I Say FEIJOA, You Say GUAVA PINEAPPLE…

Tags

42 Below, Feijoa, food, Fruit, Ice Cream, New Zealand, Pineapple Guava, Thomas Dux

Feijoa
(image from here)

Feijoa: (the fruit) maturing in autumn, is green, ellipsoid, and about the size of a chicken egg. It has a sweet, aromatic flavor. The flesh is juicy and is divided into a clear gelatinous seed pulp and a firmer, slightly granular, opaque flesh nearer the skin. (Wikipedia)

Today, I’m feeling a little nostalgic. It’s LM’s fault, only he doesn’t know it. He took me to Thomas Dux this morning, and they had feijoas! I was almost beside myself (and not because they were $1.50 each!) This news quite possibly means nothing to you, unless you happen to be a Kiwi living in Australia. Kiwis grow up with feijoas. It’s quite common to have a feijoa tree or two in your garden. I’ll even go out on a limb and say that in New Zealand, they are more common than kiwifruit (when in season). When I was visiting a couple of weeks ago, I bought a bag of about 15 perfectly ripe feijoas for $3 at the farmers market. I ate them all myself. I love them. But in Australia, they are as rare as hens teeth.

Feijoa
(Image from here)

Are you familiar with feijoas?

They are also known as Pineapple Guavas (or Guavasteen). According to our friends at Wikipedia, the plant “is an evergreen shrub originating from the highlands of southern Brazil, parts of Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay and northern Argentina. They are also grown throughout Azerbaijan , Georgia and, (of course), New Zealand.*

While distinctive, the flavour is seriously difficult to describe. Wiki’ says it “is aromatic, very strong and complex, inviting comparison with guava, strawberry, pineapple, and often containing a faint wintergreen-like aftertaste.” LM hates the flavour, with quite some passion. And, it is true, people do tend to either love or hate feijoas.

Feijoas. They’re like chokos**, only not as tasty! (LM)

Given their exorbitant cost here, I only bought two this morning. And, I made sure I enjoyed every last morsel of feijoa flesh that I scraped out with my teaspoon. Heaven.

42 Below Feijoa Vodka
(Image from here)

In New Zealand, there’s a whole cottage industry around feijoas. You can buy feijoa ice cream. 42 Below has a yummy feijoa infused vodka. There are recipes galore for chutneys and baked goods.

If LM was just a touch more open to the wonders of the feijoa, I might make him this wee number I found at Adventurous Me, Gluten Free…

Feijoa Cream Coconut Pie
(Image and recipe can be found here)

I’ll leave you with this illustration I found on the inter-web…

Feijoa Write Up
(Source Unknown)

* Apparently, feijoas are occasionally to be found as landscape plants in the far Southern United States, in regions from Texas to Florida, and southern California, though fruit set can be unreliable in those locations.

**Also known as chayote

 

Vivid Sydney 2013 – Lights. Camera. Action!

Tags

Art, Art Installation, Arts, Australia, Circular Quay, Colour, Festival, Light Show, Sydney, Sydney Harbour, Sydney Opera House, Travel, Vivid Sydney

Vivid Sydney 2013
Sydney Harbour Bridge
(Image by TSL)

If you’re a long-time TSL reader, you may remember my post on the Vivid Sydney 2012 light show. Honestly, I find it hard to believe it has been a year – almost to the day – since LM and I last attended the light spectacular that is Vivid Sydney. Well, it has been a whole year – and on Saturday night we joined the thousands and thousands of fellow Sydney-siders (young and old, big and small, bipedal and the doggie kind – they were all out in force) to check out this year’s lighting installations. I gotta’ tell you, we were not disappointed. Sydney’s annual Vivid Festival is a w e s o m e…

We splashed out and kicked off our evening with a pre-walk meal at the ever consistent ‘Guillaume at Bennelong’.

Vivid Sydney 2013
Sydney Opera House Light Installation from Inside ‘Guillaume at Bennelong’ Restaurant
(Images by TSL)

My best secret tip to avoiding the crowds for Vivid is to head up to the Cahill Walkway that runs next to the Cahill Expressway and then winds down through the rocks.

