Thursday, October 09, 2008

Green With Envy

GFM08
image courtesy of SMH Good Food Month

If you're in Sydney for the month of October then you have no excuse to miss the myriad of events for Good Food Month. As for me, all I can do is watch and grit my teeth in covetous annoyance that I am not in the country for perhaps the best month in the food year. If there was one pick for the whole of Good Food Month, I would recommend getting yourselves to the Sydney Food and Wine Fair in Hyde Park on November 1st. Aside from being able to sample dishes from the best Sydney bars and restaurants, your eager appetite can raise money for the AIDS Trust of Australia. Everybody wins, what more could you ask for.

So take heed this advice, do not miss out on Good Food Month and make the most out of all the free events and classes on offer. There isn't a better opportunity to get yourself more involved and immersed in the Sydney food scene than this month. I'm a little biased but Sydney has probably one of the best and most vibrant food cultures in the world so don't waste any time.

And please, if not for the love of food, do it for me, the poor little Aussie food blogger stuck in London unable to partake in all the delicious fanfare but can only sit here in envious discontent about the insurmountable hurdle that is geography.

Check the website for more details.

If you are interested in getting the lowdown on what has earned the badge of being the best in Sydney check out these articles from the Sydney Morning Herald.

It was great to see Victoire win best bread, as I've always been a devotee to this small but formidable Balmain bakery, keep that bread arising!

And it was also great seeing Mamak, a favourite, cheap, late-night haunt of ours, get some acknowledgement for being one of the most authentic Malaysian restaurants in Sydney. If you don't know where to start, try the Nasi Lemak, a traditional Malaysian breakfast dish, you won't go wrong with it.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Gail's Garden Party, Hampstead

Gail's Garden Party- Hampstead
The invitation's a little smudged but you get the gist. Just follow the smell of baking bread.

Can a garden party without an actual garden, in fact be called a garden party? Well, I'm not sure if the small patch of grass along the laneway where the Gail's Bakery party took place could be considered a garden but nonetheless, the amount of cakes and pastries made up for the lack of greenery. Gail's Garden Party, held annually in Hampstead was every carb lover's dream, with enough cakes, sandwiches, breads and sweets to make your blood sugar curdle.

Gail's Garden Party- Hampstead
A tower of delight- cannelles, iced lavender and almond cake and some flourless chocolate cakes in the foreground.

There was the chilli chutney stand, Spanish chorizo and exotic sausages and the odd cheese stall peppered throughout, namely the iconic Neal's Yard Dairy, however most of the focus was on Gail's magnificent selection of baked goods. There was more flour and sugar in this one narrow laneway than you could shake a stick at. I was in my element.

Gail's Garden Party- Hampstead
Multigrain and artisan loaves; beautifully glazed challah bread; Neal's Yard Dairy stall; blue vein cheese.

Gail's Garden Party- Hampstead
Precision slicing of jamon; panini central; chorizo picante for those who like it hot; stuffed green olives wrapped in sardines.

Gail's Garden Party- Hampstead
Slices, muffins and bread sticks, all part of the enticing window display at Gail's Hampstead; orange and poppyseed cakes; classic carrot cake; pistachio filled meringue.

With a grin from ear to ear I made my way through stall after stall of goodies to ease that grumbling tummy. After a sun-dried tomato sandwich and some cheese, I decided on some iced lavender and almond cakes and a couple of incredibly beautiful cannelles- my new vice.

Gail's Garden Party- Hampstead
Front counter goodies- iced lavender and almond cakes, beautifully moist and aromatic.

Gail's Garden Party- Hampstead

I have never come across cannelles being sold at bakeries in Sydney, so seeing so many around and about London really is a novelty. My first taste were at the Borough Markets, 3 cannelles for a pound; they were delicious, a little chewy, but for my first ever cannelles I didn't know what to expect. The cannelles at Gail's were a little bit more spongey and light, less chewy and more airy. So I'm not sure which one is more authentic, or whether they are both, all I know is I'm happy to be polishing off either one right now.

