LET THEM EAT CHEESE

Today the Rock  milked the cow and I had 8 litres  of milk to play with. I decided to make mozzarella but maybe because the rennet was old or Im a crap Cheese  maker all I got was a pasty cross between ricotta and quark. But i was not to be shamed. I found this recipe for Ricotta cakes They are a cross between a Sally Lunn and a scone. light tasty and rich. I added some currants and choc bits for interest. I wont ice them as they are sweet enough.

Ingredients below.  heat oven to 180 deg  cream butter and sugar add eggs and ricotta and vanilla the add dry ingredients and mix  lightly . drop on tray and back for about 15 mins. They are really yum

 

• 2 cups (400g) white sugar
• 250g butter, softened
• 425g ricotta cheese
• cup of currants and cup of choco drops
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
• 2 eggs

• 4 cups (500g) plain flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups (180g) icing sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk

BEAUJOLAIS BESTIES

Today  we returned to an old haunt  for lunch -  the Wellesley.  It is with out a doubt one of the most beautiful olde world hotels of NZ.  The soft scent of good cigars and old spice ooze from  its dark panelled oak walls  .
A  forever stilled bisons head hangs  over an old wood smoke drenched fireplace. A  baby grand piano sits on black and white checkerboard tiles in   the Hotel lobby waiting for musical fingers to make the keys dance.

  We dined  at a table in the corner of the bar. It seats a spreaded ten or an intimate dozen.
The old McGinnity Restaurant was once draped in starchy  white linen redolent of the sumptuous leisurely  privileged age of last century .  

Now it is a renamed bistro style café - 1815.  It is not well patronised, probably because few people realise it has been opened again post earthquake repairs needed to shore up its weak brick bones.  

A chef came up to the bar and we  all in unison squealed with glee. Chef Anton from our beloved heady days at the now defunct Beaujolais wine bar  in Woodward St was master of the 1815 kitchen.  

Recently lunch in many establishements has become tiresome as plates are over dressed with  all manner of flowers.  Moleculargastrofuckery abounds in the trendiest of food dens. But  I don't want flowers with my meat and I don't want to drink from a jam jar..
And that's the reason we squealed  when we saw  Anton  as he does real food  real good. His plates do not need to be dressed. The substance of the food he cooks with love  is enough get the mouth waters streaming.
The menu was basic  as it appears the hotel is hampered by the last of the earthquake repairs .We opted for a tasty  haloumi and tomato bruschetta to start . We fought over the last one. It was seasoned well  and flavours balanced to perfection.
Then we opted for Chef Antons most popular Beaujolais Dish. A steak sandwich with béarnaise  sauce and chips. It is as wonderful as it is simple. The meat was tender, rocket crunchy and the chips crispy. It took us back to the days where and when deals were done , politicians rolled, rumours started, lies told, truths sacrificed, affairs begun and finished, $1000 bottles of wine savoured over endless afternoon hours and Stump jump red quaffed in the time  it took to ring parliaments bells.

And on that steak were no flowers, no microgastrofuckery  no silly plastic syringes- just good meat, good salad and good chips - food in no need of frippery.

The service was impeccable, the surroundings welcoming and company was just grand. And we welcome back Anton, a man that knows good food don't need no frills. I do hope Anton enters Wellingtononaplate  

TIOTIO ANYONE?

Bubbles and Bivalves today - And where? Dockside of course..... We are the guest of one of their VIP customers .... Anyone else cumming???


Now i would give a sizable proportion of my weekly fees to a charity if someone would serve them like this...........

That would definitely be an orgasmic experience....

PORK ROAST,TIO TIO AND CHARDONNAY

Well it appears the ex Minister of Maori Affairs likes pork as well as oysters and chardonnay.

And apparently the place was none too tidy either but then again Parekura has never been a stickler for cleanliness and tidiness - the following a jibe from Tau Henare during the reading of the Maori Purposes Bill in Dec 2007

Hon TAU HENARE: Oh—market rents! That Minister can talk about market rents. He was one of the slum landlords down on the East Coast. He was trying to rent out his house to his whānau, and I would not have rented out a house that looked like that to a dog. But the Minister did, and we all know that. We all know he is a bit of a landlord down on the East Coast.

