Foodies’ Diary

Mamma Marilena
Wandering around the recent Fine Food Australia Sydney 2009 event looking for new products for this column, it’d be easy to get lost in the sea of samples, but one taste I found it hard to forget was Mamma Marilena’s Nut Breads. The day after my visit they won the award for Best New Bakery Product.

Their crunchy nut breads taste so good because they are thirty percent nuts. According to Director Tony Sangster “as best we know, they have the highest nut content” on the market. It’s a simple, family recipe with four ingredients – flour, sugar, eggs and nuts – that the Brisbane-based company endeavours to source within Australia. When I tried them, my mind instantly turned to soft cheese; but they’d also go well with tea. So would their almond loaded Meringue-a-tangs – but that’s another story entirely. Stockists in Sydney are currently limited so keep an eye on their website www.mammamarilena.com.au or at the store below.
Bondi Road Fruitologist, 151 Bondi Road, Bondi (02) 9387 2575

Pop Up Bar
One of the more intriguing press releases that found its way into my inbox this week is about an innovative pop up bar called the Kings Vault which will be popping up somewhere in Sydney between the 18th-27th November. The wine and food showcased within the Italian-inspired space will all come from Victoria’s cool climate King Valley region – think prosecco, pinot grigio, arneis and sangiovese from wineries including Pizzini, Brown Brothers and Dal Zotto. The secret location will go viral using social media, tweeting to mobile phones all over Sydney but only if you register at www.whereiskingsvault.com.au.

Aussie Garlic
I ventured outside my usual stomping ground this week for a review at Sure Cafe in St Leonards. On the way home I couldn’t resist a bit of a product trail. My best find was this beautiful bunch of Australian garlic at Cammeray Fruit Market. I teamed it raw with some fresh mint, flavoursome black Kumatoes, onion and blue cheese for a saucy Spring salad. It sure beat that bleached, imported stuff you find just about everywhere else!
447 Miller Street, Cammeray (02) 9955 8902

Seasonality
I am currently enjoying perusing the beautifully photographed pages of Donna Hay’s new book Seasons (RRP $49.95). Cooking in a seasonally appropriate way is the focus of this hefty collection of recipes that have appeared in Donna Hay Magazine www.donnahay.com.au. The mostly simple recipes feature easy-to-find ingredients and are illustrated with great photos of contemporary ways to plate them, ensuring your guests will be suitably impressed. I can see her Grilled Prosciutto and Lemon Thyme Haloumi getting a trial in my kitchen soon – anything to justify another trip out to Pino’s Dolce Vita in Kogarah for more Bangalow Sweet Pork prosciutto!