Potato and cauliflower dauphinois

This is such a versatile dish, - I have taken this to a BBQ, to a family dinner and cooked this for an easy meal at home.  The recipe comes from Jamie Oliver’s ‘Cook with Jamie’, one of my go-to cookbooks. There are many recipes in here that are not fiddly, yet will impress even the most fussy eaters.

J's Tea, Mt Roskill, Auckland

One brilliant aspect of the Auckland dining scene are Taiwanese teahouses. They are springing up all over the place, and I am getting completely hooked. J’s Tea (919 Dominion Rd, Mt Roskill, 09-550 7775) is a funky interpretation.  

Momo Tea House, Howick, Auckland

At last count, there are four branches of this popular chain: Howick (9A Whitford Rd, 09-5353613), Mt Albert (930 New North Road, 09-8153228), City (28 Fort St, 09-3093108) and Birkenhead (74 Mokoia Rd, 09-480 0236).

The main appeal of this place is that it stays open until the wee hours of the morning (2 or 3am, depending on the day). Even though this is a chain, the fit-out differs; - the Mt Albert branch is  Chinese kitsch, whereas the Howick and City branch is more bubble-gum pop. 

Santhiya's South Indian and Malaysian, Mt Roskill, Auckland

We visited Santhiya’s South Indian and Malaysian Dine-In and Takeaways (1270 Dominion Rd, Mt Roskill, 09-6202986) as part of the Makan Squad to try their Malaysian dishes, but there was also a wide selection of curries (vegetarian, goat, lamb, seafood and chicken), and other ethnic Indian dishes.

We started with the gado gado ($11.50), a salad of deep fried tofu, cucumber, bean sprout and boiled egg served with a peanut sauce. Santhiya’s peanut sauce lacked the ‘kick’, it needed more spice and heat. 

Top 5 kitchen gadgets for baking

This is my list of what I must have in order to get into the mood to bake. A caveat, - I am such a sloth that unless things are easy, I can’t drum up the motivation, so some of these are most likely superfluous to serious home bakers. What are your must-haves?

1.     Clear storage containers

These are great; I always know how much flour, sugar, nuts, etc I have. If I have to rush out to purchase basic baking ingredients, my short attention span means that by the time I get back, my mind has moved on to other things. These by Klip-It come with measuring cups, - how clever! 

Pearl Garden restaurant, Newmarket, Auckland

Pearl Garden (1 Teed Street, 09-523 3696) has been at Newmarket for decades, and is probably one of the first ‘proper’ Chinese restaurants to cater to the wider Auckland population. I have been here for yum cha during the weekend; its location at Teed Street makes it an ideal refueling stop during a busy day shopping the boutiques in Newmarket.

Sauteed rice cake

This is fantastic crowd food, - you can cook this in advance, plus I have never met anyone who didn’t enjoy this. I always make a double batch as it freezes well, and reheats easily in the microwave.

Plum cake

This recipe comes from Feast Maniototo, a charity cookbook compiled of recipes from residents of the Maniototo Plain in Central Otago to benefit the Maniototo Kindergarten. Many thanks to Tracey who gave me this, among the other yummy treats when she came to visit.

This cake is not overly sweet, and looks fantastic.

Feijoa Almond Cake

Feijoas are native to the east coast of South America, but grow incredibly well in the temperate climes of Auckland. I am fortunate to live on a property with 2 feijoa trees in the garden. Everyone in Auckland knows that autumn is feijoa season, because people with feijoa trees suddenly are your friends and try to foist bags of green fruit on you.

Mamak Malaysian, CBD, Auckland

Mamak Malaysian (50 Kitchener St, Ph: 09 - 948 6479) recently opened in the Chancery Precinct right in the centre of the CBD. Mamak refers to Tamil Muslims, who are known for their food stalls serving quick, tasty snacks.

Teh tarik (‘pulled’ tea - $3.50) and teh ais (iced tea - $5.00). Loved the jug presentation, and the iced tea is a refreshing foil to the savoury dishes. 

Malaysia Kitchen Programme

I have always believed that the most special aspect of Malaysia is the food. Malaysian cuisine is a veritable cornucopia of tastes and flavours from many different cultures, with each region boasting its own specialties. Our insatiable appetite is the one thing which unites all Malaysians, -  and indeed, the way to a Malaysian’s heart is to ask him or her “Where can I get the best Char Kuey Tiaw, or Laksa or Chendol (you get the gist)”. But be prepared for a spirited discussion about what constitutes the best Char Kuey Tiaw (Clams and/or prawns? Ratio of beansprouts to noodles?).

 

www.malaysiakitchen.co.nz

Malaysia Kitchen is a global initiative by the Malaysian government through the Malaysian External Trade Development Corportaion (MATRADE). New Zealand is luckily one of the countries selected for the programme (in addition to US [NYC], UK [London] and Australia). It is hoped that people introduced to Malaysian cuisine in their country of residence would then want to experience the real deal, and be persuaded to make their Malaysia their next holiday destination. Seriously though, what is not to like about Malaysia, the tropical weather, the friendly people, the culture, and yes, the absolutely amazing food?

Pandan chiffon cake

There’s something unmistakable about the sweet fragrance of pandan and the soft sponge cake, which brings back memories of my childhood in Kuching.

This is a ridiculously easy recipe for something that commands premium prices at asian bakeries. I whip this up often, especially if I have eggs to use up (there is only so many eggs you can stick in the freezer – separated, of course).  

You need an non-coated tube pan and will need to cool this for at least 2 hours before serving.

Vera's Kuih Lengang (Kuih Dadar)

This recipes comes courtesy of Vera, a friend from Kuching who now resides in Melbourne.