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Foodie news and blog
This page has transformed into a Foodie Blog put together by Allan rather than a regular newsletter. Why? Simply because it's a great way to get information to like-minded people about the best dishes, food stores and ingredients that Melbourne has to offer. It's also more personal and a great addition to the work published in the annual Foodie's Guide to Melbourne and sent out on Twitter.The real kicker to start blogging was watching the movie Julia and Julie late in 2009. It brought together so many strands of why I so love food and cooking - why I am so lucky that I found a love of food at such an early age. The movie also reminded me how influential Julia Child's writing had also been to my love of French cook and brought a modern perspective of blogging into the message.
Expect information on things I'm interested in within the world of food and wine with a focus on the Melbourne food scene - recipes, restaurants, food stores, seasonal produce, cook books and food tours.
To be be informed when new information is posted simply sign up via Twitter -
(Almost) spring news
There are some hints of spring in the air, which will be a welcome relief after a pretty serious winter. My garden beds have sprouted plenty of bulbs (no flowers just yet), the weather bureau is promising a slight rise in daily temperatures next week and produce markets are showing signs of changing produce with beautiful cumquats, grapefruit, blood oranges, as well as early broad beans. And there will be asparagus and mangoes in abundance soon too! Plenty of food news around too - with new stores from Phillippa's and the gorgeous Gwertzhaus on Lygon Street. There are also newly released food tours (Carlton and North Melbourne) to join in with, plus new corporate classes featuring Max Allen (Wine & Food Masterclass) plus Modern Cake Decorating with the talented Maria Lantelme. Full details are included below. Enjoy, Allan Campion.PS - Spring will also see the release of the annual Foodies' Diary 2011. It's a much anticipated book for many people and is looking amazing this year. I'm sure you're going to love it.
All details will be released on the Campion & Curtis seasonal page on Wednesday 1st September.
Phillippa's is a bakery brand that Melbournian's have come to know and love. It has been included in The Foodies' Guide to Melbourne since it opened on High Street Armadale in 1994. Phillippa's bread, cakes, biscuits, preserves and savoury baked goods are now available Australia wide and a second outlet established in Brighton, as well as offering products at the St Kilda Farmers' Market. Well there's a new Phillippa's outlet to visit at 51 North Street, Richmond which opens every Saturday from 8.00am to midday. All the usual products are available, plus the option to enjoy muesli with poached fruits, toast, coffee and that type of thing at the shared table. Well worth a Saturday morning visit.
Gewurzhaus Take just a few steps inside this beautifully presented store and you’ll be taken on an aromatic journey through the world of spices. The store takes its inspiration (and its name) from places the owners visited in Germany. Everything is on view in clear tubs and shoppers are encouraged to lift the lid and enjoy the heady aromas. Firm favourites include ras el hanout, Greek grilling spice, macadamia nut dukkah and gluhwein for making mulled wine. There are also native Australian ingredients, selected kitchenware and great advice on anything to do with the world of spices. A must on any visit to Lygon Street. 342 Lygon Street, Carlton. 9023 1028
Foodies' Walking Tour of North Melbourne (New) Enjoy a taste of this historical suburb with its cafe lined boulevards and laneways complete with coffee roasters, Sicilian cake shops, restaurants and hidden pubs. This tour is hosted by Carmel McNally in association with Melbourne Food Tours. The remarkable story of this food-filled suburb will be revealed at last as Carmel guides you through North Melbourne old and new. Visit warehouses converted into buzzing cafes, corner stores revived for a new era, learn about wonderful restaurants and historical pubs. Enjoy great tastings along the way and finish with a glass of something special. Tour host Carmel McNally has always had a passion for food and history. She made a move into the Melbourne food scene in 2002 as a tour guide at the Queen Victoria Market, where she has hosted groups from Australia and overseas, and featured on Coxy’s Big Break, Postcards and Good Morning New Zealand. She also works as a guide with Melbourne Food Tours. Carmel will share her great local knowledge of Melbourne’s food scene past and present! Dates and prices are available online here.