Vivid Sydney 2013
The Custom House from the Cahill Expressway
(Image by TSL)

Vivid Sydney 2013
Circular Quay from the Cahill Expressway
(Image by TSL)

Vivid Sydney 2013
Museum of Contemporary Art from the Cahill Expressway
(Image by TSL)

There were lots of surprising wee pockets to hunt down…

Vivid Sydney 2013
‘Praxis Makes Perfect’ Installation at Walsh Bay
An amazing animation series against a building wall
(Images by TSL)

Vivid Sydney 2013
‘Moths to a Flame’ Installation at Walsh Bay
(Image by TSL)

Vivid Sydney 2013
‘Sky Grass’ Installation at Circular Quay
(Images by TSL)

Lunar Park was all lit up…

Vivid Sydney 2013
Novotel at Walsh Bay
(Image by TSL)

Of course, The Sydney Opera House took centre stage…

Vivid Sydney
Sydney Opera House Lights Up
(Images by TSL)

But, the Custom House was pretty incredible, too.

Vivid Sydney 2013
The Custom House Lights Up…
(Images by TSL)

Vivid Sydney’s light installations kick off every night at 6pm until 10 June 2013. Seriously worth a look-see!

Roasted Pumpkin Soup – TSL Style…

Tags

Bone Broth, Butternut squash, Cook, Graham Kerr, New York, Pumpkin, pumpkin soup, Pumpkin Soup Recipe, Soup, Soups and Stews, Spalding Gray, Vegetable, Winter warmers

Pumpkin Soup
(Image from here)

I think of New York as a purée and the rest of the United States as vegetable soup.(Spalding Gray)

Sorry about the silence at this end. It’s been a dreary old-time of getting over this nasty bug that I picked up in NZ. I’ve definitely been well off my game but hopefully that’s all changed as I move out of my cold-fueled funk and into a period of being more ‘windswept and interesting’… Fingers crossed, anyway!

The weather has turned here in Syders. It’s cold and wet. There’s a definite feeling that winter has now truly arrived. So, really it should come as no surprise – to me, anyway! – that yesterday, I woke up thinking about my favourite soup from when I was a child. This is a seriously good, old-fashioned soup that is hearty and thick and full of flavour and makes you feel all those warm things that good soup makes you feel…

This particular Graham Kerr version, from my childhood that I love so much, is a roasted vegetable soup and I don’t have the recipe. I had a wee look-see online on the off-chance that I’d get lucky. Nope. My Mum is travelling at the moment, so no joy to be had there either. Only one thing for it – shelve Graham’s recipe for another day (I promise to share it with you when I do get it!) and get creative.

Jack Sprat could eat no fat.
His wife could eat no lean.
And so between them both, you see,
They licked the platter clean.

At this point I should explain, for the uninitiated, LM refers to the two of us as ‘the modern day Jack Sprat and his wife’ because our diets have become a little more challenging in the past year or two. LM can’t eat shellfish or dairy. I have a gluten problem. Fortunately, I have become reasonably adept at managing this (we consume quite a bit of coconut milk!) but it does influence my ingredient choices when I’m getting creative in the kitchen. Just so you know…

So, back to getting creative. I’ve been getting into my bone broths lately, so good chicken stock was to hand. I also had a large butternut staring at me every time I opened the fridge. Someone was trying to tell me something…

Traditionally, I’m a bit of a recipe follower. While I don’t mind substituting the odd ingredient, I like to be reasonably assured my time in the kitchen will result in something tasty and appealing. But, this time, I decided to wing it. (See – getting ‘windswept and interesting’ already!) And, I gotta say’, the result was pretty damn good! So much so, I had to share it with you.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup – TSL Style

