2018 highlights reel

2018 has been an epic year for me. A lot has happened and, while there were some rough patches, it's the first year in many that I can say has been a good one. As we prepare to move into a new year, I've been thinking about what was great in 2018, what I still need to work on and what 2019 might look like. But first, here are some of the many highlights I experienced in 2018.

2018 highlights reel

• I made huge changes to the way I manage my career this year and so far they have paid off. I'm now a self-employed contractor working four days a week and it's made all the difference to my personal and professional life ... but more about this later. 

• I learned how to better manage my energy, using it when and how I needed to and according to my own priorities instead of other people's. I said no to someone's significant request for the first time in many, many years. I still feel bad about it but am learning that it was the right decision for us both - and one that I was entitled to make.

• My extended whānau travelled to the Cook Islands for our cousin's wedding in Rarotonga. We had an amazing time exploring this beautiful island while welcoming a new member to our whānau.

• I can (usually) fall asleep and stay asleep through the night now without staying awake for several hours pondering the state of the world and my place in it. Usually.

• Although reading for pleasure fell through the floor, my professional reading went through the roof. I'm going to count that as a highlight.

There's always next year.

• I listened to endless podcasts this year. Podcasts are a great way of accessing information on the go and also balance out the times when I want to learn something but don't have the energy or brain power to read it.

• The next generation of Weka whānau musicians has awoken, starting with a very excitable 10 year old who is now the proud owner of his first bass guitar (to go along with learning piano and guitar) and a super-excited auntie who can't wait to introduce him to our world of music.

• I baked 16 times for Good Bitches Baking.

• I planted the world's tiniest vege patch (1m²) in spring and now enjoy salads for lunch made with freshly grown lettuce. My carrots and beans look ready to harvest, although I'm still searching for the cucumbers.

What have been your highlights in 2018?

NZSO Christmas Pops

Of all the gifts I'm blessed with, music is the one I'm most grateful for. Music is the blood that runs through our family. It's who and how we are. It's our identity. It's a passion we share and also one that divides us as we analyse and debate the ins and outs of what we're listening to, what we're watching and how to play it. It's led to a solid work ethic, a love of performing and many years of entertaining others.

Mr 10 is latest to be bitten by our musical bug. Our family are currently arguing (with him) about how many instruments he should be allowed to learn simultaneously. We've settled on 2-3 for now, on condition that piano with theory is number 1, followed by guitar and then maybe bass.

This week, I won tickets to the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra's final performance for 2018, Christmas Pops. It's always a treat to attend a NZSO performance, but pops orchestra programmes offer a great introduction to symphony orchestras by mixing up lighthearted classical arrangements of popular show tunes. It was obvious who would come to the concert with me, and I'm not sure who was more excited: Mr 10 anticipating his first orchestral experience, or me being able to share our family's love of music in yet another way. 

From the moment we took our seats, Mr 10 was fascinated. How many instruments could we see? (Too many to count!) Look at all those cellos and double basses! The orchestra took their seats and started tuning. "Wow, even that sounds amazing!" he declared. What instrument is making that sound? (It's an oboe ... oh, now listen to the clarinets!) He watched and listened and joined in the mass chorus numbers with open excitement. So did I!

The programme featured mostly Christmas music, including carols, songs, movie themes and classical works. Australian mezzo-soprano Jacqui Dark was the orchestra's special guest. Her introduction was a beautiful tear-inducing rendition of Climb Ev'ry Mountain from The Sound of Music, taking me back to my teenage years. She entertained and delighted with every number and even bravely attempted the New Zealand version of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

The biggest musical highlight for me was a suite of three pieces from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, my favourite ballet and the centrepiece of my Christmas playlist. Of course, Mr 10 loved the arrangement of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, even if he was a bit shy when singing along. (I wasn't - but he's still young enough to not be embarrassed by me doing things like that ... yet.)

The only lowlight of the evening was the late start time for what is essentially a family show. 7.30 pm in summer is fine for grown-ups, but a 9.30 pm finish for little people, even overexcited budding musicians trying their very best to drink in every moment, was all a bit much. He slept well last night!

How special that the NZSO could share the gift of music with a whole new generation. I'm sure many fans were made last night.

Louis Sergeant's tasting plates

Louis Sergeant has a new home at the top of Lambton Quay. The decor has been refreshed and now boasts a street-facing store front to entice hungry customers in for afternoon tea. There are fewer tables and no kitchen on site so the selection now focuses on a more refined and predominantly sweet menu. The high tea menu has also been refreshed. There are now nine sweet items (no savoury) available Wednesday to Sunday.

