March into Marivale

Merivale CEO, Justin Hemmes, said: “Inspired by the success of our first March Into Merivale, we have had a lot of fun creating the 50 plus events for this year’s event and have extended it to two months to accommodate them all. Sydneysiders are buzzing again with the Merivale magic of our venues, chefs and their teams.”

Following on from last year’s festival favourite, the $33 lunch and dinner offer is back with bigger, better and even tastier menus to keep any belly satisfied.

Restaurants est., sushi e, Ash Street Cellar, Mad Cow, Uccello, Teppanyaki, Lotus and Bistro CBD return with the $33 dining offer of a main meal with a glass of wine or beer available at dinner or lunch. For the first time, three Merivale pubs, Royal George, Slip Inn and CBD, will be joining in the fun with their own meal deals and offering two main meals and two glasses of wine or beer for only $33 at dinner or lunch.

Tasty plates on offer include Ginger and kombu steamed baby barramundi and triple dim sim with Asian salsa from ivy’s Teppanyaki; Bistro CBD serves up a mouth-watering Pork belly saltimbocca, baby leeks, kipflers and crispy sage; Ucello guests can enjoy linguine with yamba prawns, chestnut mushrooms and cherry tomato in a light arrabbiata sauce; and Ash St Cellar will satisfy with marinated cornfed Chicken breast with green beans, radicchio and toasted almonds.

The $33 lunch is served between 12 and 2pm and dinner between 6 and 8pm from 15 February to 16 April 2010 *. Menus change fortnightly and pre-booking is essential to ensure a place.

For March Into Merivale 2010, the Merivale head chefs have revealed their “super-human” abilities yet again in a creative photo shoot for the campaign and have also exposed what inspired them to become chefs.

To view the full menus and to explore the other events offered at March into Merivale visit www.marchintomerivale.com or call (02) 9240 3000 to make a booking.

* Lotus dinner only, Uccello and Teppanyaki closed on Mondays.

Featuring three signature dishes from each of the city’s top restaurants and chefs, plus wineries, producers, outdoor dining and live music, Taste of Sydney is the ultimate all-in-one dining experience.

Watch your favourite chefs in action at the Australian Gourmet Traveller Taste Kitchen, polish your palate with guest wine experts at the Taste Wine with Gourmet Traveller Wine Thearte, or browse your way through hundreds of top end boutique authentic produce at the Producer’s Market.

Taste of Sydney Venue

This greatly anticipated event will showcase the very best of the culinary scene and provide an un-missable opportunity to explore breathtaking cuisine, discover new delicacies and plan your entire social calendar of dining out.

For more information visit http://www.tasteofsydney.com.au, Ticketek for ticketing enquiries 132 849, or Brand Events Australia 02 9331 7507

EVENT DETAILS

Venue: Sydney Centennial Park

Session Dates and Times: Thursday 11th March
5.30pm-9.30pm
Friday 12th & Saturday 13th March
12.00pm-4.00pm or 5.30pm – 9.30pm
Sunday 14th March
12.00pm-5.00pm

Cost: General Entry: $27.50
Child (age 6-17): $15
Premium: $55 (pre-purchased)
VIP: $120

When I was first getting into wine, I remember being a little scared of the whole food and wine matching thing. It just seemed so complicated. How could you predict which wine would be best? So I decided to start a life long experiment. After all, I was pretty sure no one had ever died from a poor food and wine match – how bad could it be?

After many a good (and not so good) bottle, and a few years working as a winemaker in some of the most beautiful wine regions in the world, I’ve developed my own philosophy on how to maximise the pleasure in your food and wine partnerships.

I’ve summarised them in the form of some basic ‘rules’. Please enjoy and feel free to add in any of your own tips for making the marriage between wine and food a rich and rewarding one.

the 7 simple rules for food and wine matching success

i. There are no rules
OK -  I know this sounds a little Monty Python-esque but the most important thing with putting food and wine together is to use your imagination. There are no rules that work for every situation and every person so relax and don’t waste your time worrying about breaking them.

As long as you and your guests are having fun then your food and wine matching has been a success, regardless of what the traditional rules would have us believe.

ii. Match wine with people first
Just as some people always have and always will hate anchovies, some people just don’t enjoy certain styles of wine, regardless of the quality of the vino. Sometimes this may be based on a bad experience with a poor quality example, and if the person in question did actually try a decent Sauvignon Blanc they may find that they love it. But forcing people to try new things may do more harm than good.