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Foodies' Walking Tour of Carlton (New) The heart of Italian food beats in Lygon Street, Carlton – where we first learned to enjoy pizza and espresso coffee. Taste your way through this fabulous heritage to find the best food and wine in one of Melbourne’s most famous ‘eat streets’. This tour is hosted by Pauline Leonard in association with Melbourne Food Tours. Pauline will lead guests along this famous foodie strip to meet the storekeepers, taste their specialties and learn a little about Lygon Streets foodie history, stories and architecture. Tastings will include amazing spices, prosciutto and cheeses through to Italian cakes, gelati and a glass of vino (of course). Cooking, travelling and teaching have been tour host Pauline Leonard’s passions for many years. She is well known to Melbourne food lovers for her pasta making and Italian cooking classes. Pauline also escorts small groups to Italy for food, wine and cooking experiences, arranges wine and food tours around Victoria and cooks for private functions and events. Dates and prices are available online here.
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Melbourne Cooking Classes There has been a revamp of this program in recent weeks with a number of new presenters and new classes launched. Well known wine writer Max Allen has a Wine & Food Masterclass, Maria Lantelme has come in with Modern Cake Decorating and Pauline Leonard has launched An Italian Christmas, plus Team Building with Italian Food. All classes are for corporate and private bookings only. Full details are on the Melbourne Cooking Classes website.
Early winter news
Deadlines are a fact of life for everyone in the writing and publishing game and there are many of them in the first half of each year. Work stared on The Foodies' Diary in late January and The Foodies' Guide to Melbourne not too long after that. The diary is now complete and off to the printers - with the Foodies Guide in the final few weeks of editorial. There are also food tours and corporate cooking classes to look after. Despite this it's been a great period of getting out and about around Melbourne and regional Victoria and a few favourite places are included in this early winter update. There has also been an attempt to turn parts of the backyard into a vegetable garden (photos below), plus lots of delicious cooking using seasonal produce. Enjoy, Allan Campion. La Latteria is an amazing addition to the local food scene, especially if you love freshly made mozzarella. So fresh it is made on the day you buy it. The beautiful display offers a terrific selection of mozzarella small and large, a lightly smoked mozzarella called scamorza (great in lasagne), provolone and a small selection of Italian harder cheeses. Also excellent here is the option to buy bottles of unhomoginised milk, so the cream can still float to the top, and some terrific natural yoghurt. If you time it right you’ll see the cheese makers at work in their mozzarella laboratory. Photos show cheese maker Kirsty Laird demonstrating mozzarella making. 104 Elgin Street Carlton, Visit the website for more details.
La Parisienne Pâtés is a long time favourite store. Set in the heart of Lygon Street it brings a touch of France to this famous foodie strip. If you’re looking for the very best terrines and pâtés in town then look no further. La Parisienne Pâtés is based on a true boulangerie with its selection of beautiful pork terrines and smallgoods. All products are handmade to traditional French recipes and you can taste that quality in every mouthful. Pâtés and terrines include cracked black peppercorn, port and sage, duck and orange, through to the delicious pork rillettes. Sausages are amazing too (especially the rabbit and fresh thyme) and the cheese selection is a beauty too. An amazing store that will have you hooked from the first bite. 290 Lygon Street, Carlton, Tel 9349 1852.
Getting out and about in Melbourne (doing research for the Foodies Guide) brings me to visit hundreds of stores over a couple of months. There are visits to the newcomers of course, but also an opportunity to visit places in the current edition to see if they are still up to scratch. One such place is the fantastic Dolcetti in West Melbourne - just up Victoria Street from the Queen Victoria Market. Here Marianna Di Bartolo has created a bakery dedicated to her Sicilian heritage. The display is filled with beautiful cakes and biscuits created here on a daily basis. There’s plates piled with tangelo-topped amaretti biscuits, or the exquisite almond, raisin, cherry and orange biscotti. Pineapple, lemon and polenta cakes are always a sure-fire hit. Nougat is another specialty, with the traditional sesame toffee variety that has to be tasted to be believed. If you like great bakeries you'll love Dolcetti. 223 Victoria Street, West Melbourne 9328 1688.
