I was supposed to be writing one of Canvas' lovely brunch reviews here but brunching out is not a thing right now – or anytime too soon, it seems. I'll be saving the money I'd normally spend eating out to do just that, and looking forward very much to that first meal outside the house. In Lazy Susan, the Facebook group/food community I co-founded with Antony Suvalko, members share raves on where and what to eat around Auckland and beyond. In ordinary times. In alert level 4, our attention turns to what we can make ... and a little bit of how we can make do.
Baking seems to be particularly therapeutic but I'd like to think the sourdough obsession has peaked and we might see a little more variety this time round. Yielding the old wooden egg beater can be just as cathartic as kneading dough, I reckon.
Sultana cake is not actually something my nana or granny made, from memory, but it has grandparental, comforting vibes nonetheless. It's a pretty good "make do" cake if, like me, you always have a packet or three of sultanas in the pantry. I had a craving for this exact cake (preceded by a ham sandwich on squidgy white bread with lots of mayo, and alfalfa sprouts, please) shortly after hearing the news about the discovery of a community Covid case in Auckland on Tuesday. A slice of this cake and a cup of tea will, I promise, put your world to rights even if just for a moment.
Antony's recipe for Vietnamese banh caramel is a bit classier; a beautiful dessert to cap off a special bubble dinner.
Another way to bring a bit of excitement into your diet in lockdown is to cook your way through our first Lazy Susan cookbook - Auckland Eats: Recipes and Stories from a Vibrant Food City. It features 41 favourite recipes from 41 brilliant hospo spots across Auckland – make the dishes (and drinks!) you're missing most, and others you've yet to try … then go out and support all those restaurants by ordering those dishes again when we can. Copies are on sale on our website, lazysusan.nz
