A City and Herb so Fresh it’s MINT: Part 2.

Back again with a few more Minty Melbourne Tales. Starting with a mint-laden meal shared with a few of my faves in the funky district of Fitzroy. A casual Greek-inspired restaurant that goes by the name: Jimmy Grants. This was the perfect midweek munch, with a menu featuring souvas or souvlakis, crunchy flavoursome salads, spit-roasted meat, tasty sides and plenty of persuasive options to have you finishing up on sweet street.

Jimmy G's Sweet Spread ft. Prawn Attiki & all that Fresh Mint! 

Run by the culinary genius George Calombaris – after watching him as Judge on Australian Masterchef and his recent guest appearance on NZ Masterchef – it’s not hard to see why this food tasted awesome. With his effervescent passion for food and the young vibrant team, they run a pretty 'hip' ship both in the real world and in cyber space. With just a touch of that Greek wit managing to shine through on every plate and Instagram pic. See for yourself here - @jimmygrants

Chips & Dips. The Best kind.

As expected we ordered a little bit of everything. From the ‘Bonegilla’ Souva filled with lamb + chicken + mustard aioli + chips + onion + parsley, to the ‘Homer’ stuffed with falafels + greek yoghurt + hellenic slaw through to the ‘Patris’ (my pick) packed with prawns + attiki honey + mayo + cucumber + coriander and that wee gem herself, mint. Each was a genuinely joyous combo wrapped in a soft, pillowy yet delightfully chewy pita bread. Simple and so god dam delicious. No fancy price tag here either, each souva costs less than $9 and all were devoured within minutes.

Glory Bowls ft. Iceberg Salad & Hellenic Slaw. 

Our accompaniments went by the name of Hellenic slaw - shredded cabbage with honey & balsamic dressing, then came the classic Iceberg Salad - dressed with oregano, lemon and olive oil. Finally one (or was it two?) plates of chips, spiked with garlic oil, feta & oregano. Each dish had me licking the bowl for every last fleck of greek-greatness. Jimmy Grants was a definite highlight on the trip, so unpretentious, so affordable and so very quintessential Melbourne. A must-visit if you find yourself across the ditch.

'Jimmy's Wheel' took us to the end of Sweet Street with a Giant Peanut Butter & Raspberry Jam Mallow puff. 

My final mint memoir was the last hurrah – in the form of a cocktail enjoyed with my mother at the Melbourne airport. Not one to normally hit the cocktails, the combination of Bacardi white rum, lime, sugar syrup, soda water and fresh mint seemed to twist my arm and this refreshing bevvy went down a treat. 

Ice Cold & Mint. 

Since Melbourne, Mint has been incorporated into as many meals and dishes as possible, at any time of the day. From sweet minty morning omelettes, to flavouring salad bowls, whizzed into smoothies and freshening up my water bottle. I may or may not have gone mad about mint.

Despite a lack in mint of the fresh kind, the next destination was a must-try and one I simply had to include. A place that truly did make my Melbourne trip MINT! Gelato Messina is the godfather of all gelato. If you know your gelato – you’ll know Messina and if not, you probably should. With a few stores throughout Australia it has quickly become something of an institution and it's not hard to see why. 

One freezer of five. Mint (the Choc version) included!

Classic flavours are made fresh daily, along with a handful of weekly specials the smooth spoonfuls of heaven were knocking on the door of my life highlights. You can only imagine my face when I saw the variety on offer.  The phrase ‘I die!’ somehow felt like understatement.

Decision made. One of the best of my life.

With flavours including: The Mighty GM – Peanut Butter Gelato w/ Choco Crust, Chocolate Custard, Banana Jam & Peanut Cream, to Pretty Shady – Passionfruit Sorbet w/ Coconut Lychee & Black Sesame Praline, to Pannacotta with Fig Jam & Amaretti Biscuits. Dribbling yet? Then there’s their signature flavour range featuring: Salted Caramel & White Chocolate, Apple Pie, Chocolate Sorbet, Bounty and Baklava. We were served by a gorgeous foreign girl, who sensed our excitement and more than happily provided us with ‘testers’ of her top ten flavours. After more 'OMG YUM' moments than a girl could count , I was faced with decision time. Which flavour would make the cup?

Take Two. Lunch is served ft. Tiramisu, Pistachio & Salted Coconut & Mango.

