Taste

For the foodies

Sweet treat on Eat Street

If Christchurch can do it why can’t we? I’m talking shipping containers up-cycled to snazzy little food outlets and market stalls, Astro Turf clad stacked timber pallets for tables, cable spools for chairs. Throw in a bunch of greenery, a raft of twinkly fairy lights and an eclectic mix of live music and voila! A vibrant, funky little destination…Eat Street Markets.

My buddies and I struggled to choose between the clashing aromas of international street20140302-080914.jpgfoods ranging from Turkish Gozlemes to Dutch Poffertjes, Korean fusion burgers to Malaysian roti…and as for a bevvy? More choices. Cold beer or cocktail? Coconut, strawberry, rose smoothie or watermelon, pineapple, mint crush? An exhaustive business this sampling, the place a veritable feast for the senses, but we managed to waddle out both sated and satisfied.

A fun little spot to take your well behaved dog, kids, mother in law, international visitors. Loved it. Would love to hear your thoughts…

How to find? Down by Portside making good use of vacant allotments near the Cruise Ship terminal. http://www.eatstreetmarkets.com

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My Drunken Chocolate Cherry Liqueur balls…

Goddamn! The pressure of the annual office Christmas bake off was almost too much for us all this year, saved only by a tad of alcoholic fortitude and a fervent desire to go the easiest route.

Hark the Christmas Cherry Liqueur ball. Note the little alcoholic twist? Nice touch when coping with the silly season don’t you think?

Need:

6 x 52g Cherry ripe bars
1 x pkt Nice or similar plain biscuit
2 x tablespoons Cocoa
1 x can sweetened condensed milk
1 x pkt glacé cherries (or fresh)
Slosh of Cherry Liqueur (Sherry will also do)
1 x cup desiccated coconut

Do:

• Pop the glacé cherries in a small basin, slosh Cherry liqueur over and let them wallow a while
• If using fresh cherries, de-seed and do the same (can leave stalk on for extra pizzaz)
• Throw the cherry ripe bars, biscuits and cocoa into a blender and pulse until crumbly
• Add the can of condensed milk and pulse until blended (will now resemble a big sticky glob)
• Take a teaspoon full, press a cherry into the centre and mould the mix around to make a small ball. Wet hands if they become sticky to make the moulding easier
• Roll the ball in the desiccated coconut then pop on a large tray
• Repeat with remaining mixture
• Refrigerate long enough to firm up the balls (hour or so)

Present:
Pile ’em on a plate, decorate with a few fresh cherry clusters, tuck a twig of Holly in and watch them disappear.
NB: Leave the cherry and/or alcohol out if you wish.
Enjoy!

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Tastebud tingling tools…

BJ loves cooking, as do I, thus we found ourselves trawling the opening specials at recently relocated ‘Taste’ and bagging a few of our much coveted kitchen enhancements, quality knives for him, plate up rings and Donna Hay tea towels for me, fabulous timber chopping boards for our shopping buddies.

Test drove the rings today…junior Master Chefs watch your backs! (Recipe below)

 

Need (serves 2):

  • 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, finely diced
  • 2 tomatoes, halved, seeded, finely diced 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 10 cooked prawns, 2 put aside, rest peeled, finely chopped
  • 10 drops Tabasco sauce
  • 1 tablespoon whole egg mayonnaise
  • 6 Capers, finely chopped
  • 1 Lime, cut into wedges
  • Dash olive oil
  • Sea salt and cracked pepper
  • Cucumber ribbons and celery tops to garnish

Create:

Throw avocado, finely chopped prawns, mayo, capers, shallots, a big squeeze lime juice, pinch sea salt and grind of pepper into a bowl and gently blend

Throw tomatoes, olive oil, Tabasco, a tad of salt and cracked pepper into a separate bowl and gently blend

Shave ribbons of cucumber using peeler or mandolin, pluck a few celery tips, put these and the whole prawns aside for garnishing

Place ring in center of a large plate, pop a layer of avocado mix in, press down, add a tomato layer, another avocado layer and repeat until filled, finishing with tomato mix

Lift ring up and away from stack and repeat exercise with next plate…looking impressive?

Now place cucumber ribbon curls and an unpeeled prawn on each stack, tuck a celery tip and slither of lime wedge in and finish with a grind of pepper. Yum!

Serve with a crisp chilled white wine.

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