Its a bold statement, but I think that Sir Breadwins on Lambton Quay just does it.
They're only an after-thought, the place is basically a sandwich bar with a hot cupboard for the pies and savouries - with a few punnets of chips loitering on the shelf almost invisible to the untrained eye.
But they're great, and what seals the deal is the availability of PROPER malt vinegar you can drown them in! :-)
Showing posts with label wellington. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wellington. Show all posts
Thursday, May 15
Sunday, March 30
Rain
For any of you still labouring under the delusion that 'NZ, its a bit like Aus', then let me repeat what I've probably said elsewhere before - its not!
Setting aside the huge cultural, historical, ethnic, geographical, financial differences, the weather just ain't as hot here. And right now its pee-ing down, proper Manchester styley! In fact its been wet all weekend.
A guy I work with (Linas) went tramping over the weekend and got soaked (obviously). Now I've walked places in the rain before, even been on a hike in the rain, but these guys clearly thought walking in the rain should be some kind of Olympian sport, up there with the 1600m relay, the javelin and tossing the caber (ok, last one's a fake). Apparently as a part of this great hike, they had to walk through a river - a river! Not simply hop from convenient rock to next convenient rock nicely sat in a streambed, but actual up-to-your-thighs wading to get across, then carry on walking, soaked-through no doubt, until resting for the night, not in some nice warm hostel, but under canvas outside, while its still raining!
What amuses me most (no offence Linas) is that it costs to join this motley crew of walkers, some paltry amount of course, but if that's the kind of hike they like to go on, I'd expect to be receiving money, not shelling out!
Setting aside the huge cultural, historical, ethnic, geographical, financial differences, the weather just ain't as hot here. And right now its pee-ing down, proper Manchester styley! In fact its been wet all weekend.
A guy I work with (Linas) went tramping over the weekend and got soaked (obviously). Now I've walked places in the rain before, even been on a hike in the rain, but these guys clearly thought walking in the rain should be some kind of Olympian sport, up there with the 1600m relay, the javelin and tossing the caber (ok, last one's a fake). Apparently as a part of this great hike, they had to walk through a river - a river! Not simply hop from convenient rock to next convenient rock nicely sat in a streambed, but actual up-to-your-thighs wading to get across, then carry on walking, soaked-through no doubt, until resting for the night, not in some nice warm hostel, but under canvas outside, while its still raining!
What amuses me most (no offence Linas) is that it costs to join this motley crew of walkers, some paltry amount of course, but if that's the kind of hike they like to go on, I'd expect to be receiving money, not shelling out!
Monday, October 29
Team lunch
Very nice lunch today, surprisingly as we booked a place I had previously known only for its over-priced drinks after work and average clientele.
Ooh, get me!
Anyway, lunch was delish, bambi served with sweet onion and blue cheese sauce and very good chunky fries. Accompanied by a nice Pinot Noir, quite a nice treat compared to my average fodder.
Anyway, kind of as a post-script (and prompted by Heston Blumenthal in fact) I feel inspired to describe my idea of a decent Bolognese.
Ingredients
-----------
Pork mince, beef mince
Red onions
Garlic
Carrot
Celery
White wine
Red wine
Milk
Vine-ripened tomatoes
Ground coriander
Worcestershire sauce
Smoked bacon (optional)
Fresh pasta (e.g. tagliatelle, spaghetti, angellini)
Method
------
chop up the carrot and celery into small dice, heat up a large pan with some veg oil, chuck in the carrot and celery. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water so you can peel off the skin. Discard the tomato skin and cut the tomatoes up, discarding the seeds and pulpy inner.
Chop up the onions into fine slice and start frying them in another large pan, aim to let the onion caramelise. Add the chopped tomato and some finely sliced garlic.
Going back to the carrot and celery, if you're using bacon (chopped up lardon styley) add that now. Then add the pork and beef mince - let the meat cook off for a bit then add the white wine and reduce by half. Now add the milk and turn the heat down. Let this cook slowly for about 2 hours, scooping off any fat that comes out.
Returning to the tomatoes, add the ground coriander and worcestershire sauce and black pepper. Chuck in the red wine and crack the heat up so that it reduces by half. Throw the tomato sauce over the meat and let it all cook gently together.
Heat up a large pan of salted water, throw the pasta in and drain once cooked. Don't hang about once you've drained it, plate it and ladle on portions of the bolognese sauce. Sprinkle freshly-grated parmesan over the sauce and serve.
Mmmmmmmmm!
Ooh, get me!
Anyway, lunch was delish, bambi served with sweet onion and blue cheese sauce and very good chunky fries. Accompanied by a nice Pinot Noir, quite a nice treat compared to my average fodder.
Anyway, kind of as a post-script (and prompted by Heston Blumenthal in fact) I feel inspired to describe my idea of a decent Bolognese.
Ingredients
-----------
Pork mince, beef mince
Red onions
Garlic
Carrot
Celery
White wine
Red wine
Milk
Vine-ripened tomatoes
Ground coriander
Worcestershire sauce
Smoked bacon (optional)
Fresh pasta (e.g. tagliatelle, spaghetti, angellini)
Method
------
chop up the carrot and celery into small dice, heat up a large pan with some veg oil, chuck in the carrot and celery. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water so you can peel off the skin. Discard the tomato skin and cut the tomatoes up, discarding the seeds and pulpy inner.
