Is there anything better than a not-too-sweet, slightly sour jam atop lavishly buttered toast? The answer is no, no there is not. February for me is the month of foraging. The rambling blackberries that line our country roads are now dotted with purple black fruit that sparkle like jewels in the late summer sun. Filled … Read more
A lush take on porridge that just so happens to be vegan and gluten free. Sometimes I get stuck in breakfast-making rut and inspiration is slow to come. To combat this and make myself feel more prepared for the return to school, I made a big batch of muesli and have started to make the … Read more
Kawakawa adds subtle peppery notes to a refreshing summer sorbet. Make it while strawbs are cheap and plentiful! There are some crops that thrive in my garden, and others, strawberries being one of them, that don’t. I’ve tried my best and I haven’t given up yet, however. Perhaps next year will be the year! And … Read more
This festive Italian specialty is as delicious paired with a Christmas Eve nightcap as it is with a Christmas morning coffee – and yes, there’s still time to make it. I love the magic of Christmas. The carols, watching Christmas lights begin to twinkle as night falls, stockings hung by the fireplace and Christmas sweet … Read more
Messing too much with summer berries is sacrilege, but this heavenly light sponge provides a fine vehicle for the most luxe of fruits. In this time of misinformation and alternative truths, I’m going to lay some refreshingly stone-cold facts on you. The greatest summer food is a berry. I mean don’t get me wrong, banana … Read more
Tis the season for ice blocks – and if you have a stash of these in the freezer, you won’t even need to venture out to the dairy. While here in Taranaki it feels as though the rain might never stop, the temperature at least is warm and conducive to enjoying one of these coconut … Read more
Whether savoury or sweet, plain or piled high with toppings, these English muffins will take your sourdough game to a new level. These English muffins have become a staple in our household, where I make a batch about every fortnight that’s then frozen for use throughout the week. They’re delicious toasted with lashings of butter … Read more
Mooncakes are a traditional rich pastry eaten for the Mid-Autumn festival in East-Asian communities. Sherry Zhang shares a few recipes for mooncakes from her friends and family. October 1st is the Mid-Autumn festival for the East-Asian community and, like many harvest festivals around the world, it’s about having a big ol’ feast with your family. … Read more
The myriad plants we call ‘weeds’ get a bad rap, but many of them are nutritious, delicious and crying out to be added to your next salad. When lockdown 1.0 hit and we were confined to our house and garden, I began a wee love affair with edible weeds. Not only are they free, they’re … Read more
Soup season is here! This flavoursome spiced pumpkin number is bulked up with the addition of grains and hearty greens. We’ve had four days of heavy rain, and this morning as we drove up the driveway on the way out to school, the sun finally came out and the top of Taranaki Maunga revealed itself, … Read more
Spice up the classic banana muffin with a subtle touch of star anise. These muffins came about one rainy Saturday when the cupboards were bare and there was nothing much left in the fruit bowl aside from some very sad-looking bananas. Fortunately we know sad bananas result in the best kind of baking so we … Read more
The Middle Eastern sesame seed paste tahini adds a subtle flavour and lovely fine texture to these classic choc chunk biscuits. I get a huge sense of satisfaction out of baking for my family as I know the food that fills their lunchboxes is both delicious and full of nutritious ingredients. Plus I get to … Read more
Got more feijoas than you know what to do with? Preserve them to enjoy all year round. I may have mentioned before that we have 26 feijoa trees. It means that at this time of year, come rain or shine, you’ll often find us outside under the trees picking up each and every feijoa that … Read more
Amanda Thompson always thought the apocalypse would be more about zombies and less about a lack of flour. No matter, this recipe will stand you in good stead for either eventuality. Our current dystopian nightmare was not the apocalypse I was expecting. I do not feel prepared, even after years of planning. Big fans of … Read more
A honey-scented, seed-studded loaf that’s super adaptable. And no kneading required! It was about six weeks ago that the supermarket shelves were first stripped bare of hand sanitiser and toilet paper. A week or so after that whole aisles of bread racks stood empty as the panic-buying took hold. And now here we are confined … Read more
