mothers day sorted

Just in case you had forgotten, with all this Royal Wedding pillava, it's Mother's Day next week. And yes, while it's true that you shouldn't have to wait for one day a year to show your mum that you care, it's kind of fun to spoil the old lady from time to time.

High Tea at The Gunner's Barracks

Nothing says 'posh' quite like tiered cake stands, finger sandwiches, tiny cakes, tea and Champagne,  frankly. Get frocked up or suited and booted and take mum to high tea with a view at Mosman's Gunner's Barracks. Served on 'the good china' (that is, Royal Albert), the view from the barracks is pretty extraordinary, even for a jaded Sydneysider.

Featuring homemade scones, jam and clotted cream, in addition to the aforementioned terribly cute sandwiches and cakes,  prices start at $40 per person. Bookings essential.

The Gunner's Barracks
End Of Suakin Drv
Mosman NSW 2088
(02) 8962 5900

Cloudy Bay Fish Co.

They didn't have food courts like this, when I was growing up. If you're taking mum shopping for Mothers Day and you happen to be in the city, make time to stop, refuel and recharge at the very chic Cloudy Bay Fish Co. in Westfield's growing CBD fashion slash food mecca. Tucked away in the corner, grab a seat at the bar (where it's licensed) and sip on a glass of chilled rose while you tuck into a seared sashimi of marlin, with white mustard, a few oysters and a clam chowder. The produce is sourced mainly from the pristine waters of Marborough Sounds in New Zealand, although there is some cracker local produce to be found too.

Paddock to Plate tour - The Essential Ingredient

Who says you have to leave the city to get a bit of paddock to plate experience? The Essential Ingredient are running a cooking class and tour on Saturday the 7th of May, featuring a special guided tour of Pyrmont Growers Market, meeting local producers and farmers. There are tastings along the way, and then you get to take what you know (and buy), back to The Essential Ingredient's HQ in Rozelle to cook it. Chef de jour is Robert Hodgson, head chef at La Grande Bouffe, just across the road - so you know what you learn to cook will be tasty.


Bookings essential. Find out more here.

san pellegrino world's top 50 restaurants 2011

It's that time of the year again. All bets are in, and the winners of the San Pellegrino World's Top 50 Restaurants were announced last night in London. Denmark's Noma maintains its spot as Number One restaurant in the world, with a fair bit of shuffling around the Top 50 in general this year.

Expect it to continue to be impossible to get into Quay - it's Australia's top ranking restaurant this year, at #26 (up 1 place), our only top 50 restaurant, with Tetsuya's slipping out of the top 50:
 
Attica: #53 (Up from #73 in 2010)
Tetsuya's: #58 (Down from #38)
Marque Restaurant: #70

World, here are you top 50 restaurants for 2011:

1	—	Noma	Denmark	The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in the World. The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant in Europe
2	Up 2	El Celler De Can Roca	Spain
3	Up 2	Mugaritz	Spain
4	Up 2	Osteria Francescana	Italy	The Chefs' Choice sponsored by Electrolux
5	Down 2	The Fat Duck	England
6	Up 1	Alinea	USA	The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant In North America
7	Up 11	D.O.M	Brazil	The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant In South America
8	Up 1	Arzak	Spain
9	Up 2	Le Chateaubriand	France
10	—	Per Se	USA
11		Daniel	USA
12		Les Creations de Narisawa	Japan	The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant In Asia
13		L'Astrance	France
14		L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon	France
15		Hof van Cleve	Belgium
16		Pierre Gagnaire	France
17		Oud Sluis	Netherlands
18		Le Bernardin	USA
19		L'Arpege	France
20		Nihonryori RyuGin	Japan	Highest Climber Sponsored by Lavazza
21		Vendome	Germany
22		Steirereck	Austria
23		Schloss Schauenstein	Switzerland
24		Eleven Madison Park	USA
25		Aqua	Germany
26		Quay	Australia	The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant In Australasia
27		Iggy's	Singapore
28		Combal Zero	Italy
29		Martin Berasategui	Spain
30		Bras	France
31		Biko	Mexico
32		Le Calandre	Italy
33		Cracco	Italy
34		The Ledbury	UK	Highest New Entry Sponsored by Silestone
35		Chez Dominique	Finland
36		Le Quartier Francais	South Africa	The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant In The Middle East and Africa
37		Amber	China
38		Dal Pescatore	Italy
39		Il Canto	Italy
40		Momofuku Ssam Bar	USA
41		St John	UK
42		Astrid Y Gaston	Peru
43		Hibiscus	UK
44		Maison Troisgros	France
45		Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenee	France
46		De Librije	Netherlands
47		Restaurant de l'Hotel De Ville	Switzerland
48		Varvary	Russia
49		Pujol	Mexico
50		Asador Etxebarri	Spain

It's fantastic to see several new entries in the Top 50, including the much loved Ledbury, run by none other an our very own Aussie, Brett Graham, as well as entries from Peru (Astrid Y Gaston), China (Amber), Mexico (Pujol) and Russia (Varvary).

