There are two words guaranteed to send our hearts a-fluttering and our mouths watering: Toasted. Sandwich. Moreish, comforting and often a tad gluttonous, the hot snack is beloved by many, and lucky for all of us a country-wide event revolving around the savoury delicacy is back.
Now in its fourth year, The Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover presented by Cook & Nelson and McClure’s Pickles, sees eateries from Auckland to Dunedin put their own unique spin on the humble favourite in a bid to be crowned the ultimate toastie champion.
The criteria is simple: Every toastie that takes part in the takeover must feature pickles from the McClure’s range, two slices of bread, cheese (obviously), and be able to be eaten by hand. The rest of the ingredients are up to each individual eatery — which is where creativity comes to play.
From Daily Bread’s pork and pickled puhatoastie with fire-roasted ham hock, kale cooked in pork stock, cheddar, horseradish and McClure’s pickles béchamel to Wise Boy’s totally vegan sloppy joe toastie with jackfruit mince, mushroom and lentils topped with gooey mozzarella, McClure’s pickles and jalapenos — there is a combination that speaks to your toastie tastes. Find the full list of tempting creations here, available on the menu at each participating eatery.
Starting on Thursday, 13th May, a total of 125 entries will be judged by a panel of experts, who have the tough job of choosing a top 12, before crowning a supreme winner on Friday, 30th July.
You also get to have your say. The new People’s Choice Award allows the public to vote for their favourite toastie. Simply by remembering to snap a pic of your toastie before you devour it (a tough ask, we know) and tagging it on Facebook and Instagram with @cookandnelson and #toastietakeover, your picture will count as one entry for the participating eatery’s creation.
As the days and nights cool, we’ve noticed the onset of winter resulting in skin that is more irritated than usual. When it’s cold and windy outdoors, and the moisture in the air evaporates, this is often mirrored by that hard-earned dewiness in our skin saying its swift goodbyes. Heated air conditioning in offices and homes only exacerbates this effect, as do hotter baths and showers that strip the skin’s natural oils — quite apart from all the handwashing we’re doing these days.
It’s important to give the same amount of attention to the areas below the neck, and luckily, there are a host of excellent and highly efficacious products that will help nourish any dry patches. In fact, it seems the body-care category is expanding rapidly. Mecca Skincare Education Lead, Lucy Connell, says the beauty retailer’s body category is booming, and it’s all down to customers becoming more informed about skincare — plus, seeing fantastic results on their face that they want to extend to the rest of the body. “There are now effective, trusted body products in the market that use similar technologies and active ingredients that we would typically find in our skincare,” she says.
Body care products with active ingredients like chemical exfoliant AHA’s are becoming increasingly common and popular, says Connell. “The Sol de Janeiro Bom Dia Bright Cream is a great example, as these ingredients can target a lot of different body concerns such as sun damage, dullness and keratosis pilaris or KP, which are bumps that are typically found on the upper arms.”
You’ll get the best results this winter by keeping up with regular exfoliation and moisturising, whether you prefer a cream or an oil. Here, we share some of the best products to consider.
Body exfoliators
Clockwise from left: Ren Rose Body Scrub from Mecca; Ouai Scalp & Body Scrub; Sothys Scrub; Fur Silk Scrub from Spring Store.
Ren Moroccan Rose Otto Sugar Body Polishfrom Mecca This scrub is raved about for its luxurious scent and consistency, containing sugar to buff away dead skin and rose essential oil (plus a host of other oils) to leave the skin feeling smooth yet not dry.
Ouai Scalp & Body Scrub from Sephora Use this deep-cleansing, foaming scrub on both a flaky winter scalp and dry, rough skin. Gentle sugar crystals will do the work, and this product also contains probiotics to help keep the skin balanced.
Fur Silk Scrub from Spring Store A dual-purpose product, Fur’s silk scrub is both a chemical and physical exfoliator, containing jojoba beads, papaya enzymes, glycolic and lactic acids, and clary sage oil. It can be used in the traditional way while in the shower, or left on the skin for up to 10-minutes for an extra dose of exfoliation.
