If there’s one vegetable that speaks of joy, it’s the bright, sunshine yellow corn on the cob. With plenty of corn still available in the supermarkets, why not trial something new?
All recipes serve 4 people and are cooked without the husks.
1. With Smoky Butter Start grilling the corn on the BBQ and while they’re cooking, in a small bowl, combine a tablespoon of softened butter, the juice and zest of one lime, half a teaspoon of smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Once the corn is cooked (in your chosen method), slather with the butter mixture.
2. With Herbed Goats Cheese Butter Elevate your butter combination with this deliciously creamy and richer rendition. Combine 3 tablespoons of softened butter, 3 tablespoons of soft, herbed goats cheese, 2 cloves of diced garlic (lightly toasted in a pan prior), zest of half a lemon, and a pinch of Himalayan salt. Spread over either boiled or microwaved corn while still hot.
3. With a Pesto Rub At this time of year, it’s likely that you have an abundance of basil in the herb garden, and if you’re up for making your own pesto (or alternatively obtaining a pre-made pottle) this recipe is a delicious, summery take. Once the corn is cooked, brush a layer of pesto on the cob, and shave some good quality Parmigiana-Reggiano on top.
4. With an Asian Marinade Introduce Asian-inspired flair with this delicious glaze. Add 2 tablespoons of Hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons of runny honey, 1 tablespoons soy sauce, and half a diced chilli for that extra kick. Place the uncooked corn onto a sheet of tinfoil, drizzle the marinade, and wrap up individually into their own parcels. Grill on the BBQ until cooked.
Even the least technically gifted chefs know the importance of being able to cook a good steak. It is a rite of passage after all. While everyone, from Heston to Jamie, tends to observe a personal set of rules, there are some cardinal directions for achieving steak perfection.
1. Season and sit Remove your steaks from the fridge, pour olive oil over both sides and season generously with salt and pepper (dousing with oil first will help the seasoning stick). Allow the meat to rest for about 20 minutes, so as to come up to room temperature. This way, it will cook more evenly. NB, sea salt flakes are an absolute must.
2. Use the right equipment Two words: cast iron. To get the best tasting steak, it needs to have a good ‘crust’ and the best kind comes from a cast iron skillet. Our favourite is the Lodge Square Grill Pan from Studio of Tableware. As the meat cooks to a crispy outer layer, it picks up a deeply savoury, caramelised flavour that you might not ever recover from. Investing in a good pan is imperative.
3. Butter her up Again, we come to the matter of the crust. In pursuit of said deep golden outer hue, a generous amount of butter is involved. Heat the pan until it is very hot, add a couple of tablespoons of oil before adding a sizeable knob of butter. The oil will help prevent the butter from burning.
4. The act itself Throwing a steak into a pan of sizzling hot (but not burning) butter should incite a true sizzle. If not, the game is already over. And no matter what your dad might have taught you, it’s vital to remember: thou shalt not cook a steak for the same amount of time on each side. Once your steak has hit the grill, resist the temptation to touch it until it has cooked for five minutes on one side. Then turn it over before cooking for three. Of course, if you prefer your meat to be anything other than medium rare, adjust accordingly.
5. Let it be Once removed from the skillet, slather your steaks in fresh herbs and butter (alternatively, we suggest a slice of Lewis Road Creamery’s, Sean Connolly-formulated steak butter). Leave to rest for at least five minutes before serving them with the flavour filled, buttery juices.
As longtime fans of Azabu, we’re seriously missing their Japanese/ Peruvian cuisine, in particular the fresh raw fish dishes they are famed for. Thanks to Savor Goods, you can now get your hands on the fresh seafood from Azabu’s fishmongers, simply order their Seafood Selection box and be ready to try your hand at recreating some of their famed dishes, starting with the much loved Tiradito.
Tiradito marries Japanese sashimi with Peruvian ceviche. Instead of smaller chunks of fish found in a ceviche, tiradito features large sashimi-style slices. Instead of marinating the fish as you would for ceviche, tiradito calls for finishing it with a bright chilli-citrus sauce. We finish ours with a tangy passionfruit syrup.
