Often on a group press trip, civilians will address our team with, What is your favorite place to travel? It is a question that I would ask. Many fellow journalists would enthusiastically reply, New Zealand! Then followed by descriptions of its diversity: sweeping mountains and breathtaking fjords, temperate rainforests and golden-sand beaches, gigantic glaciers and boiling hot springs and unique Māori culture all packed into an accessible 103,798 square miles. And that is why this small island nation of 4.84 million people is on my Bucket List.  Plus, I’d like to shake hands with PM Jacinda Ardern.

But as the C-19 virus remains clear and present danger, I have little choice but to wait and wait and wait for my voyage to New Zealand to commence.

So, to temporarily satisfy my NZ fix, I traversed a few cooking books, recipes online, and a few friends’ words of remembrance, and transitioned them into my own, well, rather ‘unique’ hand. Certain vestiges of traditional Kiwiana dishes (another phrase for “uniquely New Zealand food”) remain popular throughout the country, such as fish and chips, meat pies, custard squares, pavlova, and others.

ANZAC Biscuits

These egg-free, oaty biscuits keep for extended periods and are still a sentimental Kiwi staple. They were created during the rationing of World War I to ship to soldiers serving far from home. Perhaps the most important public holiday in New Zealand — Australia  and many surrounding islands also commemorate it — April 25th is ANZAC Day, honoring the bravery and sacrifice of the proud members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC).

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup dried coconut
• 4 oz. butter
• 2 Tablespoons Lyles Golden Syrup
• 2 Tablespoons boiling water
• 1 slightly rounded teaspoon baking soda

INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine oats, coconut, flour & sugar with whisk. Add melted butter and syrup. Stir soda into boiling water and add to oat mixture. Place one and a quarter inch balls of dough spaced 2 inches apart onto silicone-lined baking tray and bake at 325 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Carefully transfer to wire rack. Cool completely and store in airtight container.

Lamb Shanks with Garnish

INGREDIENTS

Lamb:

• 6 (six) 1-to 1 1/4-pound New Zealand lamb shanks
• flour for dredging
• Extra-virgin olive oil, about 2 Tablespoons
• 3 cups finely chopped onion
• 2 cups finely chopped carrots
• 1 heaping cup finely chopped celery
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 rounded tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 cups chicken broth (preferably low sodium)
• 1 1/2 cups dry New Zealand white wine
• 2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves

Garnish:

• 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 small garlic clove, pressed
• 1 green onion (green part only) minced

Potatoes and Carrots:

• 1 1/2 pounds whole baby potatoes (approx. 1 1/2 inch diameter)
• 8 ounces slender baby carrots, trimmed & peeled
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Minced parsley for garnish

PREPARATION

Lamb Shanks:
Salt and pepper lamb shanks, lightly dredge with flour and add lamb to hot oil in large pot and cook on medium high heat until browned on all sides, turning often. Remove lamb and add onions, carrots, and celery to same pot, saute until soft. Stir in garlic and tomato paste. Once incorporated, add broth, wine, parsley, thyme, bay leaves and browned lamb. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until lamb is very tender and begins to fall off bones, about 3 hours.

Discard bay leaves. Skim off fat and puree pan juices until almost smooth. Correct seasoning to taste.

Potatoes and Carrots:
Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Cook potatoes until tender, approximately 15 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon. Next cook carrots in same pot until tender, about 5 minutes, and remove. Cover and hold cooked vegetables at room temperature. When lamb is ready to serve, combine vegetables in large saucepan with butter and minced parsley and saute with salt and pepper until hot.

Mint Garnish:
Mix all ingredients in small bowl. (Can be made an hour ahead and chilled.)

To Serve:

Transfer lamb and pan juices to large deep platter surrounded by potatoes and carrots. Sprinkle garnish over lamb and serve.

Simply Delicious Kiwi Lime Sorbet

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/3 cup Lyles Golden syrup
• 4 ripe kiwifruits, peeled and quartered
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime zest

PREPARATION:

Place water, sugar, and Lyles syrup in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, until all sugar granules are gone and the liquid is clear. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Process the kiwi and lime juice in a food processor until pureed. Pour into a bowl and stir in syrup and lime zest.

Transfer to ice cream maker or if one is not available, into a shallow metal (non-aluminum) pan, cover and freeze along with an empty bowl and your electric mixer beater attachments. After about an hour, scoop out the sorbet into the chilled bowl and whip with the chilled beaters until light and fluffy. Then place the bowl, covered, back in the freezer for another 2 hours or until firm enough to scoop and serve.

Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Berries

Pavlova is unquestionably the most popular (and S-W-E-E-T-E-S-T !!!) dessert in New Zealand, appearing on almost every dessert menu in every restaurant regardless of its ethnicity. I actually like this version because it’s paired with some tart counterparts — lemon curd and fresh fruit.

INGREDIENTS

Meringue:

• 1 cup superfine granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 large egg whites at room temperature
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

Lemon Curd:

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 Tablespoon lemon zest

Topping:

• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups mixed berries

PREPARATION

Meringue:
Preheat oven to 300F with shelf in center position. Trace a 7-inch diameter circle on a sheet of parchment paper and place upside down on a baking sheet.

Whisk together superfine sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Beat whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Add water and beat again until whites hold soft peaks. Beat in sugar mixture very gradually (1 tblsp. at a time) on medium high speed and then continue to beat a minute or two once all mixed in. Add vinegar and vanilla and beat at high speed until meringue is glossy and stiff, at least 5 minutes.

Gently turn mixture out onto parchment, shape into 7 inch circle. Make edges slightly higher than center. Bake until an outer crust forms and meringue is pale golden, about 45 minutes. Inside will be soft. Turn oven off and prop door open slightly. Cool meringue in oven 1 hour.

Lemon curd:
While the meringue bakes, start the lemon curd by lightly beating yolks in a small bowl, set aside. In a heavy saucepan, stir together sugar, cornstarch and salt, then add lemon juice and butter. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Next whisk about 1/4 cup of the hot lemon mixture quickly into the small bowl of egg yolks, then whisk the entire egg mixture into contents of saucepan, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Reduce to lowest possible heat and cook, whisking constantly, until curd is thickened, about 2 minutes. Do not allow mixture to boil. Transfer to a non-metallic bowl and stir in zest. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Assembly:
Beat heavy cream until stiff, add vanilla. Fold 1/4 cup of whipped cream into curd and gently incorporate. Spoon lemon curd onto cooled meringue and mound unsweetened berries on top. Serve remaining whipped cream on the side.

And How Could I Not Mention: Hangi

A traditional Māori hangi is a culinary experience that’s often prepared for large gatherings. Cooked in a deep underground hole with red-hot stones as its fuel, a hangi feast typically includes kumara (a sweet potato Māori had brought from Polynesia), pumpkin, chicken, pork, lamb, and seafood. The hangi’s smoky flavour (sorry, flavor) is an essential New Zealand culinary experience, and apparently a number of Māori tourist destinations, such as Te Puia and Mitai, offer a hangi meal for groups of visitors.

Lolly Cake

According to my friend, Ginny Boggs, every New Zealander has a lolly cake or lolly log on their birthday. It’s a traditional New Zealand sweet cake or confectionery which consists of lollies or fruit puffs (similar to soft, chewy marshmallows) that are added to a base mixture of malt biscuits with melted butter and condensed milk. The log is then rolled in coconut or powdered sugar and refrigerated. Ginny added that as a traditional dessert, lolly cake recipes are often altered and passed down through generations. They’re similar to fifteens, a type of tray bake confection, that’s popular in Northern Ireland. Yes, she’s been there, too.

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Hamana Kalili was there to greet me, his right hand extended in the gentle shaka wave of welcome. His statue stands at the entrance of the Polynesian Cultural Center on the North Shore of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. A descendant of Hawaiian ali’i (chiefs), Kalili (1882-1958) lost the middle, index and ring fingers of his right hand in an accident at a sugar mill. Reassigned to oversee train safety, he would wave his right hand with the middle three fingers missing, indicating to the train conductor that all is clear and the train is ready to go. For this, Kalili is considered the originator of the iconic shaka. Hawaiian children and surfers would emulate the shaka, and soon the whole world seemed to be doing it. His statue was not there on my last visit to the PCC, and I was excited to see more of the other enthralling changes at the Center.

