Time to share
December 1. Summer is officially here, it is time to hang the Christmas decorations and the celebratory season is about to hit full speed.
Food & Wine
Summer grazing made simple
Summer grazing made simple
Leading up to summer we all get busy and spending a small amount of time getting pre-prepared with some staples will make things a lot easier and more enjoyable.
No need to sacrifice Xmas tradition to go gluten-free
No need to sacrifice Xmas tradition to go gluten-free
Gluten-free food writer Becky Excell will never forget her first gluten-free Christmas... mainly because she felt miserable and missed out on eating almost everything worth eating!
Homemade ginger beer
Homemade ginger beer
I have been meaning to share this family recipe for some time and I thought with holidays fast approaching it would be a great time to get this magical "bug" under way.
Sweet! Strawberries and summer
Sweet! Strawberries and summer
The end of the year is coming up so fast - with the soil warming up and so much growth happening at the moment, it feels like summer is just around the corner.
Original ways to use preserves
Original ways to use preserves
New Zealander Kylee Newton might live in England but she has kept a few nods to her Kiwi past in her Christmas celebrations.
You don’t have to be a socialist...
You don’t have to be a socialist...
It feels like a bit of a race to the (Christmas Day) finish line at the moment as I compare the dwindling number of Wednesday columns to the burgeoning number of wines I would like to taste and...
Panettone
Panettone
Panettone is a yeast-leavened cake from Italy traditionally served around Christmas. Recipe from Festive by Julia Stix.
Working through the tough times
Working through the tough times
Desiree Reid-Whitaker’s journey to build and run a single malt whisky distillery in Cardrona, near Wanaka, has not been without its challenges. She tells Rebecca Fox why it is important to document her story.
Eateries to close or go contactless
Eateries to close or go contactless
A popular North Otago restaurant is among hospitality businesses in the South to decide against adopting vaccine mandates as at least two are set to close over the stance.
A Christmas to remember
A Christmas to remember
Christmas this year is well deserved for us all. It has been a trying year with so much uncertainty and worry.
‘Let them eat cake’
‘Let them eat cake’
Merlot combines the depth of flavour to tackle Christmas ham or poultry, yet won't overpower these dishes - and also goes well with fruitcake.
Fruit-topped perfect finish to any meal
Fruit-topped perfect finish to any meal
This special upside down pudding/cake is a celebration of summer and actually improves if made a day or so before eating.
Tasty gifts
Tasty gifts
Sometimes the best Christmas presents are those made yourself.
Grandma's white chocolate-dipped shortbread
Grandma's white chocolate-dipped shortbread
The chocolate takes these buttery, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits to a new level, reckons Angela Casley.
From the editor
From the editor
While I write this the drizzle is a thick curtain and fog has surrounded the hills. Just the weather for a glass of Mark Henderson’s merlot with a piece of Christmas cake.
Unlocking the nutrients
Unlocking the nutrients
Wholefoods proponents Bryony and Harry Lancaster have a integrated yoga studio and wholefoods cafe in Sydney, Egg of the Universe. Here they share the benefits of soaking, fermenting and sprouting.
Sweet cups of capsicum
Sweet cups of capsicum
The local greengrocer’s, where I do much of my shopping, display their fruit and vegetables with an extraordinary generosity. Precarious piles of peppers, a small mountain of aubergines, tray upon...
Asparagus rarebit
Asparagus rarebit
This delicious little recipe is a cheeky take on the classic rarebit. Rarebit put into familiar terms is basically a deeply flavoured cheese on toast. I added fresh asparagus which works...
Pinot noir selection illustrates Central’s growing history
Pinot noir selection illustrates Central’s growing history
I’m increasingly aware of the sense of history in Central Otago’s wine industry. Featuring today are Chard Farm, an ‘‘old hand’’ founded in 1987.
