The world is one big fat Oyster....

Hello my friends,

Two weeks have rolled on quite quickly, and lots of good times have been had.. now where do I start.

Now that the days are starting to get warmer and summer time is really not that far away I have been dreaming up lots of delicious recipes for warm, seasonal salads, with the help of fresh herbs and the {occasional green from the garden}I am testing  out some ideas for daily salads that I will serve in the pavilion for the January event Sculpture on the gulf. Lately I have been making inspired Spanish salads with lots of colourful ingredients such as, orange, red onion, smoked paprika, green olives, red peppers, chorizo. I like to add a grain like barley, Israeli cous cous or steamed potatoes and finish of with a robust Spanish dressing... seriously finger-licken good! Of course there will be plenty more food offered but I cant seem to resist a great hearty salad.

This week I had the opportunity to caterer for the elite sponsors for the hSOTG. I was explained that I would be catering for 20 people and together Nico{my right hand partner}and I designed a 7 course canapé menu. We were told it was going to be held on a heritage boat called the Belize. From my brothers experience working on super yaghts he told me the kitchens would be extremely small and just to hold on if it got rough... mind you we were only sailing and hour over to the north shore, no Italy or Greek islands for me! Also my last experience of working on the HSMNZ Canterbury on Master chef had left me with slight hesitation, hot, sweaty and if I remember right intense pressure!!

With four boxes packed with goodies I headed in to the city. What a delight I felt when I headed over the bridge on the Wynard wharf, Belize, a boat belonging to Lady Adrienne Stewart, is truly a beautiful boat instantly I felt at home, not only was the kitchen decked out with 2 ovens and a 6 gas hob but extremley homely and graceful. I settled in quickly and got started on my mise en place{ this is a French term for "Everything in its place"} We had a smooth sailing and I  thoroughly enjoyed preparing and putting together all the canapés, I love the design element to preparing canapés and how creative you can be....

Here are a few pictures of some of what my guests tasted....

Rare beef fillet with a coriander pistou served on Ringawera brioche

Snapper and tequila ceviche

After the big event I was excited to wake up on Saturday as I had the opening party of the Oyster Inn to attend, weeks of preparation led to this day and personally I was very excited about this brand new eatery on Waiheke Island. From what I had heard the owners Jonathan Rutherfurd Best and Andrew Glenn fresh from London had many years experience in the trade and would be sparing no details in making the old establishment look a million dollars!. Okay seriously Waiheke's food offerings has improved in my opinion so much over the last 2 years with not only vineyards the place to get a great bite to eat.

Blah blah say no more it was a stunning party, they sure knew how to host a fabulous one as champagne flowed and flowed and oysters were consumed by the dozens{a rumour says 600 dozen!] I got to bump into Peter Gordan who was lovely and briefly Josh Emett and his beautiful wife...  Bring it on! I am so very excited about many a beautiful sunny afternoon enjoying great food, wine and sunsets on the verandah overlooking Oneroa beach... Great job boys...

Lastly here is a recipe for a special tasting plate I designed for my evolu event... hope you enjoy xo

Salmon and wasabi tartare with fennel mint & orange salad

Ingredients

100 g Salmon fillet

1 tbls lemon juice

2 small shallot, diced

¼ cup fennel fronds

Wasabi mayo

1 cup canola oil

2 egg yolks

1 tbls lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

1 garlic clove diced

salt/pepper

2 tbls white wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp wasabi

Salad

1 large fennel bulb finely sliced

½ cup fennel fronds chopped

drizzle olive oil

1 lemon

1 orange segmented

To make.

1. Dice your salmon into small cubes and mix in shallots, lemon zest, juice, fennel fronds and season. Leave aside.

2. To make the mayonnaise place your egg yolks into a food processor with the garlic, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper and blitz, slowly drizzle in your canola oil and keep adding until you have a thick and glossy mayo. Lastly add in your wasabi and season. Add lemon juice to taste.