Back Story — Polynesia and the Polynesian Cultural Center

Polynesia (many islands) covers a triangular-shaped geographical area of the Pacific Ocean, known as the Polynesian Triangle, which consists of Aotearoa (New Zealand), Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and Hawaii, with the islands of the Marquesas, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga and Fiji in between. All of the island cultures share similar traditions, arts and religion. In the mid-1800s, the village of Laie on the North Shore of Oahu became a place of refuge for villagers who had broken the laws of the king of Hawaii. The lifeblood of the community was the Hukilau, a form of net fishing invented by the ancient Hawaiians. This evolved into a festival, open to everyone. In 1865, the Church of Latter Day Saints purchased the land, making it a “gathering place” for all. As settlers from other Polynesian islands arrived, a church and relief society was created, where inhabitants grew food and made handicrafts. In 1963 the Church of LDS and the adjacent Brigham Young University-Hawaii established the 42-acre Polynesian Cultural Center to keep alive the rich history and traditions of the indigenous island cultures of Polynesia. The Center also helps defray educational expenses by providing work experience for BYU-Hawaii students who are employed as tour guides and docents.

What’s New at the Polynesian Cultural Center

After I returned Kalili’s shaka wave, I decided to wander around the entrance’s new 119,000-square-foot Hukilau Marketplace that features restaurants, food tucks, bakeries, and venues that offer Polynesian arts and crafts – many of which almost doubling as mini museums. Sticking to the theme of a “gathering place,” I was impressed that it was not at all touristic, and that prices are kept low so that it can be enjoyed by locals as well.

I soon passed though the entrance gate which depicts a carved presentation of Kupe, who Maori oral history christened the name Aotearoa, or what Europeans later renamed New Zealand. A few yards further there was another statue; this one a life-size bronze statue of Laie’s Joseph Kekuku, inventor of the Hawaiian steel guitar. His mission was to share the steel guitar’s distinctive sound around globe. As history goes, once while practicing on the mainland, a nail fell onto his electric guitar and the sound was born.

First stop was the Samoan Village whose activity consisted of our group participating in making lunch for the day. The most popular event at the Center, we learned how to create fire by rubbing two sticks together, peeling unripe bananas, and wrapping taro roots and kalua pig (soaked in coconut milk) in leaves. We then made our own plates by braiding coconut leaves together. The Samoans refer to the coconut tree as the tree of life. The food items are placed on top of hot rocks (they do not bury the ingredients as in the imu-style) then cover them with coconut leaves. It was great fun, but it was painfully obvious that I would never make it as a cast member on Survivor. After we returned from touring another village our lunch was ready.

The drums were pounding at the Aotearoa Village and so was my heart. Two tattooed Maori warriors worked in unison as they commenced in the pulsating beat of the Haka war dance. The tattooed men were powerful; not tall, but compactly built and intimidating. If I were a NFL quarterback I would want them on my offensive line. Members of the crowd were asked to join them on the stage. Later we learned the symbolism of their intricately carved meeting house and unique facial tattoos. We soon tested our dexterity by twirling balls and playing tititorea, a Maori stick game designed to develop hand-eye coordination.

Our schedule was tight, but somehow I manage to get a quick overview of other villages that included the islands of Tahiti, Tonga, Hawaii, and Fiji (though technically part of Melanesia, Fiji is included due to a strong Polynesian influence).

A must-see event is the Rainbows of Paradise canoe pageant, where traditionally clad Polynesians float down the Center’s tropical lagoon atop double-hulled canoes, showcasing traditional dances and music. Later our group paddled around the lagoon in our own native-style outrigger canoes.

Our evening was spent enjoying the Center’s arena-size luau. Despite its massive scope, the food was fresh and delectable, and featured Kalua Pig (cooked whole in an ‘imU’ underground oven), Mahi Mahi, Lomi Lomi Salmon (cold diced salmon, tomatoes and onion), sweet potatoes, Poke (generally fresh cubes of ahi/tuna), Taro Dinner Rolls, Hapuia (a coconut flavored desert) and, of course, Poi (a thick, purple-colored paste made by pounding taro roots, now used more to absorb the saltiness in some dishes as opposed to a staple).

The luau was followed by Oahu’s largest evening show spectacle — Ha: Breath of Life — which covers the entire circle of life of a Polynesian family.

Once again I was reminded why the Polynesian Cultural Center is the number-one paid attraction in Oahu. It’s a family-friendly venue, with an opportunity to teach children (and adults) about geography, culture, ethnic diversity and tolerance. My heart began to pound again as I thought about my next trip to the PCC; where I’ll have an opportunity to enjoy more time to experience the other remarkable, culturally vibrant transitions at the villages.

Where to Stay

For many, the iconic Turtle Bay Hotel is the North Shore of Oahu. Nestled on 880 ocean-front acres, the 5 star, full-service luxury property offers spacious rooms with views, balconies and beaches on both sides. Guests enjoy kayaking amongst sea turtles, keiki water adventures (surfing, canoe surfing, etc), snorkeling, hiking trails as well as large kid friendly pool area.