A first go at vegetable gardening kicked off in spring last year with a modest no-dig garden bed. The results were fair with eggplants, tomatoes and zucchinis doing fairly well, although a very hot summer made it a challenge. So work has been done over autumn to put in two larger vegetable beds in spot which until recently was an in-ground spa. With the beds finally in place and filled with soil, seedlings were purchased at the CERES market and nursery some weeks back. Lovingly prepared compost was applied and feeding has been done with liquid fertiliser from the worm farm. Excellent May rains have helped too - and it has the beginnings of a productive vegetable plot. (even if I say so myself!).
There's a huge variety of beetroot, carrots, snow peas, green beans, broad beans, cauliflower and brussels sprouts. No doubt I'll have to thin the patch if everything keep growing at this pace, but it's looking pretty good for a beginner. Also started a patch nearby for rocket and mizuna lettuces, both of which provide regular salad meals. A passionfruit vine has also been planted. My next job is to dig a garden bed for potatoes!
Cooking in the cooler months There has been lots of home cooking over these past few weeeks with recipes loaded onto the SBS Food Website. Current featured ingredients include cauliflower, carrots, ginger, limes and oranges. It's also a great time to be cooking with jerusalem artichokes, beetroot, cabbage, and quinces. Oysters are excellent in the cooler months too. Online recipes include carrot and coriander soup, honey and zaatar carrot salad, stir-fried cauliflower, cauliflower pancakes, plus a crab, blood orange and panzanella salad. There's also green chilli, ginger and coriander steamed mussels, chicken and ginger noodles plus soy and ginger salmon kebabs. Sweet teats include carrot cake, blood orange and Campari sorbet and baby orange and almond cakes. A link to the current recipes on the SBS website is here
Animals Australia Last Christmas I was more than happy to support the amazing work done by Animals Australia by promoting a story they had done on the dreadful conditions in which some of our pork producers keep their pigs. The latest news is related to an investigation into the factory farming of chickens in Australia and the video they have released online is one all those (including myself) who choose to eat meat should see. Again the best thing we can do is to buy meats from reputable suppliers - those who rare animals in humane conditions, who feed them with real food and allow them to roam as chickens should. The online video will be distressing to many, but I believe it should be seen. View the Animals Australia video here
Melbourne in late Autumn
Autumn continues in this most beautiful of cities (Melbourne of course) and I am constantly reminded of why I love living here. The blog has been a little ignored in recent times due to work on the next edition of The Foodie's Guide to Melbourne, however those who are into Twitter would have received news on foodies finds as they happened. If you're not into it this is a snapshot of recent tweets - The most amazing handmade mozzarella at La Latteria in Carlton and great coffee at Di Bella in North Melbourne. Also stunning plum jam doughnut at Giant Steps, plus smoked trout at Kitchen and Butcher and chocolates from Kennedy & Wilson (all three in Healsville). Great latte at Annie's in Barwon Heads, wonderful service on the meat counter at Farm Foods in Queenscliff too. As always impressive chicken and avocado sandwich at Irrewarra Bakery in James St, Geelong, Enjoyed a mouth puckering lemon, lime & bitters gelati at Trampoline, and an amazing Torone gelati studded with roast almond nougat at Tuto Bene. Top quality haloumi, spinach and mushroom pastry from Cedar Bakery, 33 High St, Preston. Picked up Italian pork sausages from Donati’s on Lygon St, the combo of great meat, opera and art makes for seriously good shopping. Chocolate, hazelnut and raspberry cake from Hausfrau in Yarraville is excellent. Passionfruit tart is even better! All this and more is available via Twitter (see sign-up box above) Visits to Farmer's Markets (St Kilda, Collingwood and Slow Food) plus CERES in recent weeks have provided the amazing seasonal treats and goodies. Wild picked field, orange pine and slippery jack mushrooms for starters. All have made their way into soup, salads, risotto and omelettes where they bring a beautiful richness, flavour and texture to these dishes. Also picked up beautiful leeks, potatoes, dragon beans, carrots and Milawa chicken. Plus smoked garlic from Michael Mow in Prahran Market which is terrific. See images below.
