fashion x design x culture x travel x food
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A gift from me to you – a White Chocolate Rocky Road recipe to destroy all those healthy eating resolutions… or if you’re enjoying the UK snow flurry at the moment, this will ensure you have ample reserves to stave off the chill.
If you like white chocolate, this is phenomenal. Thanks to my cousin Deb for the recipe!
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And then came the brilliant part. We had a bunch of monster Tuscan kale growing in the yard this past summer. You’re supposed to wait until the first frost to harvest it, and we’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting for a frost. I don’t know why you have to wait for the frost, but my wife kept telling me that. And they’re giant. I mean these things are about three-feet tall. I went out and harvested, and I chopped the kale and started sautéing it with olive oil, and I put salt on it. It was just great. A bunch of the leaves were much thinner than others and I thought I was burning them almost, but those were the best parts. It’s almost like it came out like an incredibly delicate potato chip but made out of kale. It was definitely the best part of the meal.
Crunch, you know, is one of those universal human irresistible things. In fact, if it is a universal I’d love to know why. Is it some ancestral memory? Crunching the bones of your enemy? I don’t know why crunch would be pleasurable.
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So, the other day I was chilling on the sofa the pondering the content of dear old Code For Something. Culture, yes; Style, regularly; Design, mhmm; Travel, CHECK… So somewhat quickly I kind came to the conclusion it was Food that’s a little bit lacking. Cakes are great and all that, but what could I do that was a little more fun for me (and not just adding to my whale blubber)? Investigative cafe reporting perhaps? Oh wait.
Then I remembered my recent shopping trip to Tai Ping, an awesome Asian supermarket on Auckland’s Beach Rd, where I always stock up on a plethora of fake meats and tofu delights. On this occasion – probably because it a) had pink foil b) was squishy and c) was on sale at $1.40 – I also chucked a Shi-Chuan Peach into my basket. I have no idea why, but I thought perhaps it would be amusing to see what peachy mysteries lurk within and report back on it. So here we are.
Name: Shih-Chuan Peach Vinegar - Vinegar??
From: Taiwan!
Benefits: “Not only do they taste good, but they are good for you packed with lots of nutrition”.
Special instructions: “Opening the plug and drink directly. It is tastier with chilled water. Deposition is a natural occurence.” – Uh depositions? Where? Plus, an open admission the liquid is going to taste foul without modification. As you can see, this worries me.
Drinking experience: It looks a teeny bit like champagne when it’s poured, however turns out to be still. I was hella frightened after reading vinegar, because I’d initially overseen that little word. But on supping, it had a really sweet artificial peachy taste (kinda like drinking a liquified peach Fruit Burst!), with only the slightest hint of vinegar. Not too bad… it would possibly be a great mixer with vodka, but with only 140ml in a pack, the tide is definitely out.
Rating: 3/5. It would have done better if it was intoxicating in its native state!
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From my Saturday morning to yours! I found this ad in the magazine section of the weekend paper.
It’s an ad for the City Farmer’s Market at Britomart, in downtown Auckland. How could you say no to that? There’s only 12 words to the ad but it is incredibly compelling and evocative. Perfect.
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What is awesomeness? Awesomeness happens when thick — real, meaningful — value is created by people who love what they do, added to insanely great stuff, and multiplied by communities who are delighted and inspired because they are authentically better off. That’s a better kind of innovation, built for 21st century economics.
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Tea, the drink of choice for queens the world over, is also the king of beautiful packaging. I’ve been digging around and saving my favourites.
Here is an Orla Kiely designed tin for Bewley’s:
Kiely says of her bright box – “Bewley’s was an important sanctuary to me as a student living in Dublin and I am delighted to be working with them as they are an iconic Irish brand. We chose one of our signature prints – the ‘Scribble Stem’ in a classic red and cream with bright chartreuse contrast lid. We hope our tea caddy will add a flash of colour and become a treasured feature in the kitchen.”
English brand Clipper uses hand drawn type and illustration to showcase their natural flavours:
French brand Chateau Rouge, uses an object (which has relevance to name or the flavour notes) to identify each tea:
Mallard make the cutest takeaway cups – featuring whimsical patterns and a cute teapot silhouette:
“Mallard is a specialist tea company which sells loose leaf tea through its shop and tearoom in Knutsford. The mix and match branding is inspired by the eclectic feel of the establishment which is quirky, eccentric and unmistakably English.”
Andrews & Dunham sell loose tea in beautifully designed little tins – I love this elephant Ceylon one:
Finally, origami tea bags from Russia. Not strictly packaging bu whatevski – they are beautiful! The bird apparently forms and unfolds gradually while the tea infuses.
It seems those on the European side of the pond are miles ahead of the pack when it comes to injecting a little charm into their tea boxes!
What brand of tea do you drink? Does it keep it cute ‘n loose? Tight and tinned?
It seems those on the far side of the pond are miles ahead of the pack when it comes to injecting a little charm into their tea boxes!
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“Local lad Dan Nagels has just graced us with his new collection” says Wellington’s Madam Fancy Pants. Lucky them! It looks cute, featuring stirling silver party favourites like popcorn and chippies.
