Kiwidutch’s Best Corned Beef/ Silverside on the Planet, a step by step recipe.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

THIS has to be one of  my ALL TIME  favourite New Zealand recipes.

I thought that everyone made corned beef/silverside like I did LOL… WELL folks, you gotta try this… this is to die for… get ready to drool. In fact, since this will be boiling very very very slowly for a good few hours do several pieces at once  and pop them both in the pot at once.

Ingredients:

2 kg piece corned beef (silverside works well too) (4.5 lb each)
2 oranges
2 tablespoons golden syrup
40 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
pepper

Directions:

Take the corned beef/silverside out of the plastic wrapping and wash it off in cold water. (makes it less slippery and easier to handle).

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Take the whole cloves and stick the little spike part of each clove well into the meat. (sometimes you need to make a little hole into the meat with the point of a veggie knife in order to get it in). Stud the entire piece of meat evenly with cloves, using more than 40 of them if necessary)…  on the other hand…yeah it’s necessary!

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Put the golden syrup into the bottom of a large tall saucepan (I use a big soup pot).

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Put the meat into the pot, add the bay leaf and pepper, halve the oranges and squeeze them to get some juice out over the meat, drop the squeezed oranges into the pot as well.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Cover with water and simmer so that the water is  BEARLY  MOVING  for 2 to 3  hours depending on how big the piece of meat is — even a small bit does really well on low for 2.5  hours. Top up the water if necessary.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Take out and rest the meat for 10 minutes. Pick out what cloves you can (they are really there for flavour, not to be eaten) Cut across the grain. (if you do it the wrong way your “slice” of meat will fall into 1000 tiny pieces so just turn the meat around and cut at right angles to your first cut if that happens.).

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Cut it into thin slices. Serve with mustard sauce (if you can already keep your hands from nibbling it off plate).

Prepare to taste corned beef like you’ve never tasted it before — ummmmm –.

Serves 4 in theory, but I have to confess that Himself and I we could eat one small one each. <blush> LOL nibble, nibble, just a little bit more, nibble, nibble, opps , gone!

Served cold, it also makes great sandwiches — but in our house there’s rarely enough left over to make a sandwich .

Sadly, in the Netherlands, the butcher cuts up the beast in a different way, an there is no resulting corned beef cut..  Corned beef /silverside are anglo saxen things and even when I tried my best to describe to a butcher here in the Netherlands how I might want this (I’m no butcher, so believe me this was no easy task) I came away with a  rather strangely cut piece of meat that  I tried to turn into corned beef myself (complete and utter disaster is an understatement here). Worse still, it was  a big piece of meat and if you know anything about meat prices in Europe then it will make you cry  just thinking about the true cost of my experiment.

Needless to say, it’s the first and last time I tried to make my own corned beef in The Netherlands, so no surprise what’s at the VERY top of our shopping list as we enter any New Zealand supermarket. The fact that meat in New Zealand costs half to a third less than it does in The Netherlands means that this is a guilty pleasure that Himself and I adore indulging in whenever we are on holiday in New Zealand.

New Zealand’s Hanmer Springs Village Parade (Part 2)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

We are in the alpine village of Hanmer Springs, in the South Island of New Zealand.

This is the concluding part of yesterday’s post as I take you back on a trip we made this last Christmas to New Zealand… here we are attending the Christmas festivities in the village.

The Santa Christmas Parade is in full swing and everyone is having a great time. The siren from the fire engine is blaring, it’s lights are flashing, both of which are delighting and terrifying  my son at the same time since he adore fire engines and the like but is rather scared of all the noise.

The pipe band is playing and the festive spirit of the holidays is definitely here.

The kids are having a competition to see who can collect the most sweets that are being thrown from the floats.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

At the end of the parade, everyone gathers on the Green on the main street and Santa, and the youngest children all receive a small gift from Santa and his helpers.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

The wind is picking up as we go to leave and we take our delighted and excited kids home.

