At this time of year in Dunedin the days are long – tonight the sun will not set until close to 9:30 – so there is plenty of time after work for entertaining. A little light and summery drink made with fresh peaches, this is the perfect thing to sip with friends while you watch [...]

I had been given a bottle of pomegranate molasses for my birthday some time ago (years ago in fact!) and am embarrassed to admit that as time passed it was nudged further and further backwards on its shelf in my fridge, at last joining the ranks of the jars whose contents had been long since [...]

Building on the baking competitions we have had in the past, and a growing passion for brewing amongst our fellow cohorts, it was decided that we would step things up a little and host a brewing competition.  Sam Possenniskie of Yeastie Boys fame and Nick Jones, a passionate home-brewer with links to Mike’s Organic Brewery, kindly [...]

Less sweet and more spiced than commercial cola, there is real depth to the flavour of this syrup – it makes the perfect base for a mocktail. Pour over crushed ice, add a couple of very finely sliced rounds of fresh orange and lemon, and top with soda water (novelty umbrella optional).

My initial thought was to make a cocktail for this month’s high tea theme but after much deliberation I decided that I would turn my hand instead to iced tea. I had never made iced tea before, nor had I ever given too much thought to it so I did a little bit of reading [...]

Happy New Year! Back in 2007 I was lucky enough to travel through Sri Lanka. I wiled away hours ‘researching’ Ayurvedic treatments and their properties on the human body. Intriguingly, after each treatment was over, the lucky recipient was served something very similar to this drink. 

On numerous occasions I have told of my passion for tea, and on numerous occasions (probably in the same breath) I have told of my desire to blend my own tea.  I remember several years ago now feeling particularly inspired, wanting to blend, package and brand my own tea, as well as design wee tea [...]

Given the plethora of ingredients, both alcohol based and otherwise, and the infinite potential combinations with which to create a cocktail, it was no mean feat designing the liquid offering which would begin our wintry dinner party.  However, given the celebratory nature of our evening I figured that an apt ingredient upon which to build [...]

Smoothies will forever remind me of  Kate, a close friend from boarding school.  Kate’s parents live south of Auckland on a beautiful, sprawling farm (called Farfileds) a stones throw from the rugged west coast.  I am fortunate enough to spend time at Farfields every summer upon Kate’s return to the motherland after months away working [...]

This hot chocolate recipe is inspired by a short stint working as a larder chef almost 10 years ago.  I had never before had a hot chocolate as decadent as that which we served, and come to think of it, I don’t think I have ever had one as decadent since.  Suffice to say that [...]

Beer is definitely an office favourite, on a Friday afternoon it’s a given that members of the office will be heading off for that well deserved end of week beer. And sometimes, when there’s cause for celebration, one of the functional managers will put on a few beers and the whole office gets together in [...]

Mulled wine is typically red, so I decided why not step outside the square and make a white variation. When selecting spices, I chose carefully for what would match the cool crispness of white wine, bringing it the warmth it would need but complementing its natural undertones.