Dealing with grief is hard. Comfort carbs make it a little bit easier, says Amanda Thompson. As near perfect a country as Aotearoa undoubtedly is, I don’t think as a whole we’re so great with grief. Grief for a lover lost, a terrible accident suffered, a rugby game unwon, a beloved pet buried. The tragedy … Read more
A tarte tatin is a classic for a reason: simple (you don’t have to make the pastry if you don’t want to), elegant and delicious to boot. I may have mentioned before that we live part way up a mountain. This has a significant impact on our growing season, making it shorter than it would … Read more
If you’re not the foraging type, fear not: supermarket berries will work just fine (but imagine how wholesome you’ll feel if you pick your own!) This is one of my favourite times of the year, when we pile the kids in the car and head east, over the hills to where the blackberries grow best. … 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
Three glaze recipes to take your festive feast from ho-hum to ham-azing. In the middle of November, my aunt suggested in our family WhatsApp group that Christmas lunch should go meat-free in acknowledgement of climate change. I froze at my desk where I’d taken a moment to procrastinate. While I support her sentiment and am … Read more
Nutty buckwheat pairs beautifully with those delicious green spears for a light lunch or addition to a spring dinner spread. Asparagus season is well and truly upon us, and it can be enjoyed many ways – lightly steamed, grilled on the barbecue wrapped in bacon, in salads, with egg for breakfast. In this recipe the … Read more
An easy, flavour-packed noodle recipe from Bounty – Cooking With Vegetables, the new cookbook from national food education charity the Garden to Table Trust. The fresh flavours of these noodles are less complex than many Thai dishes, as the simple spice paste uses just a few ingredients. If you’d rather not make a paste, use … Read more
Sure, everything around you might be reproducing with disgusting enthusiasm, but at least there’s asparagus. Here’s a vinaigrette to save the day. Spring has sprung! New things are growing! Lambs are frisking! Last week I went outside briefly without a raincoat! Not that I am actually enjoying this fresh season, of course. I now complain … Read more
Fritters are a New Zealand classic and these ones, packed with fresh spring produce, make a perfect light lunch or dinner. Spring is well and truly upon us – my garden has exploded and I take such pleasure in being able to harvest its bounty on a daily basis. We are currently enjoying purple sprouting … Read more
Simon Day trials the new Sunbeam Mixmaster Hand Mixer with its unique HeatSoft Technology to make some bespoke butters, and share his recipes. Butter makes everything better. A cob of sweetcorn glistening in fat, whipped butter melting on McDonald’s hotcakes, white popcorn turned golden, a dripping crumpet, a potato transformed into something heavenly, a croissant … Read more
Get the kids to help you make these during the holidays, then add them to the regular lunchbox rotation come back-to-school time. If you’re reading this and have children then, according to recent research, there’s a 50% chance they aren’t consuming their recommended daily serving of vegetables. Walk through your local supermarket and it’s little … Read more
Covering Climate Now: As part of The Spinoff’s commitment to Covering Climate Now, the food section has gone vegan. Today, a delicious recipe to herald the arrival of spring. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here! Roman-style vignarola has great appeal at this time of … Read more
To celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, cookbook authors, 2014 MasterChef-winning sisters and badass wāhine Māori Karena and Kasey Bird (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Manawa) have translated some of the delicious recipes from their second cookbook, Hungry, into te reo Māori for The Spinoff. Today, poached pears in chocolate. NGĀ PEA KŌHUA KI ROTO I TE … Read more
To celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, cookbook authors, 2014 MasterChef-winning sisters and badass wāhine Māori Karena and Kasey Bird (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Manawa) have translated some of the delicious recipes from their second cookbook, Hungry, into te reo Māori for The Spinoff. Today, a tino reka salmon salad. NGĀ MOMO REKA O TE HĀMANA … Read more