Merry Christmas!!

Have a Very Merry Berry Christmas!!!!

ferg loves you.

of course he does. and you know what? survey says, “everybody loves fergburger!” it’s a beautiful relationship, really, that ferg has with everyone. almost the perfect relationship. ferg asks for nothing but happily gives and gives until 5 in the morning!

for years scholars have debated over the origins of mr. ferg and his secret sauces that some people travel ½ way across the world to eat. some speculate that he was a gold miner from the 1800s who saw his hungry miner friends and wanted to feed them. i secretly think that ferg is a not so distant relative of the mad monk, Rasputin, who is trying to slowly conquer the world through hot burger goodnesses.



fergburger started as a music pumping gourmet burger-serving-window in an alley appropriately called “cow lane” serving late night gnosh to locals in 2001. since the move to it's current location in 2005, it's morphed into a kilo of fun, two-handed institution. you may think I am exaggerating, but there is a "fergburger appreciation society" on facebook boasting over 8000 members!! (of which I proudly am a member)

one member, mr. barrie, wrote on facebook, and I quote, “Take the best orgasm you ever had, multiply it by a thousand and you're still nowhere near it. When you're eating a ferg you have only one worry: thinking about the next ferg, what one will you have??”

*sniff* that was beautiful.

for those of you who have eaten one, I’m sure it is the same for you. I mean, is there a Mc D’s appreciation society? no. know why? because it isn't a ferg.

I digress. on to the food. today I was treated to a cockadoodle oink.
*frowning*
oh that sounds bad, but it was soooo good.



imagine, if you will, between your two hands a burger so large, you almost wish you had a 3rd hand. in those hands are two huge pieces of toasted bun lightly fleckled with sesame seeds on top. stuff it with a butterflied and golden lightly breaded chicken breast, layered with American bacon, (though as an American, i think it is more similar to Canadian bacon), avocado, sliced tomatoes and lettuce. The burger is too big to get my mouth around so at first, the flavors which usually are tasted as one were tasted independently. There is a sweet kinda barbecue-esqe tomato relish which is complemented by the savory creamy garlic aioli. The fresh avocados buttery texture applauded the delicate crunch of the tender moist crumbed chicken breast. The bacon was smoky and delicious. As the burger shrank in my hands, the flavors melded together like a night at the symphony with nothing overpowering the other, and each holding it's own. It was a 5 napkin event.

richard and barry, the head chef/managers were kind enough to speak with me.

richard has been at ferg for about 3 years because there are a couple of things in life he reckons, you can truly enjoy: food and drink. he actually heard about ferg while in australia and though he came to queenstown for the snowboarding, he stayed for the ferg. richard is spreading the love, doing his part by cooking delicious food. he says the satisfaction comes from watching people smile after eating stuff he has prepared. his personal favorite is the codfather.

here's a recipe that richard reckons you will love:

Cajun stack.
1 aubergine/eggplant
1 large spanish tomato
1 chicken breast
marinate chicken tenderloins in Cajun spice
slice the aubergine and tomato into 5 ml strips
pan grill or bbq everything.
stack in alternating layers.
drizzle the juice from the pan over the top.
add a bit of rocket or mesculin.
serve.

it's "dead healthy, dead quick and really tasty", says rich.

barry started with ferg about 5 years ago. as a lover of good food, he's been in and out of kitchens since he was 16. since joining the crew, however, barry has finally committed to one and one only, ferg. when ferg was down on cow lane, barry reckons things were a bit different. with huge speakers and great resonance off the brick walls, girls would offer to show their tatas for taters. now, due to it's more street and pedestrian friendly location, barry says you often see backpackers running in with their huge knapsacks trying to get their last ferg before their buses take off... barry's personal favorite is the holier than thou, though he also thinks the vegetarian burger, the bun laden, is one of the best on the menu.

barry offered an all time favorite recipe of... pretty much everyone!

