Sunday, October 30, 2011

Down in the Dumplings


I used to avoid Chinese food because the meat was so questionable. But I’ve since realised that boycotting Chinese food until they start using ethical meat is a bit like boycotting pornographic movies until they start writing stronger female characters. It’s not going to happen in our lifetime, so you might as well just suspend your conscience for half an hour and get stuck in like everybody else does.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Where to find good chooks


I reckon one of the easiest and most rewarding things you can do as a food lover is to start buying your fresh food from places other than the supermarket. I get my vegetables from Fruit World, Harvest, Pt Chev’s Little Hero, weekend markets and, when I can manage it, from Art of Produce in Crummer Road, a great little Auckland secret where chefs and hotels get their fruit and veg each morning but which is open to the curious public too. None of these places is more expensive than the supermarket but they’re all fresher, more personal and with more interesting vegetables. Look, above, it’s a grilled radicchio, mozzarella, tomato and fresh basil pesto salad made after one particularly awesome Saturday morning haul.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Ponsonby Road Bistro and Pure


Some restaurants are very good but, for whatever reason, don’t get the buzz that they deserve. I don’t know why. Something to do with coolness, or fashionability probably, which sounds quite shallow but is probably just as important as the food given that people go out not just to eat but to spend a couple of hours somewhere more exciting than their own lounge.