There are two words guaranteed to send our hearts a-fluttering and our mouths watering: Toasted. Sandwich. Moreish, comforting and often a tad gluttonous, the hot snack is beloved by many, and lucky for all of us a country-wide event revolving around the savoury delicacy is back.
Now in its fourth year, The Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover presented by Cook & Nelson and McClure’s Pickles, sees eateries from Auckland to Dunedin put their own unique spin on the humble favourite in a bid to be crowned the ultimate toastie champion.
The criteria is simple: Every toastie that takes part in the takeover must feature pickles from the McClure’s range, two slices of bread, cheese (obviously), and be able to be eaten by hand. The rest of the ingredients are up to each individual eatery — which is where creativity comes to play.
From Daily Bread’s pork and pickled puhatoastie with fire-roasted ham hock, kale cooked in pork stock, cheddar, horseradish and McClure’s pickles béchamel to Wise Boy’s totally vegan sloppy joe toastie with jackfruit mince, mushroom and lentils topped with gooey mozzarella, McClure’s pickles and jalapenos — there is a combination that speaks to your toastie tastes. Find the full list of tempting creations here, available on the menu at each participating eatery.
Starting on Thursday, 13th May, a total of 125 entries will be judged by a panel of experts, who have the tough job of choosing a top 12, before crowning a supreme winner on Friday, 30th July.
You also get to have your say. The new People’s Choice Award allows the public to vote for their favourite toastie. Simply by remembering to snap a pic of your toastie before you devour it (a tough ask, we know) and tagging it on Facebook and Instagram with @cookandnelson and #toastietakeover, your picture will count as one entry for the participating eatery’s creation.
Andrew Maben has been the proprietor of popular Herne Bay bookstore, Novel, for 30 years. In that time, he has come to stock some of the most sought-after publishers and coveted coffee table books in the world — often exclusively. So who better to turn to when a coffee table makeover is on the cards? According to Andrew, “a book must look good, of course, but the content has to match the cover… the best ones are like works of art.” Here, Andrew rounds up some of his favourite coffee table books, from weighty travel tomes to limited-edition collectibles.
A very special edition... “Books in Assouline’s The Impossible Collection are hand-crafted and meticulously put together. This one about whiskey, for instance, comes in a wooden case, is sold with white gloves and most of its images have been individually inserted. It retails for about $2,000. It truly is one of the most spectacular books that Assouline publishes and lucky for me, I’m the only distributor of Assouline in New Zealand.”
An ode to the Big Apple… “I ordered about five of these books before Christmas last year and they all sold out within a week. New York books always do well but this one goes into detail about the history of the iconic city with fascinating archival images and big beautiful photos that almost transport you there. Since selling out I’ve had so many enquiries about this book, so I’ve had to order more in.”
A travel substitute… “I had one customer buy about $6,000 worth of these books at once, as well as an interior designer who came in and bought piles of them for seven of her clients. They are definitely best sellers, I think because people love the covers but then the content is really beautiful as well. At the moment, travel books are so important. I recently had a customer call me to say that these books were saving her, because when she felt sad about not being able to travel, she would just open one and feel nostalgic and hopeful about getting overseas again.”
A bible of design… “This Lisa Perry book is another Assouline one that I love. How great is that cover? It’s just a really cool exploration of design through the eyes of a woman who is known for her eccentric pops of colour and creative flair. I think people find this one inspiring, especially if they love design.”
A book of beauty… “One of the most beautiful fashion books I think I have ever stocked is this Zuhair Murad. It just blows me away. The attention to detail in every photo is exquisite, I love the careful way each garment is made and how the reader is able to see every pattern and every bead up close.”
A portrait of an icon… “This is my favourite book in the whole shop. I’ve sold close to 600 copies of it in different editions, and when the photographer died last year, Taschen did a special edition to commemorate his life. Peter Beard was regarded as the best-looking man in his day, and he had such an interesting life, all the stars used to go and stay with him. I’ve had this book (in various versions) in my store for 15 years and I’ve never grown tired of it.”
While it’s true that leather is timeless, it’s also true that compared to other fabrics, it has been subject to a huge number of reinventions — always morphing at the behest of designers who recognise its potential. Now, leather is being given a somewhat softer treatment, fashioned into elegant silhouettes and form-fitting shapes that stand at odds with the textile’s tough-guy history.
From dresses that cinch cleverly at the waist to pieces that proffer the material in lighter tones and weights, the leather of the season is distinctly ladylike, and we’re all for it. Here are the pieces, both traditional and faux leather, to add to your wardrobe now.
