High School Reunion

SISTER ANN REVIEWS. A group of us decided to get together. Chris (Editor) couldn't make it unfortunately. Gordy, Don, from the Rotorua Boys High School, Sonya, Ann, Katrina from the Rotorua Girls High School. We went to the ‘Wild Rice’ in Tutanekai St, Rotorua. The food was all excellent. I cannot remember much. We started at the ‘Brew’ Bar over the road and I had quite a few vodkas. The boys said the Croucher’s Beer is gooood. The boys thought the wine was too average to drink out of a glass but it still worked by the look of it. After dinner we picked up a couple of tourists for a group photo and Gordy was still hungry so he licked some leftovers off Don's head. We were close at high School. Wasn't everyone?

ATMOSPHERE 7 FOOD 8 SERVICE 8   

I remember you inviting me to this. I'm sorry I missed it. No, really. Christine    

Cairns, Port Douglas and Palm Cove

Just back from hols - if you can call 6 days a hol. Well, kind of. Just not long enough.
In terms of food, pretty good really, although we didn't go mad and eat at the VERY best places. Cairns had a big harbourside destination - rather large, strings of restaurants side by side and sitting under cover while torrential rain fell was rather nice.
Tha Fish at the Pier was the chosen place, and Jules arrived on her very birthday. What a fab way to have a holiday - invited to join some very special people on their big birthday trip.

The chef's tasting menu was the decision all round and very nice it was too.

Sand crab bruschetta with rocket, tomato and capers

Fresh oysters steamed in bamboo basket with soy, ginger and shallots
Then Hervey Bay scallops with braised pork belly, orange, coriander and master stock glaze
Black bean, chilli and seafood wontons with house made sweet chilli sauce
Then Fish of the day - Barramundi
and BBQ tiger prawns with avocado salsa and blood orange vinaigrette
Then Pear and cinnamon frangipan tart with vanilla bean ice cream.

Fortunately during the day Stew had found a way to exercise.

Very cool place for those with a penchant for exercise - a several-kilometre path around the entire harbour, with exercise stations like this every few metres. At the main marina a very large free swimming pool, and posters showing all the group exercise (FREE) classes held each day. Very inspirational stuff and I seee no good reason why we couldn't have that level or organisation here in New Zealand. Tamaki Drive in Auckland is just made for it.

However my adventure at the seaside left little to recommend it. While Stew played with mobilising his mobile in Aussie, I went water-edge for a closer view of the crabs when SURPRISE! I walk straight into knee deep black sticky mud hidden under the sand. White pants no longer, and lucky for me there was a firm bit where I could put the other knee while trying to haul myself out. Looking for Stew to help me I find he's walked on with my handbag and all, not noticing my dilemma. Nice! Covered in mud from the knees down including shoes. Thankfully we found a gardener with a hose. Next stop this sign:

which reads: Warning - do not approach the water's edge, crocodiles frequent this area.

Lovely. Thanks for that Stew, half-way to Darwin while I'm eaten alive.

my grandmother is a legend

Birthday time in Rotorua and while the food at the Dinstinction Hotel is nothing to write home about, it's clean and the staff are attentive and although we were the only people there for lunch, the 2 wait staff were patient and made the birthday lunch relaxed and enjoyable.

beaut burgers, inexpensive, fresh, delicimo

 so much fish and chips that a 97-year-old couldn't eat it all. Nothing left though.... Scrummy!

sensational big pots of mussels

How long since I saw banana split on a  menu? Years and years.

Easter brings a workout

A group of us including some of my favourite people were lucky enough to get a few days away at gorgeous Ohope for Easter. Of course, home made Easter buns were on the menu, and Adie was the one nominated to get the workout.

Two hundred kneads.

 Temperature's rising

 Paste on top - large crosses

Delicious!

Recipes online in their droves... just want to share pictures really.

Rangiputa - again!

This is the place that gave me the recipe with which to enter Master Chef - the gorgeous fish cake with smoked capsicum salsa.
We were treated again to a return visit during Labour Weekend.
The olive trees were in full bud with bees a-buzzin'...

The sea was without a ripple

and the dolphins were in the bay

All that was missing was the fish - but not for want of trying.
The bait almost jumped into the boat, but after that we had our work cut out. Very little fish resulted... but who cares! We had a marvellous time in the sun with  good friends.

Sue's Pie

Love it when people come to visit and they cook..

Sue's horrified that I didn't offer her a 'proper' pie dish but I like large square pies for serving purposes.. Hers was chicken, corn and asparagus which she carried up from Rotorua and assembled here. Delicious!

she'll be even more hofrrified that I'm showing it in its failed state - served hot and falling apart! But that didn't detract from the flavour, and of course we love being cooked for.

you-know-who came for dinner

the worst thing was having to get up at 6.30am the following day for rowing.
After a diner party that ended at 4am.
Very glad the recycling rubbish goes this week too...

My sister Ann is the most talented photographer I know (sorry Rob) and she was on hand to take the pictures.

the boys far out-numbered the girls, but that's okay

there were some very serious moments

some very nice dishes

a little bit of practice at getting "plated" on time....

recipes old and new

help from my fabulous husband

more intensive discussions than you could shake a stick at...

the odd hand signal

and everyone's best jokes came out. Plus some that were most inappropriate for children...

does this look like anyone you know?

I had a coffee with someone just like this today...  though not as suave. I'm quite sure suave is an act, the RB I met is such a hard case - by far the most interesting person I know. But then, I'm from Rotorua.

He, too, is a pomengranate molasses fan.

Meeting old friends

...and new ones. Fiona was in the top 24 of Master Chef in it's first season (that's this one) and she was up in Auckland today to run a workshop in Manukau so of course we had to get together for a coffee.

that's Arjay, Karyn and Fiona

me and Fiona

We talked cook books, future visions regarding cooking, networks, food ideas. Great to be able to share a conversation like that with a like-minded sould thank you.

Please look up Laura in Wellington

And best of luck with the writing idea... happy to be a sounding post, editor, proof-reader - anything!