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Frenchman Guillaume Desmurs delivers his traditional sausages with a certain je ne sais quoi - they arrive for a tasting at the Dish in a little cane basket and we pronounce them tres bon. Desmurs' aim is to offer fine French products made with passion at reasonable prices. He supplies leading restaurants and specialist food stores. The sausages are made with fresh meat and seasonings, not padded with flour or crumbs, and they're free of preservatives.
The three types are: Toulouse, with a taste of bacon, some thyme and parsley - a variety he says is good for the barbecue or casseroled with beans or lentils; pork flavoured with basil; and Merguez, 100 per cent lamb sausages, from a recipe originating in North Africa but now popular across France for its subtle combination of spices and mint. They all cost under $10 a packet, or kilogram lots sell for between $25 and $30. The terrines are: Provencal, made from pork, bacon, garlic, olives and thyme; sweet, with pork, bacon, prunes and cognac; and chicken liver, with green peppercorn and cognac.
The smallgoods can be found at Pyrenees (Devonport and Mt Albert), the Auckland Fishmarket (Fred Samuels), Jones the Grocer, Dida's, Ripe and Farro Fresh.
The good oil
Two New Zealand extra virgin olive oils have won prizes in Italy. The Extravergine Guide rates Waiheke olive oil from John and Margaret Edwards' Matiatia Grove as the best fruity and light extra virgin olive oil in the world. A special Southern Hemisphere Armonia (harmony) prize organised by the International School of Italian Cuisine goes to Te Arai Olive Estate at Mangawhai for its Motutira single estate extra virgin olive oil.
Are you game? (Part 1)
Next month, hunters and lovers of game birds are in for a treat with the chance to sample wild catch in selected restaurants as part of the annual Wild Game Bird Food Festival. The festival is run by Fish and Game New Zealand, the organisation that manages freshwater sportsfish fisheries and gamebird hunting. A total of 16 restaurants across the country will offer special gamebird menus with wine matches from May 7 to May 27. Cazador on Dominion Rd is the Auckland eatery involved, and its long-time chef Tony Lolaiy says he relishes the exactitude of cooking game.
Restaurants cannot sell wild game, but they can charge for the service of cooking it, so the festival offers chefs and the hunting fraternity a chance to get together for a good cook-up. Hunters contact the restaurant to find out how it wants gamebird prepared for the menu dish they select. The bird must be dropped off 24 hours before dining. Menus from the participating restaurants will be available this month on fishandgame.org.nz
Are you game? (Part 2)
Venison and other game, including rabbit and gamebirds, have surged in popularity. In Britain alone sales have risen 46 per cent in two years, with venison the star performer. It is much vaunted by chefs as a low-fat, low-cholesterol dish ideally suited to those jaded with eating factory-farmed poultry. "These meats are still full of flavour and this healthy image is definitely helping to boost sales, especially among women," said a Mintel analyst, David Bird. "A growing concern about the environment and the negative impact of mass-produced food is changing the types of food we buy, with many of us opting for food that is organic, locally sourced or bought from a farmers' market."
Infuse yourself
Twinings' Pure Fennel Herbal Infusion has a deliciously aniseed-like aroma, and the full-bodied taste that cooler weather demands. If you like the taste of fennel, then try this caffeine and sugar-free drink as a delicious alternative to tea or coffee. Some cultures use the herb's seeds to settle upset tummies, so it's the ideal evening drink.
New to Twinings' Classic Herbal Infusions range, the Fennel variety is available nationwide with a recommended price of $3.49 for a box of 20 teabags.
Water to go
Antipodes water is now making take-home packs for those who want to try the restaurant favourite at home. The Antipodes Half-Case is available in still or sparkling 500ml bottles (12 a case) or chunkier 1000ml bottles (6 a case).
Southern Island Water is a new artesian water brand, high in silica and calcium.
It comes from an underground aquifer in the central North Island and has been carbon-dated back 1800 years.
The water is distributed nationally and sold in selected supermarkets and stores in 500ml and 1.5ml bottles.
Taste of yesteryear
It sounds like something grandmother used to make, but By Justine Classic Condiments Crabapple and Rosemary Jelly is new to the market.
The handmade spread is made with natural ingredients and no artificial additives and is good with meats or on a cheeseboard.
Those who buy the jelly can enter a draw to win other products from the Innovative Foods company.
The jelly's recommended price is $8.30.
For stockists check the outlets page on
