Slow Food Waitakere

Terra Madre Day, 10 December 2011, nga mihi nui ki a koutou mo tenei Ra Terra Madre!

2011-12-10T02:09:00.001-08:00

Today a few members from Slow Food Waitakere met at the local Oratia Farmers Market to celebrate Terra Madre. We raised the Terra Madre and Slow Food flags at the stall or Terra Madre delegates Terry and Karlene Shaw-Toomey (Earthbound Honey) and talked about ideas for the next TM meeting next year, and projects for our convivium.

We choose the local farmers market because Terra Madre celebrations are about eating good, clean and fair local food, and to support our local producers. Participants received a small eco wooden dinner set and moved on to buy and eat food from the market.

Our sister convivium Slow Food Te Hiku had an impressive kai (feed) of local food, including lots of kaimoana (seafood). Ka rawe Te Hiku, nga mihi nui ki a koutou mo tenei Ra Terra Madre!

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini and Yvonne Johns ©

Celebrate Terra Madre Day, 10 December 2011

2011-11-29T02:09:00.001-08:00

Dear all,

On December 10 theglobal network of Slow Food and Terra Madre comes together to celebrate Terra Madre Day and promote local food.

Slow foodWaitakere cordially invites you to celebrate Terra Madre Day

on Saturday 10December 2011

Where: OratiaFarmers Market, 99 Parrs Cross Road, Oratia,Auckland.

Meeting and greeting, and photosat 11:00 am, at the TM delegates Karlene & Terry Shaw-Toomey’sstall (Earthbound Honey).

Lunch at Artisan VineyardRestaurant (next to the Farmers Market)

1:00pm.

If you like to attend lunchplease rsvp to Gabriella Turek

gaby@dv8.net

Free parking forthe market and the restaurant.

We look forwardto meeting you there,

Slowly

The Slow Food Waitakere Committee

Making sugar flowers, slowly

2011-11-23T16:40:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday morning a few Slow food Waitakere ladies met for a convivial cup of tea, and to make sugar roses and flowers together. It was lovely to take time to make food together, while talking around the table. Thank you to all who attended.

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini©

Slow Food Waitakere Workshop: Making Fondant Roses and Flowers

2011-11-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

photo: Alessandra Zecchini

Spend a morning learning how to make yourself beautiful fondant roses and flowers to decorate your cakes, cupcakes and petit fours. Perfect for edible Christmas presents and special occasions, these flowers can be stored and will lasts for weeks. You don’t need any previous experience in sugar craft. Coffee and tea will be served. Please bring a container to take home your creations. Limited to 6 participants so book early.

Date: 22 November 2011, 10am-12pm

Where: 783 West Coast Rd, Oratia, Auckland

Cost: Slow Food members free, non-members $10 donation to Terra Madre

RSVP: Alessandra (09) 814 8993 or alessandra@clear.net.nz

Yesterday's event

2011-10-02T18:03:00.000-07:00

Some images from the October SF Waitakere event:

Making a Vegan Chocolate Cake

Slow Food Nation: An Evening With Carlo Petrini

2011-09-27T02:23:00.000-07:00

Uploaded by cookingupastory on Aug 2, 2007

An excerpt: From Fast Food Nation To Slow Food Nation, Carlo Petrini, founder of Slow Food International, speaks to us about his revolutionary ideas.

Slow Food Waitakere October 2011 event

2011-09-18T03:15:00.000-07:00

Scrumptious Vegan Chocolate Cake

with Pastry Chef Eri Ishibashi

Scrumptious Vegan Chocolate Cake

Tutor Pastry Chef Eri Ishibashi

May be hard tobelieve, without butter or eggs, you can create this rich and deliciouschocolate cake and enjoy it from breakfast to dinner!

Come and join Eri’s amazing cooking class and

bring the whole cake homeafter class.

＊

when : 2October, from 11 am

where :Pinevalley B&B, 48 YoungAccess Daily flat 0992

cost : $55 topublic, $50 to Slow Food Members

＊

Light lunchincluded

RSVP to Kazuyo, Tel.: 09-442-5701 or kauyo@mindspring.com

Maximum of 6 students

Slow Tofu

2011-09-04T02:52:00.000-07:00

This was a wonderful lunch, every dish was made with tofu, from the appetizers to the dessert. Three Japanese ladies worked in the kitchen to serve an amazing array of dishes, served with sake, to eight diners. All the ingredients were high quality, the tofu handmade by Eri with organic soy beans, and many of the vegetables came from Kazuyo's garden. Gochiso sama deshita!

Tofu based appetizers on arrival. Eri preparing our lunch.

Look at the pretty quail egg dressed like a Japanese princess!

Chilled handmade tofu with ginger, beets in tofu paste, tofu and mushrooms in parchment paper, and deep fried tofu in sweet and sour sauce.

Marinated daikon salad with usuage tofu and orange dressing, chrysanthemum and other greens with black sesame and tofu paste, tofu mazzaball miso soup, fragrant rice with burdock and shitake.

Green tea tofu cake with kanten and pickled cherry blossom.

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Mozzarella event

2011-08-21T00:55:00.000-07:00

Today some members of Slow Food Waitakere group meet for a mozzarella making workshop at the Gourmet Gannet, followed by lunch at the Tasting Shed.

It was a brilliant day, we made our own mozzarella to take home, and if you like the recipe you can find it by clicking here. Thank you Allison for hosting the event and sharing your recipe :-).

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Slow Food Waitakere September Event: a special Japanese lunch

2011-08-13T04:57:00.000-07:00

Slow Food Waitakere

Presents:

"Tofu Zukushi"

A unique chance to experience an authentic Japanese meal as it would be served in Nara.

Dear Slow Food Members and Friends,
Kazuyo and Eri from Pine Valley BB are pleased to announce a very special Japanese meal.

Based on organic ingredients and freshly homemade tofu, this 8 course meal is prepared and served as it would be in a traditional Japanese Haute Cuisine Restaurant.

The menu:

Tofu and Mushrooms in Parchment Paper
Deep Fried Tofu in Sweet Sour Sauce
Flavored Rice with Burdock and Shiitake
Tofu Mazzaball Miso Soup
Beets with Tofu Paste
Marinated Daikon Salad with Usuage Tofu, Orange Flavor
Chilled Hand-made Tofu to taste
Green Tea Cake made with Tofu

Cost, including wine and beverages: $60.00, Slow Food Members only $50.00

When:
Sunday 4 September 2011
12:00-2:30pm

Address:
Pine Valley B&amp;amp;amp;amp;B, 48 Young Access, RD2, Silverdale (Dairy Flat), 0992

Limited numbers so please RSVP by 25 August to:
Kazuyo, Tel.: 09 442 5701
kazuyo@mindspring.com

A Walk Around Cheese

2011-08-04T03:29:00.000-07:00

Cheese is back in Bra, Piedmont, Italy from September 16 to 19, 2011. The international biennial event organized by the City of Bra and Slow Food is now in its eighth edition.

The program for the event is available on-line www.slowfood.it/cheese (select the language on the top right-hand corner)

Follow us on http://twitter.com/slowfoodhq

A Walk Around Cheese

Cheese unfolds around the streets of Bra’s historic center, and the open-air stalls, food kiosks, live entertainment and opportunities for tasting and buying make it the perfect destination for a mid-September weekend.
Great Hall of Cheese under the porticoes along Via Garibaldi Entering the beautiful space of the Great Hall means embarking on a journey around the world’s dairy specialties, discovering and tasting rare and unfamiliar cheeses, including many Slow Food Presidia. Out of the 150 international cheeses, 100 come from France, the star of Cheese 2011. After putting together your tasting plate from the selection on offer in the Great Hall, choose one of the Enoteca’s 700 wines to accompany your cheeses. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, ask for help from the trained staff, members of FISAR, the Italian federation of sommeliers, hoteliers and restaurateurs. Many of the Italian wines feature in Slow Food’s Slow Wine guide, and they all come from wineries that belong to Progetto Vino. Together with Slow Food, they are taking a new approach to promoting Italian wine production. The Italian labels will be joined by a wide selection of wines from different French regions.
Street Food and the Beer Piazza in Piazza XX Settembre Eat your way around Italy with street food from regional gastronomic tradition. Cheese-filled Recco focaccia from Liguria, stuffed olives from the Marche and bombette (grilled pork and cheese skewers) from Puglia are just some of the options on offer, and all pair perfectly with beers from the sixteen breweries of the Beer Piazza, selected by Slow Food’s beer guide.
Literary and Music Café on Via Mendicità Istruita For Cheese, the courtyard of the Slow Food publishing company is transformed into an open-air salon. Here, visitors can take a break from the hubbub of the main event, leaf through the newspapers, read a book, meet Slow Food Editore authors and sample Slow Food Presidia, while listening to live acoustic music.
Slow Food Presidia in Via Principi di Piemonte, Via Marconi and Piazza Valfré di Bonzo The 50-odd Presidia cheeses, from 14 different countries, can be found on display along Via Principi di Piemonte and Via Marconi up to Piazza Valfré di Bonzo, once the town’s poultry market. New international Presidia making their first appearance at Cheese 2011 include Bregaglia Valley Mascarplin and Sbrinz d’Alpe from Switzerland; Mavrovo-Reka Mountain Pasture Cheeses from Macedonia; and Traditional Salers from France. Presidia from Italy include Orobiche Valleys Traditional Stracchino from Lombardy and Modicana Cow Caciocavallo from Sicily. In Piazza Valfrè di Bonzo, producers from the Heritage Bitto Slow Food Presidium will be presenting their mountain cheeses and welcoming visitors with tastings of Bitto and polenta. Other small-scale producers hosted by Cheese can be found nearby in the Piazza della Resistenza Casearia, the “Cheese Resistance Piazza,” where visitors can meet herders and cheesemakers and sample otherwise impossible-to-find cheeses.
Cheese Market in Piazza Roma and Piazza Carlo Alberto
Covering 3,000 square meters in two of Bra’s main squares, the market will bring together hundreds of cheesemakers who choose to use raw milk and herders who are protecting rural traditions. The Cheese Market has become an essential point of reference for cheese enthusiasts and professionals in the dairy sector.
Via degli Affinatori in Piazza Roma Affineurs are much more than just sellers of cheese. They buy fresh cheeses directly from producers, then tend them carefully as they age, bringing them to their full potential. Here you’ll find the best of international cheeses from affineurs who belong to a network that formed spontaneously at previous editions of Cheese. Every two years they meet in Bra, bringing with them hundreds of different products for visitors to sample and buy, filling the streets with the unmistakable fragrance of well-aged cheeses.

