Audi Day out – Whangamata edition
Words and images Vicki Ravlich-Horan After a week of relentless rain, the sun came out for our second annual Audi Day Out. This is the day that my Instagram feed belies reality and will have you believe I swan around the region driving luxury cars, meeting great people and eating delicious food! We meet at […]
Buckwheat Blini with Quick Pickled Beetroot
Recipe and image by Kathy Paterson It’s best not to skimp on the sour cream – it adds great mouthfeel. You could also pop pieces of sliced smoked salmon under the pickle to make it more substantial. When I’m working with active dried yeast, I heat the milk until very warm, but not too hot, […]
Festive Wreath Workshop
Join Venetta from Where the Cornflowers Grow for a fun night out making a beautiful natural wreath. Using a natural twig base that can be reused year after year, along with fresh foliage, dried textured elements, and festive Christmas ribbon Venetta will show you how to create a beautiful, eco-friendly wreath to adorn your door […]
Downey Designer Homes
Words Vicki Ravlich-Horan Images Ashlee DeCaires Over the last few years, Kirsty Johnson from Downey Designer Homes has shown me around a few of their fabulous builds. After each tour, I leave with my head spinning with so many beautiful details and fabulous ideas. It’s these designer differences the Downey team help their clients with […]
Roast Vegetable Salad with Crispy Chickpeas and Herbed Yoghurt Dressing
Recipes by Vicki Ravlich-Horan, Images by Ashlee DeCaires A roast vegetable salad is the perfect solution in spring when you are hankering for a salad but the price of cucumber and tomatoes can still be up there. Below are the veg I love to use, but tweak it to what you have, like or what’s […]
Succulent Prawns Doused in Lemon Herb Butter
recipes & images by Kathy Paterson If you have a jar of preserved lemons in your fridge, add a teaspoon of finely chopped preserved lemon into the butter mixture to up the flavour stakes. Serves 6–8 75g butter, softened 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley 1 tbsp chopped dill ½ tsp […]
Tatua – truly local
Words Denise Irvine, Images Ashlee De Caires Ask Julie Langley to name her favourite Tatua product and she replies in an instant: “Cooking cream. It is great for butter chicken, and last night I made a chicken and broccoli bake with it. It’s richer than regular cream and it doesn’t split. It has a […]
Filo Wrapped Fresh Asparagus with Herb Mayo
Recipe and image by Kathy Paterson Asparagus and butter go hand in hand when it comes to flavour and the wrapping in filo pastry gives excellent texture. For asparagus with a softer bite, cook on the hot plate or grill until just bite-tender (they will keep on cooking when wrapped) and put in the oven. […]
My Weekend Table
Life moves fast, and too often cooking feels like just another task on a never-ending to-do list. Gretchen Lowe wants to help busy people rediscover the pleasure of creating delicious food, without the stress. My Weekend Table is all about bringing back the joy of cooking – offering a collection of beautiful, comforting recipes that […]
SPRING VEGETABLE SALAD WITH SHERRY VINAIGRETTE
Recipes and images by Amber Bremner This spring salad is a delight, crisp and refreshing with the sweet and peppery flavours of fennel, snow peas, radish and rocket, dressed with a lip-smacking sherry vinaigrette. Mild cannellini beans add a bit of protein and make the salad more substantial. I love radish microgreens, which are easy […]