Daily Bread

It never ceases to amaze me how so few ingredients lead to such amazing results.

Today finding I had finished all the bread in the house, urgent steps were taken and the photo is the evidence.

Beer Bread, a simple quick loaf using flour,baking powder,beer of course and topped with grated cheese...Yum!

A Favourite Boat

Many years ago my first keelboat was one of the legendary  Farr 727 quarter tonners rejoicing the name of "Pennyfarrthing" !!

They were and still are fantastic little boats in which I raced and cruised the Hauraki Gulf.

Happy Days of yore....the photo shows us broad reaching down the Rangitoto Channel on a glorious winters race day back in the early 80's

The Amazing Gurnard

New Zealanders love affair with the Snapper has long puzzled me.

For sure they are a beautiful fish, they taste pretty good too, but anyone would think it the only fish in the sea for some people.

That brings me to the title of this long overdue piece, the humble Gurnard.

Nobody could say it's beautiful (It's stunning red colour,which supplies its nickname of "carrots", and its opalescent wings perhaps makes a lie of my last statement) or a great fighting fish, but in my honest opinion,freshly caught, filleted,floured and pan fried in a little butter it has few peers.

I am lucky to live on the shores of the Manukau Harbour,perhaps one of the best Gurnard habitats, although they are a very widespread fish and can be caught pretty much all around New Zealand.

So next time you are thinking about fish for tea, give the humble Gurnard a go.....he won't disappoint.