After several minutes of deliberation I opted for three (very generous) scoops of the following: Pear & White Balsamic, Poached Figs in Masala and the stunning Salted Coconut & Mango. All three were simply incredible, so good that three more giant scoops became lunch on my final day. This second time I went a touch more traditional with Tiramisu, Pistachio and  more of that Salted Coconut & Mango glory. Take my word on it – you don’t mess with Messina. x

A City and Herb so Fresh it’s MINT: Part 1.

Two words. Mint + Melbourne. Both signature parts of the recent adventure that inspired, excited and tantalised tastebuds. A delightful mother-daughter trip across the ditch to taste the hub of cutting edge cuisine and enjoy the food-lovers playground that is, Melbourne City. With a simple herb making its presence known on various plates throughout the weekend, it was the excessive dose of fresh Mint that made our trip all the more memorable.

And so it began: DIY Rice Paper Rolls w. Peanut Sauce & Minty Corn Fritters. 

After being on the list for a few years now, I had prepared my senses to explore, smell, watch, touch, listen and ultimately taste what the Melbourne food scene had to offer. I acquired a range of research outlets to help me on my adventure – Google searching, instagram scrolling/stalking, emailing and gathering advice from local and respected food-loving personnel. Basically every meal was booked out well before I left the ground. 

As you can imagine there are far too many meals (ahem calories) to share in one post. So without further or do I give you just a few of my mint-related morsels and Melbourne moments.

Simplicity wins once again. 

Let’s start with ‘Fresh Mint Tea’, this tall luscious glass of boiling water and a wad of that cooling, fragrant herb. Found at the sparkling new Allpress Roastery in Collingwood, Melbourne. This local, flagship store is a welcome addition to the successful kiwi-born coffee empire. With a winning combination of sublime coffee, intriguing food, magically crafted architecture and a sunny courtyard to forget all life’s worries. I also know a certain creative creature that plays here, a truly talented artist both in and out of the kitchen.

A definite dining highlight was the Melbourne restaurant legend known as Chin Chin. This culinary machine focused on thoughtful and attentive service with glorious food from all over South East Asia. With a full, buzzing restaurant and lines out the door – (just to put your name on the waiting list!) our 5.30pm dinner date was replaced with an hour and a half wait, and a pleasant beverage at the nearby Rooftop Bar. Never one to stress about waiting for sort-after food, my world first problem was not how long til we eat, but more, ‘how the hell do I chose what to order!?!’ 

Spicy Corn & Coriander Fritters w. Chilli Jam, Iceberg wedges & Fresh Mint leaves! 

I can assure you, that despite the pun everything really was MINT. And true to its Asian flair many of the dishes starred this luscious fragrant herb. Spicy Corn & Coriander Fritters served with chilli jam and lettuce cups (I see you drooling) were assembled and devoured instantaneously. These little beauties were sensational, such a perfect balance of flavour, spice and texture. Crunchy iceberg shells, encased the crispy fried fritters, filled with sweet, juicy corn kernels, peppery coriander, a dollop of punchy chilli jam and finished with that single fragrant mint leaf.

Caramelised Pork + Crispy Barramundi + Green Apple Mint Salad. Done.

As Miss Piggy has mentioned before here, you’ll be hard pressed to see me by-pass a pork belly on any menu. However this dish was Mums choice, and boy was it a good one. Crispy Barramundi with Green Apple Salad & Caramelised Pork. Such an intriguing combination, that made so much sense. Encouraged by the waiter to share a bite of fish, salad and pork all together, was advice I did not need to be told twice. Words escape me. The pork drenched in caramel was next level amazing, cut through by the crunch and freshness of the apple mint salad. It was enriched even further by the golden, firm and flavoursome barramundi. Too good! All elements had their place, and with its companions - coriander and kaffir lime – for me the mint brought it together in perfect harmony. 

Despite a lack of mint, this final dish lacked nothing else: Spiced Coconut Curry with Fried Silken Tofu, Boiled Egg & Okra. Note the Roti to the right. Heavenly.

After perusing their cookbook, it was no surprise to hear that over 500 servings of this dish are sold every week at Chin Chin. And I felt pretty special to have demolished one of them. We returned inspired, gifting the cookbook to our own culinary goddess. Following an afternoon well-spent in the kitchen with my favourite cook, we produced a seriously good rendition of the Spicy corn fritters, along with Red Curry of Roast Duck with Lychees, Pork & Peanut with Cassava crackers, a bloody good attempt on the Yellow Curry of Roast Pumpkin with Grilled Tofu and finally our take on that winning Fish/Pork/Salad combo using Kingfish, a Chinese-style Pork belly and that zingy refreshing salad. Our extended food-loving family were left replete and seriously impressed. Not one to rave about her cooking even the lady of the house was blown away with our efforts. 

