Allan Campion & Michele Curtis - Australian food and wine website

Australian food and wine website
www.campionandcurtis.com

Our favourite links

Slow Food
Join the Slow Food movement and get involved with like-minded people at feasts, functions and events throughout the year. Slow food is active in most countries around the world, so what are you waiting for? Find you local branch here by visiting the Slow Food website

The 15th Symposium of Australian Gastronomy
More details have just been released for the next Symposium of Australian Gastronomy to be held in Tasmania in 2007. It may seem a long way away but it's great to see the committee getting such a great program together. Symposium details Registration form

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Project
Stephanie Alexander has been working hard with the staff and students of Collingwood College in inner city Melbourne to create and operate the Kitchen Garden Project. The idea is to introduce children to the growing of fresh ingredients and to teach then the skills required to transform them into delicious food, as a regular part of their schooling. They are always keen to hear from potential sponsors and volunteers – find out more on the kitchen garden page at www.stephaniealexander.com.au/. There are further links from here to Collingwood college and to the edible schoolyard project at the Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkley, California, a project inspired by American chef and food writer, Alice Waters. A second Melbourne school has just been added to the program.

Farmers Markets
Farmers Markets are popping up all over country Australia, with many describing it as a food revolution. For producers these markets provide an opportunity to sell produce directly to customers and to grow and produce small amount of different ingredients. The Australian Farmers Market Association recently launched a website which covers the many markets across the country, visit it here.

Food blogs
These has been an explosion in the number of food blogs in recent years and many of them provide great recipes, foodie discussions, dining recommendations and much more. Janet C (a.k.a The Old Foodie) is a C&C newsletter reader who has taken the plunge into cyberspace with a food history blog. Several months ago she started writing 400 words each weekday on a food history topic related to the specific day, and adding a historic recipe. Like most blogs she initially started it partly for fun and partly for the writing discipline. She is keen to get feedback from fellow foodies Janet's blog can be found here. We think it's great, so have a look and let her know what you think!

Chocolate blogging
This month we're pleased to pass on news of a terrific chocolate food blog It's called Chocolate in Context and is written by Emily Stone, who describes herself as a chocolate enthusiast, a freelance writer, an itinerant traveler and a native New Yorker based in Australia. It includes book reviews, road tests recipes and reports on artisan chocolates. Chocolate in Context

The Best of Friends Cookbook
Every now and then a cookbook comes along with a story behind it that you just cannot ignore. The Best of Friends is one such book. In 1994 Frenchman Sebastien Marot was visiting Cambodia and was faced with the extreme poverty that street children were facing. Many of us have had such an experience, The Best of Friends - The Restaurant Cookbook

The Best of Friends - The Restaurant Cookbook

the difference here is that Sebastien decided to do something about it. He and a couple of colleagues set up a training centre for local children called Mith Samlanh/Friends and it has made an incredible difference in Phnom Penh. The centre offers children training and vocational skills in areas like mechanics, hairdressing, and very importantly cooking. Starting with just 17 children over 10 years ago, Mith Samlanh/Friends now works with 1800 children on a daily basis in 12 different centers. As well as training the centers also offer a boarding house, literacy classes, HIV/AIDS and drug awareness programs. The Best of Friends cookbook has been created in the Friends restaurant by the children and staff as a fundraiser for their incredible project. In a time when we seem to be bombarded by bad news and conflict, it's heartening to see a group of people who are dedicating their lives to making a difference for others. BHP Biliton has assisted with creating the book and making it available locally. The Best of Friends, The Restaurant $39.95. Available through Books For Cooks, 233-235 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy 8415 1415.

Dan Lepard
Renowned baker Dan Lepard recently visited Melbourne to host a series of cooking classes, sign copies of his book The Hand Made Loaf and catch up with local bakers. Dan is at the forefront of a baking revival in the UK through his consulting work and hands-on cooking classes and masterclasses. He also has a website which is great resource for anyone interested in good bread. He has been described as 'The bread supremo' by Fay Machler writing in The Evening Standard and 'A passionate baker, dessert maker and talented pastry chef.' by Nick Lander in The Financial Times. Dan has been kind enough to take the time to write about his visit to Melbourne and provide a few thoughts on where the bread scene in Melbourne. We think it makes great reading as he is perfectly qualified to look at this subject on an international level. Read Dan's look at Victorian Bakers here. Visit Dan Lepard online.. Dan Lepard

Wagyu Beef
Wagyu beef is without doubt the meat of choice for top restaurants and chefs across Australia at the moment. David Mackintosh from Food Gatherers has put together a piece to help us understand exactly what it takes to produce Wagyu beef and the things to consider when buying this premium product. Here

Tasmanian Food
Rosemary Ann Ogilvie has been kind enough to bring us up to date with the best food places in and around Launceston (with a little bit of Hobart in there too). Having travelled in Tasmania a few summers ago we can vouch for the freshness and quality of the ingredients grown there, it really is superb. Also the Saturday morning market at Salamance Place in Hobart is outstanding. So check out her suggestions to get a feel for what's happening there for foodies. Here

Yarra Valley Pork
Christine Ross is one of a handful of breeders in Australia breeding Large (or British) Black Pigs. This is a heritage breed that originates from the south of England. This variety has declined rapidly in numbers over the past forty years and has now been placed on the 'critical' list by rare breeds organisations the world over. Having tasted her products on a number of occasions we're big fans. For information on breeding stock or purchasing her products visit the website.