Food January - February 2019

I can’t deny it, I’m solar powered. I adore the sunshine, embrace the heat and don’t even mind the humidity of a New Zealand summer. I also love the abundance of fresh summer produce that our varied climate blesses us with. Every year I aspire to grow more produce myself, but my bit of dirt – affectionately referred to as the garden of doom, due to its propensity to kill two out of every three plants I plant in it – simply refuses to cooperate; and despite my best efforts, vegetables wither on their vines while weeds and pests flourish. That doesn’t prevent me making the most of the season’s bounty though. I’ll definitely be making more of the cherry jam on page 27 to savour when summer feels like…

1 Kale chips – I’m a bit late to the party on these I realise, but if you haven’t tried them yet, then honestly, you’ve missed out! So easy, so good – and so good for you! 2 Konjac or shirataki noodles contain almost no calories. Additionally, their high fibre content means you feel fuller for longer; ideal for trimming down after the excesses of Christmas. 3 To get great grill marks on your barbecue food, brush it with oil or include something sugary in the marinade. The hardest part is resisting the temptation to poke and prod, which inevitably ruins the precision of your lines.…

TREAT FOR THE TEACHER Feeling overwhelmed at the end of the school year, I found your Christmas edition in my pigeon hole in the staffroom, with a lovely note. I am retiring after 40 years of teaching to care for my ailing husband. What a lift this treat gave me. I have already tried two recipes. Thank you. Kathy Watson SWEET SUCCESS WITH MARGARINE I just received the latest food magazine and was interested in your reply to a reader’s question regarding substituting butter for margarine. You advised margarine does not work in shortbread. I have been making orange and cardamom shortbread from your August September 2013 magazine for many years with olive oil-based margarine, very successfully, as my grandson is dairy free and all baking is done by this…

HAM-HANDED Every Christmas my partner makes a hash of the ham. He has put the oven on without turning up the heat. He has fallen asleep and burnt the ham. He’s got distracted by sport and not even begun. I don’t like pork; the vegan aunties don’t like people who cook pork. I sound like an increasingly angry shrew when called in on yet another rescue mission. People think I wrecked it! This year I am handing him your magazine opened to Cook School with a message on the page: “You’re on your own mate! Merry Christmas and Hammy New Year.” J Ross Our star letter this issue wins a stylish Russell Hobbs four-slice toaster, worth $179.99, from the new Russell Hobbs Inspire Kettle and Toaster collection, exhibiting the latest…

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Butter it up Is it even summer if you haven’t had that first juicy bite of buttery corn cob? Boiled, roasted, steamed or grilled, peak-of-season sweetcorn is delicious just as it is, but flavoured butters, known as compound butters, take it to the next level. Try one of these options at your next barbecue. 1 MISO SESAME BUTTER Mix 2 teaspoons of white miso paste into 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Smear over cooked corn cobs and scatter with toasted panko breadcrumbs and toasted sesame seeds. 2 MAPLE CHILLI BUTTER In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup maple syrup, 75g butter, 2 chillies, finely chopped, 2 cloves garlic, crushed, and a pinch of salt. Simmer for 5- 8 minutes. Brush onto cooked corn. 3 PARMESAN HERB BUTTER Mash 175g soft butter…