Everyone needs a good spud salad recipe in their repertoire, and this herb-packed offering is hard to beat. This is my go-to potato salad recipe and it was one I had never written down nor considered sharing. Until before Christmas, that is, when we headed inland to celebrate the festive season Kiwi style with a … Read more
A downtown Auckland institution, the 28-year-old foodcourt Food Alley is soon to be demolished. Alice Neville and other Spinoff staff visited at lunchtime the day after the news broke to see how diners and stallholders were feeling. My earliest memories of Auckland life revolve around Food Alley. ‘Twas the summer of 03/04 and I’d come … Read more
Detox teas have been taken off shelves after being shown to include a pharmacy-only laxative ingredient. Promoted as being aids to weight loss and an organ cleanse, detox teas have had a resurgence in recent years thanks to Instagram influencers hawking them at every turn. What do they really do? According to a recent Consumer … Read more
As this colourful festival of giving thanks is marked across India, Renu Sikka calls on societies around the globe to stop undervaluing women and girls, and shares a Punjabi recipe for spinach curry and exquisite chapati. Makar Sankranti is four days of thanksgiving celebration to four great forces of protection: Indra (the giver of rain), … Read more
Alex Casey counts down more of The Mad Butcher’s maddest Insta-breakfasts, with bonus commentary from The Butch himself. We live in very uncertain times. We don’t know what the future of our planet looks like, we don’t know if Minou and Jay-Jay will ever see each other again and we can’t even be sure that … Read more
Embrace the many zero-alcohol drink options out there and stop bloody serving OJ. How many times have you been at home, or at work, or at a concert, or at a birthday party, or at a formal event, and thought, “What would go really well with this experience is some orange juice”? If your answer … Read more
The buffet offers up a grand opportunity to stuff one’s face, but what is the best way to optimise your buffet-going experience and eat all the glorious things? The world’s been nothing but roses and caramel since the invention of the buffet. No other culinary innovation has let humans graze for food as God intended … Read more
Whether you’re a hungover mess, on a road trip with fractious children or just a bit hot and thirsty, ice blocks are the answer. But not all are created equal, finds Amanda Thompson. I live in a town that lies on the way to and from a lot of summer festivals. We get used to … Read more
It’s a Kiwi tradition fraught with outrage, red tape and injury. It’s also really bloody fun. Alex Casey takes a look back at the evolution of the lolly scramble in New Zealand. Legend tells of an impromptu lolly scramble that rocked the Wellington art scene in a matter of seconds. The year was 2003, and … Read more
Been wanting to join the sourdough club for ages but haven’t managed to find some decades-old starter with a suitably charming backstory? Fuggeddaboutit and make your own bubbly batch, after which you can give these bagels a whirl. Forget chasing that friend who keeps saying “yeah definitely!” (me), forget staring longingly at Instagram posts of … Read more
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that limes get expensive while out of season. But they’re very, very, very expensive right now. Is there something more worrying going on? Alex Braae reports. There’s nothing like a squeeze of lime juice to make the flavours of a guacamole sing, not to mention to make a mojito possible at … Read more
From the deep south to the top of the north, The Spinoffers spread our culinary wings to sample regional delights galore over the summer break. Here’s what we can’t stop thinking about. FAR NORTH: PIE TIME ‘Twas a morning of a good ol’ wake and bake in the fa far north where my squad and … Read more
Industrial robots can make our cars and planes, but for some reason the sight of a mechanical omelette machine filled Duncan Greive with existential dread. I wandered into the restaurant trying not to look too keen. It was an entirely futile exercise – the M Social’s kitchen had been open for breakfast for exactly two … Read more
What’s a lovely summer picnic without a lovely savoury scone? These scones make wonderful picnic food and are packed with flavour and texture. Whip them up, wrap them in a clean tea towel and head outdoors to picnic under the shade of a leafy tree with good company and an equally good book. Scones are … Read more
