Welcome to the February 2004 edition of the
C&C newsletter and to a new year of great food and wine experiences.
We've been lucky enough to have enjoyed a very outdoors summer so far with
plenty of time riding boogie boards at the beach and enjoying lots of
barbecue dinners. We also spent some time getting the garden back into
shape after a very hot spring. Our herbs are doing well at the moment, mint,
rosemary, and sage in particular. The varied citrus plants are all looking
good too so we're looking forward to a really good cumquat, orange and pink
grapefruit season. Congratulations also to Ros S who won our Christmas Quiz
in the record breaking time of 38 minutes. We'll have to make it much harder
next time.
There's no doubt that seasonal factors have left many producers
with limited supplies of fresh produce; floods, hail and a hot spring. This
has meant higher than usual prices for many ingredients, and also higher than
usual quality in some cases. We've been enjoying amazing cherries, peaches and
nectarines all through January along with really sweet watermelon, excellent
blueberries, mangoes and plums. Ingredients to look out for in February
include apples, valencia oranges, pears and early figs. On
the vegetable side keep a look out for borlotti beans, eggplants, baby
leeks and peas. A delicious green pea soup recipe is at the bottom of this
newsletter.
The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards have announced their
shortlist of entires to compete at the finals to be awarded on February
27th at a gala dinner in Barcelona. Local authors have again done very well
in the English – Rest of the World category as follows;
The awards dinner will be catered by El Bulli Catering and costs
around AUS $485.00 a head. If you can't make it don't worry we'll have all
the news in the March C&C newsletter. Best of luck to all involved.
Geoffrey Roberts Award
This special annual award commemorates the life and
work of the late Geoffrey Roberts, innovative New
World wine importer based in London. It has been made
every year since 1996 to a deserving potential
achiever in the worlds of food, drink and/or travel. The Award, an international travel bursary
worth at least £ 3,000 (about US$ 5,000), in the form of both funds and
contacts, enables the winner to travel and learn more
about their chosen subject. The Award is run by a
London-based registered charity whose trustees include Neville Abraham CBE and Nicholas Lander of the Financial Times.
Details of how to apply for the Award, open to
applicants of any age, experience and nationality,
are available from Venetia Lebus, Hon Sec Geoffrey Roberts Award, 103
Streathbourne Road, London SW17 8RA Tel/Fax +44 (0)20 8767 GeoffreyRobertsa@aol.com Deadline for applications is March 30,
2004 and a winner will be chosen in early summer.
To our way of thinking rosé is one of
those wines which is usually best enjoyed after very time in the
bottle. However we recently pulled the cork on a Dominique
Portet rosé 2002 not really expecting too much. To our surprise the wine
was absolutely delicious and still retained a real freshness as if it had been
made just yesterday. It was absolutely brilliant with the side of
freshly smoked salmon that appeared from the barbecue and both
disappeared as if my magic in no time flat. Now there's a real food and wine
matching exercise. Around $18.00 a bottle.
Food tours and
classes
If you feel the need to extend your culinary horizons in 2004
then the following information may be just what you need.
Convivial Times are offering a nine day
tour to Southern Tasmania titled A Juicy Bite of the Apple Isle,
commencing in Hobart on 30th April. They are promising food
experiences such as digging for truffles, massaging curds and whey to
make cheese, shucking a scallop fresh from the ocean and biting into a
juicy apple picked fresh from the tree. Full details and booking
information on
www.convivialtimes.com.au.
De Bortoli Yarra
Valley are continuing their policy of inviting overseas and local chefs
to their winery restaurant for demonstrations and dinners. Piemonte chef Marco Forneris with somellier and truffle judge,
Boffa Flavia are first up for 2004 bringing with them inspiration from
their home region. Demonstration and luncheon on February 11th February and a
dinner on 13th February. Bookings on 03) 5965 2271.
Queen Victoria Market
Cooking School kicks off the new year with a
range of great classes through February. Modern Bistro Food at Home with Andrew
Roscouet from Bistro 1404 is on Sunday 15th while Loretta Sartori, pastry chef
extraordinaire, is presenting a class on afternoon tea cakes on Saturday 21st.
Agnus Dinh has his sights on showcasing the real food and flavours of Vietnam on
Sunday 22nd while Geraldine Dawes Holmes offers ideas and short cuts to being a
great cook on Thursday 26th. Bookings on 03) 9320 5835.
Gourmet Safaris has lots of great food experiences
on offer this month beginning with a tour of the Greek hotspots of Marrickville
on Saturday 7th. Valentine’s Day on 14th February brings a Turkish tour to see
and taste aromatic spices, Afghan bread, Turkish delight and amazing ice-cream
flavours. The following day they’re off to Cabramatta to see and experience all
things Vietnamese. Full details on www.gourmetsafaris.com.au
Cooking Co-ordinates offers plenty of
seasonal cooking here this month starting with Summer Preserves presented by
Sharon Solomos and Mary Wills on Saturday 7th. Learn about the pleasures of
preserving as you create jams, jellies, sauces and pickles from seasonal fruit
and vegetables. Love Apples & Pasta with Clare Foley on Saturday, February
14th combines mouth-watering vine-ripened tomatoes with fresh pasta and
accompanying sauces. There’s also a knife sharpening service on Thursday,
February 26th. Bookings via the website
www.belconnenmarkets.com.au or telephone 02) 6253
5132.
The Foodies Guide Cupcake
Awards 2004
After a year of travelling to and tasting the very
best food places in Melbourne and Country Victoria for The Foodies Guide
2004 we thought it fitting to award those we are feel are doing an exceptional
job.
