What’s On: Sydney Good Food & Wine Show

Tags

Adora Chocolate, Calvados, Chocolate, ChocoMe, Cider, Darling Harbour, Elizabeth Olsen, food, organic, Pana Chocolate, Peanut butter, Pics Peanut Butter, raw, Sydney, Two Elk

Pic and the Peanut Butter Fairy from Pics REALLY GOOD Peanut Butter
(Image by TSL)

Today LM and I tootled off to the Sydney Good Food & Wine Show at Darling Harbour for a squizz. Maybe I’m getting old (yes, I am), but these things seem to be getting busier and busier. And, maybe I’m becoming more like my Mum (yes, I am), because I find I don’t cope as well as I used to with crowds…

That being said, we had a great time wandering the aisles. I can recommend a visit if you’re in Sydney this weekend. I love chatting to food providores and it is always lovely to meet the people behind a product I particularly like.

Case in point, the ebullient Pic of Pic’s Peanut Butter. I’m a huge fan of Pic’s seriously good peanut butter. I even blogged about him back in February of last year (here). If you are passionate about your peanut butter, this is the brand for you. Promise!

I get way too much happiness from good food. (Elizabeth Olsen)

In terms of trends, it is clear that cider is the big thing in alcomoholic beverages. Somehow, it was too early in the day for me to sample wine, yet I managed to taste the ciders on offer. Go figure.

Two Elk Cider
(Image by TSL)

My favourite today was the pear number at Two Elk Cider. Apparently, this yummy stuff is a premium cider range, brewed and bottled according to tradition in Sweden.

Spirits of France
(Image by TSL)

And, while we’re on the subject of pears of the alcomoholic variety, LM sampled the Calvados on offer at the Spirits of France stall (30% pears, in case you were curious). He was obviously smitten – he bought a bottle!

Harney & Sons Fine Teas
(Image by TSL)

As I write this post, I’m having my first cup of Hot Cinnamon Sunset Tea from the lovely women at the Harney & Sons stall. I am in love with this tea. I first discovered it at a north shore café and have been looking for it since, so I was very pleased to see them at the show.

And, of course, we could not visit a food show without sampling some chocolate…

The lovely woman at Adora Chocolate
(Image by TSL)

I’m not sure if this is one of the sisters behind Adora Chocolate, but she was gorgeous AND it turns out Adora offers a large range of dairy-free chocolate (which kept LM engaged for quite some time!)

ChocoMe
(Image by TSL)

The beautiful-looking chocolates on offer from boutique chocolatiere ChocoMe were too scrummy to pass on, too. We sampled AND bought…

Pana Chocolate
(Image by TSL)

And, then there was the super team at Pana Chocolate (first blogged about back in 2012 under their previous name, Conscious Chocolate). This is the best-est, healthiest chocolate out there (so far, in my extensive search!) It’s raw. It’s organic. And, its made in Melbourne. ‘Nuts’ started out as my favourite flavour. Then,  ‘Eighty’ was launched. Today, I discovered the latest addition – ‘Sour Cherry + Vanilla’. WHat can I say? – YUM!!! You gotta’ try it!

The Good Food & Wine Show is on at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre at Darling Harbour this weekend. Tickets start at $33. Doors open at 10am both Saturday and Sunday.

Blog Stalking Clean Eating With a Dirty Mind

Tags

Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind, Cooking, Dairy Free, dessert, Food Porn, Paleo, Primal, Real Food, Recipe, San Diego, Sea World, Trifle, United States, Wordpress

Clean Eating With a Dirty Mind Header
(Image from CEWADM)

I want to tell you about a fabulous woman. We have never met in the flesh, but I follow her gorgeous blog. It’s called Clean Eating With a Dirty Mind (CEWADM).  I can’t even remember how I found her. Probably through one of my random WordPress searches.

