newsletter nine february 2009
Welcome to our February newsletter. Yes I know it’s March, but it would still be February if only the damned month had at least 30 days! We have all had time to consider our troubles small in comparison to our Victorian friends who have suffered so terribly with the Victorian bush fires. If you haven’t given and would like to Australian Red Cross guarantees 100% of donations are contributed to the cause click here to donate.
food has finally made it on to Galaxy Guides and direct access is available from the top right hand side of this newsletter and from the main navigation. We are attempting to put up new information every week and that is signaled from the front of our site www.galaxyguides.com
South Australian vintage is well and truly happening and despite the extreme high temperatures and baumes all over the place there is some excitement over the vintage, with its small harvest and high quality intensely flavoured fruit. For the first time this year many brands are taking on the lovely European tradition of the vintage lunch with an opportunity to pick grapes, stir a ferment, taste ferment and tank samples, even stomp a few grapes. Wary of the competition for event attendance prices are very reasonable go to the event information
When we travel to a strange city the first thing we buy is the type of paper that will list weekly food and wine events. We have made loads of friends, seen the hearts of cities and had lots of fun.
We think there are lots of cool food and wine things to do in South Australia and are happy to see the lowering of regional event prices to accommodate attending more often. If you’re from elsewhere and arrive on the day, turn up. It would be a mean and inhospitable South Australian that couldn’t find room for a couple more. You might have to sit on a wine box stack, but so what! With any luck you’ll make some new friends who’ll be happy to drag you to their favourite restaurants, even take you into their homes so they can show off their cooking skills! Maybe if you are really lucky they may even have a great cellar!
If you haven’t taken advantage of the very cheap airfares March is the month for Melbourne’s absolutely brilliant Food and Wine Festival. 7 to 23 March, there is an abundance of well–priced events that deliver not just the best of local and national food and wine, but some of the hottest chefs in the world today — for full details visit their web site www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au
Another great event bought to our attention by our lovely fun friend Lyndey Milan (yes I have to own I do her web site) is a Queensland event in July the Australian Festival of Chamber Music — see the great dinner event that Lyndey hosts by clicking here and visit the official Australian Festival of Chamber Music web site from the link on her site. We think this is a terrific event with so many great events over a broad spectrum of price ranges!
Last, but absolutely not least, the Tanunda Show, Saturday March 14, is a rural and ancient tradition celebrating the bounty of the harvest season. Prizes are fiercely fought over and wine food and traditions are a celebration of Barossan culture and heritage read the full details.

Other publications by Ann Oliver Southern Rocklobster Limited CHEF NEWS focusing on the development of the export market in America and recipe and technique development for the group and weekly restaurant review for the Independent Weekly
Ann’s resume can be viewed by clicking here

Please be aware that between Monday March 2 and Friday 6 we are migrating www.annoliver.com to a new service provider and expect to have an approximately two day down time in the transition period. cooks club classes will be loaded and linked from Galaxy Guides as soon as the site has been successfully migrated.

batty…… the prickly pear — our best recipes
passionfruit ice cream a new recipe, so stunning, we decided not to hold it back for March. Just a little xanthan gum added to our regular ice cream base and we have been able to double the fruit content (and the flavour profile) whilst maintaining and absolutely brilliant texture

Senior wine editor Dr Alexandra Burridge reviews the 1999 Piper Heidsieck ’Rare’
Our wine editors Dr Alexandra Burridge and Duane Coates come with impeccable credentials and contribute their time and advice for the love and passion for their craft. Duane is fully absorbed with vintage for both his own company and the many other companies he consults to. Duane’s wines have consistently won first–rate accolades and have never rated below 90 points - www.coates-wines.com