Tasting Booths and the Pizza Piazza in the Scuole Maschili courtyard between Via Vittorio Emanuele and Via Marconi At the Tasting Booths, visitors can take a seat and enjoy the best of Italian regional cuisines. Traditional cheese-based recipes will be served in full menus or tasting plates. Each booth will also host workshops, meetings, presentations and practical demonstrations throughout the event.
Meanwhile in the Pizza Piazza, visitors can try authentic Neapolitan-style pizza made with San Marzano tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella from Campania, cooked in a wood-burning oven. Alongside the classic Margherita and the buffalo mozzarella version will be pizzas topped with Slow Food Presidia. The area is sponsored by Molino Quaglia and Pedavena, whose beers will be on offer to accompany the authentic pizzas.
Next to this celebration of Naples’s most famous food, Slow Food Campania will be organizing the sale of a collection of ceramic plates dedicated to Cheese 2011. Designed by Salvatore Cozzolino, president of the Architetti Designer Italiani association, in collaboration with Fabbrica delle Arti and Massimo Di Porzio, president of the Vera Pizza Napoletana association, the plates have been produced by Cotto Rufoli, an artisanal company producing handmade tiles and ceramics. Part of the proceeds will be donated to the Thousand Gardens in Africa project, which involves creating a thousand food gardens in African schools, villages and cities.

Cheese Press Office

Slow Food: Paola Nano, +39 329 8321285, p.nano@slowfood.itCittà di Bra: Elena Martini, +39 0172 430185, infopoint@comune.bra.cn.itwww.slowfood.com - www.comune.bra.cn.it

August 2011 Event, Making Mozzarella

2011-07-19T01:54:00.000-07:00

presents:

Learn to make mozzarella at home

With Allison Pirrie from Gourmet Gannet

At this workshop you can learn how to make your fresh mozzarella at home.

All you need to bring is a small plastic or glass container to take
your mozzarella home (and maybe an ice pack to keep it chilled if planning to stay out
for lunch). An apron is also good to prevent milk slashes while molding
and stretching the cheese.

After the class a few of us are planning to go for lunch in a local winery, all welcome to join in.

Sunday 21 August

10am to 12:30

Cost: Slow Food members $30, non members $40

all ingredients included

Limited to 8 participants

to secure a place contact:

Alessandra

09 814 8993

alessandra@clear.net.nz

by Sunday 7 August

The class will be held at:

Gourmet Gannet

6 Edwin Mitchelson Road, Muriwai.

Phone 411 8847 or 021620530

Hua Parakore

2011-07-07T02:48:00.000-07:00

He mihi Maioho, mai nga wharuarua o Te Waka Kai Ora ki te Motu ki te Ao. E nga Rangatira, e nga Ariki Tapaiuru e taiawhio ana ki nga hau e wha, tukua tenei powhiri hei tawharau i a tatou ki raro i te tuanui o Te Waka Kai Ora. 

Tenei te minenga e whakatoo ana i nga pukenga tikanga, me nga kawa taketake o te Hua Parakore, Kei te whakaniko, kei te pohewangia ngai korakoratanga o a tatou kai Māori katoa.

After many years of mahi Te Waka Kai Ora are proud to announce the official launch of the new tikanga based indigenous tohu Hua Parakore.

Hua Parakore is a way of growing Kai Ātua or pure foods through healthy landscapes and pure seedlines producing kai that is full of energy and wellbeing.

We invite you to celebrate with Te Waka Kai Ora the attainment of the vision of our Kaumatua and Kuia by attending the launch of Hua Parakore Kai Ātua, Kai Ora, a world first in indigenous verification and labeling. The event is to be held at:

Turnbull House, Wellington 5pm, on Thursday 14th July

In the program: great speakers, free Hua Parakore resources and delicious Hua Parakore Kai created by our very own Chef Te Wai Hohaia.

RSVP today at http://huaparakorelaunch.eventbrite.com or by email info@tewakakaiora.co.nz or phone 06 7546156 or 021 373519. If you are unable to make the launch but would like more information about Hua Parakore please visit www.tewakakaiora.co.nz or contact us.

We thank you for your contribution to making this kaupapa a reality and look forward to your ongoing support to our growing community of Hua Parakore growers who produce Kai Ātua for our people.

for Te Waka Kai Ora National Maori Organic Authority
PO Box 482, Kaikohe
Tel: +64-6-7546156
Mob: +64-21-353519
info@tewakakaiora.co.nz
http://www.tewakakaiora.co.nz
Ki te manaaki I te mauri o nga taonga katoa Ngā kaitiaki me ngā kai tautoko o tenei kaupapa.
Nga whanau, hapu, iwi.

New Slow Food Waitakere Committee

2011-07-02T03:04:00.000-07:00

Following our AGM on Sunday June 19th , Slow Food Waitakere would like to warmly welcome our new committee members

Anutosh Cusack, Aldo Di Cesare and Laurel McAlpine.

They will be joining Claire Inwood, Steven Kesler, Sean Shadbolt, Gabriella Turek, Sue Greig and Alessandra Zecchini.

Our thanks goes to Joan O' Brien who is stepping down from the committee, many thanks for all of your enthusiastic input.

Best wishes for the winter months,

Slow Food Waitakere Committee

How to make Japanese Condiments and Flavorings

2011-06-15T03:21:00.000-07:00

Photo by Sean Shadbolt

Kazuyo and Eri will show us how to prepare our own Japanese condiments.

Barely known outside Japan, these delicious and nutritious condiments are the base of traditional meals, and can be stored for quite a long time in the kitchen cupboard without spoiling.

The class will introduce 4 kinds of condiments for rice and other dishes: Furikake, Tsukudani, Ochazuke-flavorings, and Neri-Miso (Okazu-Miso), miso balls that can be stored and used to make instant miso soup. These condiments will also add a touch of colour and sophistication to many dishes, and are perfect for entertaining.

All ingredients are provided and students will take home 100g each of the condiments and Miso-balls. Lunch is also included.

Saturday, 25 June 2011

Class will start at 11am, with lunch at 1pm,

Please bring an apron.

Cost: $55 Slow Food Members, $65 non members

Address:

Pine Valley B&B, 48 Young Access, RD2, Silverdale (Dairy Flat), 0992

Map is attached.

Please RSVP by Monday 20 June to:

Kazuyo, Tel.: 09 442 5701

kazuyo@mindspring.com

Slow Food Waitakere AGM and Brunch

2011-06-01T03:36:00.000-07:00

AGM and Brunch

Convivium AGM and election of new committee,
followed by brunch (please bring a plate or a drink).

All financial members have voting rights and are welcome to come forward if they wish to be part of the committee.
Open positions from this year are of Convivium Leader and Convivium treasurer.
Please forward your nomination to Claire Inwood
claire.inwood@gmail.com
by 12 June 2011.

The Annual General Meeting is open to all who are interested and wish to Join Slow Food.

Sunday 19 June 2011

from 11am

Peter and Alessandra's place

783 West Coast Rd

Oratia

Auckland 0604

rsvp and apologies to

Alessandra

tel. (09) 814 8993

alessandra@clear.net.nz

Slow Food Baby

2011-05-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

Slow Food Baby

United Kingdom -

Slow Food Baby, a community education program developed by Slow Food UK, was launched this Mother’s Day with the first training workshop for facilitators who will pass on tools and practical knowledge to help parents prepare good food for the newest members of their families, emphasizing the importance for early health as well as their future food choices.   

