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Campion & Curtis Newsletter - September 2006
Welcome to the latest Campion and Curtis newsletter. There is no doubt that spring is in the air at last with delicious September ingredients appearing
in our markets and some beautifully sunny days, all great reasons to stop hibernating and get out and enjoy it. This month we have a round-up of the
major restaurant guides in Melbourne and Sydney, a report on A Taste of Slow, some terrific recent restaurant outings and wines, plus the newly
arrived Seasonal Produce Diary 2007.
Regards, Allan and Michele.
Visit the Campion and Curtis home page
Spring produce
There's been a rush of great produce in recent weeks, not least of it with the citrus family. On one Queen Victoria Market stall last week there were blood oranges,
stunning grapefruit and three different varieties of mandarin (including the honey sweet murcotts), plus oranges, lemons and limes. It really opens up
an amazing array of possibilities, just from these ingredients alone. These can be used in cakes, tarts and muffins, plus salad dressings and BBQ
marinades, desserts and not forgetting freshly squeezed juice for breakfast. Also looking good at the moment are fresh, young salad leaves, asparagus,
early basil and parsley. To celebrate spring we've taken a number of these ingredients for our asparagus and green tea noodle salad with Thai prawns.
The recipe is from our Seasonal Produce Diary and is included at the end of this newsletter.
The Age Good Food Guide 2007
It's that time of year again when chefs leave their apprentices to cook alone for a Monday night as they gather to hear what the local critics
think of their food, dining rooms and service staff. This year in Melbourne it's been the job of new editors John Lethlean and Necia
Wilden to rate the current restaurant offerings. It's hard to see any places where they have gotten it wrong, they've obviously made a great effort
to award scores, hats and awards with a very even hand. There's also a stronger link between the scores given in Epicure and the guide, which is
a welcome outcome. Well done to Andrew McConnell for picking up chef of the year and best new restaurant. Also a well deserved
restaurant of the year award to Shannon Bennett and an unbeatable three hats, and 19/20 score. If the on-stage comments made by some of the
restaurant owners are anything to go by, they would be very keen to see an increase in menu prices. We'll have to see who is willing to go first in
that area.
As they say winners are grinners, so here's the major list:
Restaurant of the Year: Vue de Monde
Chef of the year: Andrew McConnell (Three, One, Two)
Young chef of the year: Dallas Cuddy (Verge)
Best new restaurant: Three, One, Two
Country restaurant of the year: The Lake House, Daylesford
Dish of the year: Movida’s Cecina - Air Cured Beef with Truffle Foam and Poached Egg
Wine list of the year: Ezard
Best short wine list: Libertine, North Melbourne.
Service excellence award: Luke Stringer, Oyster Little Bourke
Professional excellence award: Jean-Paul Prunetti, France-Soir
Outstanding achievement award: John and Frank van Haandel, Circa, The Prince, Comme Kitchen, Longrain, Stokehouse
Three Hat Winner - Jacques Reymond, Windsor, Vue de Monde, city
Two Hat Winners - Flower Drum, City, Grossi Florentino, City, Lake House, Daylesford, Simone's Restaurant, Bright
Age Good Food Guide 2007 - $26.95 by Necia Wilden and John Lethlean
The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2007
A new team also in Sydney is headed by Simon Thomsen and Catherine Keenan. They seem to have dug into a popular vein with simultaneously three chef's hats
awards to brothers Peter and Greg Doyle, of est. and Pier respectively. Also celebrating was Tony Bilson, with three hats for his restaurant, Bilson's.
Justin and Georgia North from Becasse went home with two hats and restaurant of the year, so very pleased no doubt.
And the winners are:
Restaurant of the year Becasse
Chef of the year: Katrina Kanetani, pastry chef, Pier, Rose Bay
Best new restaurant: Bentley Restaurant & Bar, Surry Hills
Best regional restaurant: Fins, Byron Bay
The Sydney Morning Herald Award for Professional Excellence: Tony Bilson of Bilson's
The Sydney Morning Herald Silver Service Award: Toni Urquhart of No. 2 Oak Street, Bellingen
The Good Food Guide Sommelier Award: Nick Hildebrandt of Bentley Restaurant & Bar
The Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year Award: Philip Wood from Tetsuya's.
