Cooking brings kindness

I’ve realised my cultural background plays a much more significant role in shaping my approach to food than I ever knew, writes Colleen O'Connor.

Embarking on the journey of becoming an adult student wasn’t without hurdles.

However, when our youngest son prepared to leave the family nest, I felt a surge of energy and excitement for the next chapter of my life. I embraced this new phase, diving headfirst into a fulltime bachelor of culinary arts degree at Otago Polytechnic, Te Pūkenga.

My confidence tanked on day one when I found myself surrounded by a vibrant group of young, creative spirits who looked at me with mild curiosity and surprise.

Just as I considered fleeing back to the safety of home, a text from my lecturer pinged through. I had accidentally entered the wrong room! With a deep breath, I gathered my courage and headed to the right classroom.

I’ve come a long way since that first day, a time filled with uncertainty and doubt. My journey of self-development has exceeded my expectations, and I’m grateful I found the courage to persevere.

This has been particularly important in my studies this year, where I’ve delved into exploring the personal experiences and values that shape my identity in the culinary world. Through deep self-reflection, I’ve realised my cultural background plays a much more significant role in shaping my approach to food than I ever knew.

Two significant influences shaped my culinary journey. The first was my detachment from my Māori heritage which compelled me to rediscover new connections through cooking. I found comfort and my ‘‘happy’’ place in preparing meals that brought people together, fostering a sense of community and belonging. The second influence was our father’s embodiment of manaakitanga in our home.

In Māori traditions, manaakitanga represents profound generosity, and Dad epitomised this virtue in every sense. For example, whenever we visited, he’d pile our plates high with food. Just when we thought we couldn’t stomach another bite, out would come dessert – towering scoops of ice cream adorned with jelly, whipped cream, pouring cream, pink wafers and hundreds and thousands.

As an adult, I didn’t have the heart to tell Dad I couldn’t stomach cream, whipped and poured, atop ice cream, but I hesitated to refuse as I knew it might disappoint or even offend him as if he hadn’t fulfilled his role as a generous host.

Reflecting on those moments, the words of a whakataukī (proverb) come to mind: “He tangata takahi manuhiri, he marae puehu – A person who mistreats his guest has a dusty marae.”

Having gained a fresh perspective of my father’s generous hospitality and the cultural wisdom behind it, I’ve come to realise some qualities are inherently woven into our DNA.

This trait is deeply ingrained in me and my siblings and is displayed during our family Christmas gatherings, which my sister and I proudly host. Despite our best intentions to keep the meal simple, the dishes become more elaborate each year, resulting in an abundance of leftovers fit for an army. Still, there’s joy in sharing as we pack doggy bags that everyone is keen to take home.

Manaakitanga is a heartfelt bridge to my heritage and the people around me and is aptly expressed in the two featured dishes. The spinach and ricotta cannelloni is a dish I cook as a gesture of gratitude or care. It is also the ultimate in comfort food which easily satisfies any meat lover. Its unique topping that combines creme fraiche with just a hint of anchovy is sublime when paired with the rich tomato sauce and spinach and ricotta-filled cannelloni.

On the other hand, roast vegetable tortillas represent self-care within the concept of manaakitanga, offering a nutritious and comforting experience with oven-roasted vegetables, zesty yoghurt dressing, and fresh rocket all wrapped in a soft, warm tortilla. These dishes embody the idea of showing kindness, whether to others or to oneself, through the art of cooking.

Spinach and ricotta cannelloni

Serves 6

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce:

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 medium cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped

2 x 400g tins crushed tomatoes

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

Filling:

20g butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 clove fresh garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

¼ fresh nutmeg, finely grated

400g fresh spinach, washed (or use frozen spinach, thawed)

400g ricotta cheese

30g parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Salt and pepper to taste

16 cannelloni tubes

White Sauce:

500g creme fraiche

3 anchovies, finely chopped

90g parmesan cheese, freshly grated

200g mozzarella cheese (I use fresh but grated is fine)

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Tomato Sauce:

Place the olive oil and garlic into a medium saucepan on a low heat and gently cook until the garlic is aromatic, about 1 minute.

