31 January 2013

Favourite Bites & Bobs January


Bites

The Tasting Shed, Kumeu, West Auckland

Another lazy lunch at the Tasting Shed sharing & eating with little rose.  The triple cooked potatoes with garlic & rosemary remain the best I have tasted.  Perfectly crunchy on the outside & so terribly moreish.  But one cannot live on potatoes alone!  My favourites of the afternoon; Kingfish Sashimi with Sweet & Sour Grapefruit, Fennel, Fennel & Fennel & Asparagus with Dashi, Lime Leaf Butter & Sesame. Simplicity & fresh flavours wins again.





Te Motu, Waiheke


Kokoda

We had a wonderful lunch here last year & on a day trip to Waiheke last weekend made a return visit.  The only flaw...no Caesar salad, this Caesar salad.  I still dream about it . Those crispy little white anchovies...
Second time around again everything was wonderful.  Fresh, bright flavours on an eclectic menu that includes  Veal Sweetbread Banh Mi, Kokoda (a Fijian ceviche), Smoked Eel Fish Fingers & Pan Fried Hikuwai Sardines.  With too many temptations & wishing to avoid plate envy we decided to share.



The highlights; the Manchego Stuffed Fried Green Olives, crunchy on the outside & warm, melted, delicious Manchego on the inside.  These were even a winner with my olive hater Mum.  I also loved the Parsley Salad with capers, olives, anchovies, lemon & Parmesan atop crispy garlic crostini.  Positively bursting with flavour, fresh with a little sharp tang from the capers & olives, savoury saltiness delivered by the anchovies. The third highlight, the sardines, pretty as a picture on the plate & so tasty. They perched atop wonderfully smokey eggplant & were topped with a bright salsa of olives, capers & peppers. 


Oh & of course their red wines are quite wonderful as well. When on Waiheke...

I really want to make these, make that makes these again, Thinnest Oatmeal Cookies from 101 Cookbooks. Or next time maybe these ones?


I don't think that these nuts should be reserved for Christmas. More like the perfect pre dinner snack any time of year, they are maple roasted with a little kick of cayenne.

Homemade bitters! All sorts of inspiration at Not Without Salt to make your own herbal infusions that will liven up all sorts of cocktails. I say cheers!

Bright & fresh I think this for dinner sometime soon. Greek Style Preserved Lemon Chicken from Jamie at Life's a Feast.

And to cool down on one of our hot summer's days what about  one of Emma's pineapple & mint Popsicles?



Bobs
30 new sculptures exhibited along a stunning 2.5km walkway around the beautiful coast of Waiheke Island. 


More walks around One Tree Hill



See: The Intouchables & Argo ...loved them both.

Read: Who Put the Beef in Beef Wellington? & The Flavour Thesaurus.

A spectacular Auckland Summer. We have been basking in the most wonderfully sunny days.

Onetangi Beach, Waiheke

Enjoy!

6 comments:

  1. Swoon! I love the idea of having homemade bitters. We've just discovered Dark n Stormy as our new cocktail of choice and it's wonderful with a little dash of bitters.

    p.s. Any idea how the cook the potatoes 3 times?

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    1. I know they sound divine! The potatoes & the 3 times....I would reckon maybe par boiled & then fired twice!!

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  2. I love your photos! And that lunch looks divine!!! Thanks for all the tasty links, too!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Jamie, it was a wonderful lunch, one of my favourite spots.

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  3. What a beautiful start you've had to 2013! I'm drooling over your photos of food and sunshine. I enjoyed perusing all the links you shared, too (thank you for including the maple roasted nuts!). Wishing you many more months like January!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Hannah, a wonderful start to the year! Here's hoping a sign of things to come :)

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