TRY IT... YOU'LL LIKE IT
1 Invite chef Sid Sahrawat for dinner – we wish, but with the new Cassia at Home sauces you can at least get the taste. Prepared just as they are at Cassia, there are three sauces to choose from: korma (with almonds and cardamom), makhani (a medium-spiced sauce made with cashews) and karahi (a spicy, tomato-based sauce). $14.99 for 500ml, available from Farro Fresh, Cassia Restaurant and Cassia online. cassiarestaurant.co.nz
2 Claims of the latest superfood come thick and fast, but nutritional claims aside Oceangreen Organics’ kelp supplement capsules contain seaweed that is 100% wild-grown in the seas of southern Otago, sustainably sourced, hand harvested and contain no additives. $43.00 for 60 capsules. oceangreenorganics.co.nz
3 How can you improve on chocolate brownies? Well try these – Loaf’s Brownie Balls wrap scrumptious chocolate brownie mix around hazelnut ganache, raspberry compote or salted caramel. Buy your own, I'm not sharing. $6.99 for a pack of 9. loafshop.co.nz
4 Know your smoked salmon but less sure of other smoked fish? New smokehouse 10 Knots mānuka-smokes fish daily at Ostend, Waiheke and, keeping it simple, the range is labelled as #1 (lightly smoked and mild flavoured; hoki or hake), #2 (a firm bite and a more complex flavour; usually warehou), #3 (a bigger, smokier flavour; kahawai or trevally) and, of course, #4 the beloved smoked salmon. Available at supermarkets or at the factory door, priced by weight. 10knots.co.nz
5 Come summer we love a spritz and Fever Tree’s new-release sodas are a lighter, lowcalorie option. Flavours are Pink Grapefruit, Lime & Yuzu and our secret favourite, Italian Blood Orange, perfect with Campari and lots and lots of ice. $9.99 per 4 x 200ml pack.
6 What happened when the cheesemakers from Meyer got together with Kiwi tea growers Zealong? New Zealand’s first tea-infused cow’s milk cheese, infused with finely ground tea powder and a small percentage of tea leaf, aged on wood for four weeks and turned daily to ensure balanced flavours. There is Tea Gouda with Zealong Green tea (it’s creamy and has a delicate flavour) and Zealong Black tea (bolder, sharper flavours). $10 for 200g. meyer-cheese.co.nz, zealong.com
7 Want non-alcoholic drinks that are not too sugary, locally made, never boring and healthy, too? Drink Happy makes it easy with curated mixed boxes of drinks from the likes of Hakanoa, Eden Orchards and Six Barrel Soda. Box themes include Sweet Enough (low-sugar options), Little Booster (to support immunity) and Happy Mama (for Mums-to-be or breastfeeding women) or mix and match for yourself. Monthly subscriptions $49. getdrinkhappy.com