New Zealand Listener – August 10, 2019

92 LISTENER AUGUST 10 2019

80 YEARS

in 1958 when the

first supermarket

opened. The

Foodtown store in

Ōtāhuhu, started

by the Ah Chee,

Kent and Brown

families, caused

what was probably

the country’s first

traffic jam when

it flung open its

doors. That was a

pivotal moment in

the way we shopped

and ate, as every

item a cook

needed could

now be found in

one place. It was a

huge advance in

convenience in

a country where

most families had

only one car.

Hotels in the main cities

had always offered dining

experiences, but in the 60s,

there was a rise in small BYO

places and a handful of bold

European entrepreneurs

opened specialist restaurants

where diners could order such

exotic specialities as chicken

kiev, hungarian goulash,

crayfish curry, filet mignon or

carpetbag steaks and

chocolate mousse.

I remember my

parents going to

a small boutique

restaurant in

central Auckland, Le

Gourmet – Mother in

a glamorous long

gown with plenty

of jewellery and

Dad hiding booze

in his coat, as it

was illegal to serve

alcohol then.

O

n special

occasions,

our family

went out to dinner.

I loved Zajj Diablo

in Mt Eden,

where I ate my

first shoestring

potatoes, and

my baby sister was served a

toasted chicken sandwich.

In Wellington, there was fine

dining: Valerie and Phillip

Littlejohn opened Orsini’s

restaurant in 1959, and

“Madame Louise” established

Le Normandie in 1961, to

much acclaim. In most other

centres and towns, dining was

restricted to grill houses and

hotels.

Cookbooks changed, too,

and if there is a crucial turning

point in the way we looked

at food, it came

with the Australian

Women’s Weekly sets

of cookbooks, and

with Alison Holst.

The AW W books

showed glossy

full-colour photos

of every recipe,

something that is

now standard in

food magazines

and cookbooks.

Holst was the

mistress of simple

family eating

and had her first

“Food Without

Fuss” column in

the Listener in June 1974. It

became a weekly column from

September that year.

In the 80s, the Listener

sponsored a national restau-

rant-of-the-year competition,

partnering with Montana

Wines. Winners included

Hoffman’s in Auckland, Scar-

borough Fare in Christchurch

and Wellington’s Il Casino.

One of my most memorable

meals was a spring lunch by

esteemed restaurateur Lois

Daish, who wrote a column for

the Listener from 1984 to 2007,

at her Brooklyn Cafe and Grill

to conclude a food writers’

conference in Wellington:

platters of fresh asparagus and

bowls of buttery new potatoes

followed by juicy strawberries

and whipped cream. It was

stunning in its simplicity and

delivery.

P

rovenance and sustain-

ability have become the

buzzwords for cooks,

chefs and food writers. We’ve

adapted to a multicultural

scene that is exciting, challeng-

ing and ever-changing.

We can expect more recog-

nition for New Zealand cuisine

and chefs internationally.

London-based fusion food pio-

neer Peter Gordon was named

supreme winner at the 2019

Kea World Class New Zealand

Awards in June for his philan-

thropic efforts in support of

leukaemia research.

Indigenous food and cook-

ery are becoming popular with

chefs such as Wellington’s

Monique Fiso, who showcases

foraged and farmed New

Zealand ingredients in her

restaurant, Hiakai. The world’s

culinary influencers have

their eyes fixed firmly on her

kitchen.

And always, appreciation

of food shared at the table in

the company of family and

friends remains one of the

most rewarding pastimes of

any age. l

Kiwi classic: pavlova

with passionfruit.

Kitchen creatives: from

top, Lois Daish, Monique

Fiso, Peter Gordon.

MARTIN BOSLEY’S BEST

PAVLOVA RECIPE

230g egg whites (roughly

6 eggs)

2 cups caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp cornflour

1 tsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp water

Heat the oven to 100°C.

Prepare a flat baking sheet

with a piece of non-stick

baking paper. Whisk the

egg whites until firm

and add the sugar. Beat

the whites to stiff peaks

and add the vanilla.

The meringue will drop

slightly, but continue to

whisk the whites until

they are stiff again. Add

the cornflour, vinegar and

water and whisk for 5 more

minutes. Shape the pav-

lova on the baking sheet

and bake for 1 hour. Turn

the oven off and leave the

pavlova there for another

hour to dry out.

And that, says Martin

Bosley, will make the

quintessential Kiwi pav:

crunchy and flaky exterior,

slightly chewy mid-layer,

with a soft marshmallow

centre, lightly perfumed

with vanilla and a touch of

acidity from the vinegar.