Developed by Slow Food UK with input from experts and their membership, Slow Food Baby is a train-the-trainer program in which volunteers are taught how to facilitate the interactive workshop Happy Eating: The Slow Food family approach to first solid foods & mealtimes. The first group of fourteen facilitators was trained in Manchester and are now getting ready to deliver the program in their own regions across the nation.

Slow Food UK CEO Catherine Gazzoli said they expect to reach around 900 families in the first year, however they are in discussions with some of the leading parenting charities in the UK to develop partnerships to assist in rolling out the project.

"Providing wholesome, healthy choices to infants learning to eat can set them on a path to a lifetime of good eating habits,” Ms Gazzoli said. “Slow Food Baby strives to give parents and carers helpful guidance, ideas, tips and strategies to ensure that their little ones have the best introduction to first foods, and enjoy it in a family-friendly context."  

The project was inspired by a talk on feeding babies presented by Slow Food New York City with chef Galen Zamarra of Mas Farmhouse and Nina Planck, author of Real Food for Mother and Baby: The Fertility Diet, Eating for Two and Baby’s First Foods. New York committee member Ed Yowell connected Catherine to two enthusiasts, and together they undertook the first brainstorming for the workshop.

The resulting 1.5 hour long workshop has a core focus on taste as well as nutrition, and how early sensory experience is critical for laying the foundations for inquisitive and healthy food choices throughout life.

“If babies are allowed to experiment with healthy food, and are kept away from food loaded with sugar, salt and fat, they will end up with a taste for beetroot, broccoli, pumpkin, fish… anything really,” summed up SF UK board member and project advisor Prue Leith, the well-known British chef and writer. “Sadly, if they are given sweets and chocolate, cakes and biscuits they will prefer them, and make their parents life hell for years as they demand them."  

For more information on Slow Food Baby, contact Sara Trewhitt: s.trewhitt@slowfood.org.uk.

Photo by Bess Mucke ©

Slow Food Waitakere May 2011 Event: Japanese Cooking Class

2011-05-08T01:24:00.000-07:00

Photos by Sean Shadbolt

Our May event was hosted by Slow Food Waitakere member Kazuyo Friedlander, at Pine Valley B&B.

Firstly Eri showed us how to make soy milk and tofu, then Chikako took us through the menu for the day:

Buttercup croquets

Daikon Radish Ume mayonnaise salad

Sesame flavoured stir fry capsicums

Marinated celery in sweet vinegar

Rolled Rice in Nori- 2 kinds

Chicken mince balls skewer

Omelette with Surimi inside

Mustard flavoured Broccoli

Salmon Saute in fragrant sauce

(we also made some okara croquettes for the vegetarians)

Eri and Kazuyo making tofu

Chikako showing us how to cook the dishes of the day

After the demo we were divided into groups, and started working.

The food was assembled into bento boxes.

After 2 hours of chopping, mixing and cooking we all moved to the greenhouse,

ready for a glass of wine and lunch.

It was a brilliant day, thank you to Kazuyo for opening her home to 16 students, to Chikako and Eri for teaching us to make all these lovely dishes, and to Sean for taking the photos. Also thank you to all who attended today: SF members from our Waitakere Convivium, form our sister Convivium in Auckland, and the new friends who attended a SF event for the first time. See you the next time!

Photos by Sean Shadbolt

Not in My Pan | Slow Food International - Good, Clean and Fair food.

2011-05-03T14:18:00.001-07:00

Not in My Pan | Slow Food International - Good, Clean and Fair food.

« prev next »

Not in My Pan

Turkey - 12 Apr 11

“In 15 years of cooking at Michelin-starred restaurants, I must have used six or seven species of fish,” said chef Gaël Orieux of Breton, France. “As a restaurant owner I have the possibility and the responsibility to point diners towards alternative species. The sea is not a free market.”   Chefs around the world are having the same reaction. If the increasing threats and problems concerning some of the most commonly eaten fish species are taken seriously – bluefin tuna, farmed salmon, Atlantic cod to name just three – menus need to be rethought and customers convinced to change their dinning habits. On the flipside, the alternatives offer a chance for reinvention and new ideas as well as a return to old recipes using local fish.   In many countries, seafood is primarily eaten in restaurants and so chefs and restaurateurs are at the frontline of changing fish consumption habits and trends. Convinced that his profession can help educate consumers and a passionate supporter of biodiversity, Gaël has transformed his Parisian restaurant Auguste into a model for the Mr Goodfish campaign launched in France last year, which he will discuss at the Slow Fish event this May.   Also attending the international fair of sustainable seafood is chef Mehmet Gürs of Istanbul’s Mikla restaurant. Heavily involved with Slow Food Istanbul’s Don't Let the Lüfer Go Extinct! campaign to protect a beloved local fish, Gürs is also one of the biggest supporters of the “How Big is Yours” campaign lobbying the Turkish government to establish minimum sizes for caught fish. He is working to promote responsible fish buying among his fellow chefs and the public, and more than 300,000 people have pledged their support for this local Greenpeace campaign.   “It may sound harsh but considering that we have almost fished the oceans empty, we better start changing our habits, and quickly!” said Gürs. “Without small fish there is no big fish. Without big fish there is no ocean. I don't say that we should stop eating fish or other seafood but there is a balance that we have to be aware of and also respect - don't eat certain species for a start.”  Various groups and projects specifically aimed at chefs are being developed to encourage professional cooks to take the first steps for change. In the USA, Chefs Collaborative - a network of chefs promoting sustainable, local food - has published Seafood Solutions: A Chef's Guide to Sourcing Sustainable Seafood as well as an online training course and resource centre for hotel and culinary schools with the Blue Ocean Institute called Green Chef, Blue Ocean. In the United Kingdom, Pisces Responsible Fish Restaurants helps chefs find local fish, putting them in direct contact with selected fishermen.  The Slow Food network and Terra Madre cooks are also bringing the message to their communities. In Spain, Garraf convivium and Terra Madre cooks from Catalonia region held a series of Slow Cook Jam Sessions at Barcelona's Boqueria market, with a focus on utilizing pescado sin precio (undervalued fish). Taking the vast range of fish on offer at as a starting point, the chefs presented their own recipes for little-known, sustainable fish options.  Gaël Orieux and Memhet Gürs and many other chefs will be leading Theater of Taste sessions at Slow Fish 2011 in Genoa, Italy. Click here for more information.   If you are a chef and would like to find out more about the Slow Fish campaign, visit the website and check the Slow Fish Challenge and Slow Fish in Action.

  Photo: Gaël Orieux

Not in My Pan | Slow Food International - Good, Clean and Fair food.

2011-05-03T14:18:00.000-07:00

Not in My Pan | Slow Food International - Good, Clean and Fair food.

Slow Food Waitakere May Event: Japanese Cooking Class

2011-04-17T15:51:00.000-07:00

Japanese Cooking Class at Pine Valley

Slow Food Waitakere member Kazuyo Friedlander invites SF members and friends to a wonderful cooking class

with Chikako Dean.

Chikako has been teaching Japanese Cuisine both in the UK and NZ, this is the menu that she has designed for

Slow Food Waitakere:

Menu

Buttercup croquets

Daikon Radish Ume mayonnaise salad

Sesame flavoured stir fry capsicums

Marinated celery in sweet vinegar

Rolled Rice in Nori- 2 kinds

Chicken mince balls skewer

Omelette with Surimi inside

Mustard flavoured Broccoli

Salmon Saute in fragrant sauce

In addition to this, there will be a demonstration of Tofu making and tasting.

Sunday, 8 May 2011

Class will start at 11am, with lunch at 1pm,

Please bring an apron.

Cost: $55 Slow Food Members, $65 non members

Pine Valley, 48 Young Access, RD2, Silverdale (Dairy Flat), 0992

Please RSVP by Monday 29 April to

Alessandra, Tel.: 09 814 8993

alessandra@clear.net.nz

Slow Food Waitakere Croissant Class

2011-04-17T03:14:00.000-07:00

On Sunday a small group of members from Slow Food Waitakere learned to make croissants from Allison of Gourmet Gannet.

The students

The teacher

After a demo we are all ready for hands-on!

It was a great class for everyone. We baked some croissants (plain and chocolate) on the spot, and we took some more home to freeze or bake. I baked some as soon as I got home, and they came out lovely (pics below). Thank you Allie for a lovely morning!

Slow Fish 2011

2011-04-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

Click here

Fun with Fish

Learn directly from fishers and cooks

In the Slow Food Education space within Slow Fish, visitors will have the chance to follow two fun and educational paths that explain the importance of our choices to the health of the seas and fish stocks. The two experiences, Sea, Fish and Fishers and Markets, Menus and Cooks, are designed for children and adults visiting the event.

Sea, Fish and Fishers

Participants will meet an endangered “species”: the fisherman. They’ll explore with a fisherman the answers to two fundamental questions: How and where do fish live? How do we catch them? Listening to fishermen’s stories, they’ll go on a virtual journey to understand the differences between artisanal and industrial fishing and find out how to adapt their own daily food habits to a more sustainable consumption style, learning more about how food chains work. The experience will conclude with a tasting of a Fishwich made from a little-known but still delicious fish species.