Our efforts ft. Kingfish & Chinese-style Pork Belly & plenty of toasted peanuts, coriander & fresh mint!

On the back of a busy summer this feasting excursion was my idea of the perfect holiday. Despite being over a month on each mouthful is still so vivid in my mind, and I haven't even got to the gelato yet! Plenty more to be shared…Part 2 coming soon. x

The Best of 2013: Relished memories & Katering escapades.

Well, well, well what a pleasurable year 2013 has been: adventurous, tasteful, overindulgent and laden with all things food. To celebrate another year of feasting I thought I would share an update of my latest Katering escapades and a snippet of 2013's greatest eats. 

A trio of truffles!

Firstly a Christmas party with the task to cater pre and post dinner treats for the elves that work their magic as Radiation Therapists. To sustain them through a night of competitive lawn bowls (and drinking!) I put together a simple range of tasty dips, veggie sticks and corn chips. Think coriander, peanut & sweet chilli dip, garlic hummus, moroccan carrot, spicy guacamole and the classic favourite - onion dip. It was just a nibble – although most bowls were licked clean.

Fruit kebabs in production...

The night got even sweeter, with a dessert spread fit for kings and queens. Inspired by trawling the net I included a few very festive Santa Hat Brownies. Rounds of decadent chocolate brownie, were topped with vanilla mascarpone, plump, ripe strawberries and finished with a mascarpone pom-pom. Dusted with a sprinkle of snow (icing sugar) they looked seriously cute. I do recommend using a more substantial creamy filling - humidity got the better of mine and a few strawbs had a slippery slope to their death.

Santa Hat Brownies!

Platefuls of my go-to dessert Raspberry Coconut Slice were contrasted with simple yet elegant mini fruit kebabs – loaded with grapes, melon, kiwifruit and pineapple. While a new addition to my repertoire, Joy Slice made its debut -a slightly more festive and chewy take on the ginger crunch. Complete with a variety of truffles including: White Chocolate and Honey covered in Toasted Almonds & Pistachios as well as Coconut Chocolate Truffles filled with a Chocolate Brownie centre.  Phew! Another bunch of satisfied sweetened souls.

Santa's Sweet Spread.

On to the next Katering gig this time for the talented creative collaborative that is – Collectif Magazine. A few savoury morsels to help celebrate the launch of their 6^th edition was a highlight of my festive season. I recommend getting your hands on this news print publication ASAP. Sophie and her contributors are seriously talented and you can see their passion springing from each page. Held within the walls of Terrarium, Kingsland it was very humbling to share and help celebrate such innovative young creative’s.

Saffron Chickpea Falafels w. Orange Tahini Dipping Sauce.

After being gifted a precious box of Saffron threads I had just the thing for the occasion. Inspired by the stunning blog that is Green Kitchen Stories I recreated their mini Saffron Chickpea Falafels and served them with an Orange tahini dipping sauce. Back on the Mexican buzz I opted for a few bowls of chunky salsa – one with avocado, tomato and cucumber and the other pineapple, black bean and coriander – perfect served with jalapeno corn chips. 

Fuelling the creative festivities.

However what seemed to be the dish of the day and one that came and went in record time was the platter of mini mint, pea & feta fritters served with a citrus yoghurt dipping sauce. Juicy, moreish and packed with flavour – sprinkled with pomegranate seeds they were pretty jolly spectacular. And I am chuffed to say they held their own against a gorgeous array of Milk Moustache & Cookie Bar Cookies (of which I may have had 3!). Moderation – right?

Mini Mint, Pea & Feta Fritters made beautiful with Pomegranate Arils!

So that was that – two more successful Katering gigs down and even more food to be savoured.

