Welcome to the October 2003 edition of the C&C newsletter. There's lots happening this month with awards ceremonies, food festivals, new food books and new restaurants across the country. We hope you all get out and about to make the most of these food-lovers events. We may even see you there!

October is a strange month in seasonal fruit and vegetable terms. We herald the arrival of asparagus, artichokes, broad beans and fresh peas, plus the early berries, mangoes and Valencia oranges. But many other ingredients seem to decline in quality as we enter a wet warmish time of year. Anyhow we're planning to roast a leg of lamb this weekend and serve it with broad beans and a beautiful rich tomato sauce flavoured with Spanish paprika. We might just have to pull the cork on a bottle or two of Spanish red to complete the feast. We hope you do the same.

Yes it's that time again when the worlds' food media converges on Adelaide for the bi-annual Tasting Australia. The event kicks off this weekend with the Hyatt Culinary Studios at the Hyatt Regency with guests including Gabriel Gate and Will Studd. You can learn about chocolate at the Haigh's Visitor Centre. There will be dinners and lunches galore presented by Ian Parmenter, Stephanie Alexander, Andrew Fielke, Peter Forrestal, Stefano de Pieri and Maeve O'Meara to name just a few. You can join a tour of Adelaide Central Market, watch great Australian chefs do their thing at the Chef's Showcase presented by Australian Gourmet Traveller Magazine or settle in to the Hahn three day Beer, Food and Wine Writers Festival. Of interest too is the Jacob's Creek World Food Media Awards with prizes offered for the best cook books, food and wine guides and magazines, TV shows, photographers and journalists - yours truly has both Campion & Curtis in the Kitchen and Foodies Guide nominated, keep your fingers crossed for us. It really is an enormous program of events, way more than we could cover here. If there is any way of wrangling a few days off work to attend you won't be disappointed as this is a fantastic event. Find out more at

The Hume Murray Food Region encompasses the region around Beechworth, Rutherglen and Wodonga in Victoria and from Corowa across to Tumbarumba in NSW. In recent times they have created a vibrant food group and a fortnightly Farmers Market. Now they have produced what is believed to be the first Australian regional food diary celebrating the local food and wine, festivals, producers and chefs. It contains producer profiles and is packed with recipes from local chefs, using regional in-season ingredients of course. It is loosely based on the Seasonal Produce Diary that we wrote from 1995-2000, and we even had a hand in helping put this one together. We think it's fantastic and wholeheartedly support this effort to use and support in-season ingredients and this great food and wine region. Available for $25.00 per copy (plus $6.50 postage) from Noelle Quinn on 02) 6056 3020 or contact her via e-mail on noelle.quinn@tafensw.edu.au

Special Dinner

In October 1803 the First Fleet sailed through the heads into Port Phillip Bay. The crew’s orders were to form Southern Australia’s first European Settlement. Two hundred years later a dinner has been is to be held to celebrate this genuinely auspicious occasion. Called The Birth of Melbourne Dinner, the event charts the development of our city, through food, wine and stories. Guest speaker is author and Director of the South Australian Museum, Tim Flannery, who will read from 'The Birth of Melbourne' the collection of vibrant original accounts from the city's first century, the book he edited last year. Wine writer Max Allen has assembled wines, spirits and beer (some made to original recipes especially for the event) to help paint the at-times both ribald and refined nature of Melbourne’s early years. The food has a contemporary twist , with chef Adrian Richardson (La Luna Bistro) creating dishes that both reflect the strength of flavour of Melbourne's early cooking and acknowledge the changing tastes of the passing eras. To be held on Wednesday October 8 2003 at the Lumina Room, Grand Hyatt at 7.00 pm. Tickets cost $155, bookings on 03) 9653 4660.