Parading around in Hanmer Springs at Christmas!

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Ever heard of the expression that goes something like: “you wait ages for a bus and then two arrive at once” ? Well something like this happened to me in 2009.

I saw my first  Community ” parade”  in Bowerbank Maine in August  http://kiwidutch.wordpress.com/2009/10/06/maine-usa-the-bowerbank-parade/ when we were in America, and suddenly we are only a few days in Hanmer Springs and I hear that … they will be having a parade!

So, wow, two in one year!  One thing that  is hard for Northern Hemisphere souls to comprehend is that Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere is warm! “Christmas” is synonymous with “Summer” even though the traditional greeting cards often have snow scenes on them. So  the Hanmer Springs Santa Parade will be a festive event in the sunshine.

The kids are keen to see what is going on.  Amuri Avenue in the heart of town has an impressive stand of large trees down the centre of it,  the road runs in a  rectangle around it . On one of the long sides, the Thermal Pools complex and the old grounds of the Former Queen Mary Hospital, on the other long side, shops, hotels, cafés.

Local businesses will be showing off their community and Christmas spirit with floats they have made,  a lolly scramble for the kids and everyone will meet on the Green afterwards where prizes will be awarded for best floats, costumes etc and it’s even said that Santa will provide all of the younger children present with a small gift.

We hear bagpipes as we get close to the Parade,  there’s something stirring about the pipes and it’s amazing the pied piper effect that they have,  the sound carry s across the village and we see people emerging from side streets and walking towards to the music  … just as we are.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

A Nice Hot Soak in the Hills … err What?

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

After a few days  in the South Island city of Christchurch to get over the worst of the jet lag, visit a few family members, friends and stock up on supplies, we head for the hills. Yep, quite literally.

We head North out of Christchurch, then north-west  inland  and a little and an hour and a half later we find ourselves driving into the small alpine town of Hanmer Springs.

What’s special about Hanmer? Well, New Zealand stands on a massive geological fault-line where the Pacific Plate descends beneath the Australian Plate.

The South Islands’ beautiful array of mountains (The Southern Alps) are testament to the geological forces at work.

Faults run not only though the stunning landscape but also beyond it, one third of the regions earthquakes originate from undersea faults.

Being part of the Pacific’s famed “Ring-of-Fire” means that although shakes are a fact of life,  most are too small to be felt during everyday life.

Faults are more than just one simple, predicable line, there are actually thousands of them, some short, some long, all tiny cracks deep within the earth where invisible but powerful forces are arm-wrestling against each other in matches that will last for millennia.

The good news is that sometimes there is rather a wonderful by-product of these forces. Hot Thermal Springs. Natural hot water that bubbles out of the ground.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

In Hanmer Springs there are nine thermal pools, three sulphur pools,  a  freshwater heated pool, and  private thermal pools as well as a family pool area, so something for everyone.

http://www.hanmersprings.co.nz/

Water Temperatures are cooled and regulated in the complex so that pool temps range from 33°-42°C  (77°-108°F) and I can personally attest to the fact that regular long soaks do wonders for jet-lag.

We are staying in one of the Holiday Homes in the area, via:

http://www.hanmerholidayhomes.co.nz/index.htm

at 5 Amuri Avenue.   http://www.hanmerholidayhomes.co.nz/moreinfo.asp?house=05amur

It’s a sweet, compact two bedroom cottage, on the main road, but on a back section, and with a large lawn garden there will be plenty of space for the kids to get outside and let off steam.

Best of all, it’s only 5 minutes walk to the hot pools and another 2 minutes extra to the heart of the village. We will be using this house as our base for the next 4 weeks.

We take a few more days to acclimatise to the 12 hour time zone shift and get used to sunshine, sunscreen, sun hats and to get our body clocks to accept that 6.00 A.M. isn’t the dinner time that our stomachs are expecting.

