Time in New Zealand

 I have just returned from the most amazing trip to New Zealand.  I jumped into bed with Joey every morning while dad made us a cuppa.  It was just the most unreal 2.5 weeks.  

Coming back via Hong Kong was so so strange.  It felt really wierd having not transitted the airport for many many years and having such a gorgeous experience in NZ everything just feels so odd, being thrown from one huge airport to another (my favouite airports to date are KL and Istanbul).

I just had a beautiful and fully enriching trip, spending time with family.  I can't explain it.  It was unforgettable.  

Joey's amazing lamb casserole

Lovely dinners and memories

Having lunch at "the batch"

Lilly, she's a complete delight and is the centre of attention

Juanita and Mark have an average beach house which we knock around in from time to time, it's a bummer going to the batch!

Look at that couple, married 60 years in October

Dad's AMAZING cheese banana toasties.  Caramalised to perfecection

Croissants from Beabeas in Westmere, better than most in France

What a stunning couple

My gorgeous sister

Joey always looking photo ready and gorgeous

Dad's famous (in our family) burger.  Nothing comes close!!!

Slow cooked char siu pork

 One of my absolute favour flavour profiles.  Chinese BBQ pork with star anise, char siu blend, chinese five spice.  I adore it and have done since I was a kid.  We cooked beautiful pork fillet very long and slow over charcoal, sage and lavender to give a beautiful smoke.  Cooked to 57 then fully rested.  Absolutely amazing.  And once again under the tree our front.  Stunning.  

We also did the same with a pork collar.  With it's amazing fat cap that cooks and melts to taste like the best pork fat you've ever eaten.  

Pork colar, cooked long and slow with amazing melting fat

Lunch out the front under the tree

When I was in NZ Andy made a concrete slab for our dinners outside in the summer, when there is a lovely breeze on the north side of the house overlooking the valley.  It's been amazing.  Once the crazy 40 degrees days cooled down we've been eating out the front every night.  The tree is like an umbrella now.  Completely private from our (one) neighbour. The slab has transformed this area for us.

We had lunch today: rabbit terrine,  boursault cheese (a triple cream cheese and absolutely one of our favourites), lambs lettuce (marche) with roasted tomato dressing which I like to make.  Sourdough, fresh pear and a lovely Gewurtztraminer from the Alsace.  A lovely afternoon under the tree.  A real treat.  

A little pear, salad with that wonderful dressing and rabbit terrine is a beautiful mouthful.  Then a little crusty sourdough with that amazing boursault cheese is another gorgeous mouthful.  I live dipping and diving into a wee treat or two.  It's a wonderful way to spend an afternoon in the French countryside.  Oh! and midway the cat came to visit after waking from a huge sleep.