Sweet Cuisine

Gorse Flower Ice Cream

Im always looking for quality New Zealand produce, or ingredients that have an immediate tie to the country, some things just come into the kitchen on a random day that make everything worthwhile. On Thursday we made an Awesome Gorse flower Ice cream with the gorse flowers collected on my Exec Chef Peter Thornleys farm in Bombay ( South Auckland), These Flowers are a beautiful yellow, and very fragrant. Hints of Orange, maybe Passionfruit but only a little and a floral scent. The Gorse is actually a weed in New Zealand, it spreads like wildfire but the weed flowers for a couple of months turning the New Zealand Country side into a yellow coated paradise.

I will post some new pics of the Ice Cream in the next day or two. Im thinking of pairing it with Chocolate or waiting till the Berries come through which according to my suppliers will be in the next few days which seems a little early as spring is just breaking through after quite a mild winter here in NZ.

Peter Thornley has just bought his new Farm and we in the kitchens at Kermadec are so excited about the produce that we will be recieving, along with the flowers we received some gorse flower honey which is now one of my favourite honeys, With berries, flowers and herbs to come from his farm this year and the list just growing as the time passes and he develops the farm it will be great to get produce straight from source again. There is something novel about having your produce grown for you, knowing the conditions they are grown in and getting the chance to pick it yourself.

Whirlwind week

Been a while since my last post, took a brief weekend to Mt Hutt to follow my other passion of snowboarding, got a foot of snow which was great, then a flight back to Auckland on thursday morning. 

Got back into the kitchen by 11 to get ready for our Veuve Clicquot Atelier dinner which. Was a busy night making the Rhubarb Balloon dish for 60 people is a bit of a mission but worthwhile, we introduced a couple of new pre desserts into the service that evening also with a Pinenut Horchata primo shake, and a licorice Custard and nitro frozen coffee Drops in our new found service wear, and to finish off we had some fantastic Champagne Macaroons. hope everyone enjoyed the food and champagne. and was good to meet Anthony from the foodie site. 

Back to reality now but so much is going on in the Industry now with Logan Brown picking up the cuisine awards which I am sure everyone will agree is well deserved to the Hospitality show and Clare Clark(ex pastry chef of french laundry) on the weekend. Good luck to everyone who is entering the comps. Im hoping to get up to the show to meet up with some of the NZ industry's leading pastry chefs. 

In the kitchen Im just planning my Spring menus, the brasserie menu should be up and running by end of September and the restaurant menu will be pushed out as soon as I return from Spain at the end of October. I love spring with all the amazing produce coming into the kitchen. And that will signal the 1 year anniversary of the revamp of the Kermadec Kitchens and Restaurants. Its passed so quick, so many chefs came and went, it certainly wasn't a dull and boring year. 

New to Kermadec in the next few months will be Ben Bayly heading up the Grove to take over from Sid, it was great working with him and Im sure he will go from strength to strength. Giulio Sturla coming to work with us having been working down in Napier at the The Old Church, and before that at Mugaritz, he will certainly bring another strength and knowledge to our team as we build up for the summer high season. 

Off to Christchurch

Little bit of subject but we all have other many interests.

Im getting out of Auckland for a few days now for a bit of Snowboarding(my other Passion), its been so long since I've been on the Mountain, such a peaceful place in comparison to the hustle of the kitchens, and one of the best places to get your thoughts in order, find some inspiration.

I will be visiting Mt Hutt in Methven for the First time, the conditions look awesome. The last few years I spent most winters in Queenstown in the South Island of NZ, Had one amazing full season, only missed 1 or two days due to wrist breaks, but got straight back up the mountain. So to only get a couple of days in this year is a bit disappointing. 

Alot of people diss the New Zealand winter sports scene but I find it much more welcoming than the French Alps, people are more friendly, seems like more of a community even with the transient nature of the seasonaires. When it snows it can be amazing, the runs maybe are a little small but the features are stunning. And for the park junkies there is an Awesome park in Remarkables in Queenstown, Cardrona near Wanaka and of course the best one SnowParkNZ where the best riders in the world are spotted every year.

Have a good weekend people. and pray for Blue skies in the day and snow overnight.

Absence

Please Excuse my absence over the last 2 weeks, been busy with moving home to a more secure building after being broken into, coming up over the next week will be a look at a  special dinner we are doing with Veuve Clicqout, a look at New Zealand cheeses, and a couple of new recipes so please be patient.