French onion soup:
1 lb onions sliced up
fry till brown
add a bit of sugar and bit of white wine.
reduce till caramelized.
add up to a quart of white wine and 2-3 pints of beef stock
simmer -40 min.
slice a French stick, toss in olive oil, brush with crushed garlic and cover in cheese
put in the oven till crispy.
put on soup and serve immediately.

like a mom who loves all her children equally, all fergburgers are fantastic but according to the two chefs the ferg with cheese and the southern swine are the most popular.
my personal favorite is also the codfather as seen below with calamari and onion rings.




i'll leave you with this last thought: though most guide books fail to mention this, most people will agree~~

there are 3 things people have to do before they leave queenstown:
~a bungy.
~jump in lake wakatipu
and of course,
~eat a ferg.

(you have no idea what you are in for) ;)

lazy day bbq

oh, today was a bit mellow and gorgeous. so, it was was the perfect day for a barbeque. nothing special, a bit of venison sausage, some chicken, roast veggies and a couple of brewskies.


what i really wanted to do was show you the view from the grill. breathtaking, isn't it. that's mount cecil, and though you can't tell from the pic, it is immense. maybe about 1,700 meters? huge.



and that's what i see outside my bedroom window.
now you know why i'm here.

here fishy fishy fishy!

fishing evokes such peaceful mental visuals. maybe it's just me, but unless you are in alaska flinging fish into a boat by the buttload, it's pretty mellow. unfortunately the "gone fishing" sign can't be used in today's society where people expect their needs to be met immediately. i think we should bring it back. make it our mantra. "GONE FISHING" "GONE FISHING" just keep repeating it while breathing deeply.

today, mama rj and i went fishing. and i get it. we used bright sparkly lures, packed a tuna fish and cheese and cracker lunch, went down to the river side and fished. at first the lures got caught in the underwater stuff and nearby trees but then we wisely moved to the miniature makeshift pier.

there was girl talk, it was cathartic and beautiful. the sun was shining and we could see deep into the clear blue blue blue water. unfortunately we didn't see any fish swimming after our lure, or any fish at all for that matter. yeah, we didn't catch any either.

i still loved it. "gone fishing"

World Famous $10 Big Breakie @ Brazz

my friend and housemate, rj's, mom is in town. as we all work in the tourism industry, we all have crazily different schedules as well as tons of time off. i personally work 3 days on and have 4 days off. i know, be jealous. :)

so, mama rj is in town. she being a very nice lady and it being my day off, we decided to go to breakfast. our choices were, between a bit decadent and pricey restaurant or $10 for a hearty english style BIG BREAKIE in a bar/restaurant. believe me, it was if the choice was already made for us.

the big breakie is touted as "world famous" by the Brazz establishment. i can't vouch for the authenticity of that statement, but i can say that it is worth every penny (or 5 cent piece for that matter).



pardon the pic, i dug right in... before i took the pic. (i'm a bit new at this blogging thing :) )

for 5x2 dollar coins you get a large toasted buttered piece of delicious seemingly homemade bread (half of which my egg is covering up), a sunny side up fried egg (though i suppose you can get it how you want) a coupl'a sausages, a fried half tomato (very english) with a dash of parsley on it, and two pieces of canadian style bacon. i almost forgot about the 2 crispy hash browns. topped off with a long black (sorta a double espresso) with milk and extra water on the side and a bit of HP brown sauce and ketchup, i was in heaven. to celebrate mama rj's arrival, we had gone out the night previous, so this was more of a recovery brunch than anything, but yummy all the same.

brazz is a great mixture of restaurant slash bar, with large wooden booths in the dining area elevated and separated from the general chatter of the bar. there is also a great outdoor dining area that is great for beautiful days and warm summer evenings. located just off the "village green" they are central and easy to find.

brazz also has a great wine and beer happy hour, so check em out then too.