With such great intentions of putting together this list of favourites for 2013 – I soon realised that there have been so many wonderful memories that once I started I found it hard to stop. But I have pulled in the reigns and here is a short (ahem) list of relished memories:

The Relished Memories of 2013…

• Caramelised Pork Hock from MooChowChow.
• The Flakiest of Roti at Sri Panang on K Road.
• Orange and Almond Cake with Marmalade Ice Cream at Riverstone Kitchen. Bliss.
• Deconstructed Carrot Cake c/o Nick Honeymoon from Everybody’s Izakaya.
• All things Al Brown – Depot’s Fig Toasties, Best Ugly Bagels, Fed Deli’s Smoked Kahawai Fritters and Whitestone’s Smoked Butter. Bless that man.
• Lemon Creme Fraiche & Blueberry Tart - an off the cuff collaborative creation ft. R.Murds.
• Fish & chips cooked by Thomas & Lilian at Greenwoods Fresh Catch, Epsom.
• Best Coffee Award goes to Cereal Killa & Good One Cafe, Douglas St.
• Custard Square and Rosemary Loaf from Love Rosie Bakery in Tauranga.
• Salted Caramel Gelato on a stick from Ortolana + Tiramisu Gelato from Giapo.
• Pomegranate seeds and their ability to make any dish magical.
• Dad’s catch ft. Whitebait Fritters and Lake Rotoiti Trout hot off the smoker.
• Raspberry Coconut Slice for its impeccable flavour and reliability.
• Toasted Coconut Butter - what dreams are made of.
• Homemade Raw Chocolate – melted coconut oil, cocoa/cacao, honey/maple syrup & sea salt.
• Lemon Coconut Truffles + all the other wonderful creations from Petite Kitchen.
• Everything that touched my lips from Little Bird Unbakery – minus the price tag!
• Zoodles and Toodles – zucchini and tofu noodles!
• Salted Caramel Spiced Banana Cakes.
• Sweet Breakfast Omelettes inspired by The Holistic Ingredient.
• Most utilised cookbook - Ripe Recipes & A Fresh Batch

See what I mean - where do I stop! To find snaps of these images or for a more frequent rendition of my feasting moments follow @relishthememory on Instagram.

To add to the excitement, after all this years’ venting, photographing, eating, and writing about food I have managed to acquire my very first published piece!!! The talented Vicki from Nourish Magazine entrusted me to write about the true beauties that are ‘Bountiful Berries’. Pick up a copy of the December issue at your local café or check it out online here. A kiwi publication focusing on local fare from the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions. 

And finally, it seems that the hospitality scene just can’t keep me away. With such fond memories of my Nova days I have spent the last month crafting menus, elbow deep in flour - baking scones, filling cabinets with cakes and polishing my skills on the coffee machine. I am officially back in the game… BUGGER (Cafe)! 

Pop in and say hi! Bugger Cafe...Thames NZ. 

2013 has been one truly sumptuous and delectable year. Thank you to all those who have inspired, eaten, enjoyed and supported my foodie ventures. Feeding your souls fuels my love for what I do. Bring on an even more outrageous, fearless and food ridden 2014. All my love. X

The Scandal on Salted Caramel.

If you are yet to experience the sensation of a ‘Salted Caramel’ treat it is probably time to venture out from behind your culinary inhibiting rock. However I'm fairly optimistic that most of you will be well aware of this ‘salty’ trend, which manages to combine two of our favourite tastes – sweet and salty.

It's time to drool. 

It’s all pretty simple really - a sweet, toffee-like caramel spiked with a touch of salt, creating the perfect balance to excite our palates. In my mind it is an epiphany that should be celebrated and enjoyed by all who’s lips it touches. I will admit I have heard the odd murmur from those who don’t quite appreciate the salted caramel craze, but I’m confident these voices are drowned out by the crowds.

Over the last few months I have taken the arduous task (poor me!) of researching, discovering, tasting, experimenting, and devouring salted caramel in all its wondrous forms. The first was a single scoop gelato from the ever-popular Takapuna Beach Café on the North Shore. With their handmade, award-winning gelato this one definitely leaned toward the salty side – but no complaints from me. I lip-smackingly licked every melting morsel from the cup and spoon. First exhibit: ultimate success.

SCG. Salted Caramel Gelato. 

The next was an attempt in my own kitchen to create salted caramel sauce from scratch. After a touch of googling and an amalgamation of methods I went for four ingredients: 1 cup white sugar (+ 2 Tbsp water), 4 tbsp unsalted butter, ½ cup cream and a generous sprinkle of sea salt. After stirring the water into the sugar, creating a wet sand, I heated it slowly to let it melt down. With no candy thermometer in sight, I watched it like a hawk til it turned a beautiful shade of amber and whipped it off the heat. I carefully beat in the cream and butter, added the salt and the rest was history.