Foodie news
There has been plenty happening in recent times with books underway, trips around regional Victoria, food tours and projects coming to fruition. Got to visit the always inspiring Heronswood garden in Dromana. They are part of a seed saver network and offer seeds and seedlings of heritage and heirloom varieties. A couple of photos are included below. Also have really enjoyed the new (ish) Market Lane Coffee All the things I love in good coffee are on show here - single-origin beans roasted on-site, choices on how coffee is served (Clover, espresso or pour-over), the best milk available, great service and a beautifully designed space. See reviews on Bean Hunter website then visit for yourself at 13/163 Commercial Road, (Enter via Elizabeth Street), South Yarra. Set on the corner of Prahran Market, (under the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival office).Also for those who love the book In The Kitchen (and why wouldn’t you) our publisher has just released a recipe journal based around it. It includes a number of recipes and images from the book as well as plenty of space to write and store your own family favourite recipes. In The Kitchen Recipe Journal is now on release and sells for $29.95 (RRP).
Also on the book front I contributed to Recipes My Mother Cooked. The book includes recipes and stories from 100 Australians and the recipes they cooked with their mothers or were inspired to cook. Allen & Unwin has collaborated with the McGrath Foundation to produce this title and 5% of every one sold will be donated to the foundation to help place McGrath Breast Care Nurses in communities right across Australia and to educate young women to become breast aware. $29.99 (RRP)
Allan will be hosting a free talk titled Foodies' Delight at Glen Eira Town Hall on Wednesday 26th May 2010. Allan will speak about writing books, getting published and Melbourne’s amazing food scene. More details on the events page.
Wine writer Max Allen (The Weekend Australian Magazine and Gourmet Traveller) will soon kick off his next wine course at Maris restaurant in Malvern. Over four weeks he will teach you how you taste wine for maximum enjoyment, sample classic and emerging grape varieties, explore local and global wine regions and unravel the secrets of matching wine and food with complementary tastes of Maris chef Patrick Craig’s delicious food. For more information visit Max's website.
Also a snippet of news from The Royal Melbourne Show - Culinary champions, budding masterchefs and casual cooks are being called to dust off their favourite recipes, sharpen their paring knives and put their best foodie foot forward in preparation for the 2010 Royal Melbourne Show Cookery Competitions, to be held in September at the Melbourne Showground's. Visit the Royal Melbourne Show website for entry details.
Melbourne in early Autumn
What a time autumn is in Melbourne. Those extremely hot day are (mostly) behind us and instead we have mild days with gentle breezes, to be followed by foggy, cool mornings and falling leaves. Despite the laid-back weather this is an extremely busy time in terms of work. The Foodie's Guide to Melbourne is underway for 2011 - so I (and co-author Michele Curtis) have been out on the road re-visiting places in the current edition to check if they are still up to scratch. The answer so far is a resounding yes.Enjoyed Andrew's cheese kranskys last night and one bite is enough to know they are still the best in town, and believe me I've tried plenty. With roasted Dutch Cream potatoes and a green zebra tomato salad, all sourced at the Collingwood Farmer's Market, it was a sensational meal. Picked up the green zebra tomatoes from Andrew and Gill at Glenora Heritage Produce. Their produce is always amazingly fresh and so full of flavour. Besides the tomatoes also gathered up beautifully peppery rocket (as it should be) and their purple carrots which were later cut in half lengthways, tossed with olive oil, lemon juice and bay leaves before being roasted long and slow. The depth of flavour was astounding. Not to be missed on your next Farmer's Market visit.
Other recent treats while getting around Melbourne for the next Foodie's Guide include pistachio and marasche cherry amaretti biscotti at Dolcetti (223 Victoria Street, West Melb). Also loving the hot cross buns from two bakeries Phillippa's and Baker D. Chirico (149 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda). Planning to try many more from local bakeries in the lead up to Easter.
