Sideswipe

Spotted in Rarotonga last month. Any recipe suggestions?

Here's a tip for theatre-goers. If you're tired and are likely to fall asleep during the production, please take an anti-snoring device with you as loud sleep-induced grunts can disturb the patrons around you. At James Griffin's production Then Comes Love in Auckland on Saturday night, one patron forgot his nose plugs. Luckily he was in the very front row so the majority of the audience were not party to the series of little snuffles near the middle of the show. That is until a sombre moment on stage when all was quiet. A very loud snorty snore from Mr Sleepy sent a ripple of laughter all the way up to the middle of the theatre. The performers, Shane Cortese and Zoe Lucker, could not have missed it but, being such seasoned professionals, they barely blinked an eye. Unlike Mr Sleepy's companion, who almost lost an elbow in the rapid "wake up" manouevre and would have gone home with strained throat muscles from delivering the loud "Sssh".

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It's a hard road to find the perfect coffee. Sure there are flat whites, long blacks, mocchas, cappuccinos, and any other chino you could want. But what if you just want a nice hot white coffee without half a cup of frothed or steamed milk? An Auckland reader wants to know where to find this and does it have a name? "I like the taste and consistency of the coffee I find at the bottom of the froth in my flat white but I always feel a bit ripped off. If I only wanted two mouthfuls wouldn't I order an espresso?" A quick gander at the forums in coffeegeek.com hint that this is a serious question that has no answer. Apparently asking for a long black with milk on the side is a no go. "Next time you get that customer, it might be an idea to omit the coffee! Or offer her a hot chocolate/mocha," sniffs one barista. As for any customer asking for something out of the ordinary - say, a very hot coffee, or one that isn't bitter - they should expect to be told to sod off and leave the coffee to those who really appreciate it. Perhaps somewhere out there is an unpretentious barista with kindly advice.