Olive oil
Salt (I use Himalayan pink rock salt)
1 x brown onion, chopped
1 x leek, white only, sliced finely
1 x garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp turmeric
Fresh ginger, about a thumb nail sized knob, grated
1 x butternut pumpkin, skin on, halved lengthways
1 x carrot, peeled (I would have thrown in more if I had them)
1 x kumara, peeled and roughly chopped (that’s sweet potato to you northern hemisphere lot!)
1 litre chicken stock (vegetable would work just as well, I suspect)
Coconut milk, about half a cup (cream would be yummy if you can eat dairy)

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C/350°F. Place halved butternut, kumara and carrot into a roasting dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season – generously, in my case – with salt. Roast for approximately 50 – 60 minutes, or until cooked. When the butternut has cooled sufficiently, scoop out all the lovely flesh and discard the skin.

2. Heat a couple of decent glugs* of olive oil in a large pot over a low heat. Throw in onion and leek. Cook gently, stirring often, until the veggies soften. While the leeks and onions are working their magic, throw the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, nutmeg, and turmeric into a mortar and pestle for a good pound. Add the garlic and ginger. Pound into a paste.

3. Add the spice paste to the pot. Cook, stirring all the while, until the spices start to do their magic. This will take less than a minute.

4. Add the roasted butternut, kumara and carrot. Add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil. Turn the heat back down to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

5. If you have one, get out your trusty stick blender and whizz until pureed. If you don’t have a stick blender, aside from seriously considering one for your next birthday present, allow the soup to cool slightly before blending it in batches.

4. Once the soup is blended, stir in the coconut milk and check for seasoning. Reheat and serve.

Voila!

…And, if you do try this soup, please let me know. It would make me feel good!

*technical term meaning ‘use your judgment’

Kiwi Flu – It’s Not Fatal

Tags

bird flu, Cold, Flu, Ginger lemon honey tea

Ginger lemon honey tea
(Image from here)

Just a wee note to let you know I have returned home from New Zealand with ‘Kiwi Flu’ – a rare strain of bird flu that, while not fatal, is a bit unpleasant. Don’t you hate that?

LM is keeping me well dosed with ginger lemon and honey tea.

Normal TSL transmissions shall resume shortly…

The One About ‘Piece Gallery’ at Matakana…

Tags

Ainsley O'Connell, Ceramics, Contemporary Jewellery, Emma Haughton, Glass Art, Graham Ambrose, Jeff Thomson, Joanna Campbell, John Edgar, Lisa West, Matakana, New Zealand, Piece Gallery, Stephen Bradbourne

‘Kiwi’ by Jeff Thomson
Screenprinted corrogated iron
(Image from Piece Gallery)

A wee bit excited here at Casa TSL because this morning I’m off to New Zealand to catch up with some good friends for a girls weekend in Matakana. With the weather turning (in quite a major fashion, from what I understand), I have visions of lots of great conversation in front of the fire and a few glasses of good Central Otago pinot… Bring it on, I say!

I love the Matakana region. It’s just a hop, skip and jump from Auckland and full of galleries, wineries, eating spots and a great sculpture walk. One of my favourite spots is the Piece Gallery, located bang smack in the village.

Emma Haughton opened her gallery in August 2007, to showcase New Zealand Object Art. The gallery has over 60 New Zealand artists work represented predominantly in the disciplines of Ceramics, Glass and Jewellery. One of the girls I will be away with is mad-keen on ceramics. Personally, I lean more to glass and contemporary jewellery. I think we’ll both be happy with a visit to the gallery.

These are a few of the pieces that jumped out at me from the gallery’s catalogue. Let me now what you think…

‘Green Cellular Leaf ‘ by Stephen Bradbourne
hot worked & kiln formed glass. approx 35cm in length.