As the days and nights cool, we’ve noticed the onset of winter resulting in skin that is more irritated than usual. When it’s cold and windy outdoors, and the moisture in the air evaporates, this is often mirrored by that hard-earned dewiness in our skin saying its swift goodbyes. Heated air conditioning in offices and homes only exacerbates this effect, as do hotter baths and showers that strip the skin’s natural oils — quite apart from all the handwashing we’re doing these days.
It’s important to give the same amount of attention to the areas below the neck, and luckily, there are a host of excellent and highly efficacious products that will help nourish any dry patches. In fact, it seems the body-care category is expanding rapidly. Mecca Skincare Education Lead, Lucy Connell, says the beauty retailer’s body category is booming, and it’s all down to customers becoming more informed about skincare — plus, seeing fantastic results on their face that they want to extend to the rest of the body. “There are now effective, trusted body products in the market that use similar technologies and active ingredients that we would typically find in our skincare,” she says.
Body care products with active ingredients like chemical exfoliant AHA’s are becoming increasingly common and popular, says Connell. “The Sol de Janeiro Bom Dia Bright Cream is a great example, as these ingredients can target a lot of different body concerns such as sun damage, dullness and keratosis pilaris or KP, which are bumps that are typically found on the upper arms.”
You’ll get the best results this winter by keeping up with regular exfoliation and moisturising, whether you prefer a cream or an oil. Here, we share some of the best products to consider.
Body exfoliators
Clockwise from left: Ren Rose Body Scrub from Mecca; Ouai Scalp & Body Scrub; Sothys Scrub; Fur Silk Scrub from Spring Store.
Ren Moroccan Rose Otto Sugar Body Polishfrom Mecca This scrub is raved about for its luxurious scent and consistency, containing sugar to buff away dead skin and rose essential oil (plus a host of other oils) to leave the skin feeling smooth yet not dry.
Ouai Scalp & Body Scrub from Sephora Use this deep-cleansing, foaming scrub on both a flaky winter scalp and dry, rough skin. Gentle sugar crystals will do the work, and this product also contains probiotics to help keep the skin balanced.
Fur Silk Scrub from Spring Store A dual-purpose product, Fur’s silk scrub is both a chemical and physical exfoliator, containing jojoba beads, papaya enzymes, glycolic and lactic acids, and clary sage oil. It can be used in the traditional way while in the shower, or left on the skin for up to 10-minutes for an extra dose of exfoliation.
Cinnamon & Ginger Escape Delicious Scrub from Sothys It’s all in the name — this scrub smells delicious. Infused with the warmth of cinnamon and ginger, it will stimulate the circulation and invigorate the senses while exfoliating the skin.
Body Oils
Dr. Hauschka Moor Lavender Calming Body Oil from Smith and Caughey’s Famed for a holistic approach that prioritises natural ingredients, Dr. Hauschka’s products are more than skin deep. This oil contains lavender to not only soothe the skin but the soul too.
Breathless oil from Aesop Nourishing vitamin E forms the base of this medium-weight body oil, along with nut oils, blood orange and jojoba seed. Its aroma is woody with light citrus, leaving the skin both supple and deliciously scented.
Leonor Greyl Huile Secret de Beautefrom Ines Store It’s a cult favourite for a reason — this golden elixir can be used on both the hair and body, and can be wielded in a host of different ways. It’s an all-over body hydrator, UVA/B protection for hair, cuticle oil — and much more.
Augustinus Bader The Body Oilfrom Spring Store The renowned skincare brand’s signature ingredient, TFC8®, is the key component of The Body Oil along with plant-based actives. For deep hydration, a dose of antioxidants and improved elasticity and plumpness, look no further than this luxurious oil.
Body Creams
Barrier Restore Body + Hand Butterfrom Sans Ceuticals Five percent niacinamide, Mānuka honey, kawakawa extract and oat extract join forces in this active yet soothing emulsion that is designed to support the skin’s barrier function while moisturising it.
Sol de Janeiro Bom Dia Bright Creamfrom Mecca This clever new cream will help get rid of more hard-to-budge surface bumps at the same time as addressing dryness. Packed with fruit AHAs and Vitamin C, it’s ideal for both areas that have bumpy rough spots like the arms, thighs and behind, and also areas prone to ingrown hair.
Moisturising Body Butterfrom Ecostore A rich, plant and mineral-based formula harnesses the power of olive oil and shea butter to leave non-greasy yet heavenly soft skin and has a delicate rose and cardamom fragrance.