Vintage Events March 2009 — South Australia Sunday March 8 Grape Stomping at Angas Plains Wines, Langhorne Creek South Australia Twelve noon start and just $50 per head for adults and $10 for children for a three course Lunch, live music by Linda McCarthy and of course Grape stomping. If you’ve never been stomping before old clothes are recommended. reservations essential all details including on–bookings available by clicking here or telephone (08) 8537 3159 Traditional Harvest Lunch at Producers Cellars, Branson Road McLaren Vale Celebrate vintage with a traditional harvest lunch in the winery cellars overlooking the vineyard. Hosted by the Producers’ crew, this is a shared table lunch featuring grapes, wine and harvest stories (lies). $70 per person – ring Tori on 8323 0060 for bookings. Sunday March 15 Special Vintage Lunch at Paracombe Wines, Paracombe Adelaide Hills 1.00pm till 5.00pm, $75.00 all inclusive for a long leisurely lunch with sumptuous platters of delicious regional food accompanied by the stunning range of Paracombe wines. See vintage first hand, try grapes fresh from the vineyard, tank samples from the 09 vintage. Enjoy beautiful views across the Mount Lofty ranges and our vineyard from our new special events facility. Only a half drive from Adelaide CBD. Numbers are limited download the booking form or telephone (08) 8380 5058 or email winery@paracombewines.com from left, luscious perfect grapes at Adelaide Hills Paracombe Wines, middle and right open ferments at Penfolds Magill Estate their earliest ever vintage they started picking on the fifth of February. from the left still looking good at Adelaide Hills Paracombe Wines, middle and right Penfolds Magill Estate open ferments their earliest vintage ever, they started at the beginning of February a generous treat the very special ‘friday lunch’ When we talk about value for money we are not talking about $10 all you can eat. Ten dollars worth of completely inedible rubbish is not value for money and it doesn’t interest us at all. If we’re really broke we cook at home and even with just $10 per person can make a pretty pukka three course meal. Value for money in a restaurant is something entirely different and we have long since learned that one of the best ways of enjoying Europe’s greatest restaurants is ’Friday lunch’ where many two and three Michelin star restaurants generously offer a special menu card that is well below their normal charge. By taking advantage of this we have been able to see, and in some cases enjoy more frequently, the food of many chefs who might have otherwise been relegated to the ’very special treat’ or just plain ’out of our league’ category. Part of the reason for this tradition has been to encourage a new generation to venture into these iconic restaurants, but it has become a generous treat appreciated by diners of all ages. It is a tradition less popular in Australia but one that is starting to appear in many of Australia’s better restaurants and happily two of Adelaide’s best fine dining restaurants have taken up the institution of a weekly ’Friday Lunch’. from the left — Magill Estate Restaurant, a new dessert, their very delicious chocolate, banana and peanuts, middle and right attention to detail in every aspect, accoutrements, flowers, food and wine. At The Manse Restaurant and Bar they offer two courses for $45, three courses for $55, or three courses, plus a cheese course $70 and a five course degustation for just $80 per guest. All dishes are from their current menu or occasionally preview a new dish that will shortly appear on their menu. In the last twelve months the food at the The Manse has continued to gain strength, been refined and remains beautifully plated. The combination of chef Ayhan Erkoc’s excellent and innovative modern cooking and sommelier Craig Phillips’ tremendous wine list is one of Adelaide’s great dining pleasures. Phillips’ takes enormous care to offer excellent and interesting wines by the glass, taking especial pleasure in discovering a new label before anyone else. The team at The Manse under the direction of their restaurant manager Oliver Field has been one of Adelaide’s most stable and we especially appreciate they are the only restaurant in Adelaide to pay attention to total detail. That detail is not just in the food wine and service, but fresh flowers on every table and throughout the restaurant, decent glassware, perfectly aligned tablecloths, all those small but essential details that make the difference between a great and an ordinary restaurant. At Magill Restaurant there is a lot to celebrate with a new kitchen team headed by executive chef Luke Stepsys and their Friday lunch offer is equally generous. Whilst they understandably do not offer their full menu there are numerous choices and all from their current menu. Their Friday lunch offers two courses and a complimentary glass of wine for $65 or three courses with a complimentary glass of wine for $75. You can add a cheese course, a selection from their ’char de fromage’ the posh name for a cheese trolley. Part of the pleasure of a cheese trolley is seeing if the person serving the cheese can remember the names and pronounce them properly. It is a terrifying job, not fought over in any kitchen and most often carried out by a food waiter with the art of selling, so whilst young Andre McLoughlin’s French is shamefully stilted, especially given he has a French Mamma, he always manages without faltering to remember the awkward names of some 16 different cheeses. Who says restaurants don’t take notice of an honest review, Andre is having French lessons. A selection of eight cheeses served with condiments is just $45 and a delicious interlude for six. Magill Estate does have a lovely city and vineyard view at night, but it is a mystery why their exquisite slate terraced water lilly pond that faces the winery and hills is not better lit at night or made more use of as a dining area. We did review The Pot last week but think that it is worth mentioning to all those who had tired of the tiny, and not always perfect portions of it’s former incarnation the fine dining Melting Pot, that their last Friday of the month lunches continue. Their promotional material does not indicate any real change in the style of the lunches, however, the food, whilst individually plated is more rustic and generous and the wine choices remain remarkable. Just $75.00 for four courses including wine this lunch is terrific value for money. FRIDAY LUNCH from 12 noon — weekly at The manse Restaurant and Bar and Magill Estate Restaurant and last Friday of the month at The Pot. Reservations recommended for Friday lunches. cool renovations at The Tivoli Funky and fun, a bit posh but cool enough to get down and be dirty the new bars at The Tiv! Hotel Tivoli, 265 Pirie Street, Adelaide South Australia t 08 8223 4790 — open Monday to Friday 11.00 am till late, Saturday 5.00pm till late next month plenty of passion our very best passionfruit recipes and the start of our Thermomix section We’ll also be celebrating the start of the South Australian oyster season and sharing our best recipes including a small section on which oyster knife works best last, but not least we'll be doing chillies in detail — the habanero has been knocked from its perch by the Dorset Naga. Hard to believe but true the Dorset Naga is apparently twice as hot. We will also be sharing a couple of great recipes that use a lot of chillies We’ll be taking a look at Sparrow Kitchen & Bar the newest establishment of the Trim Hospitality Group. Ultra cool, we love the look, have already been twice and will probably visit another twice closer to the end of their three month probation period.