Add the remaining tomato sauce ingredients except for the fresh basil.

Gently simmer, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened and has deepened in colour — about 30 minutes.

Take the pan off the heat and add the basil leaves.

Pour the sauce into a rectangular dish large enough to hold the cannelloni in one layer — I use a metal roasting pan 20cm x 32cm.

Filling:

Place a large saucepan on a medium to high heat and add the butter, olive oil, garlic, oregano and nutmeg — stir with a wooden spoon.

Add your spinach to the pan and keep turning over with a pair of tongs. When all the spinach has wilted, take off the heat and place in a colander to drain and cool a bit, reserving the excess liquid. Squeeze as much of the liquid out of the spinach as possible by rolling up in a clean tea-towel and squeezing from each end.

Finely chop the spinach and mix in a bowl with the ricotta, parmesan and enough of the reserved spinach liquid (approximately ¼ of a cup) to form a nice piping consistency.

Carefully spoon the spinach mix into the piping bag and twist the top to secure. Cut approximately 1cm off the end and squeeze the filling into the cannelloni tubes until each one is completely filled.

Lay the cannelloni over the tomato sauce in the roasting pan/ovenproof dish.

White Sauce:

Mix together the cream fraiche, anchovies and 60g of the parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Loosen the sauce with a little cold water and spoon over the cannelloni.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining 30g parmesan and mozzarella cheese and bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Add extra basil leaves to garnish if desired.

Roasted vegetable wraps with feta and herb dressing

Serves 4

Roast vegetable salad

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 capsicum (red, yellow or orange), sliced into 2-3cm strips

1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges

1 medium kumara (approx 300g) or Œ small crown pumpkin, cut into 1-2cm wedges (I like to keep the skin on but peel if you prefer)

6 baby carrots, scrubbed and trimmed (or use a combination of your favourite vegetables)

Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

400g tin chickpeas, drained

120g bag of rocket, spinach leaves or watercress

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C.

In a large bowl whisk together the olive oil, ground cumin, cumin seeds and maple syrup. Add the capsicum, red onion, kumara or pumpkin and baby carrots and toss so they are well coated.

Place in a single layer on two lined baking trays, season with the flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Roast for 25 minutes until golden brown, then add the drained chickpeas (tossing a little with the roast vegetables and pan juices) and roast for a further 5 minutes until golden.

To assemble:

Place a generous spoonful of the feta and herb dressing on a tortilla (see both recipes below), spread the spinach, watercress or rocket on top followed by the roast vegetable and chickpeas and another dollop of the dressing.

Wrap up to eat and enjoy!

Easy soft flour tortillas

Makes 8 small

(or double the ingredients to make 8 larger tortillas)

1½ cups standard flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ cup warm water

Method:

To make by hand: Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a medium-size bowl and whisk the ingredients together.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the oil and water. Using a butter knife, gently stir from the centre, until the dry ingredients have incorporated and the dough comes together in a shaggy ball.

Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 1-2 minutes until smooth.

To make in a mixer: Add flour, salt and baking powder to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, mix the ingredients until combined.

Slowly add oil and water while the mixer is running at a medium speed. Continue to mix until the dough comes together and begins to form a ball. Decrease the speed to low and mix for about a minute more, until the dough is smooth.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface.

Proceed as follows: Divide into 8 equal portions, turning each piece to coat in flour. Form into balls and flatten with the palm of your hand. Cover with a clean tea towel and rest for a minimum of 15 minutes or up to 2 hours (resting prevents shrinkage and allows you to roll your dough out thinly).

Heat a 20cm non-stick frypan over a medium heat. Roll each ball into a rough circle, about 16cm-18cm in diameter, lightly flouring to prevent sticking. Place one circle into the hot pan and cook until the top starts to form bubbles or pockets of air — about 45 seconds — and the underside is forming brown spots. Flip over and cook for another 15-20 seconds (brown spots should appear) before removing with tongs. Keep warm on a plate covered with a clean towel and separated with baking paper.

Will keep in the fridge stored in a ziplock bag or an airtight container for up to a week. Reheat covered in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.