tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-312359462009-10-18T12:59:53.858+13:00Recipes, food facts and fancies from a New Zealander who cooked at a yoga centre in Crete.Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-25096437233864231812009-04-28T15:34:00.003+12:002009-04-28T15:41:39.396+12:00

I moved house on 1 April this year, and we've been lucky enough to inherit a garden, with several different varieties of tomatoes, all of which are producing copious crops.Thus far we have cookedMeditteranean tomato and rice soup, Oven semi-dried tomatoestomato sauce with onion and garlicktomato, tuna, mushroom and spinach sauce, Pizza with rich tomato, red onion and redwine sauceBruschetta (on

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-19095214518016410932007-12-24T19:41:00.000+13:002007-12-24T20:45:41.145+13:00

One of the delights of being an auntie and a godmother is cooking with my nephew and niece.Two weeks ago we made the Christmas Cake, yesterday the Marzipan (there was none left pre-made in the stores!) and today I iced the cake with Royal icing.Ella, Finn and I had great fun making the cake. Ella (22 months) concentrated intently on cutting the butter, sifting the flour, measuring the sugar and

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-82013359148833485902007-04-13T21:55:00.001+12:002007-04-13T22:25:38.209+12:00

It's been a cold and blustery day here in Christchurch. Clear skies and sunshine at times, but the wind chill was brrrrrrr. We even had a patch of hail around 2pm. I broke out my ski jacket for the first time this autumn, so was nice and toastie when I did venture out to meet a fellow coach for coffee around 4.I'm on a bread-making kick at the moment, which started on Easter Thursday. My

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-8205667913843481122007-01-12T12:16:00.000+13:002007-01-12T12:27:15.594+13:00

Here's a recipe post from my early days in Crete - Lemon Cabbage Salad - simple but yummy. Great as a dish to take to a barbeques.Cabbage salad with lemon vinaigretteCut a medium to large white cabbage in half then quarters, and cut the stem out by cutting a wedge at an angle down the middle of the cabbage. Cut the remaining quarter of a cabbage into 3 wedges. Then, slice the wedges

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-15468901683447780862007-01-11T15:09:00.000+13:002007-01-11T15:46:19.309+13:00

It seems that New Year's Resolutions are out, and New Year's Themes are in (as seen at Sciencewoman, among others).A key New Year's theme for me is "Healthy Eating". Since New Year's Day I've been making an effort to watch my portion sizes, say no to cakes and puddings most of the time, and have limited myself to drinking only on weekends or special occasions (like my niece and goddaughter's

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-34433298397599157232006-12-13T13:30:00.000+13:002006-12-13T13:40:29.530+13:00

I've discovered another science/food blog via Blogs of Note, this week. Harold McGee writes "about the science of food and cooking: where our foods come from, what they are and what they're made of, and how cooking transforms them"He's just started writing for the NY Times. The first article is how garlic and onion can turn blue. Check it out here

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-5559899546504768592006-12-11T15:42:00.000+13:002006-12-11T15:54:41.537+13:00

One of the bonuses of being in New Zealand is listening to Kim Hill on National Radio on a Saturday Morning.Last week she interviewed Shirley O Corriher, a food scientist who has been the " Go To Gal" for a number of chefs and food writers (the famous Julia Child among them).Catch the pod-cast on National Radio's Website. I haven't found out how to link to it directly, but you can get there by

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1165799197253271902006-12-11T13:46:00.000+13:002006-12-11T14:06:37.266+13:00

After a month's travelling in Greece, Italy, Germany and England I'm now back in New Zealand, for a few months at least.It's been a bit of a culinary journey - through Pasta with Pesto Genovese in Genoa, Red cabbage in Germany, and the good old Bangers and Mash in England.Now that I'm back here, I'm back making one of my favourite foods - pumpkin soup. It's simple, healthy and delicious! You can

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1163945032538985082006-11-20T02:40:00.000+13:002006-11-20T03:03:52.880+13:00

