Month in Review - July 2009

No doubt I am not the first to discover that starting a blog is much easier than keeping it up to date. I am very good at making lists of things that I should/could write about but finding the time to do so is a bit problematic. So herewith a summary of what happened in my food life this month.

1. The end of the first Australian Masterchef series. Was I the only person who didn't really get into this? What is the fascination about food as competition?


2. On the subject of television I have had access to cable TV for the last couple of weeks and was very excited at the prospect of the Lifestyle Food channel and seeing Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in the flesh only to discover that the series on offer had been made in 1999! And people pay to see this stuff? Also came across something called 'Come Dine with Me' - more food competition involving a very unlikeable crew.


3. A birthday dinner at Bird, Cow Fish -cod brandade with a salad of celery leaf, parsley and lemon followed by Coorong hanger steak with a sweet and sour garlic, anchovy, oregano, raisin and veal jus sauce. Alex Herbert is a bit of a gem.


4. Bécasse Producers Winter Forum Lunch. Introduced by Simon Marnie, food by Justin North which included Coffin Bay pacific oysters, Woodbridge smoked trout, local prosciutto, prawns from Kinkawooka (Spencer’s Gulf Prawn Fishery), duck from Cornucopia (in the Upper Hunter on the Patterson River) washed down with beer (more specifically Organic Pale Ale) from Redoak, chardonnay from Lakes Folly and coffee from Single Origin Northern Rivers. Can't wait for the next one.


5. Living temporarily in Petersham within easy walking distance of Sweet Belem and their addictive tarts.


6. Another dinner this time at Abhi's Indian restaurant with friends. This is a great local restaurant, very popular and very good.


7. Received the latest edition of the Art of Eating (number 81). Edward Behr might be a tad opinionated but there is always something thought provoking in his little magazine. And its arrival led to my perennial complaint - why isn't there a good, locally produced food magazine - of any sort? Not one chock full of recipes and celebrity chefs but one that really talks about the who, what, when, how and why of eating and food production. Think Gastronomica and even the Observer Food Monthly.

And that's it for this month