Campion & Curtis Newsletter - September 2007
Welcome to the latest Campion and Curtis newsletter.
There's no denying the rapid
approach of beautiful spring weather with warmer nights, earlier sunrises and lots of blossom appearing.
There's lots of food news to report in this months edition including a number of restaurant awards, a terrific Slow Food event in South Gippsland,
news on food blogs, recent drinks, a chocolate tasting session, cheese show awards plus terrific new produce to enjoy. We also have the latest
Seasonal Produce Diary to rave about. Yes the 2008 edition is finally here, but more about that later.
Enjoy!
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Spring produce
It seems just as we had all become used to beautiful winter cooking and suddenly it's over. In the previous edition of this newsletter we were singing the praises
of rhubarb, apples, pears, turnips, parsnips and swedes - and winter cooking.
How things change in just a few weeks. Now our thoughts are turning to spring lamb, lettuces, artichokes, spinach, asparagus, broad beans, spinach and
fresh garden peas. There are also blood oranges, Ellendale mandarins, tangelos, pink grapefruit and pineapples to enjoy. There is no doubt the best places to source
the freshest ingredients is at produce markets and farmers' markets around the country. Visitors to Collingwood, St Kilda and Gasworks have been loving a
new stall called Glenora Heritage Produce run by Andrew Wood (ex Divine magazine). Andrew is growing really beautiful lettuces, Asian greens, spinach and herbs
and had amazing fresh picked mushrooms a few weeks back. Well worth a look, but get in early as he sells out in no time!
The Age Good Food Guide 2008
It's that time of year again when chefs from across Melbourne and regional Victoria gather to hear who has picked up accolades and awards from
The Age Good Food Guide co-editors John Lethlean and Necia Wilden. In an evening where food and drinks flowed effortlessly and Shaun Micallef added plenty of
humor to the awards stage, there were awards many expected, plus lots of surprise winners. The expected winners were newcomers such as Gingerboy, Rockpool Bar and Grill and
The Press Club. The surprises included Jacques Reymond being placed firmly back on top as the only three hat restaurant in the state.
Also great to see a few Campion and Curtis favourites on the podium including Bar Lourinha picking up best short wine list, Adam D'Sylva getting the nod as
young chef of the year, plus Simon's of Bright and Attica each receiving a second hat. The only problem is that now it'll be even harder to get into some of our
favourite places!
Well done to all involved - here's the full list of winners (with editors comments):
Restaurant of the year - Rockpool Bar and Grill
A showcase for Neil Perry's uncompromising commitment to produce and ultimately something fresh and ambitious for Melbourne's restaurant scene.
Country restaurant of the year - Range (Myrtleford).
Chef Michael Ryan has been threatening greatness for years in Victoria's North-East. Finally, at his own restaurant, he is delivering some of the finest food in the
State.
Best new restaurant - The Press Club.
Chef George Calombaris has turned the food of his Greek heritage into something exciting and new, and created a restaurant that is polished and professional in its hospitality.
Chef of the year - George Calombaris, The Press Club
He made his name as a precocious youngster. Now, by going back to his roots, George Calombaris has given us an impressive new restaurant and forced us to
re-evaluate Greek cuisine.
* Outstanding achievement award - Jacques Reymond.
* Professional excellence award - Ronnie Di Stasio, Café Di Stasio.
* Young chef of the year - Adam D'Sylva, Pearl.
* Dish of the year - Confit apple with burnt butter ice-cream, Three, One, Two.
* Wine list of the year - Circa, The Prince.
* Best short wine list - Bar Lourinha.
* Sommelier of the year - Dan Sims, Fifteen.
* Service excellence award - Ari Vlassopoulos, Manager, Pearl.
* Best website - Gingerboy
City hats
Three hats -Jacques Reymond
Two hats - Attica, Becco, Botanical, Cafe Di Stasio, Circa the Prince, Donovans, Ezard, Flower Drum, Grossi Florentino, Interlude, Matteo's, Pearl, The Press Club, Rockpool
Bar & Grill, Stokehouse, Taxi Dining Room, Three One Two, Vue de Monde.
One hat - Abia's, The Argo, Bacash, The Brasserie by Philippe Mouchel, Cecconi's Cantina, Cicciolina, Comme Kitchen, The Court House, Da Noi, David's, Delizia Cucina,
Fenix, France-Soir, Gingerboy, The Graham, The Grand, Hotel Lincoln, Idea Fine Food & Wine, II Bacaro, Kenzan, Koots, Ladro, Longrain, L'Oustal, Maisonette, Maris, Melbourne Wine Room, Middle Brighton Baths, Mirka at Tolarno Hotel, MoVida, Ocha, Oyster Little Bourke, Punch Lane, Red Emperor, Shiranui, Shoya, Tempura Haijime, Verge, Yu-u.
