Opened up the Cuisine that arrived a couple of days ago and was showered with loose leaf advertising tucked into it’s pages – heaps of it! Perhaps because it’s the Christmas issue, but c’mon, I want to read the magazine not all the bits of paper that are now all over the table and floor. Tucked inside were:

• Catalogue for Milly’s (kitchenware store) in Auckland … great … some of us don’t live in Auckland
• Mail order catalogue for New Zealand Nature … everything from clothes to books to monogrammed towels and souvenirs
• Wine Society order form
• Doubleday Book Club pamphlet
• Living and Giving store catalogue
• A postcard about Kapiti Aorangi Brie
• 2 Cuisine subscription order forms
• Cuisine Wine Country Magazine advert

That’s 9 bits of stuff!

Just jarred up the batch of fruit mince for this year that’s been soaking overnight in lots of brandy, orange and lemon juice. Fruit consistency is getting better from year to year as we hone our fruit mix and technique …

• 2006 was basically just a jumble of soaked fruit in jars – quite lumpy and we ended up with something like a raisin or 2 and bit of apricot in a pastry case with bits escaping out the side
• 2007 the Mister got a bit more involved and we cut up the fruit to make it a bit smoother and easier to fill pastry cases with
• This year – we used the great little suck-onto-the-bench mincer that M&D gave us for Christmas last year (I think Mother felt sorry for the Mister getting roped into making fruit mince, I mean what good kiwi bloke does that?, so gave *me* a mincer so I could do the women’s work myself) and the fruit got mushed to a proper mincey paste. Looks and smells goood. And the Mister was still involved – he wanted to turn the handle – it was quite hard to turn … needed a big strong man …

Now we’ll tuck the jars away until we get back early December. I’m not sure if you’re supposed to give real chefs food gifts but I’m going to take a jar to the Nikau chef. Just because she’s always cooking for us so this is a token doing something for her.

In celebration of Nikau life* and spring produce, they’re having 4 set Sunday night dinners with matched wine for regulars and friends of Nikau. I think we’re rather unique in that we signed up for all 4 dinners and have reserved our usual place at the bar.

It’s a complete mystery what’s on the menu for dinner – it’s set, and 4 courses. Not really my style as it’s unlikely to be mashed garlic potatoes followed by non-chocolate ice-cream however the owners have guessed I’m rather unadventurous with food choices – I suppose 4.5 years of nothing but date scones was a bit of a clue.

Anyway, we’ve enjoyed 2 Sunday dinners and 2 to go. There’ve been some ’strange’ things on offer but I’ve been very brave and sampled each course offered (and the Mister has had all my wine).

Sunday 1

Salted cod & potato ravioli with saffron broth
Artichoke, grapefruit & olive salad
Roast pork with baby turnips & asparagus
Strawberry semi fredo

(Ravioli was too fishy; artichokes OK but I prefer them mixed in with something (& don’t like olives); wasn’t too keen on the turnips; LOVED the semi fredo)

Sunday 2

Cured salmon, cauliflower, caper & sorrel salad
Asparagus, ricotta & marjoram sformato
Spring lamb, artichokes, mint, chard & skordalia
Tangelo & chemoya ices with coconut macaroons

(Salmon was especially for me, others had clams; sformato was GORGEOUS, licked the plate clean, so creamy and rich and asparagussy GOD IT WAS GOOOOD; lamb good but was getting full by this stage; tangelo sorbet was very orange but I couldn’t eat the chemoya one (custard apple), tasted a bit like I imagine a grandmother’s perfume would).

Still a bit nervous of the crayfish/curry or spicy/chocolate pudding arrangement …

* Good news is that they’ve managed to negotiate with the council or City Gallery to stay open until the weekend before Christmas so we don’t have to deal with the wrench as early as anticipated. Still no news of a temporary or alternative location for next year so I’m thinking we’ll boycott Wellington cafes for Sunday lunch and I’ll make date scones every Sunday myself until Nikau re-emerges.