Cinnamon & Ginger Escape Delicious Scrub from Sothys It’s all in the name — this scrub smells delicious. Infused with the warmth of cinnamon and ginger, it will stimulate the circulation and invigorate the senses while exfoliating the skin.
Body Oils
Dr. Hauschka Moor Lavender Calming Body Oil from Smith and Caughey’s Famed for a holistic approach that prioritises natural ingredients, Dr. Hauschka’s products are more than skin deep. This oil contains lavender to not only soothe the skin but the soul too.
Breathless oil from Aesop Nourishing vitamin E forms the base of this medium-weight body oil, along with nut oils, blood orange and jojoba seed. Its aroma is woody with light citrus, leaving the skin both supple and deliciously scented.
Leonor Greyl Huile Secret de Beautefrom Ines Store It’s a cult favourite for a reason — this golden elixir can be used on both the hair and body, and can be wielded in a host of different ways. It’s an all-over body hydrator, UVA/B protection for hair, cuticle oil — and much more.
Augustinus Bader The Body Oilfrom Spring Store The renowned skincare brand’s signature ingredient, TFC8®, is the key component of The Body Oil along with plant-based actives. For deep hydration, a dose of antioxidants and improved elasticity and plumpness, look no further than this luxurious oil.
Body Creams
Barrier Restore Body + Hand Butterfrom Sans Ceuticals Five percent niacinamide, Mānuka honey, kawakawa extract and oat extract join forces in this active yet soothing emulsion that is designed to support the skin’s barrier function while moisturising it.
Sol de Janeiro Bom Dia Bright Creamfrom Mecca This clever new cream will help get rid of more hard-to-budge surface bumps at the same time as addressing dryness. Packed with fruit AHAs and Vitamin C, it’s ideal for both areas that have bumpy rough spots like the arms, thighs and behind, and also areas prone to ingrown hair.
Moisturising Body Butterfrom Ecostore A rich, plant and mineral-based formula harnesses the power of olive oil and shea butter to leave non-greasy yet heavenly soft skin and has a delicate rose and cardamom fragrance.
Pro-Youth Body Serumfrom Sothys Encouraging use over the entire body, including decolletage and arms, Sothys have created a lifting serum that promises to visibly redensify the skin and leave it looking both smoother and firmer.
Occupying a humble spot not too far down Dominion Road, Paasha Turkish Kitchen is our go-to for truly delicious Turkish takeaway that doesn’t scrimp on quality.
Head chef and owner Zeki Bay, along with his wife Tracy Bay, founded Paasha in 1996 in Dunedin, before moving up to Auckland and bringing Paasha to the big smoke in 2006. Since then, they have opened and sold several more Paashas — Christchurch and Hamilton, Pukekohe and Glenfield all have outposts, now with new owners — and today Zeki and Tracy are solely in charge of Paasha’s Dominion Rd location.
Left: Baklava and Turkish Delight. Right: Paasha’s generously-stuffed pita pockets.
At the start of 2020, the couple had been planning to retire to Turkey (where Zeki is originally from). They had sold up, and packed their bags — then Covid hit. Realising their retirement dreams weren’t going to go to plan, the two of them stayed put and opened Paasha Turkish Kitchen’s Mt Eden branch in September 2020. Unlike their previous venues, which were larger restaurants with bars and a takeaway component, this iteration is mainly geared towards takeaways — and they like it better that way, says Tracy.
While Paasha deals in the Turkish flavours we all know and love — wraps, hummus, pita pockets, shish kebabs and meals on rice — the difference can be found in the impeccable freshness of their ingredients and the use of the open fire (or ocakbasi as it’s called in Turkish). Zeki is incredibly skilled at cooking, especially over these hot coals, which impart a delicious flavour to every order of shish. At Paasha Mt Eden, all the sauces are handmade on-site, and all the ingredients are imported from Turkey, down to the lemon juice, olive oil and tomato paste.