Breakfast – The Botanical 169 Domain Road South Yarra |
9820 7888
We’re suckers for a good brekkie and one of our ‘new’ favourites is at the
hippest joint in town, The Botanical. Try Paul Wilson’s wood-oven pan brekkie,
it’s guaranteed to put hair on your chest. All the usual suspects are here
including bacon, spicy sausage, baked beans, black pudding, tomatoes, mushrooms,
sourdough toast and eggs, whichever way you fancy.
Collingwood Children’s Farm Farmers’ Market
St Heliers Street Yarra Bend Abbotsford | 0429 146 627
Families pushing wheelbarrows laden with produce, fussy shoppers checking
out the organic produce and urban hippies escaping the city grind all flock here
regularly. And it’s little wonder with such a picture-perfect setting: the Yarra
in the distance, the backdrop of gum trees and the Collingwood Children’s Farm
to explore.
Baker D. Chirico
Shop 3–4, 149 Fitzroy Street St Kilda | 9534 3777
Homer Simpson says it best: doooooughnuts. It makes us want to jump in the
car and drive straight to this seaside bakery for these sugar-crusted pillows
filled with strawberry jam. Or maybe we’ll have the custards ones … decisions,
decisions.
Fish and Chips – Funk Fish
Federation Square City | 9650 7011
We love Fed Square. We know it has its critics, but after a morning
shuffling around the National Gallery taking in the Australian art, there’s no
better lunch than a box of perfectly fried food, and perhaps a beer, at
Melbourne’s newest fish and chip spot overlooking the Yarra.
Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
9823 6100 | www.melbfoodwinefest.com.au
Nobody does festivals like Victorians. And nobody does local celebrities
and international chefs like the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. What more
do you need to know? The festival boasts the winning combination of food, wine
and entertainment, add in hundreds of other great events around the city,
suburbs and regional Victoria and you have a great food event that offers
something for everyone.
Phillippa’s
1030 High Street Armadale | 9576 2020
Phillippa’s has long been setting the standards for terrific bread and
other foodie products at their High Street store. Now they’ve gone and created
something else we can’t live without: spiced nuts. A mixture of nuts –
almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts and sunflower seeds, coated in a secret
blend of herbs and spices – are selling like hot cakes. Move over Nobby, you’ve
got serious competition.
Rathdowne Street Food Store
617 Rathdowne Street Carlton North | 9347 4064
There aren’t many places that manage to stay open for 15 years, let alone
do it so well. Ricky Holt is the captain of this ship and he steers it in all
the right directions. From breakfast, lunch and dinner to take-home food,
catering and good coffee all day –everything is spot on. A neighbourhood hot
spot that oozes confidence and charm.
7 Apples Gelato
75 Acland Street St Kilda | 9537 3633
It’s the ideal day: a quick ride on Luna Park’s scenic railway, with
glimpses of the bay on the ups and screams of horror on the downs, followed by
several scoops of gelati from 7 Apples. The Limonetto is Michele’s favourite,
but Allan can’t go past the yogurt – this is the only thing we just won’t share.
Sorry kids, it’s all ours!
Ruffy Produce Store | 5790 4387
Nolans Road Ruffy (21 km off Hume Highway)
Look out for the bicycle propped up against a tree as you enter town. From
here you’re just a short distance to some fantastic country hospitality. Helen
McDougall is the driving force behind the food, which raises the bar for hearty
cooking; we still have dreams about her simple vegetable soup with pesto.
Showcasing produce from Strathbogie and Murrindindi shires, there are lots of
goodies to sample, but you’d be a fool to leave without a jar of pickled
cucumbers or scrumptious raspberry jam.
Paterson’s Cake Shop | 9510 8541
117 Chapel Street Windsor and 322 Centre Road Bentleigh | 9557 0943
Must people go to Chapel Street for the fashions, but we go for the
chocolate eclairs, iced fancies, cupcakes, Danish pastries and the occasional
aged fruitcake. Now you can have twice the shopping pleasure with another store
in Bentleigh. Pam and Peter Schneider know how to keep us happy.
In the March edition we'll be bringing you news of Philippe Mouchels return
to cooking in Melbourne, our pick of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
activities and take our first peak at Autumn ingredients.
Cheers, Allan and Michele
Soup made with fresh green peas is a real
taste sensation; it’s also very easy to make. Here the peas are lightly cooked,
then added to a simple potato base and pureed until smooth. A few fresh herbs, a
splash of cream and it’s ready.
3 tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
1 stick celery, sliced
1 leek, white only, washed and
sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 medium potatoes, peeled and
diced
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
500 ml (2 cups) light chicken stock
1 kg peas in the pod – 450 g–500 g podded
peas
12 basil leaves, sliced
12 mint leaves, sliced
90 ml cream
Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium
heat. Add onion, celery and leek; cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add
garlic, potato and salt, cook for a further 3 minutes. Pour in stock. Bring to
the boil; reduce heat and simmer until all ingredients are tender, about 10–15
minutes.
Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add a pinch
of salt, then the podded peas and cook until vibrant green and tender, about 5
minutes. Pour into a colander; refresh by running under cold water. It is
essential to cook the peas separately to avoid overcooking them and turning the
soup grey-green.
Puree peas and stock together and pass through
a fine sieve. Return to a clean saucepan. To serve, bring the soup to a gentle
boil. Remove from the heat and add the chopped herbs and cream. Adjust the
consistency with more stock if required, season to taste and serve.
Serves 6.
From Every Day in the Kitchen (Hardie Grant Books
$29.95)