Great news for us Wellingtonians, Moore Wilsons has Burrata. Nestled amongst the Mozarella and bochoncini we spied this elusive treat. I’ve written about the delights of Burrata before, the way it wobbles in your hand like an ivory white breast, … Continue reading Burrata spied in Wellington
With its gnarly blue-grey rind, Selles sur Cher looks like something scary found at the back of my fridge. But don’t be fooled, cut through its wrinkly outer and you’ll find the bright white of a goats cheese. This is … Continue reading Selles sur cher – a wrinkley taste of spring
The red sauce of the spicy wings, the blue of the cheesey sauce and the green spring onion garnish – what better for an election night feast? These are an easier baked version of buffalo wings, the classic American bar … Continue reading Election night Buffalo Wings and Blue Cheese Dip
More delicate than Scotch, Japanese whisky coaxed honey, caramel and even apricots from the cheeses at the Cheese and Whiskey Perfect Match event I attended at Milk the Cow in St Kilda, Melbourne recently. Four cheeses, about 20 Melbournians, plus … Continue reading Whiskey and cheese tasting at Milk the Cow, Melbourne
At least 18 cheeses on a cheese cart they said on their website, how could I resist? Dinner at Saggio di Vinos was the second must do-thing on my list in Christchurch last weekend. A cheese cart is a rare … Continue reading Saggio di Vinos, cheesecarts and memories of France
I can’t go to Christchurch without making a pilgrimage to the cheese stalls at the Christchurch Farmers Market at Riccarton, even when it’s cold and I’m sick. So like a plague-riddled mendicant I hauled my sorry self out of bed, … Continue reading My number one thing to do in Christchurch
30 Foodies, 6 cheeses, 3 wines, a sommelier and a cheese geek. Last night’s cheese and wine tasting at Elements Café was awesome. Organised by the fabulous Lucy Mutch from Wellington Foodies, we gathered to taste a selection of winners from the New Zealand Specialist Cheese Association Awards. I was in charge of the fromage, Jules van Cruysen from MacVine International provided the wine and Kate Hardwick helped cut and plate up. I’d chosen six cheeses with the help of James and Tara from The Dairy in Ponsonby. I’d swung by after the cheese awards and tasted my way through … Continue reading Cheese and wine tasting with awesome Wellington foodies
They peer out from the back of my fridge, forgotten nubbins of cheese, skerricks drying out on their inevitable march to the bin. They are my guilty cheese secrets as I reach for a newer, more appealing piece. This week though, rather than sweep them into the rubbish, I have given these refugees from long-forgotten cheeseboards a second life. Mashed with egg yolk and cream, folded into beaten whites and cooked into puddings, this is a decadent but ultimately frugal feast perfect for an early dinner, Sunday night. Thank heavens for Nigel Slater – the battle cry of the time-poor … Continue reading Nigel Slater’s Cheese puddings for cold winter nights
Winter’s coming and with it stronger, heavier cheeses. Cheeses that shout out for beer. I’d heard beer and cheese were easier to match than wine and so I hollered out to my beer geek friends. 4 beers, 5 cheeses, my best glasses – a tasting afternoon! I love formal tastings, they encourage a mindfulness often missing when you’re sitting round socially, quaffing and snacking. The incidental-ness of the food and drink is replaced by an almost solemn focus. Except of course nothing stays solemn for long when sipping beer and sampling cheese. Soon enough we were giggling our way through … Continue reading Beer and cheese tasting
Cheese rolls are one of New Zealand’s few regional food specialities. They ignite nostalgia in Mainlanders living up north, are a fund raising stalwart in Southland/Otago, and a source of fascination for this cheese obsessed North Islander. Sheltering from a wet Autumnal day I spotted some in the basement café of a posho department store in Christchurch last week, and was inspired to find out more about this uniquely South Island treat. Te Waipounamu tell us your secrets! A cheese roll, for the uninitiated, is a pre-prepared cheese mixture spread on thin white bread, rolled up and toasted under a … Continue reading Cheese rolls – a South Island tradition
Life and Cheese 