Those after a vegetarian feast will love Zeki’s zucchini and feta fritters, or the signature falafel — both gluten-free, and able to be served either on rice or in a pita pocket with salad and hummus, or as a side.
While it’s Tracy I speak to as Zeki busily prepares various orders that are made during our visit, she says that her husband is truly the master behind Paasha’s popularity. “Food is his absolute passion and forté,” she says. It’s possible to taste this with every bite of Paasha’s delicious menu.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 11AM — 10PM Monday: Closed
“What’s great about Kiwis, is that we are nomads by nature.” While chef James Kenny is talking about the general population, it’s tempting to surmise he’s referring to himself personally, given the global path his cooking journey has taken him on.
Boasting an impressive array of experience at both local eateries and internationally renowned restaurants, Kenny heads up the food and beverage offering at Alberts, Auckland’s aspirational workspaces and private tenants’ club.
With the flagship restaurant launching imminently in Albert Street’s West Plaza and other restaurants planned to open later this year, the aim is to draw on globally-inspired styles while remaining heavily influenced by both New Zealand’s seasonal availability and the creativity of the team.
Originally from Papatoetoe, Kenny’s career has spanned training in Paris, chef roles in Greece, London and Denmark. Back in New Zealand, Kenny was executive chef at Cornwall Park Bistro and helped establish and run Auckland’s Gerome restaurant in Parnell — inspired by his experiences working on the Greek island of Zakynthos.
“My cooking philosophy has, and always will be, to keep it simple,” explains Kenny. “To cook with care and finesse, and to have respect and understanding for the ingredients I am using.”
Kenny heads up the food and beverage offering at Alberts, with other restaurants planned to open later this year.
In April of 2020, forever searching to hone his craft, Kenny travelled to Denmark to learn about modern Scandanavian culinary techniques, including fermentation and preservation. Working as an intern at Rene Redzepi’s globally renowned Noma restaurant and a chef de partie at celebrated organic eatery The Pescatarian, he was exposed to an abundance of new methods.
“Denmark was an eye-opening experience,” says Kenny. “Nothing was wasted — broccoli stems, sliced and pickled for the summer months ahead; rosehips made into preserved jellies; seaweed made into kombucha. Anything that wasn’t usable was mulched in-house and used for the vege patches. True sustainability.”
Speaking on our food scene here at home, Kenny loves the global outlook of many Kiwis. “Travelling to all corners of the globe, honing our skills to return home to share with others… This is reflected by our food scene. International cuisine of a high calibre on every corner. It’s really inspiring as a chef.”
The most underrated ingredient in Kenny’s opinion? “Lemon. As important a seasoning as salt, in my opinion. Adding the element of acidity lifts a dish to a new level.” And as for overrated… “It’s got to be chocolate.”
When he’s not on the clock creating delicious plates for diners to enjoy, Kenny says he’s “a sucker for the Yum Cha at Grand Harbour. Always heaving, a buzzing atmosphere, and you can eat ’til you drop. Anywhere that has crispy duck on a trolley has to be good.”
All in all, the chef is moving forward with eyes cast firmly on the horizon. “I’m excited, perhaps a little apprehensive, but mostly excited to see what becomes of this new world we are entering,” he shares. “What we eat and how we eat it. How the dining scene changes to accommodate this, and where I can make my mark.”
At a time when people around the world are desperately seeking escape, a new breed of visual architects are calling our attention to a fascinating subculture brewing in the bosom of design — render art.
Seeing digital design become an artform in and of itself, the proliferation of new-wave renders has given designers an avenue of creative expression unbridled by the usual constraints of budgets or clients. The resulting images present as a collection of utopian fever dreams, where technicolour landscapes and dreamy interiors meet impossible architecture, often so meticulously realised that unless you look at it for long enough, it appears very real.
Villa Saraceni by Charlotte Taylor in collaboration with Riccardo Fornoni of Cream Atelier.
Stavanger House by Alex Nerovnya.
Sauvage by Nelson de Araújo Design.