… and no, I have no clue what possessed me to take a photo of the house from inside the car, I think  I’ll have to blame that one on the jet lag.

Flying Down-Under with a …Spy?

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

A few of you know that the Kiwidutch family spent Christmas / New Year in New Zealand. It was a short-ish trip to see family and friends and a bonus for me was that going to a New Zealand Summer, I was finally able to shake off a chest cold that had turned into a chest infection and left me struggling on the health front for about 5 weeks.

We were extremely fortunate in our timing in that, one or two days after we left, severe weather hit the Netherlands with substantial snowfalls that bought many parts of the country to a halt. The Deep Freeze continued with a vengeance until a few days before we arrived back home and, whilst yes, it has snowed since, rather more than normal, the later snowfalls were just a mere shadow of what  had come at Christmas and New Year.

Last time we were in Singapore, we bought a child sized dress of the “Singapore Girl”  as worn by Flight Attendants of Singapore Airlines for my daughter. She’s a twig of a kid and two years later, amazingly, slim fit as it is, the thing still fits, so she was determined to wear it on the two flights that it would take us to get to New Zealand.

Ok… first thing that happened: she gets instant attention from our Singapore Airlines flight staff, lots of smiles and jokes about her coming along to help out, be the youngest crew  member, hand out snacks etc.  We complete the 13.5 hour trip to Singapore,  go to our reserved airport hotel in Changi Airport, sleep for about 7 hours, take a shower, and have an hour or so to get to the next gate for the last leg of the trip, Onwards: to Christchurch New Zealand.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Then we board out next flight.. again, daughter gets a LOT of attention as she moves though the airport in her little Singapore Girl costume, and a big smile from the Crew as they welcome us on board.

Then, about half way into the 10 hour flight,  the  Head Purser arrives in the Economy section of the plane… He’s usually up at the front looking after the First Class passengers, so I look up in surprise.

He appears to be checking  the seat numbers as he carefully makes his way down the plane and I’m even more surprised to see him stop at our row, look puzzled, look intently at my daughter (who was busy trying to master a Nintendo game on the in-flight entertainment system), stare again, and begin to laugh.  He sees me looking at him, smiles sheepishly, looks a bit embarrassed,  apologies  for disturbing us, then moves briskly back to the front of the plane.

Immediately several Flight attendants are in the isle by me laughing at the joke, and they laughingly explain… Apparently it’s company policy that Singapore Airlines periodically  put  a top executive on random flights incognito, to do an undercover “inspection” and report on the staff.

It turns out that our ladies serving us in Economy Class had whispered to their colleagues up in the front that they thought that they had recognized an “inspector”. Naturally, the Chief Purser had wanted to do a little spying investigation of his own, and had snuck down to check out the Top Brass. The joke was on him that the inspector was indeed wearing a Singapore Airlines uniform, but turned out to be an 8 year old little girl.

The look on his face when he realized he had been set up, was brilliant… and judging by the big smiles of our Flight Attendants, I think that they were going to remind him that he had fallen for it hook, line and sinker for quite a long time to come.

The rest of the flight was uneventful and went as long-haul flights usually do, but needless to say, when we disembarked in Christchurch New Zealand, our daughter left the plane to special compliments and good wishes from all the Crew, including a certain Head Purser who shook her hand, Thank her  and tell her that it was very special honour to have someone  make the effort to travel in the Singapore uniform.

Daughter enjoyed the attention so much that she announced directly after landing that she will be wearing this outfit on the return trip too. It’s a long long trip, but one with a bit of humour and a fun…

First a rest to get over the jet lag and then let me show you around a little bit of the land of my birth… New Zealand.

Teaching Kids to Stitch: Blanket Stitch.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

I’m going to be teaching our Scouting Group kids to embroider.

I have bought some Aida fabric for them to get started on and was about to whizz around the pieces with the sewing machine poised on Zig Zag to hem them neatly, when I thought.. hey this is stupid!

