New Zealand - The 2010 FIFA World Cup Bites and Boozes

New Zealand

Finally Bite and Booze will cover the World Cup from the Oceania perspective.  The "All Whites" (because their soccer team wears all-white uniforms whereas their rugby team, the "All Blacks" wears all black uniforms, though today the soccer team is wearing black so maybe somebody can correct me here) have had a great run at the tournament so far including a dramatic draw with Italy which may have been the largest upset of the Cup so far.  However, their days in South Africa could come to an end today at the boot of Paraguay.  Perhaps, just maybe, they can pull out a miracle.  A victory today gives them a spot in the round of 16, and crazier things have happened.  Still, they should not be forgotten on my series of World Cup country bites and boozes, so let's see what this island nation has to offer!

First, Robert Romero, who is a good buddy of mine that writes the blog Dead End, is currently living in New Zealand.  Undoubtedly he is excited about today's match! Hopefully he's had a chance to wine and dine like a king over there. New Zealand cuisine is largely driven by local ingredients and seasonal variations. Occupying an island nation with a primarily agricultural economy, the Kiwis enjoy quality local produce from land and sea. Similar to the cuisine of Australia, the cuisine of New Zealand is a diverse British-based cuisine with Mediterranean and Pacific Rim influences as the country becomes more cosmopolitan.  However, before the British arrived the Maori (New Zealand's indigenous people) had a cuisine of their own with influence from the Polynesian islands.

Central to this cooking method is hāngi, or using heated rocks buried in a pit oven. To "lay a hāngi" or "put down a hāngi" involves digging a pit in the ground, heating stones in the pit with a large fire, placing baskets of food on top of the stones, and covering everything with earth for several hours before uncovering (or lifting) the hāngi.  Traditional hāngi food is pork, mutton, lamb and chicken, with generous portions of root vegetables such as kumara (sweet potato), pumpkin, carrot, potato, onions and cabbage.  With a hāngi, no special preparation of the food is needed besides peeling the root vegetables, but adding herbs such as rosemary, garlic, or stuffing the chicken can add exciting flavors. A Polynesian addition of taro leaves wrapped around some of the food gives it a peppery spice.

There are three main components to the cooking process, all of which can be affected by many variables including but not limited to earth type, amount of heat in the rocks, quantity of food and portion size, type of food and food placement.  Water added at the start of the process creates steam instantly. Once covered, the pit oven becomes a low pressure cooker. Pressures in excess of 4 PSI have been measured.  Direct dry heat from the rocks creates an oven roasting or baking effect. Temperatures in excess of 300°C have been measured.  Finally, fat and juices from the meat drip onto the hot rocks and burn causing smoke which appears to be the key to hangi appearance, aroma and flavor. Often there is also ash and ember smoke that can add to the flavor and appearance.  I want to do this in my back yard!!

Unfortunately the Maori people did not have any form of alcohol.  So for that, we'll have to fast forward to modern day New Zealand.  While it would be easy to discuss the robust and exceptional wine region in New Zealand, I'd rather focus on something else: whiskey distillation.

This fine profession started early in New Zealand's history. The British, and particularly the Scottish, had a large influence on alcohol in New Zealand.  Owen McShane is credited as the countrys first moonshiner turning out Chained Lightning at Oue near Riverton in Southland from 1850. His range of whiskies, gin, brandy and rum were all produced from Cabbage Tree root. Moonshine distilling became a cottage industry and grew mightily until the government of the day, alarmed at the potential tax loss introduced the Distillation Act in 1865. This effectively barred all distilleries that failed to produce 5000 gallons (23000L) annually. However, two companies did receive licences: the New Zealand Distilling Co of Dunedin and Crown Distilleries in Auckland.

The Dunedin distillers went to great lengths to make a good product, importing Islay peat, Spanish Oak Sherry casks and a three year maturation period. But mistakes were costly, the resin from Kauri Pine vats ruined the first 100,000L of spirit. Later the distillery added 8 foot and 4 foot diameter copper stills, used American Oak shavings for ageing and produced 400,000L in 1870.

In Auckland by 1872 the Crown distillery was producing 18000 gallons (80,000L) annually using 2000 gallon wash stills and 500 gallon copper spirit stills. Wholesalers apparently purchased this spirit in bulk then sold it in reused (and presumably already labelled) whiskey bottles as the Crown distillery never had a bottling line.

