Taste It
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday August 19, 2003
Your taste buds have never had it so good. Sydney's food specialists tempt you to try cheese and chocolate, absinthe and oysters. Just not together, mind.
Cheese
Join Mark Holland from Food Stuff in Mona Vale as he looks at the different qualities in artisan-crafted local and imported cheeses. $35
Wed Sep 3, 11am-noon
Examine and taste some wine-friendly Australian farmhouse cheeses with Mark Holland. He'll guide you through a discussion on the different styles and characteristics. $35
Wed Sep 24, 11am-noon
Both at Simon Johnson, 181 Harris Street, Pyrmont
9552 2522 or pyrmont@simonjohnson.com.au
chocolate
Victoria Lush conducts a tasting of the celebrated French Valrhona chocolate and parts with her recipe for a wicked chocolate brownie. $35
Tue Sep 2, 11am-noon
Victoria Lush explains how the great French Valrhona couverture is made and how and where the ingredients are sourced. Join her in a blind tasting of the Valrhona grand cru chocolates. $35
Tue Sep 23, 11am-noon
Both at Simon Johnson, 181 Harris Street, Pyrmont
9552 2522 or pyrmont@simonjohnson.com.au
cocktails
Absinthe was a popular tipple in Moulin Rouge! but what place does it have in our cocktails? At this class, you can learn lots of different techniques and tricks for making absinthe-based cocktails and discover a bit about the history of this mysterious green liqueur. $25
Wed Sep 3, 10, 17 & 24, 6-7pm
Hemmesphere, Level 4, 252 George Street, Sydney
9240 3000
coffee
Why are there different coffee blends and what makes them so? Understand the world of coffee, its origins and the different tastes. This practical session is being conducted exclusively for Good Food Month. $35
Thu Sep 4, 2-4pm
Thu Sep 11, 10am-noon
Wed Sep 24, 2-4pm
Vittoria Coffee College, 4 Frank Street, Ryde 9879 7315 or
coffeecollege@vittoriacoffee.com
olive oil
Simon Johnson, an accredited member of the International Olive Oil Council's Australian judging panel, compares local and European extra virgin olive oils in a tasting. $35
Mon Sep 1, 11am-noon
How do mass-market olive oils stack up against those from the smaller producers of Australia, Spain and Sicily? Join Simon Johnson in a blind tasting and discuss the future of Australian olive oil production. $35
Mon Sep 22, 11am-noon
Both at Simon Johnson, 181 Harris Street, Pyrmont
9552 2522 or pyrmont@simonjohnson.com.au
oysters
Chef Matt Fleming and oyster grower Steve Feletti host this informal class on oysters. Not only will you learn how to shuck the darn things but you'll also discover how to select and buy them, where to get them from and how to store them. Participants will taste 10 different oysters accompanied by a glass of wine and will receive an oyster knife to take home so they can perfect their shucking skills. $65
Tue Sep 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30, 5-7pm
The Boathouse at Blackwattle Bay, End of Ferry Road, Glebe 9518 9011
pipis, clams
& mussels
Bathers' Pavilion chef Serge Dansereau and sommelier Sally Harper team up for a tasting
of pipis, clams and mussels prepared by the Bathers' team along with a selection of sauvignon blancs. $30
Fri Sep 12, 6-7pm
Bathers' Pavilion, 4 The Esplanade, Balmoral 9969 5050
produce
Master providore Matt Brown will lead a discussion and a tasting on the best fruit and vegetables you can buy. Learn how to source, buy, cook and enjoy. Taste and, in Matt's words, shout! $25
Sat Sep 20, 10.30am-1.30pm
Matt Brown's Greens, 17/5 Parsons Street, Rozelle
9818 8266
sauces
Discover how to create, use and present a variety of sauces with an Indian influence. Featuring sauces made and served at the Rangoon Racquet Club, an authentic Indian restaurant in Crows Nest. $20
Mon Sep 22, 6-7pm
Tue Sep 23, 11am-noon
Accoutrement, 611 Military Road, Mosman 9969 1031
spices
We know that we can't live without them but how do we use spices more effectively in our cooking? Join spice master Ian "Herbie" Hemphill and his wife, Liz, in a special, spicy tasting. Bring a pen. $28
Thu Sep 4 & 11, 11am-noon & 6-7pm
Fri Sep 5 & Sat Sep 13 & 20, 11am-noon
Herbie's Spices, 745 Darling Street, Rozelle 9555 6035
tea
Taste and talk about herbal teas with naturopath Penelope Sach, who will discuss the many
health benefits for men and women of all
things herbal. $15
Tue Sep 9, 6-7pm
Accoutrement, 611 Military Road, Mosman 9969 1031
In this Introduction to Tea, discover the difference between black, green, herbal infusions and therapeutic teas. Learn about the history of tea in its various styles. $25
Tue Sep 2, 6-7pm
Tea Temple, 284 South Dowling Street, Paddington 9360 1371
In this session, called A Taste of Tea, traverse the globe by tasting a range of teas, all accompanied by their respective tea snacks. Turkey to Japan via China. $25
Tue Sep 9, 6-7pm
Tea Temple, 284 South Dowling Street, Paddington 9360 1371
workshops
gourmet safari
SAFARI ON WHEELS - WORLD IN A DAY
This is armchair travel at its best. Join TV presenter Maeve O'Meara and food educator
Susie Schenker on a day-long bus tour around Sydney to discover the world of food on our doorstep. There are two different tours - one to the west and one to the south. You'll see and taste caramel from South America, Maltese pastizzi, Israeli dips, Korean kim chi, German sausages, Italian gelato, Greek souvlaki,
Spanish chorizo, Vietnamese noodles and
much more. The bus will pick you up
from Central Station. $110 (includes tour, extensive tastings and a Gourmet Safari backpack).
Mon Sep 1, 8, 15 & 22, 9.30am-4.30pm
Bookings essential, call 9960 5675 or email
info@gourmetsafaris.com.au
market tours
You'll have to set the alarm if you want to explore the way-too-early underbelly of the Sydney food scene. Join some of our leading chefs as they show you what they get up to at 6am. The tour begins at Sydney Fish Market with a behind-the-scenes look at the auction floor plus tips on choosing and using the freshest fish and shellfish. Then travel by bus to the Sydney Markets at Flemington, where you will be guided through the halls amid the bustle of forklifts. The tour concludes at Simon Johnson in Harris Street, Pyrmont, for coffee. The price includes all entry fees and transport. When booking, please specify which chef you'd like to go with. And remember to set two alarms. $35
All tours 5.45-10am
Thu Sep 4 with Anthony Musarra of harbourkitchen&bar
or Matthew Kemp of Restaurant Balzac
Thu Sep 11 with Guillaume Brahimi of Guillaume at Bennelong or Justin North of Becasse
Thu Sep 18 with Peter Gilmore of Quay or Steve Manfredi
Thu Sep 25 with Serge Dansereau of Bathers' Pavilion
or Sean Moran of Sean's Panaroma
Bookings 9282 3002 or markettours@smh.com.au
© 2003 Sydney Morning Herald