Go From Humble Pie To Pie In The Sky With Cuisine

Go From Humble Pie To Pie In The Sky With Cuisine

Cuisine #123

Cuisine's latest issue takes a close look at our love affair with the pie. With an astounding 67 million pies eaten each year, it is truly a nationwide obsession. Originally created as an ingenious solution for a worker's portable dinner, over the years the pie has been given the gourmet treatment with deluxe fillings. Essentially a casserole encased in crusty pastry, the secret to the perfect pie is a delicious filling - it's what's inside that counts.

Indulge in the perfect remedy to the colder weather with Ray McVinnie's selection of mouth-watering and hearty pie recipes. The gooey, glutinous filling of his oxtail and beetroot pie, and his soothing smoked fish pie will keep the winter chills at bay.

The knives are out - 33 of New Zealand's top restaurants have made the chop to become finalists in Cuisine 2007 Restaurant of the Year Awards, and are profiled in the new issue of the magazine. Discover what the judges are seeking in their hunt for the crème de la crème, with the winners to be announced in the September issue.

And from the established and accomplished to the talent of tomorrow, read about three hot young chefs making their mark in the food world - Guy Stanaway, Joanna Williams and Michael Wibbeke.

What better way to beat the winter blues than by sampling the comforting texture of a risotto? The very act of making the dish will guarantee gratification by stirring the rice until it transforms into a creamy meal. From Beetroot Risotto with Goat's Cheese to Squid Ink and Fried Squid Risotto, these dishes by Natalia Schamroth are sure to inspire and give a warming glow to kitchens across the country.

Can you take the heat? One of only four of the "hot" cooking spices, chillies can bring on a rush of endorphins. Get the chilli factor with Celia Harvey's chilli-infused dishes. Her Chermoula Hapuku with Zucchini Dill Salad and the Chilli Jam accompanying the Linguisa Sausages with White Beans and Silverbeet will bring pleasure to your palate. Just be warned that the smaller the chilli, the more intense the heat.

Fiona Smith encounters a Shanghai surprise with the gastronomic delights she experienced on a trip to this vibrant city. The chic Asian city of the moment provides appetising appeal from street level to fine dining. Fiona presents a modern interpretation of tasty traditional recipes revealing the cultural variety present here. More recently she also explored the culinary side of Mumbai. Revel in her recollections of delicate steamed soft rice pancakes, peeled from banana leaves at street cafés, as well as the inspired contemporary cuisine served in the luxurious splendour of The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower.

Want to know the low-down on chef gardeners and recycled-timber-wood-fired spelt bread? Cuisine gives you the crystal ball to learn what the future of food has in store in an intriguing article on forward-looking food trends.

The July issue of Cuisine is on sale from 11 June from all leading newsagents, bookshops and supermarkets

ENDS

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