Mission Chinese Pop-Up Dining, Auckland

Pop-up dining is becoming the next big thing in dining experiences; some recent campaigns included: Positively Wellington Tourism created a pop-up restaurant called WLG in Melbourne over 2 weeks and Malaysia Kitchen opened one in Sydney for a single night to publicise the year-long programme. Also known as supper clubs, these are usually announced using social media and allow chefs to showcase their talents without the expense of a long-term lease, staff, etc.

Ben Barton, of Kiwizine blog, is the brains (and heart) behind this series of pop-up dining in Auckland. Ben had been working on luxury yachts in Europe and Asia, and had recently returned to NZ. Using the online social networking portal Meetup.com, Ben’s idea took shape surprisingly fast, and within a fortnight, 20 hungry strangers (with Ben's supportive family and friends) met in Devonport to experience Mission Chinese cuisine.

Mission Chinese Food is the name of a much lauded pop-up restaurant in San Francisco, the owners/chefs cook Americanised Chinese food, done in a quirky and totally delicious way. Ben took inspiration from their menu. And yes, there is a flying ninja on the screenshot.

Passionfruit shortbread

Anything with chunks of butter makes me very happy, therefore it goes without saying that I have an embarrassing weakness for shortbread. Maybe it’s because I grew up bereft of butter in Malaysia, where Planta, a margarine masquerading as a butter substitute was used in all manner of culinary endeavours. And yes, you can absolutely believe it’s not butter.

I spied this in Fiona Smith’s The Sweetest Things article in the September 2011 Cuisine magazine. Inexplicably, I had the Fresh As freeze-dried passionfruit powder in my pantry; I had come across it at Farro Fresh (available online from souschef.co.nz) and had been intrigued by the possibilities. However, I like the charming speckles of passionfruit seeds, so I adapted the recipe by reducing the sugar and adding some passionfruit syrup.

These are great; passionfruit gives it an delightful fragrance and freeze-dried powder is a lot cheaper compared to using fresh fruit (unless you have a passionfruit vine, in that case, could I be your friend?) and less messy. I made two batches, and they were all gone in days (and I swear it wasn’t just by me!).

Tian Fu Lai Chinese Restaurant (Happy Family Takeaway), Mt Albert, Auckland

The English name completely befuddled me. The only reason for the misnomer ‘Takeaway’ in the name is because you can, obviously, choose to take the deliciousness the chefs create away. Its Chinese name Tian Fu Lai, which translates to ‘Additional Fortune Coming’ sounds more befitting.

This was the delightful place for the second outing of the Dumpling Club. Tian Fu Lai (939 New North Road, Mt Albert, Ph: 09 – 846 9577) is located beside the Mt Albert train station and was recommended as one of the most authentic places for dumplings.

Kuih Momo

Happy Dragon New Year! May the New Year bring you prosperity, good health and joy. This year, the only CNY cookie I made is my long-time favourite, Kuih Momo (also known as Kuih Makmur). This crumbly, butter-scented cookie was only available during Chinese New Year and came in recycled Milo tins. My siblings and I used to ration this out precisely, and woe betide anyone who took more than their share! Even now, when I see a re-used tin, I fully expect to see cookies inside.

The recipe comes from Sunflower’s Recipe blog, which was recommended by Mum. The cookies are very moreish, but take small bites and be ready for crumbs. It is not advisable to put the whole cookie in your mouth, as the dry, crumbly texture have caused more than a few gasps for water.

Bubble-top brioche

Brioche is a decadent bread. It’s a far cry from my usual healthy rye and pumpkin seed breakfast bread (from Paris Berlin bakery at Ellerslie). Brioche is light and buttery, and yes, I spread butter on it. It’s more of a dessert than a bread, and absolutely perfect to serve up for a luxurious morning tea.

I first learnt to make brioche from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking with Julia. It’s my kind of recipe, - bang everything in a mixer and get it to do all the work. It does, however, take time, as the dough needs to rise three times, the second time overnight in the fridge. The bubble-top recipe comes from Ms Greenspan’s Around my French Table. Having individual portions is such bonne idée (a good idea).

Don't the brioche buns simply invite you to tear them apart and devour them?

This recipe makes enough dough for 24 bubble-top brioche buns. If you only want to make 12, freeze half the dough for up to 1 month.

Ima Bistro, CBD, Auckland

Ima Bistro (57 Fort Street, CBD, Ph: 09 – 300 7252) evokes one of those enviable home kitchen/dining spaces.  The shelves are laden with cookbooks, the murals on the wall are homely and inviting, the chefs are in full view, separated only by a low counter.