Pro-Youth Body Serumfrom Sothys Encouraging use over the entire body, including decolletage and arms, Sothys have created a lifting serum that promises to visibly redensify the skin and leave it looking both smoother and firmer.
Occupying a humble spot not too far down Dominion Road, Paasha Turkish Kitchen is our go-to for truly delicious Turkish takeaway that doesn’t scrimp on quality.
Head chef and owner Zeki Bay, along with his wife Tracy Bay, founded Paasha in 1996 in Dunedin, before moving up to Auckland and bringing Paasha to the big smoke in 2006. Since then, they have opened and sold several more Paashas — Christchurch and Hamilton, Pukekohe and Glenfield all have outposts, now with new owners — and today Zeki and Tracy are solely in charge of Paasha’s Dominion Rd location.
Left: Baklava and Turkish Delight. Right: Paasha’s generously-stuffed pita pockets.
At the start of 2020, the couple had been planning to retire to Turkey (where Zeki is originally from). They had sold up, and packed their bags — then Covid hit. Realising their retirement dreams weren’t going to go to plan, the two of them stayed put and opened Paasha Turkish Kitchen’s Mt Eden branch in September 2020. Unlike their previous venues, which were larger restaurants with bars and a takeaway component, this iteration is mainly geared towards takeaways — and they like it better that way, says Tracy.
While Paasha deals in the Turkish flavours we all know and love — wraps, hummus, pita pockets, shish kebabs and meals on rice — the difference can be found in the impeccable freshness of their ingredients and the use of the open fire (or ocakbasi as it’s called in Turkish). Zeki is incredibly skilled at cooking, especially over these hot coals, which impart a delicious flavour to every order of shish. At Paasha Mt Eden, all the sauces are handmade on-site, and all the ingredients are imported from Turkey, down to the lemon juice, olive oil and tomato paste.
Those after a vegetarian feast will love Zeki’s zucchini and feta fritters, or the signature falafel — both gluten-free, and able to be served either on rice or in a pita pocket with salad and hummus, or as a side.
While it’s Tracy I speak to as Zeki busily prepares various orders that are made during our visit, she says that her husband is truly the master behind Paasha’s popularity. “Food is his absolute passion and forté,” she says. It’s possible to taste this with every bite of Paasha’s delicious menu.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 11AM — 10PM Monday: Closed
Universally loved for its ageless designs, storied history and the cultural cache it carries, Rolex is a brand that is known by even those who claim to be complete watch novices. And over time, this brand has cultivated a reputation for being one of the safest, most sought-after high-end fashion investments you can make.
If you already own a Rolex, or keep a few watches on rotation and are thinking of purchasing another, we would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to step out of your classically simple comfort zone and embrace something a little more bold. Among its many styles, Rolex creates a variety of timepieces with eye-catching pops of colour — casting aside any notion that a watch should be rendered in neutral, versatile tones only. From the turquoise Day-Date 36 to the blush-faced Lady-Datejust, a colourful Rolex will inject a bit of fun into your accessory wardrobe and is integral to any well-curated collection. Here’s why:
Left to right: Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36, Rolex Oyster Perpetual Lady-Datejust, Rolex Oyster Perpetual Lady-Datejust
It will set you apart If you’re putting the time and money into securing a Rolex for yourself, there’s a degree of exclusivity you’re entitled to expect. After all, you don’t want to show up somewhere, proudly sporting your new timepiece, only to discover that someone across the room is wearing the same one. (How embarrassing, am I right?) Mitigate the chances of this by choosing something less expected, like the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36, with its block-colour dial rendered in tones like bright yellow, coral red or turquoise, or else, go for something like Rolex’s Everose gold, Osyter Perpetual Lady-Datejust, complete with Aubergine dial and diamond-set bezel. The bolder the better, we say.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36
It will speak to your personality Consider yourself a bit of a character? Like to wear a few different hats? If you relish in the chance to be a little eccentric, might we suggest a style like the diamond-paved, Rolex Day-Date 36 with a dial that features 10, baguette-cut, rainbow-coloured sapphires — meaning you never have to commit to one single tone. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you’re something of a purist and tend to shy away from risk, a style like Rolex’s Cellini Date watch with its simple, dark blue dial and sleek leather strap, or the Rolex Datejust 31 with its olive green, diamond-set dial, will inject just enough colour to complement rather than outshine your personality.
Left to right: Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36, Rolex Cellini Date, Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31
It will imbue confidence In the same way that wearing a stand-out outfit can give you a certain je ne sais quoi when entering a room, so too can an attention-grabbing watch. Particularly on days when you’re not feeling naturally confident, a watch like Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona with its bright green dial and 18ct yellow gold bezel will give you magnetic presence. That said, a similar effect can be garnered from the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona in Everose gold with a chocolate-brown and black dial — albeit in a far more subtle way.
