The smell of this slowcooked Indonesian beef curry is one of my favourite things, up there with the smell of Pho. I first had proper Rendang at a now closed Malasian Restaurant in Cuba St where we dined once and allowed the chef to choose the menu. I have been trying to make mine as…
Beer : No fun at all
Beer is meant to be fun. Everyone knows that . It’s an intrinsic part of beer. The beer writers tell us that as they attempt to steer the conversation down cheery beery lines. Beer is meant to be fun. The retailers tell us that as brighlty coloured , cartoon canned, fruit flavoured , alcoholic water…
Cider : Peckham’s Skins ‘n Pips – on innovation , intolerance, and the circular nature of life
As I grow older I find myself having less and less tolerance for certain things. You know the sort of stuff , the music tastes of the kids nextdoor, shopping malls , the shamanic snakeoil of late capitalism. Added to that list is innovation in cider, well normally. Innovation in cider usually means adding fruit…
Music : My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult – Wax Trax! years
In the mid 90’s I was flicking through the Wellington City Library cd shelves when I stumbled upon an interesting looking album named Confessions of a Knife by the even more interestingly named group My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult. My teenage metal head interest was sparked . I took out the album and…
Music : Virus 100 – in praise of covers
It seems to be all the rage to hate covers these days. I bloody love them. Or more specifically I love them when a band takes a song and warps its , molds it, transforms it to become something new. If no one hates it its probably not that good. In an age before digital…
Food : Masala Chops
For me this is the taste and smell of summer. Growing up in South Wellington these chops were always present at summer BBQ’s. This is not dainty or tidy food. You eat them with your hands, you will need a wet towel or a finger bowl afterwards. Real food, real mess, real yum. Ingredients –…
Food : Souvlaki Kebabs
I havent posted a recipe in a while. To be honest I often struggle to get excited about cooking in the summer. I end up having steak and salad or whatever and its not really anything to write about. I do however break out the BBQ more often which is always fun. A common recipe…
Beer, Music : Keep Beer Funky, Keep Music Evil
Keep Beer Funky , Keep Music Evil. It’s a bit of a motto for me. I once lived with a guy who had a badge with Keep Music Evil written on it. Ever since I have been taken with the line. Since I have added my thought on beer . Now I have designed a…
Food: Cherry Brandy
Out the front of my house is a sizable cherry tree. Its a wilding having sprouted up from a cherry stone no doubt dropped by a bird. The tree wasnt there 5 years ago but is now taller than the house! It fruits little sour cherries which have little flesh on their stones. Not much…
Food : Pottekaas
Like most people who travel to Brussels in search of Lambic and its surrounding culture I came back very much taken by the cheeses served alongside the beer . Most interesting to me was the pottekaas, a dip or spread that combines the tangy fresh cheese of the region with garlic, chives and lambic. Upon…
Raise the Dawn 