Good vineyard management, a structured beautiful 2009 vintage at the Adelaide Hills Paracombe Wines

Sydney
Fish Face
Don’t mess with my fish! We review Sydney’s Fish Face where they get fish just right. Fresh clean, utterly delicious they managed to enthrall our fisherman friend who didn't want to eat there. BYO or fully licensed, no reservations, we like Fish face a lot! read their review

The Victoria Room
Another fun thing to do in Sydney The Victoria Room where we had a fab high–tea and knew when we saw their Christmas tree decorated with barby dolls in various states of dress and comical ’karma sutra’ positions, we knew that they were kindred spirits with the nutters (us) that bring you Galaxy Guides. read their full review

RESTAURANT MANAGER One of Adelaide’s premier award winning restaurants requires the services of a highly experienced manager with a demonstrated ability to lead an enthusiastic innovative team. Desired applicants will possess: Extensive Food & Beverage experience in a managerial capacity Ability to train, motivate and mentor staff Passion and commitment towards quality service An attractive salary package and working conditions will be negotiated with the successful applicant. Applications to be emailed to jolleys@mattarc.com.au All applications will be treated in the strictest of confidence.

Want to make a suggestion for food email our food editor

Back in Adelaide
We have had a quick look at the Tivoli Hotel, affectionately known as the tiv — the Tiv has just had a fab new revamp and we reckon in’s a cool place to have a drink. read more

cheap, bargain……how dare you!
In the tradition of Europe’s best restaurants, Adelaide’s most generous Friday lunches read the article

down by the riverside
at Jolleys Boathouse Restaurant

For years people have been whinging about the chairs and the cooling at Jolleys, well, guess what, that have cool new flash woven comfortable high backed chairs and air conditioning so efficient you’ll probably be whinging it’s too cold now. We have always loved Tony Carroll's food and many of our friends have been less enthusiastic because of the chairs and the cooling. No excuse now not to get out and go to Jolleys.
read their review

Wine Dinners and Events
April
Magill Estate Restaurant — Adelaide
The Grange Pre Release Dinners will be held at Magill Estate Restaurant Monday April 20, through to Saturday April 25,2009. All dinners are hosted by key Penfolds winemakers and the menu is a collaboration between chief winemaker Peter Gago and his team, chef Luke Stepsys and sommelier Remon Van de Kerkhof.
$360 AUD per person food and wine
make a reservation or direct your enquiries to Restaurant and Function Coordinator, Melissa Stewart
t +61 8 8301 5449

We are happy to list special dinners in our newsletter, but reserve the right to refuse unsuitable events. AO

food and wine and hospitality web sites and html newsletters designed by people with an association with the hospitality industry — www.annoliver.com

Toying with opening a business in Shanghai or Beijing
We know and trust these people to deliver their promise and all have essential market knowledge and between them cover all aspects.

