Charmian Smith

In a culmination of three years of study, the first bachelor of culinary arts students at Otago Polytechnic put on a memorable dinner last week for friends and associates.

Wine awards may may be a dime a dozen in New Zealand but do they make a difference? Charmian Smith looks at how they are judged.

Acting needs a completely different mindset from directing a play, says Lara Macgregor.

There's such variety in pinot noir depending on where it comes from and how ripe the grapes are, how it is made and whether it is aged or not - the 6-year old wine in this tasting is drinking very well, but may not be to the taste of those who like big fruity numbers.

Dunedin chef Ken O'Connell, owner of Bracken Restaurant in Filleul St, has been named a Beef and Lamb Ambassador for 2015.

Jessica Nadel's Greens 24/7: Quick easy and delicious recipes for eating leafy greens at every meal (Murdoch) offers lots of ideas and encouragement to help keep those healthy eating New Year resolutions.

Flavours of home is a series of recipes from around the world cooked by people at home in Otago. This week, Sue Bidrose, of Dunedin, shows us how to make mjadra at addis (lentils, rice and caramelised onions).

This year's Dunedin arts diary is filling up with a kaleidoscope of concerts, plays, exhibitions and other events. Charmian Smith reveals some of the delights in store for arts lovers.

A chilled sauvignon blanc is refreshing to sip over lunch or on a long summer evening. It's also good with salads and many other fresh summer dishes.

It's hard to beat a good chardonnay, one with fruit, oak and nutty characters in harmony anda crisp, long, satisfying finish.

Claire Barton's experience studying music and performing in Dunedin gave her an advantage over other emerging singers in London, the mezzo-soprano tells Charmian Smith.

Rose is a versatile summer wine, good with most foods - from turkey and ham to salads and fish. This batch of roses were deliciously refreshing.

This month marks the bicentenary of the arrival of the first Pakeha to settle permanently in New Zealand, in the Bay of Islands in Northland. Charmian Smith talks to Dr Angela Middleton about her new book, Pewhairangi: Bay of Islands Missions and Maori 1814-1845.

While Frances Hodgkins may be the best known of Dunedin's painters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, her contemporary Grace Joel also had a distinguished career in London and Paris. Charmian Smith talks to Joel Schiff, author of Grace Joel: An impressionist portrait.

A simple, fruity red with lots of flavour is ideal for barbecues. Try some of these.

Fans of 2012 Masterchef winner Chelsea Winter will want to check out her new cookbook, Everyday delicious (Random House).

Essential for wine lovers, Michael Cooper's annual Buyer's Guide New Zealand Wines 2015 (Upstart Press), now in its 23rd edition, is more upbeat than in recent years.

Our kitchens have changed remarkably over the past century, from three-room complexes with scullery, pantry and kitchen where a housewife might spend all day cooking, through small single-room kitchens to large modern open-plan ones, which look professional but may seldom be used. Charmian Smith talks to Prof Helen Leach about her new book Kitchens.

This year's Burns Fellow at Otago University came to writing by a circuitous route. Charmian Smith talks to Irish-born writer Majella Cullinane.