Click here for all the news, as well as the 51-100 list.

head on festival food photography

Whether you're a major foodie, blogger, or just a fan of great food photography, this year's Head On Photo Festival has you covered, with a session on how to take great photos of your breaky, lunch or dinner:

The workshop will include hints and tips on:

•    lighting techniques indoors and outdoors and when you travel
•    how to build up your sets and being adaptable in all locations
•    using props, styling techniques for photographers
•    camera angles and lens selection, how to work in all environments

The details:

When: Friday 13 May, 5.30-8.15pm
Where: The Muse, Building C, Ultimo College, Harris Street, Ultimo
Cost: $60 including tuition and refreshments

Click here to find out more and to book.

The session is hosted by Penelope Beveridge, whose work can be seen in publications like Vogue Living + Entertainment, Delicious and Gourmet Traveller. She is also an international multi award winner, including being a former winner of the Professional Division of Sydney Morning Herald's Shoot the Chef.

gourmet easter feasting

About the time a certain gooey chocolate egg starts flinging itself at the television screen, you know Easter is about to..er, explode with all manner of ovular-shaped confectionery, Jeebus-themed baked goods and the like. There's a lot that's good, bad and ugly about the season, but here are a few food items well worth checking out:

Maple Cinnamon Bacon

There's bacon and then there's bacon. From the guys who make Australia's best bacon (that's Schulz to you), Barossa Fine Foods have launched a special bacon for Easter: Maple Cinnamon Bacon. Not just a Canadian thing, if you're lucky enough to be in Adelaide, they are doing tastings at Adelaide Central Markets, but you can contact them through their website to find out how to get your hands on some.

Obsessive fans may also be interested in the launch of Bacōn, a new bacon-scented fragrance that has taken the interwebs by storm this week. 



Haute cross buns

It started this year with killer lamingtons, but Bird Cow Fish have done it again with hot cross buns sure to blow pale interpretations out of the water. Featuring organic flour and a 24-hour proof before baking, a blend of secret herbs and spices, sultanas and raisins, they'll be bigger than Ben Hur at 150g each, sold individually or in packs of 6. 

Available for one day only - next Saturday at Everleigh Market, Redfern.

Chocolate Eggs

If you're going to indulge in chocolate this Easter, make sure it's great quality. Forget the cheap stuff and head straight for something like Kennedy & Wilson's chocolate eggs, hens and fish, made especially for Easter. Chocolatier Peter Wilson's dream of making luxury chocolate using ingredients like cocoa from South and Central America, Asia, New Guinea, the Carribean and Africa; milk and cream from New Zealand and vanilla from Vanuatu and Madagascar, resulted in a super smooth chocolate with a brilliant mouth feel and a proper cocoa taste. Available through Gersh Goods and other high end delis and providores.

seasonal greetings

Summer is SO OVER. While the hotter months are all about pretty colours and big, sexy, flavours...it's time to move onto slightly more interesting fresh and earthy flavours: Autumn well and truly about upon us, and that means a whole host of beautiful new produce.

Pears

Given that they come in every shade from bright green to yellow and russet red like deciduous leaves, it seems fitting that pears are an autumn fruit.

While varieties like Packam's Triumph generally stay bright green and are good for everything from eating fresh to baking, poaching or pairing with savoury flavours (hello, blue cheese!), other varieties are more geared towards a more culinary end (Beurre Bosc, Winter Nelis), while some are best eaten fresh (Williams, Corella).

Mussels

On the seafood front, fish like red emperor, and wild barramundi come into season, as do mussels from Port Lincoln in South Australia.

While newbies might find mussels a bit intimidating, those savvy fishermen in SA have got your covered, with bags of live, vac sealed mussels, already cleaned and washed, ready for cooking. As they start to get bigger and juicier, the best way to eat mussels is to make a simple white wine and herb or tomato based broth, and once it's nearly ready, just pop in the mussels and put the lid on. In about 5-10 minutes, once most of the mussels have opened slightly, just be ready with a hunk of good bread and butter and dive right in.

Here's a simple recipe (to serve 4)

Ingredients

50g butter, diced
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 small clove of garlic, finely diced
1/2 cup of parsley, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
1 generous cup of white wine
1 pack (or 2kg) mussels, cleaned and scrubbed
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Heat half the butter in a heavy based pan to medium and fry off onions and garlic until transparent
2. Add the wine, bay leaf, thyme, pinch of salt and pepper, cover and simmer
3. Once the liquid has simmered for a few minutes, add the mussels, put the lid back on and allow to cook for 2-5 minutes.
4. As mussels start to open, remove them from the pan and reserve them in a bowl.
5. Stir in the remaining butter and season the liquid to taste and return mussels to the pan, or put them in a bowl to serve
6. Serve at the table with the chopped parsley and plenty of crusty bread

Pine mushrooms

Those little creatures that grow at the base of pine trees are popping up all over the place...and they're delicious! They have orange-coloured caps and have a nutty flavour. Be careful: If you don't know what you're looking for, be careful if you go foraging...there are some nasty imposters out there that are not so friendly when eaten. Alternatively, you can always forage for them at your friendly green grocer: They're delicious when simply pan fried with butter, garlic, a touch of cream and some parsley.