Vogels Government in 1879 (perhaps in response to demands from the Scottish banks who were financing the countrys new railways) effectively closed both distilleries by increasing local duties to equal imported prices. For the next 83 years there was no official local distilling industry in New Zealand until in 1962 a gin distillery licence was approved. The plant was jointly owned by the two brewery giants Lion and DB (I'm sure you can read more about them on the BR Beer Scene. A new company, Hokonui Distillers Ltd (formed November 3, 1961) thinking they may get a similar licence also applied but Customs Minister Sheldon refused it stating ‘good Whisky needs blending’.

However just two years later after much lobbying by AO Davies of the Otago Development Council, Wilsons in Dunedin (known for their malting plant) and the Greggs Company obtained a licence on October 3, 1964. Stills were purchased in Scotland and installed by 1969. The first run used locally grown and malted barley and the peat was cut especially from the Winton area. After aging in Bourbon Barrels for the requisite 4 years ‘Wilson’ and ‘45 South’ went on sale in February 1974. That year Whiskey imports totalled 3.5 million litres and Wilsons target was 10% of this total.

History shows that they never did achieve this target, a glut of cheap Scotch Whiskey, hotel and wholesale licence ownership and brand loyalties all limited the success of the Wilsons and 45 South brands. Under Seagrams ownership, the last bulk whiskey was shipped overseas during the 1990’s and the plant was finally dismantled.  Today the scene is reminiscent of the 1850’s with many thousands of private stills quietly going about their task, in homes, workshops and small factories throughout the country, perhaps a small victory for free enterprise.  But significantly, Hokonui Whiskey is now legally available for the first time and its legend is celebrated every February at the Hokonui Moonshiners Festival in Gore.

Thanks and Credits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_cuisine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangi
http://sites.google.com/site/nzsocietyscotland/about-us
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/audrey.y.james/headeddownsouth/1152907320/dsc00544.jpg/tpod.html
http://www.hokonuiwhiskey.com/spirit.html
http://www.clan-macrae.org.uk/scotland/clannews.cfm?Task=display&ID=103
http://www.whiskymerchants.co.uk/#/southern-dist-nz/4533634596

Acadian Frame and Art for a Hannah Lane Paintings, Wine, and Dine

Here's my favorite thing about art shows: free wine and food!  A little while back I had the pleasure of attending a show featuring Hannah Lane's work.  Hannah is a great childhood friend and local Baton Rouge painter and illustrator who does amazing work on the canvas.  This past show took place at the Acadian Frame and Art in the Drusilla Shopping Center where the wine and food did not disappoint.

Jambalaya in Front, Fried Catfish Fingers to the Back

Free food is always a good method to draw a crowd and I was impressed with the spread at Acadian Art.  The jambalaya shown above was a classic chicken and sausage Cajun dish that hit the spot.  Equally tempting were the catfish fingers in the background.  These catfish fingers were fantastic, fresh, and crispy finger foods that dipped well into the accompanying tartar sauce.  But, the real reason I attended the show was to see Hannah and the art!

Hannah's Painting on the Wall of the Acadian Art Gallery

You can't see Hannah in this picture but she is back there showing off her paintings to some art show guests.  This wall featured a lot of her work including the crab, pelican, and pear paintings that you can see here.  It is always great to catch up with her and her family, of which saw Papa Robert and Mama Elaine as well as Chelsea at the show.  One member of the family that was not present was the younger Robert who happens to be in New Zealand right now.  You can read about all of his adventures here!

Blueberry and Cherry Cheesecakes

The cheesecakes for dessert were without a doubt the culinary highlight of this evening.  As good as the other foods and wines were, these homemade cheesecakes took home the prize.  The blueberry cheesecake tasted like a slice of heaven in my mouth and I knew from the first bite that I would need to blog about it.  Each additional bite reinforced how creamy and wonderful this treat can be.  I was impressed to say the least.  Thanks for the invite Hannah!

Dining at DeAngelo's with Fantastic Friends

Another day, another lunch!  This time I met Hannah, Robert, Kevin, and Shawn at Louis DeAngelo's Casual Italian Dining on Jefferson Highway.  DeAngelo's is a Baton Rouge original with multiple locations around town.  They offer a pretty traditional Italian menu with various pastas and pizzas.