The SMH has now joined The Age with the release of its annual restaurant guide and awards. A glittering night was had by all apparently as chefs and restaurant owners made their way to the launch at The Wharf restaurant. Scott Bolles writing in the SMH described the evening in the following way "One chef mouthed an expletive when his restaurant received fewer hats that he felt it deserved. Another walked out. Later, a silent partner at another restaurant was anything but silent when he got in the ear of a Good Food Guide editor about one decision." Sounds like our kind of party!

it was one of the first cook books I (Allan) ever bought and cooked from. I learned how to make loquat jelly and prepare artichokes, a rich almond tart and pate brisee, autumn salad, choux pastry and a hundred other kitchen skills which I have used in the intervening years. What really drew me to Stephanie's writing was a sense of place. For the first time here was someone writing about the city - and country - I lived in, about the ingredients I could access and about the seasons I was experiencing. It celebrated an Australian approach to food and cooking which has made a huge contribution to the food culture we enjoy today. The new edition has a smart new design and delicious photographs by Simon Griffith, I just hope it becomes as much of an inspiration to you as the original was to me. Published by Viking $49.45.

Kylie Kwong is about to appear on the ABC as the next TV chef with a series dedicated to her love of great Chinese cooking. Anyone who has been lucky enough to eat at her billy kwong restaurant in Sydney will appreciate the real talent this chef has. The series premiers next Wednesday at 8pm.

Melbourne is certainly in the grip of a new Spanish/tapas era. Recently two new places have opened their doors and both have been well reviewed by the food press. Basque at 159 Chapel Street Windsor received a healthy 15/20 from John Lethlean in Epicure. Lots of great sherries are offered (of course) and chef Diana Lopez (according to Mr Lethlean) has "hit her straps". Michael Harden reviewing Basque in Melbourne Weekly suggested the 10-piece 'degustation' menu ($26) as a great way to eat here. Tel 03) 9533 7044. Souk at 267 Chapel Street Prahran was given 15.5/20 in Epicure for its Greek/North African/Spanish/Turkish food choices. 16 tapas are offered before the menu heads into entree/main/dessert choices. An interesting footnote to the Souk review with some customers commenting on price increases for some dishes since the review. A sardine dish went from $7 to $12 for instance. Apparently the tapas and entrees have merged. Mr Lethlean changed his recommendation (in stock market speak) from 'buy' to 'hold'. Tel 03) 9533 7022.

Spanish food and wine month
In keeping with the Spanish focus this month, Viva Spain, one of Melbourne’s few specialist Spanish food stores will be hosting a smorgasbord of tastings. Try authentic tapas, sherry, red wine, cheese, oils and vinegars, or attend one of the sit-down Spanish Tasting Fiestas that include a range of different traditional Spanish cuisine. Viva Spain is at 315 Victoria Street, North Melbourne. Tel 03) 9329 0485. Full details on www.vivaspain.com.au

We're big fans of Diving magazine and editor/publisher Andrew Wood has put together a very tempting offer for all those who subscribe. All you have to do is subscribe to Divine by October 7th and tell him you heard about it here in the Campion and Curtis newsletter. One lucky person out of every ten subscribers will receive a dinner for two to one of the following fine restaurants: Icebergs, Di Stasio, Melbourne Wine Room, The Grange, Claudes, Dining Room 211, Lakehouse at Daylesford. To subscribe using a credit card, please call 03) 5422 7500 during business hours or visit www.divinemagazine.com.au.

Wagyu beef seems to be the latest 'meat' for chefs across the country. David Mackintosh from Food Gatherers is one of a handful of distributors of Wagyu and he has put together an information brochure to help us understand what it takes to make the real mackoy. It makes interesting reading if you're about to order the $50.00 Wagyu entree at your favourite restaurant. Are you really getting what you're paying for? View it here at www.campionandcurtis.com/favlinks.html

The latest in the raw milk roquefort cheese saga was played out in the Appeals Tribunal in Melbourne a few days ago and the court has upheld the decision taken by the Australian Imported Food authorities to declare the Roquefort a 'failing food ' because it does not satisfy the standard 1.6.2 (a). Subsequent facts relating to time and temperature controls , including heating the milk to 32C, acidity development, salting and 90 day maturation, were not considered to characterise part of the manufacturing process. The opportunity to test the Roquefort, or the fact that the Roquefort had been tested prior to leaving France to ensure it met Australian microbiological standards was considered to be irrelevant to the appeal.