Once I had the sauce sorted I needed to find something to do with it ASAP before it all ended up in or on my abdomen. Inspired by a few sad looking apples in the fridge I grated the living daylights out of them and whipped up some spiced apple muffins. Filled with caramel and topped with a wad of salted caramel icing to be shared and savoured.

Spiced Apple & Salted Caramel Muffins.

Next on the agenda was a bittersweet farewell cake for a very special egg in my life. Consisting of a spiced banana flavoured cake, layered and iced with salted caramel buttercream, topped with a salted caramel drizzle and finished with jersey caramels. Phew. It was exhausting, extravagant, laden with sugar & butter and oh-so-delicious. Despite it representing the sign of a departing friend across the ditch it was certainly a sweet, sweet note to say bon-voyage.

The Bittersweet Farewell Banana Salted Caramel Cake. 

With such a success this beauty was spotted via my Instagram @relishthememory and especially requested for a certain birthday celebration. Eager to share the salted caramel joy I wholeheartedly accepted and so came attempt number two. Despite missing out on a slice of this baby, my mandatory bowl/spoon licking made me confident that it would be thoroughly enjoyed all over again. And I am pleased to report that it most certainly was!

Take two. 

As they often say 'Everything in moderation' (including moderation itself), so back I went to the gelato arena. This time it came served beautifully on a stick covered in rich dark chocolate shell & crushed macadamia nuts. Many Aucklander’s will know exactly where I’m talking about without even mentioning the name. Milse – the stunning dessert restaurant with a beautiful range of handmade gelato on a stick (as well as a million other mouth-watering, hip-hugging desserts – moderation remember).

What could possibly lie beneath that Dark Chocolate & Macadamia shell...

After a beautiful mother-daughter dinner at Ortolana, it was my duty to taste-test the Salted Caramel Gelato. And in no way did it disappoint. My preference towards the salty side was met and it was the perfect finish to a delightful evening. If you get the opportunity – you absolutely must try BOTH of these eating establishments they are worth their weight (you are highly likely to have to wait for a table) in salted caramel!

Salted Caramel Gelato on a Stick. 

During my latest adventure to Dunedin, I picked up a sweet (and salty) treat from the Peasant Bakery housed within the Dunedin Railway Station, at the Saturday Farmers Market. A generous candy-like biscuit, which I have spoken of before here, that goes by the name of Macaron in the form of Salted Caramel of course. A bit more on the sweet side, but light, gooey and crumbly, it went down a treat, if not unneeded during the extravagant foodie weekend, but worth every mouthful all the same.

A Macaron starring Salted Caramel.

With only good and great things coming from salted caramel thus far I decided I would attempt to turn this bad boy into a slightly more nourishing version of itself. The result, a Vanilla Coconut Salted Caramel, free of refined sugar and far less dairy. The experiment went a bit like this…a can of coconut cream, a few decent spoonfuls of honey and some vanilla extract – left to boil together in a pot, stirred often, letting it reduce down to a thick syrup. Off the heat with a couple of tablespoons of butter carefully beaten in, the result was wholesome joy on a whole new level. Truly wonderful stuff, despite being dangerously difficult to halt consumption it leaves you feeling virtuous and nourished with every spoonful.

Vanilla Coconut Salted Caramel (refined sugar free).

Back to the real deal I saw the salted caramel combo reach new heights. Always looking at ways to recreate or reform recipes, I took the classic Chocolate Caramel Slice and made it just a little bit salty. Using this recipe here and adding salt to the caramel and a sprinkle on top I established another way to share the splendour of this saintly syrup.

Not your traditional Chocolate Caramel Slice.

The final adventure was an operation of sorts involving a syringe loaded with salted caramel, a chopping board, a ramekin of cream and a sugar coated donut. Need I say more. The injection donut has hit the ground running making its way from the North to the South Island in no time at all. But its everything you want eating to be – fun, interactive, interesting, decadent and dam right delicious. You can try these beauties at Foxtrot Parlour, Ponsonby here or at Nova Dunedin here. Go forth and inject happiness with a syringe of salted caramel.

Operation Salted Caramel. 

As the elegant wise woman, Nigella Lawson once said – ‘Salted Caramel is the class A drug of the confectionary world’.  On the back of my recent adventures I would have to agree. There is something just so whimsical about the stuff, its ability to confuse our tastebuds, give it a fascinating and mischievous power that I have certainly fallen head over heels for. Let’s hear it for the Oh-so-scandalous Salted Caramel! x

Suave Sweets for Salasai.

