The Dish: Dry up

Pauanesia tea towels. Photo / Babiche Martens

Add a touch of vintage Kiwiana to the kitchen these holidays with an iconic tea towel from Pauanesia. Priced from $18.50 each, they're bound to get plenty of use if you have a house full of visitors and lots of dishes! Ph (09) 366 7282.

Cool customer

Now here's the perfect way to keep your pinot gris cool in the afternoon sun - Chill Balls. The pre-frozen chill balls work to ensure your drink stays cold without being watered down (as it would with ice). Available from BBQs & More, 616 Gt South Rd, Greenlane, ph (09) 579 6699.

Sweet treat

Auckland gelato shop Giapo is again raising money for Starship Children's Hospital, so if you're shopping in town on Saturday, stop off for an Italian icecream. Television and radio personalities are supporting the effort to buy a respiratory sensor, so between noon and 2pm you may be served by the likes of Colin Mathura-Jeffree, Jaquie Brown, John Palino and Kimberley Crossman, with all proceeds going to the fundraiser. Giapo is by the Civic Theatre at 279 Queen St.

Dial it up

At this time of the year, we're all for making life a little easier. That's why our new best friend is Robert Macey in the Waikato. Robert's company grows asparagus and they'll delivered it your door, in dew-dripping (well, almost) bundles. "Asparagus needs to be eaten as fresh as possible and we can ensure you have it the same day as it's picked." The asparagus on Robert's farm is picked at 6am, graded and packed at 9am, picked up by a courier by 11am and can be delivered to the Waikato and Auckland in cute wooden boxes that same afternoon. Pay $22.48 for a 2.5kg box to be delivered to your door. All you have to do is email or phone the evening before to arem48@xtra.co.nz or (07) 824 1998. And Robert's favourite way to eat this delicate vegetable? "One minute in the microwave, before wrapping them in bacon and finishing them off on the barbecue."

Top nuts

Stock up on French organic chestnuts this Christmas from Sabato. The whole chestnuts and puree bring a beautiful flavour to savoury dishes and stuffings. Keep a tin of chestnut cream with bourbon vanilla in the pantry for emergency desserts. Simply combine it with whipped cream and eat on its own, in a tartlet or spread over a pavlova. Delicious.

Designer destination

Hotel DeBrett has been accepted into the Design Hotels group. While this is essentially a marketing organisation, it vets applicants to ensure they meet the requisite cool factor.

The Auckland boutique hotel is the first New Zealand member. DeBrett's Michelle Deery says some of the other hotels in the group are the very places that inspired the remodelling of DeBretts.

For anyone looking for a unique property to stay in worldwide, or just interested in arresting design, check out designhotels.com.

Snack attack

This award-winning lavash (lah-vosh) is a crisp, unleavened bread of Middle Eastern origin made on Waiheke. It goes beautifully with cheese, dips and pates, so why not put it with a whole lot of goodies and give. $8.29 from Nosh, noshfoodmarket.co.nz.

VIP Viva: Join the A-crowd on board the Pacific Pearl

This is your chance to win a VIP ticket for two to New Zealand's biggest Christmas party - the launch of New Zealand's own superliner, P&O Cruises' Pacific Pearl. At 63,500 tonnes, Pacific Pearl is the largest ship ever to be based in this country. She will carry 1800 passengers and offers a range of features including a huge Big Screen on her pool deck, an aerial acrobatic rig for circus performances, a Salt Grill by Luke Mangan fine dining restaurant, a child-free Oasis retreat and a three-storey atrium.

The VIP event is being held on the top deck of the ship from 7pm on Tuesday December 21. This is part of the official naming ceremony, which will see Pacific Pearl's godmother Barbara Kendall MBE launch the ship with a magnum of Cloudy Bay Pelorus Vintage smashed across the ship's bow. VIPs will be on board the superliner, but the public is invited along to Auckland's waterfront that evening to enjoy festivities and fireworks.

To go in the draw to join the VIPs, simply email your name, address and contact phone number to vipviva@nzherald.co.nz with "Pacific Pearl" in the subject line. Entries close 3pm, Friday December 17.

Winners will be notified by phone. Conditions apply and winners will need to provide identification details including a driver's licence or passport number and date of birth.