Summer reissue: It was supposed to be Auckland’s answer to Melbourne’s laneways or New York’s Chelsea Market, but the empty sites at Queen’s Rise paint a very different picture. Alice Neville reports. First published 31 October, 2019 In June 2018, to much hype, a new “laneway-style dining destination” opened in downtown Auckland. Housed behind the … Read more
Summer Journeys: After touring the world with his band The Phoenix Foundation, Samuel Flynn Scott has figured out the real reason we travel – to nosy around where humans buy snacks. The Spinoff Summer Journey series is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism, click … Read more
Summer reissue: An urban farm in Auckland has been raising cows for meat for years. This time, they decided to involve the community in the process – but the backlash was so intense, the plan was canned. Alice Neville talks to those involved about what went down, and what we can learn from the saga. … Read more
Summer reissue: One of the many unspoken rules of British life is that when one is drinking at the pub with others, one buys rounds. For the naive New Zealander, it’s stressful AF, says Elle Hunt. First published on 22 July, 2019. At the pub one Friday night in London a few weeks ago, I … Read more
Summer reissue: Madeleine Chapman goes through starchy hell to rank every flavour of chip available in New Zealand*. First published 29 March, 2019 *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 … Read more
Summer reissue: The bad boy of hospitality is nearing retirement age, yet his capacity for bitter feuds remains undiminished. Duncan Greive meets Leo Molloy, the Viaduct’s best host and worst enemy. First published 25 June, 2019 “I know Bernie Monk,” said Leo Molloy. “He was a year ahead of me at school.” I had barely … Read more
Celebrate stonefruit season – and the end of this crazy old year – with a classy wee cocktail. There’s nothing quite like celebrating with an elegant cocktail and given that 2019 is drawing to a close, and peaches are now at their best, what better reason to get into the kitchen and rustle up these … Read more
Summer reissue: Hard to break, cheap as chips, filled with instant coffee or weak tea – it’s the mug of the marae, the staffroom, the factory canteen, the church hall. It’s our mug, says John Summers. First published 8 May, 2019 Our son was born almost three months ago. He’s close by, fighting sleep in … Read more
As sure as a floor strewn with wrapping paper and a mild hangover, the days following Christmas will bring leftover ham. Simon Day shares some tasty ideas for how to deal with it. My favourite part of Christmas comes after December 25 itself. I embrace the days and weeks, even months, of leftover ham. I … Read more
Petrified of pav failure? This Christmas, why not make meringues instead. Sure, pavlova’s traditional for Christmas, but it’s hard to get right – especially if you’re somewhere humid (looking at you, Auckland). Why not try meringues instead? The moisture content is lower than that of pav, so you need not fear that depressing leaky pav … Read more
We love a cheeky bevvy here in Aotearoa, but upon what have we been supping in the 2010s? These are 10 libations that captured the mood of the decade. Coconut water Obvs the refreshing clear liquid held within coconuts has been drunk by people in places where coconut palms grow since forever, but the 21st … 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. This month, we’re joined by Hilary Pearson, general manager of Freedom Farms, for our Christmas episode. To listen, use the player below or download this episode (right click and save). Make sure to subscribe via iTunes, or via … Read more
From Waipukurau to Waipawa, Hastings to Havelock North, how did a humble crumbed meatball reach cult status? Fiona Fraser investigates the origins of this east coast delicacy. I was halfway out the door of a client’s premises when he bellowed “Have you had lunch? I’m just nipping out to get some meatballs. Five for $10.” … Read more
The very idea that a meal kit is a suitable alternative to a food grant undermines the importance of autonomy and self-determination as human rights, writes Rebekah Graham. Over the past few months, Work and Income has been trialling providing Auckland-based beneficiaries who have requested a food grant with a Bargain Box food kit instead. … Read more
Looking back on 10 years of wild, weird and wonderful food stories in Aotearoa. It’s been a hell of a decade for food here in New Zealand. Sure, there have been tedious trends aplenty – the rise of bloody kale, bloody coconut oil, bloody poké bowls – but the following list is not about fads; … Read more