downunder update

Apart from the fine dining in the City Centre of Melbourne, there are eating precincts just minutes from the CBD displaying the variety of food and cooking styles for which Melbourne is acclaimed. Read the rest of this entry »

What is it about beer and Australians? Prime Ministers and plumbers somehow become more trustworthy when spotted downing a large glass, and our celebrities love a photo opportunity with a cold can in hand as though there is something special about our beer which instantly bestows credibility and bonhomie.

Do they think it makes them look ordinary? Read the rest of this entry »

The food flavours of Asia, the Mediterranean and the Pacific Rim merge in Australia, a feisty style aptly named Fusion. Our Tucker has become Cuisine. You find our wines winning awards all over the place too.

Our lighter, more refreshing wine styles which complement the spice- and herb- laden food, are born in the Barossa Valley. Read the rest of this entry »

South Australia, unspoilt, uncrowded, genuine and accessible is our premier wine country with more than 350 wineries and 290 cellar doors in 17 wine regions stretching from the Coonawarra to Port Lincoln. Almost 30 square kilometres are devoted entirely to vineyards and farming in this fertile region. The local grapes end up as some of the finest wines available, and the home of these lush grapes is the Barossa Valley.

It’s beautiful here. Like something from a nineteenth century landscape painting. Read the rest of this entry »

Australia produces an ever-increasing range of quality pasteurised dairy and non-bovine milk products, and more than 100 varieties of cheeses, from our clean, lush pastures and diverse climatic conditions.

Here’s a rundown of our goat cheese and a bonza recipe Read the rest of this entry »

Tucker may be Australian for food, but ‘bush tucker’ means much more - it’s anything that hops, crawls, slithers or writhes.

Grubs and insects may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s plenty more to choose from than the flying, squirming creatures which arrive with the changes of season.

You’ve probably heard of the Wijuti (witchetty) grub. This fat, juicy, white larva is the most important insect food of the desert and a much valued staple in the diet of women and children. Just a small serve of ten grubs a day is sufficient for survival.

Wijuti grubs can be eaten raw or cooked. They have been described as tasting somewhat like almonds, with the added zest of scrambled eggs and peanut butter wrapped up in a crispy chicken skin coating. Don’t ask me, I only repeat what I’m told. Read the rest of this entry »