3. In a small bowl mix your finely sliced fennel with fennel fronds, drizzle with lemon and lastly add your orange segments. Squeeze in the juice of the remaining orange.

3. Press your salmon into round moulds top with your fennel salad and season with salt. Lastly top with fresh fennel frond.

Wild on Waiheke....

Hi my friends,

The inspiration for my blog this week is all about the wild!

Its been another 2 weeks past by and for me personally its been mostly filled up with long days spent outside trying to tackle the landscaping. I was concerned that summer is on its way and I really wanted to establish some sort of garden before it got too hot! Yeah right... what a crazy load of weather we have all experienced, first the wind. Drove me barking mad I might say, then the cold snap, or was that with the wind.. and then a hot spell. I tell you my vegetable garden has truly suffered for it and my wee little seedlings are mostly shriveled up and died. I feel rather sensitive about it as its part of the big picture! however I will just have to start again... Despite the small hick up I have planted over 150 grasses and they have totally transformed the front of my house. 

I did get out last weekend and was very excited about heading to Depot for a bite to eat before heading out for some fun in the city. Okay I must confess I am a total fan of Al Browns restaurant Depot, the food the atmosphere and the bloody marys combine for an outstanding experience. I love the menu and never leave out the Mexican carnitas, slow pulled pork, slaw and salsa Verde.. lip smacking good! we followed with scallops, a meat platter and many many more just to name a few. if you haven't been GO! and its always packed out so get there early. We gorged ourselves silly and I seriously made a pork of myself! :-}

 Saturday I was invited to Smith & Caughey's to demonstrate with Kitchenaid and Vitamix. I feel very honoured to be asked and am very passionate about the products, I love using the appliances whenever I get the opportunity and believe there are no better on the market. I am always impressed with the results when I bake or cook and find them extremely easy to use. So thanks to Sharyn at Peter Mcinnis I get to help out and demonstrate some beautiful recipes. Vitamix is another truly wonderful appliance on the market its used by alot of health professionals and chefs, It not only cooks food from raw{ as it has a 2 horse power motor} but also makes exquisite sorbet and ice-cream in minutes, it absolutely blows my mind and I love working with it.

I have two events out of town if anybodies interested... Piako Fete{check them out on FB} is a girls day out located at the amazing Daltons plantation, there will be excellent food catered by Dalton's themselves, music, stalls galore, food presentations by moi and I hear, wonderful spot prizes to be handed out on the door. Weather looks great so if your up for a road trip head to Matamata. Secondly I have been asked to come and cook up at Kerikeri for their annual Street party, might I say its a huge event and one apparently not to be missed!

Tonight I thought I might share with you my signiture dish that got me into Masterchef NZ... hey hey! nah truly its a good one and I have cooked this one for many people who have loved it!

Enjoy xo

Snapper and Euro-Asian Salad with Red Quinoa 

Preparation Time: 35 Minutes 
Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 
Serves 2

Quinoa 

1/2 cup red quinoa, soaked in water for 1 hour 
Salt 
1 tbsp Mainland butter

Salad Dressing 

Juice of 2-3 limes 
2 tbsp palm sugar 
1-2 tbsp fish sauce 
1 small garlic clove, minced 
1 red chilli, deseeded, finlely chopped 
1/2 tsp soy sauce

Salad 

1/2 cup sweet minted peas 
1/4 cup green beans, top and tailed, cut in half 
1/4 cup watercress, leaves picked 
1/4 cup coriander, leaves picked 
2-3 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced 
1 small beetroot, peeled, julienned

Snapper 

2 snapper fillets, skin on 
1-2 tbsp Lupi Olive oil

Lemon wedges, to serve

1. Place the quinoa in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt and place over medium heat. Bring to the boil and then turn down to a slow simmer. Keep a watch over the quinoa. When all of the water has been absorbed remove from the heat, place the Mainland butter into the quinoa, stir, then place a tea towel over the saucepan. 