She lives in San Diego. At least, I think she does. She’s irreverent and funny and she conducts amazing experiments with paleo-oriented recipes which she tests on her non-paleo partner and various friends. If they make the grade, she posts them on her blog. I kind of wish I lived in San Diego so she could use me as one of her foodie guinea pigs. San Diego has Sea World, too…

(Image from Comic JK)

Sidebar: For those of you who aren’t aware, LM and I sort of, kind of, follow a paleo-ish diet. With LM’s dairy and shellfish allergies, and my problems with gluten AND a real interest in eating less sugar and less processed food, a sort of paleo/primal/Weston A. Price/’real and traditional food’ hybrid is slowly evolving at Casa TSL.

Paleo Chocolate Pecan and Praline Cookies by CEWADM
(Image and recipe from here)

That being said, a lot of the recipes in CEWADM fall under the category of ‘sweets’. And, as mentioned, I try not to eat too much sugar. So, for a while, I looked but didn’t touch. The blog was a source of food porn, but I hadn’t tried any of the recipes. All that changed with the Paleo Chocolate Pecan and Praline Cookies. Seriously good. Seriously. Even for non-paleo peeps.

And then, I might just have mentioned that LM’s favourite dessert of all time was trifle. Just in passing, you understand…

Guess what happened? THIS happened…

The oh-so-fabulous Vanessa at CEWADM created a paleo (read: dairy free) trifle recipe for LM. More specifically, she created two trifle recipes for him – a peach crunch number and a raspberry chocolate hazelnut version. HOW COOL IS SHE???

Check it out…

Paleo Trifles by CEWADM
(Image and recipe from here)

Go and check out Vanessa and her fab’ blog, including the special trifle recipe, (here) before she gets her cookbook deal. Trust me – you don’t have to be paleo to appreciate it!

Kate Walsh Celebrates Real Food

Tags

Classes, Cooking Classes, food, Food Classes, food projects, Kate Walsh, Kimchi, Real Food Projects, Rene Redzepi, Sauerkraut, Slow Food, sydney market, Traditional Food

Kate Walsh (aka McDreamy’s ex)
(Image from here)

No, no, no! Not THAT Kate Walsh.

THIS Kate Walsh…

Kate Walsh of Real Food Projects
(Image from here)

As usual, I’m a little late to the party. I’ve only just discovered Kate Walsh and her seriously fab’ Real Food Projects here in Sydney, after reading about her in a recent Good Food article online.

People will travel anywhere for good food – it’s crazy. (Rene Redzepi)

I do agree with Rene*, people will travel for good food (especially when it is coupled with great service). But, there is definitely a growing movement of foodie types who seek a more ethical, natural and sustainable way of eating. A way of understanding what they eat, and where it originated. A big step away from overly-processed and genetically modified food and towards a more natural relationship with food. A bit like our grandmothers, or even their grandmothers used to have. It is possible that I am one of these people…!

Kate Walsh worked with global not-for-profit organisation Slow Food in the United States and consulted with the progressive Food Democracy Now group, before deciding she wanted to fill a gap in the Sydney market. And so, Real Food Projects was born. Lucky for us!

According to the Real Food Projects website, “Real Food Projects connects people to the story behind their food. We are a community of friends, chefs, growers, foragers, butchers, eaters and farmers. We throw great parties, hold cooking classes, do private catering and create the occasional pop-up shop in celebration of local, seasonal and ethical food. Our first ambitious project, co-founded with Matt Brannagan, was a lightening-fast, two-week pop-up Christmas shop in Darlinghurst, Sydney in 2012. Following this success, we opened another pop-up shop this time in Newtown, a cooking class series and an informal supper club over March 2013.”

Real Food Projects – Cooking School
(Image from here)

I may have slept through the first two Real Food Project pop-up shops, but there’s no way I’m missing their current project – another pop-up, but this time a cooking school in the first three weeks of July.

If you are keen to learn how to make butter, pastry, pickle or jam, even butcher a whole lamb, why not let the artisans of Sydney show you how.

Capturing Cultures with Holly Davis
(Image from here)

I’m going to be ‘Capturing Cultures’ with Holly Davis, learning the art of fermenting my own vegetables at home. But, if sauerkraut and kimchi ain’t your bag, how about making ‘Beef Jerky’ with Griffin Jerky or ‘Home-made Ricotta’ with Kristen Allen (resident cheese-maker and pickler at Cornersmith).

