Pasta pleases
Today pasta is a widely enjoyed meal but it was once available only to Italian noblemen. And up until the 16th century, pasta was combined with a variety of sweet ingredients and cooked well beyond al dente or ‘just tender’.
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Jan Bilton
Largely lentils
Lentils are a nutritious versatile food. A key ingredient in soups, salads, sides, casseroles and savoury bakes, they’re ridiculously cheap and can be stored in airtight containers for months.
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Wicked winter warmers
Puddings — as we know them — are distinctly English creations. There is a school of thought that the Roman sausage was a type of pudding, and the Portuguese have their pudim and the Spanish their pudin.
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Cheese pleases
New Zealand cheeses are overwhelmingly tops. And the variety is such that you could savour a different delight almost every day of the year.
Cheese is the perfect after school snack and the ideal nibble with drinks.
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Kiwi exotic influence
In 1980 New Zealand kiwifruit hit New York for the first time. They cost one US dollar each and were celebrated hugely “in tart after tart, fruit salads, savoury salads and sauces lending an algal tinge to beurre blanc,” according to The New York Times.
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Appetising Asian
Asian cooking techniques and condiments are now so widely used in Kiwi kitchens that they have become the norm.
Stir-frying has been around since New Zealand’s gold rush days and the popularity of Chinese restaurants in the 1950s had a big influence on home cooking.
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Beer essentials
There’s nothing like a long, cool beer for quenching the thirst during summer. But beer can also be eaten.
It’s a great flavour enhancer for many dishes including marinades, stews, breads and even desserts.
Super slow cooking
A slow cooker can be the best friend of those living in the fast lane. Tasty, nutritious meals can be quickly assembled in one pot in the morning and the delicious aromatic results enjoyed while relaxing in the evening.
Another good thing about slow cookers — they’re great for the budget using minimal electricity and transforming cheaper, tougher cuts of meat into the very, very tender and tasty.
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Simply soda
‘Can I substitute baking soda for baking powder in my cake recipe?’ asked a friend. Both are raising (or leavening) agents providing carbon dioxide that encourages cakes to rise. But they’re different.
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Big on bakes
The tantalising aromas of cakes and cookies baking is enough to tempt even the family’s most hardened cell phone addict to abandon their device and head for the kitchen.
Brownies can be dressed up or down. Great served with whipped cream, ice cream or yoghurt, they are also delicious dusted with icing sugar.
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