A very HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you out there! I wish everyone well and the best that the year has to offer.
The past few months have zoomed by quickly and served as a much-needed decompression as I settle back into the States. It's been wonderfully welcoming and as 2013 wrapped up, we found ourselves reflecting on the past year and all that has happened. There was a lot of traveling going on, which had me skipping along 3 continents with a huge grin on my face and a heart full of gratitude. A special thank you to those who have been a part of the journey, you guys know who you are!
In the next few posts, I'll share some moments and take you through a visual journey of my trips. First off is the capital of Victoria, otherwise known as Melbourne, Australia. With its many alleyways and laneways, Melbourne has cultivated itself to be a city rich of culture, art, and food. It's incredibly easy to fall in love with this city and that's exactly what I do each time.
Getting my brekkie on - best way to start the day, Manchester Press
Postage stamp souvenirs at a local market
Foodie paradise is checking out the markets to see what's in stock
Walk down the laneways and you'll find surprises like cauldrons of soup
The pop-up Urban Coffee Farm at the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
The place for good, authentic Vietnamese food is in Richmond
Enjoying the outdoors at the People's Market in Collingwood
Raw carrot cake from the Vegie Bar makes for a happy camper
Another raw treat (pictured right) is the strawberry basil cake (Vegie Bar)
Grab a seat for your feast - Lentil as Anything (left) and Vegie Bar (right)
The Taste of Sydney food festival ran last week from
Thursday, March 14 – Sunday, March 17, 2013.
I definitely attended to check out what they had and not only for one
session, but for three sessions! Call me a bit crazy but there’s a reason
behind it. You see, I’d bought tickets
about a month ago and then ended up getting some free tickets so hey, why not?
It would be beneficial because then, I could “suss” it out the first time.
What I love about going to food festivals is the opportunity
to DISCOVER. Discover new restaurants, new
chefs, new food, new ingredients, new spreads, new dips, new oils, new beer,
new wine, new alcohol, etc. Okay,
sometimes they may not be new but they’re new to me so the novelty is there.
With a plethora of different goods around, it’s easy to get
intimidated when going to the store and buying a full pack of X. Perhaps one may have no idea of what it taste
like or even how to prepare or what it pairs with best. Luckily, vendors at these food festivals are
very happy to let you sample and taste the final product. They’ve done the work of combining and
testing out what they know to find the best match together and have it
presented for you to try.
The cider tent! Ever thought of trying a "cider float?" I tried it with some frozen yogurt, definitely made for those who can handle the strong tart flavours. This was a "secret menu" item concocted by a vendor at another tent :)
Jackie M. cooking up some Malaysian Roti Canai
The Sustainable Living area :)
Some cheese? Don't mind if I do! Let me count the ways I love thee....
It’s no secret that I’m a big (HUGE) fan of gelato and one
of THE places here in Sydney, Gelato Messina, has converted me into an
addict. One day, I’ll probably write up
a love letter – whether it’s to the gelateria shop and/or to their flavours and/or
the art and science behind it, it’ll happen.
Messina holds classes for those who are interested in finding out what
goes behind the scenes and to show their raving popularity, all the classes for
the rest of the year have been booked out for awhile now!
In any case, the best highlight for me during the Taste of
Sydney was being able to watch head gelato chef Donato Toce from Gelato Messina
prepare 2 of their popular gelato flavours: salted caramel and white chocolate,
and tiramisu. I learned fun facts like
how they go through 1,000kg of sugar per week (mmm…sugar) or that the weekly
specials are determined and tested 6 weeks in advanced! Overall, I was a happy camper with a full belly (as usual....).
With Donato Toce of Gelato Messina and with my gelato spoon ready in hand!
Last year, I went to the Good Food and Wine Show as a spectator. This year, I was on the other side of the table working 2 days of the 3-day event (one of those days was reserved to see LADY GAGA!!) as a volunteer for the Chef's Table, which featured celebrity chefs Adrian Richardson, Anna Gare, and Miguel Maestre from the Lifestyle Food Channel.
During lunch, I did have a few moments to wander around the various stalls and stock up on some products as well as sampling some of the things that were being prepared.
Most of the hours were spent in the kitchen and on the floor. Each of the chefs prepared 3 dishes - most had 2 savory and 1 sweet and the other chef had all savory plates. Let's get down to the photos I snapped while I was in the kitchen, enjoy!
Avocado Carpaccio with Seared Scallops
Leek Tarte Tatin (upside-down tart where the filling is caramelised first before baking)
Pork Sausage with a Soft, Herby, Cheesy Polenta
Choc Date Nut Torte (center, amazing!!!), Leek Tarte Tatin (upper right), Beetroot Cured Trout
Looking at these pictures is surely stimulating my appetite but it could also be that I'm posting this pre-lunch. If you're interested in getting the recipe from any of the above, let me know and I'll send them your way.
It's been a whirlwind of a couple weeks and I realize that this is long overdue, oops. When there aren't any deadlines to meet, this is what happens and my draft sat there waiting to be finished. It became one of those to-do things you spend more time thinking about than the actual time that it would take to actually do it.
Moving on, sometimes I get people asking me, "Why do you volunteer?" What they're trying to say and sometimes bluntly ask is, "Why do you work for free?"
Volunteering is not just an extracurricular activity in the past. I'm not here to preach about it but rather, outline my experiences from it and share the outcome. I volunteer to give back: whether it's for a certain cause, to give back to the community, or even simply just the passion for it.