Fashion and food seem to be combine in a beautiful, creative and fabulous way. For Relish the memory, NZ Fashion Week 2013 was another excuse (not that I need it) to dust off the apron and spend some quality time in my happy place. Following a few previous catering escapades I was approached by Fashion PR company Public Library to create a selection of sweet treats to match Salasai’s Liberté et Damour Autumn/Winter 2014 Show.

The sweet, sweet spread.

Established in 2006 the kiwi-born brand, Salasai, has gained an amazing reputation throughout the fashion world. With talented designer Kirsha Whitcher working hard to develop a ‘sculptural aesthetically pleasing androgynous’ range. Held upstairs in the stunning venue above Ponsonby Central – I knew I had my work cut out for me to put my best treats forward.

Floral inspiration.

Presented with this gorgeous grey floral print (highly confidential as it had not yet been released to the media).  I drew inspiration, colour and texture from a small square of design and came up with a trilogy of sweet indulgences - petite enough to be enjoyed in 1-2 mouthfuls along with an alcoholic beverage or three.

Cubes of crunchy, gingery, pistachio greatness.

On the menu was:

1.  Pistachio Ginger Crunch – a modern take on the classic, with a base packed with wholegrain oats, coconut and ginger, topped with a smooth layer of smooth gingery spiced icing and finished with a single pistachio. The tan, khaki and green hues reflecting shades found in various pieces of the range.

2.  Raspberry Coconut Slice – an elegant vibrant looking sweet, shaped into small circles and loaded with coconut, egg whites, icing sugar and vanilla, speckled all over with tart raspberries. Inspired by the neutrals creams/whites and drawing on a pinky red from the florals. (Read more about this splendid slice here).

3.  Lemon Polenta Slice w. L&P Chocolate Icing – a real statement piece, small squares of moist lemon-infused polenta & almond meal base, topped with a generous layer of the new Whittakers L&P white chocolate ganache providing a super-sweetness to match the tangy lemon. A class of it’s own, but true to its kiwi roots – much like the Salasai brand itself.

Prepped and ready.

Samples were approved and the beaters were ready. The pantry was stocked up and the action begun. With a few late nights it all came together quite nicely. Show time came on Thursday 5^th September, as the models were getting prepped and ready I got to spend the night backstage in the finest god-damn kitchen you have ever seen. Kitted out with state of the art appliances c/o Fischer & Paykel this place was a foodie-utility-heaven. Available to be hired for celebrity dinner-parties, functions and charity events. I only hope one day I get to actually cook in this glorious place.

Coconut Raspberry circles of joy (filter included).

Plenty of careful preparation and specialised reinforcement meant that all was relatively relaxing on the night. Entertained by the talented hands of MAC’s Amber D makeup artists, the beauty of NZ’s top fashion models and the impeccable taste of stylist Dan Ahwa. Distracted only by the need to plate up the goods ready to be devoured – watching those empty plates return to be filled was about as satisfying as it gets.

NZFW 2013 Salasai Show - Photo credit: Adele Krants TV3.

A huge congratulations to Kirsha, Kelly and the Salasai crew, as well as the lovely ladies at Public Library. It was a class-act show on all accounts and simply an honour to be involved in supporting such a stunning collection. So a massive thank you! X

P.S. If you missed out on the Salasai ‘installation’, grab yourself a sweet treat and watch it here.  Or head straight to their website and add a sweet addition to your wardrobe here.

The Utter Peanut Butter Nutter.

If you were around in the 80s or 90s you may have a fond, or perhaps not so fond memory of a screechy, geeky, slightly irritating and unforgettable advertisement for Peanut Butter. Take a moment and enjoy a trip down memory lane watching the tune that will forever resound in my head, here. Sanitarium should be commended for their successful marketing tactics, acknowledged for imparting the PB love and most certainly thanked for helping attain an ‘utter peanut butter nutter’ out of me.

Homemade PB.

There is a whole lot more to this humble spread than one might think. The percentage of peanut content, extra added ingredients and the quality and state of the peanuts themselves. All of which have a huge impact on the flavour and quality of the final product. In an ideal world you would opt for organic, but for me that’s an unlikely luxury. Avoiding those with sugar or added vegetable oil – is recommended, and if you are feeling virtuous go for no added salt. Although my health conscience self allows me to eat and enjoy the unsalted variety, when it comes to PB I’m all about the salt. But there is no need for the sugar here folks – if you need sweetening up, then I suggest jamming it with it’s companion strawberry or raspberry. Or better yet - head down to Al Brown’s Best Ugly Bagels (at the City Works Depot in Auckland), order the PB & J and savour every mouthful. 

