FoodieChat

I’m so happy to have scored tickets to see Ferran Adria speak at a Good Food Month event in Sydney!! In case you haven’t heard, he runs the most famous restaurant in the world called El Bulli, in Spain.  He is heralded as the father of molecular gastronomy – basically using scientic methods to change the way food is presented, and making tastes into new and exciting and surprising forms.

Getting a reservation is near impossible – they take bookings only once a year according to Gourmet Traveller, and it is recommended that you put your name on the waiting list, book a two week holiday in Spain and leave your mobile on, ready to go if you are lucky enough to get a call!

But if not, and if you can’t afford the >€300 cost for a meal, you could buy his books, with the latest one to be released in October, and come to his talks in Sydney or Melbourne. Tickets from Ticketmaster on sale now – $40 talk only, or $75 for the talk and the book. Which is a bargain compared to the cost of eating his food

If you don’t know what he’s about, here are some articles by SMH:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/good-living/your-tweezers-sir-and-do-smell-the-rosemary/2008/09/01/1220121114863.html

http://www.smh.com.au/news/good-living/new-age-food-appeals/2008/09/01/1220121114855.html

This is my favourite food event of the year, and I was ssooo looking forward to it.  I beat my record and spent 6 hrs there this year!  The trick is to get there early, and also to pre-purchase your tickets.  To be honest, this year was less enjoyable because it was overcrowded due to the massive crowds that Gordon Ramsay brought in.  Expect to see the very gorgeous Peter Evans who makes many a housewife’s heart skip a beat (from Fresh on channel 9), including one of my companions

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Well it’s that time of year again when Sydney foodies descend upon top restaurants, hotels, bars and even parks to eat and drink their way around town for the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Month.  And top of the list for the evenings is the Sugar Hit – the $20 plate of dessert and glass of dessert wine (up from $15 in previous years).  We went to the elegant Cafe Opera at the intercontinental, fully intending to have the Sugar Hit, but instead captivated by the dessert trolley before us, which offered an array of beautiful irresistable patisserie at only $8 each.  Well, there’s the bird in the hand theory – we could see before our eyes what we were going to get (and save $4 each too – since dessert wine is $8 a glass), or get the sugar hit. Well – bird’s good for me.

I’m quite familiar with the quality of the desserts at the Inter Cont as I had done a Hands On cooking class five years back, and returned frequently to have the cakes take away.

A favourite is the tear drop shaped black forest cake – chocolate sponge topped with sour cherry compote, whipped cream and finished off with a layer of cherry jelly.  Tempting tiramisu manifested as a cake – sponge fingers top, bottom and side, and a smooth thick layer of coffee liqueur flavoured marscarpone – and topped with a delicate rolled tuile.

The pavlova slice is deceptively light – filled with raspberries, mango and whipped cream – soft and fluffy with a slightly crispy meringue top.  And… DIY sugar hit hahaha.

But my absolute favourite of all time is the passionfruit mousse cake, which for me takes the cake (literally) for its tangy passionfruit that cuts through the sweetness in a light mousse; wrapped with a dotted sponge collar and a layer of jelly on top.  Butterflies or leaves of chocolate spiked on top, and a shard of speckled white chocolate for good measure.  The staff could have been a bit more generous with the dessert wine, but when you could catch them were attentive and polite.  The large couches are a comfortable way to rest and soak up the atmosphere – but be quick as there are no bookings on a Friday night – and the queue starts well before the 9pm starting time.

www.gfm.smh.com.au for more events.  Sydney Intercontinental Hotel  117 Macquarie Street Sydney 9240 1369 

You’ve got to be an early riser or a very dedicated foodie to make the monthly Good Living Grower’s Market.  It’s only open from 7 to 11am on the first Saturday of every month. Our efforts were well worth it as it was a sunny and unseasonally warm August morning, and the glimmer of the sun on the ocean front spot in front of the casino provided the perfect setting to spend the morning.  There are around 85 stalls with fresh produce straight from the growers; artisan bakeries selling their wares;

Even herbs and plants available – I bought a 50cm chilli plant for only $7 – brimming with baby chillis ready to be nurtured.

A honey stand provided some sweet tastings for the morning – but the main reason why I was here was to eat breakky.  Popular stands include fresh (huge) pancakes cooked to order; wagyu beef steaks; indian samosas, and for me today – “confused eggs with bacon” – that is, BBQ cooked scrambled egg omelette served with crispy bacon, caramelised onions on a roll with rocket and the secret creole BBQ sauce ($5).

OMG it was so good – I didn’t even pick off the fat as I would normally – the sticky sweet BBQ sauce providing a pleasing tangy sweet finish.  No wonder why the queue is always so long!! Some freshly squeezed organic blood orange juice ($4) to wash it all down.

Or, if you’re in a rush, buy some fizzy organic juice to go.  And of course, organic vege stalls (such as the one selling freshly picked parsnips) about.  Also popular is Toby’s Estate coffee – but I’m not a coffee drinker.  See you there next month?