This morning was AWESOME!!! My new friend, famous private Kiwi chef Dave Miller, took me to the Mediterranean Market in Queenstown this morning and gave me an overview of New Zealand style cooking. He gave me a run down of the various stocks, glazes, oils and seasonings he likes to use in all of his dishes. He then walked me through the entire meat and cheese section (all of the meats, although some quite expensive, looked absolutely amazing!), along with tidbits of the various local farms where he gets certain meats. The Cardrona Merino Lamb looked especially delicious. Fun fact – it comes from the only farm that raises Merino Lambs for eating versus wool. They are located in New Zealand’s Central Otago and raise sustainable, mountain bred high quality lamb, which creates a more lean, tender meat.
It was SOOO wonderful for him to take time out of his day to sit with me and talk about his background – from cooking in restaurants, to opening his own restaurant to becoming a private chef and learn about all of the local cuisine and ingredients New Zealand has to offer. A definite highlight in the trip so far! Fingers crossed, I’ll hopefully be able to cook with him later in the week!
He even gave me a present to take away – two local New Zealand spices that he loves to use in many dishes – Kawakawa (bush basil) and Horopito (bush pepper; spicy!!). I can’t wait to try them out!!
Some other photos from the market:
Very neat morning for you and your new chef friend!!!! Can’t wait for the culinary buffet that I am sure you will prepare after returning home! Love you! Momma