#AWRF2012. High tea: the generosity of food.

This weekend I attended one of the events of the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival that I had looking forward to forever!

Said event was a high tea held at the elegant Langham Hotel in the city. I’d bought my (expensive, but sooo worth it) ticket weeks ago and had been dreaming about it for yonks!

Enter event #33. High Tea: The Generosity of Food.

In a nutshell, the high tea was a sumptuous affair of meticulous, bite-sized delicacies of deliciousness (adjective-heavy, yes, but there is really no other way to describe it!), enjoyed with a panel of speakers featuring Lauraine Jacobs, Natalie Oldfield (of Dulcie May Kitchen in Mt Eden), Charlotte Wood & Fleur Sullivan (of the world famous Fleurs Place in Moeraki).

In other words, a handful of foodie superstars talking about their experience with, and love of, food (and writing).

I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect way to spend my Saturday afternoon!

First, let me talk about the food. (Also, please let me foreword this by stating that my quitting sugar project was most definitely “on hold” yesterday. When you see the sweet treats I was exposed to, you will understand why… :) )

We were greeted by extravagant displays of savoury items, a number of which I couldn’t quite identify but were still utterly divine!

Highlights included creamy blue cheese & pear in filo cases, parmesan shortbreads with feta, basil and tomato, and an unidentifiable flavour of macaron, that were strangely savoury, yet delightfully sweet, with a cream cheese filling.

Mm-mmm.

Also on the table was a delicate batch of scones, sweetened with small chunks of apricot. Enjoyed with a smidge of berry jam and a hefty dollop of whipped cream.

Ain’t no high tea without scones and cream!

Of course, after I had already stuffed myself silly, the sweets came out.

I’m sure you can see these were absolutely delicious, no detail required.

I just about had one of everything. Actually, that’s a lie. The wonder of ‘bite-sized’ means you can eat as many as you want, yet it hardly counts…right? Among other items, I had three (yes, three!) mini cheesecake bites and savoured every single mouthful.

What can I say, cheesecake owns my heart.

However, the reason I was actually there was to hear the stories of some amazing food writers, and rediscover some cooking inspiration that I have most definitely being lacking lately!

One of the comments that stuck out for me was the fact that each of the women on the panel felt so lucky, that they are able to find joy in something (cooking) that many consider a chore. This resonated with me, as I totally agree. I feel lucky to enjoy cooking so much!

(Now, I just need to kick myself into gear and just do it more often.)

Another standout comment from Charlotte Wood, something I again (and am sure many who love baking) strongly identify with…a newly labelled kind of procrastination: procrastibaking! I consistently procrastibaked throughout my years at high school and uni - baking is the most rewarding procrastination tool!

And finally, can I just say that Fleur is one of the most incredible women and has created so much buzz for her little town of Moeraki. Have you heard of (or been lucky enough to eat at) her restaurant? Many travel from far and wide for a meal at Fleurs Place, including the one and only Rick Stein!

When the panel were asked who they would like to have over for dinner, Fleur says “Well, Will and Kate would be good for business.” And that is no joke, I wouldn’t be surprised if they really do eat there on a royal visit to New Zealand one day!

A  wonderful afternoon, and a superb array of food. I walked out of the Great Room feeling inspired, happy and stuffed to the brim :)

Already can’t wait til next year. Bring on #AWRF2013!

Did you head along to any of the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival events this year? 

And, are you a ‘procrastibaker’?

Xx Christie


Weekend Detox Dinner

After a wild weekend, including far too many glasses of punch and champagne to celebrate my gorgeous friend’s 21st birthday, KFC and oreo-cream-cheese truffles (a minor setback on the quitting sugar, but really, can you blame me?), tonight definitely called for a detoxifying, vege and protein packed dinner!

I browsed a few of my favourite food blogs for inspiration before leaving work this evening, and came across a goodie on 101 Cookbooks.

Enter: Lemony Chickpea Stir-fry.