If you suspect that your guest may be open to giving it another chance, by all means make the offer but please, please do not insist they try your perfect match. No matter how well those oysters and that minerally fresh Riesling go together in your mouth, to someone who just loves to drink big reds it’s unlikely to taste any good.

Respect that everyone’s palate is different. Think about your guests and their wine preferences first and think about the food matching second.

iii. The food and wine must both taste great on their own
Sure duck and Pinot Noir have been known to make a little magic on the taste buds when the two are united, but it’s not always the case. A watery, insipid cheap Pinot is still going to taste sad and bland even if it is teamed with the most succulent duck confit.

The same goes for the food, if it’s not going to taste any good on its own, it is very unlikely that your wine match, no matter how delicious, is going to make the food taste better.

iv. Weight is important
Lighter, more delicately flavored food generally works best with lighter style wines. Heavy tannic reds tend to be best with more robust meaty dishes but of course there will always be times when a light wine could team marvelously with a heavy rich dish (see rule number v.)

v. Wine and food can contrast one another
Contrast is something that we personally love to play with. Using a light acidic wine like a Sauvignon Blanc to cut through the oiliness of fried fish and chips is always a winner. Unless of course you’re with someone who hates acidic wine (see rule ii).

vi. Wine and food can compliment each other
Sometimes finding flavor similarities can result in a harmonious food and wine matching experience. The earthiness of mushrooms in a mushroom risotto can work a treat with a funky earthy Pinot Noir. A fresh, minty Cabernet Sauvignon to compliment classic roast lamb with mint sauce can also be a flavor explosion.

vii. Trust your own instincts.
Like most things in life, if it feels like it’s a bit dodgy and it isn’t going to work then you’re probably on the right track.

It isn’t the end of the world if the food and wine are more at the divorce end of the relationship spectrum as long as you follow rule number three, you’ll be able to enjoy each on their own. A judicious sip of palate cleansing water in between mouthfuls can make all the difference.

[read more from jules at her blog stonesoup | minimalist home cooking HERE]

Since economic growth has slowed down, many fast food restaurants have reported a growth in sales*, showing consumer’s preference for cheaper take away meals in lieu of dinners and lunches at restaurants. While this is great news for fast food outlets, it is not necessarily good news for consumers’ health; fast food is typically higher in saturated fat and salt, and often lacking in fibre content. It is in response to this growing need for healthier fast food that Pizzacutters has decided to create a range of appetizing and affordable pizzas with the Heart Foundation Tick of Approval.

While the idea of pizza is often synonymous with a guilty pleasure, by earning the Tick, these six Pizzacutters pizzas have been independently tested and are recognised by the National Heart Foundation of Australia as a healthier choice when compared with other pizzas. Since opening in 1998 the team at Pizzacutters has always been committed to providing fresh, gourmet style pizza that is healthier than the offerings of traditional fast food outlets.

“By getting the Heart Foundation Tick of Approval we are not only showing our customers that we are dedicated to providing gourmet pizzas, we are also raising the bar on the quality of our pizza – making them healthier but not compromising the taste,” says Simon Lumbroso, co-founder of Pizzacutters. “You’ll find a lot of the same high quality, fresh ingredients that we use on our regular pizzas on our Tick approved versions,” says Simon.

Heart Foundation Healthy Weight Strategy Director, Susan Anderson congratulates Pizzacutters for its commitment to healthier dining. “We commend Pizzacutters for taking on the challenge of meeting all the Heart Foundation’s nutritional requirements to earn the Tick. However, meeting these standards is just the beginning. Pizzacutters, like all outlets with Tick approved meals, will also be subjected to regular random audits to ensure the Tick approved meals are genuinely healthier by testing outlets as they create them, cook them, serve them and advertise them,“ says Ms Anderson.

“The Heart Foundation measures a healthier meal by its overall nutritional value; not just one element. Fresh ingredients are great, but the health benefit is lost when the overall meal is loaded with salt, and claims of ‘low fat’ are irrelevant if the meal provides little or no nutritional value,” Ms Anderson added.