Still hungry? See also Q-Pot’s Whipped Cream Ring and Hamburger chain…
It looks delicious and is the closest I’ll ever get to one again! Available at Wellington’s Good as Gold! Enjoy your treats, kids.
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My mum did some baking in the weekend. Yay Mum! She made Banana Cake – the perfect post skiing treat. My own contribution was limited to making the accompanying hot tea and devouring slices.
Here’s the recipe – it’s a good one – gleefully lifted from the Edmond’s Cook Book. I assumed it’s the birthright of Kiwis to do so.
CLASSIC BANANA CAKE
4 ozs. butter
6 ozs. sugar
2 eggs
2 mashed bananas plus 1 for luck
1 level teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 ozs. flour
Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs. Add the soda (usually dissolved in boiling milk, but I say just throw it in). Lastly add flour, baking powder – and mix well, no, mix the hell outta it!
Cook in a greased cake pan – I like the donut shaped ones because they cook evenly. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350F/180C. Test with a pointy little stick to see if it’s done… then devour hot. Later you can ice the rest (mmm chocolate) but the joy of home baking is gobbling it promptly. Enjoy!
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As everyone loves to tell me constantly – mothers, doctors, personal trainers – you are what you eat. In that case I’m a bowl of udon noodles and 15 assorted beers.
What are you if you’ve got a snake in your fridge? According to photographer Mark Menjivar it makes you a Texan Short Order Cook with a penchant for weightlifting. Menjivar has conducted an amazing photographic essay on people’s fridges that has been posted at Good Magazine. It’s very voyeuristic – anonymously looking at people’s eating lives and finding out a little snippet about them. As one commenter said – looking at someone’s fridge is like seeing them naked – I agree.
Fridge of journalist and designer.
I’d take a picture our fridge but it’s not much to look at. It’s a 3 person household, but we never really cook. In there you’ll find naught but a motley collection of alcoholic beverages, and we have a fine vodka collection in the freezer. What’s in yours?
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As I have discovered this year, the travel best times are had when you have a local buddy on the ground who’s done the hard research and knows all the tricks. Especially when it comes to food!
Shanghai wouldn’t have been even a quarter as much fun without Julian’s company and translation skills. London – let’s just say that a Brick Lane beigel changed my life (apart from that I don’t remember eating in London!). This trip to Melbourne was just-that-more-tasty thanks to Sheena & Sandra – who both lead me to some incredible eating and drinking experiences.
Here’s a few notes on some of my favourite places to nibble, imbibe and be extremely merry in Melbourne. When traveling, I’m usually working with a low to medium budget; so the choices reflect that! However there are a few pricey treats included on this list. For example, at Seamstress – as seen above – we indulged in ridiculous fruity cocktails, dinner, dessert and wine. It was a perfect girls night out.
To make it easier for you, I’ve lovingly marked the places and my notes up on a Google Map. Simply click on the markers to find out about each spot:
View CFS – Melbourne Eats & Treats in a larger map
I would love to hear about your Melbourne favourites and suggestions! What’s the coolest bar? Where do you go to get the best souvlaki?
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Brother Baba Budan on Little Bourke St in Melbourne might just be the loveliest cafe I have ever been to. It had the nicest vibe, and beautiful styling – chairs hanging from the ceiling (popular in Melbourne it seems), violet tulips in glass jars and stacks of white crockery. Here, look for yourself:
A flat white for me, a skinny latte for Ali… the coffee was GOOD. As it should be when they’re involved right from the origin and care about every cup. You’ll find this little gem at 359 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne.
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A lyrical morsel from the ever-delightful Nigel Slater. He’s highly skilled in two areas I can only dream of being so accomplished at – cooking and writing. The way he talks about food is incredible; he manages to infuse your brain with happiness and make you ravenously hungry at the same time:
Affogato is my favourite dessert too (says the coffee fiend). If you’re in Auckland I recommend Verona – especially if they have fresh, homemade, golden syrup ice cream. Nom ❤
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While in London in February I was very pleased to visit Fortnum & Mason. Their packaging is exquisite and their manner most definitely regal. I became an instant fan – and would very much like to go there one day for tea.
I am also quite a big fan of bees.
- Exhibit 1. In the summer when we drive to the Coromandel (a rugged bush covered peninsula south of Auckland), I always request we stop in at roadside stalls to buy honey from the local hippies.
- Exhibit 2. Dear friends have gone so far as to give me books about bee keeping and apiaries.
Now, beautifully, these two disparate interests have come together! I recently discovered F&M make a house brand of honey, literally. They have their own beehives on the roof of 181 Piccadilly! Adorably, the hives have been custom constructed and painted to match the F&M aesthetic.
From their rooftop spot the bees will “fly high above Mayfair, visiting the grounds, gardens and squares of the best addresses in London, gathering rather superior nectar”.
When the new harvest comes you will be able to buy a sweet jar of London honey – but for now you can keep an eye on our little winged friends using Fortnum & Mason’s web cams. Über urban bee keeping – how cool is that?
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Code For Something by Amber Parkin is a stylish & witty commentary on fashion, design, food, travel and culture. Make yourself at home.
“Style is the dress of thoughts”
– Lord Chesterfield
CFS wants to know what you love/hate/think - email amber@codeforsomething.com