Proponents of this niche discipline — really a hybrid of art and design — universally credit the current global circumstances for its increasing popularity. The digital architecture movement is all about creating fictional, evocative spaces that, particularly now, fulfil our desire for a change of scenery or to experience something foreign. It is a movement that requires its audience, as much as its artists, to open their imaginations to the wider realms of possibility, and in turn, is designed to encourage creativity in the onlooker as well. Of course, the visually stimulating nature of this trend means that Instagram has proven a fertile breeding ground, which also helps.
Dreamscapes & Artificial Architecture by Charlotte Taylor.
Imagined Architectural Space by Alexis Christodoulou.
Imagined Architectural Space by Alexis Christodoulou.
Notable practitioners include Charlotte Taylor, a designer and creative director whose work fuses fantasy with reality in such a deceptively subtle way that it twists your perspective entirely; Alexis Christodoulou, whose passion for digital design began with childhood video games and whose sophisticated, surrealist aesthetic has won him a legion of fans; and Paul Milinski, another creative director who creates whimsical, tonal worlds that make you wonder whether he is actually depicting a conceivable future.
Their work, among that of many, many others is coming to the rescue for those of us who want something lighter to dream about — and for that we are thankful.
Grey Lynn just got that much sweeter thanks to the newly-opened Doe Donuts store, brightening up the neighbourhood in all its bright fuchsia glory.
Founded by Grace Tauber and Shenine Dube, and previously only sold online and at pop-up markets, these sought-after sweet treats were born after the long-time friends lived overseas and craved a taste of home — specifically, of Cook Island doughnuts.
They began experimenting in their home kitchen, tweaking the recipe to make it slightly lighter and adding various fillings. Upon returning home in 2016 the duo founded Doe Donuts and, since then, have grown an enthusiastic following for their irresistible flavours and high quality approach.
All Doe Donuts are handmade every day by Tauber and Dube themselves, using premium ingredients with no unnecessary additives or emulsifiers. Drop into the new store and you’ll find delicious and decadent flavours like Black Forest, Peanut Butter Brownie, Crème Brûlée and more. Allpress coffee is on hand to wash down each bite, and the walls feature a cool wall decal by local graphic artist Haser.
While Doe Donuts is still an e-commerce business, one from which you can pre-order online for pick-up or delivery, the new retail venture gives us all the opportunity to satiate a doughnut craving immediately (and is great for those who like to decide with their eyes on the prize).
From what we’ve seen on their social media, the founders’ creations are selling like… well, doughnuts, so we suggest if you are keen to get your hands on one, you get in early.
Opening hours: Wednesday to Friday: 7:30AM — Sold out Saturday: 8:30AM — Sold out Closed Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday
Rendered in shades of emerald, mint, moss and jade, these attention-grabbing bags will leave everyone green-eyed. A versatile yet statement-making shade, a green bag will complement all manner of tones within an ensemble — black, earthy tones like brown, and neutrals like taupe and cream. It is also brilliant when purposefully contrasted with colours like peach, purple and navy blue.
The likes of Gucci, Prada, Dior and many more have released their own, signature version of a green bag, so all that’s left to decide is whether you prefer a vibrant jewel-like shade, or a softer pastel. Either way, it’s time to go green.
Whether your home overlooks a body of water or not, you can still capture that refined, laid-back coastal feel by embracing the right textures and tones. Pair raw materials like timber and rattan with sumptuous, tactile fabrics and neutral, earthy tones. Add a few dynamic touches to bring everything to life and most importantly, don’t overdo it. Keeping things understated is the cornerstone of this look.
It’s always exciting when a popular hospitality purveyor extends their reach out of the central city. Known for some of the best and beefiest (sometimes literally) hot dogs in town, Good Dog Bad Dog currently has a pop-up running in Ormiston Town Centre in new south-east suburb Ormiston.
Located 5kms from Manukau City Centre, Ormiston Town Centre is abuzz with several well-known Auckland food outlets including Bird on a Wire and Daruma Ramen, and now Good Dog Bad Dog has joined the offering — their pop-up will lead the way for a permanent store, currently being built.