2. To make the dressing, place the lime juice, palm sugar and fish sauce into a mixing bowl. Taste and make sure the flavours are balanced to your liking. Add the garlic, chilli and soy to taste. Set aside. 

3. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to the boil. Blanch the peas until al dente, then plunge into iced water to refresh. Use the same saucepan of water to blanch the beans. Refresh in iced water again. Pat the peas and beans dry. 

4. To make the salad, combine the peas, beans, watercress, coriander, kaffir lime and beetroot. Set aside. 

5. Season the snapper fillet with salt and place skin side down in a cold, non-stick frying pan with a little Lupi Olive oil. Place the pan over high heat and allow to stay on heat for 3-4 minutes. Flip the fish, turn off the heat and leave the fish in the hot frying pan for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the pan. 

6. To serve, place a spoon of quinoa on a serving dish and place the snapper fillet on top. Dress the salad with the salad dressing and place on top of the snapper. Make sure that some of the watercress, beetroot and chilli from the dressing is visible on top. Drizzle a little of the dressing around the plate. Serve with a wedge of lemon.

Celebrating turning 2...

Hello my friends,

well the highlight of the school holidays was certainly celebrating my baby Sienna's second birthday! I wasn't about to forget that I was absent for her first, up to my eyeballs with mystery boxes and off the cuff food challenges.. Yes It was a year ago that I was top six on Masterchef and upset because it was Sienna's first birthday and mama was away.

So with a breezy spring day upon us a visit to the beach was not in the cards,  we decided next venue was in the new family home{ still no real kitchen} a cake was made next door thanks to my wonderful neighbours and twinkle twinkle was the theme of the day. I now enjoy the challenge of a fondant cake thanks to the horrid "burger challenge" hey but didn't I win that challenge... oh yeah! Seriously if you want to theme your birthday cake fondant is such a wonderful tool, thankfully the theme was alot simpler than burger and milkshake so the cake transformed into this.. 

Dark chocolate and rum sour cream cake

 With the birthday out of the way the holidays were going to be busy for me, I had 7 children's cooking classes both in the city at the Auckland Seafood school, and also here on lovely Waiheke island. Once again I had such a ball and the challenges thrown at these young junior chefs presented excellent results! Vietnamese spring rolls, three cheese ravioli and Eton mess were just a few of the dishes made, I have learnt that its best to keep things fairly simple with a little technique added in to challenge, and always I am amazed at how individual each dish turns out.. mostly they like to present there dishes with there own twist to it and I am happy to leave them up to it. I have truly found a passion in teaching so long it may last! here is a little snap shot of a few moment in the classes. Again thank you to Sunbeam for gifting wonderful prizes on the day and also to Esiyo for demonstrating and suppling yoghurt for the classes!

Things have slowed down with the interior of the house as we have been faced with mammoth earthworks outside, I am so excited about getting stuck into the garden and the garden beds seem more of a priority as summer gets closer, the plan is to build 3 large raised garden beds and to grow fruit and veges galore, eventually I will use this beautiful fresh produce in my very own cooking classes from home.. truly a dream come true. This whole experience of building has been like waiting for the new baby to arrive and finally when it comes, you are faced with long hours of hard work, blood, sweat and tears... but so very satisfying..

Here is a view from the top storey looking down onto the garden beds... WOOP WOOP :} Yes there is alot of dirt!

Last but not least the recipe for my Ravioli dish we made with the kids, great for all the family!

Three cheese Ravioli with poached prawns and sage butter sauce

 

ingredients

2 tbsps olive oil

3 shallots (minced)

8ozs {1 cup} soft mozzarella cheese

½ cup ricotta cheese

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

½ cup chopped chives

24 wonton wrappers

2 egg whites (whisked just until foamy)

Brown butter sauce

4 tsp chopped fresh sage

6 tbsps melted butter

baby spinach to garnish

1 cup poached prawns

How to

1. heat oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add shallots, sauté for 5-6 minutes. Leave to cool.