Chop up the onions into fine slice and start frying them in another large pan, aim to let the onion caramelise. Add the chopped tomato and some finely sliced garlic.
Going back to the carrot and celery, if you're using bacon (chopped up lardon styley) add that now. Then add the pork and beef mince - let the meat cook off for a bit then add the white wine and reduce by half. Now add the milk and turn the heat down. Let this cook slowly for about 2 hours, scooping off any fat that comes out.
Returning to the tomatoes, add the ground coriander and worcestershire sauce and black pepper. Chuck in the red wine and crack the heat up so that it reduces by half. Throw the tomato sauce over the meat and let it all cook gently together.
Heat up a large pan of salted water, throw the pasta in and drain once cooked. Don't hang about once you've drained it, plate it and ladle on portions of the bolognese sauce. Sprinkle freshly-grated parmesan over the sauce and serve.
Mmmmmmmmm!
Wednesday, October 24
Wellingtonian Sweet Spot
I may have mentioned already, how the climate in Welly in spring is somewhat erratic.
To be honest, you'd get more sense out of a teenage girl after 8 alcopops than you would from the weather here! Its nuts, its all over the shop, its out of control!
Case in point, Monday day (Labour Day bank holiday here so off work, nice) sunny, calm, gentle breeze - Monday night gale-force winds slamming the country, roofs blown off in Otago, lorries blown over etc.
Tuesday morning absolutely dreadful - dark, very moody, hint of rain. Tuesday afternoon bright sunshine, little wind, rather nice!
Wednesday, nice just about all day, though windy at night.
Today, spot on! Bluebird day! No gales even! Hence my reference to the 'sweet spot', since the sun's out and it ain't windy, something that's quite an ellusive combination here!
I can feel a glass of lunchtime Sav Blanc coming on...
:-)
PS/ My drinking buddy let me down at lunchtime so I made do with a wander around the town and a sandwich. Even so, with the glorious sun burning down, I got to thinking, how can I think of going back to live in UK, where you simply don't get as much sunshine!? Think I'm getting addicted to ultraviolet... lol!
To be honest, you'd get more sense out of a teenage girl after 8 alcopops than you would from the weather here! Its nuts, its all over the shop, its out of control!
Case in point, Monday day (Labour Day bank holiday here so off work, nice) sunny, calm, gentle breeze - Monday night gale-force winds slamming the country, roofs blown off in Otago, lorries blown over etc.
Tuesday morning absolutely dreadful - dark, very moody, hint of rain. Tuesday afternoon bright sunshine, little wind, rather nice!
Wednesday, nice just about all day, though windy at night.
Today, spot on! Bluebird day! No gales even! Hence my reference to the 'sweet spot', since the sun's out and it ain't windy, something that's quite an ellusive combination here!
I can feel a glass of lunchtime Sav Blanc coming on...
:-)
PS/ My drinking buddy let me down at lunchtime so I made do with a wander around the town and a sandwich. Even so, with the glorious sun burning down, I got to thinking, how can I think of going back to live in UK, where you simply don't get as much sunshine!? Think I'm getting addicted to ultraviolet... lol!
Wednesday, October 17
Riding a bike in the windy city
What time is it?!
Its Blog o'clock! Alright, half ten at night actually, late enough in the day to consider jotting down a few thoughts on my second attempt at riding the bike into work and back.
Man, its hard work! Ok, admittedly I'm not in the peak of physical condition... but even so, the ride back home is a real slog after a full day.
I console myself with the knowledge that to get back home means ascending 235m from Wellington down at sea-level to home in Newlands up the top of a pretty big hill. And have a guess which way the wind's blowing as you try and pedal up the long climb?
Its called Ngauranga Gorge, the route that State Highway 1 takes as it flows up from Wellington out past Newlands, Johnsonville and onwards to Porirua and the rest of the North Island. Driving is the only way I've experienced it so far, meaning I'd missed out on the excruciating pleasure of doubling my heart rate and wheezing like a chronic asthmatic...
Best part of the ride home? Getting off at the end of course!
Its Blog o'clock! Alright, half ten at night actually, late enough in the day to consider jotting down a few thoughts on my second attempt at riding the bike into work and back.
Man, its hard work! Ok, admittedly I'm not in the peak of physical condition... but even so, the ride back home is a real slog after a full day.
I console myself with the knowledge that to get back home means ascending 235m from Wellington down at sea-level to home in Newlands up the top of a pretty big hill. And have a guess which way the wind's blowing as you try and pedal up the long climb?
Its called Ngauranga Gorge, the route that State Highway 1 takes as it flows up from Wellington out past Newlands, Johnsonville and onwards to Porirua and the rest of the North Island. Driving is the only way I've experienced it so far, meaning I'd missed out on the excruciating pleasure of doubling my heart rate and wheezing like a chronic asthmatic...
Best part of the ride home? Getting off at the end of course!
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