April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
December 09
November 09
October 09
September 09
August 09
July 09
June 09
May 09
April 09
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November 08
September/October 08
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08
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08
April
08
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FINDING FLAVOUR NEWSLETTER
NOVEMBER, 2009
Greetings, Fellow
Foodies! Isn't it
wonderful to see those fresh spring vegetables appearing in the
shops and growing in our gardens (for those of us lucky to have a
little vege patch)? Sarah La Touche inspired us
with a Spring Lunch at our recent Seasonal Flavour Cooking
Class...read more later in the newsletter.
Photo: Asparagus "aux Mimosa"
In this Newsletter:
1. Gardens for Foodies Tour, 29 November....Selling
Fast!
2. Christmas Baking and Treats Tour, 12 December...Book
Now!3. Gift Vouchers...the perfect Christmas gift for
your foodie friends, partner and clients4. Enter the
Contest to win 1 of 10 copies of "Homegrown Tomatoes"
5. Special Offers from Paneton French Bakery and Gretel's
Gingerbread
6. Recent Event: Spring Cooking Class with Sarah
La Touche Congratulations to
Charles Wiffen wines...their Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2007
received a 5* rating in the Pinot Noir tastings in the latest issue
of Cuisine. We enjoyed a tasting of several
Charles Wiffen wines at our Cooking
Class. Upcoming Tours and
Events:
1.Gardens for Foodies Tour, Sunday, 29 November - Selling
Fast!
We are
thrilled that again this year we will be visiting the amazing
garden of Lynda Hallinen, gardening guru and Editor of NZ Gardener
Magazine.
We will also visit three vege gardens in the Takapuna/Devonport
area : 2 public gardens (Wilson Centre and Framework Trust) and a
private suburban garden where we will enjoy morning
tea/coffee.
Come prepared to learn, be inspired and enjoy!
Cost of $110 pp includes transportation, garden visit fees, morning
tea/coffee and lunch. Book Now! Phone Lynn at
(09) 372-7344 or (021) 550-510 or book on our website.
This tour sold out quickly last year - don't miss out!
2.Christmas Baking and Treats Tour -Saturday, 12
DecemberOur annual Christmas Baking and Treats tour is
just what you need to purchase all those Christmas goodies as gifts
or to enjoy over the holidays. This tour is always such fun, with
everyone getting into the Christmas spirit. We
also indulge in a delicious lunch at one of my favourite
restaurants. This is a great tour to enjoy with
friends or workmates. Why not play Santa and
give it as a gift to one of your foodie friends?
Book Now! Phone Lynn at (09) 372-7344 or (021) 550-510 or book on
our website.
3.Gift Vouchers
Thoughts of Christmas beginning to dance through your
head? Your gifts to your foodie friends, family
or clients are sorted with a Gift Voucher for a foodie tour,
cooking class or special lunch from Finding Flavour. You can
nominate the value of the voucher or the event that you wish to
purchase. We can send it to you or direct to the
recipient...the choice is yours! We promise that
this will be a gift that will be warmly received and
enjoyed. Phone Lynn at (09) 372-7344 or (021)
550-510 or book on our website.
Our next Sydney Foodie Weekend would make a perfect
special Christmas present for yourself! Imagine
a weekend of delicious foodie discoveries and indulgences and
shopping! Tell Santa to contact Lynn on (09)
372-7344 or (021) 550-510.
4.Win One of 10 Copies of NZ Gardener's "Homegrown Tomatoes"
publication
The friendly people at NZ Gardener have kindly given
us 10 copies of their new "Homegrown Tomatoes" publication to give
to our readers. Send us your favourite recipe
using fresh tomatoes and be in to win a copy.
Just email your recipe and your contact details to lynn@findingflavour.co.nz
by Friday, 27 November. The winners
will be announced in the December newsletter and their recipes will
be posted onto the Recipe Exchange of our website.
5.Special Offers:
Learn to Make Croissants at Paneton French Bakery and New Service -
Order Products On-LineWe love the bread and pastries
at Paneton....our visit on our French Discovery Tour is always so
delicious. Now you have the opportunity to learn
to make your own croissants at one of their upcoming
classes: 28 November, 5 December and 12 December
(subject to numbers). For more information or to
book email Madeleine@paneton.co.nz
Introducing a new service from Paneton - now you can
have their ready-to-bake specialty breads and frozen ready-to-prove
pastries couriered to you at your home. What a
convenient service - just in time for holiday
entertaining! Prices and order info at info@panetonbakery.co.nz
Make sure that you tell Paneton that you heard about the
classes and the order delivery service from Finding Flavour.
Gretel's Gingerbread - November Christmas Special
We will share the secret of Gretel's Gingerbread with
you. Place your order during November for a delivery closer to Xmas
and you get free delivery within Auckland if
you purchase $50.00 + worth of products or ($5.00 nationwide
delivery fee). Products can be viewed and orders placed on
www.gretelsgingerbread.co.nz Tell Marianne
that Finding Flavour recommended them to you.
6.Recent Event: Seasonal Flavour Spring Cooking
Class with Sarah La Touche, 10 October
The calendar may have said "spring" but the weather definitely said
"winter". Despite the weather, this sold-out class gathered
to prepare for the spring produce that is sure to come!
Special thank you to Anthea Springford who opened her beautiful
home for the class and made us all feel very welcome.
Chef Sarah La Touche had planned a delicious French-style spring
lunch menu for us: Asparagus aux Mimosa; Fish on
Mediterranean Salad; Strawberries with Sabayon. These were
accompanied by wonderful Charles Wiffen Wines: Riesling,
Reserve Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.
Sarah had so much information to share, and
the time went all too quickly. Here are a couple of
food images, but feast on them all on our website... just scroll down past
the programme calendar.
Preparing the asparagus salad Fish
on Mediterranean Salad
We all watched as Sarah made the Sabayon for the dessert...she
hand-whisked the egg mixture in her beautiful copper bowl set over
simmering water.....
Fresh Strawberries with Sabayon....delectable!
Here is a selection of the feedback we
received from the class:
"Easy to follow and understand"
"Wonderful for me, a novice, but seemed great for those with
more experience as well"
"Looking forward to using the recipes ASAP"
"Homely and relaxing. Hostess (Anthea) was delightful."
My favourite comment re cooking classes:
"Have them more often"
We have taken the comments on board,
and we are delighted to tell you that
Sarah La Touche has agreed to present the Seasonal
Flavour series of cooking classes for
2010. She will present 4
classes, following the rhythm of the food
seasons. Watch for the first Seasonal
Flavour cooking class for 2010 early
in February...celebrating the bounty of high
summer.
Web-Site Updates: check our website / for the latest updates on all
our tours, events and cooking classes and to make bookings.
Minimum Numbers The operation of all tours and
events is subject to minimum numbers.
Cancellation Policy Cancel more
than 7 days before tour: full refund
Cancel within 7 days: no refund,
but you are welcome to substitute another person in your
place
Finding Flavour reserves the right
to amend/alter a tour/event if required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter,
please e-mail us with "Unsubscribe" in the subject
line.
FINDING FLAVOUR NEWSLETTER
OCTOBER, 2009
Greetings, Fellow
Foodies!
Just when we thought spring had arrived, we have been blasted with
a reminder of winter weather. Had to revert to
my warming winter meals again! Is it just me, or
did daylight savings start too early this
year??
We will think positive thoughts for our Spring
Cooking Class with Sarah La Touche on Saturday, 10
October. Speaking of positive weather thoughts
for the weekend, venture out to join the Diwali celebrations on the
Auckland Viaduct this coming weekend, 10-11 October, from 12
noon-10pm each day. There will be dozens of food
stalls, clothing and jewellery stalls, plus
more. Make sure that you visit Stall #19, where
Pratima Nand, our guide on our fantastic recent Indian Food and
Diwali Celebrations Tour, will be selling her delicious food. Tell
her that Finding Flavour sent you!
In the past month we have enjoyed travelling across
the Harbour Bridge to explore the North Shore as well as immersing
ourselves in Indian culture and enjoying some of their wonderful
cuisine. I even managed to slip away for the
most amazing week of indulgence in Vietnam on a women-only
"Gorgeous Safari". (Hi to Virginia from
Christchurch!) More about all these
later....
Upcoming Tours and Events:
Gardens for Foodies Tour, Sunday, 29 November - Book Now!
We are thrilled to confirm that once again, this year we will be
visiting the amazing garden of Lynda Hallinen, gardening guru and
Editor of NZ Gardener Magazine.
Last year we were the first public tour group to visit
Lynda's garden, and it was a fascinating
experience. Lynda gave us a warm welcome and
toured us around her extensive garden (mostly
veges). We enjoyed our lunch sitting in the
sunshine on her decks. This year we hope to
repeat the experience!
We will also visit three vege gardens in the
Takapuna/Devonport area t: 2 public gardens (Wilson Centre and
Framework Trust) and a private suburban garden where we will enjoy
morning tea/coffee. Come prepared
to learn, be inspired and enjoy! Cost of $110 pp
includes transportation, garden visit fees, morning tea/coffee and
lunch. Book Now! Phone Lynn at (09) 372-7344 or
(021) 550-510 or book on our website.
Christmas Baking and Treats Tour - Thurs, 10 and Sat, 12
December
I can't believe it myself, but Christmas is only 2 ½
months away! We can help! Our
annual Christmas Baking and Treats tour is just what you need to
purchase all those Christmas goodies as gifts or to enjoy over the
holidays. This tour is always such fun, with everyone getting into
the Christmas spirit. We also indulge in a
delicious lunch at one of my favourite
restaurants. This is a great tour to enjoy with
friends or workmates. Why not play Santa and
give it as a gift to one of your foodie friends?
Book Now! Phone Lynn at (09) 372-7344 or (021) 550-510 or book on
our website.
Gift Vouchers
Take the stress out of your Christmas gift giving this
year and give your foodie friends, family or even clients a voucher
for a Finding Flavour tour, cooking class or
lunch. You can nominate the value of the voucher
or the event that you wish to purchase. We can
send it to you or direct to the recipient...the choice is
yours! We can promise that this will be a gift
that will be warmly received and enjoyed. Phone
Lynn at (09) 372-7344 or (021) 550-510 or book on our website.
Recent Tour: Indian Food and Diwali Celebratons Tour
hosted by Pratima Nand, Saturday, 3 October
"Auckland's 'Little India' was a real
experience. A Saturday on the sub-continent." Joanna, tour
participant and world traveler
We knew that this would be a special day and
we were certainly right...our vivacious host Pratima Nand
transported us to India for the day on this foodie and cultural
experience. Share some of the day with
us....
Pratima and Vincent, a friendly staff member of this outstanding
Indian snacks and sweets maker/supplier.
Sweet treats are traditionally given as gifts during
Diwali, so this was a fitting first stop on our tour. Pratima
explained the Diwali festival and pointed out the delicious sweets
in the shop. Our generous tastings extended to the delicious
savoury snacks.
On to some retail therapy at a shop offering the most
beautiful Indian clothes and jewellery. We were welcomed by
the owner, who pointed out a family who had travelled from
Melbourne to purchase their special wedding clothes and who were
trying on various outfits. The shop was bustling with others
purchasing new clothes for the Diwali season....
It did not take one member of our group
long to spy a beautiful silver necklace and claim it as a prize
purchase!
We moved on to a well-known supplier of
Indian food and spices. This was the perfect opportunity for
Pratima to give us a crash course on the use of some of the
favourite spices in Indian cooking as well as a few recipe
tips.*
Time for lunch - and what a lunch it was! The vegetarian
banquet we enjoyed (only part of which is pictured in the photo)
was outstanding (we did not eat meat in respect of the gods we were
visiting next at the temple). Yes, this was another one of
our infamous "light lunches"! Our hosts outdid themselves
with this feast. The grand finale was a special Diwali
dessert which originated as a dessert prepared for kings..right
down to the silver on the top. The taste was truly
divine.
Prior to lunch we tried our hand at the use
of stencils and coloured powder to make the traditional "ohm"
symbol. Many Indian families decorate their entry or
gardens with these and other stencils during the Diwali
festival.
Our visit to an importer of fresh fruit and veges from Fiji gave
us an excuse to walk off some of our delicious lunch...for once we
were glad that we did not have another tasting!
The very special conclusion of our Indian experience
was our visit to the Bhartiya Mandir Temple. Pratima
explained the stories of the various gods and goddesses, and the
rituals and offerings. This was the first time that most of
the members of our group had been in a Hindu temple, and we
were made to feel welcome. Pratima told us that the temple
would be filled with dancing that evening in honour of Goddess
Durga (9 nights of dancing in all). The Diwali celebrations
would then follow.
Goddess Durga
Diwali is calculated according to a lunar
calendar, hence its variation in dates each year. The main
"Festival of Lights" is always held on a dark or "no moon"
night. The official dates of Diwali, 2009 are
17-18 October.
There will be Diwali celebrations on the Auckland Viaduct the
weekend of 10-11 October. Pratima will have a food stall
there (#19) so be sure to introduce yourself to her as a Finding
Flavour reader.
*Pratima Nand has published several cookbooks,
including "Pratima's Royal Recipes" which features recipes
from all parts of India. Her recipe for the delicious Diwali
sweet "Srikhand" is from this cookbook. If you
would like to purchase her very reasonably priced cookbooks, email
her at pratima@xtra.co.nz
Tour participant, Briony, shared her recipe for Paneer
and Spinach. Just click here
for the recipe in our Recipe Exchange.
Recent Tour: World in a Day: North Shore, Saturday, 26
September
"Great way to explore the North Shore and to discover places
selling delicious and exciting foods from different cultures.
An intrepid foodie's journey into a multi-ethnic world of food."
Vicki
"Great contacts we didn't know existed, which we can go back to."
IanWe love our tour on the North Shore, and it seems
our fellow foodies did too! This was a day in which we truly
did travel round the foodie globe...take a look at our
journey....
We started the day in style...fresh coffee and tastings of French
food...
Grace has our tastings of fresh breads and pastries ready at the
German bakery
Next - the Middle East! We visit a
Halal butcher and a Middle Eastern food supplier. Fresh
flatbreads were delivered during our
visit.
Lunch was an opportunity for us to try Korean food - a delicious
new experience for most of us. Vicki did a great job of
stirring the bibimbap! The friendly owners of the restaurant
made us feel very welcome. As one participant told us "I had
never tried any of the (food) before and if I had been on my own I
would not have known where to start."
South Africa was next....this specialist maker of
South African foods such as boerworst, biltong, melktarte and
koeksisters is a family-run business. We felt that we
were visiting good friends. Of course, more
tastings.....
Our afternoon concluded with a wine and cheese
tasting at an excellent specialist food, wine and cheese
supplier. Didier's enthusiasm for quality food and wine
is contagious...we couldn't resist a little more
shopping!
"This was a delicious day in all senses of the word." Lynne, tour
participant
Happy Birthday to Judy, who celebrated her birthday the day of the
tour! We are flattered that she chose to join us
for the day.
You are welcome to join us on our next foodie
adventure.....
Women's Gorgeous Safari Week in Vietnam, September
I just have to share some of the experience of this
fantastic week with you. Ladies, imagine a week
of shopping, great food and daily spa treatments, all in a
wonderful country and with someone else taking care of all the
details.....well, this trip was just that!!
Browse the following photos....if you would like to find out more
about this trip, or any of the other wonderful tours offered by
Gourmet Safaris (not just for women!), take a look at their website.
Please let me know if you are interested in booking any of their
tours, as we may have a special treat for Finding Flavour
readers....
Shop in Hoi
An
Friendly cyclo drivers and tour
leader
Welcoming staff at
tailors Amazing owner of
restaurant and cooking school
Pool and beach at Quy
Nhon
Special in-room pedicure and bubbles
Spa relaxation
area
Beach barbecue evening for our
group
Please let me know if you are interested in this or
any other tour offered by Gourmet Safaris,...we may have a special
"extra" for Finding Flavour readers.....
Web-Site Updates: check our website / for the latest updates on all
our tours, events and cooking classes and to make bookings.
Minimum Numbers: The operation of all tours and
events is subject to minimum numbers.
Cancellation Policy: Cancel more than 7 days
before tour: full refundCancel
within 7 days: no refund, but you are welcome to
substitute another person in your place
Finding Flavour reserves
the right to amend/alter a tour/event if
required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter,
please e-mail with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.
FINDING FLAVOUR NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER,
2009
Greetings, Fellow
Foodies!
Spring is here! Just
look at these beautiful kowhai blossoms on our
street:
Welcome to the new readers of our monthly newsletter - if you do
not wish to continue receiving our communications, please reply
with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.
Ladies...Bring a Plate....Second
Helpings:
Congratulations to the lovely Alexa Johnston and her new
cookbook. This is her second cookbook
taking a fond look back at the popular baking in NZ's
past. It is so special that Alexa has given us
the background and personal stories of many of the
recipes.
I am the kind of person that can read a cookbook like a novel, and
Alexa's cookbook is as interesting to read as it is tempting to
bake with. Alexa has promised that Finding
Flavour can look forward to a baking session with her in the new
year!
Upcoming Tours and Events:
Book Now!World in a Day: North Shore,
Thursday, 24 and Saturday, 26 September
This tour received such a great review in the Viva section of the
NZ Herald last year, that we had to offer a second tour to meet
popular demand! So this year we are giving you
the choice of a weekday tour when the shops are not so busy or a
Saturday tour for your convenience.
