Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Where do you get yours? (Food Edition)

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  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Thanks, Russell and Sofie. If Winnie's complaining then something good must be happening.

    Logically, I thought there must be plenty of Asian shops in Auckland, I just don't know Auckland at all and didn't know where to start looking for them. Now one fear has been soothed, and in a Muttonbirdy kind of way, just remember Dominion Road.

    Next mission: Longjing tea. I've managed to find some the last couple of times I've been in NZ, but only of the adequate variety. Whereas here I just walk 10 minutes to the nearest branch of Wuyutai and I've got 3 liang (150g) of good Longjing for 30 yuan (100 yuan/jin). And other teas, too. I'm currently refreshing myself with a nice (for a supermarket tea) Pu'er - beautiful red stuff from Yunnan. It's really hard to beat a nice Renshen Wulong or Tieguanyin (the Iron Goddess of Mercy - a very suitable name) for an afternoon pickmeup.

    And I wonder if 花椒/huājiāo/Chinese prickly ash (the dictionary says) - that numbing Sichuan 'pepper corn' - is available. I've heard it's illegal in some places. I don't think my wife would want to contemplate life without it.

    I have contemplated taking our soy milk machine back with us, but then again, moving to NZ will lose us one big advantage of living here. My parents in law are farmers, and it's really nice to be able to get soy beans, millet, corn, apples, etc straight from the people who grow them and who have a vested interest in our continued health. Really really nice when you live in a country of constant food safety scandals.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report

  • frank_db,

    you can grow your own

    rosebank • Since May 2012 • 3 posts Report

  • Che Tibby, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I do find $25 for an actual organic chook a bit steep most days.

    holy moly. i don't blame you. for that kind of money you should set up a chook house. you can buy the wee ones for $8, grow them, and have the dubious "pleasure" of killing them yourself.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report

  • Islander,

    -not illegal here! Freely available as a dried ingedient- cheers!

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • Islander, in reply to Che Tibby,

    Family haz chooks. Family haz eggs(lotsa.) Family only rarely kills chooks (they can live, happily and productively for up to 20 years…afterwards, I haz—-recipes!<


    q> do find $25 for an actual organic chook a bit steep most days.

    heavens, that is ridiculous!

    h</q>

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • Hebe,

    @ Islander: OMG OMG you just reminded me of the post-September 4 fleeing to Dunedin with the children when I was lent a house by an angel, who also left a tub of the Gourmet Ice-cream Company's Brandy Snap icecream and a lemon curd icecream in the freezer as a destress pack. The brandy snap one was a-ma-zing, and the lemon curd was good too, and they worked well in the same bowl!.

    The Dunedin market at the railway station was great for all sorts of yum things -- my boys still lust after the whitebait fritters.

    The star was the Evansdale cheese factory just north of Dunedin: Tania (smoked farmhouse), the Laurel, and the Bay Blue. http://www.evansdalecheese.co.nz/pages/9/Store-order

    On the way home we stayed at Moeraki for the night, and Fleur at Fleur's Place let we four squeeze in at the end of the bar to have a bowl of primo seafood chowder.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report

  • Islander, in reply to Hebe,

    O, O I was saving some of this stuff for next time – but Hebe, you are absolutely right – Evansdale is somewhere I always call into and as for the Dunedin Farmers’ Market? Hear a tremendouys *major YESSS! Gourmet IceCream? Well, really, is there no other of the rest of the sweet-loving hoard?
    *The only celebratory correct spelling insofar as I am concerned-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • Che Tibby, in reply to Hebe,

    The star was the Evansdale cheese factory just north of Dunedin: Tania (smoked farmhouse), the Laurel, and the Bay Blue.

    they do decent cheese. we buy a round whenever we visit the family in waitati

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report

  • Hebe, in reply to Islander,

    Sorry I gazumped you. Have you tried the smoked eggs at the Farmer's Market?

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report

  • Islander, in reply to Hebe,

    There is NO gazumphing for food references!
    Manuka-smoked? YES!