Green Cellular Leaves – detail – by Stephen Bradbourne
hot worked, kiln formed & cold worked glass
(Images from Piece Gallery)

Moth Brooches by Lisa West
Sterling Silver
I am jumping out of my skin about these brooches. My Mum bought me one and I managed to lose it. Perhaps I can find a sister piece…?
(Image from Piece Gallery)

‘Edged Vessel’ by Ainsley O’Connell
(Image from Piece Gallery)

Inlaid Stones by John Edgar
granite & glass greywacke & glass
(Image from Piece Gallery)

‘Red Orb’ – detail – by Graham Ambrose

Red Orbs by Graham Ambrose
Various sizes available
One ceramicist I particularly love…
(Images from Piece Gallery)

tape measure bangle and ring by Joanna Campbell
oxidised silver numbers, available in gold plate
(image from Piece Gallery)

‘Kete’ by Jeff Thomson
Corrogated iron
Jeff Thomson is an iconic NZ sculptor. More of his work can be seen here.
A kete is a traditional Māori basket, usually woven out of flax
(Image from Piece Gallery)

Piece Gallery ships internationally and (the best bit) is that given the value of the Kiwi dollar, you almost always feel you’re getting a hefty discount when shopping with the Aussie dollar, the greenback or the pound. That is a pretty good reason to shop, I reckon…

The Americans are Coming…

Tags

Australia, Bondi Junction, Cookware and bakeware, gourmet cookware, Homewares, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Sydney, West Elm, Williams-Sonoma

Williams-Sonoma store in Colorado
(Image from here)

It was back in August last year that I first heard that American retail giant Williams-Sonoma was opening down under. At the time it seemed quite a long way away, so I created a wee ‘wish list’ of things that made me look twice. Then I promptly put it to the back of my mind. (You can see some of my ‘wish list here. I’m not sure what planet I was on that day – a couple of the items just scream ‘twee’ to me now… What a difference eight months makes!).

Well, the day has (almost) finally arrived. Tomorrow is the official opening of Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and West Elm in Sydney. I’m imagining gridlocked traffic and bedlam at Bondi Junction. LM has promised to take me for a look-see. I’m not sure he realises just what a magnanimous offer this shall turn out to be!

Now if you are not from North America AND if shopping just ain’t your bag AND you have no idea what I’m yabbering on about, here’s the back story: Founded in 1956, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is, according to their website, “the premier specialty retailer of home furnishings and gourmet cookware in the United States, Canada (and, as of tomorrow, Australia). Their brands are among the best known and most-respected in the industry. They offer high-quality, stylish products for every room in the house: from the kitchen to the living room, bedroom, home office and even the hall closet.”

In the name of research (!), I had another squizz at their websites and put together a few things that caught my eye…

Recycled Rag Rug Pouf from West Elm
I have no idea where I would put it but it’s red and it looks yummy…
(Image from here)

Shane Powers Hanging Glass Bubble Collection for West Elm
I LOVE these…
(Image from here)

Alphabet Trays for West Elm
Wouldn’t these make sweet wee gifts?
(Image from here)

French Cafe Side Chair for Pottery Barn
Bringing a piece of the Med’ down under!
(Image from here)

Croquet Set for Pottery Barn
And, while we’re sitting outside in the sun, a spot of croquet, perhaps?
(Image from here)

Grand Embroidered 280-Thread Count Boudoir Pillow Cover for Pottery Barn
I fancy the idea of embroidering a rude word or phrase onto one or two of these…
(Image from here)

Signal Flag Kilo for Williams-Sonoma
Kilo represents the message ‘I wish to communicate with you’.
(Image from here)

Stuffed Hamburger with lifter for Williams-Sonoma
I think this is a BRILLIANT idea. I may just have to invest in this wee beauty…
(Image from here)

Monogrammed Forged Steak Brand for Williams-Sonoma
I know it’s sexist, but I immediately think ‘man gift’…
(Image from here)

Fontana Gusto Wood-Fired Outdoor Oven for Williams Sonoma
Given my gluten-free life, I can’t even eat pizza. That doesn’t stop me coveting one of these gorgeous ovens…
(Image from here)

All of the items pictured are taken from the North American website. I’m not even sure the entire range will be available here… I guess we’ll find out tomorrow!

If you’re in Sydney, you too can visit the grand opening tomorrow from 9am at 472 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction. LM and I will see you there!