There is a world of delicious food to discover on Auckland's North
Shore. This popular Discovery Tour is a real food shopper's
treat: German, French, Middle Eastern, Korean, and South African
specialty and artisan foods are just some of the parts of the
culinary globe that we will cover. We always seek to offer you an
extra-special experience, so this year we have added a wine and
cheese tasting at a specialty foods supplier as our last visit on
the tour.
As in every Finding Flavour tour, we will enjoy lots of tastings
and time for shopping. A delicious light lunch is
included. Bring your
shopping bag and chiller bag - you will want to take some treats
home! Cost is only $90 per person. Book
Now! Phone Lynn at (09) 372-7344 or (021)
550-510 or book on our website.
Indian Food and Diwali Celebratons Tour hosted by
Pratima Nand, Saturday, 3 October - This
is going to be a fascinating and delicious day - join
us!
Cookbook author and community leader Pratima Nand is
our guide on this introduction to the culture of Indian food and
Diwali celebrations.
We will start the morning at an Indian sweets shop
where we will sample some of the goodies while Pratima gives us a
brief overview of Indian cuisine and explains the meaning of
Diwali. Then we
are off to admire some of the gorgeous fabrics and clothes that are
purchased for the celebrations. Our next stop
will be at a food store to learn about the many spices used in
Indian cuisine and some of the other food
ingredients.
Lunch (vegetarian) will be at a well-known south
Indian restaurant where, if we are lucky, we will sample some
special foods eaten during Diwali. Our last stop
will be a visit to an Indian temple with Pratima to tell us about
the Diwali celebrations that will occur there.
Book now for this very unique tour! Cost is $110
per person. Phone Lynn at (09) 372-7344 or
(021) 550-510 or book on our website.
Recent Tours and Events:
French Food Discovery Tour with Sarah La Touche:
"The French Food Discovery Tour
with Sarah La Touche and Lynn Huhtala teased the tastebuds,
delighted our palates and broadened our culinary horizons. A
fabulous, exciting and delectable tour with two informative,
friendly and congenial guides. Thank you both for an amazing
day. You thoroughly spoilt us!" Feedback from a happy
participant at the end of our French tour (honest, we didn't write
this ourselves!)
Everyone in our enthusiastic group arrived promptly for our
early departure of 8:15am. The markets wait for no-one,
and we wanted the best selection! Sarah lead our group
through the fresh vegetables in the market. We found a
good supply of celeriac and fennel for which Sarah described
many ways to prepare and enjoy. The fresh pea shoots were a
new vege discovery for most of
us.
Sarah promotes the celeriac! Talking about fresh
veges
We each went our separate ways to explore more of the
market and the rest of this well-known French products
importer.
Authentic French-style salads on offer
Next - time for croissants and coffee - but first
we learned how to roll up the croissant dough. This wonderful
French bakery treated us to freshly baked croissants and pastries
as a reward for our "hard work"!
Dominique demonstrates the rolling of croissants....as Chrissy,
Phil and Pauline watch
Then it is our turn to give it a go
Shopping time at a French deli well-known for its homemade terrines
and pates. We tasted and shopped! Sarah lead us through
the fresh and imported food items and told us how they are used and
enjoyed in France.
Delicious terrines and pate tasting platter
A brief apertif of bubbles, and then we were off to
our wonderful lunch. Voila Cafe is run by brother and sister
team Merouane and Lily Rahal, who were born in Algeria and raised
in Brittany. Their menu reflects this heritage, and we can
tell you that the food was absolutely delicious! We all vowed
to return.
Briony and Vicki enjoy lunch
Chicken ballontine galette
Merouane and
Lily, Voila Cafe
Dessert was a visit to a shop featuring luscious
handmade chocolates. Our final stop on this voyage of food
discovery was a tasting of French wine and cheese. The
knowledge and enthusiasm of Jean-Christophe Poizat cannot be
surpassed. A relaxing and delicious conclusion to our
afternoon.
Matched wine and cheese
tasting
A successful shopping day!
"I loved your enthusiasm and generosity with your knowledge.
Thank you very much for a great day out!", Phil, tour
participant
"A fun, informative and interesting day - well organised, paced and
a great group of people. I would recommend them to all my
friends. Great hostesses. Thank you Lynn and
Sarah." More great feedback from another participant.
Merci beaucoup, Sarah, and all the wonderful food suppliers and
makers, for a fantastique day!
Recent Event: Eritrean Lunch and Coffee Ceremony,
Saturday, 15 August
Our group of keen foodies gathered together to meet at the
home of Aklilu, Rahel and Tsehaines. We couldn't have
asked for a warmer welcome or more generous hospitality for this
very special experience.
Rahel and Tsehaines had prepared several delicious Eritrean dishes
for us to enjoy on the unique homemade flatbread (engera).
These were "zigni", a lamb dish with with onion, tomatoes, garlic,
chili and cardamom; "qusta or hamli", a finely shredded cooked
silverbeet dish with tomato and spices; "ades", a red lentil dish
(my personal favourite) and "alicha", seasonal vegetables with
chili and tomato. We ate these on the flatbread using our
right hand as is their custom. We did quite well for
beginners!
Our introduction to the coffee
ceremony started as we ate lunch. Rahel washed and dried
the green coffee beans, and then toasted them over a charcoal
brazier. After they were ground, the coffee was placed
in a gourd-shaped vessel and brewed. It was served in
beautiful small espresso cups. This process was repeated
three times using the same grounds so that we had three strengths
of coffee: very strong, strong and slightly less
strong!
To accompany the coffee we nibbled on
fresh popcorn and a homemade yeast bread with a similar texture to
scones. The bread was cut by Aklilu, as is their
custom.
During the ceremony, we chatted and
learned more about the family and the Eritrean culture. We
viewed a DVD about Eritrea and we were especially honoured to
view the wedding DVD of Aklilu and his bride in Eritrea.
The warmth of the hospitality we
enjoyed that afternoon more than made up for the cool
winter weather. Thank You to Aklilu, Tsehaines and Rahel for
opening their home and culture to us.
Also thank you to Atomic Coffee who
provided freshly roasted coffee beans for the participants to
continue the coffee experience at home!
Our group gathers in the
home
Our delicious homemade lunch prepared
by Rahel and Tsehaines
Rahel prepares
coffee..........
Tsehaines serves us
Aklilu cuts the traditional bread Enjoying
our coffee experience
Join us on our next Finding Flavour
adventure! Web-Site
Updates:
check our website / for the latest updates on all
our tours, events and cooking classes and to make bookings.
Minimum Numbers The operation of all tours and events
is subject to minimum numbers.
Cancellation PolicyCancel more than 7 days
before tour: full refundCancel
within 7 days: no refund, but you are welcome to
substitute another person in your place
Finding Flavour reserves the right to
amend/alter a tour/event if required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please
e-mail us with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.
FINDING FLAVOUR NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER, 2009
Greetings, Fellow
Foodies!
Spring is here! Just
look at these beautiful kowhai blossoms on our
street:
Welcome to the new readers of our monthly newsletter - if
you do not wish to continue receiving our communications, please
reply with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.
Ladies...Bring a Plate....Second
Helpings:
Congratulations to the lovely
Alexa Johnston and her new cookbook. This
is her second cookbook taking a fond look back at the popular
baking in NZ's past. It is so special that Alexa
has given us the background and personal stories of many of the
recipes.
I am the kind of person that can read a cookbook like a novel, and
Alexa's cookbook is as interesting to read as it is tempting to
bake with. Alexa has promised that Finding
Flavour can look forward to a baking session with her in the new
year!
Upcoming
Tours and Events:
Book Now!World in a Day:
North Shore, Thursday, 24 and Saturday, 26 September
This tour received such a great review in the Viva section of the
NZ Herald last year, that we had to offer a second tour to meet
popular demand! So this year we are giving you
the choice of a weekday tour when the shops are not so busy or a
Saturday tour for your convenience.
There is a world of delicious food to discover on Auckland's North
Shore. This popular Discovery Tour is a real food shopper's
treat: German, French, Middle Eastern, Korean, and South African
specialty and artisan foods are just some of the parts of the
culinary globe that we will cover. We always seek to offer you an
extra-special experience, so this year we have added a wine and
cheese tasting at a specialty foods supplier as our last visit on
the tour.
As in every Finding Flavour tour, we will enjoy lots of tastings
and time for shopping. A delicious light lunch is
included. Bring your
shopping bag and chiller bag - you will want to take some treats
home! Cost is only $90 per person. Book
Now! Phone Lynn at (09) 372-7344 or (021)
550-510 or book on our website.
Indian Food and Diwali Celebratons Tour hosted by
Pratima Nand, Saturday, 3 October - This
is going to be a fascinating and delicious day - join
us!
Cookbook author and community leader Pratima Nand is
our guide on this introduction to the culture of Indian food and
Diwali celebrations.
We will start the morning at an Indian sweets shop
where we will sample some of the goodies while Pratima gives us a
brief overview of Indian cuisine and explains the meaning of
Diwali. Then we
are off to admire some of the gorgeous fabrics and clothes that are
purchased for the celebrations. Our next stop
will be at a food store to learn about the many spices used in
Indian cuisine and some of the other food
ingredients.
Lunch (vegetarian) will be at a well-known south
Indian restaurant where, if we are lucky, we will sample some
special foods eaten during Diwali. Our last stop
will be a visit to an Indian temple with Pratima to tell us about
the Diwali celebrations that will occur there.
Book now for this very unique tour! Cost is $110
per person. Phone Lynn at (09) 372-7344 or
(021) 550-510 or book on our website.
Recent Tours and Events:
French Food Discovery Tour with Sarah La Touche:
"The French Food Discovery Tour with Sarah La Touche
and Lynn Huhtala teased the tastebuds, delighted our palates and
broadened our culinary horizons. A fabulous, exciting and
delectable tour with two informative, friendly and congenial
guides. Thank you both for an amazing day. You
thoroughly spoilt us!" Feedback from a happy participant at the end
of our French tour (honest, we didn't write this ourselves!)
Everyone in our enthusiastic group arrived promptly for our
early departure of 8:15am. The markets wait for no-one,
and we wanted the best selection! Sarah lead our group
through the fresh vegetables in the market. We found a
good supply of celeriac and fennel for which Sarah described
many ways to prepare and enjoy. The fresh pea shoots were a
new vege discovery for most of
us.
Sarah promotes the celeriac! Talking about fresh
veges
We each went our separate ways to
explore more of the market and the rest of this well-known French
products importer.
Authentic French-style salads on offer
Next - time for croissants and coffee - but first
we learned how to roll up the croissant dough. This wonderful
French bakery treated us to freshly baked croissants and pastries
as a reward for our "hard
work"!
Dominique demonstrates the rolling of croissants....as Chrissy,
Phil and Pauline watch
Then it is our turn to give it a go
Shopping time at a French deli well-known for its homemade terrines
and pates. We tasted and shopped! Sarah lead us through
the fresh and imported food items and told us how they are used and
enjoyed in France.
Delicious terrines and pate tasting platter
A brief apertif of bubbles, and then we were off to
our wonderful lunch. Voila Cafe is run by brother and sister
team Merouane and Lily Rahal, who were born in Algeria and raised
in Brittany. Their menu reflects this heritage, and we can
tell you that the food was absolutely delicious! We all vowed
to return.
Briony and Vicki enjoy lunch
Chicken ballontine galette
Merouane and
Lily, Voila Cafe
Dessert was a visit to a shop
featuring luscious handmade chocolates. Our final stop on
this voyage of food discovery was a tasting of French wine and
cheese. The knowledge and enthusiasm of Jean-Christophe
Poizat cannot be surpassed. A relaxing and delicious conclusion to
our
afternoon.
Matched wine and cheese
tasting
A successful shopping day!
"I loved your enthusiasm and generosity with your knowledge.
Thank you very much for a great day out!", Phil, tour
participant
"A fun, informative and interesting day - well organised, paced and
a great group of people. I would recommend them to all my
friends. Great hostesses. Thank you Lynn and
Sarah." More great feedback from another participant.
Merci beaucoup, Sarah, and all the wonderful food suppliers and
makers, for a fantastique day!
Recent Event: Eritrean Lunch and Coffee Ceremony,
Saturday, 15 August
Our group of keen foodies gathered together to meet at the
home of Aklilu, Rahel and Tsehaines. We couldn't have
asked for a warmer welcome or more generous hospitality for this
very special experience.
Rahel and Tsehaines had prepared several delicious Eritrean dishes
for us to enjoy on the unique homemade flatbread (engera).
These were "zigni", a lamb dish with with onion, tomatoes, garlic,
chili and cardamom; "qusta or hamli", a finely shredded cooked
silverbeet dish with tomato and spices; "ades", a red lentil dish
(my personal favourite) and "alicha", seasonal vegetables with
chili and tomato. We ate these on the flatbread using our
right hand as is their custom. We did quite well for
beginners!
Our introduction to the coffee
ceremony started as we ate lunch. Rahel washed and dried
the green coffee beans, and then toasted them over a charcoal
brazier. After they were ground, the coffee was placed
in a gourd-shaped vessel and brewed. It was served in
beautiful small espresso cups. This process was repeated
three times using the same grounds so that we had three strengths
of coffee: very strong, strong and slightly less
strong!
To accompany the coffee we nibbled on
fresh popcorn and a homemade yeast bread with a similar texture to
scones. The bread was cut by Aklilu, as is their
custom.
During the ceremony, we chatted and
learned more about the family and the Eritrean culture. We
viewed a DVD about Eritrea and we were especially honoured to
view the wedding DVD of Aklilu and his bride in Eritrea.
The warmth of the hospitality we
enjoyed that afternoon more than made up for the cool
winter weather. Thank You to Aklilu, Tsehaines and Rahel for
opening their home and culture to us.
Also thank you to Atomic Coffee who
provided freshly roasted coffee beans for the participants to
continue the coffee experience at home!
Our group gathers in the
home
Our delicious homemade lunch prepared
by Rahel and Tsehaines
Rahel prepares
coffee..........
Tsehaines serves us
Aklilu cuts the traditional bread Enjoying
our coffee experience
Join us on our next Finding Flavour
adventure! Web-Site
Updates:
check our website / for the latest updates on all
our tours, events and cooking classes and to make bookings.
Minimum Numbers The operation of all tours and events
is subject to minimum numbers.
Cancellation PolicyCancel more than 7 days
before tour: full refundCancel
within 7 days: no refund, but you are welcome to
substitute another person in your place
Finding Flavour reserves the right to
amend/alter a tour/event if required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please
e-mail us with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.
FINDING FLAVOUR NEWSLETTER
JULY, 2009
Greetings, Fellow Foodies! June has
been a particularly delicious month...warming, flavourful French
Bistro food in our Cooking Class and the wide-ranging tastes of our
Yum Cha Lunch hosted by the congenial Jean de Bruyne. We had
wonderful people joining us for both events, but then, foodies are
convivial by nature! More about these events later in the
newsletter.
Come and visit us at the Auckland Food Show, ASB Showgrounds, 30
July-2 August. We are very excited to have a small presence
at this popular foodie event. You will find us at Stand 223a
(next to the House of Knives). Watch out for our Show Special
Offer - we will email it to all our Finding Flavour friends before
the Show.
Upcoming Tours and Events:
Asian Food and Shopping Discovery Tour: You will love this
day spent with the friendly and knowledgeable Jean de Bruyne. Our
tour will include visits to an Asian supermarket, an authentic
Chinese tea shop (think tea sets and high-quality tea leaves),
aTaiwanese bakery, a South Vietnamese restaurant for lunch, several
fantastic Chinese and Japanese shops and a trendy tea cafe.
Lots of tastings, shopping for food and great cooking and household
items plus learning more about some of the various Asian
cultures. A fantastic day! Join us on Saturday, 25
July. Cost is only $90 per person. Book Now!
Phone Lynn at (09) 372-7344 or email
lynn@findingflavour.co.nz
Jean de Bruyne
-
Our guide and host for
our
Fabulous shopping to enjoy on the
Asian Food Discovery
Tour
Asian Food and Shopping Discovery TourEritrean
African Lunch and Coffee Ceremony, Saturday, 15 August:
We are truly honoured to be invited into the home of an Eritrean
African family to eat an authentic lunch and experience their
traditional Coffee Ceremony. We will meet at their home in
West Auckland where we will be welcomed and invited to sample
several dishes served on their flatbread. Then we will relax
and watch as the Coffee Ceremony unfolds before us: the
washing, roasting and grinding of the coffee beans, making of the
coffee and serving to us in small coffee cups.
This will be an opportunity to learn about the Eritrean culture and
enjoy socialising with the family members and the rest of our
group. Join us on Saturday, 15 August. Cost is only $45 per
person. Book Now! Phone Lynn at (09) 372-7344 or email
lynn@findingflavour.co.nz
French Food Discovery Tour with Chef Sarah La Touche, Saturday, 29
August:
Set aside Saturday, 29 August for our very special French Food
Discovery Tour hosted by Chef Sarah La Touche. If
you want to learn about all things French, especially
French cuisine, then you will love this day! We will
start with learning about making croissants at a French bakery
(with tastings!) before we move on to discover a variety of French
food producers and importers. A delicious lunch with wine is
included. Lots of time for shopping and for talking
with Sarah. This tour has been rescheduled from
June. We will also offer a weekday tour if interest
warrants. Cost is $150 per person. Book Now!