In order to qualify for the Tick approved meals, Pizzacutters worked with the Heart Foundation for over six months to ensure the new pizzas met strict standards for serve size, saturated fat, salt and vegetables/fibre content. Each of the new Tick pizzas are made with a wholemeal base to increase fibre. Salt and saturated fat levels are kept in check by using moderate amounts of high quality cheese as well as fresh vegetables and meats.

The range of Tick Approved Healthier Choice pizzas include the following options:

- Cheese Steak
- Rocket Chicken
- Vege Pesto
- Chicken Cashew
- Vege Delight
- Beef Bearnaise

For more information or to find your closest store visit www.pizzacutters.com.au

In 1989 Atlantic salmon had only been farmed in Tasmania for a few years and aquaculture (then confined to a very few species) was just starting to be heralded as the way of the future. Although Sydney-siders were becoming more interested in food, the average palate was still at best quite uneducated and at worst quite staid. French was the largest category in leading restaurant guides and Asian flavours, taken so much for granted today, were still quite exotic. The NSW fishing fleet caught plenty of whiting, bream, snapper and flathead to supply the local market. But in doing so, they also netted a fair amount of octopus, squid, red mullet, crabs, and other species with which shoppers weren’t familiar, at least not familiar enough to take them home and cook them. A large part of the fishermen’s catch was unwanted and sold as bait or for next to nothing to those who did appreciate them.

So the NSW Fish Marketing Authority opened Sydney Seafood School, with a mission of showing Sydney-siders how easy it is to prepare a wide variety of seafood species at home, and so help create demand for this largely untapped wealth from Australian waters. Twenty years later it’s regarded as Australia’s leading cooking school, teaching over 12,000 local, interstate and overseas food-lovers how to cook a huge variety of cuisines, and hosting classes with Australia’s leading chefs. While seafood is still its focus, there’s no longer any need to convince most people to try cooking with mussels, octopus or crabs; in fact abalone, sashimi, pipis and sea-snails don’t daunt many of the food-savvy cooks who fill classes most weekday evenings and weekends.

Food is as much about visual appeal and texture as it is about taste … after all we eat with our eyes first. So to celebrate its 20th anniversary Sydney Seafood School has undergone a major refurbishment. The new look is certainly broad on eye-appeal and a feast of textures: with stunning sandstone sculptures, a wall lined with Icelandic fish leather and other walls covered in detailed chalk drawings of various seafood. Rich oak wood panelling, an aubergine-hued granite bench top, sleek stainless steel and lots of glass complete the Michael McCann-designed look.

Some things haven’t changed of course. Chef Peter Doyle (now Executive Chef of est. restaurant) appeared on the first program and will be teaching on the School’s 20th anniversary program. Master Sushi Chef Hideo Dekura, who taught his first “Understanding Sushi & Sashimi” class on 31 January 1990, still conducts regular workshops at the School, and Seafood Barbecue, also on the first program, is now the School’s most popular class, filling 6-8 times a month (although the recipes have changed a little over the years). While a trawl through the School’s archives reveals recipe kits for classes by Damien Pignolet, Owner-Chef of Claude’s (now at Bistro Moncur and also a presenter on the 20th anniversary program); Tony Bilson, Owner-Chef of Bon Gout (now at Bilson’s); and Philip Searle, Owner-Chef of Oasis Seros (now at Vulcan’s in Blackheath).

The 20th anniversary program, which runs from November to February, was released today and reads like a Who’s Who of Australian chefs. David Thompson, a regular on the School’s program of classes before he relocated to London to open Michelin-starred restaurant Nahm, is back in town to conduct three classes based around his new book, Thai Street Food, while Cheong Liew, hailed as the ‘father of fusion’ is visiting from The Grange Restaurant in Adelaide to present a class showcasing his unique cuisine. Tetsuya Wakuda and Neil Perry, who rarely conduct cooking classes, were more than happy to make an exception to help the School celebrate this milestone birthday. The list goes on with Justin North, Matthew Moran, Guillaume Brahimi, Peter Gilmore, Christine Manfield and Peter Kuruvita all conducting classes in November.