Will Studd had this to say in response - Roquefort is the most popular blue cheese in France, with a history dating back 1200 years. More than 18,000 tons are produced and there have been no food safety reports on the cheese for at least the past 30 years. It is a cheese that is sold without restriction in every country in the world EXCEPT Australia and New Zealand. In sustaining a ban on its sale on the basis of how it is made does no credit to Australia, or its new food standards code which appear to be grossly over prescriptive by international standards. The decision has very serious implications for the future development of specialist cheese in Australia. Australians should be concerned about why such a policy has been adopted when it is so clearly out of step with the food safety regulations on specialist cheeses made and sold in other countries. Following the appeal court's ruling the shipment of Roquefort from Les Fromageries Occitane must be destroyed. This requires 'deep burial' under supervision by Imported Foods at a public landfill and will take place on Friday 3rd October at the Brooklyn tip near Melbourne . This is a disappointing outcome for Australian cheese lovers and the only beneficiaries will be some very fortunate ......... Rats !

Lots of child friendly classes on here in October. Little Kids Can Cook Too with Barbara Glare on Wednesday, October 8 offers a class specially tailored for little people includes some hands-on work, with foodie games and tastings. Big Kids Budding Chefs with Kerrie Sun on Saturday, October 11 offers a class for those aged 11 to 15. On Saturday, October 25, Kurma Dasa, returns to cook some of his all-time favourite dishes, some as seen on his popular SBS TV series—some of which are yet unpublished! Bookings via the website www.belconnenmarkets.com.au or telephone 02) 6253 5132.

Lots of big names on offer again at Simon Johnsons in Pyrmont. Saturday 11th October will see Martin Boetz from Longrain at the demonstration bench. Tuesday 14th October will feature Matthew Moran from Aria. David Thompson will be offering classes on October 18th and 21st, not to be missed if you hanker after excellent Thai food and cooking. The latest chef to grace the small screen Kylie Kwong will be visiting on Tuesday 28th October to celebrate her latest cookbook and TV series. Bookings on 02) 9552 2522.

Lots of big names appearing here this month. Kicking off with Guy Grossi on October 15th as he cooks from his new book. Stephen Pallet will be in on October 18th with a hands-on sushi and sashimi class. A special night will also be held with Loretta Sartori on Oct 27th as she gets us ready for Christmas baking and making special festive food gifts. Bookings on 03) 9827 9047.

Plenty on offer here starting with Jeff Lamb of Tides Seafood Grill and Oyster Bar on 11th October, with a focus on seafood of course. Pasta lovers can learn from one of Melbourne's masters on October 16th when Tiberio Donnini of Donnini's Pasta shares a lifetime of pasta making experience. David’s Braim from Braimfood has a class on October 21st with lots of great ideas for those planning ahead for the spring racing carnival entertaining. We will be at the school on Saturday 25th October with a 'sneak preview' of recipes from Allan's up-coming book King of the Grill. This is a follow-up to last years Secret Men's BBQ Business and it travels the world from Morocco to Spain and Indonesia to Mexico, to source the very best barbecue recipes. Bookings on 03) 9320 5835.

The up-coming program of classes for October includes the Australian Gourmet Traveller team on Thursday 16th with a 3-hour hands-on dinner class. On Friday 17th its visiting British food writer Sue Lawrence presenting some of her delicious, modern seafood dishes, and will convince you that, with its cold coastal waters, lochs and rivers, there’s a lot more to Modern Scottish cooking than ‘haggis and neeps’. On Thursday 23rd its time to get hands-on with a class dedicated to learning about Chilli Crab. Bookings on 02) 9004 1111 and on-line at www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au

In the November issue we'll be taking a good look at the latest wine and beer guides on the market with releases from Max Allen & Peter Forrestal, Stuart Gregor, Ben Canadier & Greg Duncan Powell, Ralth Kyte-Powell and Huon Hooke, plus all the news from Tasting Australia.