The coffee scene is alive and well in Melbourne too. Love the places where they roast on-site, then serve the resulting coffee with care and style. One current favourite is Seven Seeds in Carlton. Seven Seeds is well known as the home to coffee specialists Mark Dundon and Bridget Amor who established St Ali. At their Carlton premises they can control the entire bean to cup journey with great bean storage area, small batch roasting and a tasting lab that is the envy of coffee lovers everywhere. The focus is on Cup of Excellence award winning coffee and they are both regularly on the road visiting growers and attending coffee events around the globe. Seven Seeds are at 114 Berkley Street, Carlton and online at Seven Seeds. (photos below)
I made a flying visit to the always inspiring Books for Cooks in recent days and got to catch up on latest foodie releases. Loved the bread books by Melbourne Food & Wine Festival guest Gontran Cherrier they really do look amazing - pity I don't read French. Also got a look at The Foodie's Handbook by blogger Pim Techamuanvivit - from the Chez Pim blog . Perfect if you follow her blog and are keen to know more about her approach to food, blogging and cooking.
Also got to walk through the Edible Garden established in the Melbourne City Square by The Diggers Club. It's quite a sight to see beautiful plants alive and well in the heart of our city and inspired me to get a number of seeds into potting mix in readiness for my Easter weekend vegetable patch makeover. This is just one of many events on as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
So it's on we go as Melbourne enjoys autumn and the many events that make it such a fantastic city in which to live.
Bright N Sandy Festival - Food and Wine stage 2010
I was involved in planning and hosting the food and wine stage at the Bright and Sandy Festival on Sunday 21st March.
Over 10,000 people attended to see visiting chefs, winemakers, brewers and cookbook authors, and get involved in the children's hands-on pastamaking.
As part of the PR for this event I had a profile done for The Herald Sun Home magazine - a copy is attached here if you're keen to read it.
Photos below - Allan with Marie Claire author Michele Cranston and cupcake expert Jennifer Graham - plus the pasta making crew in-action.
Chef Adam Rice had his cooking demonstration on the festival stage recorded - his three recipes are now available to view on You Tube.
BBQ chicken ribs by Adam Rice at the Bright and Sandy Festival 2010 - view on You Tube.
Chilli Prawn Popcorn by Adam Rice at the Bright and Sandy Festival 2010 - view on You Tube.
Ponzu and lime curd by Adam Rice at the Bright and Sandy Festival 2010 - view on You Tube.
There are also plenty of food tours coming up in March and April - it's a great time to be out and about in Melbourne - details are available here.
That's more than enough for me for now - must get back to these Foodies' Guide deadlines!
Enjoy early autumn in Melbourne. Eat well - Allan
Seasonal produce
1995 seems like a lifetime ago, but it was the year we first released the Seasonal Produce Diary. (now The Foodie's Diary) This was an era when shoppers were being offered the same ingredients all year round. As if tomatoes and strawberries force-grown in winter tasted anything like those grown in the heat of summer, or asparagus made to appear in autumn had any of the flavour and crispness it does in spring. I believed then, and am even more adamant today that it is virtually impossible to produce delicious food with out-of-season ingredients.
The diary began as a result of having cooked overseas for a number of years and losing touch with what was in season locally. There was very little information available on what to buy, so monthly lists of seasonal ingredients were compiled over a number of years (with co-author Michele Curtis) by walking through produce markets and noting down what was best each week, ensuring that what made it onto the list were fruit and vegetables at their peak of flavour, ripeness, quality and value. The more I learned about seasonality the more convinced I became that it was one of the keys to great cooking.
Over time, the lists became an edible snapshot of the changing seasons and the best ingredients on offer. Before too long friends and chefs were asking for copies to use themselves. It became apparent that these years of research should be published properly, and it was then that the original idea for The Seasonal Produce Diary was born. It is now published as The Foodie's Diary in September each year.
These days seasonal shopping is considered the norm for many food-lovers who care about what they cook and about what they eat. And it is a trend that is really gaining momentum with the popularity of farmer's markets, the return of backyard vegetable gardens and seasonal information in food magazines and newspaper sections.
Recent seasonal delights at home have included a batch of late season apricots gently poached to enjoy with breakfast muesli, a salad of sun-ripened backyard cherry tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and basil, as well as fresh sliced zucchini pan fried with fresh mint, olive oil, pine nuts and raisins. A chilly Sunday night just this week saw the opportunity for a beef casserole rich with red wine, bacon, carrots and celery. Let's hope this season-led approach to cooking continues to grow - and perhaps even becomes the norm for all of us. Eat well - Allan.