Salmon Tiradito Serves 4
Ingredients 200g sashimi-grade Salmon fillet, skinned 1⁄2 Butternut squash 20g Coconut cream 20g Passionfruit syrup Small bunch of Coriander
Leche de Tigre Milk 4 small passionfruit, juice and seeds (around 50g in total) 35g white Fish 5g Garlic, peeled 4g Ginger, peeled 6g Red chilli, chopped 100ml Lime juice 15g Japanese mayo 2g Sea salt
Method 1. Place fish pieces, garlic, ginger, chilli, lime juice, Japanese mayo and flaky sea salt in a blender. 2. Blend to desired consistency, which should take approximately 30 seconds, enough time to bring out aroma and flavour but not the colour and season to taste. 3. Peel the butternut squash. Using a zester, cut fine strips of squash rather like spaghetti. 4. Line a plate with absorbent paper. 5. Add sunflower oil to a pan and heat to 140°C (note – use a deep pan and do not fill more than 1/3 full as the hot oil will rise to the surface as the squash is added). 6. Fry the butternut squash spaghetti for about 1 minute until lightly browned, transfer to the lined plate. The squash strands will not be crispy at this stage but do not worry – they will crisp up as they cool down. Season with sea salt. 7. Remove any residual brown flesh from the salmon fillet. 8. Cut the salmon into thin slices and arrange them in a single row over each of the four serving plates. 9. For each plate, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the passionfruit & Leche de Tigre over the salmon. 10. Dot with a few passionfruit seeds around the plate, arrange a line of crispy butternut squash spaghetti and scatter a few sprigs of coriander over the squash and on the plate. 11. Sprinkle some sea salt flakes.
Bring some Italian atmosphere into your home with this comforting dish from Non Solo Pizza. To take your meal to the next level, order one of Savor Good’s Italian staples boxes that include the ingredients you need for culinary success. Bellisima!
Rigatoni with Spicy Sausage Serves 6
Ingredients 1 tbsp Olive oil 1 large Onion, chopped 3 Garlic cloves, chopped 1kg fresh hot Italian sausages, casings removed ½ cup Red wine 1 400g can of diced tomatoes 1 400g can of crushed tomatoes with added puree 4 cups Rigatoni 2 cups (packed) Fresh rocket, stems removed ½ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped ½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Method 1. Heat oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. 2. Add onion, cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. 3. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. 4. Add sausage; cook until browned, breaking up with the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. 5. Drain drippings from pot. 6. Add wine, diced tomatoes with juice, and crushed tomatoes; increase heat and bring to boil. 7. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes to blend flavours, stirring occasionally. 8. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. 9. Stir pasta, rocket, basil, and oregano into the tomato sauce. 10. Simmer until rocket wilts, stirring often, about 2 minutes. 11. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
With gyms closed and the boredom of performing tricep curls with tins of tomatoes setting in, walking has become the easiest way to satisfy your fitness cravings. Here we investigate the benefits and challenges of taking your walking workout to the next level by chasing 20,000 steps per day. Game on.
Exercising is something in which, generally speaking, I do not like to take part. Whether it’s cardio or strength training, I don’t find enjoyment in breaking a sweat or having a body that aches in pain the morning after a workout. That said, I do think that living a healthy lifestyle is important, and that seems to go hand in hand with regular exercise. So, I started searching for a sport that was easy and pain-free, and one that I could actually stick with (unlike my short-lived jogging phase which lasted a fortnight). But after much deliberation, I finally decided to take on the most effortless sport of all, walking.
In order for walking to be considered an exercise stringent enough that I wouldn’t have to do another HIIT workout again, I set myself a goal of 20,000 steps a day (a number I landed on based on recommendations from the Internet). This didn’t concern me too much, considering that walking took up most of my daily commute. But the Health app on my phone, which had a pedometer that listed the average daily step count for a person as around 7,000, didn’t seem as confident in my mission. It quickly became clear that in order to make this work, I would have to walk almost quadruple the amount I usually would, and although I was ready for the challenge, it actually proved much harder work than I ever anticipated. Did I stick to it? Yes. Did it change me? Definitely. Would I recommend it? I can’t speak for everyone, but if you’re thinking about taking up the 20,000-steps-a-day mantle, I would recommend that you first read this.
It was time-consuming From the very first day, time was the biggest issue. Finding the time to walk over 15km a day while working a desk job from 9am until 6pm meant that early mornings were inevitable. My plan was to walk at least 10,000 steps before arriving at the office and spend my hour lunch break walking laps around the park. I worked out that every 10 minutes would equate to approximately 1000 steps, so in an ideal world, I would have had at least 15,000 steps tucked under my belt by midday. However, the reality was that waking up at 6:30am to squeeze in a two-hour stroll while having enough time to make myself look presentable was simply not realistic. Sleep-ins were bound to happen, which meant that to make up for lost time, I would aimlessly trot around the CBD after work (sometimes for up to 2 hours) like a weird and lonely wanderer. But I was determined to make this work.