Even with a refined menu, you're really spoiled for choice. Everything looks so perfectly appealing. If you can't decide, I'd recommend a tasting plate of three petits fours and coffee or hot chocolate for $14. The selection changes frequently and features miniature versions of the full sized patisserie items. My platter gave me explosions of flavour featuring chocolate, hazelnut, choux pastry, lemon, vanilla and pistachio ... and an appetite to return and try three more treats another day.

Tasting plate

Petit fours at the InterContinental

I'd heard that petit fours on the InterContinental Hotel Lobby Lounge dessert menu are Wellington's best kept foodie secret. I'm already a big fan of high tea at the InterContinental. Yesterday, my team and I checked out petit fours.

For $18, you get a platter of sweet treats to share. It's enough for one between two if you want to sample everything or three people if you're being polite. The selection changes regularly. Yesterday's menu included macarons, chocolate truffles, candied orange wedges dipped in dark chocolate, biscotti, fruit jelly, coconut ice, marshmallow and new season strawberries. Delicious!

Petit fours

Petit fours are a great introduction to high tea if you have less time or are after a smaller treat. Ssh - pass it on!

Two hours of power at The Arborist

Wellington on a Plate wrapped up its tenth birthday today. We ended a foodie fortnight by saving the best for last. Two hours of power at The Arborist was described as a kiwi take on yum cha. Apparently the kitchen was given free rein and came up with a seemingly endless menu. This is what they promised:

An ambitious promise

The menu listed nine courses, in no particular order, plus two desserts. We actually started with a bonus dish not on the menu: baked potato with pulled pork filling. (Don't worry - each potato was to share between two people.)

Baked potato with pulled pork appetiser

So, with our palettes ready, then dishes kept coming in yum cha style. There were so many highlights and I only remembered to take a few photos. Marmite glazed pork ribs, hot smoked salmon devilled eggs, prawn cocktails with avocado on melba toast, mushroom and feta mini quiche, slow braised lamb shoulder with smoked kumara pastries ... we were served continuously for an hour before needing to slow things down a bit - a welcome reprise before starting again.

Would we like seconds of any dish? Although we were pretty full after nearly two hours, here's what we chose to sample again.

Beer battered snapper with salt and malt vinegar fries

Coq Au Vin chicken tossed in hiracha honey and garlic with blue cheese dip

Mini pavlova with strawberries, kiwifruit and chantilly cream, and a mini lemon curd tart topped with crumbled meringue finished off an amazing meal at The Arborist. The service this afternoon was exceptional and the food simply divine. A fitting end to another Welly on a Plate season.

A sweet ending

Mad Hatter's Tea Party with a twist

High tea two weekends in a row? It must be Wellington on a Plate. The Mad Hatter's Tea Party with a twist was held at the festival hub behind Prefab Cafe.

This dapper couple were suitably dressed for the occasion.

Thomas the Tank Engine meets the Mad Hatter

We entered through the magical festival hub, where candy floss clouds were there for the taking.

Candy floss clouds

Walk past the popcorn wall and entice your palette. Which will you choose: sweet, sour, bitter salty or umami?

A wall of popcorn

Alice invites you ...

Welcome!

  ... to follow her down down the rabbit hole ...

Don't get lost!

... and take your seat.

Table setting

The flowers look so pretty ...

Pretty flower bowl

... but they're actually a resting place for this little blue penguin!

A penguin ice sculpture

Ooh, a game of chess! Who is brave enough to play?

Giant chess board

Time for tea. Teapot cocktails were served. There were no non-alcoholic or coffee substitutions included (apart from some available for purchase) so we stuck with water.

Tea is served

While waiting for our food to arrive, we visited the vending machine in the Visa Festival Hub and munched on another pottle of popcorn along the way.

Treat yourself for just $1!

Here's how the menu transformed:

Mad Hatter's high tea

Where to start? At the bottom, of course! Rabbit pies, chicken liver and plum jelly brioche doughnuts, and cucumber, cream cheese and cricket (yes, cricket) sandwiches. The brioche and bread were amazing. The fillings ... well, I need a bit more getting used to chicken liver and crickets. Surprisingly, the chili and black ant candy floss was actually quite delicious.

Savoury style

These champagne jelly tarts were set on shortbread and dusted with freeze dried raspberries.

Champagne jellies

And no Mad Hatter's tea party would be complete without jam tarts. We finished off high tea with a mini chocolate (mousse) garden.

The Queen of Heart's tarts

This Mad Hatter's tea party was a magical way to wile away an hour on a Saturday afternoon.

Homegrown high tea at Artisan Dining House

Wellington on a Plate continued today with Homegrown high tea, an elegant high tea experience at Artisan Dining House in the Bolton Hotel. High tea featured a range of handcrafted gourmet teatime treats made with local ingredients and began with half a glass of The Griffin bubbles from Palliser Estate on arrival. The tables were set.

A bubbly start

The menu promised nine items sourced from locally produced ingredients along with a selection of teas.

