On 27th June 1964, an unusual event happened: Can’t Buy Me Love, by the Beatles, returned to the Number 1 position in the Australian Pop Charts after having been temporarily usurped by Mary Wells’ My Guy. On 4th May 2016 (i.e. last week’s newsletter), something similar happened: our market dog gallery returned to being the most popular link in the newsletter! Aaargh! Well, this is meant to be a food website, not a dog website, so in time-honoured tradition I am now manipulating the rankings (by not including the actual link to the dog gallery on the home page any more). To get you back onto food, here are two of my favourite food-related videos of all time.
Mary Clear, from Incredible Edible Todmorden
Pie Face
The Darebin Homemade Food & Wine Festival
By the time you read this, the week-long Darebin Homemade Food & Wine Festival will be in full swing. One event that I have not previously given sufficient prominence to is the Meet the Makers showcase event on Saturday, 14th May, 1-4pm. Homemade wine tasting and an opportunity to meet your local homemade wine makers, cooking demonstrations, information stalls, coffee, music and more. Here is the agenda:
- 1-2.30pm – paella, with Maria Echevarria-Lang from Chato, Thornbury : Chato has established itself as every local’s favourite Spanish tapas bar. Its chef and co-owner, Maria, will demonstrate her method of cooking authentic paella.
- 1.15-1.45pm – sambal, with Yuni from Yuni’s Kitchen, Northcote: Use it as a base for fried rice and soups, or served as a condiment alongside chicken and fish, sambal is Indonesia’s versatile answer to Thailand’s sriracha hot sauce and Yuni will show you how you can make your own. Includes free samples and jars available for purchase.
- 2.30-3pm – panakopita, with Mani from Melissa Cakes, Heidelberg: Melissa Cakes have been serving their Greek cakes, pastries and biscuits to Melbourne neighbourhoods for 45 years. Join their head pâtissier for a demonstration on how to stretch your own filo pastry and to talk you through their signature savoury recipe for spanakopita.
- 3-3.30pm – raw snacks on the go, with Christine Amad: Christine is a certified raw chef and yoga instructor who is passionate about eating clean for optimal health and nutrition. She will show you how easy it is to prepare healthy raw vegan low glycemic snacks to eat on the go.
- 3.30pm – the awards ceremony itself for best local homemade wine, beer, passata, ajvar and olives.
How to set up a successful food swap
Have a look at the guide to setting up a food swap produced by Melbourne-based Cultivating Community.
Design your own chocolate bar
Chocolab is website which allows you to design your own customised bars of chocolate. For cost reasons alone, this is probably not the sort of thing one would do often. But, as a treat for yourself or someone else, it has great novelty value. I had a dark chocolate bar with mini marshmallows, crunchie sprinkles, popping candy rocks, jaffas and blueberries! Yum, yum.
New events
Making food fun – ideas for healthy lunchboxes
What: Around a third of children’s daily food intake occurs at school or kinder. Join healthAbility’s Accredited Practising Dietician, Brodie Preston, as she unlocks the secrets to packing a lunchbox that ensures kids get all the energy and nutrients they need. Michelle Hegarty, from Home Grown Catering, will also be on hand to showcase simple and healthy lunchbox treats to prepare and taste with your kids. Bookings required (by phone or email).
When: Thursday, 19th May, 4-5pm.
Where: Greensborough.
Cost: free.
Enquiries/Bookings: Dione Fisher by phone (9434 3809) or email.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.
Winter gardening
What: Prepare for your winter garden and garden well through the winter months with a talk from Bulleen Art and Garden Nursery.
When: Thursday, 26th May, 10.30-11.30am.
Where: Bulleen.
Cost: free.
Bookings: Whitehorse Manningham Libraries website.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.
Habitat gardens – how to attract birds and reptiles
What: Learn about the best plants and the best techniques to attract birds and reptiles to your suburban garden from the experts at La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary. Followed by an optional walking tour of the Sanctuary.
When: Saturday, 28th May, 10.30-1pm.
Where: Bundoora.
Cost: free.
Enquiries: Charlie Davie by phone (8470 8405) or email.
Bookings: Eventbrite or phone (8470 8405).
Further information: LFC calendar entry.
Vegetarian basics cooking class
What: A hands-on workshop for those who want to introduce more meat free meals into their diet or gain some ideas on how to cater for the vegetarians in their life. It will cover: what vegetarians need for a balanced diet; how to create balanced and delicious vegetarian meals; tips on cooking beans, pulses and seeds; and being prepared for quick and easy vegetarian meals.
When: Saturday, 18th June, 9.30am-1.30pm.
Where: Montmorency.
Cost: $85.
Enquiries: Julie French by phone (0438 115853) or email.
Bookings: online.
Further information: LFC calendar entry.
Summary of upcoming events
Over the next week
- Sun Hyland: sensational sauces from scratch: Wednesday, 11th May, 6.30-7.30pm.
- An African feast: Wednesday, 11th May, 6.30-8pm.
- Keeping chickens in a suburban backyard: Wednesday, 11th May, 7-9pm.
- Rita Erlich in conversation with Cameron Smith: Thursday, 12th May, 6.30-7.30pm.
- A Tamil feast: Thursday, 12th May, 6.30-8pm.
- Italian meat ball demonstration and tasting: Friday, 13th May, 7-8pm.
- Backyard chooks for beginners: Saturday, 14th May, 10am-midday.
- A taste of Spain: Saturday, 14th May, 11am-midday.
- Pasta making for kids: Saturday, 14th May, 11am-midday.
- Make your own Vietnamese rice paper rolls for kids: Saturday, 14th May, 1-2pm.
- Meet the Makers showcase: Saturday, 14th May, 1-4pm.
- Cooking with quinces: Saturday, 14th May, 2-3.30pm.
- Olive preserving: Saturday, 14th May, 2-3.30pm.
- Streetside brew: Saturday, 14th May, 2.30-6pm.
- Organic backyard chook keeping: Sunday, 15th May, 10-11.30am.
- ‘No dig’ garden workshop: Sunday, 15th May, 11.30am-12.30pm.
- A taste of Autumn / Winter home produce at the Plummery: Sunday, 15th May, midday-1pm.
- Fermented beverages workshop: Sunday, 15th May, 2-4pm.
- Tibetan soul: Sunday, 15th May, 4.30-5.30pm.
- Seed saving: Tuesday, 17th May, 11.30am-12.30pm.
- Kitchen gardening in schools: Tuesday, 17th May, 2.30-4pm.