Markets, Menus and Cooks

A series of activities will help visitors understand the “right” choices when it comes to buying and eating fish. With the help of a cook, visitors will learn how and what to choose, how to read food labels and how to avoid food fraud. They’ll try out different preparation steps and sample flavorful traditional recipes made from fish not at risk of extinction.

During both the experiences, children can participate in entertaining educational games to learn more about the world of fish.

Practical information:

Sea, Fish and Fishers and Markets, Menus and Cooks
Duration: 45 minutes
TimesSchool groups: Friday and Monday 9.30 am, 11 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, 3.30 pm
Children: Saturday and Sunday 2.30 pm, 4 pm
Adults: Friday 6 pm, 7.30 pm, 9 pm; Saturday and Sunday 11.30 am, 5.30 pm, 7 pm. 8.30 pm; Monday 5.30 pm
Cost: Children (up to age 13): free; adults: €5 (free for Slow Food members); school groups and accompanying teachers: free

The following activities have been organized in collaboration with the Slow Food Convivium at the University of Gastronomic Sciences.

Personal Shopper

A team of food experts will be on hand to guide visitors around the Market stalls, recommending which species to choose while respecting fishing seasons and the principles behind conscious and rational shopping. Participants will also get valuable practical tips on how to cook often-ignored fish species. The choices we all make have an effect on the market, but an informed consumer can also have a positive influence on the world of fishing, if they avoid choosing at-risk species. This can be done without renouncing the pleasure of eating fish and seafood. The Personal Shopper guided trip around the market starts from the Slow Food Education area.

Sustainable Sushi

By taking part in this guided tour through the world of Japanese fish specialties, visitors can find out how to navigate a sushi menu, exploring issues like fish characteristics, possible adulterations and alternatives to the most commonly used species, many of which are at risk of extinction. The experience concludes at the Sushi Island, a special space created in collaboration with the knife-maker Kai, where two Japanese cooks, Kiyoshi Hayamizu and Katzoumi Ota, will be preparing sushi made from sustainable species. Visitors will be able to sample delicious raw fish with a high sensory quality and a low impact on the marine ecosystem.

Personal Shopper and Sustainable SushiDuration: around an hour
Times: Saturday and Sunday 11.30 am, 3 pm, 6 pm
Cost: €5 per participant

Slow Fish is organized by the Liguria Regional Authority, Slow Food and Mareterra di Liguria – Fondazione Carige, with the patronage of the Italian Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies; the Genoa Provincial Authority and the City of Genoa and with the support of the Genoa Chamber of Commerce.

If you need a Press Pass:

Slow Fish is back at the Genoa Fiera (Italy) from May 27 to 30, the fifth biannual international event dedicated to the world of fish and marine ecosystems. Debates, meetings, workshops and tastings will focus on issues linked to sustainable fishing and responsible seafood consumption.
In the "For the Press" section on www.slowfish.it (select the language on the top right hand corner) you can download photos and logos of the event as well as the full press kit available in English, Spanish, French and Italian. Click on the Accreditation section to request your Press Pass.

Press Office Slow FishSlow Food: Paola Nano, +39 0172 419645 p.nano@slowfood.itRegione Liguria: Mauro Boccaccio, +39 010 5485727 mauro.boccaccio@regione.liguria.itNuccia Cifarelli, +39 010 5488898 nuccia.cifarelli@regione.liguria.it

Slow Food Waitakere April Event

2011-03-23T02:11:00.000-07:00

Slow Food Waitakere presents:

Croissants in One Hour!

With Allison Pirrie from Gourmet Gannet

At this workshop you can learn how to make a French croissant in one hour.

The workshop will initially demonstrate step by step how to make croissants and then you will produce your own batch from scratch.

Making a combination of chocolate and plain croissants, you will produce and take home a batch of a dozen mini croissants each.

Some we will bake in class and the rest you can freeze to be baked another day.

All you need to bring is an apron, rolling pin and a large container or tray to take them home in.

If you don't have a rolling pin there will be a few spare.

Sunday, 17 April 2011

10am

Cost: Slow Food members $30, non members $40

Limited to 8 participants

to secure a place contact:

Alessandra

09 814 8993

alessandra@clear.net.nz

The class will be held at:

Gourmet Gannet

6 Edwin Mitchelson Road, Muriwai.

Phone 411 8847 or 021620530

Directions. State Highway 16 to Waimauku, turn left onto Muriwai Rd at Waimauku school. Follow road through to Muriwai( approx 8 min).

At Muriwai road splits, take road straight ahead which is Oaia Rd. Take first road right, Waitea Rd and follow down the hill.

Edwin Mitchelson is second road on right.

Terra Madre Day 2010 700 events organized in more than 100 countries

2010-12-06T00:34:00.000-08:00

Visit this page for the events registered in your country:
http://www.slowfood.com/terramadreday/pagine/eng/mappa.lasso?-id_area=006&lista=si

On Terra Madre Day 2010 this December 10, the 700 events organized so far will put local food at centre stage.
In the second edition of the event, more than one hundred countries will bring together local Slow Food networks of farmers, producers, schools, cooks, and members in creative events to celebrate local food, with many events highlighting the basic right to a healthy daily diet, particularly for the world’s poorest people.

The girls of the AMPO (Association Managré Nooma pour la Protection des Orphelins) orphanage in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, will be enjoying a feast of traditional foods in a special event that emphasizes the importance of a local diet for healthier lives and communities. For its event Dégustation du Fonio a l'Orphelinat Filles de Ampo the orphanage is working with a local organic group to celebrate traditional foods, with tastings of indigenous plants such as moringa (a highly nutritious plant used in the fight against malnutrition) and fonio (considered to be the oldest cereal in West Africa) which are key to a healthy diet in the region.

In Argentina, the Buenos Aires convivium’s Dia de Terra Madre Para Todos event is taking quality local food to the city’s most disadvantaged, with members meeting to prepare a meal in a local restaurant and then distributing it around the city to the homeless and households living in poverty.

Slow Food Riga – Latvia – is combining food education with charity in its event Family Sensation, which is organizing farmers to provide a primary school with all the ingredients necessary for traditional apple pies, which the students will bake aided by local chefs. The pies will then be offered to orphans in Jekabpilsa, along with books, clothes and other items collected by the students during a charity week.
In Southern Germany, the Hohenheim farmers’ market is bringing the Right to Food Day, which also falls on December 10, to a farmers’ market of local organic and biodynamic growers. The market will be followed by an Eat-In communal meal and a presentation by the Secretary General of the Food-First International Action Network.
Other events are taking a focus on the protection of traditional knowledge and biodiversity. In Indonesia, the Wild Food Festival will celebrate the food gathering traditions of small villages on the island of Java, offering tastes of dishes prepared by the women who hold the knowledge and skills of the seasonal harvest and cooking which are being quickly lost today.

The Bread, Wine and Cheese event will be held at the Hamra Earth Market in central Beirut, Lebanon, presenting the public with a reminder of the rich agricultural biodiversity being lost to the globalized food system by offering traditional breads made from 20 varieties of Lebanese wheat, accompanied by wines and cheeses from producers in the region.

Meanwhile, in Kenya, small-scale farmers are invited to ensure their local varieties are not lost by coming together to exhibit, sell, share and discuss traditional seeds at the Traditional Seed Fair event.

In the Caribbean, the public is invited to the Eat-In Trinidad and Tobago in the centre of the capital city, officially launching a "Grow local, buy local, eat local" campaign in collaboration with the local government.

This is just a taste of the hundreds of events being held for Terra Madre Day 2010.

To see the already planned activities for Terra Madre Day 2010:
http://www.slowfood.com/terramadreday/pagine/eng/mappa.lasso

More about Slow Food at www.slowfood.com
More about Terra Madre at www.terramadre.org

Celebrate International Slow Food Day @ Ohaeawai

2010-11-24T01:04:00.000-08:00

Taitokerau Organic Producers

Invites you to reconnect with local food...

Join us at Pukerau Gardens Ohaeawai

(follow SH12 from Ohaeawai about 2 km towards Kaikohe, sign on right)

10 December starting at 10.30am

In 2009 the very first Terra Madre Day organized by Slow Food saw more than 1,000 events take place across 120 countries in one of the largest collective occasions celebrating food diversity and the right to good, clean and fair food ever achieved on a global scale. Slow Food convivia and Terra Madre communities brought the voice of small-scale farmers and producers, responsible cooks and concerned consumers to their regions, expressing how our global campaign for better food begins with local sustainable economies that make our lives more pleasurable.

Once again we invite your to celebrate the importance of eating locally on December 10 by joining us at Pukerau Gardens Ohaeawai to celebrate this International day of slow food.

We are having a slow food cook off, so if you want to join in bring one these of 3 ingredients, meat, seafood, or pasta, the rest of the ingredients required to complete your meal you will need to forage from our garden.

If this is not for you, (cooking that is) but you would like to learn what fresh foods go into new and exciting recipes or just want to indulge in the yummy kai that is prepared - this is the place to be. At the same time help to promote better food systems; by creating a global revolution with local roots.

