Al Dente

Eating My Way Through New Zealand

Let's face it, Mondays are a drag. If you need some respite from the Monday blues, a little virtual travel therapy might help. I know looking at these pictures is helping me.

My travel mates, the Matts, and I had a fabulous time kicking around New Zealand in January. Even though its their summer,  it rained about seventy percent of our trip. I was told repeatedly that we were lucky enough to be there during the worst summer in recent memory. It seems our visit happened to coincide with the arrival of a cyclone. What luck!

Despite all of that, it was a beautiful country to visit. I truly did zero research, and instead left all of the planning to my friend Matt (not to be confused with my other friend Matthew), so I had no idea what to expect. A bit like going to a movie you know nothing about. But sometimes that's the best way to be pleasantly surprised.

The impetus for the trip was our friend Dawn's wedding which was held in Opunake, a small surf town on the North Island along Surf Highway 45. From Opunake we drove over hill and dale. Literally. There are beautifully sculpted hills everywhere, and most of the roads--even the main state highways that we drove on--were two lanes. Thus we constantly had the feeling we were driving through some quaint storybook land full of hobbits. I guess that's why they filmed Lord of the Rings there. The Matts and I have been to some beautiful beaches all over the world and we all agreed that New Zealand has some of the best we've ever seen. A couple of my favorites were Opito Bay and Cathedral Cove.

One thing we were surprised by is how expensive everything was. With the exchange rate being in our favor, we thought we might be getting some deals, but it seems like everything was American priced or higher. If you are planning a trip there, keep that in mind. Case in point, the best wines that I tasted on Waiheke Island ran about $40 NZD a bottle and to export six bottles would have cost me over $200 NZD for the shipping alone. Needless to say, that math didn't quite work out for me.

Below you'll find a  helpful glossary of terms and places featured in the slide show.

Chur!

Glossary of New Zealand Terms and Places

As: Everything in New Zealand is as. As being the equivalent of so though placed after a descriptor instead of before. For example: sweet as would translate to so sweet or cool in American English. Tired as would mean really tired, etc. I am surprised at how much I could not understand when people were speaking in Kiwi slang. I mean, don't we all speak the same language? It would seem not.

Aioli: If your meal/snack isn't served salsa, it will most certainly come with a side of aioli.

Chips: French fries.

Coramandel Peninsula: Kilometers of non-stop gorgeousness. My favorite part of the trip.

The Church Accomodation: Quaint, rustic cabins in Haihei in the Coramandel. Walking distance to the beach.

Enclosure Bay B&B: Our most stunning accomodation of the trip with impeccable service, though it came with a posh price point to match. On Waiheke Island.

En Zed: Phoentic pronunciation of NZ, abbreviation for New Zealand.

General Practioner: A pub in Wellington.

Hangi: A traditional Maori way of cooking food in a pit over using heated rocks. The post-wedding hangi we were supposed to attend was cancelled due to inclement weather (i.e. cyclone).

Kiwi: A New Zealander.

Mudbrick Vineyard: Expertly prepared upscale food and wine and a gorgeous setting. Superior ingredients. Waiheke Island.

Pie: Despite what my friend  Matt thinks, there are preponderance of pies in New Zealand. Most are savory and hand-held. And delicious. Matthew will agree with me on this. And Wikipedia will back me up.

Poderi Crisci: Ok food and wine in a gorgeous setting. The scenic drive that takes you through the interior of the island is worth it in itself. Waiheke Island.

Salsa: A mild tomato sauce paired with just about every food in New Zealand.

Sugar Juice Cafe: Casually excellent dining in Opunake. Worth it if only to ogle the sweets in the deli case.

Waiheke Island: An island off the coast of Auckland. A food and wine lovers paradise. Beautiful but pricey.

 Have you traveled to New Zealand? What was your favorite local food?

--StellaCadente*

Follow me on Twitter @pomodorista

 

Sunday Snaps: Designer Eggs, $20 a Dozen

While I was in culinary school I had a chance to visit Paolo Parisi's farm in Usigliano di Lari (Tuscany) where he raises high quality Angus beef, Cinta Sinese pigs, and goats. His pride and joy, though, seemed to be his eggs. He feeds his chickens a mixture of goats' milk and his proprietary mix of grain, and sells them for upwards of 1 euro a piece. He served them to us, just barely cooked, soft and creamy, dotted with salt, pepper and olive oil. Indeed, sitting amongst the rolling hills, sipping Movia Lunar with my classmates under the Tuscan sun,  I thought I had never tasted such an egg. I would have paid at least a dollar for mine.