Ima (Hebrew word for ‘mother’) is the labour of love of owner and chef Yael Shochat. Yael greets her customers like friends, and serves them honest, hearty and totally delicious traditional Israeli/Mediterranean food. Ima is my kind of bistro; the serving staff are amiable, and the atmosphere is relaxing.

Classic Madeleines

Madeleines are lemony-scented scallop-shaped sponge cake, the quintessential French teacakes. All the posh bakeries seem to have them these days, but these are best still warm when there is still a light crunch to sides. They are so quick and easy to make, and bake in about 10 minutes. These can also be prepared in advance, - spooned into the molds, and kept in the fridge until your guests arrive.

Madeleines are made from a génoise batter, the same batter used for making ladyfingers, the basis for tiramisu. I love the scallop shape of the teacake, - it somehow raises the delicate-ness of the cakes.

Madeleine trays are now available at all good cooking supply stores, - Milly’s Kitchen even has 4 versions of them. Madeleines are notoriously ‘sticky’, even non-stick molds will need to be buttered or given a light coating of cooking spray.

Spiced red wine poached pears with chocolate ganache and sugared macadamia crumbs

Poached pears always seemed like such a posh adult dessert to prepare. I pictured it as something you serve people you need to behave around, - your parents’ generation and bosses.

Then I realised how surprising easy is it to make poached pears. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples, and you can make it days in advance. Once poached, the pears can keep in the fridge to be served with whatever accompaniments you like.

To make 8 poached pears for a dinner party; I used a bottle of red wine (750ml) and added more water to the poached liquid to cover to cover the fruit.

Barilla Dumpling

What do you do if you work near the epicentre of the best Chinese food in Auckland (aka Dominion Rd and its surrounds)? If you’re like my colleagues and I, you start a Dumpling Club with the sole mission to eat our way through menus we might not decipher and food we may not recognise.

Our first outing was to Barilla Dumpling (571 Dominion Road, Ph: 09 - 638 8032). This spartan little eatery, tucked alongside other similarly decorated eateries, is easy to spot with its bright signage.

Barilla’s extensive menu is surprising for this tiny place, but we were just here to sample their namesake dumplings. In addition to the 37 types of dumplings, there are a la carte dishes, buns, noodles, pancakes, casseroles and cold dishes.

A pot of steaming hot tea was quickly plonked onto the table. 20 generously sized boiled dumplings range in price from $8 - $10. Add $1 extra for have them steamed or fried, and $1 less for frozen dumplings to take away. The usual accompaniments of black vinegar, soy sauce and chilli oil are provided on each table.

Hearty, tasty, fast and cheap; dumplings tick all the boxes. Dumplings are traditional peasant food, cheap but time-consuming to make. It takes nearly as much time to make 200 dumplings as it is to make 20 (I exaggerate, but only just). The only way to make dumplings at home is to disguise it as a dinner party; invite your friends and get a production line going.

Sablé Breton galette with summer berries

I was browsing Dorie Greenspan’s Around my French Table cookbook for a summer cake to serve my lovely colleagues who were coming over for a girlie afternoon tea. Once I spied tthis, I knew what I was making. My version is not as beautiful as Ms Greenspan’s stunning galette (you must have a peek at her cookbook to see what I mean), but I’d like to think it tasted just as good.

Sablé Breton is a salty butter cookie from Brittany, and this inspired adaptation pairs it with lemon curd (homemade or store bought) and juicy summer berries.

Rummy date balls

My South African (by way of UK) colleague brought in these moreish treats (sans alcohol) for a meeting. Before I knew it, I had polished off half a dozen and was reaching for more. I had to beg her to put the plate out of my reach.

These are not too sweet, and have a satisfying crunch from the biscuits. For an after dinner catch-up, I decided to add some rum to the mix, though brandy is more commonly used.

To my delight, the local supermarket now sells packets of pre-cut dates. I’ve come to discover how versatile dates are in cooking and baking, but I don’t relish chopping up these sticky fruit. The original recipe calls for a 200g packet of Marie Biscuits, I used an entire 250g packet of wine biscuits, but you may want to put aside some biscuits for the store cupboard. Crumb the biscuits by putting them in a ziplock bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. 

Watermelon and feta salad

Now that the holiday season is drawing to a close, I'm searching for healthy (and lazy) antidotes to the festive indulgences. This delicious watermelon and feta combination is the perfect refreshing salad for a hot summer’s day. The sharpness and saltiness of the feta complements the cold sweetness of the watermelon brilliantly.

This Ottolenghi recipe from his Plenty cookbook takes no time at all to assemble (20 minutes if you dawdle), and is a welcomed addition to a barbeque or a potluck dinner. I have changed the quantities slightly to adapt to NZ standard packaging. It is best to purchase the watermelon the day before so it can chill in the fridge.