Our 'Pic' - never stays full for long.

With his impeccable taste in kiwi cuisine, Al Brown and his team at Best Ugly bagels use only the best of peanut butters - Pic’s ReallyGood Peanut Butter. It is New Zealand owned and operated, grown in Nelson and for those who have tried it I am sure you will agree – it is really, REALLY good. These guys have their peanut butter sorted, so natural and authentic that they even advise you to store the jar upside down to prevent the natural peanut oils from separating. Kiwi ingenuity at it’s finest. As with most things in life, you pay for the best, but as an only slightly more expensive variety, this stuff is worth every cent and rightfully achieves my ‘pic’ of the bunch. :P I have been experimenting with peanut butter in all sorts of breakfast/snack concoctions recently - the most surprising was a Peanut Butter Tofu Mousse. Four ingredients: fresh tofu, peanut butter, dates and banana. The result was a thick flavoursome paste that felt a little like eating cream cheese - not for the faint hearted, but thoroughly devoured and enjoyed by me.  

Peanut Butter Tofu Mousse. Intriguing & wonderful.

For the peanut butter lovers among us there is a heated debate when it comes to how you have your PB on toast. My family have perfected our own ultimate PB combo and this is how it goes…steaming hot, perfectly toasted original mixed grain vogels, spread with a layer of butter or olivani, lathered with a decent hunk of crunchy and salted peanut butter, topped with sliced banana and squished down (only slightly) so you can enjoy each bite without losing a single banana sliver. It really is a slice of wholesome heaven. But each to their own and however you have yours – whether it’s the smooth on white bread, an English muffin with jam or even sliced tomato. Any time of day or night, each utterly delicious mouthful of PB on toast is almost always a good idea.

Vogels, Peanut Butter & Banana Bliss.

To further strengthen my love affair for this gorgeous tanned chunky spread, I booked in a kitchen date with some roasted peanuts, my patience and a high-powered food processor. The result was my very own pottle of homemade, sea salt and a dash of cinnamon, peanut butter. It’s smokey roasted flavour was delightful, the texture a mix between smooth and crunchy – unlike the bought varieties I didn’t have much control over the crunch/chunk factor but I was more than satisfied with the result. To ensure I didn’t devour the jar in one sitting I opted to create a few other peanut-butter laden dishes.

It doesn't get much better than this...

The first of my nutty friends to come to fruition were my mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. The chocolate-peanut-butter combo is an American-inspired and infamous companionship. The sweet-tooth in me is partial to the classic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, although preferring to avoid the hydrogenated or high-fructose nasties inside, I was inspired to give them a homemade re-vamp. Encouraged by the beautiful blog of sister-duo, Julia & Libby, these simple, rich and decadent treats are a delight to the senses. Using only a handful of ingredients the recipe (here) takes wholesome nutritious treats (and my peanut butter addiction) to a whole new level. And it’s the usual stopping at one part, that I am yet to master. 

Gado-Gado: Vibrant salad w. Peanut Sauce. Recipe c/o Ripe Cookbook. 

As with anything in life balance is key, and peanut butter does as well in the sweet stakes as it does with the savoury. A spoonful of this gold seems to find it’s way into a number of my savoury kitchen escapades. A generous dash added to my stir-fry green beans makes the perfect budget-friendly satay side dish or filling for rice paper rolls. A spoonful or three adds a rich, creaminess to soups – my flavour of the month being Pumpkin, Peanut and Chilli - a recipe inspired by the good old days of staff meals and a S.O.D (Soup of the Day) to warm my soul at Nova in Dunedin. A few spoonfuls of peanut butter melted with a little coconut milk creates the perfect cheat version of a dreamy peanut sauce to top ‘Gado-Gado’ an Indonesian salad consisting of fresh vegetables, tofu and a hard boiled egg - a dish that takes me straight back to my Balinese adventures. 

Soup: Pumpkin, PB & Chilli.

Versatile, wholesome, nutritious and delicious – what more could you want from the humble spread. As the saying goes where there is a will there is a way, and I am determined to discover even more exciting ways to eat, enjoy and share the utter peanut butter nutter love far and wide. x