Well my initial plans to go to Berlin via the Balkans didn't work out. The Romanian Government wanted a visa from me to pass through for a few hours, so I decided to look elsewhere. Skyscanner.net (great site - try it) found me a flight to Milan, then another to Berlin 5 days later. I e-mailed my friend Barbara, she invited me to Genoa, so I had 5 days in what I've decided is one of my

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1162222097442690062006-10-31T04:19:00.000+13:002006-11-20T02:36:15.760+13:00

And the summer season has ended at yoga plus.I was ready for release from 6 sessions a week in the kitchen for 11 weeksSo I'm travelling onward to Berlin and London. First stop is Athens, where I'm hostelling with fellow Yoga Plus staff Mike, Jacob and Rikke. We're eating bags of Cretan rusks, boxes of feta and the little tins of greek mez - dolmades, gigantes, peas, green beans in the sauce.

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1160218417119295512006-10-07T23:32:00.000+13:002006-10-07T23:54:15.160+13:00

I've named this recipe for my niece Ella. She's 8 months old now, and was only just eating solids when I left her 2 months ago, but I bet she'l l like it when she grows up!I first came across a variant of this recipe using melted butter in a Red Cross fundraising cookbook. It had been contributed by the Wizard of Christchurch. This recipe is vegan (but tastes just as good!) Quantities for 8-

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1160141939163824062006-10-07T02:38:00.000+13:002006-10-07T02:38:59.173+13:00

I've taken a little time today to check out other blogs. I like the look of this recipe on Food, In The Main...: Oven-baked spiced chickpeasI've also realised that I want, and need, to edit my site, so it's clearer, and easier to follow. And to write better! And add photos! The thing at the moment is that I have so little time on the net, and less with a connection at a high speed, and I'm trying

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1159874686058207722006-10-04T00:23:00.002+13:002006-10-04T00:42:39.206+13:00

If you have leftover mashed potato, this is a good way to use it, particularly when vampires are about! Soak the tail end of a loaf of wholemeal bread in water. You want the equivalent of 3 good slices. For a prettier dip, remove the crusts. Sqeeze the water out of the remainder and put in the foodprocessor with 5 cloves garlic and the mashed potatos. You can add a handful of walnuts if you

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1159874582554447952006-10-04T00:17:00.000+13:002006-10-04T00:41:51.536+13:00

I love the simplicity of this recipe, which came from one of the tattered recipe books in the yogaplus kitchen. I'll post Amazon links to them as soon as I can. This was very popular when I served it with 2 other dips (recipes to follow!) Htipiti: Feta and Roast Pepper dipOption A: Roast one large or two small red capsicum peppers in the oven until nice and charred. Just leave them there,

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1159874275546548752006-10-04T00:16:00.000+13:002006-10-04T00:41:31.210+13:00

If you have left-over beetroot, then I’d want you to try the following recipe, inspired by the Roasted Pepper (Capsicum) and Feta sauce called Htipiti. At this stage, I haven’t tried it myself yet, but I bet it works. It’s easy. Put the boiled beetroot in a food processor and puree until a chunky sauce. Add the feta, keep processing. Add any leftover dressing, a little olive oil, garlic oil,

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1159874155355062182006-10-04T00:15:00.000+13:002006-10-04T00:15:55.356+13:00

Another recipe I first made with Adam Keen (try his meze if you’re in London around Spitalfields Market).I like it because I love beetroot and it’s soooo easy! And tasty! And here it is! Beetroot with Honey Mustard Dressing Place washed but not peeled beetroot in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to the boil. Simmer until you can pierce them with a fork (maybe half an hour).