Friends Damo Watson and Bryce Steel had spent a number of years working in the tourism industry both here and overseas until Covid-19 caused them to lose their jobs. But instead of dwelling on the downsides, the duo decided to take all they had learned from their time working in places like Italy and Austria, and direct it into a bold, new venture.
“We still wanted to do something that allowed us to connect with people and give them fun, memorable experiences,” Watson explains, “and we also had this huge passion for baking and coffee thanks to our time in Europe, so we just combined the two ideas and Double Shot was born!”
Left: Lemon meringue donuts.
Double Shot is the new food truck that Watson and Steel launched a couple of months ago, specialising in perfectly-brewed coffee and mouthwatering sweet treats. Having both realised their passions for baking overseas, the duo had been experimenting with recipes long before anything official was on the cards. “We would do ‘cheat day’ bakes,” Watson says, outlining how it was during these days dedicated to decadence that the foundations for Double Shot were laid. “Now,” he continues, “everything we sell at the food truck we make ourselves and we love trialing new techniques and flavours.”
Indeed, Double Shot’s line-up of cabinet food is a seriously sweet affair, where doughnuts and stuffed cookies sit alongside oozing cakes and tasty slices. (Think Oreo and banoffee pie doughnuts, smores cookies filled with Nutella, chocolate chip biscuits with salted caramel and walnut, brioche doughnuts filled with jam and cream and much, much more.)
Double Shot’s hot chocolate lava brownie cookie.
Of course, there really is no better way to enjoy indulgent treats like these than with a delicious cup of coffee, which is something the duo recognises and one of the reasons why ‘coffee and pud’ appears to be their unofficial tagline. “We take a huge amount of pride in making great coffee,” Watson tells me, “which is why we chose to work with Supreme and buy our own La Marzocco machine.” (The machine is hot pink, by the way.)
Ultimately, Double Shot is all about delivering an experience that is fun and delicious. From its highly saturated, blue and pink colour scheme to its no-holds-barred food, it certainly isn’t taking itself too seriously, which (in our books) makes it all the more appealing. Currently based in Muriwai, Watson and Steel tell me that the Double Shot truck can be found there a few days a week, and will venture to various pop-ups and food festivals when the occasion arises. They have also already been approached to do a number of weddings, often alongside another food truck — Double Parked — owned by Steel’s older brothers.
As for the future, Watson and Steel explain that while they’re loving the food truck experience, they’re always open to taking Double Shot further. “We have recently begun supplying our food to some of the local businesses out West,” they tell me, “and the idea of creating our own space in the future is super appealing. We have heaps of crazy ideas floating around in our head, some of which feel too big for a food truck.” For now, we will continue to follow Double Shot’s hunger-inducing Instagram with interest, and hopefully, see a lot more of this distinct truck around Auckland.
“What’s great about Kiwis, is that we are nomads by nature.” While chef James Kenny is talking about the general population, it’s tempting to surmise he’s referring to himself personally, given the global path his cooking journey has taken him on.
Boasting an impressive array of experience at both local eateries and internationally renowned restaurants, Kenny heads up the food and beverage offering at Alberts, Auckland’s aspirational workspaces and private tenants’ club.
With the flagship restaurant launching imminently in Albert Street’s West Plaza and other restaurants planned to open later this year, the aim is to draw on globally-inspired styles while remaining heavily influenced by both New Zealand’s seasonal availability and the creativity of the team.
Originally from Papatoetoe, Kenny’s career has spanned training in Paris, chef roles in Greece, London and Denmark. Back in New Zealand, Kenny was executive chef at Cornwall Park Bistro and helped establish and run Auckland’s Gerome restaurant in Parnell — inspired by his experiences working on the Greek island of Zakynthos.
“My cooking philosophy has, and always will be, to keep it simple,” explains Kenny. “To cook with care and finesse, and to have respect and understanding for the ingredients I am using.”
Kenny heads up the food and beverage offering at Alberts, with other restaurants planned to open later this year.
In April of 2020, forever searching to hone his craft, Kenny travelled to Denmark to learn about modern Scandanavian culinary techniques, including fermentation and preservation. Working as an intern at Rene Redzepi’s globally renowned Noma restaurant and a chef de partie at celebrated organic eatery The Pescatarian, he was exposed to an abundance of new methods.
