From the Editor, Leigh O’Connor.
The countdown is on…14 days until Christmas!
Don’t panic we have everything covered for your festive needs from Guy Grossi’s biscotti recipe to a three-course menu put together by top Chefs, along with drinks, books, traditions and a flairtending Chef Chat.
Everyone enjoys a little tipple at Christmas time, why not make it even more celebratory with a bottle from the limited-edition NRL range from Underground Spirits Australia, representing Penrith Panthers, Parramatta Eels and West Tigers? These vodka and gin offerings make great gifts for those avid footy fans in the family – hopefully they’ll give you a taste test.
Laura Rancie discovers Simmone Logue’s Essington Park, a culinary and creative oasis in the heart of Australia where Simmone and her landscape artist sister, Joanna Logue welcome visitors to this stunning property, which is both sisters’ creative base. We have no doubt you’ve probably seen her delicious home-baked goodies at Harris Farm Markets or Woolworths, simply labelled ‘Simmone Logue; handmade’.
Stuck for Christmas lunch or dinner inspiration? We asked some of our top Chefs to design a delicious three-course meal from starter to dessert…check out this stunning slow-grown rooster breast dish with vegetables and roasted nori oil, served up by Chef-hatted Kadota’s Aaron Schembri.
We explore the culinary Christmas traditions of Spain, Poland and France…did you know Spain conducts a Christmas lottery so popular the entire country tunes in on televisions or radios with the hope they have been lucky enough to win a part of El Gordo (the fat one), the name given to the largest of lottery prize that year.
Imagine yourself dining on Middle Eastern food with contemporary flair at Cairns’ tallest rooftop bar and restaurant which offers 270-degree views of the Coral Sea. Welcome to Rocco on the Esplanade where Chef Joe Marie Tayao oversees the kitchen delivering food as inspiring as the view.
Born in the Philippines, Joe began his hospitality career as a bartender at TGI Friday’s Subic Bay where he mainly mixed drinks and performed flairtending; these days he’s creating dishes using the freshest local produce to serve up plates like his barramundi with corn, preserved lemon and ras el hanout butter recipe.
Read on and enjoy…
