Food

I’M INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL that despite heat, drought and floods ravaging the country in recent months, we still have – for the present at least – access to so much beautifully fresh produce in New Zealand. And since autumn is the perfect time to make the most of it, we’re breaking out the baking pans and celebrating the season’s bounty with more than 100 fresh ways to keep the family fed. If you’ve always wanted to try home preserving but aren’t sure how, my ‘preserving 101’ on page 115 should get you going. We’ve also got some great ideas for Easter – my favourite festival. The ‘long weekend/hot cross buns/lots of chocolate’ combo always makes for a first-rate celebration, and while my kids have long out-grown the excitement of a foil-wrapped…

HERE’S TO YOU, MRS EDEN I’d like to paint a picture of a scene I witnessed about 50 years ago, which left a big imprint on me. Visiting my elderly neighbour Mrs Eden was always a treat, and on this particular day she was making shortbread with her four-year-old great granddaughter. Flour was in places you wouldn’t expect to find, but it didn’t matter – bonding, fun, laughter and experimentation was the order of the day, with ingredients sampled regularly. Whenever I make Mrs Eden’s shortbread I am transported back to that day. As Mrs Eden said, “A recipe is an invitation to cook and share”; and isn’t Food magazine what Mrs Eden was about – encouraging people to cook? So in honour of a very special lady who was…

Each issue of Food is a cookbook in itself and I always learn something. For example, I was secretly less than pleased when I received a bottling kit for Christmas – I am not a grandmother, nor Amish, so I wondered what had inspired such an old-fashioned gift! I do, however, remember with fondness the jar of bottled peaches my nana made and proudly kept, hand-dated 30 years prior. No one was game to eat them, but they looked perfect. As I read your magazine I saw options for bottling, pickling, sun-drying, storing and serving, and realised my ingratitude was misplaced. Thanks for the inspiration. Jann-Marie Ross, Auckland…

We enjoy connecting with you online, through your posted letters and in person at events. We often have giveaways and send out spot prizes to reward your interest in the magazine and the Food community. Keep an eye out throughout the pages of the magazine for these, as well as online. Get more from the team at Food by receiving our regular newsletter – just click the ‘Sign Up’ box on our Facebook page To be part of our foodie community, visit us at: instagram.com/foodmagnz facebook.com/foodmagnz…

Hot cross buns and oodles of chocolate are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to delicious dishes eaten around the world to mark Easter. Spaniards celebrate the holy festival with torrijas, a twist on French toast sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, as well as rosquillas; dense, cake-like doughnuts. Food plays a huge role in Greek celebrations where tsoureki, an egg-enriched braided bread fragrant with Greek spices is popular. Russians often gravitate towards pashka, which tastes a bit like custard and has a cheesecake consistency, while over in Brazil, a crumbly, salty and sweet peanut candy called pacoca is eaten on Good Friday. If you fancy making something a bit different that still gives you a chocolate fix, try our Easter Lady’s Kisses – or Baci di Dama –…

“I had the most incredible prawn ramen while at Flock in Tairua recently. Would they share the recipe? I don’t live locally and I’d love to be able to make it at home!” RACHEL GRAHAM Flock bills itself as ‘a place to gather’. Food magazine caught up with manager and head chef Sara Fordham The Prawn Ramen is special because... it’s made from scratch and we use authentic Japanese ingredients. We don’t use meat in the broth so we can offer a vegetarian option to our customers as well. The secret to making it is… tasting the broth frequently and making any adjustments if needed... and sneaking a few extra shiitakes when no one is looking! The best drink to pair it with is… a nice cider or organic kombucha.…