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • Hebe, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I do find $25 for an actual organic chook a bit steep most days.

    I did until we got chickens. Now, having three fat and bossy good-for-nothings who haven't laid since January (they are only two years old!) and spend their time gobbling gold-plated organic pellets and booting the crap out of the vege garden like demented hockey players from an English girls' boarding school novel, I would want $50 a chook to raise them in an any numbers.

    Trouble is dinner is now unlikely because I would not be able to say "Gosh Bluebell makes a nice risotto" and not feel guilty. Chickens have feelings too you know.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report

  • Hebe, in reply to Islander,

    I sound obsessed with "smoked" thises and thats. Actually the Tania cheese was my intro to smoked and it seems to keep coming up coincidentally. Smoked garlic aioli from Cannon Hill foods in chch is very fine.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report

  • Emma Hart, in reply to Hebe,

    I sound obsessed with "smoked" thises and thats.

    We live about two blocks from Holy Smoke, and its salmon. I think you sound perfectly reasonable.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report

  • Lilith __, in reply to Hebe,

    the Tania cheese was my intro to smoked

    Gateway drug. ;-)

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report

  • Hebe, in reply to Lilith __,

    the Tania cheese was my intro to smoked
    Gateway drug. ;-)

    Yeah man; next the blue vein.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report

  • Islander, in reply to Emma Hart,

    Now, if I get into farmed/ then harvested/ then smoked or otherwise processed salmon – we’re in for a looong ride – about which I know a considerable lot.
    Summary: good, basically, against wild harvest-

    Hebe – after yet another tooth in my my head has fallen out ,all I can add is -
    even edentious people can suck smoked salmon with satisfaction (but cry at the same time-)

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • Hebe, in reply to Islander,

    Ouch. Implants?

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report

  • Hebe, in reply to Islander,

    Now, if I get into farmed/ then harvested/ then smoked or otherwise processed salmon – we’re in for a looong ride –

    I would like to find out about smoking cheese - and mussels - some time ...

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report

  • Lilith __, in reply to Hebe,

    I would like to find out about smoking cheese – and mussels

    Both quite hard to light.

    <coat>

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report

  • Hebe, in reply to Lilith __,

    [Snort] Nice.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report

  • Islander, in reply to Hebe,

    Hey! Can do!
    My uncle Bill taught me to smoke fish when I was 12 years old (the year after my father died.) I can literally( after weighing, ascetaining sugar content (U. Bill just licked it but he showed me how to *taste* it - including in meat-) and salt content
    (especially important for fish) know what kind of brine/sugar mix to make. How long to weather after soaking/dry after brining/ what kind of sawdusts to make what kind of smokes...
    cheeses and mussels are not a difficult matter-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • Hebe, in reply to Islander,

    Ooh yes please. But are you sure this doesn't deserve a book? Would Huia accept that -- I feel in my marketing bones that it would do well.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report

  • Islander, in reply to Hebe,

    Ouch. Implants?

    NAh.
    I've never had lower jaw back molars, and as the rest of perilously-anchored teeth die - ah well, i will invent the most brillant savoury vege/fish smoothies there has ever been!

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • Islander, in reply to Hebe,

    It would do ok - but I think Brian & Robyn et al hate me - I am soooo way behind with the Huia book (and I have put so much in it) and - well, it wont be wasted, but wont be on time - onward!

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Islander,

    -not illegal here! Freely available as a dried ingedient- cheers!

    Please tell me that's an answer to my 花椒/huājiāo/prickly ash/numbing 'pepper' query. Although I basically disagree with its use in food (back in Hunan (where I spent my first year in China) we go straight spicy with no numbing, and damn, do you get one hell of a rush from that), used in moderation it certainly can add a certain extra frisson to the flavour. And far more importantly, my wife loves it.

    But are you sure this doesn’t deserve a book?

    I suspect this certainly does deserve at least a book.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report

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