Posts from 2013

Posted on Mon, 10/06/2013

Big day yesterday. We had a Hands On cookschool which runs all day, and involves sitting down for both lunch and dinner, never a bother really, but last night we were also due to head out to friends for dinner ( a bit of...>>>

Posted on Tue, 11/06/2013

Bridgette send me thru this link to Yotam Ottolenghi  as part of a TV series he filmed travelling through the Middle East. Totally inspiring. Why can't all the shows on Food TV be of this quality...?!...>>>

Posted on Sat, 15/06/2013

I recieved a card in the mail today, from a lady I am inordinately fond off, over something that happened in the restaurant last week. The sentiments expressed by her in the card, were sweet and much appreciated - but I've...>>>

Posted on Sat, 15/06/2013

A  cool  interview with the owners of Nikau - a great Wellington cafe......>>>

Posted on Fri, 21/06/2013

We are in the midst of an exceptionally quiet week, possibly weather generated, because people aren?t as inclined to want to venture out on stormy nights, but it was also very quiet this week last year,  so also maybe...>>>

Posted on Tue, 25/06/2013

Some people may possibly be interested in what is happening with the tennis at Wimbleton over the next little while - some people may even watch it on TV! I can say with perfect surety however, that our family discussions...>>>

Posted on Wed, 26/06/2013

I have an awful lot of cooking magazines. An awful lot. I started buying them back when I was a student, 35 years or so ago,  and since I ended up in the restaurant business, it kind of made sense in those pre-internet...>>>

Posted on Thu, 27/06/2013

We?ve had a quiet night in the restaurant, so once things were well underway, I?ve come back over to the house to type up the lastest  cookschool notes that I?ve just  written today for the Cookschool cookbook,...>>>

Posted on Fri, 28/06/2013

Isn't this just the most wonderful bread you've ever seen? It is not too different a technique to the one we use at Somerset for our bread - but we lack that glorious wood fired oven... I WANT one!!   This bakery...>>>

Posted on Fri, 28/06/2013

While we are priviledged to have had the opportunity to meet and get to know some of the varied and interesting personalities in the NZ wine industry,  we have never encountered George Fistonich of Villa Maria, but...>>>

Posted on Sat, 29/06/2013

Friends in for dinner at the restaurant last night had come from the opening of the Jeff Thomson exhibition at the Tauranga Art Gallery, and showed me the invitation, which included a photo of one of the handbags he's made,...>>>

Posted on Sat, 29/06/2013

Fascinating article in The Observer over the question of just how reliable wine judges are able to be, when they're tasting over 100 wines blind in a competition session. And if they are not reliable, what does that say...>>>

Posted on Sat, 29/06/2013

Been a nice sort of day - just back from walking round and up the Mount, which, on a glorious day like today is a special thing to do. Bumped into a friend near the top,  thru pure serendipity, just the person I'd been...>>>