From left: Classic Dog; Chicken Hoagie.
Co-founded by David Lee and Oliver Simon, who are also the masterminds behind Commercial Bay eatery Gochu (chef Jason Kim also heads up that eatery), Good Dog Bad Dog has been roaringly popular for its unapologetically decadent ‘dogs. At the Ormiston pop-up, you’ll find a slightly more concise menu that includes their Classic Dog along with the Chopped Cheese, a hamburger-like concoction in a hotdog bun; Chilli Cheese Dog — combining a traditional frankfurter sausage with a house-made chilli mix and cheese topping — and crumbed Chicken Hoagie. Add fluffy potato tots or fries for sides, and you’re away laughing.
“We decided to go to Flat Bush/Ormiston as yum food like ours isn’t as freely available outside of the central suburbs,” says co-founder Simon. “It’s always pretty easy to get into a central Auckland mindset when you live and work in central, and often forget that the majority of Auckland doesn’t live in the CBD!”
Good Dog Bad Dog
Ormiston Town Centre
240 Ormiston Road,
Ormiston 2019
As ardent fans of architecture and design, we’re very excited at the prospect of the 10th annual Resene Architecture + Design Film Festival, which kicks off in Auckland this week at Rialto Cinemas.
Launching on Thursday, 6th of May, the festival’s line-up offers an inspiring array of films about architects that have left a legacy and lasting impact on contemporary design including Alvar Aalto, Mario Botta and Alfred Frey.
A particular focus on women in architecture shines this year with films that highlight the pioneering work and visions of designers like Charlotte Perriand, and others who have completely shaped movements like Bauhaus only to have history forget them.
Starting in Auckland, the festival then moves down to Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, and while the entire lineup looks worthy of booking, here are our picks of the bunch.
Where Architects Live, 2014 Humans are a curious, voyeuristic bunch and any glimpse into the personal preferences of the world’s tastemakers is fascinating. Where Architects Live gives insight into the daily lives of eight leading designers, including Mario Bellini, David Chipperfield and the late Zaha Hadid, and into their homes. Combining more than 30 video contributions, this intimate look into the houses of architects all around the world from Tokyo to Berlin, Mumbai to Milan, showcases the multitudes of how we choose to live.
Aalto, 2020 One of the greatest modern architects of our time, Finnish designer Alvar Aalto’s work spanned architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware, as well as sculptures and paintings. It was characteristic of Aalto to treat each building as a complete work of art — right down to the furniture and light fittings. This film explores the formative relationships Aalto had over his lifetime with two remarkable women; his first wife, Aino, and second wife Elissa, shedding light on the impact they had on his work as equal architects and visionary designers in their own right.
Perriand chaise longue, 1929.
Charlotte Perriand, Pioneer in the Art of Living, 2019 A founder of the Modernist movement, French architect and designer Charlotte Perriand ranks among the great creative geniuses of the 20th Century — yet, compared to her male contemporaries like Le Corbusier, her 75-year career is relatively unknown. This documentary explores her trajectory from her own perspective, an extraordinary woman who pushed the boundaries of modern design.
Nakashima House, New Hope, Pennsylvania. Photo: Ezra Stoller.
George Nakashima: Woodworker, 2020 If beautifully made furniture is what gets you going, this documentary is one for you. It explores the lasting legacy of iconic Japanese-American furniture maker George Nakashima, who changed woodworking by embracing the ‘imperfections’ and natural character of nature.
The Gardener, 2016 Not forgetting that a building’s surroundings are often just as important as the architecture and interiors themselves, this film profiles renowned horticulturalist Francis Cabot and his signature creation, the gardens of Les Quatre Vents in Quebec. One of the world’s foremost private gardens, it was created over 75 years and three generations and is an enchanting masterpiece of the 21st Century. Green thumbs, you’ll love this.
The Resene Architecture + Design Film Festival is showing at Rialto Cinemas in Auckland from Thursday, 6th of May — Wednesday, 19th of May Find the full programme here.
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