Kitchen Toys

Here are my recent acquirements for the kitchen.

A couple of weeks ago, S and I were on one of our usual visits at Total Food Equipment when I spotted the cutest set of measuring spoons. Usually, we exercise some self-restraint and simply walk around and lust over the shiny, pretty gadgets, and then leave empty handed. This wasn't one of those times. I'd been looking around for a nice set of measuring spoons, but couldn't find any that I was partial to, until then. These spoons are made of thick, good quality plastic and have a nice weight to them that make them feel like they're made of metal. Each spoon has a ring at the base so that it will stay upright on a flat surface, like a bowl, and a little spout, making them look like the cute little offspring of a mixing bowl and a measuring jug (except for the handle bit). Of course, I couldn't resist. 

I also gave in and purchased this pretty, square, sturdy, self-standing Joseph Joseph colander which I had been eyeing for months. This is my first Joseph Joseph acquisition, but their products have always caught my eye and I love most of their designs.

Then, several days later, S surprised me with an early Christmas present! A box set with a Microplane box grater and a zester/grater. I've only used the zester/grater so far and it grates beautifully. Not only are you less likely to grate your fingers because it is well designed and sharp, it also reliably produces gratings that are fine and consistent in size. I can't wait to try all the different panels on the box grater!

Otago Farmers Market

Critic Issue 28 – Food Column 

Every week, the masses crawl out of their warm cosy beds on a Saturday morning to head to the Otago Farmers Market (Dunedin Railway Station north car park, Anzac Avenue). I know that a lot of people get their supply of fresh meat and vegetables from the market, but I am one of those silly city-slickers who were brought up on supermarkets and haven’t changed my habits, yet. So, when I go to the market, I tend to spend all my money on the wide variety of scrumptious, ready-to-eat food. 

The first thing on my mind is usually, “I want a bacon buttie!” Even when I don’t, as soon as I get a whiff of the intoxicating aroma of bacon cooking, I want one. The proprietor of Touch of Dutch has long been dubbed ‘Bacon Buttie Man’ by his customers and the business has become so well known by that name that they now have a Bacon Buttie Man logo emblazoned on the side of the truck and on their wrappers. They also offer yummy Eurodogs, but there’s a reason it’s ‘Bacon Buttie Man’ not ‘Eurodog Man’. Sandwiched between two soft pieces of white bread, are layers and layers of delicious, perfectly grilled shaved bacon mixed with lovely caramelised onions and a perfectly complementary sauce mixture of ketchup, mustard and corn relish. I challenge you to bite into one of these and not make the “MMMMHH-this-is-so-$%^&*@-good” sound! 

The other thing that emits the most wonderful, irresistible, drool-inducing scent are the tasty, tender, beautifully marinated barbecued lamb kebabs from Koau Flowers. Nine times out of ten, I find myself automatically following my nose to their stall to get some. For something sweet, I go to The Tart Tin. I particularly like the pear tart and the brownie. I particularly like the luscious, velvety pear tart and the very chocolatey brownie, but Matt Cross (aka Cupcake Guy to me and my friends) also offers a variety of other tarts, cupcakes, lemon bars, and micro-cakes and a big, friendly grin every single time you approach his table. There are of course, numerous other extremely popular vendors like La Crepe, where you can get good, sweet and savory crepes, and Pie Time (aka Who Ate All The Pies?), which specialises in gourmet pies, but by the time I have my favorite buttie and kebab, and sometimes a waffle too, I am usually too stuffed to eat anything else - which is why there are quite a few things from other vendors that I haven't had the chance sample yet. 

Even though I don't often buy fresh vegetables or meat from the market, I do go there specifically for the fruit. Before coming to NZ, I had quite an aversion to apples. Then I had my first Pacific Queen. It was so fresh, crunchy and sweet, and the skin was so taut that when I bit into it, that it made an audible 'snap/crack!'. It is a little late now, but when in season, NZ apples are amazingly delicious (almost unbelievably so, if you grew up in a place where only imported, sub-par apples were available). I usually get the pacific queen and the pacific beauty variety from Ettrick Gardens.

For those of you who will be spending the summer here, look out of the Big Fat Cherry Company in January. 