How much would you pay for an egg?

Photo credit: StellaCadente*

--StellaCadente*

Follow me on Pinterest @pomodorista

Quick 'n' Fancy Valentine's Dinner: Stuffed Lobster Tails

I was skimming through my e-mail inbox on Friday when this subject line caught my eye, "Correction: Lobster Tail Pricing." After a long week of work a glass of wine and a lobster tail sounded like the perfect way to unwind. The $9.99 each price tag clinched the deal for me.

I pulled into the Whole Foods parking lot after work (yes, that Whole Foods parking lot) and grabbed a shopping cart. The fishmonger gave me two lobster tails, six escargot at $.89 a piece and compliment. I grabbed some salad greens, chives, cherry tomatoes, a loaf of brioche and a bag of Alexia Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Sea Salt. (Yes, I bought a bag of pre-made mashed potatoes and yes, they are awesome.)

The shopping took me about as long as the cooking prep. About 15 minutes to transform the brioche, chives and cherry tomatoes into stuffing for the lobster tails. The escargot just required baking, and the mashed potatoes microwaving. In less than a half hour everything was plated and on the dinner table, sparkling wine was poured, and diners were dining on sweet and succulent lobster meat. Quick and fancy.

Stuffed Lobster Tails

Ingredients:

2 lobster tails (6-8 oz. each), thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
2 slices brioche bread, cubed
6 cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
salt, to taste
lemon wedges

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the lobster tail belly side up on a cutting board. With a chef's knife, slice the lobster tails down the center without cutting all the way through the shell. Place on a baking sheet.

2. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons melted butter, bread , chives, and tomatoes. (Add a small bit of water to moisten the bread if desired). Spoon the bread crumb mixture over the lobster tails. Dot with cubed butter.

3. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the lobster meat is opaque and the crumbs are brown (internal temperature should be about 140 degrees-F). Serve with lemon wedges.

Serves: 2

Recipe and photo credits: StellaCadente*

Happy Valentine's Day!

--StellaCadente*

Follow me on Twitter @pomodorista

Champagne and Fried Chicken? Yes, Please!

Back at the end of October my friend Tawyna, proprietor of Le Grande Courtage, hosted a Champagne and food pairing party for World Champagne Day. And who am I to refuse such an invitation?  Now, when you think of food and champagne pairings you might think of chocolate-dipped strawberries, or caviar and salmon toast points, and well-heeled ladies in long gowns sipping from flutes. But, with a little imagination, you can take the fuss out of sparkling wine and pair it with simpler fare.

Tawyna arranged a nice spread of snacks for us to nibble on as well as a variety of sparkling wines to compare. Most of the options were a bit unconventional, but they complemented the wines beautifully: spicy Asian salad, truffled popcorn, white chocolate fondue, salted caramels, tomato soup, and granny smith apples. 

My favorite pairing, though, was Louisiana fried chicken (think KFC-flavored).  It may seem a bit lowbrow to pair a glass of Champagne with fried chicken, but the acidity in drier sparkling wine cuts right through the fat to cleanse your palette, lending itself to pair well with greasy fried chicken and fried foods in general (duck fat fries, please). 

Click here for some more of Tawnya's fun Champagne and food pairing ideas.

What foods do you pair Champagne with?

*Champagne flutes

*Wine buckets

Photo via deenbros.com

 ---StellaCadente*

Follow me on Twitter @pomodorista

 

 

Sunday Snaps: Super Cute Valentine's Mini Cheesecakes

Source: hungryhappenings.com via Renata on Pinterest

 

These mini Valentine's cheesecakes could not be more adorable. Incredible what people think up with a little imagination and food coloring, no?

For some more visual Valentine's inspiriation, check out my Valentine's Treats board on Pinterest.

Are you cooking up anything special for Valentine's Day? 

--StellaCadente*

Follow me on Pinterest @pomodorista

Sunday Snaps: Pigging Out for the Superbowl

Stolen from my brother's Facebook wall: "Im not sure what will be more inappropriate during tomorrow's halftime show.....Nicky Minaj or the 30#'s of pork belly I'll be serving."

Thirty pounds of pork belly and I wasn't invited! Hrumph.