Country hats
Two hats - Lake House (Daylesford), Range (Myrtleford), Simone's Restaurant (Bright), Stefano's (Mildura)
One hat - Annie Smithers Bistrot (Kyneton), Bella Vedere (Coldstream), Dining Room at the Flinders (Flinders), Farmers Arms Hotel (Daylesford), Healesville Hotel
(Healesville), Merrijig Inn (Port Fairy), Montalto (Red Hill South), Neilsons (Traralgon), The Outpost Retreat (Noojee), Pettavel Winery & Restaurant (Waurn Ponds),
Royal George Hotel (Kyneton), Sourcedining (Albury), Teller (Mooroopna), Wardens Food & Wine (Beechworth)
The Age Good Food Guide 2008 is now available for $26.95.
Australian Gourmet Traveller - 2008 Restaurant Guide Awards
The Age Good Food Guide is not the publication handing our restaurant awards. A veritable 'who’s who' of the restaurant industry gathered recently at the
newly opened Nobu Restaurant at Crown in Melbourne to celebrate the Australian Gourmet Traveller 2008 Restaurant Guide Awards.
While many have commented on the Sydney centric 'three star' winners, Victoria fared extremely in the awards overall.
Pier restaurant in Sydney took out the top gong for Restaurant of the Year with AGT editor Anthea Loucas describing the meals enjoyed at this long running harbourside
as 'quite simply flawless.' It was also fantastic to see chef Phillip Searle given the Outstanding Contribution to the Industry award.
The three-star winners are:
Victoria – Melbourne
* Vue de Monde
New South Wales – Sydney
* Bécasse
* Buon Ricordo
* Claude’s
* Est.
* Guillaume at Bennelong
* Marque
* Pier
* Quay
* Rockpool
* Tetsuya’s
Other awards included:
* Best New Talent – Ben Shewry, Attica, Melbourne
* Maître d’ of the Year – Mallory Wall, Café Di Stasio, Melbourne
* Wine List of the Year – Ten Minutes by Tractor, Victoria
* Bar of the Year – Der Raum, Melbourne
* Sommelier of the Year – Simon Curkovic, Catalina, Sydney
* Regional Restaurant of the Year – Nu Nu, Palm Cove
* Best New Restaurant – Rockpool Bar & Grill, Melbourne
* Outstanding Contribution to the Industry – Phillip Searle, Vulcans, NSW
The Australian Gourmet Traveller 2008 Australian Restaurant Guide is available with the September issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine.
The Seasonal Produce Diary 2008
Yes, it's that time of year again when we can finally unveil the latest Seasonal Produce Diary (officially heading into bookshops from September 1st).
It's great to be able to show what we've been working on with the team at Hardie Grant Books for much of the year.
There are a number of great improvements to the 2008 edition,
including a flexibound format with a coloured elastic closure, a beautiful new design from Trisha Garner and lush colour food photography by Gorta Yuuki.
This stunning diary for food lovers provides inspiration on what to eat and cook based on the best fresh produce available at the market each month of the year.
With increasing public attention being placed on sustainable eating habits and the trend to eat locally produced food, the Seasonal Produce Diary is the ideal
accompaniment to your cookbook collection. It features over 60 delicious recipes, month-by-month lists of the best seasonal ingredients, combined with wine tips,
a guide to food and wine festivals around Australia, plus the opening hours of Australia's best produce markets.
The Seasonal Produce Diary 2008 is now sold out.
Food Blogs
There's a hell of a lot of food blogs out there in cyberspace and not that many of any real substance.
One blog which really is worth a look is Tummy Rumbles, put together by food loving duo Mellie and Danny.
They are as happy writing up their Vue De Monde experience as they are passing on their latest find - Beard Papa's choux profiterole topped with dark chocolate,
sprinkled with flakes of chocolate and pumped full of vanilla custard cream! Lots of great photos too which bring all to life. Well worth a look.
Slow Food Spring Festival in West Gippsland
The West Gippsland chapter of Slow Food (Victoria) have a substantial program of events set in place for their festival which runs from October 1st to 14th.
* Learn the secrets of making sweet breads including spicy fruit loaf and your own English muffins at The Grange on 2nd October.
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* Celebrate Asparagus Festival at the Cardinia Ranges Farmers' Market on Sun 13th October.
* The Organic Veges? Get Digging! event will cover everything you need to know to create a beautiful vegetable garden on Saturday 6th October.
* Enjoy A West Gippsland Cream Tea at Serendipity Lavender Farm (including getting hands-on with the scones) on Saturday 6th and Sun 7th October.
* At Barra' Three Ways chef Karen Yann will teach participants how to prepare barramundi, farmed locally in Garfield, in three delicious ways on Sun 7th October.
