Archive for November, 2009

Cuisine Magazine Restaurant Awards 2009

Friday, November 20th, 2009

2009 Winner: Best Smart Dining Metropolitan & Supreme Winner
Logan Brown
With the atmosphere, menu, wine list and service all hard to fault, our judges were unanimous in their praise for this central-city Wellington restaurant.

RUNNER-UP: Best Smart Dining Metropolitan
Clooney
When Clooney opened, the in-crowd made it their first choice for dining and drinking, attracted by the New York-dramatic décor with its edgy fringe curtains hanging from the raw concrete ceiling to subdivide the vast space.

2009 WINNER: Best Smart Dining Regional
Bouterey’s at 251
Far from the bright lights, in the rural township of Richmond on the outskirts of Nelson, Bouterey’s shows a passion and sophistication that is not often reached.

RUNNER-UP: Best Smart Dining Regional
Pacifica
This turquoise and driftwood decorated bungalow across from the sea belies the sophistication within of Jeremy Rameka’s seriously crafted food.

2009 Winner: Best Casual Dining Metropolitan
Soul Bar & Bistro
One of our out-of-town judges remarked that Soul was one place he would really want to return to, again and again.

RUNNER-UP: Best Casual Dining Metropolitan
Saggio Di Vino
This is New Zealand’s only vinothèque, where for more than 18 years Lisa Scholz and Yommi Pawelke have provided a haven for a glass or two of good wine, accompanying it with well-crafted food.

2009 WINNER: Best Casual Dining Regional
Hopgood’s Restaurant & Bar
Classically trained chef Kevin Hopgood moved from his native England to New Zealand for the lifestyle

RUNNER-UP: Best Casual Dining Regional
Wendy Campbell’s French Bistro
Last year Wendy Campbell’s French Bistro took out the award in this section and it is to Wendy and husband Jim’s credit that, a year on, their standards are as high as ever.

2009 WINNER: Best Neighbourhood Restaurant
Molten
Molten seems a home away from home for Mt Eden locals.

2009 WINNER: Best Winery Restaurant First Equal
Pegasus Bay
Pegasus Bay has taken our top winery award for the second year running, albeit this year tied with Terrôir.
Terrôir at Craggy Range
The set of buildings at Craggy Range is no doubt the area’s most dramatic

Raspberry syrup cake

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

Raspberry syrup cake with creme fraicheRaspberry syrup cake with crème fraiche

At this time of year use frozen raspberries for making this cake, they are full of flavour and cost a tenth the price of fresh.

Recipe
75g unsalted butter
80g castor sugar
Few drops vanilla
80g ground almonds
40g plain flour
2 whole eggs

Raspberry syrup
2 cups frozen raspberries
¼ cup water
¼ cup sugar
Serve with whipped cream or crème fraiche

Preparation
Heat oven to 200C. Spray your chosen single portion cake tins with a baking spray.

Beat butter and sugar together until light and creamy, add the next 4 ingredients and mix well together until smooth. Spoon mix into the 4 cake tins, spread a few frozen raspberries on top and bake for approx 20 minutes until well coloured and golden.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

For the syrup, dissolve sugar in boiling water then cool slightly before adding the remaining raspberries.

To serve turn cakes out onto serving plates, spoon a healthy mound of raspberries on top and a little whipped cream or crème fraiche.