Being a part of the Crave Sydney International Food Festival, especially the World Chef Showcase, was a truly remarkable experience I wouldn't trade for anything. Hard work and long-hours (nothing compared to the staff who actually work the entire festival) was worth it and it became one of those reaffirming moments where I just knew that my involvement with the food community and culture was only just beginning.
A few months ago, I started reading MoVida: Spanish Culinary Adventures, then eventually went to MoVida Next Door for dinner in Melbourne. Fast forward some time, then I was watching chef-author Frank Camorra give his demonstration on Spanish cuisine and working alongside the wonderful writer and TV producer Richard Cornish. It's funny how things work out sometimes.
Check out this video of him preparing a chocolate feast
Okay, no more name-dropping! Wherever you guys live or if you're traveling to any of the places mentioned, I'd recommend to try the restaurants. There's a reason why they were out here and chosen to represent various countries.
A few weeks ago, I had the fortunate opportunity to volunteer for the World Chef Showcase for the Crave Sydney International Food Festival. It was the big 2 day kick-off event to the festival filled with chefs from different countries (Peru, Brazil, Argentina, the US, the UK, France, Sweden, and of course, Australia..just to name a few) giving demonstrations, tastings, and talks. Here's a few of the chefs that I was able to meet up and work with and snap a quick photo with:
From top to bottom, left to right: David Lebovitz, Gaston Acurio, Ricardo Zarate, Adriano Zumbo (sorry Zumbo, I couldn't resist throwing in a silly face)
b) stay local for my Angelenos and head to Ricardo Zarate's Picca and Mo-Chica
If you've got a sweet tooth and are in Sydney, then stuff your face silly with some of Adriano Zumbo macarons and other pastries.
WOW. I am just full of (even more) links today!
But really, WOW! Looking back and reflecting on the event and experience, I met and came across so many wonderful people that inspire me to continue growing and do more with this passion of mine. There's more chefs and writers and people I want to mention but in keeping with my "short posts", I may have to save it for a Part II re-cap.
This one is the BIG one of the year. My expectations are high, I've been reading and following it for the past couple of months. It sounds like a great event so I sit here blogging about my excitement as the month of October will be packed with food-filled events. Here's a preview of what's to come:
Good news is, I've been fortunate enough to get involved and will be helping out with the World Chef Showcase. Chefs from many parts of the world will be showing what goes on behind-the-scenes and this year's theme is across South America!!!
If you're in or near Sydney and a big foodie or simply want to attend, I would definitely recommend going to this event. It sounds like one not to miss! More to come from me later :)
Can I just say that I LOVE going to food and wine shows/festivals/exhibits/fundraisers/competitions? This past weekend, I attended the Good Food & Wine Show at the Sydney Convention Center on Sunday, its last day.
There's nothing I love more than being able to sample little bites and drinks all-day. It gives me the opportunity to taste and get to know a product and decide whether I like it or not...all before the point of purchase. Although the food samples were average and there was a lack of cheese vendors (wine but no cheese?), I did enjoy sampling the wines from different regions, ciders, coffees, and teas.
The 3-day event included plenty of vendors covering the floor and providing samples to attendees, cooking demonstrations from chefs, workshops, classes, tastings, and chefs tables. It tours 5 cities and now heads to Perth in a couple weeks so without further adieu, here are some of the photos I snapped from the event:
I have to say, my taste buds are changing here (for the better). Whereas before I could only withstand certain types of teas (basically the ones that didn't hold a strong tea taste or had lots of other flavors covering it), I can feel it starting to open up (thank you taste buds!) and I just fell in love with the Chai pictured above. Perfect for cold days!
P.S. Thanks for reading and for everyone's continued support and love!
Last month I was fortunate enough to attend the Taste of Sydney, a 4-day food festival held at Centennial Park. I'm a fan of food festivals but they're definitely something you have to learn how to maneuver through. It's a bit like a music or film festival in the sense that you need to plan ahead, find out what you want to get out of it, research the vendors, chefs, and restaurants that are attending. I brought my cash, credit card, hunger and taste palate ready to tackle this.
This was part of a series of demonstrations from Sydney's culinary masters. Here, Romeo Baudouin from Victor Churchill Family Butcher's teaches the audience about charcuterie. An (almost) whole pig was brought out, divided, and cut. As he was doing this, Baudouin explained what each part was used for. It was definitely very informative and a great learning experience.
Initially, I jumped in, anxious to try the food from the restaurants after scanning the menu. I decided to start out with a salad accompanied by grilled salmon on skewers but it turned out to be a disappointment. It looked better than it tasted, unfortunately. I moved on to the vendors, sampling wines, liquors, cheeses, meats, and various snacks. It worked out a lot better because you were able to taste before actually deciding what you wanted to buy. In the end, I ended up with some treats that left me satisfied for a couple days:
King River Gold: a small round, washeed rind cheese that had a soft, smooth texture (cow's milk). Mmmm!
Milawa Camembert: another cow's milk cheese that is a velvety, white mold made in the Normandy style that develops a mushroomy aroma and a mild salty flavor.
For those who would like to attend a food festival, there is one coming up in June in LA (other locations and dates discussed below) called Taste of the Nation. What's great about Share Our Strength, the organization that runs this festival, is that 100% of the proceeds/ticket sales goes towards ending childhood hunger. Tickets can be bought here or you can also volunteer so mark your calendars and get involved--someway, somehow:
Taste of the Nation Los Angeles
June 12, 2011
1:00 - 4:00 PM
Media Park in Culver City
9070 Venice Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
Other dates and locations are also available such as 4/7 San Francisco (CA), 4/14 Boston (MA), 5/22 Laguna Beach (CA), 5/23 NYC, and many more. Check their website for more info: http://taste.strength.org
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