Skippers Canyon Jet Boat Ride

there is no shortage of things to do in queenstown. if you find yourself bored, it is your own fault. boo. today i was privy to a great ride on a jet boat owned and operated by a local family. support small business!! that's what i always say!!

after a 15 minute drive down a harrowingly narrow road that was chiseled out of the rock years ago during the gold rush of the 1800s we finally arrived at skipper's canyon. apparently this narrow road is a two lane highway as we almost touched the other vans that passed us loaded with others on the way to their activities.

suited up with a waterproof jacket and a life vest, we scampered onto the bright blue jet boat docked at the wharf of the shotover river.

ben our driver, thrilled us and maneuvered us seemingly dangerously close to rocks before and after spinning the whole boat in full 360 degree circles. the boat sped through waters that seemed too shallow but apparently ben was an old pro. it was good fun.

after the jet boat which stopped at various places on the river to give all of us a bit of local gold mining and bungy history, we stopped at the pipe line suspension bridge, one of the original commercially operating bungy jumps in the world. swaying ever so gently in the wind, my tail bone was still tingling as we jumped back on the bus to head back to town.

Taqueria Poblano es muy delicioso

growing up in Los Angeles, i was privy to some of the best Mexican food north of the border. i would eat some form of Mexican food at least, and i kid you not, maybe once a week? if not more. living in New Zealand, however, this means i had to figure out something else to eat. i was dying for a rare corn tortilla. i would've gladly eaten Taco Bell, i was desperate.

When i first arrived, i tried the local restaurant, "Sombreros" and was utterly disappointed. i wanted to cry. it was a loose version of Mexican food, they basically just poured salsa over differently wrapped items, but mainly, it was a poor excuse for food!! the rare steaks ended up char grilled. The burrito i ordered was inedible. i shudder thinking about it.

Taqueria Poblano,however, is a relatively new restaurant in Queenstown and a blessing to those living in town who feel the need for Mexican feed. they have a varied menu providing the standard fare including tacos, burritos, taquitos, fish tacos, enchiladas and fresh squeezed margaritas y muchos mas.

yesterday i dined at the Taqueria and chatted with chef, Fran Nolan. while Fran has done well maintaining the integrity of the recipes, it's been a fun challenge for him to work with the limited ingredients available to the New Zealand market. certain items, absolutely necessary to Mexican flavor are shipped in directly from Mexico such as their habenero and poblano chilies in addition to different Tequilas and various beers. their corn tortillas are made locally in Auckland and are the only corn tortillas available on the islands.

i was treated to a mini-chicken burrito and a fresh margarita on the rocks with salt to sample their fare. i wanted to taste their molé as it is one of my favorite dishes, so i asked for it to be poured on the burrito.



the burrito was grilled on the outside and stuffed with cumin poached shredded chicken, a bit of chopped lettuce, freshly made pico de gaia, and homemade re fried beans. the chicken was delightfully tender and emanated a warmth on the tongue. it had just enough seasoning without being overpowering. there was lots of cilantro (known as coriander here) and lemon juice in the pico with chunks of tomato and a nice spice to it. the lettuce added a nice texture difference and the beans tied it together perfectly.

the tortilla chips were served warm freshly cooked and was served with a great salsa, guacamole and their homemade hot sauce. their chipotle hot sauce had a nice smokiness to it with a hint of sweetness. It was nice and thick and oozed out of the bottle. It's addicting and you can easily finish the whole bottle.

everything was delicious and authentic. if i had to pick one thing to complain about it would unfortunately have to be the molé. for those of you who have had good molé will thus understand my love affair and my small gripe. smokey and savory made with Mexican chocolate, a good molé will haunt you till you eat it again. and again. the molé at Poblanos was an interesting version but a great sauce nonetheless. made with tomatillos, molé spices, ground pumpkin seeds and green poblano peppers, it was yummy and had a smokey nutty flavor which was on it's own merit, good, just different. you can't really compare it to the chocolate molé because doing so might leave you disappointed.

here's some recipes Fran provided:
pico de gaia
6 tomatoes, diced with the seeds removed
one diced red onion
1/2 cup can chopped jalepeno peppers
2 t fresh chopped cilantro/coriander
juice one lime or lemon
salt and pepper to taste
mix and serve with tortilla chips

guacamole
2 mashed avocados
1 tomato diced with seeds removed
1/2 red onion
juice of one lime
mix and serve with tortilla chips

i would recommend Taqueria Poblanos without a doubt. located between Cow Lane and Beach Street just under the casino, their decor is rustic enclosed in a very modern package. heavy wood chairs and tables are complimented by the bright orange and charcoal. when they first opened last year, i went there 4 days in a row, so happy was i that it existed. they are open M-F from 11:30 am - 10 pm. if you make it down, tell em shana sent you. :)

Kayaking with Rippled Earth

This past Sunday, G and I went kayaking with fledgling company, Rippled Earth. Owned and operated by tree and water enthusiast, Sam, we kayaked from near Glenorchy, to Pigeon Island, hiked around the island, ate a piece of cake and then kayaked back to our cars. On the way to the island, the other couple on the trip had brought a fishing rod and caught a huge sparkly salmon, then released it back into the wild. The day was beautiful and the water was calm, at least heading out.