Phone Lynn at (09) 372-7344 or email
lynn@findingflavour.co.nz
Cooking Class with Annabel Holderness: "How to bake a
cake... successfully!"
Our good friend and cooking class presenter Annabel Holderness is
offering a special class with a focus on baking advice, little
baking "secrets" and information. She is offering the
class on two dates: Thursday 23 July and Thursday 30 July.
Both classes start at 7pm-9:30pm and will be held at Annabel's
beautiful venue, Space 20, on Burleigh St, Grafton. The fee
is $90, $85 for friends of Finding Flavour.
In these classes Annabel will demonstrate how to make several cakes
that are very popular. You will learn secrets and highly valuable
tips to enable you to bake with confidence and success. We will
also make sweet short crust pastry and look at ways to use it for
simple desserts in all seasons. There will also be handouts of
baking recipes that really work. Enjoy a glass of wine when
the class begins and a dessert wine, coffee and cake when we finish
the baking!These classes are designed to be both informative and
fun, relaxing evenings with a small class size of only 10
people. Telephone Annabel on 027 282 5008 for more details and
how to enrol for the class on the date that suits you.There is a
$5.00 discount on classes for friends of Finding Flavour, so make
sure you advise Annabel when you book.
Plus More Upcoming Tours and Events! Our programme for the
second half of 2009 is on our website now! I
am excited that we will offer you an Indian food and culture day on
3 October - the month of the Diwali celebrations. Sarah
La Touche will be preparing a delicious spring menu for us in a
Cooking Class to be held also in October - we are just setting the
date now. Watch for more information in our August newsletter and
on our website.
Recent Tours and Events:
Chinese Tea Ceremony and Yum Cha Lunch, China
Restaurant, Saturday, 27 June
Our wonderful host, Jean de Bruyne, introduced 12 of us to the
tradition of the Chinese Tea Ceremony before taking us on a
culinary adventure into the wonderful world of Yum Cha! Lots
of new foods to try - even a durian-filled pastry bun. Thank You,
Jean for sharing your knowledge and culture with us with such good
humour!
Jean welcomes
us
The art of the tea ceremony
Tea ceremony dishes on tea
"boat" Some of our group
enjoying Yum Cha
Join Jean and me on our next adventure - Asian Food and Shopping
Discovery Tour, Saturday, 25 July.
Recent Event: Seasonal Flavour French Bistro Cooking Class,
Wednesday, 17 June
"Gorgeous food, easily reproduced at home. Brilliant!", raved
Helen, class participant
"Friendly, funny and very accessible, approachable and
informative." Glowing words about our presenters from one happy
participant.
Cold winter nights - delicious, warming food. It was an
evening to learn, savour and relax! Our presenters Sally
Warren and Annabel Holderness lead us through three wonderful
courses of French Bistro food: roasted onion soup; confit
duck with roast potatoes and salad; caramelised apple Tarte
Tatin accompanied by rich vanilla ice cream.
Guests were welcomed with a chilled glass of fragrant, peachy Rin
Quin Quin apertif wine. Annabel and Sally had set a beautiful
table for us and we keenly anticipated the treats to come as we
started the cooking class.
Annabel started off with the onion soup, and we will share her
secret of roasting the onions, along with generous amounts of wine
and dollops of other yummy fortified spirits!
As the soup gently simmered, Sally showed us the simple
art of preparing the duck confit using Saveur Duck. Curing
meat and storing the cooked product in fat has long been a method
of preserving food: one of those lost arts (along with jam and
jelly making!). We were shown how easy it really is.
With the previously prepared duck readied for final hot roasting
in the oven, along with potatoes roasted in duck fat (what else!),
we sat down to the delicious onion soup. The depth of flavour
was fantastic, and Annabel advised it would be even better the next
day (leftovers are highly unlikely!). We moved on to the main
course of the duck confit. Heaven on a plate! We
even converted a previously "non" duck eater! Both the
soup and the duck were accompanied by red wine recommended by the
knowledgeable Jean-Christophe of Maison Vauron Wines in
Newmarket.
A break back to watch Annabel prepare the Tarte Tatin. Think
caramelised sugar, butter, apples and light puff pastry baked in a
hot oven. Annabel turned the glorious result onto the serving
plate with great aplomb! What better accompaniament to this
than rich Kohu Road vanilla ice cream? This was no time to
think "low-cal"! Besides, we were drinking red
wine!
Thanks to Annabel and Sally for the wonderful evening in Annabel's
venue, Space 20.
Special thanks to Saveur Duck for sponsoring the duck for the
confit, and to Maison Vauron, for making the wonderful French wines
possible.
"Another great foodie day/evening. Very enjoyable.
Thank You." Sarah, repeat Finding Flavour customer.
"An evening that touches every sense - smell, taste, music and
beautifully presented food." Sue
Web-Site Updates: check our website / for the
latest updates on all our tours, events and cooking classes and to
make bookings.
M inimum NumbersThe operation of all tours and events is
subject to minimum numbers.
Cancellation PolicyCancel more than 7 days before tour: full
refundCancel within 7 days: no refund, but you are welcome to
substitute another person in your place
Finding Flavour reserves the right to amend/alter a
tour/event if required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please e-mail us
with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.
FINDING FLAVOUR NEWSLETTER
JUNE, 2009
Greetings, Fellow Foodies! May is a
month of celebrations in our family - two birthdays and Mother's
Day make a month of indulgence. It was even more indulgent
this year....a wonderful trip to Wellington to savour art and food,
followed by our fabulous World in a Day: Eastern Suburbs tour and
finishing the month with our participation in the Greenhithe Lion's
Club Epicurean Delight event. Plus we are preparing our
programme for the rest of the year! Click here for
our event programme on our website.
More about all of this later in the newsletter, but first let us
tempt you to join us for an evening of delicious French
food and wine on Wednesday, 17 June. The weather
couldn't be better to entertain friends with warming French bistro
food. Delicious, hearty French onion soup, crispy roasted
duck confit prepared with Saveur Duck followed by caramelised
apples in a Tarte Tatin will be on our Cooking Class menu.
Our knowledgeable and charming presenters are once
again Annabel Holderness and Sally Warren who will share their
wealth of cooking experience with us. Our beautiful venue is
Annabel's Space 20, and we
will sit at our dining table and enjoy a tasting dinner as each
course is prepared. Book Now! Class fee of $95
includes cooking class demonstration, tasting dinner and glass of
wine. So join us from 6:30-9:00pm on Wednesday, 17 June.Phone
Lynn at (09) 372-7344 or (021) 550-510 or book on our
website.
You will love meeting my good friend Jean de
Bruyne at our upcoming Yum Cha Lunch on Saturday,
27 June ($45) at China Restaurant and also on our
Asian Food and Shopping Discovery Tour on 25 July
($90). Book Now! Phone Lynn at (09) 372-7344 or
(021) 550-510 or book on our
website.
Jean is the most wonderful host, not to mention a wonderful
cook. Jean treated some of her staff, our daughters and me to
homemade Laksa Soup last Friday. It was delicious! Jean
adds a Kiwi touch by including lightly blanched spinach to the
soup. The food was beautifully arranged in each bowl before
Jean added the Laksa broth and tofu (did you know there is special
fried tofu just for laksa?). Here are some photos of our
lunch:
Jean prepares the
bowls
Lightly blanched spinach and bean
sprouts
Laksa soup ready to
serve Jean
shows her delicious soup creation
To finish: fresh lychees, ice cream balls and sweet peanut
"pastries"
Upcoming Tours and Events:
Yum Cha Lunch and Chinese Tea Ritual: Ever wanted to
try some of those unusual dishes that you see on those trolleys and
trays at Chinese yum cha lunches but were too afraid to try? This
is your chance to enjoy a delicious (and adventurous) Yum
Cha Lunch in our own dining room at China Restaurant guided by
friend and foodie Jean de Bruyne. Jean claims
Singaporean Chinese and Dutch descent and has lived in NZ for many
years, so can easily cross the "cultural divide". Our very
special start to the lunch will be to experience the
Chinese tea ritual as conducted by
Jean. Set aside lunch on Saturday, 27 June..... bring
a friend to share the fun! Cost is only $45 per person.Book
Now! Phone Lynn at (09) 372-7344 or (021) 550-510 or
email lynn@findingflavour.co.nz
Jean de Bruyne
-
Our guide and host for our Yum Cha Lunch
and Asian Food and Shopping Tour
Fabulous shopping to enjoy on the
Asian Tour
Asian Food and Shopping Discovery Tour: This tour
started out planned as a half-day walking tour on part of Dominion
Road. My good friend Jean de Bruyne took me on a journey of
discovery and kept showing me such wonderful shops, that I
surrendered to the inevitable and agreed that this just had to
become a full day tour complete with minibus. You will love
it! Our tour will include visits to an Asian supermarket, an
authentic Chinese tea shop (think tea sets and high-quality tea
leaves), aTaiwanese bakery, a South Vietnamese restaurant for
lunch, several fantastic Chinese and Japanese shops and a trendy
tea cafe. Lots of tastings, shopping for food and great
cooking and household items plus learning more about some of the
various Asian cultures. A fantastic day! Join
us on Saturday, 25 July. Cost is only $90 per person.
Book Now! Phone Lynn at (09) 372-7344 or (021) 550-510 or
email lynn@findingflavour.co.nz
French Food Discovery Tour with Chef Sarah La Touche:Set
aside Saturday, 29 August for our very special French Food
Discovery Tour hosted by Chef Sarah
La Touche. If you want to learn about all things
French, especially French cuisine, then you will love this
day! We will start with learning about making croissants at a
French bakery (with tastings!) before we move on to discover a
variety of French food producers and importers. A delicious
lunch with wine is included. Lots of time for shopping
and for talking with Sarah. This tour has been
rescheduled from June. We will also offer a weekday tour if
interest warrants. Price is $150 per
person.
Book now!
Plus More Upcoming Tours and Events! Our
programme for the second half of 2009 is on our website now! Details on all the events will be
added during June.
Recent Tours and Events:
World in a Day: Eastern Suburbs, Saturday, 16 May
"Fabulous day out for anyone who likes food", enthused Karin,
participant and fellow foodie on the tour.
We totally agree. The Auckland sun shone and the parking
gods smiled on us.... Take a look at our fabulous day
-
French baker Ghierry and
Alvin
Owner Alvin spoils us with a tasting tray
Phil tells us all about Italian wines.....and then there was the
food!
Next, we get a behind-the-scenes look at a boutique producer of
Middle Eastern and North African
spices
A wonderful array of spice mixes Katherine
shows us the spice grinder
Participant Karin checks out the packaging
Who cares about our looks - we're tasting the product!
Don makes sure we get a taste of
all Our group in
power-shopping mode
his authentic UK-style sausages
We travelled Mexico-way for
lunch:
Wonderful food and hospitality from owners Jose and Maria
Our picture-perfect dessert (and the chocolates had a chilli
kick!)
Enjoying coffee while we do some retail therapy
Our last fabulous stop:
A personal briefing from Michal at this foodie
heaven
Michal's cookbook "Scent of the Monsoon Winds"
Thank you to all the wonderful owners of the places we visited that
day....they truly made an extra effort to give us a very special
experience.
By the end of the day, our tour group felt like a happy group of
friends. Foodies need very little in the way of "ice
breakers" to begin talking! In fact, Karin so enthused
about a Walnut Shortbread recipe that we
insisted that she share it with us. And she has! Just click
here.
I was very honoured that three of the people on the tour were
repeat customers....and have already signed up for more
tours/events! Thank you for that high praise! We would
love to have you join us on our next Finding
Flavour event or tour.
Lion's Club Greenhithe Epicurean Delight Event, Saturday, 23
May
We were invited to participate in this annual "foodie
fundraiser" for the Greenhithe Lion's Club. This was our
first promotional event, and we think that our stand looked
great!
The Finding Flavour team - Tuovi, Emily and Lynn
Lynn presents the tour voucher to winner Jack Sharman
We met up with some of our friends who had joined us on our tours
and also met some of our email newsletter friends - yes, we really
do all exist! There were some great foodie stands and treats
on offer:
Dutch Delight
display
Smoked Stewart Island salmon
Israeli cous cous to
taste
"Sweet Surrender" cupcakes and decorated cookies
The "Sweet Surrender" cupcakes and cookies were
divine. The cupcakes had such unusual and grown-up flavours
as rose as well as decadent chocolate, while the cookies were works
of art. These are a must for special occasion celebrations
such as weddings, milestone birthdays, special parties, etc.
Nicole makes these delights with "love and passion" and can be
contacted on (021) 132-4656. She does not have a website as
yet, but she does sell her products at several markets. Tell
her that Lynn from Finding Flavour, co-exhibitor at the Lion's Club
event, recommended her to you.
Wellington Foodie Day, Saturday, 9 May
I always enjoy my foodie trips to Wellington. Before
venturing out to Petone (my favourite foodie area), I checked out
the new Moore Wilson food "empire". I arrived early on
Saturday morning, and relaxed with a coffee and pastry while
surveying the new store. The new Moore Wilson Fresh
supermarket is at least twice the size of the old one, and the
displays are wonderful:
What variety of tomato would you like? And perhaps
some fresh chilis?
The hard cheese
"room" Baked
goods from all the top Wellington bakeries
A general view of this foodies paradise
Moore Wilson also has another store adjacent which sells more
common everyday brands and your pantry requirements. I was
sorely tempted to carry a 3 litre container of olive oil back on
the plane with me! The prices in both stores are very
competitive, and well worth shopping at the next time you are
in Wellington.
The rest of the day was spent exploring Petone - this newly trendy
suburb has some wonderful foodie shops and restaurants, plus lots
of other interesting retailers. Join me on my visit next
year!
Web-Site Updates: check our website / for the latest updates on all our tours, events and
cooking classes and to make bookings.
Minimum NumbersThe operation of all tours and
events is subject to minimum numbers.
Cancellation PolicyCancel more than 7 days before
tour: full refundCancel within 7 days: no refund, but
you are welcome to substitute another person in your
place Finding Flavour reserves the right to
amend/alter a tour/event if required. If you no longer wish to
receive this newsletter, please e-mail us with "Unsubscribe" in the
subject line.
FINDING FLAVOUR NEWSLETTER MAY,
2009
Greetings, Fellow Foodies! Happy Mother's
Day to all Moms!
We love this weather! Sure makes the prospect of the upcoming
winter months much less daunting. We have so enjoyed doing
our research for several upcoming tours....and can't wait to share
them with you. Our programme for the second half of this year
(yes, we are already planning to Christmas!) is being
finalised. We will offer some of our previous popular tours,
plus some new adventures. To give you a hint, I have
continued my research from visiting the International Cultural
Festival, and we hope to offer you the experience of the Eritrean
coffee ceremony and a taste of their cuisine. Also, October
is the month of Diwali celebrations, so look for an Indian food and
culture experience.
But first, you can experience an international tasting trip in a
day in our new World in a Day: Eastern Suburbs
tour offered on Saturday, 16 May and Thursday, 21
May. French, Mexican, Italian, Swiss and Kiwi are some of the
parts of the foodie globe that we will discover. Tuovi and I
finalised the research for this tour during the Easter school
holidays, and agreed that this will be one of our most varied and
interesting tours. We wish that we had time to include all
our wonderful findings! Our World in a Day tours are
such fun - they are an eclectic mix of tastes and we meet such
interesting people who have come to New Zealand to share their
cuisine. Cost is $90 and includes tastings, morning coffee
and lunch at a wonderful family-run Mexican restaurant. Book Now!
Join us on our very special French Food Discovery
Tour hosted by chef Sarah
La Touche. If you want to learn about all things
French, especially French cuisine, then you will love this
day! We will start with learning about making croissants at a
French bakery (with tastings!) before we move on to discover a
variety of French food producers and importers. A delicious
lunch with wine is included. Lots of time for shopping
and for talking with Sarah. Dates are Thursday, 4 June
and Saturday, 6 June. Price is $150 per
person.
Book now!
How does a foodie weekend in Sydney later this
year sound to you? It has appealed to several of our readers
because this inaugural tour is now booked
out! We will be browsing the Italian neighbourhood
of Haberfield, shopping for discount kitchen and homewares,
discovering the foodie delights of the Pyrmont Farmer's Market,
enjoying delicious meals (including one prepared for us by an
outstanding Sydney caterer) - these are just some of the delights
of this weekend of 6-8 November. We promise to tell you all
about it. Interested in joining our next Sydney
foodie weekend tours in 2010? Plan
for either a weekend in March/April or
again in October or November next year. We will give
you the dates towards the end of this year.
More Upcoming Tours and Events:
Seasonal Flavour Cooking Class: Our Seasonal Flavour
cooking class on Wednesday, 17 June will take on a French
bistro theme - learn how to make and cook duck confit,
authentic onion soup and for dessert, the classic tarte tatin This
class will once again be lead by the popular team of Annabel
Holderness and Sally Warren, who so expertly taught us all about
making preserves in our March class. Our French Bistro
cooking class will take the form of a progressive tasting
dinner: we will eat each course as it is prepared in
class. And of course, we will enjoy a glass of wine (or two)
with our food! Join us on Wednesday, 17 June,
6:30-9:00pm at Annabel's beautiful venue, Space 20. Cost
is only $95 per person, which includes the cooking class, tasting
dinner, recipes and wine.. Book Now! Phone Lynn at (09)
372-7344 or (021) 550-510 or email lynn@findingflavour.co.nz
A daytime class option may also be
possible. Please contact me if you are interested.