Campbell Thompson, The Wine Republic
David Laris, Laris Creates
Simon Tan, The Wine Centre
Walter Zahner, walternative

weekly content
We are adding content on a weekly basis and will be reviewing in detail The Widow Clicquot and Bubble, Bottles & Colonial Bastards and the very excellent Frozen Desserts just in time for next weekend. New weekly material is linked from the front of the Galaxy Guides web site and logged by end of business every Friday - bookmark the front of our site www.galaxyguides.com 

for hundreds of book reviews check out Galaxy Guides Books

restaurant & chef goss
Sarah Turner has resigned from Enotecca, finishing Friday February 27 to take on casual work for a few months while overseeing the building of hers (and lovely hubbie Grant’s) very own restaurant in the Barossa. We will keep you posted for their opening and think there will be plenty of opportunity for the long, long indulgent lunch and an overnight stay at their purpose built accommodation attached to their restaurant. There will be a lot of growing your own going on, and Sarah’s Dad, a well–known Barossa old–boy has put his hand up for dishes and sommelier???
Brent Beech is a young chef whose career we have been watching and he will take on his first head chef position at Enotecca. As with our normal policy the restaurant is removed from galaxy Guides for three months to allow a proper time for a new chef to settle in, but we have a good deal of optimism that this will be an excellent transition from chef to another chef rising within the ranks of Enotecca. Suffice to say Beech did his apprenticeship with the utterly brilliant Timothy Montgomery (formerly the Manse Restaurant and Bar, Adelaide).

Whilst we are mentioning Timothy Montgomery, Timothy is opening a restaurant in the Hunter Valley, so stay tuned because where ever this young man cooks diners are the lucky recipients of his genius.

our first vintage diary
David Paxton, Paxton Wines
go to David’s notes

Send us your vintage notes we will be publishing on a weekly basis during vintage.
email

Quality Indonesian Bourbon Vanilla Paste
$50AUD 500g contact
Jason Davis
0435 177 036 Australia
+61 435 177 036 international
Ann Page
(08) 8379 5585 Australia
+61 8 8379 5585 international

love fishing in South Australia You’ll love this very useful book
You sometimes have to wonder why books don't get a publisher. When fishing on Kangaroo Island we used a brilliant book to identify edible species like our snail. Written by Karen Gowlett–Holmes, A Field Guide to the Marine Invertebrates of South Australia (ISBN 9780980485400) is a brilliant reference. A deluxe paperback, the colour images make the species easily identifiable and the only suggestion we would make for the second edition is that a single cooking suggestion might be great. We were lucky enough to know roughly what to do.
To buy this brilliant book click here

Michell Garnaut and her team at
M on the Bund are always organising great arts events and their latest, The Shanghai International Literay Festival is no exceptiion. A fabulous line–up if you’re in Shanghai and looking for a stylish event with fantastic authors and an opportunity to meet like–minded people this comes highly recommended. March 6 to 22, three weekends and 51 authors go to the program details

visit the Red Gate Beijing web site for full exhibition details

Galaxy Guides Policy
We support our suppliers for their integrity. We need them to care as much as we do, it makes the food we cook better. When you buy your ham this Christmas support your local producers and, where ever you are buy local

vintage diary

Vintage 09
Paxton Wines in McLaren Vale
David Paxton
A mild spring with a good quality water supply meant that we were able to grow healthy canopies, sized to balance out the expected crop load gained from good flowering conditions, with a minimum of pest and disease pressure.
Using weather bureau data and the antipodean astro–calendar as a tool to assist with weather forecasting saw apogee (moon farthest from the earth) on the 23rd January, followed three days later on the 26th of Jan with a solar eclipse meant that the probability of unpredictable weather was high.
We prepared for this by irrigating and increasing the soil moisture level under the dripper. This preparation has meant that canopy stress through dehydration was buffered; and with the onset of much cooler weather the vines are in very good condition getting on with the job of ripening the fruit and building flavour.
There is no doubt that the beginning of the 09 year will be remembered for the fires in Victoria, the resultant heavy loss of life and devastation caused by these fires, the ongoing drought across southern Australia, the torrential rains and flooding in read on