What kids need most is  to practice their hand stitching!

And what better practice can you get than with the very versatile Blanket Stitch?

Lesson One…  Blanket stitching the outside of our fabric to hem it and stop it from fraying.  Blanket Stitch is an easy to learn stitch with simple variations can easily be adapted to decorative as well as purely functional uses.

I keep a small ring-binder folder, where over the years I have stored sketches I have made, fabric samples stitched and many notes about stitch variations etc.

In this way I can keep all my “inspirations and practices” in one place and also make notes about things I tried that didn’t work so well.

It doesn’t matter how arty or how sketchy your notes in your notebook are, the main thing is that your notebook  it makes sense to you and that you can build up a small stash of your ideas, samples and  practice pieces.

So… here is my sketch page for Blanket Stitch, and then my sample piece to show the Scouts.  Daughter is starting to hem her piece of fabric as well. Here are the photos of the start of our stitching  journey…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

The fabric is edged…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Teaching Kids to stitch… Starting at the very beginning(Part 1).

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

I’m taking on teaching basic embroidery stitches to children.  Our local  Saturday Scouting group  kids to be more specific. I’ve taught adults embroidery a few times, mostly those have had previous stitching experience and been quick to learn. The Scouts will not only be a far younger group but also one with zero needle and thread experience.

Although I am not a fan of Aida Fabric, I have bought some for the kids to use as their first  test piece simply because I think it’s the fastest way to overcome any initial fears they may have and boost their confidence. The large holes of 14 count Aida will help the to “get” the alinement  of stitches in a more practical way.

However, I’ve also decided to leap away from Aida Fabric as soon as possible. I think that as soon as they have mastered the principle of a stitch they should practice it on a finer fabric …. too many times as a cross stitcher I have encountered people who started on Aida and were just never quite brave enough to try a linen or even-weave fabric, even though they liked the background look of them more than Aida.  Apparently eyesight had nothing to do with it,  these stitcher’s had no problem seeing the work. Then Why?  …because  “It just looked harder to stitch on” …

Usually in these circumstances I found that a quick introduction to linen, coupled with some one-on-one tuition whilst they overcame their first feelings of quiet panic, as they vault the mostly mental hurdle, resulted in the phrase: “this is so much easier than I thought, Why wasn’t I brave enough to do this years ago?“

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

If little girls 100 years ago were capable of producing beautiful, intricate designs on linens in the forms of decoration or samplers, then why should we  not assume that todays children are also perfectly capable of working on linen after some practice to master the basic stitches  first?

I’m going to work on the principle that if they don’t realise that some people fear linen, and they are taught by someone who isn’t afraid of it, then they won’t be either.

I have an eight year old daughter. She’s my willing “guinea-pig” for my Teach-Kids-to-Stitch-Trial.   She’s very keen. I want to see what bits of the work enthuse her, which bits she finds too easy,  struggles with and which of the “experiment” projects she likes best.

We will then transport this information into my learning curve, edit, expand or delete as appropriate and bring the result into the Scouting Group.

It will be a long term commitment, moving  slowly step-by-step over time as they fit in handcraft into their regular Scouting Program.

I have a small assortment of size 5 Perle cotton threads of different brands in my stash, I will be using these initially because they will stitch as a single thread and I shouldn’t have the  problem of the kids constantly splitting the threads as they would with 6 strand embroidery thread.

Thus, I shall be adding yet another “Series” of posts to my Categories List, and posting updates to the series in the future when appropriate.

Padron Peppers, a Spanish Gem with a Twist and a Kick…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Our friends returned from their UK holiday the other day…  being Foodies like us, they have of course been catching up on their favourite London food haunts. One of their stops before coming home was a Spanish specialty shop, so they bought Himself and I home a little culinary surprise: Padron Peppers.

Padron Peppers? Who or what are they when they are at home? Yum… a new culinary experience looms.