Yum Cha Lunch: Ever wanted to try some of those
unusual dishes that you see on those trolleys and trays at Chinese
yum cha lunches but were too afraid to try? This is your chance to
enjoy a delicious (and adventurous) Yum Cha Lunch in our
own dining room at China Restaurant guided by friend and foodie
Jean de Bruyne. Jean claims Singaporean Chinese and
Dutch descent and has lived in NZ for many years, so can easily
cross the "cultural divide". Our very special start to the
lunch will be to experience the Chinese tea ritual
as conducted by Jean. Set aside lunch on
Saturday, 27 June..... bring a friend to share the fun! Cost
is only $45 per person.Book Now! Phone Lynn at (09) 372-7344
or (021) 550-510 or email lynn@findingflavour.co.nz
Jean de Bruyne
-
Our guide and host for our Yum Char Lunch
Fabulous shopping to enjoy on the
and Asian Food Discovery
Tour
Asian Food Discovery Tour
Asian Food Discovery Tour: This tour started out
planned as a half-day walking tour on part of Dominion Road.
My good friend Jean de Bruyne took me on a journey of discovery and
kept showing me such wonderful shops, that I surrendered to the
inevitable and agreed that this just had to become a full day
tour. You will love it! Our tour will include visits to
an Asian supermarket, an authentic Chinese tea shop (think tea sets
and high-quality tea leaves), a Taiwanese bakery, a South
Vietnamese restaurant for lunch, several fantastic Chinese and
Japanese shops and a trendy tea cafe. Lots of tastings,
shopping for food and great cooking and household items plus
learning more about some of the various Asian cultures. A
fantastic day! Join us on Saturday, 25 July.
Cost is only $90 per person. Book Now! Phone Lynn at
(09) 372-7344 or (021) 550-510 or email
lynn@findingflavour.co.nz
Plus More Upcoming Tours and Events! Our programme
for the second half of 2009 will be on our website
by the end of May.
Web-Site Updates: check our website / for the latest updates on all our tours and to make
bookings.
Minimum NumbersThe operation of all tours is
subject to minimum numbers.
Cancellation PolicyCancel more than 7 days before
tour: full refund Cancel within 7 days: no
refund, but you are welcome to substitute another person in your
place
Finding Flavour reserves the right to amend/alter a
tour/event if required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please e-mail us
with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.
FINDING FLAVOUR
NEWSLETTER
APRIL, 2009
Greetings, Fellow
Foodies!
Is there anyone out there who is not
busy preserving fruits and veges and planting their winter garden
crops? Or at least it seems that way, if the food magazines and
articles are to be believed. The old homemaking
skills have come back with a vengeance! I
thought that I should try out the skills gained from our
Preserving the Harvest cooking class,
and made my first-ever batch of jam: Tomato and
Quince. I used up the last of our beautifully
ripe tomatoes and some huge quinces from a friend's
garden. It is delicious, and almost like a
quince paste. Great with cheese or
toast. Thanks to the NZ Gardener email
newsletter for the recipe.
As some of you may have read, I am a
lemon tart fan. The filling has to be really
lemony and almost tart, and just barely set. The
crust should be light and crispy (not thick and
chewy). If there is a meringue, it must be
generously piled on top and lightly browned.
Definitely not a crunchy meringue! Well, I think
I have discovered a lemon tart almost on par with my Mother's lemon
meringue pie here on Waiheke Island! You can
imagine how delighted I was to make this discovery, one I shared
with the participants of our Waiheke Island Foodie Discovery
tour. I happened to meet Geraldine Johns of the
Sunday Star-Times and asked if they could request the recipe for
this tart from Island Thyme. Geraldine achieved
the impossible and obtained the recipe, so now you can make it
too! Thanks also to Geraldine for
the wonderful words about Finding Flavour! Click here
for the recipe and to read the article from the 29 March
Sunday Star-Times.
Looking for a great flakey pastry recipe for the lemon
tart? Click here
for a recipe contributed by my friend, Bernice
Humphrey.
I enjoyed a "cultural immersion" during March.
Firstly was Pasifika on 14 March. This is always
outstanding, like a trip to the Islands.
Saturday the 28th was spent at the Scandinavian Festival
and on Sunday I visited the outstanding Auckland International
Cultural Festival. What a diverse country we
have become. Of course, I was particularly
interested in the food! More about these events
later in the newsletter....
Chocolate, chocolate,
chocolate.....yes, we went, we tasted, we
shopped! Saturday, 4 April was our Chocoholics
Easter tour. These Easter bunnies are now
prepared! I'll save telling you all about it until next month's
newsletter. However, I will reveal that
savouring fine chocolate is like savouring a fine wine.....there is
an art to enjoying it! Read "Upcoming Events"
for information on a chocolate appreciation and making
course.
If you would like to enjoy something a little different for your
Easter treats, I can highly recommend the Swiss-style gingerbread
made by Gretel's Gingerbread. We were impressed
with their Christmas range on our Christmas Baking and Treats tour,
and they have now prepared a beautiful Easter
range. There is still time to order by phone or
fax (09) 416-0601 or (021) 208-5887 or online www.gretelsgingerbread.co.nz
. Make sure you tell them that you are a
friend of Finding
Flavour!
It still feels like the year has
just started, but next month is Mother's Day!
Here's a great idea - buy her (or yourself) a Finding Flavour gift
voucher for one of our fabulous foodie tours.
You can nominate the value, and they are valid until the end of the
year.
Better yet, come along on our
Wellington Foodie Discovery Tour as a Mother's Day
treat! On Saturday, 9 May we will discover some
of the foodie delights of our capital city, with special attention
to the suburb of Petone. No tour would be
complete without a stop at Moore Wilson Fresh (why can't we have a
store like that in Auckland?). I promise that
you will have time at the end of the day to visit the Monet
Exhibition at Te Papa. Tour price is $90 and
includes morning coffee, tastings and light
lunch. Book
Now!
Wanting to enjoy a tour a little
closer to home? You can experience an
international tasting trip in a day in our new World in a Day:
Eastern Suburbs tour offered on Saturday, 16 May and Thursday, 21
May. French, Mexican, Italian, Swiss and Kiwi
are some of the parts of the foodie globe that we will
discover. Our World in a Day tours are such fun
- they are an eclectic mix of tastes and we meet such interesting
people who have come to New Zealand to share their
cuisine. Cost is $90 and includes tastings,
morning coffee and light lunch. Book Now!
It's not too early to book for our
very special French Food Discovery Tour hosted by chef Sarah
La Touche. If you want to learn about all things French,
especially French cuisine, then you will love this day!
We will start with learning about making croissants at a bakery,
then move on to French food producers and importers. A
delicious lunch is included. Lots of time for shopping
and for talking with Sarah. Dates are Thursday, 4 June
and Saturday, 6 June. Price is $150 per
person.
Book
now!
How does a foodie weekend in Sydney later this year
sound to you? Browse the Italian neighbourhood
of Haberfield, shop for discount kitchen and homewares, discover
the foodie delights of the Pyrmont Farmer's Market, enjoy delicious
meals (including one prepared for us by an outstanding Sydney
caterer) - these are just some of the delights of such a
weekend. Set aside the weekend of 6-8
November. Perfect for getting an early start on
your Christmas shopping. Open to everyone who
enjoys good food! Interested?
Email me at lynn@findingflavour.co.nz
I am preparing a flyer with details and prices
which will be sent out in the next few
weeks.
Upcoming Event: Chocolate Appreciation and Making Course
Chocolate Heaven is offering a course that sounds like a dream come
true! Learn all about chocolate, tempering and
moulding, making the perfect truffles, combining various products
with chocolate, matching chocolate with the appropriate drinks and
preserving chocolate products. This course
will start in mid-April at their store in
Takapuna. For more information please call Vlado
on 489-8337. Tell him you heard about it from
Finding Flavour!
Recent Tour: Waiheke Island
Foodies Discovery Tour, Saturday, 21
March
Waiheke put on a perfect day for our foodie tour on
Saturday, 21 March. We tasted local food
products at the Saturday Ostend market, had morning coffee
and fantastic lemon
tarts at Island Thyme, visited an olive
grower, enjoyed a starter of smoked salmon with a glass of wine at
an outstanding winery, went on to share platters of food at a local
cafe which uses local food suppliers, sipped delicious ginger beer
and finally we basked in the afternoon sun at another stunning
winery. All in all, a perfectly lovely
day.
Fresh figs at the
market
Olive oil direct from the
grower
Delicious lunch
platters
What a view!
Recent Event:
Pasifika, 14 March, Auckland
Pasifika is a real celebration of the Pacific Island community in
Auckland. I think that because it is first and
foremost an event by and for the Pacific Islanders, it has a
reality to it that no other event could compete
with. This event is huge - the Pacific Island
nations are located around the beautiful grounds of Western
Springs. There are various stage areas for
entertainment and each island "village" has stalls with goods and
crafts for sale, and most importantly, food!
Aucklanders, invite your-out-of -town and overseas guests to visit
you at this time of year, and take them to
Pasifika. They will be
transported!
Crowds enjoying the food
stalls
Behind the scenes at the food
stalls
Delicious mussel fritters for sale A
favourite - fresh fruit and ice
cream
Recent Event: Scandinavian
Festival, 27-29 March, Alexandra Park Race Course,
Auckland The Scandinavian
Festival 2009 was an event celebrating the Scandinavian way of life
and culture in New Zealand. This Festival
incorporates the 14th Scandinavian Gathering established
by the descendants of the early Scandinavian pioneers of the
1860's.
Being of Finnish and
Estonian descent, I was very keen to touch base with my
"roots". The event started with a parade of all
the registrants in national costume, followed by a display of folk
dancing. There was even a recreation of an
authentic Viking encampment and a display of
fighting. Of course, the women stayed around the
campfire, cooking, spinning......
I attended a workshop on an
introduction to the Finnish language (related only to Estonian and
very distantly to Hungarian) and a workshop by the Melbourne
Scandinavian choir. Of course, a real
highlight for me was the Market, featuring Scandinavian products,
crafts and food to purchase. I can vouch for
the expertise of the Danish pastry stall
holder!
Finnish national
costumes
The Viking
encampment
A modern Swedish Viking!
Beautiful weaving for
sale
The Danish pastry
maker Danish
Easter meal
placesetting
Recent Event: Auckland
International Cultural Festival, Sunday, 29 March, Mt
Roskill The International Cultural
Festival on Sunday was a real eye-opener.
Imagine a clear, warm autumn day, dozens of stalls of food made by
people from a wide range of ethnicities, stages with cultural
entertainment, and a crowd of thousands, just strolling, eating and
enjoying the day. A day for appreciating all the
delicious contributions that people from around the globe have made
to our
food-scape.
Having read about the Eritrean coffee ceremony in an article by
Amanda Laird in the NZ Herald Viva, I was keen to track it down at
the festival. Well, I found at least three
different stalls offering this specialty:
Eritrean, Ethiopean and Oromian. The process
seemed to be the same - roasting and grinding the beans, making the
coffee while the guests looked on. Frankincense
burned strongly at one stand. I sampled one of
the traditional "sweets" to eat with the coffee, but I would
describe it as an acquired taste. Several
offered popcorn with the coffee. This was
definitely a unique
experience.
Eritrean coffee
ceremony
Some other cuisines on offer included Greek,
Romanian, Thai, Malaysian, Jamaican (the queue for the jerk meat
was too long for me!), Indian and Croatian. The
Croatian women were amazing, making homemade doughnuts on the
stand. And I mean from
scratch: mixing the flour, eggs, milk, grating
the lemon rind and frying the batter in frying pans of
oil. The hot doughnuts were then sprinkled with
sugar and offered for (quick!) sale.
Indian cook, Pratima
Nand
Greek food on
offer
Hard-working Croatian
women
Vegetarian meal on "spongey"
flatbread
I was pleased to find one of the African stands
offering their unique raised flat bread. As I
understand it, the ingredients are fermented before making the
dough, giving it a slightly sour taste and a spongey
texture. It is used as a dish for the food and
you tear off pieces to pick up the food.
At every stall I was struck by the friendliness
of the people and their willingness to share their food
heritage. I hope that we will be able to make
arrangements for Finding Flavour to offer more information about
some of these cuisines and the people who have brought it
here.
Web-Site Updates: check our
website / for the latest
updates on all our tours and to make bookings.
Minimum NumbersThe operation of all
tours is subject to minimum
numbers.
Cancellation PolicyCancel more than 7
days before tour: full refundCancel
within 7 days: no refund, but you are welcome to
substitute another person in your
place
Finding Flavour reserves the
right to amend/alter a tour/event if required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter,
please e-mail us with "Unsubscribe" in the subject
line.
FINDING FLAVOUR
NEWSLETTER
MARCH,
2009
Greetings, Fellow
Foodies!
We are enjoying an endless summer here on Waiheke
(with the occasional storm thrown in for good measure!), swimming
almost every day in the warm sea. Let me show
you this little corner of paradise on our
Waiheke Island Foodie Discovery Tour,
Saturday, 21 March. Read more about it
later in the newsletter.
We are finally coming to the end of
our bountiful tomato harvest. This usually
occurs about the time the basil really takes off! Those of us who
attended the Preserving the Harvest Cooking Class now know the
secrets of making and bottling our own tomato
passata!
Our first Seasonal Flavour
Cooking Class was a great
success. We nourished the inner "domestic
goddess" and spent an inspiring evening on Tuesday learning about
those old-fashioned skills of making preserves and other goodies
from the seasonal
harvest.
Our inspiring presenters, Sally Warren and Annabel Holderness
See the photos and read more
about it later in this newsletter....
We will offer other Seasonal Flavour classes throughout the
year - watch for a late autumn/early winter
class.
A small but hardy band of
dedicated foodies experienced World in a Day: Central Suburbs on
Saturday, 28 February. Great sharing of
information and of course, tastings, made this a full day.
Our group at lunch enjoying Indian
hospitality
See more about this
tour later in this newsletter.
How does a foodie weekend in Sydney later this year
sound to you? I sacrificed myself on your behalf
and spent an intensive weekend at the beginning of February
researching just such a trip. Browse the Italian
neighbourhood of Haberfield, shop for discount kitchen and
homewares, discover the foodie delights of the Pyrmont Farmer's
Market, enjoy delicious meals (including one prepared for us by an
outstanding Sydney caterer) - these are some of the possibilities
of such a weekend. Tentative dates are 4-6
September or 6-8 November.
Interested? Email me at lynn@findingflavour.co.nz
Upcoming Tour: Waiheke Island Foodies Discovery
Tour, Saturday, 21
March
Come and spend a relaxing, delicious day on our beautiful
island. This tour will visit some of the
specialty food producers and a variety of wonderful food (and wine)
venues.
We will start at the weekly market at Ostend, where several
of the producers have regular stalls. After morning
coffee at an excellent deli, we will visit an olive grower, an
excellent winery and a boutique beer and ginger beer
brewery. We will enjoy a light lunch at a local cafe which
specialises in organic and locally
supplied produce. If time and weather
allow, enjoy a stroll on one of the beautiful beaches. We
will finish the afternoon with some delicious gelato made on the
island. Cost for the full day is $90 pp plus ferry tickets.
Book Now! Call (09)
372-7344 or (021) 550-510 or email
bookings@findingflavour.co.nz
NB Gold Card holders travel on the ferry free!
Upcoming Tour:
Chocoholics Easter Tour, Thursday, 2 April and Saturday, 4
April
Indulge yourself and satisfy
those chocolate cravings in this new "Chocoholics Easter
Tour". We will spend the morning visiting and enjoying
tastings at several excellent chocolate shops.
Some of them also make their own chocolates, and all will be
bursting with chocolate goodies. We may even
get our hands on some chocolate!
Timed just one week from Easter, this is the perfect opportunity to
shop for those Easter treats for your friends, family or
yourself! We will recharge our taste buds with a
coffee break mid-morning. The tour will end by lunchtime.
This half -day tour includes transportation, tastings, and morning
coffee. Cost is only $65 pp.
Book Now! Call (09) 372-7344 or (021) 550-510 or
email bookings@findingflavour.co.nz
Upcoming Event: Croissant Making and
Baking Workshop at Paneton Bakery, 14 March and 4 April
Many of you will be familiar
with Paneton's frozen croissants, which you take home to proof and
bake yourself, and enjoy scrumptious freshly baked croissants
at home. Paneton owner
Dominique, and his daughter Madeleine, invite you to a unique
"workshop".
You will go "behind the scenes" at the Paneton Bakery (opposite
Victoria Park), to learn how these delicious croissants are
made. You will even get the opportunity to roll up some
croissant dough yourself.
Find out how to proof and bake the frozen croissants at home,
so that you can enjoy a perfect, freshly baked croissant every
time. Paneton will bake the
croissants that you have prepared, and you will enjoy morning
coffee/tea with the croissants fresh from the oven.
What a great "hands-on" opportunity that promises to be a lot
of fun!