What's on your menu today?

--StellaCadente*

Follow me on Twitter @pomodorista

 

Inside the Mind of Competitive Eater El Wingador

This profile of competitive eater El Wingador by Academy Award-winning documentarian Errol Morris is chock full of quotable quotes but here's one that resonated with me: "I just love the taste of food. I guess I eat for the taste. Not just to put something in my stomach and keep rollin'." It's worth watching if only for way he has incorporated tootsie rolls into his training regimen.

What do you think about the world of competitive eating?

--StellaCadente*

Follow me on Twitter @pomodorista

 

 

Sunday Snaps: Please Return Your Trundler Here

You would think when you're travel to an English-speaking country--Queen's English nonetheless--that there'd be little lost in translation. But my travel mates and I encountered enough differences between American English and New Zealand English to keep us guessing and giggling throughout our New Zealand adventure. Case in point: trundler!  It's so superior to "shopping cart" that I think I shall permanently incorporate it into my vocabulary.

Photo: Waiheke Island, New Zealand, Countdown Supermarket

Photo credit: StellaCadente*

--StellaCadente*

Follow me on Twitter @pomodorista

Natural Medicine from New Zealand: Manuka Honey

On the way home from my recent trip to New Zealand I found myself snooping around the airport tchotchke shops looking for some souvenirs to bring Stateside. No surprise, I ended up in the food aisle, perusing local products and happened upon several shelves of manuka honey with varying levels of UMF content. A three-pack for $47+ (New Zealand dollars). Sounds great, I told myself and walked a three-pack up to the cashier, who promptly asked me for [insert choking sound] about $150. You see, the honey was $47 for each 250g (8.8 ounce) container.

Now I was really intrigued. What was so great about this honey? I put two containers back and decided to bring one home still knowing nothing about the honey or UMF and having no time to research it due to my impending flight and lack of internet access.

Once home, I fired up the internet to learn more. Turns out manuka honey is antibacterial and according to this purveyor, can be used to treat different types of infections: sore throats, stomach ulcers, burns, and more. It's made from bees that feed off of the manuka flower. The mysterious UMF that I couldn't make out stands for Unique Manuka Factor and speaks to the strength of the antibacterial potency of the honey (only 10% of the manuka honey produced is considered antibacterial). The higher the UMF number, the stronger the antibacterial properties. The honey can be taken orally or used topically, depending on the ailment.

Here are some Amazon customer reviews on manuka honey that caught my eye:

Wedderspoon Raw Organic Manuka

"I used the first on my wife's wounds following MOHS surgery for removal of skin cancer. The results were amazing and the surgeon and plastic surgeon both asked what we were using to allow the wounds to heal up so quickly with minimal scarring. There was also a staph infection as a result of the surgery that the honey took care of as well. It takes a bit of diligence to ensure daily dressing changes with fresh honey, but the results pay off."

Active MGO 400+ Manuka Honey

"I am very pleased to have found an all natural treatment for so many conditions. I have used this honey for a nasal staph infection I had that wouldn't go away with oral antibiotics. I felt completely safe using honey rather than artificial ingredients inside my nose. After using manuka for a week, the staph infection cleared up. I've used this honey for cuts, burns and any kind of rash (as a massage therapist, I've picked up a few skin conditions) that develops and it has never failed to heal them. When used internally, it's helpful for fighting off colds or at the very least, cutting its duration. This is an amazing product!"

East Cape New Zealand Manuka Honey

"...a spoonful approx. 20 minutes before meals seems to drastically reduce the chances of suffering gastro-intestinal distress (such as from IBS or other upset)."

For more detailed information and research on manuka honey, click here.

Have you used manuka honey to treat what ails you? I'd love to hear about it.

--StellaCadente*

Follow me on Twitter @pomodorista

Sunday Snaps: New Zealand Roadside Farm Stand

My travel mates Matt and Matthew and I were so charmed by this unattended roadside farm stand on New Zealand's Waiheke Island, that we pulled over the car to make a purchase. Offerings included plum jams and chutneys from the first plums of the season (it's summer down there), local honeys, and olives. The kicker for us city folk: the proprietor was absent and had set out a jar collect the cash--payment was on the honor system. I'm trying to imagine a similar set up in my neighborhood, but I think the table would be fleeced minutes after setup.

---StellaCadente*

Follow me on Twitter @pomodorista