From the Editor, Leigh O’Connor.
Well, it has been a little damp recently that we can’t deny…but with the Autumn sun finally rearing its head there is no better way to farewell the season before the throes of Winter take hold, than by going on a picnic!
Whether you grab fam and friends and head to your local winery where you can either pick up a picnic basket from the cellar door, or take your own to enjoy amongst the vines; or you pack a basket of goodies to enjoy in the backyard or local park – picnicking is fun for everyone.
We have it all in a basket for you…Marie-Antoinette Issa tells you how to plan a Winter picnic or a gourmet spread on the go; along with her picnic SOSS – Save Our Soggy Sandwiches, you don’t want to miss this article.
What goes great with a picnic? Cider of course, we taste test Small Acres Cyder, which won ‘Best in Show’ at the prestigious Japanese Cider Cup and tell you what to pair these delicious drops from Orange, NSW with.
It’s only 11 days before the launch of Vivid Sydney on Friday, May 24 and the Harbour City is set to sizzle with some of the hottest names in the culinary world from near and far appearing as part of Vivid Food, embracing the festival’s 2024 theme of ‘Humanity’.
We are lucky enough to go one-on-one in exclusive interviews with two of these Chefs – Melbourne-born Texas pitmaster and ‘meat nerd’, Jess Pryles and Latin America’s best female Chef of 2022, Manoella ‘Manu’ Buffara.
Find out how a trip to Texas turned Jess into a hard-core carnivore – she not only shares an amazing Middle Eastern lamb recipe with AGFG home cooks, but also imparts her wisdom on the best value cuts of meat and how to cook the perfect steak.
Manu recalls how a trip to a ski resort near Seattle when she was 18 started her obsession with the kitchen, even though her first task of deboning chicken was a disaster; she also shares two recipes you will definitely want to try at home.
We head to Canberra for this week’s Chef Chat with Peonee’s Alberto Ranali, who says even though the venue is fine dining, that ethos is left at the door – his recipe for Moreton Bay bug with kohlrabi, Vin Jaune and curry leaves is sure to tempt all palates.
So grab that blanket, a bottle of cider, some goodies from the pantry and picnic to your heart's content!