For enquiries and bookings, please phone or text
Madeleine at Paneton Bakery directly on 021 0220 3961 or email her
at panetonbakerycooking@gmail.com
Upcoming Event: Scandinavian
Festival, 27-29 March, Alexandra Park Race
Course, AucklandThe Scandinavian Festival 2009 is an
event celebrating the Scandinavian way of life and culture in New
Zealand. This Festival incorporates the
14th Scandinavian Gathering established by the
descendants of the early Scandinavian pioneers of the
1860's. There will be a Market,
trade displays (is there anyone who doesn't know that Nokia is a
Finnish company?), educational and cultural seminars, music and
unique Scandinavian games. The Market is free of
charge and is open to the public. It will
feature Scandinavian products, arts, crafts and cultural displays
from each country. It will open Friday, 27 March
at 11 am, continuing through to Sunday, 29 March (closing at
2pm). Why not take this opportunity to explore
yet another aspect of cultural diversity in New
Zealand? For more information on
the Festival, or to register for the Festival, visit
www.scandinavianfestival.org.nz
Recent Tour: World in a
Day: Central Suburbs, Saturday, 28 February
We first offered this tour last year, and it is amazing to discover
the variety of food suppliers in the central area of
Auckland. Our small but dedicated group of
foodies braved the stormy weather to eat and shop our way through
an enjoyable day. One of the wonderful benefits
of spending the day with like-minded souls is the sharing of
information during the day. We were fortunate to
have in our group a foodie very expert in Asian cooking, and
another who was born in India. A true learning
experience! Here is just a small peak at our
day:
Shopping at a friendly Persian shop Every
foodie needs these pots to hold
spices!
Enjoying Indian hospitality at
lunch
Just some of our delicious lunch
Plan to join us when we discover World in a Day: Eastern Suburbs in
May!
Recent Event: Seasonal Flavour
Preserving the Harvest Cooking Class, Tuesday,
3 March
A convivial group gathered
at Space 20 to learn the basics and more about those old-fashioned
skills of making preserves. Our informative and
inspiring presenters, Sally Warren and Annabel Holderness, prepared
tomato passata, nectarine and ginger chutney and plum
jelly.
The informal nature of the class meant that we were able to
ask lots of questions, peer into the pots on the stove and make the
most of the expertise of the presenters. Avalon
from The House of Knives was also on hand, and had set up a
comprehensive display of utensils and gadgets just perfect for the
task. Our evening finished with dessert of
stonefruit crostada with nectarine and white peach
sorbet.
As we left into the night, carrying the samples of the
preserves made earlier, we were all vowing to head to the markets
for the freshest fruit and were planning to dust off those empty
glass jars to fill with yummy homemade
preserves.
Our attentive
group
Sally and Annabel sharing their expertise
You gather up the muslin
like this
And hang it over a bowl.
Guess what we were learning to make?
Chopping the
nectarines for the
chutney
The preserves on the simmer
Preserving the Harvest was the first in our Seasonal Flavour series
of cooking classes. The feedback from the
participants was so positive that we are now planning for our next
class in late autumn/early winter. We will keep
you posted!
Web-Site Updates: check our website
/ for the latest updates
on all our tours and to make bookings.
Minimum NumbersThe operation of all tours is subject
to minimum
numbers.
Cancellation PolicyCancel more than 7 days before
tour: full refundCancel within 7
days: no refund, but you are welcome to
substitute another person in your place Finding
Flavour reserves the right to
amend/alter a tour/event if required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please
e-mail us with "Unsubscribe" in the subject
line.
FINDING FLAVOUR
NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY,
2009
Greetings, Fellow Foodies!
January has passed in a flash and we have enjoyed some real foodie
highlights. We visited Melbourne for a couple of days, and
while there we discovered Greg Malouf's new mezza bar adjacent to
the Grand Hyatt, called "Spice Traders". Walk down the alleyway and
through weathered wooden doors to enter an amazing space -
think Casablanca or an opium den (not that I would know
either personally!). Greg Malouf (self-described modern
middle eastern master) has designed the tasting menu, and we were
fortunate that he was behind the benchtop during our visit. We were
on our way to dinner (see further), so we only had a
drink. I tried the Turkish Delight Martini - very sweet
and intense flavours. Greg is opening his newest incarnation
of his fabulous restaurant "Momo" in the next month - a
"must-visit" if it is anything like the original Momo.
Thanks to my friend Margaret Brown for telling me about the
restaurant "Da Noi". Margaret visits Melbourne regularly
on business, and raved about Da Noi. It did not
disappoint! This small (ie 10 tables) restaurant specialises
in southern Italian food, and is renowned for its set menu,
which changes daily. Dinner started with a variety
of antipasti, brought to us in a succession of small
dishes. Then came pasta with clams, followed by the
main course of slowly braised beef. We managed to polish off
dessert. We drank wine by the glass with each course and
followed the staff's recommendations for our selections. All
of the foodie delights were prepared by 3 chefs in a kitchen no
bigger than some people's pantry! You will find Da Noi
on Toorak Rd, South Yarra, just a short taxi or tram ride from
downtown Melbourne.
I hear the collective sigh of relief from mothers as the children
head back to school. Others have been back to the office for a few
weeks, and the Christmas break seems but a distant
memory. What we all need is a little time out (especially from
the news of the world's economic woes). Come and join us on a
Finding Flavour tour - and discover delicious worlds in our own
city and country: Matakana Market and Area, Auckland Central
Suburbs, Waiheke Island, Wellington, French Food Discovery and our
new offering of a Seasonal Flavour Cooking Class. Plus more!
We have great tours planned for you for the first half of 2009, so
read on...
Matakana Market and Area Discovery Tour, Saturday, 21
February
This is a perfect time of year to visit the Farmers' Market and
explore a little of this interesting area. We make an early
start (I supply the coffee and croissants) for our drive north to
Matakana, so that we can beat the crowds to this popular
market. After a short orientation, you are free to explore
and shop the market. We will visit some of the great food
suppliers in the village and have morning coffee, before we do a
little exploring and shopping in the area. Lunch is at an
elegant tea rooms, followed by the freshest artisan gelato at a
"Gelato Garden". Leave the driving to us, relax and
enjoy the day!
Cost: $120 per person includes transport, light breakfast en
route, morning coffee, light lunch and tastings.
World in a Day: Central Suburbs Discovery Tour, Thursday, 26
February and Saturday, 28 February
Explore a large Asian supermarket, source delicious Middle Eastern
ingredients such as pomegranate molasses, nuts, fresh dates
and discover the location of Auckland's (probably) best
spice supplier. All this and more on this day of variety in
the Central Suburbs: French, Asian, Middle Eastern, Indian,
Eastern European are some of the points of the foodie globe that we
will cover. Cost: $90 per person includes transport, morning
coffee, light lunch and tastings.
Seasonal Flavour Cooking Class: Preserving the
Harvest,
Wednesday Evening, Tuesday, 3 March
Thanks to the inspiration from such gardeners as Lynda Hallinen of
NZ Gardener, many of us are vegetable garden enthusiasts (or market
enthusiasts). Wondering what to do with the abundant
harvest? Would you like to make preserves, such as jellies,
jams, chutneys, pickles or tomato passata, but has all that talk of
sterilising and sealing jars put you off?
Come to this cooking class and learn the secrets of preserving the
flavours of the season to enjoy throughout the year. Our
class will be lead by Sally Warren, recipe developer for Sabato,
and Annabel Holderness, who has a wealth of experience in the
hospitality and foodie industry. Small class size ensures
that you will make the most of this informative - and delicious -
evening. Cost: $90 per person includes refreshments and
samples to take home!
Click here for
details on these and all our tours, and to make
bookings.
Upcoming Event: Scandinavian Festival, 27-29
March, Alexandra Park Race Course, Auckland
The Scandinavian Festival 2009 is an event celebrating the
Scandinavian way of life and culture in New Zealand. This
Festival incorporates the 14th Scandinavian Gathering established
by the descendants of the early Scandinavian pioneers of the
1860's.
There will be a Market, trade displays (is there anyone who
doesn't know that Nokia is a Finnish company?), educational and
cultural seminars, music and unique Scandinavian games. The
Market is free of charge and is open to the public. It will
feature Scandinavian products, arts, crafts and cultural displays
from each country. It will open Friday, 27 March at 11 am,
continuing through to Sunday, 29 March (closing at 2pm). Why
not take this opportunity to explore yet another aspect of cultural
diversity in New Zealand? For more information on the
Festival, or to register for the Festival, visit www.scandinavianfestival.org.nz
Plus! Watch out for more tours and events in the coming
months - we will keep you informed.
Recipe Update: More courgettes than you know what to do
with? Try the Courgette/Zucchini
Cake recipe kindly supplied by Sue Carter, now
on our website.
Recent Event: "Welcoming Abundance" in the Year of the Earth
Ox, Saturday, 31 January
My good friend, Jean de Bruyne, of Singaporean Chinese heritage,
has hosted the Chinese "creation of wealth (or abundance)" ceremony
for her friends and clients for several years. This year we
were invited, and Johanna, Margaret and I joined the other 35+
participants. This was a wonderful opportunity to take a few
hours to focus on the New Year and what we wished to invite or
achieve for the year. This could be health, monetary wealth,
friends, travel, wisdom, fabulous food (this last one was my
idea!). The ceremony was held in Jean's beautiful
garden in Greenhithe:
Welcome from
Jean
Her beautifully decorated garden
We were welcomed with afternoon tea, then given the
opportunity to start the process of creating our own "wealth jar",
and to focus on the year to
come.
Empty jars to
purchase Items
to purchase for wealth
jar
Ritual contents for the
jar
We each had our own box
with
instructions and other goodies
The afternoon was officially started by a visit from the Lion
Dancers:
Boy dancer guiding the
Lions
Lion reaching for lettuce and
money
Holding out our money packets for the lion
"Petting" the
lions
Johanna conducts a tea
ceremony
Relaxing in the garden
Our dinner included Chinese foods relevant to the New Year:
salad with long shreds of vegetables, golden egg rolls, prawn
rolls, stir fried chicken to put into lettuce cups (ie money
parcels), and more. Fun was had as we all tossed the salad
high into the air! The ceremony ended as darkness descended
on the garden with its lanterns.
Johanna, Margaret and I hold our completed wealth jars.
The day was a wonderful experience, and an opportunity for
reflection and setting intentions for the year. Please join
us next year!
Recent Tour: Christmas Baking and Treats, Saturday, 6
December and Thursday, 11 December
The Christmas tour was the first tour we ever offered over a year
ago, and it was a hit with both the participants and guide
(me!). A day of sampling delicious Christmas goodies,
shopping and having fun with great people - a perfect Christmas
experience. Here are some of the photos from the most recent
two Christmas
tours:
_152x228.jpg)
Stunning European-style
gingerbread Freshly baked
Christmas cakes and other
goodies
An array of delicious tastings for
us
Every foodie could use another
gadget!
Lunch
time!
Austrian stollen and biscuits
Yummy
panettone
We came, we saw, we shopped!
Web-Site Updates: check our website / for the latest updates on
all our tours and to make bookings.
Minimum NumbersThe operation of all tours is subject to minimum
numbers.
Cancellation Policy: Cancel more than 7 days before tour:
full refund
Cancel within 7 days: no refund, but you are welcome to
substitute another person in your place
Finding Flavour reserves the right to amend/alter a
tour/event if required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please e-mail us
with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.
Finding Flavour Newsletter - December,
2008Greetings, Fellow Foodies!
What fun we have had in November. We revisited some of our
favourite places on the North Shore, and just this
past weekend we enjoyed a perfect summer day while we toured some
inspiring vegetable gardens. Yes, Lynda Hallinen's
garden is as fantastic as you would expect, and she made
us so very welcome (as did all our hosts!). Read all
about our adventures later in the newsletter (we have lots of
photos to show you) ....
Ho, Ho, Ho!I am hearing Christmas carols on the
radio, and this past weekend our daughter participated in the
Farmer's Santa Parade. If you are beginning to feel the
stress of Christmas already, then join our Christmas
Baking and Treats tour, and enjoy a fun day while shopping for
all those Christmas treats. This was our inaugural tour last
year, and it was a hit! Our Saturday, 6 December tour is sold
out, but we have 2 seats available for Thursday, 11 December.
Gift Vouchers
Our gift vouchers make wonderful Christmas presents.
Most of our tours cost $90, and throughout the course of the year,
we will have something to tempt almost every foodie! Just
send us a message on lynn@findingflavour.co.nz
or through our website.
"Welcoming Abundance" in the Year of the Earth Ox,
Saturday, 31 January, 2009
We are fortunate to have such a diverse cultural mix in
Auckland. All the better to participate in such rituals as
the Chinese "creation of wealth (or abundance)" ceremony.
My good friend, Jean de Bruyne, of Singaporean Chinese
heritage, has hosted such an event for her friends and clients for
several years. This year we are invited to join them.
This is a wonderful opportunity to take a few hours to focus on the
New Year and what you wish to invite or achieve for the year.
This could be health, monetary wealth, friends, travel, wisdom,
fabulous food (this last one is my idea!). The ceremony
is held in Jean's beautiful garden in Greenhithe. We are
welcomed with afternoon tea, then given the opportunity to create
our own "wealth jar", and to focus on the year to come. We
will enjoy dinner which includes Chinese foods relevant to the New
Year. Our ceremony ends with watching the illumination of
lanterns in the garden as darkness descends.
Email me at lynn@findingflavour.co.nz
and I will send you details. Cost of $88 includes return
transport from Auckland CBD and early arrival for a special welcome
and orientation from Jean. Booking deadline: Monday,
22 December. Only 8 seats available. Another great
Christmas gift idea - a special day to share with a friend.
Jean de Bruyne, our host for the "Welcoming Abundance" Ceremony,
pictured here with her husband Tim
Click here for details on all our
tours.
Web-Site Updates: check our website / for the latest updates on all our tours and to make
bookings. Our tour programme for the first half of 2009 will
be loaded by mid-December.
Recent Tour: World in a Day: North Shore, 8
November
We revisited some of our favourite foodie suppliers at the
beginning of November. This time we were fortunate to have a
beautiful sunny day for our travels. Our first stop was at
our favourite German baker. We visited two excellent
Middle Eastern food suppliers, including a Halal butcher.
Platters of mouth watering samples just for
us
at the German
bakery
Mohammed explains Halal meat
We continued to a Korean supermarket, where David was an
entertaining guide. Light lunch at a friendly French baker y
and cafe, and on to the boutique goat's cheese producer. How
lucky we were to hold the baby goats! At our South African
stop, we were fortunate to have time to talk with the family's
business founders. The tastings at both locations were
generous and delicious!
Jan and Joanna holding baby
goats
Friendly founders of South African
Family food business
The day wrapped up with a visit to our favourite French deli, and
lastly a tasting of artisan gelato. We'll be
back!
Recent tour: Gardens for Foodies, 29
November
Another perfect day dawned for this eagerly anticipated
tour. Our group of foodie gardeners ranged from novice to
expert, and throughout the day, there was something for all of
us.
Our first stop was at the garden of Sarah Davies, founder of "Patch
from Scratch". Sarah started her home garden only three years
ago, and has made the most of a very limited space. She has
developed a system of raised garden beds, and rotates her organic
vegetable crops each year. Her business offers everything
from a consultancy through to full design and installation of
raised vegetable garden
beds.
Sarah tells us about her
garden
Our group in Sarah's vegetable garden
Our second garden was south to the home of Peter and Sue
Carter. They have developed their garden from a virtually
bare site over the past 10 years. They have built an
immaculately designed and maintained vegetable garden in raised
beds. The Carters introduced us to the jicama plant.
This is of Mexican origins, and the tuber is peeled and eaten raw
or cooked. It is delicious raw, grated or chopped in salads,
as it has a nice crunch and is fairly neutral in its
taste.
Sue and Peter Carter in their
garden Sue explains
the jicama
Jicama - the tuber and raw samples for us to
taste
Sue's perfectly delicious and perfectly presented shortbread for us
to enjoy with morning coffee
Our return trip into the central city was via the Kirkbride Rd
strawberry farm. We loaded up on freshly picked strawberries,
and indulged in a freshly mixed strawberry ice cream
cone.
We were all excited to arrive at Lynda Hallinen's garden. We
were expecting something unique, and we were not
disappointed! Lynda gave us a warm welcome, and guided us
around her garden before we relaxed with lunch. We found it
hard to believe that Lynda has been developing her garden over just
a few years, and only made the resolution to become self-sustaining
at the beginning of this year. Thanks for your wonderful
hospitality,
Lynda!
Lynda standing beside the luxuriant barley
"field"
The "red" garden in front of the
red
Lynda's olive grove
house
General view looking to the front of the garden
Lunch is ready! The Finding Flavour team: Tuovi, Joanna
and Lynn
Our final garden visit was to the wonderful Kelmarna Community
Garden. The small street frontage gives you no clue as to the
green oasis that is waiting just down the garden
path.....
Adrian explains the history of
Kelmarna
Kelmarna is operated by the Framework Trust, and operates on
organic principles. The large site includes vegetable plots,
fruit trees and even bee hives. Soil fertility is the basis of the
garden, and our group discussed composting, worm farms, and bokashi
composting. All topics dear to the veggie gardener's
heart!
Karla and Adrian give us an in-depth briefing on worm
farms
It had been a wonderful day of weather and gardens. We hope
that all our participants were informed and inspired by the
day! Watch for more garden visits in 2009!
2009 Tour Programme Preview
Speaking of 2009, the new year is just around the
corner. Here is a sneak preview of some of the tours we have
planned:
* World in a Day: Eastern Suburbs
* French Food Discovery Tour
* World in a Day: North Shore
* Delicious Indulgences: Some of the Best Foodie Treats and
Shopping
* World in a Day: Central Suburbs
* Matakana Market and Area Day Trip
Look out for a Long Lunch at a specialist ethnic restaurant.