Padron is a small area of Spain situated very close to the Northern border with Portugal, on the Atlantic coast side and it’s just a short distance south of  the famed Santiago de Compostela.

So these are a sweet pepper (pimientos de Padrón in Spanish) that originated from South America that you lightly fry and then eat… Then what’s the twist?

Well the twist is that for some unknown reason roughly one pepper in 20 or 30 will have a slight kick to it, not a whopping belt of a kick like a Jalapeño or Habanero pepper, but just a pleasant surprise to tickle your taste buds. No, they don’t throw one of a different variety of pepper into the bag as a joke, apparently the “ odd one with a kick” is a natural  quirk of this pepper variety.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

My friends say these are addictive, and Wow they are right about that. These ARE really lovely peppers, not fiery hot at all, just a wonderful flavour and of course the added mystery thrown in…

…who among the four of us would find the one or maybe two in the packet with the kick in it?

I can say that one of them might have been mine, it was such a slight heat that I really wasn’t sure, a very mild subtle heat, more a nudge than a whopping kick.

It was just like a small surge in flavour, and it was wonderful.

The text from the grower on the packet of fresh peppers says it all:

“With a taste as distinctive as the landscape where they were first cultivated 400 years ago, these peppers are unique to the region of Padron in northwest Spain where they have been grown by mt family for three generations.

You’re sure to enjoy them eaten the same way as we do in Spain, fried lightly in olive oil and with a sprinkle of sea salt and accompanied by a cool drink. You’ll discover a flavour unlike any other pepper you you’ve fried, deliciously sweet and every once in a while, you’ll taste a spicy one which only adds to their charm. the possibilities are as abundant as your culinary creativity, Enjoy! or as we say: Pimientos de Padron, que ricos son!” (Noeia Conde)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

And here’s Noelia’s recipe on the packet… (serves two)

200g Padron Peppers (washed)

30 ml olive oil

sea salt

Heat 30 ml olive oil in a pan.

Fry the peppers gently in the olive oil, turning occasionally.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

As the skin starts to blister (3-4 minutes) take out of the pan and put into bowls, sprinkle with a little sea salt and serve immediately.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

These are grown by:

Frutas Hortalizas  J.J.Conde

Teléfono 981 81 01 13

Herbon – Padron

La Coruña

N.IC.A. 15117

N.R.S.21.04793/C

Espanol.

If you are looking for a fiery taste then these are not for you, but they would be a welcome addition on any tapas table if you can find them.

So, if you ever see these little peppers fresh anywhere, do yourself a wonderful favour, snap them up and give them a try. You won’t be disappointed.

www.padronpeppers.com

Interested in Crafts? I’m offering YOU a chance to WIN …

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

I’m a detail freak, I love embroidery, counted cross-stitch (usually done  half normal size) felt work etc.

I get great pleasure from stitching, being creative and seeing needle, thread and fabric evolve into a finished project that I have had immense pleasure in producing.

A few days ago, as a new member of the Country Bumpkin  stitching website (forum) I was one of two lucky winners of an amazing book called “Embroidered Flowers for Elizabeth”  that the Country Bumpkin team were giving away and Wow! what a great surprise that was!!!

I’ve been SO delighted with my win (and the book hasn’t even arrived in the post yet ! LOL) that I decided to pass on a bit of the good feeling to my blog readers.

I can tell you that after years of seeing embroidery books that did little or nothing to advance the skills of a self taught stitcher like myself, it has been a refreshing delight to see outstanding craft books like the “A to Z”  Books.

I work full time, so day-time classes are not fitting into my schedule,  evening classes are difficult when you have dinner,  kid activities and homework to organise, and weekends are full of family commitments.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Books offer a great alternative, and over the years  I’d exhausted the library and second hand shop shelves filled with craft books that maybe inspired me with a finished article but gave me no clue of how to get there.

