2015

After the frenetic madness that was the Netball World Cup (in case you missed it the Silver Ferns won Silver, my little sister included), my 31st birthday (there were tequila shots), and a week in Wellington for Visa Wellington on a Plate, things (touch wood) feel a little calmer at the moment, and I've thoroughly enjoyed being back in the kitchen. Althought the blog gets a little neglected, I've still been hard at work, taking photos, writing recipes, hustling for dollars, and baking cakes. 

It's 30C in Colombo right now, but I'm safely sitting in air-conditioned bliss in my 3-bedroom apartment at the Hilton Residences, right in the centre of the city. This morning was when the action kicked off, with the Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge global final media briefing. More about that shortly. 

There are two teams from New Zealand competing, and one of the four judges is Simon Gault, also a kiwi. All of us from New Zealand flew over together, leaving Auckland on Friday morning. Here's a video with a bit more from our trip. There were some excess baggage issues (and a hefty bill!) given that all competing teams from around the world have to bring their own crockery, table settings, tea cups, martini glasses, and a whole heap of local produce. We got on to our flight with the sun streaming in, and I made it to Singapore thanks to a medicinal brandy and dry, a window seat, an obligatory Singapore Sling, and most of Lena Dunham's book. I got through the flight no thanks to the lady beside me who nestled in under my armpit. There must have been sleeping pills involved. 

On these especially bleak Mondays of Winter, may I suggest whipping up a batch of cookies for someone you like? You're looking at about 30 minutes from start to finish: from a bunch of ingredients you probably already have lurking in your fridge and pantry, to a soft, golden biscuit oozing molten chocolate. That's probably about the time you might spend watching something terrible on TV, or stalking someone you don't even like on facebook. The benefits of closing the screen for a short spell in the kitchen are manifold: you get to eat clumps of cookie dough, you only use one mixing bowl plus measuring cups for minimal dishes, you get to try a biscuit hot out of the oven, and you get to pop one in your lunchbox to have at work tomorrow. If you then feel compelled to put the rest in a brown paper bag wrapped up with string and completely and utterly make someone's day, then these are the cookies for you. There is simply not enough giving and receiving of fresh baked goods. The dough is perfect to keep in the freezer too, which means you're  always only ever 15 minutes away from heaven in a baked good. Go forth!

This week, I was given a bottle of Pencarrow Chardonnay 2014 to try. Pencarrow is the second label to Palliser Estate, a wine producer in Martinborough (an area of New Zealand close to my heart). I"m not going to get involved in trying to describe the wine. But I can tell you it's great, and it's great with this dish. 

I love chardonnay, and I love gnocchi, and the match came about after I spent a good amount of time reading about and playing around with lots of different ideas.

The three main ingredients of potato gnocchi, browned butter and pumpkin each compliment the richness of the wine. The acidity of the chardonnay (being young) cuts through that richness, cleansing the palette. The sage and the hazelnut work well with the savoury characters in the wine, for example the slight nuttiness from the oak is perfect with these lightly toasted hazelnuts.

You can make your own gnocchi if you have a bit more time (it’s seriously not that hard and there are heaps of recipes online) but there are some great quality pre-made brands available at specialty supermarkets. If using pre-bought, this becomes a quick but luxurious mid week meal.

Add a couch and a blanket and a glass of chardonnay and you’ll be winter comfort personified.