I made quite a few changes to the recipe…

  • Substituted coconut oil in place the olive oil. I am obsessed with the stuff at the moment, and it is so good for you (have a look here!). It adds an utterly delicious coconutty flavour to both sweet and savoury dishes. Recently I’ve been mixing a tablespoon into my bowl of porridge in the morning…mmm!
  • Replaced tofu with chicken thigh.
  • Replaced kale with spinach. Couldn’t find kale at the supermarket – any New Zealanders know where we can find kale around here?
  • Added mushrooms. Because they are yum!
  • Switched out lemon for lime. My supermarket had run out of lemons, can you believe it?!

Coconut and Lime Chicken & Chickpea Stirfry

Ingredients

2 tblsp coconut oil

1 onion, diced

Salt

1 tin chickpeas, drained

2 chicken thighs, cut into chunks

A large handful of mushrooms, sliced

1 large courgette, chopped into chunks

A few big handfuls of baby spinach

Zest and juice of 1 lime

Method

Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil over med-high heat in a large frying pan. Add onion, chickpeas and a pinch of salt, and cook for about 10 minutes or so until golden.

Add the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil and the chicken, and stir fry until the chicken is cooked through.

Add mushrooms and courgette, cooking for a  few minutes until tender. Add the lime zest, spinach and lime juice, toss and serve.

Chock-full of healthy fats, protein, and veges. The perfect meal to start your week off on the right foot.

Enjoy!

Xx Christie

Style Love: Denim Shirts

Lately, I just can’t get enough of denim shirts. I have a couple, and just about wear them day in, day out!

Comfortable, casual and chilled out. Perfect weekend wear, or for replacing a blazer at work. I’m in love.

On occasion, I’ve even been known to rock the double denim…but I’m okay with that.

An assortment of inspiration from around the web…

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What styles are you loving lately?

Xx Christie

So much to say.

I’ve missed my little corner of the universe.

Sometimes, I need a break to recharge and re-inspire myself. But I always manage to find my way back! I’m glad you did, too.

I feel like there is so much to say, I just don’t know where to begin. Perhaps with a list of the current ins and outs of life…

  • #IQS. Yes, I quit sugar. Inspired by Sarah Wilson and my gorgeous friend Courtney (check out her inspirational blog!), I’m entering the third week of Sarah Wilson’s e-book programme, and kind of (totally) loving it. I was VERY skeptical at first, but after doing my research and understanding the reasons for doing so, I am feeling amazing! I plan to write a detailed progress post very soon.
  • Half Marathon training. I have signed up for the North Shore Half in August, and the Auckland Half in October. Still a wee way away, yes,  but I am full swing into training – feeling super motivated to beat my personal best! Will also be blogging about this a little more in the upcoming weeks.

 

  • Easter was magical. I spent the weekend divided between Wellington & Kapiti. The sun shone, I ate good food, drank good wine, spent lots of time with family, and all was perfect with the world.

 

  • I celebrated two perfect years with Rian. Since becoming obsessed with the first series of Michael Van de Elzen’s The Food Truck, we had both been desperate to dine at his restaurant, Molten. Needless to say, the location of our anniversary dinner had been decided months in advance! Superb food and impeccable service. Personal highlight: Apple and thyme tarte tartin, served with cinnamon spiced marscapone ice cream (needless to say I definitely consumed some sugar that night!). Yum, yum, yum.

 

What have you been up to lately?

Xx Christie

My favourite dinner.

I am still feeling under the weather today, so am just popping in for a quick post with a wonderfully healthy dinner we have been enjoying lately – Blackened Salmon with Bok Choy.

Salmon is great for your health, bursting full of good-for-you omega-3s. Served with an iron-rich leafy green and healthy fats (sesame oil!), my tastebuds classify this as the perfect, easy weeknight meal.

Don’t be put off by the ‘blackness’ of the salmon! I’m one of those bizarre types that loves crispy, blackened food. Like nearly-burnt toast. Delish!

If you don’t like your fish black, simply cook it on a slightly reduced heat.

This pic was just a quick snap before gobbling this meal up! Sorry, no attention was paid to food styling or photographic quality – I hadn’t even planned on putting it on the blog. But the outcome was so mouthwatering I had to share!