Paasha and Yilmaz

 Critic Issue 27 – Food Column

Shaslik

  

Hummus

When I am in the mood for a little treat, Paasha Turkish Cafe (31 St Andrew Street) is one of my preferred places to go to for a nice meal. The service is always friendly and attentive and the overall ambience is pleasant and comfortable for relaxing and catching up with friends. The primary draw, of course, is the good food. Being a creature of habit, I tried a few things on the menu, struck gold one after one or two visits and have been ordering the same thing ever since – the hummus starter and the Shaslik main. The hummus (chickpea and tahini paste, infused with lemon juice, garlic and oil) deserves a special mention because it is really tasty, goes with everything on the menu and is the best hummus that I’ve had thus far. There is something incredibly satisfying about stuffing yourself with big mouthfuls of the excellent hummus and hot pita bread. My favourite main, the Shaslik, consists of two skewers of beautifully char-grilled, marinated lamb cubes, bell peppers and onions, accompanied with cous cous, pasta salad, salad, hummus, hot pita bread and sauces of your choice (I always ask for the Paasha’s Special, Garlic and Halep sauces). The cubes of lambs are tasty and the fresh, tangy sauces complement them particularly well. My only gripe is that the meat is a little tougher than I would prefer, but the overall experience is such an enjoyable one that it’s one of those things you can just ignore.

Chicken on Rice

Beef Roll

I know that this next place is actually already pretty well known for their pizzas and kebabs but I only visited it for the first time this week. I was pleased that they lived up to their reputation, even though I did not get to try their pizzas. Yilmaz (906 George Street) is a quaint little place with a lot of character and heart. Customers are greeted with big, warm smiles, the portions are large, the prices reasonable and best of all, they keep student hours, i.e. 11am – 10:30pm, seven days a week! What better way to warm up on the way home from the library than tucking into a good ol’ beef kebab (a.k.a roll)? I tried the Chicken on Rice, which is marinated chicken served with rice, fresh mixed salad, hummus and your choice of sauces. Unfortunately, on my plate, the hummus was MIA, so I couldn’t, as originally intended, compare it to Paasha’s. The chicken was a little fibrous because they used lean chicken breast, but it and all its accompaniments still made very a good meal. About halfway through it, I didn’t even mind the leanness anymore. I have no complaints, however about the Beef Roll. The roll was large, well filled with salad, hummus, tender, deliciously flavoured meat, and sauces and well toasted. Absolutely scrumptious, and at $9.50, a really good bang for your buck. I’ve also heard good things about the garlic bread and already have a plan of attack for their pizzas.

Bakeries

Critic Issue 26 – Food Column 

Madeleines, Almond Croissant and Pain Au Chocolat

Nestled in Roslyn Village is a bakery that has built quite a reputation just from word of mouth, particularly through the locals. The regulars know that you have to get in early because the popular items can sell out before 8am, and then you would have to wait another week to satiate your cravings – it is open for business only once a week. By 7:30am, there is usually a small crowd at Highgate Bridge (300 Highgate, Roslyn Village), which is better known as The Friday Shop/Bakery, waiting to get their hands on the fruit tarts, croissants, pain au chocolates, meat pies, quiches, etc that line the shelves and tables of this otherwise sparse, no-frills shop. 

I was after the pain au chocolates, madeleines and of course, the croissants. I had heard from more than one source that The Friday Shop’s croissants are the unquestionably the best in town. They did not disappoint – the pastries were light and flaky, and smelt heavenly, as freshly baked, butter-laden pastries often do. The almond croissant was filled from end to end with rich, melt-in-your-mouth, sweet, almond butter and encrusted with almond slices, so from the very first bite, you experience the intermingling of the different textures and flavours from the sliced almonds, the pastry and the filling. In comparison, the pain au chocolate is not much to look at, but the winning contrast between the faintly salty, flaky pastry and the sweet, smooth strips of chocolate within, makes it my favourite item. At first glance, it looks as though there isn’t enough chocolate filling, but I think that, unlike the more common chocolate drenched pastries found elsewhere, they have intentionally restrained themselves with the chocolate in order to maintain the fine complementary balance between the two, where neither the pastry nor the chocolate is the dominant flavour. The distinctly, but not overwhelmingly, orange flavoured, springy madeleines are also very good. There were so many other things to scrutinise and contemplate trying but with the pressure of the crowd of people waiting in line behind me, I got what I was familiar with and got out quickly. There’s always next Friday… 

Mince Pie

The Bakers Dozen (43 Mailer Street, Mornington) is another, more accessible, bakery that I go to for pies and chocolate lamingtons. That’s not all they have, of course, but I believe they’re known for their pies. Like The Friday Shop, you will probably miss out if you get there late, but here, ‘late’ is more like 2-3pm in the afternoon, not 8am. I always get the chicken curry and the mince pies. Their delicious pies are always hot and fresh, with nice, light-ish, flaky pastries and, tasty fillings with real, lean meat. You won’t be going back to supermarket pies once you’ve had one of these. [Edit: Also previously posted about the chicken curry pie here.]