The Quince Hit

Do you cook with quince? A quince is wonderful poached in a syrup spiced with cinnamon and clove and reveals another quality of wonder – it turns a luscious shade, anywhere from deep pink to rich red. From rosy to ruby. You can’t get a quick dish from a quince, so plan on a few [...]

What is New Zealand Eating?

The great pavlova battle got me thinking about New Zealand food. Being a relatively isolated island one would expect to find unique flavors. But that’s not all you find here, there are also a large assortment of common flavors with unusual names. So, just for fun I developed the Kiwi Food Quiz. Give it a [...]

Arancini

Another recipe inspired by Montalbano. I’m an avid fan of Inspector Montalbano, the fictional detective created by Andrea Camilleri, and I’m intrigued by the Sicilian dishes that the Inspector is always tucking away. After a few tries, I’ve managed to rice croquettes. The Sicilians have been making these deep-fried delights for a thousand years. Arancini [...]

Spring Rolls

My daughter-in-law, Nockie, is coaching me in Vietnamese Cooking. This is all new to me and I’ve fallen in love with cooking straight from the garden. In her recipe for Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Nockie includes several photographs of that all-important step – rolling them up! It’s not as simple as it sounds – there’s an [...]

That Pavlova

The argument still rages. Is the luscious Pavlova a product of Australia (as the Australians claim)? Or is originally from New Zealand 9as the Kiwis claim)? The Pavlova originated in Australia The Pavlova originated in New Zealand