These are usually held on a Sunday.
Minimum NumbersThe operation of all tours is
subject to minimum numbers.
Cancellation Policy Cancel more than 7 days
before tour: full refund. Cancel within 7 days:
no refund, but you are welcome to substitute another person in your
place
Finding Flavour reserves the right to amend/alter a
tour if required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please e-mail us
with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.
FINDING FLAVOUR
NEWSLETTER
NOVEMBER, 2008
Greetings, Fellow Foodies!
A warm welcome to the foodies who have
recently joined our email list. (Allow me to skite a little here at
the wonderful article about us in the 24 September Viva, NZ
Herald. In case you missed it, a copy of the article is sent
as an attachment
with this newsletter!)
I have had some great "conversations" via email with some of
you, and I feel as though there is a thriving foodie network out
there, with an abundance of knowledge. I love receiving your
emails, and your eating/shopping suggestions. Please keep
them coming!
We have so much to share with you in this
newsletter.... Joanna capably kept things humming in the
office while I was away on a visit to family in Canada. We
had a wonderful time - the autumn weather was glorious - and I made
some great food finds. I was successful in hunting down the
"world's best cinnamon buns", had some delicious meals and browsed
through fabulous markets. While I was there, I was reminded
of "Flapper Pie", a
favourite of mine. I have tested and adjusted the recipe to
my liking (oh, the things we do for you!). Let me know how
you enjoy it. More of my trip later in the
newsletter...
You will see that we are repeating the popular "World in
a Day: North Shore" tour. We had several requests to
repeat the tour, and who are we to argue! Join us on
Saturday, 8 November for a day of interesting food
discoveries and lots of tastings. We promise to have you back
in time to vote!
Our Gardens for Foodies tour sold out very
quickly, but we promise to tell you all about it, including photos
of Lynda Hallinen's garden, in our next newsletter. Vegetable
gardens seem to be all the rage at the moment (our economic woes
have given them a push!). We will certainly include another
garden tour in our 2009 programme.
Christmas "Bring a Friend"
PromotionChristmas! Yes, it will be
here before we know it. Join our Christmas
Baking and Treats tour, and enjoy a fun day while shopping for
all those Christmas treats. This was our inaugural tour last
year, and it was a hit! Pay only half price ($45) for your
foodie friend to join you when you book this tour at the regular
price of $90. A great Christmas present from you,
and our way of saying "Merry Christmas" to our supporters. This
year we are offering the tour twice: Saturday, 6 and
Thursday, 11 December.
Gift VouchersOur gift vouchers make
wonderful Christmas presents. Most of our tours cost $90, and
throughout the course of the year, we will have something to tempt
almost every foodie! Just send us a message on lynn@findingflavour.co.nz
"Welcoming Abundance" in the Year of the Earth Ox,
Saturday, 31 January, 2009We are fortunate to have such a
diverse cultural mix in Auckland. All the better to
participate in such rituals as the Chinese "creation of wealth (or
abundance)" ceremony. My good friend, Jean de Bruyne, of
Singaporean Chinese heritage, has hosted such an event for her
friends and clients for several years. This year we are
invited to join them.
This is a wonderful opportunity to take a few hours to focus on
the New Year and what you wish to invite or achieve for the
year. This could be health, monetary wealth, friends, travel,
wisdom, fabulous food (this last one is my idea!). The
ceremony is held in Jean's beautiful garden in Greenhithe. We
are welcomed with afternoon tea, then given the opportunity to
create our own "wealth jar", and to focus on the year to
come. We will enjoy dinner which includes Chinese foods
relevant to the New Year. Our ceremony ends with watching the
illumination of lanterns in the garden as darkness
descends.
Email me at lynn@findingflavour.co.nz
and I will send you details. Cost of $88 includes return
transport from Auckland CBD and early arrival for a special welcome
and orientation from Jean. Booking deadline: Monday,
22 December. Only 8 seats available. Another great
Christmas gift idea - a special day to share with a friend.
Jean de Bruyne, our host for the "Welcoming Abundance" Ceremony,
pictured here with her husband
Tim
Click here
for details on all our
tours. Web-Site Updates: check our
website / for the latest updates on all our tours
and to make bookings.
Recent Events: Visit to Western Canada
I just have to share some special "foodie" highlights of my
recent visit to family in western Canada. We arrived to
beautifully warm autumn weather, and the leaves were
stunning:
Golden poplar trees in my
hometown
Driving through the
Rockies
It was a wonderful time of year to be visiting: harvest is
celebrated with special foods and decorations. A friend set a
beautiful table during a visit for lunch:
One of my goals was to find the "world's best cinnamon bun".
Much to my pleasant surprise, I found them at the cafe right in my
own hometown, at Lynda's Sunflower Cafe. Tuesdays she makes
cinnamon buns and Fridays she makes Flapper
Pie:
Yummy brown sugar cinnamon
buns!
My own Flapper Pie back in NZ -
see recipe on our
website
The grain harvest was in full swing, and neighbours went on an
outing to pick wild native
cranberries:
A swathed grain
field
Picking over wild cranberries
The wild cranberries are small and have a very intense
flavour. Most people mix them with the cultivated cranberry,
and make cranberry sauce to serve with Thanksgiving
turkey.
During a weekend in Edmonton, I enjoyed an outstanding meal at
the Hardware Grill:
Venison and slow-cooked beef short
ribs Lemon meringue
tart and
with red cabbage and
gnocchi blueberry
sorbet
I noticed that there are more local foods on the dining menus,
and bison (buffalo) burgers are quite common. Bison are now
farmed in Canada, much as we now farm deer, ie cervena.
Edmonton also has a thriving downtown Farmer's Market on Saturday
mornings (except in the winter, of course!):
"Baba's Daughters"
baking
Look at all the varieties of potatoes!
Glorious cauliflowers!
Then it was on to the Vancouver, on the West Coast:
Views of downtown
Vancouver
The majestic Hotel Vancouver
The greater Vancouver region is like a giant
garden:
Pumpkin fields being
harvested
Cultivated blueberries
The highlight for me was a quick visit to the Granville
Market, near the centre of the city. This market operates
every day, and is bustling with shoppers:
Bountiful pumpkin
stall
Every kind of fresh pasta
General view of Granville
Market
Tempting baking
All in all, a fabulous trip. I have made a resolution to
"research" the Vancouver foodie scene on my next visit!
Minimum NumbersThe operation of all tours is
subject to minimum numbers.
Cancellation PolicyCancel more than 7 days
before tour: full refundCancel within 7 days: no
refund, but you are welcome to substitute another person in your
place Finding Flavour reserves the right to
amend/alter a tour if required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please e-mail
us with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.
FINDING FLAVOUR NEWSLETTER
AUGUST,
2008
Sahaa/Greetings, Fellow Foodies!
We have survived the (latest)
storms! What a great way to spend a stormy
winter day - escaping to North Africa to indulge in a banquet lunch
on Sunday, 27 July, at Sahaa Restaurant. More on
this delicious experience later in the newsletter.
Auckland Food Show
I joined
what seemed like several thousand other Auckland foodies at the
recent Food Show. There is always something
delicious to discover at the Show. Here are
photos of a couple of the more unusual
stands:
My husband and I can vouch that the rose-scented
Turkish Delight was a dream, and the creativity of food
presentation by the Chef for You was outstanding.
You heard it here first: tea is the new
coffee!! There were several stands specialising
in teas at the Show, and a real find was Harney and Sons tea. I
purchased the Paris and the Wedding tea blends, both in the most
beautiful containers. You can find this
delicious tea at Sabato.
Still time to grab a seat sale ticket and join us exploring the
foodie delights of Wellington/Petone on our Wellington
Foodie Discovery Day Tour , Saturday, 9
August. I have just
learned about a delectable specialty cake shop in the centre of the
city, and of course we must check it out!
While in Wellington take in the special Rita Angus
Exhibition at Te Papa.
You have another opportunity to come globe-trotting -
this time on the North Shore. Join us and
discover some foodie delights over the Harbour Bridge on our World
in a Day Tour: North Shore on Saturday, 30
August. Spaces are filling fast, so book
now! See more information on these tours in the
newsletter.
Planned for this spring:
Gardens for Foodies
Tour Matakana
Market Discovery Tour - a repeat of our successful February
tour Christmas Baking and
Treats Tour - our popular inaugural tour
Click here for details on all our
tours.
Web-Site Updates: check our
website / for the latest updates on all
our tours and to make
bookings. The dates for the Gardens for Foodies
tour and for the Matakana Market Discovery tour will be posted on
the web-site as soon as the dates are confirmed.
Recent Event: North
African Food Long Lunch at Sahaa Restaurant
Cold winter days and steaming tagines - it was truly a
perfect combination for a North African Long
Lunch at Sahaa Restaurant on
Sunday, 27 July. The restaurant was all
ours as we settled in, nibbled on some mezza
and learned about our delicious lunch to come
from chef/owner Makhlouf Benyettou. Makhlouf had
just unpacked a container of beautiful goods from Morocco, so we
even had the opportunity to do some browsing during
lunch!
Sahaa sets
our table for
lunch
Colourful cushion poofs for
sale
Tagines for
sale
Home-made bread, dukkah and olives
Enjoying keftka (lamb meatballs) andBoureks (minced lamb
in pastry parcels)
Makh shows
how to preserve lemons
Ingredients for preserving lemons
We needed the break between our mezza and the arrival of the
delicious tagines:
Lahm Lhalou
tagine
Chermoula Fish tagine
The lamb tagine had been cooked with an orange infusion,
apples and prunes - very rich and very
delicious. The fish tagine was a perfect taste
contrast - fish with cumin, coriander and preserved
lemons. These were served with couscous and a
fresh green salad.
Alex pours us mint
tea
Makh joins us after lunch
It was all so delicious, that we barely had room for traditional
sweet mint tea, and dessert of Samsa: crushed almonds encased in
filo pastry with a honey-orange blossom syrup.
Thank you, Makh, Diana and Alex for your warm
hospitality! Find out more about
Sahaa Restaurant: www.sahaa.co.nz
Upcoming Tours:
Wellington Food Discovery Day Tour
-
Date: Saturday, 9
August
Start Time: 9:30
am
Finish Time: 3:30 pm Cost:
$90
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There is so much to tempt the foodie in Wellington. We will
spend the Saturday exploring the trendy suburb of Petone and finish
with a stop at the renowned Moore Wilson's Fresh. You will
still have time to visit the Rita Angus Exhibition at Te Papa, or
you can view it on Sunday if you are staying for the weekend.
Highlights:
* Morning coffee and pastries at top bakery
* Shopping at Petone food specialty stores including:
- importer of international range of
food products
- Dutch importer of cheeses and NZ's biggest
selection of licorice!
- cookbook shop
- Indian spice shop
* Delicious lunch at Italian food importer
* Visit to Moore Wilson's Fresh, downtown Wellington
World in a Day Discovery Tour:
North Shore
Date: Saturday, 30 August
Start Time: 9:00
am Finish
Time: 4:00
pm Cost:
$90
Join us and make some delicious foodie discoveries "over the
Harbour Bridge". There is a world of delicious
food to discover on Auckland's North Shore. This Discovery
Tour will be a real food shopper's treat: German, French, Middle
Eastern, South African, and Kiwi artisan food are just some of the
parts of the culinary globe that we will cover.
Highlights:
* German bakery delights
* Middle Eastern food supplier
* South African deli and butcher
* Kiwi artisan cheeses from award-winning producer
* French bakery visit
* Light Lunch included
As always, we will have lots of tastings and lots of
fun! Bring your shopping bag and chiller bag -
you will want to take some of your food finds and treats
home!
Minimum Numbers:
The operation of all tours is subject to minimum
numbers.
Cancellation Policy:
Cancel more than 7 days before tour: full
refund
Cancel within 7 days: no refund, but
you are welcome to substitute another person in your
place
Finding Flavour
reserves the right to amend/alter a tour
if required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter,
please e-mail us with "Unsubscribe" in the subject
line.
FINDING
FLAVOUR NEWSLETTER
JULY, 2008
Greetings, Fellow Foodies!
Hope you are all keeping warm and cosy - we managed to keep warm
while we had a great day of globe-trotting on 26 June on our World
in a Day Discovery Tour: Central Suburbs. Read all
about it later in the newsletter.
Book Now for Sunday, 27 July!
Cold winter days and steaming tagines - a perfect combination for a
North African Long Lunch at Sahaa Restaurant on Sunday,
27 July. The restaurant is all ours as we settle in and
nibble on some mezza and learn about Algerian, Moroccan and
Tunisian cuisine from chef/owner Makhlouf Benyettou. Then we
will enjoy several of his delicious tagine dishes along with
wine. Come, bring your partner and friends, and savour the
day!
What do Petone and foodie treats have in common? Come to
Wellington and find out on our Wellington Foodie Discovery Day Tour
on Saturday, 9 August. While in Wellington take
in the special Rita Angus Exhibition at Te Papa.
Another opportunity to come globe-trotting - this time on the North
Shore. Join us and discover some foodie delights over the
Harbour Bridge on our World in a Day Tour: North Shore on
Saturday, 30 August.
See more information on these tours in the newsletter.
Planned for this spring:
Gardens for Foodies Tour
Matakana Market Discovery Tour - a repeat
of our successful February tour
Christmas Baking and Treats Tour - our
popular inaugural tour
Click here for details on all our tours.
Web-Site Update: check our website / for the
latest updates on all our tours and to make
bookings.
We also have a Recipe Exchange, featuring recipes contributed on
our tours by fellow foodies. This month we have added recipes
for Papaya Seed Salad Dressing from Anthea Springford and a Dairy
and Egg-Free Banana Cake from Cathy Mellett. Thanks for sharing
these!
Recent Tour: World in a
Day: Central Suburbs, Thursday, 26 June
French
Our group set off on our globe-trotting day with French coffee and
pastries. A day of tasting began….home-made terrine, pate and
delicious ham.
Asian
How many of us have wanted to explore an Asian supermarket?
This was our chance! Our guide for this part of the tour,
Anthea Springford, grew up in Malaysia and later lived in Hong
Kong. She shared her knowledge and love of Asian food with
all of us. And of course, more tastings…. this time, freshly
made spring rolls, featuring the "crepes" or pancakes pictured
below.
Anthea guides us around Two
serious foodies
the Asian supermarket
Asian-style crepes being made
Middle Eastern
We travelled the globe to the Middle East. We recommend the
grilled eggplant, perfect for baba ghanoush. Plus fresh dates
to die for, nuts and spices, pomegranate juice (the beauty secret
of Persian lades, so we were told!) and more. All tasted
delicious.
Vahid offers us fresh dates
A great shopping experience!
to taste
Indian
The smell of the spices wafted to greet us as we walked through the
door. Too bad we cannot offer you a "scratch and sniff"
experience! We discovered some ingredients used for health
and religious purposes, as well as those used in cooking.
Exotic Indian spices & cooking utensils
Eastern European
Back to Europe for our last port of call. Natasha toured us
through Russian and Polish foods - this is definitely the place to
come for pickles, sausages, rye bread and varenikies/perogies. We
finished by toasting Helen's birthday and enjoying a specially-made
birthday torte.
Natasha explains Russian food Birthday Torte -
Yum!
Afternoon birthday coffee for Helen
Why not join us in August, when we will tour the "World in a Day"
on the North Shore.
Upcoming Lunches and Tours in July and
August
Book Now!
North African Food Long Lunch
Date: Sunday, 27 July Start
Time: 12 noon Finish Time: 2:30
pm approx. Cost: $75
Cold winter days and steaming tagines! Come and enjoy a
delicious long Sunday lunch with a difference.
We meet at Sahaa Restaurant in Newmarket, especially open this
day just for us! Settle in and nibble on some mezza as
Chef/Owner Makhlouf Benyettou introduces us to Algerian, Moroccan
and Tunisian cuisine. Learn how to preserve lemons and use a
tagine.
We will enjoy two different tagine main courses prepared for us
by Chef Makhlouf : Moroccan Chermoula Fish, a savoury tagine using
preserved lemons; Algerian Lahm Lhalour tagine, with tender
lamb, and sweet undertones from the prunes and apples. Both
sound delicious. Enjoy them with accompanying wines. We
will finish our Long Lunch with sweets and mint tea.
Come, bring your partner and friends, and savour this North
African Long Lunch together! Click here for more information
on Sahaa Restaurant.
Wellington Food Discovery Day Tour - Saturday, 9
August
Date: Saturday, 9 August Start Time: 9:30
am Finish Time: 3:30 pm approx. Cost: $90
There is so much to tempt the foodie in Wellington. We
will spend the Saturday exploring the trendy suburb of Petone and
finish with a stop at the renowned Moore Wilson's Fresh. You
will still have time to visit the Rita Angus Exhibition at Te Papa,
or you can view it on Sunday if you are staying for the
weekend.
Highlights:
* Morning coffee and pastries at top bakery
* Shopping at Petone food specialty stores including:
- importer of international range of food
products
- Dutch importer of cheeses and NZ's biggest
selection of licorice!
- cookbook shop
- Indian spice shop
* Delicious lunch at Italian food importer
* Visit to Moore Wilson's Fresh, downtown Wellington
World in a Day Discovery Tour: North
Shore
Date: Saturday, 30 August Start Time: 9:00
am Finish Time: 4:00
pm Cost: $90
Join us and make some delicious foodie discoveries "over the
Harbour Bridge".