2. place all your cheeses in a bowl and add shallots and season and lastly add chopped chives.

3. place your wonton wrapper on a board and add cheese mixture into centre, brush on egg white and place a wrapper on top. Make sure sides are all secure. Either cut out desired shape with cutting mould or fold into triangles and wrap edges together to make a hat shape.

4.In a clean saucepan add a little water, salt and then your prawns, cook until pink. Strain and leave aside.

5. Place a boiling pot of water onto the heat and add salt and a little oil, place your ravioli in and cook for 3 to 4 minutes

6. In a clean frying pan add your butter and sage leaves and fry until the butter is slightly brown. Place your cooked ravioli in and serve immediately. Dribble over a little more butter. Serve with a simple salad

Enjoy x

Food glorious food...

Hi my friends :}

Food is always on the brain, I am constantly dreaming up ideas for new cooking classes, general recipes for menus and just foodie fantasy! Usually it wakes me at 3am but I find that's the best time to process ideas..

Its just so satisfying to know that I am finally doing what I love best, cooking with passion and from everything I have experienced so far I must say its the cooking classes that I enjoy the most... I have thought about this alot and wonder why I feel such a buzz while I am up there teaching others to cook... two things stand out strongly for me, firstly its the inspiration I feel while teaching and secondly its seeing the end result and the achievement in the eyes of my clients, the children especially.. Its truly magic!

One of my most favourite places to shop is at Nosh, I love the experience all round. There's always great specials and the produce and meat section are amazing.. infact its all amazing. So when I get emailed to ask if I would like to demonstrate and cook a spring inspired dish I jumped at the chance!! Off I head to Ponsonby Nosh with my bag full of equipment and a spring in my step.. It was loads of fun a few hiccups with the set up but in next to no time I was in the full swing of things, i even got to catch up with some old mates and have a great chat with new friends.. its definitely a social kind of job... perfect for me!

A few exciting events are under way that I am involved in... I am currently running children's cooking classes on Waiheke and in the city.. these are all mentioned in my events page. Piako Fete is a ladies day out event{ men are permitted}. This is going to be held at the Dalton's Plantation in Matamata, there are many great stalls, delicious food for sale and I will be cooking up a storm demonstrating some beautiful dishes.  I am really excited to hopefully meet Xanthe White and look at the beautiful gardens she has created there, what's a better excuse for a road trip and a day away from the usual madness... In November I will be heading up to Keri Keri for their annual street food party, again I will be cooking and demonstrating some tasty summer barbecue dishes... lucky me huh!

The biggest event I am involved in is the Sculpture on the gulf event in late January and Feb... here I will be designing the menu, running the day to day catering at the pavilion and many sponsors evenings. I will be collaborating with another great chef Nico fini from urban esgargot... truly it will be 3 weeks of mayhem!! but I cant wait.

Grapefruits are in season and apart from being uber delicious with vodka, they are best enjoyed in our family with a sprinkle of brown sugar and left in the fridge to marinade over night... nom nom...

Lastly before I go I thought I would share my lamb dish I cooked at Nosh with you... hope you enjoy xo

 Lamb Kebabs with Skordalia and fresh asparagus.

Lamb kebabs

Makes 6–8 kebabs

• 500g/1lb 2oz lean, boned leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 2.5cm/1 inch cubes

• 6–8 skewers or sticks of fresh rosemary, lower leaves removed, tips kept on

• 2 red onions, peeled and quartered

• 2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into 2.5cm/1 inch pieces

For the marinade

• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

• 2 cloves

• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds

• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• olive oil

1.First bash up all the spices in a pestle and mortar until fine, then mix with the oil to make a thick marinade paste.

2.Put the lamb pieces into a bowl and cover with the marinade. Let them sit there for half an hour to an hour.

3.Then, using the rosemary sticks or skewers, spike each piece of meat alternately with red onion and peppers.

