Australian Food & Wine Newsletter

 

 

 

The official program of events for the MF&WF has now been announced. It's great to see old favourites like the Longest Lunch, Breakfast around the Tan, Restaurant Week and the Hawkers Market still going strong. There are also lots of new ideas too including Snagtastica at La Luna, billed as 'An evening of sausage history, culture and making'. The Duck Eight Ways at Pepper Chilli Restaurant sounds like our type of thing too, especially as it's accompanied by lots of pinot noir. Chez Phat are offering an evening of regional Spanish food and wine, including a slideshow of a recent visit there by chef Tanya Connellan.

 

British actress Emma Poole will be getting into the festival spirit too with her one-woman show about Elizabeth David in association with Playbox Theatre called An Omelette And A Glass of Wine.  She will also be doing readings from ED's books in an evening titled 'Don't Speak with Your Mouth Full' at Vue de Monde Restaurant, where chef Shannon Bennett will recreate some of Elizabeth David's most famous dishes. Finally there will be a one and only dinner by London chef Pierre Koffman at radii, Park Hyatt Hotel. So many events, so many decisions to be made. Full dates and booking details can be found on the website. www.melbfoodwinefest.com.au 

 

Saturday March 8th at Commonwealth Park is the day to be visiting Canberra for the fourth annual Taste of Canberra Festival. Over 100 stall-holders will represent local restaurants, cafes, wineries, primary producers, cultural institutions and organisations with some great food to try. There will be a farmers market,  wine and food matching seminars and a coffee festival.

 

Publishers are usually less than keen to talk about up-coming titles, however we've been able to get some news about food books that will hit the shelves in the near future.

 

Penguin Books will be releasing another of Paul Richardsons books, Indulgence: Around The World In The Search of Chocolate. Definitely one to get a copy of if you're a mad keen chocaholic.

 

 

Hardie Grant Publishing will be releasing well known Melbourne chef Teage Ezard's first book, simply titled ezard. Expect an incredible mix of culinary influences here and the type of imaginative food, as experienced at his Flinders Lane restaurant. They also have Ian and Elizabeth Hemphill's Herbaceous: A Cook's Guide to Culinary Herbs coming up soon. Using an A to Z format it's billed as a practical guide to growing and using herbs. As well as Rosemary Brissenden's classic book South East Asian Food, which is being re-issued. We have an old edition and it's an incredible resource to traditional cooking and recipes of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

 

We've been lucky enough to get out for a couple of meals in recent weeks and one of the more memorable was at NewQuay in Melbourne's Docklands. We enjoyed a terrific night at Livebait, the new seafood restaurant from the Mecca restaurant team. Here Melburnians have a terrific spot to sit and watch the sun go down over the water and enjoy city skyline views at the same time. The menu explores lots of Mediterranean foods and flavours, including paella, salt cod fritters, panzanella and tuna nicoise. They also have simpler chargrilled and roasted whole fish and shellfish on offer. The wine list is excellent too. Livebait, 55b NewQuay Promenade, Docklands, 9642 1500.

 

As mentioned in our last newsletter the Slow Food Congress will be taking place in Mildura. Well it's on this coming weekend. We'll be doing our bit by helping out in the kitchen of the Grand Hotel, so if you're attending make sure you pop in and say hello. The weekend promises to be a feast of ideas, discussions, food and wine. Contact James Broadway for bookings and further details on vinaio@bigpond.com or 0403 040 177.

 

 

Cooking Co-ordinates cookware specialist and cooking school is offering a variety of classes throughout March. They will also be at the Taste of Canberra & the Region on Saturday, March 8th, so drop by and say hello. Women’s Weekly Food Director and co-host of Channel 9's Fresh, Lyndey Milan, presents a fast and fabulous seasonal produce class for quick everyday cooking and effortless entertaining on Thursday, March 6th. Chef Brad Wolter, talented chef/owner of the Rock Salt Café will be using fresh, local seafood in his Seafood Basics MasterClass. Learn how easy it can be to create sumptuous seafood dishes. Brad will also share his expertise in buying, storing and cooking fruit de mer on Saturday, March 29th. Bookings for classes on telephone 02) 6253 5132 or via the website, www.belconnenmarkets.com.au

 

Convival Times Lots of classes coming up here including Farm Grown, Farm Sold with Jane Adams on Tuesday 11th March, exploring the popularity behind Farmers Markets. Michael Klausen and Steve Bickley of Springs Smoked Seafoods will be explaining the elements involved in hot and cold smoking on Monday 17th March. A hands-on Breadmaking and Sourdough class is also available on March 29th. Bookings on 02) 9380 8327 or visit www.convivialtimes.com.au

 

 

Simon Johnson, Purveyor of Quality Foods has plenty on offer in March in their Talk+Eat+Drink program of classes. Chris Manfield is one of our favourite presenters and on March 15th she'll be doing her thing with one-pot-wonders. March 25th will see Leanne Kitchen, food editor of Australian Gourmet Traveller, at the stoves. Places fill fast here, so book soon on 02) 9552 2522.

 

Howard Park Winery in the Great Southern region of Western Australia has long been recognised as a local star. Divine Magazine has organised an amazing tasting with them where ten vintages of Howard Park Riesling (1992 - 2002) and thirteen vintages of Howard Park Cabernet (1988 - 2000) will be lined up to taste. The tasting will be seated and led by Howard Park's winemaker Michael Kerrigan and Andrew Wood from Divine. The tasting will be held at Sir William Angliss Centre, Level 5, 555 Latrobe Street (Cnr King St). Bookings are essential and numbers are limited. Telephone 03) 5422 7500. Cost $70.

 

Yet more farmers' markets are starting up this month. The first is in Lancefield, Victoria, located between Woodend and Kilmore in the Macedon Ranges. They are promising vegies, cheese, eggs, olives, oil, wine, mead and plants right along the main street. Saturday, March 8th, 2003, 8am-1pm.

 

There's also the Boroondara Farmers' Market starting on Saturday 15^th March, and to be held on the third Saturday of every month at Patterson Reserve, Auburn Rd, East Hawthorn from 8.00am - 1.00pm

 

The next Collingwood Children's Farm Farmers’ Market is on Saturday 8^th March. It'll be the last chance for this year's stone fruit, but it's the beginning of new season apples, pears, corn, honey, mushrooms, quinces, potatoes and autumn cheeses. St Heliers Street, Abbotsford, 8.00 am – 1.00 pm

 

There'll also be a Farmers' Market extravaganza as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, at Federation Square. Saturday 29^th March 2003 along the Yarra Promenade from 8.00 am - 1.00 pm