Strategy was key After a couple of days of walking until almost midnight to squeeze in my 20,000 steps, I decided I needed a new strategy. I would take every moment as an opportunity and walk whenever I could, rather than try to get the steps done in large chunks. If I had to wait a few minutes for the bus, I’d walk up and down the stop. I would order a coffee and use the five-minute wait for an extra 500 steps and when I would catch up with friends would always suggest a stroll over sitting in a cafe. You learn very quickly that, although they may feel insignificant, these small incremental changes make all the difference.
My umbrella became my best friend Before this personal project, I barely ever carried around an umbrella. It was something my mother would have to remind me to take before I left in the mornings. However, once I understood that an umbrella would become my closest companion, I splashed out on a particularly sturdy one that cost over $90 — and before you start criticising me for my spending habits, the amount of money I saved on Ubers made it well worth the price. No amount of rain was going to stop me from hitting my goal.
No pain, no gain I began to genuinely look at walking as a workout when my legs and feet would ache after a few consecutive days of walking over 15km. Granted, it wasn’t as bad as the pain I felt following my long distance runs, but there was still some tension in the muscles. Not enough to complain about, mind you, but enough to make me feel like I was an active person. I finally understood the satisfaction my friends found from being sore after their gym sessions.
One of the biggest challenges was loneliness Despite travel being a major obstacle, it was still doable. An early morning flight, for instance, meant that I had to get out of bed even earlier in order to fit in as many steps as possible before boarding the plane. The most significant challenge, surprisingly, was boredom and loneliness. Sure, I listened to music and podcasts during my walks, but I could only do that for so long without becoming painfully aware that I was strolling aimlessly, without any clear destination. These were many moments when I would question what I was doing and why. And you’d be surprised at how uninterested people were in my walking habits. My numerous invitations for others to join came up against a fair amount of rejection, which meant that walking alone for hours on end was something I had to get used to.
Keeping this project a secret was extra labour I refused to be one of those people who starts one exercise or diet and announces it to the entire world. Firstly, that just holds you accountable and makes it more embarrassing when you fail to stick with it. But most importantly, I honestly just looked really lame. There are people out there that have goals to make a difference in this world whereas my goal was to stomp my feet 20,000 times. This led to me having to make evening plans as late as possible, so I could arrive with my 20,000 done and dusted. The one time I went on a date and told them that we needed to wrap it up before midnight as I had 3,500 more steps to go, I received an eyebrow raise and a second date is yet to happen.
No time for hangovers On a night out, it was not unusual for me to go well over 30,000 steps, sometimes even 40,000. Clearly, I go hard and have no regrets shredding the dance floor until the next morning when I wake up, broken. What I usually would have done was stay home and feel sorry myself or the entire day, but the steps needed to be stepped. As I was not about the cheating life, even if my step count was over 10,000 from my post-midnight dancing, I wouldn’t consider those into my days worth of steps. I would start completely new which would force me to go out, get some fresh air and there was not one day where I wished that I would have stayed home instead.
I ate more but I lost weight This was a factor that especially intrigued me. All the extra walking made my appetite bigger than ever and my energy levels were consistent and levelled. I was always moving, hence I was always hungry and therefore, I was always eating. In addition to that, the food I was consuming was by no means ‘healthy’ — unless you put fries, chips, doughnuts, caramel slices and Reuben sandwiches in that category. Interestingly enough, after a month of consistently hitting my goal of 20,000 steps, never missing a day, not only did I maintain my weight, but I lost almost 4 kgs. Other variables might have come into play such as stress, but in all honesty, I was having a pretty carefree month and not once did I have to concern myself with the nutritional content of my food.
The Proof
Would I do it again? I cannot state categorically that walking 20,000 steps a day will allow you to eat whatever you want and still lose weight because I’m not a trained fitness or health practitioner. It’s not my area of expertise. I’m merely sharing my own experience and what I can say, is that mentally and physically, I have never felt better. The long walks alone cleared my mind and made my body feel lighter and more active. Most importantly, I became extremely productive and my time management skills improved immensely. I became a morning person as well as a night owl and my days felt longer which made me feel as though I was capable of achieving more. I wouldn’t ‘do it again’ as actually, I have never stopped. I started this project on 5th June 2018 and have managed to meet my 20,000-steps-a-day goal every day since. It was one of the best life decisions I ever made and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon.