4.Grill for around 5 minutes, turning regularly, to give you nicely charred meat on the outside with juicy pink on the inside.

5.Allow to rest for a few minutes – that is, if you can stop yourself eating them straight away!

^skordalia

 ^1x can Cannellini beans

Squeeze Lemon juice

1 x Garlic
bulb crushed

½ cup olive oil

½ cup almond meal

Salt to taste

Simply drain a can of cannellini beans and puree with lemon juice, garlic, almond meal and lots of olive oil until smooth.

*Garnish with fresh blanched Asparagus.

Enjoy xo

A mexican fiesta.

Hi there my fellow foodies, 

I have had a colourful couple of weeks, I am very happy to declare that I am finally sleeping in the new house. The beds have been moved in and we are currently camping or Glamping as the term be known. Its actually pretty nice being in the space with minimal furniture and just getting to enjoy the clear spaces. The plumbing is the next to come, cant wait for a hot bath when it comes and the star kitchen is still 3 weeks away. Despite the further wait, I am content to be out of the caravan and in the casa!

I have finished my first course of adult cooking classes and we all had a ball, I loved designing the menu each week taking inspiration from fresh ingredients I came across, its truly the way I love to cook, mixing and matching beautiful ingredients and its really like a mystery box of my very own.. The classes are not over yet I have new children's classes at two venues during the school holidays. Please check out my events page if you are interested. Sunbeam will be again handing out some wonderful spot prizes and this year the Auckland seafood school are giving away goodie bags woop woop thanks Sunbeam!

Here's a wee pic of a dessert I whipped up for the adult students.

Burnt caramel panna cotta, compote tamarillo and honey comb. 

On Sunday I got to celebrate with my family and friends for my nephews first birthday, they decided to have a mexician party to celebrate.. This made me incredibly excited as i am truly passionate about mexican food. My mother used to have a wonderful retail shop selling mexican home-wares for over 8 years, and I was fortunate enough to travel with her.. The rich culture and diversity of naive art and food was truly an eye opener for me, this is where I first experienced street food.

I fell in love with Cerviche and fresh corn tacos blew my mind! I remember struggling with the chillies but grew accustomed to hot food very quickly.. there are some fantastic mexican restaurants here Mexico and mexican specialities to name a few...

The recipe I would like to share with you this week was inspired by my mama, she came to my nephews first birthday with this wonderful large orange pot filled with the most delightful looking fish dish. Here's a little bit of background on this dish called Pesco Veracruz or fish Veracruz

Named for the city of Veracruz, pescado a la Veracruzana is widely served throughout Mexico. It’s a regional specialty from the southeastern Mexican state of Veracruz. A coastal area, Veracruz is known for it’s abundant seafood and a rich culinary history heavily influenced by Spain, and there’s a good reason for this. Veracruz where Hernán Cortés established the first Spanish colony nearly five hundred years ago.

Fish Veracruz

ingredients 

1kg snapper fillets or kingfish steaks

Salt to season

2 limes

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 white onions, peeled and chopped

6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

4 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled, and chopped (or a 
can whole tomatoes)

20 large green olives such as manzanillas or spanisg green olives, pitted and 
chopped

2 tbsp. capers, rinsed

2 pickled jalapeño peppers, chopped

3 tbsp. pickled jalapeño juice{from the jar}

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 sprigs fresh marjoram

1⁄2 tsp. dried oregano

2 bay leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

Corn Tortillas, warmed

To make

1. Sprinkle flilets with salt and place in a shallow pan. Cut limes in half and squeeze juice all over fillets. Place lime halves in pan, cover, and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour.

2. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook until golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook for 1 minute.

3. Add tomatoes (break up if canned); cook for 10 minutes. Add olives, capers, jalapeños, jalapeño juice, parsley, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper; cook over low heat for 20 minutes.

4. Add filets and marinade, cover, and cook, turning once, for 4 minutes per side. Discard bay leaves and limes. Serve immediately with tortillas.

enjoy xo