Janni Kyritsis, previously of MG Garage and Berowra Waters Inn and now semi-retired, just can’t stay out of the kitchen. He’s been a behind-the-scenes consultant on the School’s recent renovation and, always keen to mentor young chefs, is conducting a class in November with his ex-sous chef Lauren Murdoch, now at Ash Street Cellar. “When Janni suggested doing a class together with Lauren, it started me thinking,” says Roberta Muir, who’s managed the School for the past 12 years. “One of the great things about the Australian hospitality industry is the camaraderie between chefs, so for our February program we’re running a series of ‘double act’ guest chef workshops. Giovanni Pilu from Pilu at Freshwater and George Francisco from Jonah’s are kicking it off. They’re both northern beaches boys who’ve relocated from overseas and cook by combining a little of their homeland with the best Aussie produce. They’re good mates and are very excited about teaching a class together.” Other double acts in February include Damien Pignolet with Jason Roberts (who was his Executive Chef at Bistro Moncur before leaving to pursue an international career); Chui Lee Luk (Claude’s) and Melbourne chef/food historian Tony Tan, who come together over a common love for Southeast Asian food; and two of the founders of CIRA (the Council of Italian Restaurants in Australia), Armando Percuoco (Buon Ricordo) and Lucio Galletto (Lucio’s). Other chefs joining in the celebrations in February are Peter Doyle from est., Mark Best from Marque and Mark Jensen from Red Lantern.

The Special 20th Birthday program of classes can be viewed now at www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au

Pearl Couscous takes its name from its unique pearl-like shape and size. Tasty, affordable and easy to prepare, this delicious product is set to become an Australian family favourite.

Gourmet Pearl Couscous ambassador, Gabriel Gaté, says the unique Couscous is a dish the whole family will enjoy, providing a new and exciting taste for both adult and junior palates.

“Cooking with Gourmet Pearl Couscous is a pleasure – it takes just ten minutes to prepare a tasty meal or snack the whole family will love, and the flavours can be as simple or as complex as you like. Also, the Couscous is excellent value as it doubles in size when cooked,” Gabriel said.

Pearl Couscous can be served hot or cold, as a main, a side dish or a salad – and as it absorbs liquids while remaining al dente, it’s bursting with flavour when it hits the plate.

With a low GI rating of 52 and no additives or preservatives, Pearl Couscous is a great healthy alternative to typical staples such as rice and potatoes. It takes just 10 minutes to prepare and complements vegetable, meat, fish and poultry dishes perfectly.

Gourmet Pearl Couscous is available in 445 selected Coles stores nation-wide, as well as independent grocers and delis.

Visit www.blu.net.au to view Gabriel’s range of Gourmet Pearl Couscous cooking demonstrations and recipe suggestions.

I managed to get my hands on 2 flavours of these new bars from Bakers Delight. As with any food delivery to this office everyone comes a running (especially the work experience kids who don’t normally say much), fortunately these had my name written all over them… literally. As I unwrapped the first bar, and looked everyone in the eye like an adventurer about to take a leap of faith, I took my first bite into the Cranberry & Nut Fit2Go bar.

As my colleagues looked on with a sense of anticipation, I chewed my first mouthful, and I quickly opened my eyes as wide as they could go with a look of shock and horror… you should have seen their faces… it was worth it. As for the Fit2Go bar, I think the proof that they’re tasty are the 2 empty packets sitting on my desk.

Before you decide to leave your desk and head off down the road to your nearest Bakers Delight I have some unfortunate news that you’ll have to wait until the 17th of September… I think Bakers Delight PR firm were busy over the weekend and baked up a batch to recipe and had them couriered out.. I’m glad they did.

Sharon Natoli, Director of Food & Nutrition Australia said “The new Fit2Go bars are a great breakfast on the run, as they contain similar amounts of energy, protein and carbohydrates as a standard breakfast and provide a nutritious source of lasting energy”.

Fit2Go bars will be served in more than 630 Bakers Delight bakeries across the country and will be available from the 17th of September for the extraordinary small price of $1.90 – Nice work guys.

BTW – I’m assuming these Fit2Go bars will do reasonably well, even though you’d initially think ‘Just another brekkie bar’ – This is because when you’re in a rush it’s a pain to have to go into a supermarket, but now you can pull into the bakery (usually located out the front with road access) and grab one with the loaf of bread you promised the missus

PS: I way preferred the Cranberry & Nut bar over the Cinnamon & Fruit – Fortunately this was balanced out by a fruit craving work experience kid… Go Jimmy!

