There has been a lot of talk about New Zealand food stories recently. About the connective power of food and its potential to foster a deeper sense of place and identity. But how do we tell these stories and who gets to tell them? And what of the ‘doing’ part of food – the sharing, growing, eating, transporting – and its immediate role in our lived experience?
He Kàkano
Passionate gardener, seed saver and the driving force behind a Christchurch social-enterprise food business (see page 56), Jade Temepara presents a show that is on a mission to change the way we grow, nurture and even cook our food.
The Vineyards of Central Otago
Today Central Otago is viewed as one of the jewels in the crown of New Zealand wine regions, but back in the 1970s and 80s it was a different matter.
Urban Oyster Bar & Eatery
The energy and interest exhibited by head chef Riki Day at Urban Eatery is a delight, his willingness to share his ideas with customers is evident as he presents each dish from the well-resolved fusion menu.
CIBO
There is much to like at Cibo. The dining areas, both inside and out, are elegant, the seating is comfortable and it’s a relaxing place to be
COCO’S CANTINA
Owners Renee and Damaris Coulter describe Coco’s Cantina as a simple neighbourhood restaurant serving home-style Italian food.
BRACU
This elegant old villa sits serenely in an olive grove on the Simunovich Estate, just 40 minutes south of Auckland in the Bombays.
Up the Line
Imagine a magnificent day out tasting flavours and ingredients that you might never have tried before, mixing with people who are passionate and knowledgeable about premium food, and along the way hearing inspiring stories of determination, ingenuity, risk and innovation?
SOUTHERN LIGHTS
Sauvignon Blanc, salmon and salt. It’s often what comes to mind when you think of Marlborough. Of course it is much more diverse than that. From the idyllic northern Marlborough Sounds to the beginnings of the Kaikoura Ranges in the south, the vast, wide plain of the Wairau Valley makes for varied geography and a wealth of wine, food and experiences.
Sydney
Trips to Australia now find me constantly comparing their restaurant offerings to what we have in New Zealand, trying to get a measure on what we do well and what opportunities might exist to increase our rating as a must-visit culinary destination.
Living for the City
This is the third year in which Cuisine has been media partner for Plate of Origin, an annual competition showcasing chefs from across New Zealand. Hosted in Manawatu, seven local restaurants sought a partnership with a renowned restaurant in a region allocated to them at random.
THE MAKER
Rekindle Skills
When we are able to create what we need from what we have, we are resourceful. When we are resourceful we make the most of our own inner resources while living carefully in relation to the resources upon which we depend.
SWEET BOY
When Kate Marinkovich was seven she wanted to have a banana cafe with everything made from bananas: banana cakes, banana smoothies, a floor made of banana chips. With that idea planted she went into a career in hospitality, with jobs in catering, working in bars, on a boat in Spain and finally a job as head baker at Wellington cafe/bakery, Prefab.
MAKING WEAVES
Jude Huani-Te Uruti had no formal training in weaving, nor did she learn from her mother or grandmother. One day she just cut some kōrari (flax) and starting weaving.
SPICE & SMOKE
Thomas Heaton meets the artisan bringing a taste of Hungary to the Bay of Plenty. Where Atilla Kovacs comes from, every family has its own special recipe for ruby-red kolbász – a slender, paprika heavy Hungarian smoked salami.
HIDDEN GEM
Their Best Shot
It all came about when Graeme Rogerson and brother-in-law Tyson Downing were having one of those “I wonder…” conversations. If food such as pizza tastes so much better in a wood-fired oven, would it work for roasting coffee, they wondered. So they decided to have a go.
STILL GOING STRONG
Kids are spilling out of school at the end of the day, and as they wait with Mum to cross the road outside Rupa’s cafe, two small girls are highfiving with cafe owner, Dilip Rupa.
STALL CRAWL
We celebrate buying fresh produce right at the farm gate, and find that the tradition of the Kiwi honesty box lives on. There's a wee section of road north of Tauranga, between snippets of sea, hills and farmland, that has some hidden gems dispersed around its sideroads.
SAVIOUR BY THE SEA
Sitting at the end of Greymouth’s Blaketown Tip is an unlikely looking coffee cart. Painted in the colours of the Dutch flag, Richard Mons’ antique lifeboat plays host to fresh, chewy stroopwafels, pour-over coffee and uplifting conversation.
ARTISAN WATCH
Artisanal products tell a premium New Zealand food story
Cuisine magazine reveals it’s top artisan products for 2018 at the New Zealand Food Awards
Cuisine Artisan Awards Finalists 2018
Who will be the Cuisine Artisan Award supreme winner for 2018?
Ben Leggett Elemental Distillers
“Our biggest problem is that most consumers don’t know what it is, or what to do with it,” says Ben Leggett of the range of aromatic cocktail bitters made by his Marlborough boutique distillery, Elemental Bitters.
Hogarth Craft Chocolate
If you haven't tried yet tried a chocolate bar from Nelson’s Hogarth Craft Chocolate then their new Alto Beni ‘dark milk’ bar would be a great place to start.