“Denmark was an eye-opening experience,” says Kenny. “Nothing was wasted — broccoli stems, sliced and pickled for the summer months ahead; rosehips made into preserved jellies; seaweed made into kombucha. Anything that wasn’t usable was mulched in-house and used for the vege patches. True sustainability.”
Speaking on our food scene here at home, Kenny loves the global outlook of many Kiwis. “Travelling to all corners of the globe, honing our skills to return home to share with others… This is reflected by our food scene. International cuisine of a high calibre on every corner. It’s really inspiring as a chef.”
The most underrated ingredient in Kenny’s opinion? “Lemon. As important a seasoning as salt, in my opinion. Adding the element of acidity lifts a dish to a new level.” And as for overrated… “It’s got to be chocolate.”
When he’s not on the clock creating delicious plates for diners to enjoy, Kenny says he’s “a sucker for the Yum Cha at Grand Harbour. Always heaving, a buzzing atmosphere, and you can eat ’til you drop. Anywhere that has crispy duck on a trolley has to be good.”
All in all, the chef is moving forward with eyes cast firmly on the horizon. “I’m excited, perhaps a little apprehensive, but mostly excited to see what becomes of this new world we are entering,” he shares. “What we eat and how we eat it. How the dining scene changes to accommodate this, and where I can make my mark.”
At a time when people around the world are desperately seeking escape, a new breed of visual architects are calling our attention to a fascinating subculture brewing in the bosom of design — render art.
Seeing digital design become an artform in and of itself, the proliferation of new-wave renders has given designers an avenue of creative expression unbridled by the usual constraints of budgets or clients. The resulting images present as a collection of utopian fever dreams, where technicolour landscapes and dreamy interiors meet impossible architecture, often so meticulously realised that unless you look at it for long enough, it appears very real.
Villa Saraceni by Charlotte Taylor in collaboration with Riccardo Fornoni of Cream Atelier.
Stavanger House by Alex Nerovnya.
Sauvage by Nelson de Araújo Design.
Proponents of this niche discipline — really a hybrid of art and design — universally credit the current global circumstances for its increasing popularity. The digital architecture movement is all about creating fictional, evocative spaces that, particularly now, fulfil our desire for a change of scenery or to experience something foreign. It is a movement that requires its audience, as much as its artists, to open their imaginations to the wider realms of possibility, and in turn, is designed to encourage creativity in the onlooker as well. Of course, the visually stimulating nature of this trend means that Instagram has proven a fertile breeding ground, which also helps.
Dreamscapes & Artificial Architecture by Charlotte Taylor.
Imagined Architectural Space by Alexis Christodoulou.
Imagined Architectural Space by Alexis Christodoulou.
Notable practitioners include Charlotte Taylor, a designer and creative director whose work fuses fantasy with reality in such a deceptively subtle way that it twists your perspective entirely; Alexis Christodoulou, whose passion for digital design began with childhood video games and whose sophisticated, surrealist aesthetic has won him a legion of fans; and Paul Milinski, another creative director who creates whimsical, tonal worlds that make you wonder whether he is actually depicting a conceivable future.
Their work, among that of many, many others is coming to the rescue for those of us who want something lighter to dream about — and for that we are thankful.
Grey Lynn just got that much sweeter thanks to the newly-opened Doe Donuts store, brightening up the neighbourhood in all its bright fuchsia glory.
Founded by Grace Tauber and Shenine Dube, and previously only sold online and at pop-up markets, these sought-after sweet treats were born after the long-time friends lived overseas and craved a taste of home — specifically, of Cook Island doughnuts.
They began experimenting in their home kitchen, tweaking the recipe to make it slightly lighter and adding various fillings. Upon returning home in 2016 the duo founded Doe Donuts and, since then, have grown an enthusiastic following for their irresistible flavours and high quality approach.
All Doe Donuts are handmade every day by Tauber and Dube themselves, using premium ingredients with no unnecessary additives or emulsifiers. Drop into the new store and you’ll find delicious and decadent flavours like Black Forest, Peanut Butter Brownie, Crème Brûlée and more. Allpress coffee is on hand to wash down each bite, and the walls feature a cool wall decal by local graphic artist Haser.
While Doe Donuts is still an e-commerce business, one from which you can pre-order online for pick-up or delivery, the new retail venture gives us all the opportunity to satiate a doughnut craving immediately (and is great for those who like to decide with their eyes on the prize).
From what we’ve seen on their social media, the founders’ creations are selling like… well, doughnuts, so we suggest if you are keen to get your hands on one, you get in early.
Opening hours: Wednesday to Friday: 7:30AM — Sold out Saturday: 8:30AM — Sold out Closed Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday
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