There is a world of delicious food to discover on Auckland's North
Shore. This Discovery Tour will be a real food shopper's
treat: German, French, Middle Eastern, South African, and Kiwi
artisan food are just some of the parts of the culinary globe that
we will cover.
Highlights:
* German bakery delights
* Middle Eastern food supplier
* South African deli and butcher
* Kiwi artisan cheeses from award-winning producer
* French bakery visit
* Light Lunch included
As always, we will have lots of tastings and lots of fun!
Bring your shopping bag and chiller bag - you will want to take
some of your food finds and treats home!
Shopping for Special Diets - I attended the
Allergy Show held this past weekend at the Auckland
Showgrounds. It really is a sign of the times that the show
was packed! This was a comprehensive show that many of you
with special dietary needs will have attended and will have shopped
at . For information on allergies, contact Allergy New
Zealand on www.allergy.org.nz.
Fellow foodie, Cathy Mellett, who has a young son with food
allergies, has kindly shared her Dairy and Egg-Free Banana Cake
recipe with us, and it is posted on our Recipe Exchange.
Minimum Numbers
The operation of all tours is subject to minimum numbers.
Cancellation Policy
Cancel more than 7 days before tour: full refund
Cancel within 7 days: no refund, but you are welcome to
substitute another person in your place
Finding Flavour reserves the right to amend/alter a tour if
required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please e-mail us
with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.
FINDING FLAVOUR NEWSLETTER
JUNE, 2008
Greetings, Fellow Foodies!
"I had high expectations and it (the tour) seriously
exceeded them. Thank You."
High praise indeed from Anthea, one of the Indulged participants on
our recent Delicous Indulgences tour. Read more about it later in
the newsletter, and plan to join us next time - because you deserve
it!
I love this time of year - cooking those warming foods that just
seem so right in the cooler weather. I have been trying some
new recipes, as well as returning to the classic favourites.
Even defrosted some left-over turkey from Christmas, and made a
turkey pot-pie, with a browned mashed potato topping - yum!
Do you have a favourite winter dish that you would like to tell
us about? Send in the recipe, and we will post it on our
Recipe Exchange on the web-site.
No reason to hibernate this winter, come globe-trotting on 26
June in our World in a Day Discovery Tour: Central Suburbs of
Mt Eden, Dominion Road and Newmarket.
This will be the perfect opportunity to buy the ingredients for
those new recipes that you want to try out this winter.
Cold winter days and steaming tagines - a perfect combination
for a North African Long Lunch at Sahaa Restaurant on
Sunday, 27 July. Sip some warming mint tea as we learn about
Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian cuisine from chef/owner Makhlouf
Benyettou. Then enjoy several of his delicious tagine dishes,
along with wine. Come, bring your friends, and savour the
day!
What do Petone and foodie treats have in common? Come to
Wellington and find out on our Wellington Foodie Discovery Day Tour
on Saturday, 9 August. While in Wellington, take
in the special Rita Angus Exhibition at Te Papa.
See more information on these tours in the newsletter.
Also planned for later this winter and in the spring:
Shopping for Special Diets (ie
gluten-free, dairy-free, organic)
North Shore Discovery Tour
Gardens for Foodies Tour
Matakana Market Discovery Tour - a repeat
of our successful February tour
Christmas Baking and Treats Tour - our
popular inaugural tour first run last year
PLUS - Expressions of interest, please, for a Sydney Food and
Christmas Shopping Weekend in mid-November!
Click here for details on all our tours.
Web-Site Update: check our website / for the
latest updates on all our tours, and to make bookings.
We also have a Recipe Exchange, featuring recipes contributed on
our tours by fellow foodies.
Recent Tour: May Tour - Delicious
Indulgences
You can never have too much of a good thing, and on the 15th of
May, we set out to prove it! We started out with seeing
behind the scenes of Auckland's leading coffee roasting company,
and kick-started our morning with a good jolt of caffeine.
Matthew explaining
coffee
Matthew and
Margaret
Coffee Break!
roasting
process
with bagged coffee
We had a quick stop to pick up the most fabulous Portuguese-style
tarts from Metro's 2007 Cafe of the Year, to enjoy en-route
to our next indulgence - a little retail therapy. One can
never have too many kitchen gadgets! And there is nothing
like a hand massage to soothe the tired shopper!
Are these all for
me?
A relaxing way to
shop
Avalon demonstrating the irresistible kitchen gadgets
Then it was time for our "entree": the most divine smoked
seafood (I think the best in Auckland), at Auckland's leading Fish
Shop. Washed down with a glass of champagne, of course!
Stephannie and the divine smoked
seafood
Lunch tasted as good
as
Our Chefs: Michael
and
Enjoying
Lunch
Chocolates to Finish!
it
looked!
Assistant
We continued our theme for the day with the most Delicious lunch -
we can't tell you where, but we can tell you the chef is Michael
Meredith. To finish up the day, we Indulged in the most
luxurious hand-made French chocolates. Same time, next year,
anyone?
Upcoming Lunches and Tours in June and July
World in a Day Discovery Tour: Central Suburbs of Mt Eden,
Dominion Rd and Newmarket
Date: Thursday, 26 June Start
Time: 9:15 am Finish Time: 3:30
pm Cost: $90
This Discovery Tour will be a real food shopper's treat: French,
Middle Eastern, Asian, Indian and Eastern European are just some of
the parts of the culinary globe that we will cover.
Highlights:
* Morning coffee and tastings at a French cafe and food
supplier
* Tastings at a Middle Eastern food supplier
* Tour of an Asian supermarket - helping to unravel the
mysteries
* Tour of an Indian spice shop - ingredients for your own spice
mix
* Lunch
* Decadent dessert and shopping at an Eastern European deli
North African Food Long Lunch
Date: Sunday, 27 July Start
Time: 12 noon Finish Time: 2:30
pm approx. Cost: $85
Cold winter days and steaming tagines! Come and enjoy a
delicious long Sunday lunch with a difference.
We meet at Sahaa Restaurant, and warm up with hot mint tea as
Chef/Owner Makhlouf Benyettou introduces us to Algerian, Moroccan
and Tunisian cuisine. Learn how to preserve lemons and use a
tagine! We will nibble on some mezza, then enjoy a
lunch of two different tagine main courses specially prepared for
us by Chef Makhlouf, and accompanied by wine. We finish with
sweets and mint tea.
Come, bring your friends, and savour this North African Long Lunch
together! Click here for more information on Sahaa
Restaurant.
Upcoming This Winter
Wellington Food Discovery Day Tour - Saturday, 9 August
Planned for this Spring
Shopping for Special Diets (ie gluten-free, dairy-free,
organic)
North Shore Discovery Tour
Gardens for Foodies Tour
Matakana Market Discovery Tour - a repeat of our highly
successful February tour
Christmas Baking and Treats Tour - our popular inaugural tour from
last year
PLUS - Expressions of interest, please, for a Sydney Food and
Christmas Shopping Weekend in mid-November!
Minimum Numbers
The operation of all tours is subject to minimum numbers.
Cancellation Policy
Cancel more than 7 days before tour: full refund
Cancel within 7 days: no refund, but you are welcome to
substitute another person in your place
Finding Flavour reserves the right to amend/alter a tour
if required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please e-mail
us with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.
May 08
FINDING FLAVOUR NEWSLETTER
MAY, 2008
Greetings, Fellow Foodies!
Only 2 places left!
New for May, and a perfect Mother's Day gift: Delicious
Indulgences Tour on Thursday, 15 May. Because we deserve
it! We will sample some of the best of Auckland's food
offerings, with a little time for shopping, and a few surprises,
too!
I attended the recent Savour foodie event in Auckland, and
met the delightful Faith Willinger, a self-described "born again"
Italian. Faith's message, and those of other Savour
presenters, was all about using the best and freshest of
ingredients - to shop for and use the produce in season,
On this theme of seasonal produce, we are pleased to invite you
on a Market Shopping and Lunch Tour with Chef Sarah La
Touche. This will be held on Saturday, 7 June. Spaces are limited,
so book now!
Come globe-trotting on 26 June in our World in a Day Discovery
Tour: Central Suburbs of Mt Eden, Dominion Road and
Newmarket.
Cold winter days and steaming tagines - a perfect combination
for a North African Long Lunch on Sunday, 27 July.
What do Petone and foodie treats have in common? Come to
Wellington and find out on our Wellington Foodie Discovery Day Tour
on Saturday, 9 August (note change of date). While in
Wellington, take in the special Rita Angus Exhibition at Te
Papa.
Also planned for later this winter and in the spring:
Shopping for Special Diets (ie
gluten-free, dairy-free, organic)
North Shore Discovery Tour
Gardens for Foodies Tour
Matakana Market Discovery Tour - a repeat
of our successful February tour
Christmas Baking and Treats Tour - our
popular inaugural tour first run last year
PLUS - Expressions of interest, please, for a Sydney Food and
Christmas Shopping Weekend in mid-November!
Click here for details on all our tours.
Web-Site Update: We have had a few teething problems with our
website and server - apologies to any of you who have had problems
contacting us. In case you haven't had a look, check our
website / for the latest updates on all
our tours, and to make bookings. We also have a Recipe
Exchange, featuring recipes contributed on our tours by fellow
foodies.
Recent Tour: South Vietnam Food Discovery Banquet Lunch, 13
April
A blustery Sunday, 13 April was a perfect day to enjoy a delicious
Banquet Lunch at Pho South Vietnam Restaurant/Banh Mi Bale (215
Dominion Rd) We were warmly welcomed by the Lam Family,
and settled in to enjoy their home-cooking. We started with
tastings of their delicious coffee (think sweetened condensed milk
- yum!) and home-made iced tea. The surprise hit was the
avocado shake. Then we sampled several types of their unique
Baguette Sandwiches - "France" meets "South Vietnam". These
are definitely worth crossing town for!
Hosts-Kim and
Kathryn
Settling in for a delicious
lunch
South Vietnamese Ingredients
Next we learned about the fresh herbs and key ingredients used
in their cooking. Then it was our turn - a hands-on
experience learning how to make fresh rolls. Kim definitely
made it look easy.
Baguette
Sandwich
Kim showing us how to make Fresh Rolls - then it's our turn!
The banquet lunch dishes arrived: green beans with olives
(my favourite), steamed fish, seasoned pork balls, and many other
dishes. All this was washed down with jasmine and green teas,
and wine! Dessert was grass-jelly served with jackfruit and
logan fruit.
A delicious foodie experience - thank you Kim, Kathryn and the
Lam Family!
Find out more about PHO Restaurant.
Upcoming Lunches and Tours in May and June
Delicious Indulgences Tour - The perfect Mother's Day gift!
Only 2 places left!
Date: Thursday, 15 May Start
time: 10 am Finish Time: 3:30
pm approx. Cost: $125
We will spend the day sampling some of Auckland's best food,
starting with great morning coffee, and moving on to a smoked
seafood tasting, main course lunch at a top Auckland restaurant and
finishing with French handmade chocolates. You will even have
time for a little cooking-related shopping, plus there will be a
few surprises and other treats during the day.
Why not treat yourself or someone special in your life?
Book now, and we will send a Gift Voucher on your behalf!
Market Shopping and Lunch with Sarah La Touche
Date: Saturday, 7 June Start
Time: 8:30 am Finish Time: 2 pm
approx. Cost: $225
Join Chef Sarah La Touche to shop for fresh seasonal produce, and
then watch her cook it for your lunch!
We will start the day with early morning shopping at a Farmer's
Market. Sarah will select the best of the day's offerings for
us to enjoy at lunch. Then we will relocate to the Taste
demonstration kitchen, where we will watch her prepare the
food. Group size will be kept small, so everyone will
have a front row seat to be part of the cooking action. You
will have the opportunity to ask Sarah questions as we
go. We will enjoy lunch with a glass -or two - of
wine.
This will be a complete foodie day to enjoy! Why not also use
the opportunity to shop for the rest of the weekend?
World in a Day Discovery Tour: Central Suburbs of Mt Eden,
Dominion Rd and Newmarket
Date: Thursday, 26 June Start
Time: 10 am Finish Time: 3:30
pm Cost: $90
This Discovery Tour will be a real food shopper's treat: French,
Middle Eastern, Asian, Indian and Eastern European are just some of
the parts of the culinary globe that we will cover.
Highlights:
* Morning coffee and tastings at a French cafe and food
supplier
* Tastings at a Middle Eastern food supplier
* Tour of an Asian supermarket
* Tour of an Indian spice shop
* Lunch
* Decadent dessert and shopping at an Eastern European deli
Upcoming This Winter
North African Long Lunch
Wellington Food Discovery Day Tour
Planned for this Spring
Shopping for Special Diets (ie gluten-free, dairy-free,
organic)
North Shore Discovery Tour
Gardens for Foodies Tour
Matakana Market Discovery Tour - a repeat of our highly
successful February tour
Christmas Baking and Treats Tour - our popular inaugural tour from
last year
PLUS - Expressions of interest, please, for a Sydney Food and
Christmas Shopping Weekend in mid-November!
Minimum Numbers
The operation of all tours is subject to minimum numbers.
Cancellation Policy
Cancel more than 7 days before tour: full refund
Cancel within 7 days: no refund, but you are welcome to
substitute another person in your place
Finding Flavour reserves the right to amend/alter a tour
if required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please e-mail
us with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.
FINDING FLAVOUR NEWSLETTER APRIL
2008
Greetings, Fellow Foodies!
As I write this, the wind is blowing and it definitely feels
that autumn is here. Warm up and enjoy a long Sunday lunch at
our South Vietnam Food Discovery Banquet Lunch on Sunday, 13 April,
Bring your friends (or even your partner!) and discover the
delicious cuisine from South Vietnam. See description in this
newsletter.
New for May, and a perfect Mother's Day gift: Delicious
Indulgences Tour on Thursday, 15 May. Because we deserve
it! We will sample some of the best of Auckland's food
offerings, with a little time for shopping, and a few surprises,
too!
We so enjoyed our French Discovery Tour with Sarah La Touche
(more about that later in the newsletter), that I have persuaded
Sarah to let us join her as she shops at a Farmers' Market for
seasonal fresh produce. Then she will prepare us lunch! This
Market Shopping and Lunch Tour. will be held on Saturday, 7
June.
Come globe-trotting on 26 June (previously scheduled for May) in
our World in a Day Discovery Tour: Central Suburbs of Mt
Eden, Dominion Road and Newmarket.
Cold winter days and steaming tagines - a perfect combination
for a North African Long Lunch on Sunday, 27 July.
What do Petone and foodie treats have in common? Come to
Wellington and find out on our Wellington Foodie Discovery Day Tour
on Saturday, 16 August. While in Wellington, take in the
special Rita Angus Exhibition at Te Papa.
Also planned for later this winter and in the spring:
Shopping for Special Diets (ie
gluten-free, dairy-free, organic)
North Shore Discovery Tour
Gardens for Foodies Tour
Matakana Market Discovery Tour - a repeat
of our highly successful February tour
PLUS - Expressions of interest, please, for a Sydney Food and
Christmas Shopping Weekend in mid-November!
Click here for details on all our tours.
Web-Site Update: We are now "live" ! Check our
website / for the latest updates on our all
tours, and to make bookings. We also have a Recipe Exchange,
featuring recipes contributed on our tours by fellow foodies.
Recent Tour: French Food Discovery Tour with Sarah La Touche,
26 March
We set out on a sunny Wednesday morning to discover French food
with Sarah. Our theme for the day was "Menu Champetre", and
Sarah linked our various stops with this food theme. She was
also an excellent resource for those lucky people in the group
heading to France on holiday.
First up was morning coffee and a behind-the-scenes look at the
production of croissants - our hairnets were a great look!
The array of pastries we enjoyed was overwhelming. Next we
visited a specialty French food shop, learned about French pates
and saussicons, and of course had some samples! After a salad
lunch, we stopped for some well-deserved handmade French
chocolates. We shopped for seasonal fresh produce, then
finished off with a guided tasting of four delicious French
cheeses. Merci beaucoup, Sarah!
Dominique preparing croissants Morning coffee and French
pastries Sarah recommending delicious products
Delicious
chocolates
Now this is what you look for.... Our French
cheese experience
"It was a fabulous day out - very enriching!" Pauline, tour
participant
"What better way to spend a day - tasting, talking, shopping and
sharing ideas with other foodies. What fun!" Bernice, tour
participant
Upcoming Lunches and Tours in April and May
Places Still Available!
South Vietnam Food Discovery Banquet Lunch -
Date: Sunday, 13 April
Start
time: 12 noon Finish time: 2:30 pm
approx.
Metro magazine awarded Banh Mi
Bale
Cost: Only $55
"Best Sandwich" in their 2007/08 "Best of Auckland"
Awards.
Photo Courtesy of Banh Mi Bale Photo Courtesy of
Pho South Vietnam Restaurant
We meet at PHO South Vietnam Restaurant/Banh Mi Bale to learn
about their cuisine and spend a relaxing lunch. On arrival we
will sample "hors d'oeuvres" of their unique "French-style"
baguette sandwiches and taste several typical fruit
beverages. We will gain insight into South Vietnamese cuisine
and ingredients, and then we will enjoy a 9-course banquet lunch of
home-style food, served with wine.
Delicious Indulgences Tour - The perfect Mother's Day gift!