(Also in the above picture is a kumara salad that I have been making all the time lately – it is delish! I will post the recipe in the next few days – writing out the recipe for that is more than my head-cold can handle right now :( )

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Blackened Salmon with Bok Choy

Marinate salmon fillets in a combo of sesame oil (~1 tsp per fillet) , palm sugar (~1/2 tsp per fillet), and soy sauce (~1-2 tbsp per fillet).

Chop the bottom off a bunch of bok choy so all stems come apart. Rinse off dirt, and slice the larger ones in half lengthwise if you like.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat. When hot, place salmon in, skin-side-down, and cook for approx three minutes. Flip salmon, and cook for another three minutes or until cooked through and at your favourite level of crispiness!

When the salmon has two minutes left to cook, throw the bok choy into the pan. It will soak up the delicious salmon and marinade flavours from the pan.

Remove salmon and place on serving plate.

Continue to stirfry bok choy in pan for an extra minute, throwing in an extra drizzle or two of soy sauce and sesame oil if it looks like it needs it.

Add the greens to your plate. If you’re feeling hungry add a carb (brown rice would be fabulous).

And… devour! This would be great with a light gewurztraminer (I love Seifrieds with asian/seafood) to balance the richness of the salmon.

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I hope you are having a wonderful start to the week!

What’s your favourite meal right now?

Xx Christie

Snippets from the week.

Both Saturday night last week, and Saturday night this week have begun with a glass or two of bubbly. The perfect sip to relax into the evening.

I love bubbly wine – it always feels like I’m celebrating something!

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Rian and I have been trying to take more evening walks, to get out of our wee apartment for some fresh air as the sun goes down. We are moving out into the ‘burbs soon (hellooo savings! and space!), so want to take advantage of our wonderful inner city location for these last few weeks!

There have been a number of cruise ships in lately, up to three at once. They look so beautiful and royal against the sparkling sea and night sky!

I am so intrigued by them – I would love to jump on one and explore. Though I don’t know if I’d like to go on a cruise…maybe for two or three days but I think I’d get cabin fever after that! Yea, I’m one of those annoying people that always need to be doing something. (Watching Gossip Girl and Keeping up with the Kardashians counts as ‘doing something’, right?)

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I bought a box of Jarrah White Chocolate recently as a treat….and they quickly became a nightly routine! Creamy and delicious, with a little extra sugar and a splash of soy milk – the perfect ending to a busy day.

Now my stash has run out and I’m trying not to make them a regular purchase – for the sake of my wallet and my thighs! Though it’s going to be a hard time avoiding them next time I’m at the supermarket…

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We had a Whittaker’s Peanut Slab in the cupboard that neither of us would have eaten (not a fan of nuts in chocolate, even though I LOVE peanut butter. Weird, I know). So, I decided to melt it and bake it into something.

Behold, Peanut Slab Brownie. I used a standard brownie recipe and just replaced the melted chocolate with melted peanut slab. Easy peasy, and quite tasty.

I liked it…and if you like peanut slab you will probably love it.

Yum.

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My wonderful macbook has sprung back to life after a long hiatus of sleep due to a broken charger, and me being too cheap to spend $120 on a new one. I finally bit the bullet and bought one, and it feels so good to have my computer back!

I can now read my favourite blogs (above = Girl Meets Life) in full size, rather than on a teeny iPhone screen. Life is good…

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…except for the fact that I came down with an awful cold yesterday. Boo :( . So have been chowing down on these babies all weekend! I love the berry flavour, and that they have echinacea in them too. Hopefully they will do the trick!

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Lastly, this photo is from a couple of weeks ago, but I just saw it on my phone and had to share. Check out the latte one of my colleagues was served while we were in a cafe for a meeting!

I’ve never seen anything quite like it – just amazing! It was from Cafe Melba (Queen St, Auckland) if you’re interested.

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Well, I’m off to find some more vitamins and make a hot lemon drink. I want to feel better for a busy day at work tomorrow!

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Xx Christie

I love this.

Happy Friday!

Check out this amazing video of the Holstee Manifesto. A wonderfully inspiring watch to kick your weekend off on the right foot.

So get out there and do what you love this weekend.

Xx Christie