Heading back however, the wind had picked up. We arranged ourselves with our backs to the waves and caught a few of them in the kayak. It was super cool.

Habebe's-- a local's favorite

Tucked away in little corridor is a hidden gem called Habebes. Pleasing to the eye the eatery is painted shades of orange and there is a welcoming feel emanating from the staff. On the wall is a community noticeboard with more than one advert for yoga, mountain bikes and i think i saw that a reiki teacher that was in town for two weeks.



Owned and operated by a kind lady named Anne, Habebes serves Lebanese style kebabs with a wholesome nourishing twist. Everything is made fresh at the shop daily except for the whole wheat vegan pastry dough which she special orders. Yesterday I went to Habebes and Anne was able to provide us with one of the recipes that they actually use at the shop. It is a delicious tangy zesty dressing that Anne reckons goes great with tabbouleh.

RECIPE
lemon mint dressing
2 cups oil, plain, such as grapeseed oil
2 cups of lemon juice
1 T salt
1 T ground pepper
1 T dried mint
blend. great as a refreshing zingy lemony dressing maybe for a summers day.
anne recommends it for tabbouleh or a greek salad saying it is quite versatile.

As I was already full from a big breakfast I had made at home, I went back today to try one of their kebabs. I had the Regular Lamb Kebab which includes two-three salads and freshly made hummus. Of the many delicious looking veggie salads i had to choose from, i chose the grated beet with sunflower seeds and apple, a bit of brown rice salad with peanuts, bell pepper and green onion and a green bean salad. They also opt a creamy lemony yogurt or a tahini sauce and a mild or hot chili sauce. I had all of them as i can be a bit saucy.



My kebab was wrapped in a toasted roasted tortilla. The fare was delicious and though it was well wrapped and therefore drip proof, it was a bit messy to eat and all the juices and sauces ended up on my face. As i scarfed it down quite quickly, the mess was kept to a minimum. (it's a technique i learned from a food eating expert, me). The savory lamb contrasted nicely with the sweetness of the beets and the crunch of the veggies added a nice texture difference. Every once in while a peanut would sneak its way into the mix contributing a nice nutty creaminess.
It's strange cause I've been here in Queenstown now for almost two years and this is only the second time that i have eaten at Habebes, (the first time being two weeks ago). This is not a reflection of the food, but rather that it is slightly hidden as it is not on the main foot paths. It is easily worth a quick look around town or asking a shopkeeper where to go. My kebab was $10 and as everything is under nz$15, it's also a great bargain.

Oooooh, my first post!

oh the places we'll go! the things we'll do!

queenstown is a tiny little resort town located towards the southern end of the south island of new zealand. with about 10,000 "long termers", we rely heavily on snow tourism in the winter and adventure tourism in the summer. this little town is capable of sleeping over 50,000 people (plus) and feeding them too!

known for it's adventure tourism, queenstown is the birthplace of such activities such as "the Bungy Jump", enormous swings and jet boats among other adrenal releasing things to do.

it's also known for being beautiful. the waters here shimmer in ways only imagined, the trees are ever green, literally, and they flourish. the raw and jagged skyline of the mountains contrasts nicely with the soft-edged surrounding nature. some of the greatest walks of the world are in this area.

what queenstown is not known for is it's food. at least not yet. ;>
with tourists from all over the world, the food is cosmopolitan and delicious. join me on my journey to explore anything and everything you can eat in queenstown and when possible, other parts of New Zealand! every once in a while too, you might get to meet my little friend hippo all courtesy of my work, Hippo Lodge!!