The results were just too good to keep to herself. So Jules decided to self publish the book to celebrate the beautiful life of her mum and share her family’s collection of simple, no-fuss Australian recipes. Recipes that anyone can learn to cook and that everyone will love to eat.

“This book is dedicated to mums everywhere.” Jules writes, “It is a chance to celebrate the mums in your life – always treasure the time you have together.”

‘And the love is free – mum a life with recipes’ is the perfect resource for beginner cooks. From simple roast chook to pavlova, each recipe is brought to life with individual stories and page licking photography. This collection of real Australian recipes makes a lovely gift for friends and family overseas

‘Stonesoup’ is a weekly digest of chatty stories and delicious recipes, seasoned with a little science to help you become a better home cook. Jules has degrees in both food science and winemaking and is a chocolate biscuit designer for Arnotts. She grew up on a sheep farm but now lives in Sydney. When she’s not cooking or writing about food she can be found indulging her passion for running, travel, long boozy lunches and red shoes. This is her first book and she really hopes it won’t be her last.

The book is available for $29.95 (free postage anywhere in Australia) though the author’s blog www.thestonesoup.com.

Easy roast veg
serves 4 – 6

Mum would always take the time to peel her veg but I prefer to just give everything a good scrub and cook skins and all. Less prep time with the added bonus of more nutrients.

4T olive oil
4 – 6 medium potatoes, such as desiree scrubbed and halved
1/2 jap or butternut pumpkin (squash), deseeded and cut into chunks
2 red onions, peeled and halved crosswise
3 sprigs thyme, leaves picked, optional

Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Place a roasting pan large enough to hold the veg in a single layer and pop it in the oven to heat up while you’re prepping your veg. Place half the oil in the hot tray then top with the veg and thyme, if using. Drizzle over remaining oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring occasionally for about an hour, or until the veg are cooked through and golden.

I know I prefer to eat mine on Saturday mornings with bacon (bacon soo goes with everything), but hey – whatever floats your boat. I like to think I look more masculine while munching muesli with bacon while sipping a long black (VB if past 2pm) at 10am on a Saturday morning down on Chapel Street. I think for my next healthy snack hit I’ll try a cinnamon and fruit snack topped with beetroot, yet another one of societies underutilised vegetables (is it a vegetable? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beet). Stay tuned!

They come in three delicious flavours to suit different tastes:

· Cinnamon & Fruit – Natural cinnamon, apricots and sultanas, topped with muesli – oats and pepitas
· Vanilla & Berries – Natural vanilla flavour, cranberries and sultanas, topped with muesli – oats and sunflower seeds
· Malted Barley – Malted barley flour, apricots and sultanas, topped with muesli – oats, flax seeds and sunflower seeds

Just pop in the toaster to warm, spread with a little butter or jam (or bacon) and enjoy at any time of the day. Easy to eat in the car, at your desk, at home, or on the run, you’ll find Table of Plenty Muesli Breads easy, convenient and mess-free. I haven’t tried to eat one while cycling yet, but I assume it’s easier than trying to eat a meat pie, and lets face it, better for you. I’d be happy to hear suggestions for where and how I might find interesting ways to consume this healthy goodness in the comments below.

Table of Plenty Muesli Bread (RRP $4.99 for Pack of 5) is a delicious, plump, round, flat bread that is packed full of great tasting flavours.

Renowned Sydney chef Christine Mansfield, in collaboration with Seppeltsfield Estate Vineyard, is offering gastronomes a one-off dining experience at Universal Restaurant in Sydney to bring together a love of wine and superb Modern Australian cuisine.

The stunning wines will be complemented by a four-course gourmet tasting menu specially prepared by Mansfield herself for the occasion, with the wines to be presented by winemaker James Godfrey.

An esteemed industry stalwart established in 1851 in the heart of South Australia’s Barossa Valley, Seppeltsfield Estate Vineyard has produced some of the world’s finest wine and boasts one of the most diverse, comprehensive collections of fortified wines. Undoubtedly one of the finest wines in the barrel is the Seppeltsfield Paramount XO Tawny, which will be matched with a spectacular dessert on the night.

The dining experience, a steal at $110 per person and is a must for any food and wine lover.

For bookings contact Universal Restaurant: 02 9331 0709 or eat@universalrestaurant.com