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1159874103332964482006-10-04T00:05:00.000+13:002006-10-04T00:15:03.336+13:00

I have often served vege-“burgers” to guests at Yoga plus and they’re always popular.The basic recipe varies, depending on what is in the kitchen, what we have cooked extra of, and what is left over*. It’s a bit of an art really, the cook going on instinct to balance the ingredients. Maybe it’s a bit like movie-making? You get “recipes” for film structure in “The Scriptwriters Handbook”, and

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1159873417854470362006-10-04T00:00:00.000+13:002006-10-04T00:05:19.966+13:00

My friend, and former Yoga Plus cook, Adam Keen has set up an organic salad and meze business, selling yummy stuff around Spitalfields Market. He also caters for retreats and teaches yoga. I've eaten Adam’s food before, and worked with him in the kitchen, and I can report it’s seriously good! Try it if you have the chance, and do check out his website I always think of Adam when I cook Fava

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1158666272850299492006-09-19T23:28:00.000+12:002006-09-19T23:44:32.863+12:00

Madeline Pizzo cooked this recipe first last year. It tastes great, and smells, in the oven, a little like roast chicken (to people who haven't eaten Roast Chicken in a while!) It's great on its own anyway, and makes a realy nice hummus-style dip the the next day, if there are any leftovers.A warning note: All measures are approximate. The recipe for this I read gave measurements in weight,

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1158665089819040282006-09-19T23:09:00.000+12:002006-09-19T23:24:49.830+12:00

I've had great feedback on a very very simple Nectarine Tart Loisa and I cooked on Sunday night.Here is the recipe:You need:- 6 Sheets filo pastry (or a few more if you like a little more layers)- Melted butter, or sunflower oil or low fat cooking spray- Grated nutmeg and/or Cinnamon- Brown sugar, coffee sugar or honey- 6 Nectarines sliced into thin wedges - around 3-10mm (1/4 inch at the widest)

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1158220087993633242006-09-14T19:22:00.000+12:002006-09-14T19:48:08.003+12:00

My Mum was into health food before the crowd. As a child in the 70s, I was the only kid in my class with brown bread sandwiches. We ate Sanitarium muesli (powdery stuff it was too). Crisps didn't darken our door. Nor did chewing-gum, but that was because my father inherited his father's aversion to it and that's a whole another story. Anyway, the point of this is my Mother bought a yoghurt

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1157731769097233492006-09-09T04:04:00.000+12:002006-09-13T01:17:04.220+12:00

I've had a good week in the kitchen - three lead cook shifts instead of two, as Mike was unwell. Really nice feedback. I do love feedback, particularly the nice kind!I've been too busy/unable to blog easily, but will rectify that in the next day or so..I'll post the following recipes sooner or later:Skordalia (garlic sauce)Chickpeas with onions and oregano baked in the ovenRoasted pepper and

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1156858204514701852006-08-30T01:07:00.001+12:002006-08-30T01:30:04.530+12:00

I've just finished a busy dinner shift followed by a chilled lunch shift. It's always easier the next day, as I've had time to plan, I know what's in the fridge, and have had time to think about it over night.So...the menus:Dinner Split Pea Soup Shepherd's Pie With lentils, pureed chick peas, sauteed grated carrot and beetroot (which was left over from salad at lunchtime) onions and corn.I'd

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1156612483841618192006-08-27T05:04:00.000+12:002006-08-28T01:21:23.220+12:00

It's a yoga plus tradition that we welcome the guests with pizza and fruit punch on the terrace at 3pm. And today was my first time on the pizza shift this season. Richard was lead cook, and, in my opinion, did a superb job on the dough and all the muscle work on the pizza - kneading the dough (twice!) and then rolling out all the bases so they were deliciously thin and crispy.He also made

Like to the Larkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000851468722770032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31235946.post-1156333698969963992006-08-23T23:07:00.000+12:002006-08-23T23:48:21.376+12:00

I've done my first two shifts in the kitchen as cook. We didn't have a thermometer in with us on Monday evening, but it was 42 or 45 degrees outside...and hotter inside! Carly and I survived, not without a lot of water!In the end, the Monday Night Menu was:Sheperdress Pie - Mashed potato with parsley on top, split pea gravy with courgettes, gigante beans, carrots, onion and cauliflowerRoast

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