The executive chef of dine by Peter Gordon at SkyCity answers your cuisine questions
Where can you access real black puddings in New Zealand - the real McCoy made from pigs' blood, pork fat, barley, herbs and seasoning? Apparently, the pigs' blood is verboten, here; hence, what we can buy is a poor replica of the real thing, which I grew up with in the UK. It was a staple food in our Lancastrian neck of the woods. Are there any specialist butchers allowed to import the authentic ingredients? There's a world of difference between the two products and Kiwis are missing a real treat. - Sybil
I'm not sure about this - but a good question to ask. We serve Stornoway pudding at The Providores and Kopapa in London, which, I hate to say, is even better than the Lancashire one in my view - less dense and gets crunchy if cooked enough.
[Ed's note: We have tracked down a black pudding made with real blood and a blend of pork and beef, spices, barley and oatmeal from Leonard's Superior Smallgoods (ph 09 274 1254 or 09 272 2721 to find your stockist). Central Butchery in Kawakawa does one too (opposite the fancy Hundertwasser toilets)]
I moved to London about a year ago and have tried all the usual suspects in terms of restaurants in London - Maze, Nobu, Providores, Hawkesmoor, Modern Pantry, etc. Where would you recommend for a nice quiet dinner with a couple of friends that won't break the budget but still has interesting food? - Jo