For more information on the Slow Food movement and its relationship to sustainable living click on Slowfood.

And for more info on TOPIS and the local community that supports growing, trading and enjoying local sustainable kai, click on TOPIS

Terra Madre Whanau

2010-11-17T19:21:00.000-08:00

A note from Rueben Porter of Ahipara, Aotearoa representative of Terra Madre 2010.

In the photo is Heeni Hoterene and me Rueben Taipari Porter, and the star of the foto 'Karirikura Terra Madre Taipari' asleep in the middle.

We also took her brother Otane, but he is at the hotel asleep.

Terra Madre is so great, the concepts, the political actions, the food!!!

we learnt lots, ate heaps, and met so many people, too hard to fit into a sentence our experiences.

We loved all the languages we heard, inspiring us to learn more languages too and promote more Maori language spoken in Aotearoa.

Articolo in Italiano sulla Stampa, cliccare qui.

November 2010 Event: making cheese!

2010-11-07T15:11:00.000-08:00

Slow Food Waitakere organized a wonderful class to learn to make cheese (and more dairy delights) at home. The tutor was Natalie Carrand and the class was held at her family farm near Helensville. This means that you can use the milk straight from the cows!

Natalie at work

The class run from 10am to 5pm, and we covered so many cheeses that it would take to long to list the all! But also yogurt, different types of yogurt in fact, and how to make them (and eat them!).

Then we moved on to cheeses

Making mascarpone and panir

One of the most popular cheese in the class was slipcote, possibly because it is so easy to make and can be flavoured with herbs and spices... or because it really suits Kiwis' taste!

Putting the slipcote curds into the moulds

Fresh slipcote with different herbs

Now, did I already mention that we were on the farm? I am sure I did, this was the best part for me, and in Natalie's farm you can buy raw milk, and even rent the kitchen to make cheese and butter... ah, the butter!!!!

Making butter

Students at work making feta and halloumi

The curds

Making ricotta

Salting the Halloumi
Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Cheese making class with Natalie Carrard - Sunday 7th November

2010-10-24T17:44:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Slow Food Waitakere Event

Cheese making class with Natalie Carrard - Sunday 7th November

Come learn the art of cheese making with Natalie Carrad at her family farm near Helensville. Natalie will cover how to make mascarpone, panir, four types of yogurt and yogurt cheeses, cottage cheese, quark, cream cheese, slipcote, feta, haloumi, and ricotta. Notes will be provided for all the cheeses.

For the very reasonable price of $55, not only will you learn about how to make these cheeses you will also get to take home some haloumi, ricotta and a Caspian sea yogurt starter, and the following week some feta will be available.

The morning will mostly be demonstrations and the afternoon is hands-on and with everyone working as a team to make the feta, haloumi and ricotta. There is lots of tasting so please don’t to eat too much for breakfast!

Please bring a spare pair of clean shoes to change into at the door to wear in the cheese room. Crocs or jandals are easy to slip on and off but anything so long as they are clean is fine.

There will also be consumables and equipment available to buy on the day for those who want to go home and make their own cheese.

Milk (BRING YOUR OWN CONTAINER) $1.20 per litre

Freeze dried yoghurt starter $5 starter packet

Freeze dried cheese starter $5 starter packet

250 ml calf rennet $20

Floating dairy Thermometer (glass) $40

Plastic tubes for slipcote or camembert $2 each

Where: 1882 St Highway 16 (approx 35 mins from central Auckland - see map at bottom of email)

When: Sunday 7 November. Starts at 10am, finishes at 5pm

Bring some thing for a shared lunch (bring a plate to eat off)

Cost: Slow Food Members $55, Non Members $60 ($10 Slow Food donation towards Terre Marde fundraising). Payable on the day - please bring cash or a cheque (made out to Slow Food Waitakere). There is no eftpost available.

Places are limited to 12 people so book soon!

Bookings are essential - email or phone Sue Greig on 817 8297 or sudanhairdressing@xtra.co.nz to secure a place.

Natalie’s number: 027 2757 212

Kind regards,

The Slow Food Waitakere Committee

http://slowfoodwaitakere.blogspot.com/

www.slowfood.com

Terra Madre News

2010-10-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

Terra Madre 2010

More than 5,000 representatives from the worldwide Terra Madre network will meet in Turin, Italy for the fourth time this October 21 to 25 - coinciding once again with the international Slow Food fairSalone del Gusto. The five-day meeting will bring together food communities, cooks, academics, youth and musicians from all over the world, who are united in a desire to promote sustainable local food production in harmony with the environment while respecting knowledge handed down over the generations.

A new feature in 2010 will be a focus on cultural and linguistic diversities - in recognition of the need to defend minority ethnic groups and indigenous languages, and with an appreciation of the value of oral traditions and memory. At the opening ceremony, representatives of indigenous communities from all continents across the world will speak to the audience in their native languages.

The second day will be dedicated to examining eight crucial issues for the future of agriculture and the planet (from biodiversity to renewable energies and education to traditional knowledge). On the third day communities will meet in national and regional sessions, while on the fourth day Earth Workshops will be held.

The official closing session of Terra Madre will be marked by the presentation of a program of proposals from the Terra Madre network for a sustainable future.

There will be specific opportunities during the event to receive information, to present projects involving taste education (gardens, canteen projects etc.) or food biodiversity (Presidia and Earth Markets) and to organize Terra Madre Day in your community or country - with the second edition to be held on December 10, 2010 around the world. The Terra Madre youth network will play an important role during the event.

FOCUS ON:

The Opening and Closing Ceremonies

Presentation of the ceremonies which will open and close the 2010 edition of Terra Madre

Sustainability and Food Policies

A policy document from the Advanced School in Sustainability and Food Policies and the Terra Madre food communities

Marco Polo project at Terra Madre

Presentation of the scientific research along the silk road

Youth Food Movement at Terra Madre 2010

Youth and their role in the world meeting of food communities

Education at Terra Madre 2010

List of All Food and Taste Education Activities at Terra Madre 2010

2010 Earth Workshops

Workshops program and links to online forums

Sounds of Terra Madre

Presentation of the participating groups and calendar of the shows

A Honey of an Evening

2010-08-21T23:53:00.000-07:00

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat:
They took some honey,
and plenty of money
Wrapped up in a five-pound note
(Edward Lear)

Join us for an evening of great food, company and honey. Slow Food Waitakere are holding a fundraising dinner to help send local bee keepers and honey producers Karlene and Terry Shaw-Toomey from ‘Earthbound Honey’ to Terra Madre, a conference for small scale food producers, cooks, academics and others from around the world, which takes place in Italy this October.

All are welcome!

Bookings essential

Saturday 11 September, 7pm
Opanuku Studio

Corban Estate Arts Centre 426 Great North Rd, Henderson, Waitakere City

Tickets $45pp ($20 kids) for a fabulous three course meal $40/$18pp if you pay on line before 4th Sept)

A cash bar will be available

For bookings please email: Steve Kesler steven@dv8.net,

Or for more information phone: Claire Inwood 812 8192, 021 239 2809

For more information about Terra Madre see: www.slowfood.com

Hope to see you there.

Regards,

The Slow Food Waitakere Committee

Taste Workshops, Theaters of Taste and Dinner Dates

2010-08-10T11:03:00.001-07:00

The eighth International Salone del Gusto will be held in Turin, Italy, at the Lingotto Fiere exhibition center on October 21-25, together with Terra Madre, the world meeting of food communities. These two biennial events, though different in character, have by now become two inseparable and interconnected halves, in constant dialog with each other.

Taste Workshops, Theaters of Taste and Dinner Dates
Discover the joy of Taste at the International Salone del Gusto

Salone del Gusto offers perhaps the only place in the world where artisan producers, academics and chefs, wine connoisseurs and novice food lovers can come together in a spirit of exchange and friendship.

Not only is Salone del Gusto a tasty and satisfying experience, it also provides an educational exploration and deeper engagement with the food production process.

These two aspects of the fair meet with the Taste Workshops and Theatres of Taste. Producers, experts and great chefs guide the visitors in an experience that speaks to the senses as well as to the mind.

This year's program of the Salone is a sophisticated blend of pleasure and awareness, two cornerstones in the history of the Slow Food association: sought-after tastings of the highest quality, the presence of legendary personalities, spaces dedicated to the Terra Madre food communities and the Presidia and above all, the integrity of the principles of good, clean and fair food.

The Dinner Dates invite visitors to savour the same principles as interpreted by the cream of international cooking. These will be hosted in held in significant food sites of the Piedmont region such as historical residences, castles and villas outside the Lingotto exhibition grounds where Salone del Gusto is happening.

Great chefs from across the globe will participate, including: Alain Ducasse, the grand master of France, Kylie Kwong of Billy Kwong in Sydney (Australia), Petter Nilsson of La Gazzetta in Paris and Michel Bras of Bras in Laguiole (France), Shin Ichiro Takagi of Zeniya in Kanazawa (Japan), Alex Gares of Soneva Fushi on Kunfunadhoo Island (Maldives), Oriol Rovira of Rural Els Casals in Sagas, Catalonia (Spain).