* KOTO graduates, Hoang Thi Hue and Hoang Thi Hanh, are visiting West Gippsland and with Melbourne chef, Tracey Lister, to prepare a Vietnamese banquet out of Cannibal
Creek's wood fired ovens. Guests will also have the opportunity to meet Jimmy Pham and learn about the KOTO program on Sunday 7th October.
* A Bush Tucker Gathering will take you on a culinary journey of bush foods you can grow in your own backyard on Saturday 13th October.
* Join experienced local earthen oven builders, John and Anna Rando, as they teach you how to build your very own wood fired oven on 13th October.
There's lot's more besides too.
For further information call Slow Food West Gippsland on 03 5942 7057.
Peace with Earth
Peace with Earth 2008 is a collaboration between Oliveria, Spacecraft & Voiceless that aims to raise
awareness about the suffering of factory farmed animals in Australia. As it says on the Oliveria website 'The nature of food production has changed dramatically over recent decades with producers chasing
greater scale and efficiency. Consequently, millions of animals are now confined to factory farms where their basic needs are denied. Many live in cages of steel and
cement, have no access to the outdoors, are deprived of basic social interactions and mutilated with no pain relief.' By purchasing one of the limited edition 2008
Peace With Earth decanters you are contributing $2.00 to Voiceless to fund grants for projects in the area of animal protection. You're also gaining a beautiful
vessel in which to store olive oil. Purchases can be made online from Oliveria. Or from the Oliveria store at the corner of
Commercial Road and Cato Street, Prahran. Tel 03 9510 0690.
Melbourne Specialist Cheese Show
Results are in for the recent Melbourne Specialist Cheese Show with 16 Gold Medals awarded plus the Grand Champion Cheese award.
Milawa Gold (affectionately known a "Ol' Stinky) was the unanimous pick from all 30 judges to take home the Grand Champion Award Award.
Also picking up awards were the following:
Fresh Curd - Soft - Meredith Dairy - Ashed Pyramid and Udder Delights - Chevre
Fresh Curd - Textured - Capra Cheese - Allegroand Capra Cheese - Mountain Ash
Fresh Curd - Matured- Red Hill Cheese - Paradigm Log
Fresh Curd Marinated - Meredith Dairy - Goat cheese in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
White Mould - Udder Delights - Adelaide Hills Brie and Red Hill Cheese - Misty Valley (Goat)
Blue Mould - Kind Island Dairy - Endeavour Blue and Jindi Cheese Company - Jindi Blue
Washed Rind - Barambah Organics - Gold Hawk and Milawa Cheese Company - Milawa Gold.
Also a Special Commendation Chief Judges Choice - Woodside Cheese Rights - Pompeii
Cheddar -Ashgrove Cheese - Cloth Mature
Semi Hard Cooked Style Heidi Farm - Raclette and Woodside Cheese Wrights - Figaro
Hard Cooked Style - Donnybrook Farmhouse Cheese - Pasterello
Foodies' Tours of Melbourne
There has been a flurry of bookings Foodies Bus Tours coming up this spring, especially from visitors coming from interstate and New Zealand.
This has filled the September tours and left just a handful of seats on the November 17th tour. So if you're keen to get out and explore the best
Melbourne food places, don't delay!
Bookings are now available for October 20th and December 8th.
'Last weekend my friends and I enjoyed a fabulous getaway weekend in Melbourne and thoroughly enjoyed our day out with you on your foodies' tour.'
Amanda S.
Foodies' Tours of Melbourne for school groups
Melbourne Food Tours has recently announced food tours for school groups. These are proving very popular with teachers looking for activities for their hospitality and
food technology students. These tours are offered at a substantial price reduction to regular tours in order to make them affordable for budding foodies!
Details of the school tours are available here.
Those keen to get a sneak preview can view photos from journalist Ed Charles' recent trip on a
Foodies Bus Tour of Melbourne here.
Campion & Curtis Cooking classes
Allan recently travelled to Bendigo for the Chocolate Rush Festival to present his 'World of Chocolate' session. It was a terrific weekend with over 2000
visitors attending classes, tastings and demonstrations. Due to many requests Allan will be again presenting this session for Melbourne based foodies.
The World of Chocolate
Chocolate is one of the worlds' most popular foods - and with good reason. Join food author Allan Campion as he explores the history and legend of this amazing food.
Over 1 1/2 hours be guided through the history and story of this amazing product from South America to the world at large. The class includes a tutored chocolate tasting of over 15 different chocolates. This will cover commercial brands right through to rare single estate vintage
chocolates. Learn about the big chocolate houses of Europe and the new brands making an impact in the New World, including Australia.
Gain an understanding of where chocolate comes from, how it is made, how to really 'taste' chocolate and become expert in choosing your favourites.
The class will be held at Books for Cooks, 223 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy on Wednesday 12th September at 6.30pm - 8.00pm.