Places at the Real Food Projects classes are going fast (some have sold out already), so if you’re interested, I suggest you sign up sooner rather than later. Classes start from $55 a session and will be held at the 107 Projects store at 107 Redfern Street, Redfern and West Juliett café in Enmore.

*although, I haven’t been quite lucky enough to travel as far Noma for a meal…

Helena Leslie Quilts in Watercolour…

Tags

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Art, Artist, Brenda May Gallery, Drawing, Exhibition, Little Prince, Quilting, Sydney, Visual Arts, Watercolour

‘A Silence of Surprise’ by Helena Leslie
watercolour on paper
(Image from here)

I am quite drawn to Helena Leslie’s current exhibition at the very funky Brenda May Gallery in Danks Street.

Drawing inspiration from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s asteroids in ‘The Little Prince’, Helena has created a series of works which draw on her interest in personal histories that have been discarded and forgotten – things like photographs and printed matter; and then, tethers them to her quilts painted with watercolour.

One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye. (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)

The Little Prince
(Image from here)

She gives me a sense of looking into someone else’s world. There is a softness, a gentleness, to her work which appeals. What do you think…?

‘A Silence of Gathering’ by Helena Leslie
watercolour on paper
(Image from here)

‘A Silence of Family’ by Helena Leslie
watercolour on paper
(Image from here)

‘A Silence of Return’ by Helena Leslie
watercolour on paper
(Image from here)

‘A Silence of Wishing’ by Helena Leslie
watercolour on paper
(Image from here)

Helena Leslie’s current exhibition, ‘Again’, runs until 15 June at Brenda May Gallery. The gallery is open Tuesday – Friday 11 – 6, Saturday 10 – 6 and can be found at 2 Danks Street, Waterloo. I may just have to check it out…

Best Sydney Breakfast (& Lunch) Spots: Cornersmith

Tags

Cheese Making, Cooking, Cornersmith, food, Michael Pollan, Ploughman's lunch, Sustainable Food, Sydney Dining, Traditional Food, Urban Beehive

Cornersmith Ploughman’s
(Image by TSL)

Cornersmith Lunch
(Image by TSL)

Cornersmith Egg & Greens
(Image by TSL)

I know. I know. Before you say anything, I know that that first image of me chowing down on Cornersmith’s take on a Ploughman’s is hardly breakfast fare. But, when you hear how good it was AND that this place might just be my newest foodie obsession (I’ve been there twice in the past week, once for breakfast and once for lunch), perhaps you’ll allow me a little grace…?

Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.(Michael Pollan)

If you subscribe to Michael Pollan‘s way of thinking about food, then you will love, love, LOVE Cornersmith. I promise.

I have been hearing such great things about this quirky-yet-cool cafe for quite a while, and then my special blogging buddy, BCD recommended it – so, I had to drag LM off for a look-see. I only wish I hadn’t left it so long.

Cornersmith
(Images by TSL)

Located on the corner of Illawara and Petersham Roads in Marrickville – great if you’re an inner-westie like me! – the very hip Cornersmith offers a frequently changing blackboard menu made up of locally sourced and fresh produce, coupled with preserves and pickles made on site. If that’s not enough to tickle your taste buds, they are even part of the Urban Beehive project AND offer cheese-making classes. It’s a wee foodie nirvana…

This morning, my avocado, coriander, citrus and chilli with sprouts on rye (well, in my case gluten free toast) was just what my tummy wanted. LM had the poached egg roll with free range salami, quince aioli, pickled fennel and brussels slaw. He chose to save the top half of his roll so he could taste the house-made crab apple jelly. It was so good we had to take a jar home with us. We’ve already got a jar of the zucchini pickles from last time – I had them with the ploughman’s and they were sooooo yummy.

Cornersmith Pickles and Preserves Retail Station
(Image by TSL)

A word of warning – Cornersmith ain’t huge. There was lots of room for us this Monday morning, but it can get mighty busy come peak times. Be prepared for a wait at the weekend.

Cornersmith in Marrickville
(Images by TSL)

Cornersmith is now open 7 days and can be found at 314 Illawara Road, Marrickville. I reckon’ its fab’.