The great names of Italian cuisine will also be present, including Massimo Bottura, Moreno Cedroni, Chicco Cerea, Gennaro Esposito, Davide Oldani and the Santini family. And not least the best of the Osterie d'Italia, and the restaurants involved in the Alliance between Chefs and Slow Food Presidia.

Wine will take pride of place in the Taste Workshops. Three tastings are being held by renowned sommeliers to underline the importance of the winelist: Luca Gardini of Cracco, Federico Graziani of Il luogo di Aimo e Nadia and Olivier Sinclair of Mugaritz. Agronomists, enologists and biologists will also be present to explain wine across different areas of provenance and different styles in the vineyard and the cellar. The winemakers of the Vignerons d'Europe will explain the sense of limit and the concept of authenticity by discussing the results in the glass. There will also be classic vertical tastings of wines through their various vintages, excursions into faraway or little-explored territories like New Zealand or Istria, and the tried and tested happy pairings of food and wine, full expression of a terroir, like Comté cheese and the wines of the French Jura. Similarly, top bartenders from around the world will host several cocktail events.

Food products that are at risk of extinction and are within the international Presidia will be showcased, including the Basque Euskal Txerria pig and amphora wines of Georgia.

Three Feeding the City workshops will be held that will allow visitors to sample the best good, clean and fair food from Milan, Berlin and Paris.

As part of the Slow Food movement’s work on food waste, Salone del Gusto will be hosting its first Dinner of Leftovers. When the doors of the Salone 2010 close on Monday, October 25, a group of chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants as well as humble osterias, will use all the creativity and technical know-how at their disposal to create a meal using the ingredients leftovers from the kitchens of the Theatres of Taste and the Taste Workshops, as well as products from the Italian and international Presidia and the Earth Markets that cannot be kept or brought back home.

The aperitivo will be organized by Davide Scabin (Combal.Zero, Rivoli), veteran of five days Sala Slow Wine. The dishes (in limited amounts and irregular order) will be prepared by chefs such as Alexandre Gauthier (La Grenouillère, Montreuil-sur-Mer), Enrico Crippa (Piazza Duomo, Alba), Luigi Taglienti (Antiche Contrade, Cuneo) Michele Buri (Porcorosso, Torino), Wam Kat (cook-activist for Greenpeace), Masayuki Okuda (Al-Chè-Cciano, Japan), and others.

Notes to editors:

· The program of the Salone del Gusto, online in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish at www.salonedelgusto.it, provides further details on the many activities. Advance booking is also possible online, to ensure an opportunity to partake in this fascinating and multifaceted world.

· The events of the Salone del Gusto calendar are made possible through the efforts of the wide international Slow Food and Terra Madre network, including the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, and with the important collaboration of the University of Gastronomic Sciences .

· The biannual world meeting of Terra Madre food communities has been organised by Slow Food since 2004 and brings together over 5,000 representatives of small farmers, producers, cooks, educators, youth and activists from 150 countries to collaboratively work together on improving our food system.

· The international Presidia projects aim to protect unique regions and ecosystems, recover traditional food processing methods and safeguard native breeds and local plant varieties.

To request media credentials for the events please fill in the form at:
http://www.salonedelgusto.com/pagine/eng/ufficio_stampa/richiesta_accredito.lasso

Ufficio Stampa/Press Office Salone del Gusto – Terra Madre:
c/o Slow Food: Tel. +39 0172 419653/45/66/12 press@slowfood.it Fax +39 0172 419725
c/o Regione Piemonte: Tel. +39 011 4323312 ufficiostampa.giuntaregionale@regione.piemonte.it
c/o Comune di Torino: Tel. +39 011 4423606 raffaela.gentile@comune.torino.it
www.salonedelgusto.it / www.terramadre.org

--
Elisa Virgillito

Ufficio Stampa Slow Food
Via della Mendicità Istruita, 14
12042 BRA (Cn), Italia
Tel +39 0172 419666
Fax +39 0172 419725
E-mail e.virgillito@slowfood.it
Skype: elislow

Il 2010 è l'anno del Salone del Gusto e di Terra Madre! Ti aspettiamo a Torino, dal 21 al 25 Ottobre
This is the year of Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre! We wait for you in Turin from October 21 to 25
www.salonedelgusto.it - www.terramadre.org

Slow Foods Waitakere AGM 15 May

2010-07-04T02:32:00.000-07:00

An AGM & pot luck dinner were held at Joan and Tony's place in Titirangi. The event was well attended and superbly catered by our very own SF members. See recipes below. Photos will be posted shortly.

Annual Report May 15

The year began with Alessandra moving from being our convivium leader to a committee member. We are all grateful for her passionate work in initiating and growing our convivium. A small group plan our events and we welcome any of you to join us in the coming year. This is an opportunity to create the convivium you want with a distinct Waitakere character.

We are now a charitable trust which means we are tax exempt and can apply for funding for projects
which involve the wider community. A grant was received from the Massey Community Wellbeing fund which was used for children's gardening classes at our plot in Ranui Community Garden. The grant covered seeds, a work table and the tutor, Buffie Mawhinney's fees.These classes have been very successful in meeting Slow Food objectives of taste education and involving children in growing their own food. The future of this project is that we will continue to rent the plot which is also used by two Slow Food members. The gardening class tutor will seek funding from other sources.

School garden projects at Oratia, Henderson Heights and Henderson Valley primarys have also benefited from Slow Food contributions. The principal of Henderson Heights expressed his delight in seeing children in the school grounds eating the beans they had grown.

Our members have enjoyed a varied number of events throughout the year....
A midwinter afternoon enjoying Dave and Barbara Harre's hospitality and learning about the history of the Oratia Roadhouse
Attending the Italian Festivel
A visit to Mexican Specialities
A Japanese Cooking Class
An Information Stall and tasting stand at a Climate Change Action Day
Delegats Winery tour - many thanks to Carlos
An Oyster tasting and tour
and learning the art of sourdough breadmaking.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to these events.

We would like to acknowledge Karen Perri , who created a number of these events and the passion and dedication she brought to her role as co-leader.
Thank you to Sue for keeping our accounts in great order, Tanya for keeping up with all communication and membership, Joan and Tony for maintaining our blog and truly creative event documentation , Alessandra for tireless promotion of Slow Food and all other committee members.

An article in the April issue of 'dish' magazine about Slow Food included mention of our convivium's activities. We also recieved an invitaion for any of our members to attend a Slow Food Australia National Congress. We hope in the coming year to have closer links with other convivia in New Zealand.
In the meantime we look forward to another year enjoying food that is good clean and fair and each other's company

Committee: Sue Greig, Claire Inwood, Babriella Turek, Steven Kesler, Joan O'Brien, Tanya Wilkinson, Alessandra Zechinni, Karlene and Terry Shaw-Toomey, Sean Shadbolt.

Minestrone Soup, by Aldo

Ingredients:
1 stick of Celery diced (not the whole head)
Handful of Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 large Carrot diced
1 large Potato diced
50 to100g of green Cabbage finely chopped
100g of Pumpkin peeled and diced
1 large Green pepper diced
1 large Red pepper diced
1large Onion diced
4 large tomatoes cooked and peeled and diced, or if you prefer, use a tin of Italian tomatoes
1 or 2 cloves of fresh NZ Garlic finely chopped
1 tea spoon of dry Oregano
1 tea spoon of dry Basil
Small amount of red chillies (add to taste)
4 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper to suit
1.5lts to 2lts of hot water

50g of pasta (small shells or elbows)
50g of grated Grana Padano cheese
200g of home made chicken stock, or if you prefer beef stock

Preparation:
1. Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil in large soup pot.
2. Add all the prepared vegetables, herbs and bring the heat up let these sauté for a minute or two, stir often.
3. Cover the vegetable with the hot water and add stock, bring to the boil and simmer covered for 10 or 15 minutes to soften the vegetables and stir occasionally.
4. If required, add a tin of drained batter beans.
5. Add the pasta and simmer and bring to a slow boil again and let simmer for 1/2 hour or until pasta is tender.
6. Season to taste with salt, pepper and chillies
7. Serve immediately, Garnish with grated Grana Padano cheese.
8. And as option, top with some of the finely chopped Italian parsley.
9. Serve with Italian bread on the side.