Gail's Garden Party- Hampstead
Gail's cannelles were soft, light and airy, and not to mention incredibly moreish.

Gail's Garden Party- Hampstead

Gail's Garden Party- Hampstead
It's not a party without a bit of booze, wild boar salchichon; cookies, pastries and quiches at the outdoor Gail's stand; German sausage sizzle.

Gail's Garden Party- Hampstead


Gail's Bakery Hampstead
64 Hampstead High St
London NW3 1QH
Phone: 020 7794 5700
Email: hampstead@gailsbread.co.uk


Gail's Bakery Notting Hill
138 Portobello Rd
London W11 2DZ
Phone: 020 7460 0766
Email: portobello@gailsbread.co.uk

5 Circus Rd
London NW8 6NX
Phone: 020 7722 0983

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Southbank Food Festival: Slow Food London

Southbank Food Festival- Slow Food London

It seems that I have fortuitously stumbled upon a glut of food festivals here in London of late, and I'm not complaining. I'm welcoming any opportunity to eat well and see London at the same time, and it appears to me that the food culture here is as lively as I had imagined.

And what shall I say about the weather? Even though today, London is at its typically rainy best, the past few days and weekends have been gloriously warm and sunny. I was quite the cynic and had scoffed incredulously at the prediction of sunshine and warm weather in the last few days, although have since been eating my words. An Indian summer seems like the perfect primer before the cold snap hits.

Weather aside, the Southbank Food Festival was held a couple of weeks ago although it's taken me some time to actually get my act together to write up a post. What's new- procrastination, it's the underlying motif of the blog. So, the Southbank Food Festival was an understated 3-day celebration of the Slow Food London movement, that championed the principles of sustainable living and farming, and basically sought to enlighten and challenge people to think more about the food they were eating.

There were about 40 different stalls set up around the Southbank, by the Thames, and there was a tent dedicated to cooking demonstrations throughout the day teaching people stuff like how to feed your family for under a fiver (£5) and how we can all use sustainable products more. My most favourite demo of course was by the lady who owned Choc Star who showed us how to make a chocolate, almond and orange terrine. The best part of the demo was of course the end, where we all got to have a taste.

As fast food encroaches upon most of eating habits it was more than encouraging to know that there is a movement to counter the insidious thing that fast food is doing to the culture of eating, farming and mostly our health. That's why farmer's markets are so great, you can meet and actually get to know the people rearing the animals and growing the vegetables that you are eating, and you know the food isn't stuffed with nasty hormones and preservatives that will one day turn you into a mutant.

So here are a few snaps of day 2 of the Southbank Festival. My recollection of the actual stalls are getting a bit foggy but I'll try my best to give you at least, somewhat vague descriptions.

Southbank Food Festival- Slow Food London
Different varieties of apples from Franklins Food Emporium in Kenington; can't resist a cupcake shot wherever I go, can I? Beautiful pot of flowers, mushroom medley frying in a large pan.

Southbank Food Festival- Slow Food London
Middle eastern spices and sauces; almond semolina mini cakes, simply divine; cheese, cheese and more cheese!

Southbank Food Festival- Slow Food London
Slow food stall; cross-section of salami; hard cheeses.

Southbank Food Festival- Slow Food London
One of my favourite stalls, Choc Star, the home of the most decadent chocolate terrine made with Valrhona chocolate, the van travels around the United Kingdom sharing the joys of eating chocolate with people, look out for the van it could be coming to your town; some sourdough breads.

Southbank Food Festival- Slow Food London
The tiniest cafe I've seen, a quarter of the London Eye; espresso drip; beautiful crusty bread.

Southbank Food Festival- Slow Food London
Artists making their mark on the pavement; French cheeses along the Thames sunset; frying up some Churros.

Southbank Food Festival- Slow Food London
Crates of organic Worcester apples; squash to brighten up your day; more crates of apples; organic sparkling apple juice.

Southbank Food Festival- Slow Food London
Artwork around the Southbank.

Southbank Food Festival- Slow Food London
Textures and patterns around the Southbank; Rabbit pasta.