Perched near the peak of prestigious Bellevue Hill, overlooking Sydney’s magnificent harbour, this imposing home offered a significant challenge to interiors expert Alexandra Donohoe Church of Decus Interiors. Architect Luigi Rosselli had artfully capitalised on the cheque book-busting views, heightening the serious stakes in creating impactful interior design.
Space Copenhagen The Mater High Stool from Cult and the Indi pendants from Articolo Lighting
Turning her back on the harbour’s glittering water, Church focussed on upscale basics to accommodate the needs of the family of six who were looking for a ‘forever’ house. Rather than filling the space with distracting objects, pieces were carefully edited with a focus on making materials top quality.
Oluce Atollo table lamp from ECC, CTO Lighting Heron floor lamp from ECC, Moroso Redondo armchair from Matisse and B&B Italia Ray sofa from Matisse
Minotti Prince armchair from ECC, Minotti Jacob coffee table from ECC, Painting: Philip Wolfhagen’s landscape ‘Third Proposition: Triptych’ and walls in Resene Quarter Fossil
Balancing the building’s classic feel with contemporary demands, travertine slab walls and doors were used at the entry, with woven bronze mesh offering a slightly more obvious glint of luxury. Then dark oak flooring solidly anchored the floor, with Church mixing things up by delivering a lighter stain in the living areas, warmer tones in the study and dining area before offering a deeper experience in the expansive walk-in wardrobe.
Paola Lenti Kaba armchairs from ECC, Roda Harp armchairs from ECC and Roda Teka Dining table from ECC
Gallotti e Radici pendants from ECC, Knoll Saarinen Executive chair from Studio Italia and Rina Menardi Lagoon bowls from ECC
Painting: ‘The Envoy’ by Alexander McKenzie
It was in the areas where the view takes a backseat, such as the dining area where you should do your best to look at loved ones and in the powder room, where mirror inspections are mandatory, that extra details could be added. Above the accommodating Christopher Delcourt dining table, two Gallotti e Radici pendants light the space, dangling like daring earrings. While in the powder room the basin is encased in stone that features colours swirling like a Japanese ink print.
From experience most of us know that after a good night’s sleep we look and feel better and are more easily able to cope with the challenges of lockdown life. Now science is coming to the slumber party with an increasing number of studies showing why bedtime needs to be quality time. Here’s why you should be sleeping your way to good health and how a Hyoumankind pillow can help.
Sleep is important for your immune system With the Covid-19 pandemic, our immune systems are front of mind when it comes to health. Getting a good night’s sleep is an important step in being prepared to deal with viruses and infections. Studies now show that people who don’t get quality sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus, such as the common cold.
Stoyan Dimitrov and Luciana Besedovsky at the University of Tübingen in Germany discovered that T cells, a type of white blood cell that is critical to the body’s immune response, are able to target infected cells more effectively in bodies that experience quality sleep.
“Our findings show that sleep has the potential to enhance the efficiency of T cell responses, which is especially relevant in light of the high prevalence of sleep disorders and conditions characterised by impaired sleep, such as depression, chronic stress, ageing, and shift work,” says Besedovsky.
During sleep, your immune system also makes and releases cytokines – a type of protein that targets infection and inflammation – helping it respond to viruses. So if you’re not getting plenty of sleep, your body may not have enough protective cytokines to help you fight infections.
How much sleep do I need? To keep your immune system fighting fit you need to aim for 7-8 hours sleep a night, while teenagers should have 9-10 hours and children require 10 hours of sleep or more. When it comes to sleep quality is just as important as quantity and adults who are sleeping more than 9–10 hours may experience a restless night’s sleep or trouble nodding off.
Naps are encouraged A 2015 study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism showed that sleep-deprived men who had two half hour naps the following day saw their immune systems return to effective levels.
Getting a nap on-the-go is made far more easy when you have a portable, ergonomically-designed pillow at the ready. Get some sleep, help your immune system and wake up refreshed – it’s a win, win situation.
Since opening her first store in 2002 aged 21, in central Auckland’s Drake St alongside co-founder James Rigden, Rickie Dee has become a fashion fixture in New Zealand. Superette was originally inspired by Collette in Paris but has developed its own local flavour. Here Dee dishes on escaping to Bali and Zoom personal training sessions.
Name: Rickie Dee Occupation: Co-Founder & Director of Superette Suburb: Point Chevalier
1.Best meal you’ve eaten in Auckland? I love Asian and am obsessed with the Mushroom Wontons from Blue Breeze Inn. Locally, I love the Quinoa Bowl from Ambler in Point Chev.