Really great served the next day

Winter salad from Claire

Few handfuls of NZ spinach tips
1 beetroot
1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts
big handful of Italian parsley leaves
1 avocado
olive oil balsamic vinegar

Cut beetroot into quarters or sixths, cover with water , bring to boil and simmer about 20 minutes with lid on until soft. Cool and then slip skin off with fingers. Cut into thinner slivers.
Wash spinach and parsley
Place spinach, parsley and beetroot in salad bowl, add slices of avocado, toss very gently.
Sprinkle hazelnuts over top and splash alittle olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper over top

Lentils con Prosciutto from Steven

Serves 4

4 tbsp olive oil
250g prosciutto cut into smal pieces 2 x 3 cm squares
2 small or 1 meduim onion diced
1 sprig rosemary
2 hot peppers diced
250g brown or green lentils
1 litre chicken stock
2 tbsp roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
sea salt and pepper

Pick through lentils and make sure there are no stones. Place in large pan and half fill with water. Scrub lentils between hands and drain . Repeat until water runs clear. Set aside.
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add prosciutto , onions, rosemary , peppers and saute until prosciutto and onions are beginning to colour.
Add lentils to pan and saute for a few minutes so that lentils absorb the flavours of the other ingredients.
Cover with chicken stock, bring to boil, turn down heat and simmer gently 20 - 30 mins. until lentils are tender , adding a little exta water if liquid falls below surface of the lentils. Cookinfg time will vary according to type and age of lentils and presence of salt from prosciutto.
Check seasoning, serve topped with parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and lots of bread

After recipe for Lentils with Chorizo in ' The Pig, the Olive and the Squid' by Greg Duncan Powell.

Joan made the pear and grappa pie from Alessandra's 'Sweet As' recipe book. Available in all bookstores with taste.

Sourdough Breadmaking Class April 11th

2010-07-04T02:31:00.001-07:00

Kate Stone and her family welcomed a group from Slow Food Waitakere into her Karekare home for a day discovering the art of sourdough breadmaking. Surrounded by native bush Kate's new Fantana Forni woodfired oven was heating for our day's baking, reaching up to 700 degrees! Kate introduced us to a number of sourdough starters , the wild yeasts were from a variety of sources, local grapes, apples, sprouted and cooked grain. We learnt how to create and maintain a starter and were introduced to malted barley and sprouted grains as additions to our dough to enhance it's fermentation. A generous array of flours and ingredients were laid on Kate's kitchen table to create our own loaves, including pure rye. We were guided to instinctively form our dough adding water and flour until it reached the desired texture, laying the finished loaves on a layer of semolina for ease of sliding the loaf into the oven. Loaves were set aside to prove, while we enjoyed Kate's incredible Rhubarb cake and checked the progress of the manuka fired oven.When all was ready our loaves entered the oven, a little steam was added and 30 minutes or so later emerged fragrant and golden crusted. Some of us took our uncooked loaves with us to 'retard' in the fridge overnight to further encourage the distinctive air tunnels in a good sourdough.
Kate's warm and natural teaching style and wealth of experience enriched us all.
Kate's blog: http;// greenhousebakery.blogspot.com.

Guided tour of the ‘Kai to Pie’ exhibition at Auckland Museum, Saturday 10 July & Sausage making class with Greg Scopas, Sunday 8 August

2010-06-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Slow Food events for July & August

Guided tour of the ‘Kai to Pie’ exhibition at Auckland Museum, Saturday 10 July & Sausage making class with Greg Scopas, Sunday 8 August

Kai to Pie exhibition tour

Where: Auckland Museum - Meet in foyer at rear of the building

When: Saturday 10 July, 10.15am for a 10.30am start

Cost: Free (entry to Museum by donation)

Bookings are essential - email or phone Claire on 818 2192 or seeq@paradise.net.nz

Join us for a guided tour of the Kai to Pie exhibition at Auckland Museum which will be followed by a ‘haggis ceremony’ at 11am. Bring a beverage of your choice in a bottle or flask and light snack, and weather permitting, we can wander down to the band rotunda for lunch.

World on a Plate: Scottish

“Fair fa’ yer honest, sonsie face. Great chieftain o’ the pudden race!” wrote Robert Burns in his fond ode to that most Scottish of foods, haggis.Scotland’s distinctive cuisine is informed by their fascinating history: the arrival of Viking cooking methods in the 9^th century and close association with France and its food in the 16^th century. The Scots have also learnt to make the best use of their surroundings, from the rugged mountains, lakes and lochs, to the fertile valleys and moorlands. Join us for a Scottish haggis ceremony, accompanied by the bagpipes of the City of Sails Pipe Band.

Sausage making class with Greg Scopas

Come join artisan sausage maker Greg Scopas for a morning to learn about the art of sausage making. The cost of the course includes a light lunch, olive oil tasting (from Greg’s own olive grove), some sausages to take home, and a small bottle of olive oil!

Participants need to bring a cool bag for your sausages and there will be fresh olive oil available for sale for those wanting to stock up. (1 ltr, 3 ltrs & 5 ltrs)

Where: 7 Harding Rd, Hoteo North (5km south of Wellsford in State Highway 16)

When: Sunday 8 August, starts at 10am (light lunch from 12 – 1pm)

Cost: Slow Food Members $75, Non Members $85 ($10 Slow Food donation towards Terra Madre fundraising)

Payable on the day - please bring cash or a cheque (no eftpost)

Bookings are essential - email or phone Claire on 818 2192 or seeq@paradise.net.nz to secure a place.

Regards,

The Slow Food Waitakere Committee

http://slowfoodwaitakere.blogspot.com/

www.slowfood.com

Carlo Petrini speaking at the Turin Book Fair, May 2010

2010-05-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

I have recently met Carlo Petrini at the Salone Internazionale del Libro, Torino, where he was a guest speaker. The first session was the presentation of the La Bibliotheca Gastronomica by Slow Food Editore and Franco Cosimo Panini Editore.

The second session was in the larger arena of the book fair section dedicated to young people (I sat with a group of senior high school hospitality students), and was about sustainable development, with the participation of Colin Beavan, better known as the guy who's family attempted to live a zero impact lifestyle in New York City in the film

No Impact Man.

The last session was about the collaboration between Lingua Madre, the national literary and cultural contest for immigrant women leaving in Italy, and Terra Madre. The collaboration aims at consolidating relationships between countries as well as creating sustainable development while preserving and respecting traditional lifestyles.

Slow Food Waitakere Annual Meeting and Dinner

2010-05-06T03:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday 15th May, 7pm

We invite Slow Food members and friends to join us for a shared meal followed by our annual meeting, and a presentation by some of our members about their experiences at Terra Madre 2008. Please RSVP - see details below.

Bring your favourite autumn dish and a copy of the recipe to share. We will collate and send out the recipes to members.

Programme for the night:

Shared Meal

Annual Meeting:

Coordinator’s report

Treasurer's report

Election of committee (main purpose of the group is to help organise the regular events)

We warmly invite any members to join the committee for relaxed meetings and guaranteed cake!

Our current committee members are: Claire Inwood [coordinator], Sue Greig [treasurer], Joan O'Brien, Sean Shadbolt, Karlene and Terry Shaw-Toomey, Tanya Wilkinson [secretary], Alessandra Zecchini and Deborah Cairns.

Please send nominations to Claire at seeq@paradise.net.nz.

Terra Madre Presentation

Aldo, Mary Ann and Claire will give an illustrated talk about their experiences as delegates at Terra Madre 2008.

Dessert

Time: Saturday 15^th May, 7pm

Place: 21 Woodfern Crescent

Titirangi

Please park on the street as there is limited parking. Number 21 is up a right of way and the second to last house on the right.

Bring: food to share and recipe [please indicate on RSVP the type of dish you are bringing so we can fill any gaps in the menu] your beverage of choice. Feel free to bring a friend or anyone that you think might be interested in getting to know more about Slow Food!

Please RSVP to Claire before Wednesday 12 May on 8128 192 or seeq@paradise.net.nz

Sourdough bread making class in Karekare, Sunday 11 April

2010-03-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

Kate Stone has been romancing yeasts and fashioning simple ingredients into bread for decades. Sometimes using sea water from her tiny Alaskan fishing boat, or dressed in a regulation uniform at culinary school. In daily production at her restaurant Katrina's, Kate perfected her baguettes. Recently, working as a senior baker at Auckland based Wild Wheat, she rounded out her bread abilities with a focus sourdough breads.

Kate will be sharing her bread skills and anecdotes in upcoming one day bread making class on Sunday April 11th. In conjunction with Slowfood Waitakere, Kate will share how to make and use a sourdough starter, as well demonstrate and explore various sourdough and wild yeasted breads. Class participants will use a dandy new Fantana Forni wood fired oven as well as a standard domestic oven to bake their creations.

With attention to both crust (exterior) and crumb (interior) students will learn to engineer their own perfect loaf. Students need to bring a medium glass or plastic container to store their new starter, and a mind to keep a sense of humor in. Dress appropriately for cooking.

Baking will be followed a splendid bread tasting and exploration of serving ideas for fresh and day old breads.

Where: 138 Lone Kauri Road, Karekare

When: Sunday 11 April, starts 1pm til approx 4.30pm

Cost: $60 Barter offers are welcome

Be quick: numbers are limited to 8!

Bookings are essential - email or phone Claire on 818 2192 or seeq@paradise.net.nz
For more information about the course and directions call Kate at 812 8719.

