It’s been a big month, and the Age Good Food Guide 2011 was released to great fan fare. Some awesome results and some honourable mentions to some names that have appeared here in the past five years! Congratulations to Ben Shewry at Attica in Ripponlea. I have trumpeted this man’s astonishing talent for some time and his restaurant, and he was awarded the sash and tiara for Chef of the Year.
Dan Hunter at the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld richly deserves the Restaurant of the Year gong. Both of these guys are exceptionally talented, exciting chefs and will shape the way we eat for years to come.
We don’t dine like we used to and this is apparent with some of the winners of this year’s awards. We are sharing plates rather than ordering a structured entree, main and dessert style of meal and this is a great thing. There is nothing more convivial than to sit around a table with great food, good wine and lovely company. Try Izakaya Den or Mamasita for this style of food. We have also seen some posh pizza, the continued growth of great pub food and the appreciation of the provenance of food- where it comes from, how it is treated and allowing the ingredients to stand up for themselves without too much fiddling or fussing with it.
This is no better exampled than by the dish of the year for 2011, Loam’s suckling pig. Loam is on a dirt road, about 10 minutes from Drysdale near Geelong, overlooking olive groves with a view of the ocean. Run by Chef Aaron Turner and his wife Astrid, these two are also most worthy of this award, as well as the 2 hats they received and the title of Best New Country Restaurant. They have come a long way in just 14 months and these will be names that will stick with you for some time. These folks are all future captains of our dining industry and if these are the hands we are in, then the future looks bright.
Speaking of bright futures, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Masterclass tickets will be on sale as this goes to print. With an extraordinary array of wonderful chefs coming from all corners of the globe, this festival will rival those previous events that have seen the likes of Heston Blumenthal of the Fat Duck in Bray, Phillip Howard, the late Rose Gray, Andoni Adruiz, Jamie Oliver and a huge array of wonderful foodies from across the world.
Nigella makes her way down under which regular readers will know has me stiff in the undies. Just as exciting, a slightly lesser known but incredibly more talented Spain’s three Michelin-star chefs Elena Arzak will join her. Arzak is among the inspirational Women of the Kitchen program that will form part of the 2011 Master Class series. Get in for your tickets cos these things sell like hot cakes. A subtle reminder.. its my birthday and all tickets that you wish to purchase on my behalf can be sent care of this magazine. Elena is co-chef with father Juan Mari Arzak and the fourth generation at their eponymous San Sebastian restaurant, in Spain’s gastronomic capital.
The rise and rise of women in the kitchen, and on the world stage continues. One only has to look to the 37 year old Anne-Sophie Pic of France’s La Maison Pic in Valence, only the fourth woman in the world to receive 3 Michelin stars. (Everything that I have is crossed that she will make the journey to Australia for Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in my lifetime.)
Then there is Alice Waters from the US – a modern day, but far more feisty Julia Childs. She is not only a chef, restaurateur, activist, and humanitarian but is also the owner of Chez Panisse, the world-renowned restaurant in Berkeley, California famous for its organic, locally-grown ingredients and for pioneering California cuisine. That’s another woman to add to my bucket list.
A look in our own back yard reveals some women of supreme talent – Karen Martini, Kylie Kwong, Christine Manfield to name just a few – all of whom are blazing great trails. But here we also turn our heads to the grand dames that shaped our industry for decades – Stephanie, Mietta, Maggie and the wonderful Margaret Fulton. Perhaps the rest of the world is catching up to us rather than the other way round.
I am sure as there are many well known women in our industry, there are also many not known who inspire you to enjoy food – from your Mum or your sister, or the young ones that inhabit the kitchens in your local dining haunts. Support them and appreciate them, as well as celebrating their talent.
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