Date: Thursday, 15 May Start
time: 10 am Finish Time: 3:30
pm approx. Cost: $125
We will spend the day sampling some of Auckland's best food,
starting with morning coffee, and moving on to a smoked seafood
tasting, a light lunch and finishing with handmade
chocolates. You will even have time for a little food-related
shopping, plus there will be a few surprises and other treats
during the day.
Why not treat yourself or someone special in your life?
Book now, and we will send a Gift Voucher on your behalf!
Note: This replaces the World in a Day Discovery Tour, now
being held on 26 June
Upcoming This Winter
Market Shopping and Lunch with Sarah La Touche
World in a Day Discovery Tour: Central Suburbs of Mt Eden,
Dominion Rd and Newmarket
North African Long Lunch
Wellington Food Discovery Day Tour
Planned for this Spring
Shopping for Special Diets (ie gluten-free, dairy-free,
organic)
North Shore Discovery Tour
Gardens for Foodies Tour
Matakana Market Discovery Tour - a repeat of our highly
successful February tour
PLUS - Expressions of interest, please, for a Sydney Food and
Christmas Shopping Weekend in mid-November!
Minimum Numbers
The operation of all tours is subject to minimum numbers.
Cancellation Policy
Cancel more than 7 days before tour: full refund
Cancel within 7 days: no refund, but you are welcome to
substitute another person in your place
Finding Flavour reserves the right to amend/alter a tour
if required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please e-mail
us with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.
Finding Flavour
Phone: (09) 372-7344
Mobile: (021) 550-510
March 08
NEWSLETTER
Greetings, Fellow Foodies!2008 seems to be the year of the
golden weather..... Why not come on our French Food
Discovery Tour with Chef Sarah La Touche to get some
ideas - and food - for a delicious French-style autumn lunch or
dinner? A few places still available! If you would rather let
someone else do the cooking, then book now for our South
Vietnam Food Discovery Banquet Lunch. Note that we
have now also made this lunch available on Sunday, 13 April,
so bring your friends (or even your partner!) and settle in for a
delicious long Sunday lunch. See descriptions in this newsletter.
Come globe-trotting in May in our World in a Day
Discovery Tour:Central Suburbs of Mt Eden,
Dominion Road and Newmarket.
We have more
exciting tours and lunches planned for the winter:
* Moroccan Long Lunch
* Shopping for Special Diets (ie gluten-free, dairy-free,
organic)
* Wellington Weekend: Foodie discoveries and visit to Rita Angus
Exhibition at Te Papa
North Shore Discovery Tour
PLUS Expressions of interest, please, for a Sydney Food and
Christmas Shopping Weekend in mid-November!
Read all about our upcoming tours on the following pages, pages
2-3.
Web-Site Update: Good things take time! - Target Date is
Thursday, 20 March
Recent Tour:Matakana Market Visit, 23 February Neither
rain nor wind shall keep us from our market shopping adventures!
Matakana Market Visit, 23 February, A hardy band of adventurers
enjoyed a day of delicious food tasting and shopping in the
Matakana market and area on 23 February. The up-side of the poor
weather was that we had the market almost to ourselves (and a
Korean film crew!).We relaxed over an elegant high tea lunch, and
lapped up the homemade gelato. "A wonderful snapshot of the
Matakana area that has tempted a return in the near future."
Cathy, tour participant.
Yes, we still have room for gelato!
Our elegant lunch.
Upcoming Tours- A Few Places Still Available!
French Food Discovery Tour
Date:; Wednesday, 26 March - With Chef
Sarah La Touche
Start time:; 10:00 am
Finish time: 3:30 pm
Cost: $150
Chef Sarah La Touche will take us on an insightful tour of French
cuisine to be discovered in Auckland.; We will visit boutique
creators of French-style food including behind the scenes visits to
a delicious baker and to a divine chocolate maker.; We will also
enjoy a tasting of French cheeses.; During the tour, you will have
the opportunity to shop for fresh vegetables and other food
supplies for a late summer/early autumn alfresco
meal.;Transportation, morning coffee, tastings, and a light
dejeuner (lunch) with wine is included.
About Sarah La Touche:Sarah and her husband Denis
lived in France for many years, and ran the guesthouse and
cookschool "Les Mimosas" in Languedoc.; On their return to New
Zealand, Sarah joined the culinary team at The Epicurean Workshop,
where she ran cooking demonstrations and "Hands On" cooking
classes.; Sarah is a talented chef, and now creates fabulous
tapas-style food at the Waiheke winery "Casita Miro".; Sarah is a
contributor to Dish magazine and
writes a regular column for Waiheke Island's Gulf
News.
South Vietnam Food Discovery Banquet Lunch
Dates:; Sunday, 13 April and; Thursday, 17 April -
Now Also Offered on Sunday!
Start time:; 11:15 am
Finish time:; 2:00 pm approx.
Metro; magazine awarded Banh Mi Bale
Cost:; $65
"Best Sandwich" in their 2007 "Best of Auckland" Awards.
Photo Courtesy of Banh Mi Bale
Photo Courtesy of Pho South Vietnam Restaurant
South Vietnam Food Discovery ;Banquet ;Lunch, cont'd.
We meet at PHO South Vietnam Restaurant/Banh Mi Bale to learn about
their cuisine and spend a relaxing lunch.; On arrival we will
sample "hors d'oeuvres" of their unique "French-style" baguette
sandwiches and taste several typical fruit beverages.; We will gain
insight into South Vietnamese cuisine and ingredients, and then we
will enjoy a 9-course banquet lunch of home-style
food, served with wine.
World in a Day Discovery
Tour:Central Suburbs of Mt Eden, Dominion Rd and
Newmarket
Date: Thursday, 15 May
Start time: 10:00 am
Finish time:; 3:30 pm approx.
Cost:; $90
Come and discover the world of delicious food in the central
suburbs of Mt Eden, Dominion Rd and Newmarket!; This Discovery Tour
will be a real food shopper's treat:; French, Middle Eastern,
Asian, Indian, Eastern European and Kiwi seafood are just some of
the parts of the globe that we will cover.;Transportation in a
minibus, extensive tastings, time for shopping, an elegant ;lunch
with a glass of bubbles, and a decadent dessert are included in the
cost.
Upcoming This Winter
Moroccan Long Lunch Cold winter days and delicious
steaming tagines.; This will be a Sunday Long Lunch to savour.;
Date to be Advised.;
Shopping for Special Diets We have had several requests
for a tour that specifically focuses on shopping for people with
allergies.; We will shop for organic, gluten-free and dairy-free
foods.; The tour will be lead by an expert on food for special
diets.; Date to be Advised.;
Wellington Weekend Delicious food, shopping and a
special Rita Angus Art Exhibition at Te Papa.; What more of an
excuse do you need to join us for a winter weekend break in
Wellington?; Join just for the Saturday, or make an entire weekend
of it.; Flights and accommodation your own arrangement.; Date will
be in August.;
North Shore Discovery Tour Just what food discoveries
await us over the Harbour Bridge?; Come on this day trip and make
some amazing finds!; Date to be Advised.
Upcoming This Spring;Sydney Food
and Christmas Shopping Weekend - Expressions of Interest,
please!Calling all those interested in spending an
indulgent weekend in Sydney!; Get a start on your Christmas
shopping, explore some of the fabulous food neighbourhoods of
Sydney and even fit in some spa time!; Tentatively set for
mid-November.; Want to join us?; Please let us know if you are
interested.
Minimum Numbers:;; The operation of all tours
is subject to minimum numbers.
Cancellation Policy:; Cancel more than 7 days
before tour:; full refund.
Cancel within 7 days:; no refund, but you are welcome to substitute
another person in your place.
Finding Flavour reserves the right to amend/alter a
tour if required.
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please e-mail us
with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.
February 08
Aren't we having a wonderful summer?
Just the time to get out and explore our abundant region on our
Matakana
Market Discovery Tour
on Saturday the
23rd. (See description
following). There are still a few places
available, so call now on 021-550-510 to book your
place!
We have just finalised the details of
our
French Food Discovery
Tour
with Chef Sarah La Touche to be
held in late March, and we are drooling over the menu for our
South Vietnam Food
discovery Banquet Lunch to be held in April.
See descriptions following.
Our new
offering for May is our
World in a Day Discovery Tour
: Central Suburbs
of Mt Eden, Dominion Road and
Newmarket. Read all
about our upcoming tours on the following pages, pages
1-4.
Our new website will soon be
"live". More in our next
newsletter!
Upcoming Tours, Pages 1-4
Matakana Market
Discovery
-
- Date: Saturday,
-
Starts:7:15am
- Finishes:
3:30pm
- Costs: $120
Matakana
Patisserie
See tour descriptions next
page...
Upcoming Tours,
cont'd.
Matakana Market Discovery,
cont'd.
Highlights:§
Depart in minibus at 7:30 am to arrive at
§ Matakana
Market by 8:30
am§
Continental breakfast
en-route§
Shopping in Market featuring specialty food suppliers
§ Morning
coffee§
Exploration of Matakana Village and food
shops§
Shopping at roadside
stalls§
Light lunch with bubbles at beautiful tea
rooms§
Delicious gelato at "gelato
garden"§
Return to Auckland by 3:30 pm
French Food Discovery
Tour
-
With Chef Sarah
La Touche
- Date: Wednesday, 26
March
- Start time: 10:00
am
Finish time:
3:30pm
-
Costs:$150
Chef Sarah La Touche will take us on an Auckland discovery
tour of French food and will give us an insight into French
cuisine. After we board our minibus, we will
visit boutique producers of French-style food, and go behind the
scenes at a French-style bakery and at a French chocolate
maker. We will also visit suppliers of French
food, and enjoy a tasting of delicious French
cheeses. During the tour, you will have the
opportunity to shop for food for a late summer alfresco
dinner.
Highlights:§
Learn about French cuisine with Chef Sarah La
Touche§
Sample French-style baking and see bakery that produces the
fabulous frozen croissants and pastries that you bake
yourself§
Get behind the scenes at a French chocolate maker and enjoy
tastings§
French-style dejeuner (lunch) with glass of
wine§
Enjoy market shopping for seasonal
vegetables§
Guided French cheese
tasting§
Time for shopping throughout tour
Transportation, morning coffee, tastings, and a light
dejeuner (lunch) with wine is
included.
About Sarah La Touche:Sarah
began her food career in Sydney. Sarah and her
husband Denis lived in France for many years, and for 13 years ran
the guesthouse and cookschool "Les Mimosas" in
Languedoc. On their return to New Zealand, Sarah
joined the culinary team at The Epicurean Workshop, where she ran
cooking demonstrations and "Hands On" cooking
classes. Sarah is a talented chef, and now
creates fabulous tapas-style food at the Waiheke winery "Casita
Miro". She has her own food consultancy and
catering business "The French Kitchen". Sarah is
a contributor to Dish magazine and
writes a regular column for Waiheke Island's Gulf
News.
Upcoming Tours,
cont'd.
South Vietnam Food Discovery Banquet
Lunch -
Metro magazine awarded
Banh Mi Bale "Best Sandwich" in their 2007
"Best of Auckland" Awards.
- Date: Thursday, 17
April
- Starts: 11:15
am
- Finishes: 2:00 pm
- Cost: $65
Photo Courtesy of Banh Mi
Bale Photo Courtesy of Pho South
Vietnam Restaurant
We meet at PHO South Vietnam Restaurant/Banh Mi
Bale to learn about South Vietnamese
food. On arrival we will sample their unique
"French-style" baguette sandwiches and taste several typical fruit
beverages. We will learn about South Vietnamese cuisine and
ingredients. Then we will be served a delicious
banquet lunch of home-style South Vietnamese food, enjoyed with a
glass of wine.
Highlights:§
tastings of baguette sandwiches
§ tastings of
fruit
beverages§
9-course banquet lunch
§
glass of wine with lunch
§ recipes to try
at home
World in a Day Discovery
Tour:
Central Suburbs of Mt
Eden, Dominion Rd and
Newmarket
NEW!
- Date: Thursday, 15
May
Tour Starts: 10:00
am
- Tour Finishes:
3:00 pm
- Costs:
$90
Come and discover the world of delicious food in the
central suburbs of Mt Eden, Dominion Rd and
Newmarket! This Discovery Tour will be a real
food shopper's treat: French, Middle Eastern,
Asian, Indian, Eastern European and Kiwi seafood are just some of
the parts of the globe that we will
cover. Tour highlights next
page...
Upcoming Tours,
cont'd.
World in a Day Discovery Tour,
cont'd.
Highlights:§
Morning coffee and tastings at French bakery
and food
supplier§
Tastings at Middle Eastern food
supplier§
Tour of Asian
supermarket§
Tastings of delicious smoked seafood
§ Tour of
Indian spice
shop§
Elegant lunch with glass of
bubbles§
Decadent dessert and shopping at Eastern
European deli Transportation in a
minibus, extensive tastings, time for shopping, an elegant lunch
with a glass of bubbles, and a decadent dessert are included in the
cost.
Minimum Numbers:The operation of all tours is
subject to minimum numbers.
Cancellation Policy:Cancel more than 7 days
before tour: full refundCancel
within 7 days: no refund, but you are welcome to
substitute another person in your
place
January 08
FINDING FLAVOUR
NEWSLETTER - JANUARY, 2008
Happy New Year, Fellow Foodies!
I hope that you have had a relaxing holiday, and are ready to
start planning your foodie discoveries with me for the coming
year. A big "Thank You" to the participants of
my first tour, "Christmas Baking and
Treats". Your feedback was very
encouraging.
There has been interest in all of my proposed tours, which
has made my planning a real challenge! Market
tours seem to be near the top of the list for most people, so I
have again been out, tasting and researching on your behalf, and am
happy to invite you and your friends on my next foodie
adventures:
Upcoming Tours
Matakana Market
Discovery- Saturday, 23
February
Highlights:Departure in minibus at 7:30 am to
arrive at Matakana Market by 8:30 am
Continental breakfast en-route
Shopping in Market featuring specialty food
suppliers Morning coffee
Exploration of Matakana Village and food shops
Shopping at roadside stalls
Light lunch at beautiful tea rooms
Return to Auckland by 3:00 pm
Cost: $120 To
Book: Phone Lynn 372-7344 or
021-550-510
Or reply to
this e-mailAdditional Date:
Saturday, 16 February, subject to demand
See full description later in
newsletter.French Food Discovery
Tour- early
March Chef Sarah La Touche
will take us on an Auckland discovery tour of French
food. Sarah and her husband Denis lived in
France for many years, and ran the guesthouse and cookschool "Les
Mimosas" in Languedoc. Sarah is a talented chef,
and now creates fabulous tapas-style food at the Waiheke winery
"Casita Miro". She is also a contributor to
Cuisine magazine. Date and
cost to be confirmed.
South Vietnam Food Discovery
Lunch We meet at
PHO South Vietnam Restaurant/Banh Mi Bale to learn about
South Vietnamese food. On arrival we will sample
their unique "French-style" baguette sandwiches while we learn
about South Vietnamese cuisine and ingredients.
Lunch will be a banquet of delicious home-style South Vietnamese
food. Metro
magazine named Banh Mi Bale "Best Sandwich" in their
2007 "Best of Auckland" Awards.
Date and cost to be confirmed.
February Tour -"Matakana
Market Discovery",
Saturday , 23 February
"The early shopper gets the best
selection": We will set off in the minibus at
7:30 AM so that we can arrive at the Matakana Market by 8:30
AM. This is a very popular market with the
locals, so we want to arrive shortly after opening
time. Continental breakfast will be provided
en route in the minibus.
Enjoy a reviving coffee while we have an orientation of
the market. Then it's out with the shopping bags
and into the market! There is a variety of food
to buy and to eat, so be prepared to take your
time. Some of the suppliers
include:fresh and confit duck and
duck eggs, organic garlic, seed and nut mixes, chutneys and
spreads, organic handmade chocolates, bread, vegetables, fruit,
herbs, roses and other flowers, and more! Plus
there are delicious foods to purchase and eat at the
market: whitebait fritters, pancakes, gourmet
sausages, to name a few.
We will stow our shopping in the minibus before we take
time to explore the village of Matakana. If you
haven't visited there lately, you will be amazed at the
changes. The butchers is a "must visit", and I
recommend that you bring a chilly bag or bin for your
purchases. There are other wonderful foodie
outlets: "Blue Cafe" featuring Omaha blueberry
products and the Matakana Patisserie.
Then it's into the minibus for a drive along the backroads to
shop at some of the roadside stalls. We should
have an abundance of fresh produce to choose from at this time of
year. We will return to Matakana
for a relaxing light lunch in a beautifully renovated 1920's
bungalow. Dessert will be at a "gelato garden",
where we will enjoy freshly made gelato, using locally grown
seasonal fruit.
We could spend much more time exploring the area, but we
will return to Auckland by approximately 3:00
pm. Tour includes return
transportation, continental breakfast en route,
refreshments and light lunch. Cost is
$120. Maximum
number of foodie participants is 8, so please book
early! Call Lynn on 372-7344 or send me an
e-mail on lynn.chris@xtra.co.nz Full
payment is required to confirm your
place. Additional
Date: I will also offer this tour on Saturday,
16 February , subject to demand.
Cancellation
Policy: Cancel more than 7 days
before tour: full refundCancel
within 7 days: no refund, but you are welcome to
substitute another person in your place
Minimum
Numbers: The
operation of all tours is subject to minimum numbers.