Empties and leftovers, a happy belly and a satisfied heart. These are the joyous remains of last night’s cheese and beer tasting. I love everything about cheese and booze tastings, be they beer, wine or whiskey. From the excitement of … Continue reading Fromage fort and left over cheese
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
To my surprise these flew off the plate. Air-light flakes of pastry with the sweet crunch of caramelised grilled cheese. The addition of apple and fennel seeds had transformed the mouth-puckering dryness of traditional cheese straws into delicious flakey moreishness. The extra effort was well worth it. I love cheese straws, and am usually content to eat most myself, few others seeming to share my love of cold puff pastry. These ones however come with a warning – make sure you get your fair share before handing them around, because they won’t last! These are the evangelists of cheese straws. … Continue reading Apple and fennel cheese straws – temptation on a platter
Ah cheesey friends I have been in a conundrum, a cheese conundrum – what does a curd nerd to take to a cocktail party? I couldn’t recall 007 eating anything with his Martini and Audrey Hepburn certainly just seemed to smoke. But I wanted to make some sophisticated cheese canapés to hand around. A bit of research later and a whole new world opened up. So over the next few weeks I’ll share a few easy canapés to grace any cocktail party. Cocktails are intense with strong flavours, so I wanted canapés that could stand up to high alchohol beverages. I … Continue reading Cheese canapés for cocktail parties
Goats cheese and kiwifuit? With basil? On toast? OK Madame Fromage, Cheese Courtesan from Philadelphia, you got me tempted. What an unexpected pairing of our national fruit, and by an American, this combination turned out to be a revelation! A hot looking canapé, simple and fairly inexpensive, it’s bound to become a staple this coming summer. Just smear fresh goats cheese on bruschetta, add a slice of kiwifruit and a jaunty spring of basil. Easy as. Pair with a G & T or a chilled Sav. Delicious. I used Meadowcroft Chevré, a New Zealand-made, French-style, fresh goats cheese made by … Continue reading Goats cheese and kiwifruit – strange but true…
Life and Cheese 