Clevedon Oyster Farm report

2010-03-03T00:49:00.000-08:00

A hot, clear Saturday morning brought twenty Slow Fooders an hour's drive south of Auckland city to the Clevedon Oyster Farm at Kawakawa Bay. From the road you can see the shop, and round the back across a white shell path you can stand by the shoreline and look over to Waiheke Island across the Gulf. Out on the water you can see the post and rail fences of the oyster farm, half submerged in the low tide. What you can't see is the hundreds of baskets and racks that hold the developing oysters, from tiny shells the size of a fingernail to the mature specimens all but ready for the market. It's an impressive sight, and on a fine day you'd have to think oyster farming is a lifestyle to envy. Of course there's a bit more to it, and our host for the day Stuart gave us a tour of the plant and the lowdown on an industry that does most of its work under water.

Oysters are prolific in the Kaipara Harbour, which is where most of the wild spat used to grow oysters at Clevedon are harvested. Spat is collected on wooden racks and transported to Clevedon where the racks are arranged on a post and rail system to take advantage of the Waitemata tides. Some are placed in wire baskets attached to a longline system and mecahnically raised twice weekly to get the necessary time out of the water. Stuart showed us around the production line, the berth where the barge unloads the day's harvest, the 'octagon' mecahnical sorter, and the sifting device that separates the oysters by size. We were there at low tide, so the plant was quiet, but Stuart explained the different stages of growth, the methods of immersion and harvest, and the planning that goes into the production process.

Oyster farming is heavily dependent on natural processes. Spawn are released in ideal temperature conditions and form the spat that in time develop into mature oysters. The growth period is over a year, and oysters need a mix of time in and our of the water to develop. The water is tested weekly for contamination and toxic blooms. Read more about the farming process on the Clevedon Oyster Farm website.

Johnathan Swift apparently said "he was a bold man that first eat an oyster". Bold he may have been, but he had plenty of company when it came to tasting the Clevedon product. Awkward little devils to prise out of their shells, but that just allows for a little more anticipation, and the chance to get the taste buds working. A dash of dressing, a squeeze of lemon, and there was nothing 'slow' about Slow Food oyster consumption. Have a look at the photo of Laurel for an image of oyster bliss.

Thanks to Joan, Tanya and Sue for organising, including the lunch to follow at the Clevedon pub.

Here's an oyster poem (apologies to Swift):

(1667 - 1745)

Oysters

Charming oysters I cry:
My masters, come buy,
So plump and so fresh,
So sweet is their flesh,
The Clevedon oyster
Is sweeter and moister:
Your stomach they settle,
And rouse up your mettle:
They'll make you a dad
Of a lass or a lad;
And madam your wife
They'll please to the life;
Be she barren, be she old,
Be she slut, or be she scold,
Eat my oysters, and lie near her,
She'll be fruitful, never fear her.

2010-03-02T23:08:00.001-08:00

Oyster farm visit 7:52 PM

2010-03-02T23:04:00.000-08:00

2010-03-02T22:47:00.000-08:00

2010-03-02T22:21:00.000-08:00

Slow Foods visit to Delegat’s winery

2010-02-16T14:50:00.000-08:00

On Saturday 13^th February twenty or so Slow Food members and supporters visited Delegat’s winery in Glendene. The winery is tucked away at the end of Hepburn Road, deep in the heart of suburban West Auckland. From the street you can see the idyllic early villa that was home to Nikola and Vidosava Delegat from 1947. Around the back is the business end of the winery, the bottling line, the rows of stainless steel vats, the network of steel pipes, the abandoned crushing plant, the fat plastic hoses snaking over the concrete surface. Winemaker Carlos and Jo showed us round, and guided us in tastings of the Oyster Bay wines and Delegat’s Reserves. A straw poll following a sip of an unidentified white was evenly divided between chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, but there was no dispute about the rawness of the wine at an early stage of production. Same with the merlot, with the later tastings of the bottled product showing its more satisfying finished qualities. Carlos and Jo offered to demystify wine production, and proved to be informative hosts, explaining how the grapes are sourced and blended, how the grapes for reserve brands are selected while still growing, and some of the strategies of marketing, especially internationally. We learnt about the development of New Zealand sauvignon blanc from the sharp ‘smack you down’ style of twenty years ago to the more balanced style of today. Altogether a very pleasant and educational afternoon. Thanks to Carlos for the opportunity to visit Delegat’s, to Carlos and Jo for giving their time to show us around and sharing their knowledge, and to Tanya for hosting.

For more information about Delegat’s wines visit http://www.delegats.co.nz/

Tony O'Brien

Clevedon Oyster Farm

2010-02-16T00:17:00.000-08:00

Please join us for a tour of the Clevedon Oyster Farm on Saturday February 27.

The Clevedon Oyster farming process is dedicated to producing fresh, natural Clevedon oysters. The Oysters are completely free from chemical contamination, microbiological or algal hazards or genetic alteration. This is a great opportunity to learn about how oysters are grown and brought to market. Come and join other Slow Fooders for an oyster expedition to Clevedon. Visit the website by clicking here.

Where: Clevedon Coast Oysters, 914 Clevedon Kawakawa Bay Road, RD5, Papkura.

When Saturday 27 February, 1145 am.

Cost: Free to members; $5 for non members. Donation to cover costs of Terre Madre Festival representation by Slow Food members.

Be quick. Numbers are limited to 20.

We have also reserved a table at the Clevedon Hotel (click here for map) where they will do a set menu for us for $32.50 (entree + mains). See menu below. If you are interested in reserving a place let us know.

Menu

Entree

Seared Clevedon scallops on brandard with beurre blanc sauce

Marinated beef skewers with a peanut and coconut sauce

Parmesan crumbed mushrooms with garden salad

Mains

Baked chicken breast with Clevedon buffalo mozzerella and Napoli sauce

Seared sirloin with beetroot jus

Pan seared Terakihi, cajun dusted with mint and bell pepper salsa

RSVPs are essential as numbers are strictly limited.

Please email Claire at seeq@paradise.co,nz or phone on 818 2192

Delegat's Wine Estate tour with Carlos de la Barra

2010-02-02T00:41:00.000-08:00

Dear Slow Food members - please join us for this free upcoming event on Saturday 13 February.

Carlos de la Barra (Slow Food Waitakere member and winemaker) will be leading a tour through the Delegat's Wine Estate in Henderson to give us an insight into the workings of contemporary winery. Started in Henderson in 1947, Delegat's is one of New Zealands largest family owned and operated wine making operations. While they have facilities in various regions around New Zealand, the original Henderson site is still in operation.

The afternoon will commence with a tour of the winery, and the opportunity to taste wine from tanks at different stages of production. Following this Carlos will shed light on the many mysteries around the crafting of a bottle of wine. The afternoon will be completed with a tasting of finished wines in the Delegat's winemakers' tasting room.

Where: Delegat's Winery, 172 Hepburn Rd, Henderson (off Great North Rd, half way up Waikumete Cemetery hill - turn left at the end of the road)

When: Saturday 13 February. Meet at the winery at 2pm (visit will be approx 1.5 hours)

Cost: Free (non members are welcome to join us but a $5 donation will be requested to go towards the Terra Madre festival representation by Slow Food members www.terramadre.com

RSVP's are essential and numbers limited. Please email or phone Claire on 8182 192 or seeq@paradise.net.nz

We hope you can join us!

Slow Food Waitakere Committee

Blog editing

2010-01-13T00:13:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, I'm going to be maintaining the blog while Alessandra is away, so please add your comments and post feedback about items etc. cheers, Tony

Garden to Table Newsletter

2010-01-10T01:46:00.000-08:00

Picture courtesy of the children at East Tamaki School

The following is an extract from the first issue of the Garden to Table Newsletter, By SF Waitakere Member Catherine Bell.

"It’s been an exciting first year for the Garden to Table Trust and our three pilot schools, Meadowbank Primary, Peninsula Primary and East Tamaki Primary as we have all experienced a huge learning curve while implementing the programme and we have very much enjoyed watching both the gardens and the cooking programmes literally grow from strength to strength.
For the majority of participating children, this year has been a year of many firsts. The first tomato plucked from the vine and popped straight into their mouth, the first seed planted, the first worm wees collected, the first carrot chopped, the first egg broken. For some this will be the first time they have made their own fresh pasta and the first time they’ve ever eaten it. Perhaps this is their first opportunity to set the table and sit down and eat communally around it. Maybe, it’s the first time they have ever had to wash their own dishes. Whatever the case, the children have all had the same wonderful results: green thumbs and healthy tums.
Of course all of these achievements could never have been made without the amazing support we have received from the many volunteers and sponsors. We wish to thank them for all their help and contributions and we look forward to working with you all again in 2010."

Among the pilot school there is also Peninsula Primary School, which is one of our SF Waitakere sponsored school for the setting up of a veggie garden.
Peninsula Primary school has spent this year developing a small vegetable garden on their grounds and slowly introducing the concept of Garden to Table to the children.
By the beginning of 2010 they will have employed their Kitchen and Garden Specialists and will be looking for volunteers to help implement the programme within the school.

The Garden to Table Trust has been established to facilitate a programme in NZ schools where children aged 7-10 will learn to grow, harvest, prepare and share food.

For more information about Garden to Table please visit their website

www.gardentotable.co.nz

info@gardentotable.co.nz

Seasons' Greetings from Slow Food Waitakere

2009-12-23T13:36:00.000-08:00