The one day I discovered  the “A to Z” series. Brilliant books for stitcher’s,  beginner to advanced, young and old,  with  little stitching background or none, these books are (for me at least) the path of least frustration way to learn to stitch.  They also inspire me to pick up cloth, needle, thread and to start something new, make something special for someone I love and to spend time in a creative pursuit that lets me de-stress, relax and unwind after a busy day.

So. If you are maybe wanting  to extend your knowledge of the stitching craft you are in,  fancying  branching out into something new, or interested in picking up something crafty for the very first time, then I’m offering you a chance to win one of these “A to Z” books for yourself. Nooo, I’m not affiliated with this company in any way, but I am a keen stitcher and want to give a good review when a company IS  listening to what stitcher’s need and want.

All you have to do is to tell me ( via Comments to this post) which one of the A to Z books you would like to win and why.

On May 1st ( yep, you have a good several weeks to enter and I want to allow time for Easter Holiday’s /Spring breaks etc ) I will post  two winning names  in my May 1st Blog post and the two lucky winners may each choose one of the books  from the list below to receive from  moi, Kiwidutch. (I’ll order the book of the winner’s choice from the website, contact you privately via your email address in comments and and get it sent directly to your address)

Here’s a look at the website:

http://www.countrybumpkin.com.au/index.php?cPath=40

…and the books in the series (so far) are:

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

A-Z of Bead Embroidery,

A-Z of Bullions,

A-Z of Crewel Embroidery,

A-Z of Crochet,

A-Z of Embroidery Stitches,

A-Z of Embroidery Stitches #2,

A-Z of Embroidered Flowers.

A-Z of Goldwork with Silk Embroidery,

A-Z of Heirloom Sewing,

A-Z of Knitting,

A-Z of Needlepoint,

A-Z of Quilting,

A-Z of Ribbon Embroidery,

A-Z of Sewing,

A-Z of Sewing for Smockers,

A-Z of Smocking,

A-Z of Stumpwork,

A-Z of Threadpainting,

A-Z of Whitework,

A-Z of Wool Embroidery,

So… No matter your stitching pleasure, there is sure to be an A-Z book to delight  and inspire you too.

If you want to be in with a chance to win one of these books,   then please tell me in a “comment” to this post before May 1st,  2010 Which  one of the books you would like most to win and  Why!

Billboard Archive Photos:Spelende kinderen op het Alberdingk Thijmplein.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Den Haag Gemeentearchief (the Hague City Council Archive) celebrated  their 125th year anniversary in 2009  and placed many large billboards around the city to celebrate the event. I went and took photos of many of them.  This one is called “Spelende kinderen op het Alberdingk Thijmplein. Juli 1948. Foto: Dienst Stadsontwikkeling en Volkshuisvesting”

That translates as  “Children playing on the  Alberdingk Thijmplein. July 1948″

Guest: Maurice writes:
“Leefbaarheid in wijk Vestia. Wij zouden deze bilboard graag willen plaatsen in de wijk welke bezit is van Vestia den haag Zuid-Oost. Dit zou het “oud-spoorwijk-gevoel”: ten goede komen. de bewoners zijn veelal trots en hebben sterke binding met de wijk.”

This text translates as:

“We would like to please place this billboard in an area that is owned by Vestia, (Kiwi’s note: Vestia is a housing corporation) Den Haag, South East. This would be good for the ” nostalgic feelings of Old Spoorwijk (Kiwi’s note: a neighbourhood of The Hague before it was renovated). Most people who live there are proud of the area and have a strong bond/connection to the neighbourhood”

Here are the present day views around the billboard site…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

The ivy has been removed from the houses in the background, but basically the view is much the same now as it was in 1948.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

One change that is apparent is that there are less flowers in the Plein and more grass now, so hopefully the local children of today can play inside the fence  in the grass and not outside of it on the pavement as it seems they had to in the past.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)