Being Tempted by Sydney’s Living Museums

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Australia, Childrens' Activities in Sydney, Christmas Markets, food, Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, Jared Ingersoll, Kate Walsh, Museum, New South Wales, Sydney, Sydney Living Museum

Sydney Living Museums Food Table
(Image from Sydney Living Museums)

There’s an awesome new set up in Sydney-town. In April of this year, the Historic Houses Trust of NSW launched Sydney Living Museums, its new collective name for 12 of New South Wales’ most important museums and historic houses.

The Trust, incorporating Sydney Living Museums, cares for significant historic places, buildings, landscapes and collections. Focusing on the lives that were lived in each of its museums and houses, Sydney Living Museums offers insights into the personal stories of how people lived, worked and played, and vital parts of Australian culture and heritage that are unique and fascinating.

From carefully curated exhibitions, events and ‘everyday’ experiences covering food, through household interiors, gardens and outdoor living, to social class, rural lives and crime and punishment – Sydney Living Museums has 12 of the best places to experience Sydney’s living history. And, the best part is that the team at SLM have created a brand that is exciting and accessible. It makes me want to visit all twelve of their sites…

Sydney Living Museums Eat Your History
(Image from Sydney Living Museums)

The summer food programme, including the ‘Eat Your History’ exhibition looks fantastic – and, it seems to have a little bit of something for everyone. Inspired by the historic homes, and their gardens and kitchens, the programme presents a specially curated menu of enticing food experiences. SLM has partnered with some of Sydney’s most highly respected chefs, foodies and craftspeople to bring you a tasty mix of experiences.

Here are a few of the offerings that particularly appeal to yours truly…

Jared Ingersoll’s ‘Farm to Table Dinner’
(Image from Sydney Living Museums)

The very talented Mr Ingersoll (you may recall him from here) has partnered with Kate Walsh of Real Food Projects to bring us the Farm to Table dinner on Thursday 14 November at the Hyde Park Barracks Museum. I’m stealing shamelessly from the SLM sales pitch when I tell you, “inspired by menus from the 1800s, this unique banquet will use local, indigenous and heirloom produce grown in the Vaucluse House kitchen garden especially for the dinner”. YUM!

The combined talents of Jared and Kate (of Real Food Projects) make this sure to be an occasion.

Shape and Bake Gingernut Biscuits
(Image from Sydney Living Museums)

Here’s one for the kids over the looooong summer school holidays.  Bring them along to Elizabeth Farm to learn the art of ginger-biscuit making and baking at the Shape and Bake. Afterwards, you can explore the house.

Baking sessions will be held on Monday 13 & 20, and Wednesday 18 & 22 January at Elizabeth Farm.

Elizabeth Bay House
(Image from Sydney Living Museums)

No surprises that I’m heading to Stories From the Cellar at Elizabeth Bay House on 27 February. I’m keen to take a wee journey through the history of food preservation with Wildwon Projects. I’m going to delve into the preservin’, saltin’, curin’, fermentin’ (there’s that word again!) and smokin’ and see what I can learn. Can’t wait!

(Image from here)

I guess I should have put THIS one first, but perhaps I was just saving the best for last. The hugely fab’ Real Food Projects are putting on the Christmas Artisan Food Market at the Hyde Park Barracks on 18 December from 4 – 8pm.

There’ll be over 50 stalls featuring the best that Sydney has to offer by way of food makers using local, seasonal and sustainable produce. There will even be a wrapping station.

Be there or be square, I reckon…

This is only a wee taste of all the events the Sydney Living Museums have on offer for their summer season of food. Do go and check out their website (here) AND sign up to get the newsletter. It looks grand!

‘Capturing Cultures’ at Real Food Projects

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Fermentation, Fermented Food, food, Holly Davis, Kate Walsh, Kimchi, Korean cuisine, Lacto-fermentation, Real Food Projects, Whole Food

‘Capturing Cultures’ with Holly Davis
(Image by TSL)

You may recall an earlier post about the fabulous Real Food Projects initiative that is the brain-child of Kate Walsh, based here in Sydney? Well. Last week my sister and I attended our first class. It rocked!

I’ve been wanting to experiment with my own lacto-fermented vegetables for a while now. I find the whole subject fascinating, not least because of the probiotic benefits of eating such fare. But, I’ve been a little bit scared. In this age of pasteurised this and sanitised that, fermenting food is just the teeniest bit out of the box.  I mean, we’re talking live bacteria here. The potential for disaster seems so huge… And, that is why I signed myself up to Holly’s class, out of the many on offer at Real Food Projects. A hands on session about making kimchi.

Kimchi, for the uninitiated, is a lacto-fermented spicy pickled cabbage and vegetable concoction. It is the national dish of Korea. And, it is YUMMO!

Kimchi, Holly’s Way
(Image by TSL)

I cannot think of a single food from any other country that is half as important to a nation’s culinary traditions as kimchi is to Korea’s. (Mei Chin)

As a result of this class, I’ve fallen a little bit in love with Holly Davis. Not in a weird, she-needs-to-start-looking-over-her-shoulder kind of way. I’m just a wee bit in awe of her warmth and passion for whole foods, specifically lacto-fermented foods. And, she made it all look so easy…

Kate Prepares Nibbles…
(Image by TSL)

Holly Chops AND Talks…
(Image by TSL)

A Good Massage…
(Image by TSL)

We all walked away with our own wee jar of kimchi along with a recipe and comprehensive instructions on how to make our own kimchi from scratch. So far, my wee jar is fermenting nicely.

There has been a slight bump in the road. LM and I tootled off to Campsie (aka ‘Little Korea’, here in Sydney) yesterday for the requisite fish sauce and Korean dried chilli flakes (apparently a potent source of Vitamin C!) necessary for my first batch of kimchi. We needed a translator – despite several young Korean boys who didn’t know how to make kimchi attempting to assist, we had no luck with the suggested brand of chilli acquisition. Fortunately, my lovely (Korean) neighbour has offered to take me to her favourite Korean grocer. She also makes her own kimchi and is so keen to help me in this adventure that I feel sure that my kimchi will be AWESOME!

I will keep you posted on my kimchi-making exploits as they occur…

The very delightful Holly Davis offers seasonal cooking classes, tailored to your dietary requirements. You can check out her website at food by holly davis. She’s fab’!

If you live in Sydney and love food, I urge you to sign up to the Real Food Projects newsletter (here). Kate Walsh sounds like she has many exciting things coming up in the near future…

Kate Walsh Celebrates Real Food

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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…