High tea menu

 Thankfully we could exchange tea for coffee. Our high tea arrived.

Artisan Dining House high tea

Where to begin? The classic cucumber sandwich was actually on the top (dessert) tier, so we started there and then moved to the savoury bottom layer. You can see little venison pies, mushroom arancini, and lamb croquets. They're hiding a teeny tiny cheese scroll nestled in behind.

The middle tier had a range of sweet items, including citrus slice, almond friand and a Whittaker's chocolate coconut fudge slice featuring an elegant white chocolate shark with a pretty marbled effect. This was my favourite high tea treat.

We finished high tea with a tiny salted caramel macaron.

The Artisan Dining House is a lovely setting for an elegant Sunday afternoon high tea.

Find your inner chocolatier

I've long been a fan of the Wellington Chocolate Factory. Their story of how they locally produce bean to bar organic fair trade chocolate is as legendary as their salted caramel bars at Christmas time. Find your inner chocolatier offered a magical hands-on Welly on a Plate experience at this inner city chocolate factory.

Did I mention how delicious the factory smells from the moment you walk in the door? The event began with a private tour of factory. We learned about what bean to bar means for their production line and sampled cacao beans and four different types of chocolate from around the world.

Chocolate sampling

We were shown various machines and gadgets, each one playing an important part in the chocolate making process. There is a window into a small room to the left of the entrance. This is the ageing room, where the chocolate blocks are left for around three months to age before it is tempered and crafted into bars.

Chocolate is left to age, much like wine and cheese

Then, we got to don aprons and sexy hairnets to have a go at making and wrapping our own specialty bars. The machines have names, making them as much a part of the team as the rest of the staff. Betty was busy preparing raspberry milk chocolate for us to dollop into chocolate bar moulds. Luckily she knows the exact amount needed for each mould and will dollop this in when you press and hold the foot pedal. The side tables vibrate. They remove the air bubbles that form and help to distribute the chocolate to the edges of the mould, which is a far more efficient way to do this than dropping a chocolate mould repeatedly on the bench at home.

Betty is tempering raspberry milk chocolate

Tui stands next to Betty and tempers dark chocolate to be made into salted caramel brittle bars. Dark chocolate flows more freely and was much quicker filling these moulds. The bars are flavoured by sprinkling sea salt and caramel crumble on top before leaving to set. I rebelled and made hokey pokey bars. (I'm completely over salted caramel.)

Dark caramel brittle blocks

After a short time setting in the fridge, it was our turn to hand wrap our chocolate bars to take home. It's actually not as easy as it looks to get perfectly straight edges, especially with chunky caramel pieces sticking out the back. (I'm not too good at wrapping presents, either.)

My finished products

We got to take home our four delicious bars and their full range extends to eight varieties. If you're in the Cuba St area, pop around the corner to the Wellington Chocolate Factory and step into a world of chocolaty goodness. I hear their hot chocolates are also magical.

The full Wellington Chocolate Factory range

Noodlicious at Dragonfly

Wellington on a Plate's 10th birthday kicked off yesterday and promises to be the biggest and best one yet. August is the time where foodies in the Wellington region happily gorge indulge to celebrate the end of winter.

Our first Welly on a Plate event for 2018 was Noodlicious at Dragonfly. This long lunch featured a modern twist on six different types of noodles. The flavour palette for each dish was complex and they were well spaced over two hours. In between courses, we could wander out to the garden bar and watch an ongoing Chinese calligraphy demonstration or order one of the many specialty cocktails on the menu.

First up was chilled green soba buckwheat flour noodles with zaru dressing, nasturtium, watercress, pickled shiitake and shaved mackerel.

Buckwheat flour noodles

The second course was tapioca cellophane flour noodles with poached chicken gallette, cherry tomato, ocean chicory, palm seeds and tom yum consomme. This was a very peppery dish.

Tapioca flour noodles

The rice flour cheung fun noodles with prawn, wild ginger, water chestnut, Chinese sesame and maple, garlic chive and chilli dressing had an unusual texture but proved to be my favourite flavour combination.

Rice flour noodles

The lye noodle box featured knife cut dan dan noodles with ground pork belly, pickled mustard greens, peanut powder and szechuan spices. The flavours worked well but the pork mince seemed dry.

Lye noodles

Chinese egg noodles were topped with braised black bean, beef cheek ragout, spring onion and a very strong ginger oil.

Egg noodles

And finally, dessert with a modern twist on rice pudding, made with jasmine and mandarin orzo pasta with jackfruit. Too sweet for me, but I was also very full by this stage.

Modern noodle rice pudding

We also got to take home a goodie bag from Orient and Asian Food Republic, which included a pretty noodle bowl and some mango and coconut biscotti to enjoy later.

Goodie bags