Cost is $55.00 per person.
Bookings are limited to 12 people. Telephone 03 8415 1415. Or email Books for Cooks.
There are a number of other cooking classes coming up soon. This includes a Shop and Cook Tour on Saturday 27th September, Entrees of the world matched to Tamar Ridge Cool Climate Wines on Thursday 1st November,
the world of cheese on Wednesday 7th November plus Spring - Summer Desserts on Wednesday 14th November.
Classes can also be booked for private and corporate groups. Full details on the Campion and Curtis website.
Recent drinks
Really enjoyed a couple of red wines in the recent school holidays. The current release Windy Peak pinot noir (Yarra Valley fruit) and Windy Peak sangiovese
(King Valley fruit) in particular. Both are excellent value for money in the mid teens price range. Also enjoyed a great selection of New Zealand whites and reds at a recent tasting.
With spring in the air it's a great time to return to wines like Montana Classic sauvignon blanc. The 2007 (as you would expect) is packed with wonderful gooseberry,
mango and passionfruit flavours and aromas. Brilliant teamed with seafood salads and barbecue prawns in coming months. Was also impressed with the Montana Brancott
Marlborough sauvignon Blanc 2006. A really elegant sav blanc which was almost European in style with the classic tropical flavours balanced out with an almost
oily mouth feel and a crisp, minerally finish. The Montana Terraces Estate Marlborough pinot noir 2004 is an absolute ripper too.
It's great to see a pinot with a few years age on it as it has developed into a wonderfully deep plummy and ripe cherry wine balanced with a terrific mix of savoury spice.
Help wanted!
No, we're not turning this newsletter into a classifieds section. However a few places we really admire are looking for staff and readers of this newsletter
may be (or know) the person they're looking for. St Ali is a highlight on the Foodies' Bus Tour of Melbourne and one of the top coffee businesses in town.
They have recently opened site number two in the CBD and are recruiting experienced hospitality staff.
Visit the St Ali website to find out more.
Oyster Little Bourke is looking to recruit more experienced staff as they gear up for the busiest time of the year.
Do you know of any passionate, senior floor staff looking to bolster their already impressive resume and join an experienced team?
A seasoned professional returning from interstate or overseas? A friend or family member that would like to work in the best part of Melbourne's CBD?
If so
email Frank here or give him a call 03 9650 0988. Oyster Little Bourke, 35 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne.
The October edition of the Campion and Curtis newsletter will celebrate the much anticipated release of the 2008 Foodies' Guide to Melbourne, so don't miss it.
It will cover our award winners across the state plus news and reviews of great food stores across Melbourne and regional Victoria.
You can sign up for the free Campion and Newsletter here.
Spring recipe and wine match from the current Seasonal Produce Diary
Broad bean, goat's cheese and spring herb risotto
Spring is a green time and this fresh risotto reinforces that warmer weather is on the way. With the fresh growth of grass, goats also produce the best milk of the
year, making their cheese full of flavour and zing.
500 g broad beans
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 leek, thinly sliced, optional
1 carrot, finely diced, optional
1 garlic clove, crushed
500 g (2 1/2 cup) arborio rice
250 ml (1 cup) white wine
1.5 litres (6 cups) hot vegetable or chicken stock
60 g (3/4 cup) parmigiano, grated
100 g fresh goat's cheese, crumbled
90 g butter, diced
2-3 tbsp mixed chopped herbs such as parsley, basil and mint
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pod broad beans. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook the beans for 1 minute.
Drain and refresh under cold water.
Shell the beans by slitting the pale green skins with a thumbnail and squeezing out the vivid green beans inside.
Heat a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat.
Add oil, onion, leek, carrot and garlic and fry for 3-4 minutes.
Add rice and fry briefly. Add wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed.
Begin adding hot stock - at first just enough to cover the rice, then a ladleful at a time as the stock is absorbed.
Stir well with each addition.
Continue adding stock until rice is just done but each grain is still slightly firm in the centre (around 15-20 minutes).
Add broad beans and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
Remove the risotto from the heat.
Add parmigiano, goat's cheese, butter and herbs and stir until the cheese and butter has melted and the risotto is creamy.
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serves 4-6.
Books are available to order on the Campion and Curtis website.
Broad bean, goat's cheese and spring herb risotto wine match
We're not huge fans of many modern releases of wooded chardonnay which often taste more of timber than the actual grapes.
Chardonnay made in the Chablis region of France however is something we really love.
These wines often have a fresh mineral aspect to them and a steely acidity which makes them very food friendly.
Chablis is also a rare wine which can cope with this flavour combination of broad beans and goats' cheese.
William Ferve is a classic Chablis brand that is widely available and a great introduction to this wine style.
Other producers to search for at specialist wine stores include Le Chablisienne, Joseph Drouhin and Domaine Laroche.