If you are looking for a little seasonal inspiration and advice checkout the seasonal lists available on the Seasonal Produce page.
January-February
January was dotted with a series of trips around Victoria, ACT and NSW. The end of 2009 was spent in Bright and surrounds. Some great hikes on Mt Buffalo were a real highlight as was the local food and wine. Cheese and sourdough bread from Milawa Dairy was right on the money, as was some seriously good pizzas at Bridge Road Brewers in Beechworth. Favourite was beetroot, goat's cheese, red onion and walnuts. The watermelon, orange, mint and fetta salad sounded pretty amazing - and was a real revelation.
A few days in Bateman's Bay and Narooma were a welcome relief from the heat in the rest of SE Australia. And even sneaked in a two day hike at Wilson's Prom National Park.
On the home front there has been considerable time spend trying to keep the vegetables and herbs hydrated - tomatoes have been excellent so far with tigerellas and many amazing cherry tomatoes. Looking forward to getting a couple of extra vegetable beds in during autumn.
Since late January however it's been back to the desk with work starting on the 2011 editions of The Foodie's Diary and The Foodie's Guide to Melbourne - so full speed for the months ahead on both these titles. Kicked off the tours season for the year with full crews on 30th January. Updated all three websites (Melbourne Cooking Classes and Melbourne Food Tours) to make them easier to view and navigate (hopefully).
Also revamped the seasonal information on the Foodies' Diary page, including a new down-loadable seasonal list. There is also a new events page with details of talks, festivals and presentations on offer.
I hope you'll drop by from time to time and keep up to date with what's happening in food and wine.
Regards, Allan
Real pork
Many people (not just avid foodies) are interested to know the source of their ingredients. The popularity of farmers' markets is testament to this with buyers able to meet and interact with producers and growers. Even in supermarkets there is the opportunity to shop for some better produced ingredients. Cage free eggs, organic vegetables and chicken for instance are now available at my local supermarket.The next big leap forward (I hope) is in relation to the production of pork in Australia. A recent Sixty Minutes story on sows kept in cramped stalls was a real step forward in this issue and included footage showing the dreadful conditions some pigs are kept in. Link to Sixty Minutes.
Much of the sow footage for the story was shot by Animals Australia and they also featured strongly in the piece. Their website is a great place to gather information on many aspects of this issue and provides an opportunity to voice your concerns to those who support the current situation.
As someone who gets the opportunity to shop at farmers markets and travel around regional Victoria, shopping for ethically raised pork is not too difficult for me. The bacon from Fernleigh Farm near Daylesford springs to mind (and won a Foodies' Guide award this year). What I'd love to see in 2010 is for this market segment to grow and that all food lovers have the opportunity to purchase amazing quality pork where most of us do our everyday shopping.
Julia's roast chicken
Seeing the movie Julia and Julie sent me back to the books which got me interested in French cooking - Mastering The Art of French Cooking (Vol 1 and 2), which were co-authored by Julia Child.As I read through these simple paperbacks I was taken back to the early 1980's when I first purchased the books and began to read and cook from them.
At that early stage in my cooking career I was heavily influenced by (and loving) the cooking of South East Asia, - Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Japan in particular. Julia's books changed all that and I was soon trying to master French onion soup, profiteroles, shortcrust pastry and so much more besides.
I came back to these two books a decade or so later as I began to write recipes for The Age Epicure section and Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine. Writing to me was a perfect way to pass on information, ideas, knowledge and hopefully inspire people to cook more often.
Julia Child always seemed to put forward the proper way to cook - I was keen to make it a little simpler perhaps. To cut out some of the tricky bits and leave busy people with recipes that were simple to prepare, yet still created wonderful food. This roast chicken is a great example - Julia recommends trussing (tying) the bird, cooking it on its side for set periods in the oven, lots of salting and lots of basting. Instructions that seem old fashioned today, yet were perfect in her day.
So here is my simpler version of Julia's Roast Chicken
A size 16-18 free-range chickenA little butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 kg potatoes, peeled and cut in half lengthways
2-3 carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthways
1 onion, peeled and cut into thick slices
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Dry the chicken and the rub with butter.
