Here's the latest food news for Brisbane and beyond plus some gourmet treats - enjoy!
Last chance for Valentines
A verdant Valentines Day bouquet made with beautiful fresh ingredients from Jan Powers Markets has arrived at my door to remind me that there's nothing more romantic than a home cooked meal made with love. Jan's city market is open Wednesday so you can stock up.
Here's my tips on what food to eat for luck in love and a great massage to win.
If you'd rather dine out- here's the list.
And if you are single - have I got something for you! but... it's not Peter Kuruvita, sorry.
Gastronomic adventures
Australian adventure travel company, World Expeditions, is launching its 2013 suite of gastronomic adventures with free information nights hosted by chef and TV personality, Peter Kuruvita.Unfortunately they are only launching with Peter and the chefs who will lead the trips in Sydney and Melbourne - boo hiss!
According to CEO, Sue Badyari, the keen interest in food evidenced by television programs devoted to the topic has accelerated interest amongst travellers for this type of travel.
"Many World Expeditions travellers are looking for a means to really relate to the place they visit," Ms Badyari said. "They want to actively participate in the culture and history of the country they are visiting and exploring the local cuisine is a great way to connect with a different culture."
"The type of food grown and the way it is prepared provides an insight into the local way of life and traditions," she said. "Having our expert chefs on hand during the tours greatly enhances the whole experience."
World Expeditions' culinary adventures include: 'My Sri Lanka' with Peter Kuruvita, Tastes of the Orient, Morocco with Meera Freeman and The Food Lover's Pilgrimage Santiago de Compostela.
World Expeditions launched its culinary suite of trips in 2004 and, since then, has worked with celebrity chefs such as Joanna Saville, Kylie Kwong, Meera Freeman and Hamish Ingham to take small groups of enthusiastic foodies to a diverse range of destinations, chosen for their culinary appeal and the depth of experiences they offer participants.
Find out more at www.worldexpeditions.com
Fast, fresh lunch
Joining the trend towards lower cost, less time lunches, Aria now has a Fast, Fresh Lunch for Feb and March for $39 per person for two courses including a glass of wine. That's practically bargain basement for Aria!
Here's what you will get - Entree: cured kingfish with radish, cucumber and lemon gel; Main: pan seared salmon fillet with smoked eggplant, tomato and olives or slow cooked beef cheeks with beetroot, orange and horseradish salad plus a glass of Bartlett’s Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir.
As a sweets freak, I'd probably blow both the diet and the budget with a deconstructed banofee pie dessert.
Reservations: brisbanereservations@ariarestaurant.com
Stokehouse wine dinners
This year's wine dinner series is starting with a celebration of the Barossa Valley label, Torbreck Vintners, on
Tuesday 26 March. Guests will indulge in a variety of Torbreck’s fine wines, including its iconic, dark and aromatic RunRig, together with a decadent four-course dinner designed by Head Chef Tony Kelly.
The dinner is $150 per person, including dinner and all wines. Bookings (07) 3020 0600
www.stokehouse.com.au
Create the perfect cocktail party
Taking on the role of host can frazzle even the most prepared of people; particularly when the guests start arriving in droves, the food isn’t ready and the host ends up spending the entire party trapped in the kitchen.
Spring Food & Wine is coming to the rescue with their new cooking class, “How to create the perfect cocktail party: canapés with a difference” on Thursday, February 21, 6pm. Learn how to create simple and delicious canapés, and enjoy a glass or two of wine along the way.
Bookings www.spring.com.au
MS Big Dinner Party
Enjoy good food and good company? Big Dinner Party for MS is a great chance to indulge in everything food-related while raising vital funds to help fight Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
The month of March is the time to host your dinner party for MS. Your dinner party could be a three course meal, a BBQ, organising some takeaway, or cocktails and canapés. Register at www.bigdinnerparty.com.au
Big Dinner Party is a great excuse to get together with friends while raising vital funds for the 23,000+ Australians living with MS; the most common neurological disease affecting young Australians. There is no cure, yet but you can help change the lives of the 23,000+ Australians living with this often debilitating disease.www.bigdinnerparty.com.au
Heston likes Breville
One of the world’s premier chefs, Heston Blumenthal, has become Breville’s global brand ambassador.
More than just an endorsement relationship, Heston will be working closely behind the scenes with the Breville product development team. helping to shape the future Breville product range.
“We’ve already put dozens of Breville products through their paces, a punishing task for any piece of kit with a bunch of chefs, and the level of thought and ingenuity in the design is matched by resilience. We’ve been really impressed and I can’t wait to get into the lab and see what other clever tools we can create together. We’ve already mapped out some pretty interesting stuff.
“The other great thing about all of this”, said Heston, “is having another excuse to come Down Under. It’s become a home away from home the last few years and it’s a happy coincidence that Breville’s based in Sydney.”
And Heston’s favourite Breville product? “I love the windscreen wiper on the mixer as it makes baking so much better, but I guess overall I’d have to say the Tea Maker. I drink a lot of tea; I would say it’s probably my favourite drink. The engineering involved to take a kettle and get it to be able to make tea properly and automatically is ridiculous. But mostly I just love watching the basket go up and down. It’s brilliant!”
Big Aussie-Asian BBQ
Brisbane's Big Aussie-Asian BBQ will be held in Reddacliff Place on Friday, 15 February from 4-9pm. Woks, coals, grills, Malaysian satays, Indian tandoori, Japanese yakitori, Korean bulgogi and Chinese char sui will be just some of the Asian BBQ delights cooked up at the event. There will be two free open air master classes by Poh Ling Yeow. It's part of the BrisAsia Festival
Thumbs up
Thumbs up to Gramercy Espresso & Eats’ February flood relief efforts in donating half their Feb profits to a Mundubbera farmer whose farm was devoured by the floods. Well done! Find Gramercy in the Edward Street lane way entrance of the newly refurbished Wintergarden.
Kerry Heaney
Disclaimer: Simply spreading food news.