Sick of paying $70 to $100/kilo for stubby little Korean pine nuts that already taste a bit rancid? I am. The past few years I’ve been stocking up on them at the Sandringham Food Market shops where they sometimes have them going for as cheap as $30/kilo, so I can throw them generously into dishes – but there’s no pretending they’re anywhere near as good as … Continue reading Pining for flavour
Here’s a terrible (sorry!) night shot of the goodies I arrived home to lat one evening recently from the online international food bazaar that is My Market. This site is bursting with brilliance on a number of fronts: they stock a huge range, with a big focus on Middle Eatern foods (director Antonion Jalilian is of Iranian/Greek heritage), but also hard-to-source European, South African and South … Continue reading My Market
In a Farro-induced trance the other day I stumbled upon Palestinian couscous. Hold on, I thought – is this just Israeli couscous with a side of branding? Well, this pack was a Trade Aid product, made by Palestinian women in Jericho. And technically speaking, it looked distinct from what I’ve seen sold as “Israeli couscous”: this one was a bit browner (whole wheat), and kind … Continue reading Semolina semantics
Yep, evoo bugs me big time, every time I write it or see it written – but who wants to type or read ‘extra virgin olive oil’ over and over? In any case, the range of evoo produced by Marlbourough’s Seresin Estate is a very fine complement to their equally beautiful wines. I’ve recently been enjoying them in a whole host of ways – soaking … Continue reading Seresin Estate evoo
This is the lovely new incarnation of Sri Lankan supplies store Serandib, previously in much smaller digs up in the Mt Roskill shops proper. In its new home, right next to the excellent La Voie Francaise, Serandib (875 Dominion Rd, Mt Roskill) is a spacious, incredibly orderly Aladdin’s Cave of all things edible and Sri Lankan. As expected, there’s a fine selection of chilli sauces, sambals and … Continue reading Serandib
Among all the hype over macarons these past few years, I must say I’ve been a bit of a naysayer. I’d never really understood the big deal over what, to me, tends to be a sickly sweet confection lacking in the textural delight one might expect. Then I tried the macarons from La Voie Francaise and, boom! They’re pretty good. Here’s a photo of the … Continue reading Much Ado over Macarons
At the uncool end of Dominion Rd, opposite a Chinese restaurant that seems to specialise in health-promoting offal dishes (Ox penis stew: good for pain in the loin!) is a recent addition to the area that is very, very well worth a visit. La Voie Francaise is the first sole venture of baker Tetsuya Namekawa, who – according to reports, as the guy himself seems … Continue reading La Voie Francaise
Here’s a new and, I hope, reasonably regular feature on Eats by Anna. My Suburban Food Crawl blogs aim to give the lowdown on a variety of suburbs in Auckland and are worth visiting with a bit of money in your pocket, and an empty stomach or some shopping bags and space waiting in your pantry and fridge at home. I’m starting with Balmoral not … Continue reading Suburban Food Crawls: Balmoral
Avondale Markets was teeming with life on a hot, humid Sunday morning in February. The warm hues of citrus, plums and tomatoes dominated the colour palette, along with a background of green – fresh herbs in abundance. Here are a few of the more exciting things I found at Avondale last Sunday: Thai shallots – you can’t buy these regularly anywhere else (correct me … Continue reading February at Avondale Markets
When I first moved in to this neighbourhood two years ago, I was chuffed to find I had a greengrocer’s-cum-general store at the end of the street that sold fresh, tasty fruit and vegetables as well as other bits and bobs you’d find yourself needing of an average day – milk, bread, cheeses, yoghurt, Nippy’s ice chocolate , addictive homemade vegetable samosas. Not long after … Continue reading Wilt thou buy me?
