I was given an opportunity to get involved in the Tino Reka Te Kai - Matariki Food Challenge this year which is an initiative to promote local produce whilst celebrating the maori new year - Matariki. The Waikato District Council and Waikato Food Inc teamed up with local eateries and gave a very easy brief. A matariki inspired dish for no more than $30, consisting of at least two locally produced ingredients. When I was asked and accepted to get involved, I wondered how the different eateries would depict a matariki inspired dish. Thoughts of maori food such as boil up and hangi immediately came to mind because when people describe maori food, the general answer is just that. I must admit this frustrates me just a little because to me, maori kai (food) is an infusion of flavours dependant on the environment you are surrounded by. Although pork and beef can be classed as "staple food" for maori today, we were more inclined to eat the flora and fauna such as birds, eels, seafood, kumara and specific parts of plants such as piko piko and kauru. What was more interesting about this initiative was promoting matariki. In my view, education on anything maori has got to be positive. So ... imagine when the awesomeness kicked in. This initiative dealt with experienced foodies who live and breath it so my excitement was at a high to see what the chefs could create. Although there were 4 eateries I HAD to visit, I managed to get to 7 of the 12 eateries who were participating. Dishes ranged from deconstructed boil up using pork belly, boil up jelly, kumara ice cream and freeze dried bacon. Pork sausages with gravy served on a bed of polenta mash, to rabbit stew, duck and rewana bread. The best reference to matariki was the "star gazer", which was monk fish served on kumara gnocchi with pikopiko and prawns. The reference star gazer referred to the monk fish who navigates through the water with the use of stars. This dish was served at Cafe Irresitiblue. A close second was pork dumplings served with watercress & eel with a clean fresh broth. This dish was inspired through the connection between both maori and japanese who reference Pleiades - the distinctive open star cluster. The best dish for flavours was mutton bird, puha & kumara puree served on an open ravioli with crispy chicken skin and mushrooms. This was served at Victoria Street Bistro, which won the overall Matariki Dish Challenge and was delicious. Very strong flavours by themselves, but together was a marriage made in heaven. This truly was a huge success with many of my friends, whanau and work colleagues going out and sampling what was on offer. I am so glad I was given this opportunity and thank everyone who was involved and allowed me to share the experience. Look forward to seeing this continue next year, with more eateries getting on board. Happy learning peeps!
More than 500 leveled readers for use with emergent through to fluent learners in Guided Reading, Reading Recovery, ELL, remedial and other special needs.
Golden crust, soft and chewy, salty and buttery, everything a good pretzel should be. Great for making ahead and freezing for later.
Topped with Tim Tams and Maltesers, this easy Baileys Chocolate Ripple Cake is guaranteed to become a new favourite! You will love how simple this Choc Ripple Cake is to put together and you can also make it a day in advance before you need to serve it. This dessert is certainly one just for the adults and it is perfect for your next special occasion.
Vegan plant-based recipes for an eco-friendly and mindful lifestyle!
This vegetarian dinner recipe is filled with crispy, fried halloumi, roast carrots, chickpeas and giant couscous, then flavoured with orange and cumin. It is a hearty, nutritious meal that is full of flavour and a great weeknight dinner recipe!
Three layers = three times the deliciousness. Layers of vanilla-kissed coconut cream and dreamy vegan salted caramel are sandwiched between glossy sheets of homemade chocolate. If this isn’t the most decadent recipe on this site, it’s certainly in the top three.
Makes: 1 tart Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes Difficulty: Hard Ingredients ----------- 2 packets Oreo biscuits, cream removed (approx. 274g, after cream removal approx. 182g) ¼ cup black sesame 85g butter, melted Pinch salt 250g dark chocolate 2 tbsp white miso
This healthy coleslaw recipe tastes amazing! It's made with a simple lemon dressing and features toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds. It's gluten free and vegan, which means it's a perfect potluck dish (you might want to double the ingredients if you're serving a crowd). Recipe yields 4 to 6 side servings.
They all have three things in common: Each one is seriously comforting, easy to pull off, and budget-friendly.
Yummy white chocolate blondies with Biscoff spread and Lotus biscuits
Yummy white chocolate blondies with Biscoff spread and Lotus biscuits
Store these coconut peanut mochi in an airtight container at room temperature. Consume within 3 days.
Chinese coconut-filled buns or cocktail buns are a popular treat from the Chinese bakery. Make your own for your next fancy Chinese meal, or just for a yummy snack.
Versatile, creamy shredded chicken made in the slow cooker.
