Food News

A spooky Addams Family High Tea ($59/head with 1 cocktail) is on the cards for me in the near future. It can be part of your day too, if you visit the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth between 2pm and 5pm before the 30th April. In the name of being Sydney’s ‘Hotel for the Arts’ they’ve turned their glam lobby bar Soirée gothic with tombstones, coffins and rather grand gates! Predictably despite the promise of chocolate tombstones and brownie graves, I’m most excited by their lethal cocktails – Morticia’s Martini and Pugsley’s Poison. If you over-imbibe you might consider staying in the Addam’s Family Suite. It’s got black towels and bed linen, and a mock electric chair. There’s no end to the fun you could get up to in there…
www.sofitelsydney.com.au

Easter weekend is littered with events. In town I’d suggest you head to The Morrison for the Cheeky Cream Egg cocktail they’ll be building inside a chocolate egg. They’re serving them all weekend, but they do warn: eating the shell first will affect the integrity of the structure. While you’re there, you should also eat oysters…
www.themorrison.com.au

The Grounds are celebrating their first birthday with an Easter Eggstravaganza on Saturday 30th March. It’s a family friendly event with an 8.30am egg hunt, petting zoo featuring Francis Bacon (their super-cute pig) and a market selling hot cross macarons by MakMak, organic honey by Maya Sunny Honey, and Italian products from Salt Meats Cheese.
www.groundsroasters.com

Most recently seen cooking at Petersham’s Blancmange, Chef Nathan Brindle was a delight to watch on MasterChef Professionals. Sadly the Inner West’s loss is the Kimberley Quest’s gain. Both Nathan, along with the eventual winner of the series, Rhys Badcock, will now be cooking on extended wilderness expeditions along Western Australia’s stunning Kimberley Coast. Being an avid fisherman, Nathan says he’ll “relish in the opportunity to utilise extremely fresh fish” in his dishes, citing “post spawn barramundi” as one of his favourite fishes, nationwide.
www.kimberleyquest.com.au

This month De’Longhi launched a new Icona Vintage collection. I picked up one of their sexy manual coffee machines [RRP $299] myself, and have been eyeing off the matching kettles and toasters which come in cool 1950s colours like sky blue and olive green. I’ve been using it to try out one Stefano Manfredi’s two new coffee blends – Espresso di Manfredi Audacia. It’s a bold, fruity mix of Sumatran and Indian Arabica beans, with some darkly roasted Kenyan beans thrown in. While I am enjoying it, at home I’m still mostly brand-loyal to my two favourites – Golden Cobra and Little Marionette.
www.delonghi.com.au
www.espressodimanfredi.com