Sprinkle salt and pepper all over, including in the cavity.
Place the chicken into a roasting tray. Surround with the prepared vegetables.
Place chicken upside down in tray and cook in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, until the skin is crisp.
Turn over and cook for a further 30 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crisp.
Check whether the chicken is cooked by inspecting the juices for any sign of blood (pinkness).
Allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Favourite Food Books
Late in 2009 food writer Richard Cornish asked if I'd recommend my five favourite cook books. Yes, just five. The request was to be part of an article in The Age Epicure section on favourite cookbooks of local food lovers and chefs.Trying to pick just five is not easy - so I choose those I have heavily relied upon in my early years of cooking and food writing - and would happily recommend to others. They are as follows;
A New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden
A well thumbed and utilised paperback packed with excellent recipes and wonderful stories which explain the importance of food in the Middle East.
Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol 1 and 2 Vol 1 by Siomone Beck, Louisette Bertholle and Julia Child and Vol 2 by Simone Beck and Julia Child
Simple paperbacks which offer the most wonderfully detailed step by step instructions to all manner of French cooking techniques. A must for any food library.
The Complete Asian Cookbook by Charmaine Solomon A wild ride through the best dishes of the Far East.
Bugialli on Pasta by Giuliano Bugialli Classic pasta and pasta sauce making made easy.
The Italian Baker by Carol Field Excellent instructions on everything from pizza and panini to delicious cakes and biscuits.
Choosing just these five books leaves out hundreds more by authors like Marcella Hazan, Stephanie Alexander, David Thomson, Elizabeth David, Elizabeth Luard, Christine Manfield, Neil Perry, Greg Malouf and Frank Camorra. All people I have learned so much from over the years through their writing.
The resulting article by Richard Cornish came up with a top ten (including two of my picks). Checkout the complete article online here.
Movida Melbourne
Melbourne has a new MoVida restaurant - well two new restaurants really. MoVida Terraza is an expansive outdoor terrace overlooking Little Bourke Street, perfect for grazing on delicious Spanish food from early in the morning to late at night. MoVida Aqui is the new restaurant and runs off the rear of the terrace. There is some seriously good food on offer here (as we'd expect from Frank Camorra and his crew). Have been loving the smoked tomato sorbet on crispy toasts with anchovy and capers (still). Scallops with crispy jamon are another excellent tapa. The Andalucian rabbit with vegetables, almonds and raisins is a ripper too - especially with a glass of Artazuri rose. Top service here too - and heaps of seating. A wonderful Spanish fueled Melbourne dining experience - don't miss it!.Both at 500 Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD - easiest to enter from Little Bourke Street, near the William Street corner.
MoVida chef Frank Camorra and food writer Richard Cornish have been busy on a new cookbook too. MoVida Rustica has just landed and is a guaranteed hit. They have travelled through Spain gathering recipes and stories from everyday people and great cooks. As always with these authors it's the mix of stories and recipes which really shine through. Pick up a copy for your Christmas stocking soon! Murdoch Books $59.95.
Real garlic
Last year, after many sad experiences with garlic, an order was placed for a box of Patrice Newell Garlic. What arrived was without a doubt the best garlic ever. It was sweet, juicy, gently and magnificent - and was utilised in cooking all over summer and autumn. Finally it began to sprout - and was duly divided into cloves and planted. The resulting garlic has recently been harvested is pretty dammed fine. Well the latest Patrice Newell garlic crop has been harvested, dried and is ready to be ordered by food lovers across the country. Visit the website for all the details - and don't leave it too late - it was a sellout last year.
Still on the garlic front - the amazing new black garlic (fermented apparently) is imported by the crew at Oliveria. It's been quickly snapped up by
adventurous chefs looking for new tastes, flavours and textures. Well they have all that and more with this food. Check it out at Oliveria, Cnr commercial Road and Cato Street Prahran. 03 9510 0690
Fab food stores in Melbourne
Each year (along with co-author Michele Curtis) I write what is known The Foodies' Guide to Melbourne. In short it's a guide book to the very best places to shop for food in and around Melbourne.Our annual culinary journey brings us in contact with amazing food stores, delis, chocolatiers, bakers and butchers. Every now and then we taste a product that really stands out from the crowd. It could be a chocolate truffle, a slice of bacon, the perfect burger or even roasted coffee beans.