Blue Breeze Inn
2. What’s your poison? I would say a good glass of champagne or wine but with three kids at home at the moment it’s probably more like a bottle! The Mumm Champagne Cordon Rouge Rosé is my favourite on a sunny day but as the weather is getting a little bit chillier, I find myself leaning towards a good red.
3. In one sentence, describe what you actually do in your job? A little bit of everything!
4. Who can you thank for your success? A lot of hard work, my supportive family, my business partner James and all the amazing people that we have on board with us at Superette.
5. What was your first job? At high school I washed dishes at a café in Takapuna and then after school I worked in advertising before we started Superette.
6. Best piece of advice you’ve been given? You can’t sell fresh air. My business partner James’s Dad used to tell us that all the time.
7. What advice would you give your younger self? You need to be prepared to do everything in the beginning and you need to be ok with that.
8. What’s your favourite pastime? I would have to say exercise. It’s the one thing that I find helps me clear my head and just have some time to myself. I try to get to a reformer pilates class a few times a week but for now I’m working out at home with my personal trainer via Zoom.
9. Where do you go to unwind? I usually like to go on holiday with the family, Bali is one of my favourite destinations and I’ve been going there since I was little. However this year we’ll be aiming to venture somewhere in NZ and do a bit more exploring in our own backyard. I would love to make my way to Huka Lodge in Taupo at some point!
Huka Lodge
10. What’s your guilty pleasure? I’ve got a bit of a weakness for lollies and find myself stealing one or two off the kids every now and again.
While the iced coffee may have started as a straightforward affair of espresso, water and ice, it has since evolved to include the likes of milk, chocolate, whipped cream and even ice cream (sometimes all of the above). And while we’ll always love the simplicity of the OG iced coffee, this season we’re embracing all the bells and whistles with Nespresso’s indulgent and undeniably delicious interpretation. The Long Black Over Ice and Flat White Over Ice capsules are available now for a limited time from Nespresso online.
You will need 4 Nespresso Long Black Over Ice capsules 2 silicone ice ball moulds Lewis Road Creamery Organic Homogenised Milk Lewis Road Creamery Organic Single Cream Whittaker’s Milk Chocolate Sante bar
Method 1. Take empty spherical ice moulds and fill them with two Nespresso espresso extractions. Top the rest up with water and freeze. 2. Set aside a tall glass. Heat cream on the stove until hot before breaking up the Whittaker’s Milk Chocolate Sante and stirring the pieces in. Keep stirring until the cream and chocolate has melted into a ganache and set aside. 3. Pop frozen coffee out of its silicone moulds and stack vertically in the tall glass. 4. Heat milk in a pot until warm and pour over the ice. It will slowly melt the coffee spheres. 5. Finally, drizzle ganache over the top for a touch of extra sweetness and enjoy.
Rob Mills has an uncanny ability to utilise traditionally over-the-top materials in such a way as to make them feel altogether necessary. The homes he dresses boast touches of marble here, sheens of gold there and deep, jewel tones throughout, so when it came time to design his own residence, it was expected that his penchant for the finer things would be realised in more ways than one.
Undertaking extensive renovations in a former cardboard factory in Melbourne’s Armadale neighbourhood, Mills’ home is a considered collision of industrial sensibilities and contemporary interpretations of luxury. The various spaces of the five-bedroom family home are separated by large, sculptural enclaves but connected through a generous application of natural light and gently curving walls. Playing on the tension between undulating and straight lines, there is a seamless flow that connects every area of the house, from the grandly spiralled, dark marble staircase to the large, circular front window, to even the finer interior touches like curved mirror edges in the bathroom and the rounded dining room chairs.
Thinking about the mechanics of family life as much as the aesthetic balance of each room, Mills ensured that relaxed communal spaces and functional areas like the kitchen were kept as practical as they were visually appealing. The kitchen is the striking centre point of the home, boasting an eye-catching, golden brass bench that pre-empts the other caramel-coloured accents through the rest of the house. The open-plan living space is bathed in ambient light from the floor-to-ceiling windows at one end and uses an intriguing mix of minimalist and maximalist principles. The gilt finishes and marble floors work with the understated furnishings and crisp white accents to become a happy melange of extravagant simplicity.
Various iterations of grey and grey-blue permeate the bedroom and study, the latter offsetting its cool-toned wooden walls and ceiling with solid black furnishings and lavish, jewel-toned velvet touches. The thoughtful use of materials in this home is really what sets it above the rest. It makes a case for courageous choices and encourages us to not shy away from occasional opulence.
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