Coffee lovers, I’m sure you already know about Lavazza and for those who love French press coffee, you probably know Bodum too. Today thanks to the people at Lavazza, we’re giving away 3 packs of goodies worth $100 each! Each pack contains $40 worth of Lavazza Torino in their signature blend coffee along with a Bodum French press Brazil Coffee maker. Lavazza was founded all the way back in 1895 in Torino and the signature blend was created with high grown washed Arabica coffee beans and is described as “multi-layered with intensity and finesse”. Emilio Lavazza, the President of Lavazza puts his own name to this signature blend of coffee.
“Run, run, get into the car before they attack us!” we yell at each other. We’re running away fron two very angry guests at Ripples, Chowder Bay and we’ve unwittingly just taken their taxi and they don’t look happy. Just minutes before they were swearing and creating a scene at Ripples and demanding that their food be comped so we are eager to avoid being caught in their ire. Allow me to rewind a few hours.
I was asked by Tourism Australia to dine with Valeria Di Napoli, an Italian screenwriter, book author, journalist and blogger who was visiting Sydney. They had suggested Ripples at Milsons Point but as I’d already blogged it, I suggested the Ripples in Chowder Bay which is another scenic location which also showed off the harbour.
Warm sun dried olives, chilli, orange and basil $7.50
I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this but Mr NQN comes from an alternative family. One in which taking pills would cause cause real and not mock horror and where some family members refuse to drink Coke or coffee. Mr NQN broke free from this eating style when he was in his mid-late teens and did it by way of a hamburger, I suppose the best way for someone raised vegetarian and alternative to rebel – not only would there be meat but it was also one of those burger chains!
His charming hippy upbringing is a sweet tale that I often feel should be made into a book. It would be the alternative version of the Royal Tenenbaums. The eccentric father who was lost at sea and necessitated a National rescue effort, the well meaning mother who would wear pendants to ward off radiation and the siblings who escaped near death experiences and fought like cats and dogs and one whose dearest wish was to have a television in the lounge room, even if it didn’t work, so that they could just be like everyone else.
It was pitch black when my phone alarm went off. I fumbled for my phone and put it on snooze but before it could chime again I raised my weary, sleep deprived body out of its four hour sleep and got up remembering why I had set it so early. I was on my way to Dunkeld, Victoria today to the Royal Mail hotel to help celebrate the launch of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival!
Dunkeld is a small town in Victoria of less than 500 yet incongruously it boasts what is said to be one of Australia’s best restaurants. Set near the Grampian mountain region, it is best accessed by small charter plane. The flight to Melbourne is smooth and then we board the smaller charter plane to get to Hamilton airport which is near Dunkeld. Boarding the small plane is like being in an episode of Being John Malkovich but its thankfully without event and we take the 20 minute drive to The Royal Mail Restaurant where chef Dan Hunter, the former chef de cuisine of Andoni Luis Aduriz’s Basque Mugaritz restaurant (who only days ago had their kitchens devstatingly destroyed by fire). It is also a place that Anthony Bourdain visited during his Australian leg of filming “No Reservations”.
Anthony Bourdain’s visit to The Royal Mail
Before we try out the 10 course degustation we get a tour of their gardens. Yes The Royal Mail is a restaurant that grows as much fruit, vegetable and herb produce as possible and their plan is eventually to have a completely self sustaining garden or should I say gardens as the gardens are spread out across five different properties. Some of the grounds were established 10-12 years ago with some of the fruit trees being 6-10 years old. They only use organic seeds and organic gardening practices. Some items they grow are very unique and hard to find commercially such as a Japanese white strawberry which has a shelf life of 2 days and needs to be handled very delicately.
We’re introduced to young chef Damian Neylon who is the chef that tends to the garden. Yes you read right, the chefs attend to the gardens here. He’s obviously ambitious taking on this task but he says that he also feels that it’s rewarding. They grow a total of 150 herbs and with this also comes challenges. They need to work 15-16 weeks ahead and to avoid having to buy things in, they simply change the menu to suit what is available. Working like this encourages the kitchen to dehydrate, powder and preserve items as much as possible.
I quickly photograph and step away…
We also get a peek into their 25,000 bottle wine cellar where precious bottles of wines are stored such as a $16,000 bottle of Romani Conti. I grab my camera tightly knowing of my clumsiness and propensity to bump into things. Somehow I know I’d trip straight over that $16,000 bottle as I am literally a Taurean in a china shop. After our tour, we sit down to our 10 course degustation prepared by Head Chef Dan Hunter.
Pork sandwich and Sardine on toast served with Philipponnat Reserve Rose (Champagne, France)
I was watching the 2010 Academy Awards. Of course one of the benefits of working from home is the ability to camp yourself in front of the television popcorn at the ready and taking in the important bits – you know, the red carpet. I was delighted to see Jack Donaghy hosting (yes I know his name is Alec Baldwin but he’ll always be my TV husband Jack Donaghy) and that it would start with red carpet interviews.
The dresses were of course gorgeously couture and because it’s the Oscars no-one goes quite as mad or edgy as they do at the Emmy’s or Golden Globes. Sadly there was no Bjork and I don’t think Bai Ling scores an invite and I’ve read Pamela Anderson is banned after her last drunk escapade (and yes I avidly read trashy mags, it’s my guilty pleasure).
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