City - Three hats - Bilson's, Claude's, est., Guillaume at Bennelong, Marque, Pier, Quay, Tetsuya's
City -Two hats - Aria, Becasse, Bentley Restaurant & Bar, Bistro Moncur, Buon Ricordo, Iceberg's Dining Room & Bar, Lucio's, Omega, Pello, Pier Tasting Room, Pilu at Freshwater, Rockpool, Sean's Panaroma, Yoshii
Editors' picks -
Favourite bistro Bistrode, Surry Hills
Favourite Mediterranean VINI, Surry Hills
Favourite Asian Billy Kwong, Surry Hills
Favourite pizza La Disfida, Haberfield
Favourite yum cha Marigold Citymark, Haymarket
Favourite bar Bambini Wine Room, city
Favourite cafe Brasserie Bread, Banksmeadow
SMH Good Food Guide 2007 22ed - $26.95 by Simon Thomsen and Catherine Keenan
The Seasonal Produce Diary 2007
Yes, it's that time of year again when cooks books begin to appear in book shops across the country, and one of them is our latest
Seasonal Produce Diary 2007. As many of our readers would know we believe that one of the keys to good cooking is using fresh produce in the peak of
its season. Think of the soft, blushing apricots of summer, the bounty of wild mushrooms in autumn, the downy yellow quinces of early winter and the
bright green peas of spring. When you begin cooking seasonally, you'll never go back to supermarket tomatoes!
The Seasonal Produce Diary tells you which fruit and vegetables are in season in Australia each month – to inspire you in your cooking and take the
guesswork out of shopping. You'll also find a deliciously simple recipe each week, tips on matching food with wine, and information on the year's
foodie festivals and markets around the country. The diary also includes a beautiful design by the team at pfisterer + freeman and delicious photos
by Greg Elms.
The diary is one of those titles which seem to sell out quite quickly, so get down to your local
bookshop soon.
Alternatively we've placed the diary for sale on our website so you can order a signed copy to come directly to your door.
View books for sale here.
The Seasonal Produce Diary 2007 By Allan Campion and Michele Curtis Published by Hardie Grant Books RRP $29.95
Food Blogs
A reader sent over a link to a food blog titled An Elegant Sufficiency. As with this type of thing it offers a very personal view on food, eating and
matters of the table. The interesting thing about this blog is that it's written by an ex Age food editor, Stephanie Woods.
She edited The Age Good Food Guide for a number of years, and it was her musings on the recent awards ceremony which caught our eye, plus
her list of '10 Things I Don't Miss About Being a Restaurant Reviewer'. The blog is well worth a look for her thoughts on food, recipes, cooking
and the links to lots of good articles and foodie news sites. Visit Stephanie's blog.
Recent Drinks
A few interesting bottle have been enjoyed in recent times, so here's a run down of a few favourites. Rutherglen durif may not be the most friendly
of wines when young. Rutherglen durif may not be the friendliest of wines when young. They're packed with mouth puckering tannin and quite
unmanageable. Having kept a bottle at the bottom of the wine cupboard for 10 years, it was time to tackle it. The tannin had done its work and the
resulting wine was a real winner, especially with homemade pasta and a braised rabbit sauce.
Also loved a recent Chapel Hill Cabernet 2002. The wine is sourced from fruit grown in Coonawarra and McLaren Vale, and it
shows in the glass. It's on the big side for a cabernet, but still elegant, rich and stunning with beef and duck dishes. A delicious drop.
Dining out
There is no doubt Melbourne has had a great run of recent restaurant openings and we've had a chance to check out a few of them.
Had the good fortune to already have a booking in-place at Three, One, Two before their recent awards. No doubt the phone is running hot there now,
and it'll take some time to get a booking. If you do you're in for a real treat. The duo of Andrew McConnell and Pascale Gomes-McNabb
have put together a beautiful room and a terrific service team. Even the crockery is specially chosen, a trend we loved at Vue de Monde, and
hope will continue into many other places. The menu is one which is small, but delightfully seasonal. When we visited the starter of oysters with
a side serving of fresh lime salsa was an absolute wonder. Especially with a glass of William Fevre Chablis.
So good we ordered another plate to share. At this stage we keep the French wine theme going and splashed on a bottle of burgundy to go with
entrees including a stunning confit ocean trout, plus a terrific rabbit pate. This high standard continued with main courses of baby snapper,
and a very interesting artichoke and potato gnocchi dish. Andrew's apple confit dessert with a glass of sauternes made a fitting
finish to a memorable meal. One not to be missed, even if you do have to make a booking for a few months time. It'll be worth the wait.
Three, One, Two - 312 Drummond Street, Carlton, 03 9347 3312.
Keeping it in the family, there has also been an opportunity to get into Matt McConnell's (Andrews brother) new place in the CBD. Bar Lourinha is a very stylish
place with a strong Spanish/Portuguese theme to the look and the food. As you'd expect the room is dominated by a long bar, with lots of stools
so you can prop yourself up and peruse the menu and wines on offer. Loved the freshly-shucked oysters which came complete with its sea juices, the
chargrilled tiger prawns with chilli salt are fantastic too. Don't miss the spicy rabbit empanadillas (little pies), which are really delicious
with a glass of imported red. Bar Lourinha also hosts paella nights from time to time, which are going down a treat we hear.
One to really enjoy through the day or late at night, when you are in need of some tapas action. Bar Lourinha 37 Little Collins Street Melbourne 03 9663 7890.