Hat tip Whale oil

A BOG, SOME WATER SPRINKLES AND FAMILY

Yip the economic outlook is crap. It has even shaken the Nats to the core. Its a perfect storm of the very worst type. But we refuse to be pessimistic. BB got an early Xmas for the block in the Wairarapa from the Aussie Rock. A toilet and shower - real ones - no more porta pottie and boiling up water and filling up a solar shower bag. I can't describe how wonderful it is to have a shower and a toilet - real ones. Bliss . Nothing else will give me more joy except perhaps the fact my family will be with us for Xmas. Even more bliss. We don't know what next year will bring - but its already looking promising. The prawns talents are being recognised. Extra bloody fantastic bliss.
Today we are lunching - all afternoon. On Monday we are lunching some more and Tuesday we just might fit in another wee lunch. Wednesday we start holidays in earnest.

POSSUM ANYONE?

The Australian has a very interesting story on climate change and a low tech solution to beef and sheep emissions - Eat Kangaroo!

It was proffered by Garnaut - the Prof who wrote the blueprint for the Aussie response to climate change.

Now if we mirror this here in NZ we should be looking at eating:
Possums, yuck ( use lots of herbs, make sausages),
Rabbits, yum( use a bit of cider)
Weka , (carrots and onions) very yum.
And or course more muttonbirds - ( onion, apple and sage stuffing)
I like this idea...

Mind you, all the above foods are well known for producing flatulence so Im not sure how that will be measured and factored in.

I knew the Aussies would come up with a much more workable solution for Climate Change.

SCREAMING CABBAGES, ITS WORLD VEGETARIAN DAY

Whale meat

Sheeps head

lapin....

Militant carnivores like me think that World Vege Day is a Complete Crock.

And I will defend any cultures right to eat whatever they want as long as its sustainable.

hat tip No Minister

Cullen gets the arse from some north Island head hunters.

Some in Ngati Kahu were none too keen on the governments settlement and got stroppy at todays settlement signing in the far north. These rebel buggers are not to be trifled with..


This from stuff
The Crown and Ngati Kahu have signed an agreement in principle for a settlement package including an apology and more than $20 million.
Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Michael Cullen said there was a "difficult history" between Ngati Kahu and the Crown.
"This is a history of large-scale loss of Ngati Kahu land, much of it within 25 years of their ancestors and the Crown signing the Treaty of Waitangi," Dr Cullen said.
"With this agreement in principle we acknowledge that history and start the work to repair our relationship."

Killing flows through their veins from generations past. Us Ngai Tahu have a healthy respect for them. There were known to like a bit of long pork.

and it seems they chased Cullen

I reckon he had no choice but to run.

Ngāti Kahu were well known as coastal raiders and traders as far south as the Waipoua Forest, Whāngārei, Mahurangi and beyond.


Maybe its a case of Utu from the Mutu for not settling earlier...

Wild Earth

wild earth

has won a huge international wine competition.

They are from Bannockburn.

A couple of weeks back Olssens of Bannockburn won the Romeo Braggato with their Jackson Barry Pinot Noir.

Bannockburn is one of those little microclimate hotspots in Central...

Some fantastic wines are coming out of there ...

Go the South!

winston churchill

Im breaking out the champagne tonight - its a bottle I won in a bet a few months ago. Winston Churchill Pol Roger..... A good friend known affectionately as the Gun Runner introduced me to it a few years back.. Goes well with Bluff oysters and scampi!

best food in Wellington

I eat out a bit - and one thing I get asked a lot is where is the best place to eat?

Well if you want a small but perfectly formed entree you cannot go past the duck pie at Zicos on Courtney Place - the ingredients are few but in perfect balance and the pastry - its not really pastry it cant be because it melts on your tongue leaving a gentle memory of something that is crafted not cooked.

The sad thing is you have to know about the pie. Its not available to everyone - just a few regulars and only on request.

Copitas smoky arancini balls are another delight.. smokey and lush.

and dockside has got a bit average in the food department but nothing surpasses simple food and when the boys are in a good mood they serve whitebait fritters served in minuscule whitebread sammies - just like you get on the west coast.. no frills apart from a sprig of parsley.

ahh i could go on.