Would the following retailers please step forward to receive their Foodies' Guide Awards for 2010.
Best Chocolate Shop - Monsieur Truffe
Feel like Charlie in the chocolate factory and discover a world of chocolate - just make sure you don't leave without a bag of passionfruit and chocolate truffles. These cubes of amazingly textured couverture combined with passionfruit puree are not to be missed. 90 Smith Street, Collingwood. 9416 3101.
Best Coffee Roaster - Seven Seed
Step inside the doors of Seven Seeds in Carlton to see Melbourne's coffee renaissance in action. Here the best green beans are selected from around the world then roasted to perfection. There's also coffee education as well as an excellent café. Don't be the last person to discover Seven Seeds. 114 Berkley Street, Carlton 9347 8664.
Best Greengrocer - Leaf Leon Mugavin has created an oasis of produce, with all the essential fruit and vegetables, plus much more to fill your kitchen with. The best dairy, grocery and prepared meals, along with Melbourne's best sourdough breads. A winner all round. 111-113 Ormond Road, Elwood 9531 6542.
Best new delicatessen - Carre Street Deli
For a town crazy about its food, the delicatessen scene outside our wonderful markets is sadly lacking. However, stores such as Carre Street give us hope, with properly sliced ham, top-quality farmhouse cheeses, preserved olives and antipasto items. 372 Glen Huntley Road, Elsternwick 9523 8985.
Best new bakery - Dolcetti
Sicilian baking is the overriding theme at Dolcetti, and they really know their stuff. From the stunning almond biscotti to the delicate panna cotta tarts, it's pure delight. The hazelnut and chocolate nougat is a real standout for its incredible texture and flavour. 223 Victoria Street, West Melbourne 9328 1688.
Best burger shop - Andrew's Hamburgers
It's a big call but we're supremely confident in choosing the burger with the lot from Andrew's in Albert Park as the best in town. They seem to have the knack of taking a classic white roll, toasting it to perfection and then filling it with the best grilled beef patty, fresh lettuce, bacon, tomato. Try one and you'll be hooked too. 114 Bridport Street, Albert Park 9690 2126.
Best bacon - Fernleigh Farm
What an experience - this streaky bacon is beautifully made, old fashioned and just magnificent. Grill until crisp for the ultimate bacon sandwich with fresh tomato, rocket and egg mayonnaise. 1070 Trentham Road, Bullarto 5348 5566. Also at inner city Farmer's Markets.
Best bread - Brioche
Brioche's excellent sourdough baguette brings together two very different baking styles. Baker Phillip Chang has perfected the art of creating a full flavoured and moist sourdough baguette with the most amazing crispy crust. 208 Commercial Road, Prahran 9525 1966.
Best ice-cream - Jocks Ice Cream
Jock Main has strong memories of hokey pokey ice-cream growing up as a child in New Zealand. He has taken this famous flavour to a new level with his version of it, combining the lightest vanilla base with handmade chunks of honeycomb. 83 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park 9686 3838.
Best hot cross buns - Irrewarra Sourdough Bakery
For years we have touted Phillippa's and Babka as having the best buns, and they are still excellent. But let's celebrate Irrewarra's contribution too. A full-flavoured bun, made from sourdough and packed with juice fruit. It's a good job there's a long weekend to celebrate Easter as there's serious eating to be done. 10 James Street, Geelong 5221 3909.
Best takeaway meal - Lafayette Fine Food
Take a perfectly cut slab of corned beef, with no gristle or sinew, team it with creamy mashed potatoes and fresh peas. All you have to do is microwave, transfer to a plate if so inclined and add a dollop of Dijon mustard. What a sensation! 355 New Street, Brighton 9596 1867.
Best lemon tart - Plump Harvest Produce
The lemon tart alone is enough to warrant a road trip to Myrtleford! The pastry hits that just-cooked perfection while the filling is zesty and has a texture that belief. 72 Myrtle Street (on Great Alpine Road) Myrtleford 5752 2257.
(C) - Allan Campion & Michele Curtis