DeAngelo's on Jefferson

We met for lunch as a follow up from the previous dinner at the Romero's house and the lunch at the Roux House.  It was certainly great to see Robert again before he heads off to New Zealand, and it is always a pleasure to hang out with Hannah Lane, artist extraordinaire.  Kevin and Shawn were still in from Chicago, so we had quite a fantastic group.  I ordered the Nona's Lasagna because I had been craving some of the layered Italian dish and wanted to compare DeAngelo's variety to others around town. 

Nona's Lasagna at DeAngelo's

The lasagna was layered with plenty of cheeses from mozzarella to ricotta in addition to the meaty Bolognese sauce and the marinara.  The overall flavor was a mixture of sweet tomatoes and lots of basil.  It was good lasagna, but certainly not my favorite.  I felt like it lacked something in the texture and thought that it almost needed to be eaten with a spoon rather than a fork.  While it was good, I certainly did not think it was spectacular.  I was also able to sample a couple shrimp from Hannah's salad.  They were delightful little grilled crustaceans but the quantity did not meet the price in my opinion and they were rather small for a typical grilled shrimp in Louisiana. 

Banquet Room with Paintings by Hannah Lane

One of my favorite parts about DeAngelo's was the fact that the decorations around the restaurant largely consisted of paintings by Hannah.  Walking around the banquet room felt like taking a tour of Italy as Hannah's collection of paintings from her trip to the European boot were hung around the dining space.  Her artistic style is refreshing, colorful, and just the right amount of abstract to know that it requires a great amount of creativity and imagination.  I left DeAngelo's very happy after getting my fill of lasagna and an art show!

Cheesecakes and Assorted Sweets from L'auberge Du Lac in Lake Charles

My day of delivering delightful dishes to my neverending belly was not over after DeAngelo's.  When I got back to the office I found a box of cheesecakes on sticks and other assorted mini-cakes from the bakery at the L'auberge Du Lac casino in Lake Charles.  I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened the box lid to find such amazing treats staring back at me as if they wanted to be eaten.  Since cheesecake is one of my all-time favorite desserts, I picked out a good one and plunged it into my mouth.  Wow!  First, what a great idea!  Whoever thought of putting a cheesecake on a stick is brilliant!  Secondly, these were really good cheesecakes with a beautiful mixture of cream cheese and sugar.  I couldn't resist and had another.  And the next day, since nobody else in the office was eating anything, I had the carrot cake too.  It was pretty good, but not as amazing as the cheesecakes on a stick!

The Romero's House for a Dinner Reunion

Last weekend the Romero family invited some old friends over to their home for an outdoor gathering with plenty of food.  Robert Jr. organized the evening for us while Elaine and Robert Sr. supplied the food and beverages.  We were joined on the back patio by Hannah and Jesse Romero, Bret Blackmon, Sandra Hebert, Kevin Hebert,  Kevin's buddy Shawn from Chicago, and my brother Eric.  The Romero's back yard patio area is a great place to hang out and enjoy the Baton Rouge Fall weather.  They have an outdoor kitchen area, a bar, TVs, and a great covered porch area with ceiling fans to make the hang out space truly great.  I made it over there in time to catch the end of the Saints and Dolphins game, so I naturally started off with a black and gold Bud Light.

Black and Gold Bud Light

The evening's food started with a homemade mango salsa that mixed fantastic fruit flavors to create the perfect combination of sweetness and texture to scoop up on a salty chip.  The mango salsa served as a great appetizer to snack on while we watched the end yet another Saints victory!

Mango Salsa

Robert Jr. cooked a smorgasbord of meats on the backyard smoker.  He started with some pork loins and tuna steaks, then went on to do several varieties of ribs including a baby backs and whole racks of pork spare ribs.  Everything tasted really good but my favorite were the sauced up spare ribs.  They were large, tender to the bone, meaty ribs that made me remember why ribs are one of my favorite foods ever!

Smoked Pork Loins and Tuna Steaks

Smoked and Sauced Baby Back Ribs, Pork Spare Ribs, and Beef Ribs

There were also a couple of desserts available to the diners.  Hannah convinced me to try a chocolate cupcake with a peppermint topping.  It was a great cupcake that doubled as both a sweet treat and a breath mint!

Chocolate Cupcake with Peppermint Topping

The evening at the Romero's house reminded me of all the good friends I have and the true blessings that they are in my life.  We caught up with the crew in one place at the same time for the first time in several years.  The night also served as a bit of a sendoff for Robert as he readies himself for his journey to New Zealand!  I enjoy reunions among friends from out of town or that I don't get to see too often, so I'm really happy that we got a chance to catch up.  I only wish we could do it more often.