Good Vibes Christmas... and a taste of South Korea
festive menu suggestions and a recipe for easy homemade spicy noodles
I’ll start with the bad news………….
It’s the last newsletter for the year!!!! It feels as if I’ve somehow teleported myself from February to December, like just moments ago I was drafting my first entry on this platform; a self-determined resolution of sorts for the year that was to come. Sitting here writing my 22nd!! newsletter, I realise we’ve come a long way. From 0 to nearly 700 of you who receive my recipes and food chat each fortnight, we’ve meandered our way through seasonal highlights (I’m so excited that stone fruit season is soon returning), tried to be ‘fearless with flavour’, and hopefully found some new tracks to add to your own kitchen playlist - as a boogie or two while cooking up a storm is always mandatory.
Adjacent to this newsletter, there has been a lot happen in the world, in my home country of Aotearoa, and in my own personal journey. Some bad, some good. But I continue to try and be hopeful and optimistic for the present and the future.
The good news is………….
a) I can now say that I have eaten probably the world’s smallest soft serve cone (see above) - they have the kookiest things in South Korea
b) the newsletter will be continuing next year, but will look a little different - still packed with mouthwatering seasonal recipe inspiration, but with a different narrative and more personal aspect that I can’t wait to share with you all and take you on the journey with me
c) this week’s newsletter is packed with delicious Christmas inspiration to get you frothing to cook with and for loved ones this festive season. So let’s get into it!
While there are aspects to Christmas that don’t get me particularly jazzed (it often highlights the negative effects of capitalism and brings out the worst in our consumer culture), as someone who loves kai, and loves people coming together for the sharing of food, I cannot not love Christmas. And the best part for me is creating a menu and cooking a feast with friends and whānau, all hands on deck!
Firstly, I want to highlight a recipe from my website that couldn’t be more Christmassy if it tried. This Whipped feta + strawberry wreath with basil + cherry toms is the perfect starter for a Southern Hemisphere Christmas. It all comes together in less than 20 minutes, utilises fresh seasonal summer produce, and looks blimmin’ festive on the table.
Today I’m also sharing my GOOD VIBES Christmas menu ~ a selection of recipes from my new cookbook that lend themselves well to a festive feast and are guaranteed crowdpleasers, with options that cater to vegan, gf and meat-eaters alike. Apologies to those who do not yet own Good Vibes… perhaps an early Christmas present for yourself is on the cards to unlock the deliciousness below :)
GOOD VIBES CHRISTMAS MENU
Sides/Sharing Plates (choose 3-4)
Showstopper cauli with speedy satay & hazelnut sukkah (vegan, gf) ~ pg 44
Turmeric roast potatoes with crispy katakana & brown butter whip (gf) ~ pg 58
Cucumbers & tomatoes with pomegranate, tahini & za’atar (vegan, gf) ~ pg 61
Killer beans with lemongrass, cashews & kaffir lime (vegan, gf) ~ pg 66
Citrus-roasted broccolini with hazelnut romesco, rocket & mint (vegan, gf) ~ pg 81
Mains
Harissa roast lamb with minted pomegranate gravy (can be made gf by using gf flour for the gravy) ~ pg 171
Butternut & aubergine snake with basil & pistachio pesto (vegan) ~ pg 148
Dessert
Christmas meringue roulade with rose cherries & Chantilly cream (gf) ~ pg 210
Roasted thyme peaches with cardamom ginger ice cream & rum caramel (gf - for a vegan option, serve with coconut yoghurt instead of ice cream and substitute the cream and butter in the caramel for coconut cream & plant-based butter) ~ pg 176
So with that I bid farewell for 2023, and once again thank you all from the bottom of my heart for coming on this newsletter journey with me, whether you were there from day one or signed up yesterday. I am so excited to write and share more of myself and my food with you in the new year.
Much love,
Alby xx
This week’s MOOD BOOSTER:
Spicy Korean smashed cucumber noodles
While in South Korea last week, I ate a lot of food. One of my favourite dishes was Kalguksu ~ a Korean knife-cut noodle soup that was packed full to the brim with flavour, and I enjoyed watching street food operators as they rhythmically handmade the noodles with incredible efficiency and accuracy. Taking the knife-cut noodles as inspiration, this recipe sees you making handmade noodles from scratch in less than 45 minutes, with a warming gochujang-miso-peanut sauce tossed through with smashed and salted cucumber. If you’re wanting something more brothy, you could also easily add boiling water when serving in bowls at the end, if desired, for a variation on the theme.
Hands-on Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
serves 2-3 as a main
Ingredients:
Knife-cut noodles
300g plain flour
¾ tsp sea salt
about 150ml cold water
Smashed cucumber & sauce
1 telegraph cucumber
½ tsp sea salt
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp gochujang paste
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp Shiro (white) miso paste
75ml cold water
1 tbsp sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
To serve
roasted peanuts, chopped
coriander leaves
Method:
To make the noodle dough, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the water and using your hands, mix until it comes together to form a relatively firm dough (you may need slightly more or less water, depending on the humidity of your kitchen). Knead for 1 minute to form a uniform ball and set aside for 30 minutes to rest and relax.
For the smashed cucumber, place the cucumber on a solid work surface and using a rolling pin (or similar), smash along the length of the cucumber until it cracks open on the sides. Cut into bite-sized 2cm chunks and place in a medium bowl with the sea salt. Toss to coat and set aside for 20 minutes.
To finish the noodles, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the rested dough into a large, really thin rectangle, about 1-2mm thick. Lightly flour the surface of the dough, then loosely fold the dough over from one side, about 4 times, to form a loose layered roll/rectangle. Gently cut the dough with a sharp knife into 2cm-thick noodles. Separate the noodles and ensure they are evenly coated in flour. Place a large saucepan of salted water over high heat and bring to the boil.
When ready to cook the noodles, make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, gochujang paste, maple syrup, peanut butter, miso paste and water until smooth. Heat the sesame oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes until turning golden. Pour in the sauce and cook for a couple of minutes, until heated through and thickened slightly.
To finish, cook the noodles in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes, or until bite-tender (be careful not to overcook them). Drain and return the noodles to the large saucepan. Drain the excess liquid from the salted cucumber. Add the cucumber to the noodles, along with the sauce, tossing through to coat. Serve the noodles warm in bowls, with a sprinkling of roasted peanuts and coriander leaves.
Best of the season this fortnight (NZ):
Last asparagus
Strawberries & Blueberries
Early stone fruit (nectarines, peaches, cherries)
Early raspberries
Capsicums
Cucumbers
Brassicas
Salad Greens
Avocados
Early aubergines
New potatoes
Early zucchinis
Kitchen albums of the year:
I’ve shared a lot of artists and songs with you throughout 2023, and as I see the major magazines and newspapers making their ‘Best Of’ lists to round up the year, I thought I’d do something similar by naming the top 3 albums I’ve enjoyed listening to (in their entirety) while cooking in the kitchen this year.
The Record ~ boygenius
Stick Season ~ Noah Kahan
Javelin ~ Sufjan Stevens
Interesting reads:
A recent study shows a link between air pollution exposure and MH disorders
Other excellent Christmas centrepiece suggestions from the incomparable Anna Jones
A great article highlighting one organisation working to reduce our country’s food waste footprint
There is more to food writing than food itself