A couple of other culinary mentions must go out too. While Movida's Cecina (Air Cured Beef with Truffle Foam and Poached Egg) may have taken out dish of the
year in The Age Good Food Guide, a recent tasting of their Half shell scallop oven baked with jamon and potato foam would have to be a
serious contender for the title. Also had the opportunity to go to a lunch hosted by Fergus Henderson and indulge in a couple of his nose-to-tail
dishes (prepared by the team at The Point). Loved his roast bone marrow and parsley salad, which was served with toasted sourdough bread. This was followed
by a roast suckling pig, complete with an amazing stuffing of kidneys and bread. Platters of fruit filled Eccles cakes were served with wedges of Lancashire cheese.
Anyone wanting to indulge in a similar feast will have to go to his St. John restaurant in London.
Find our more here.
A Taste of Slow - Australia 2006
The weather gods shone down on the organisers of A Taste of Slow last weekend with expected hail failing to to materialise, and many thousands turning up
to celebrate Slow Food. The odd few drops of rain done nothing to dampen the terrific feeling there was at The Convent in Abbotsford as panels discussed
food in all its guises, interstate Slow Food groups manned their stalls to extol the virtues of their part of Australia and the honey bee dancers
entertained everyone on the lawn. The beer garden was enjoyed by many, as was the delicious offerings from the rare breed's tent next door.
Stephanie Alexander's students also offered amazing food from an extensive Kitchen Garden stall.
Another highlight was the Ark of Taste Crypt where products put
forward by Australia to be considered for inclusion in The Ark were beautifully displayed and showcased.
The CWA ladies whipped up sponges by the dozen, there was also eel, sherry and butter to taste and learn about. All are up for
nomination to join products already included on The Ark. There was also a room devoted to honey, a terrific cheese stall, books to buy,
oysters to be enjoyed and lots to learn and taste. The ABC coverage with Tonya Roberts was excellent too and if the traffic jams were anything to
go by they certainly encouraged locals to come on down in droves. Well done to all concerned. Let's hope hundreds of slow-minded visitors have now signed up
to join the orginisation and get involved. Now if we could just find out whom it was inside the
giant snail suit as it had a particular nasty streak!
PS: Organisers have just released official figures and say that over 16,000 food and wine lovers attended A Taste of Slow, which is three times the attendance of the
same weekend last year.
Fine Food Australia
It was a real reality check to pay a visit to Fine Food Australia in the days following A Taste of Slow. Despite the exhibitions name, many of the
foods on display were not things many of us would be keen to serve to our families. There was hundreds of mass produced, semi-frozen, par-baked,
pre-squeezed, heavily packaged products, all crammed into supermarket-like aisles and frozen in the glare of fluorescent lights. After spending most
of Saturday celebrating the good things about Australian food, it was an incredible contrast to walk around Fine Food Australia.
The only up-shot were the handful of exhibitors who were also at A Taste of Slow handing out samples. They stood out like sparkling diamonds.
A good place to check out the latest catering equipment, new packaging ideas, chefs culinary competitions and that soft of thig,
but not somewhere for fine family food.
We've just announced news of a new Foodies' Bus tour on our website, plus a number of options for cooking classes.
Details on the Campion and Curtis website Campion and Curtis home page
Cheers until next month, Allan and Michele
Asparagus and green tea noodle salad with Thai prawns
As spring takes hold and asparagus season kicks in, try this delicious, fresh way to celebrate.
2 tbsp grated or shaved palm sugar
80 ml (1/3 cup) lime juice
60 ml (1/4 cup) fish sauce
2 small red chillies, diced
60 ml (1/4 cup) peanut or olive oil
200g green tea noodles
4 bunches asparagus
1 cup coriander leaves
1/2 cup Vietnamese mint leaves
1/2 cup Thai basil leaves
1 kg green prawns
1 tbsp peanut oil, additional
Mix palm sugar, lime juice and fish sauce together. Stir until sugar dissolves.
Add chillies and oil. Set 60 ml (1/4 cup) of liquid aside.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook green tea noodles until al dente, approx 8 minutes.
Drain refresh and cool under running water. Place in a bowl.
Bring another pot of water to the boil.
Snap off and discard the hard ends of asparagus and cook the spears in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, depending on thickness.
Refresh under cold running water.
Cut asparagus into 5 cm lengths. Place in bowl with noodles, add herbs. Refrigerate until needed.
Peel prawns leaving tails attached.
Place in a bowl. Add the 60 ml (1/4 cup) of liquid set aside and additional oil.
Marinate for 30 minutes before cooking.
Heat a large fry pan, or grill until hot.
Add prawns, cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove.
Add to noodle salad, along with remaining liquid, toss to combine. Divide between 6 plates and serve immediately.
Serves 6 as an entree.
Recipe from the Seasonal Produce Diary 2006.