The post A Return to Paradise: Oahu’s Polynesian Cultural Center Revisited appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Give or take a few, there are 7.1 sheep for every man, woman and child in New Zealand. Or, to put an actual number on it, approximately 30 million of these mostly white colored animals. Does that mean that sheep overwhelm the country? Certainly not, but it does mean you’ll see a lot of them wherever you go there. My first exposure came when we saw field after field full of them, when my wife and I drove to a place that, when we first heard it, sounded like ROTO ROOTER, but is in fact the town of Rotorua.

The history of New Zealand dates back approximately 700 years to when it was discovered and settled by Polynesians, who developed a distinct Māori culture. As we quickly found out, you’ll find a lot of weird and wonderful Maori and Polynesian names throughout this gorgeous country.

…And so it was, that on our way to Rotorua, we stopped to experience the magic of the WAITOMO CAVES. The best way to do this, is by taking a boat tour where you’ll discover an ancient, mystical world 300 million years in the making. Brigitte, my wife and I, were mesmerized by this extraordinary attraction, and it made us both feel as if we’d been transported into a magical world created by Mother Nature’s light display in these caves. The highlight is the starry wonderland of the Glowworm Grotto, where thousands of tiny creatures radiate their unmistakable luminescent light in a subterranean world.

Do you research a destination BEFORE you go visit? I do, but not as much as I’d like to, because I love “natural surprises.” Well, as we approached Rotorua, our nostrils were besieged by the most appalling bad eggs aroma you can imagine. Awful does not even come close to describing it.

Fear not, good traveling friends, as this smell comes from a region that is rich with geothermal sulphur activity, that produces bewitching throbbing geysers and bubbling mud pools that dot the landscape. And yes, when you see, up close and VERY personal, these effervescing and gurgling mud pools they are, if nothing else, a photographer’s delight.

The longer we stayed in this most scenically beautiful country, the more intrigued we became with the Maori culture, and our visit to the Maori Cultural Center in Rotorua, gave us a marvelous insight into the Maoris, their background and proud Heritage.

We were riveted by an awe-inspiring display of local customs, particularly the Maori Greeting. Called a hongi it’s a traditional Māori greeting and is done by pressing one’s nose and forehead (at the same time) to another person at an encounter. … In Māori legend, woman was created by the gods moulding her shape out of the earth. The god Tāne (meaning male) embraced the figure and breathed into her nostrils.

Working, as we both did for Continental Airlines (my wife as a flight  attendant and I was manager of publicity) we both sought out romantic getaways in our worldwide travels, and we knew we wanted to also go to the South Island and take the SS Earnslaw classic, red funnel Swiss look alike steamer cruise in Queenstown. Even though we could have flown there, we decided – and thank goodness we did – to take the Interisland ferry from Wellington in the North Island, to Picton in the South Island.

This classic ferry is the longest running Cook Strait ferry service in NZ, and has become known as one of the most beautiful ferry journeys in the world. Indeed, New Zealanders will proudly tell you it is one of New Zealand’s most iconic tourism experiences – we found it to be all that and more, as well as being romantic. Journey time is a relaxing 3 hours, but if the weather is “not very good,” it could take additional 2 hours.

Visitors to New Zealand, even so called “jaded travelers who’ve been there and done that,” must be impressed not only by the stunning beauty of the country, and its phenomenal diversity, but also the equally amazing stunning array of things to see and do. An outstanding example of that, is Queenstown.

It’s really NZ’s answer to Switzerland. There are two “things” you must do here. One is to take Shotover Jet boat trip – this is where you get in a luxury speed boat and zoom and roar along the Shotover River – but what makes this so special, is that you do it on a river that’s only a foot or two (or less!) in depth, as your Shotover jet boat roars and soars into the sides of the river banks at top notch speed. Very scary, but tons of fun.

Then too, you must take the classic SS Earnslaw steamer on the Lake and visit the Walter Peak sheep farm – they have trips there that include lunch and a fascinating sheep dog show. We took the evening tour which included dinner. The SS Earnslaw trip is unique.

Your trip to New Zealand is a marvelously memorable experience you’ll tell your friends about forever. We hope we’ve intrigued you enough to book a trip to this glorious country, but there are far more places we’d love to tell you about – perhaps another time. Contact John:

jd******@gm***.com

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