needs a good staple biscuit recipe and I think this one is a winner. Packed with nutrient-dense oats, hazelnuts and coconut, it has texture and flavour with the addition of the figs, and the ginger lends a lovely earthy, … Read more
Restaurateur Ganesh Raj details the future-of-food epiphany that led him to the conclusion that once the meat-mad dinosaurs are gone, the world will be a better place. My task was clear. Immerse myself in an alternative universe. One where there might never be meat, as we know it, again. A world where farms would disappear, … Read more
Samuel Flynn Scott is a coffee tragic who loves a lightly roasted single-origin bean as much as the next Wellingtonian. But he also has a thing for instant. Now, his two worlds have combined. I’ve drunk a lot of instant coffee. I’m wasted. Is this what it was like for Kerouac when he wrote (or, … Read more
A simple, well-executed tomato pasta is a thing of beauty. This recipe is for those days when culinary inspiration just won’t strike, and if you’ve got a garden full of ripe tomatoes, it’s a great way to use them up (if not, a couple of tins of tomatoes work well too). With few ingredients, the … Read more
With 2020’s ‘reeferendum’ on the horizon, all kinds of businesses – from the small and local to the massive and multinational – have their sights set on lucrative new opportunities. This story was originally published on RNZ alongside this Insight documentary On a suburban street in Auckland’s Grey Lynn, Karma Cola’s road-marking-yellow, corrugated-iron-clad headquarters, encloses whirring … Read more
Dietary Requirements is The Spinoff’s monthly podcast in which we eat, drink and talk about it too, with special thanks to Freedom Farms. We back! It was a real family affair on the latest Dietary Requirements, with Sophie’s most excellent mum and sister, Emerald and Mimi Gilmour, joining us in the studio. The Gilmours are a … Read more
Lunch at Downing Street, pottery retreats with Nigella Lawson and Yotam Ottolenghi… New Zealand’s best-known chef has built quite a life for himself in London, but, now more than ever, he yearns for Aotearoa. This content was created in partnership with The Collective He’s been a top chef in London for three decades, with a … Read more
If you need a little help getting yourself out of bed during these chilly autumnal mornings, this should do the trick. With an abundance of blackberries in our freezer, and being rather partial to oats for breakfast, I dreamt this recipe up to add a little variety to the morning staples. It is amazing how … Read more
Maybe it’s basic. Maybe it’s not to the tastes of foodies about town. But eggs benedict is delicious, writes Hayden Donnell, as he pushes back on the benedict pushback. I remember my first eggs benedict. It was at Clarry’s in Devonport; an establishment more similar to a retirement village dining room than a traditional cafe. … Read more
You don’t need a cocktail shaker, 14 different obscure liqueurs or even any particular skill to create a killer mixed drink in your own kitchen. Have a few friends round, whip up a few cocktails – what a lovely idea. How grown-up. How positively classy. Until you realise all you have in the cupboard is … Read more
Cultured meat could solve some of the world’s biggest problems. So why is it such a hard sell? Matti Wilks is a postdoctoral research associate in psychology at Yale University. The world is in the grips of a food-tech revolution. One of the most compelling new developments is cultured meat, also known as clean, cell-based … Read more
OK, so we’ve got rid of plastic bags. But what about all the other stuff? Phasing plastic packaging out is a mammoth task, but some of the industry’s main players are working hard to promote change. Next time you’re at your local supermarket, have a look around. Go up and down each aisle and have … Read more
Alex Casey conducts a highly scientific study into the gendering of your morning cuppa. Gendering food and drink is all the rage these days, from National’s sausage sizzle innuendo to Whittaker’s new gender reveal chocolate bars. Blue for boys, pink for girls. Sausages for boys, clueless political chat for girls. It’s made some angry and … Read more
In the second in our (rather sporadic) series “Why I love”, Hayden Donnell is convinced that Auckland’s best Mexican food is tucked away in an unlikely spot in Henderson. To find the best Mexican food in Auckland, you have to head west from the city centre, cross the causeway on State Highway 16 and exit … Read more