Reviewed by Christine Salins
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Inquiries: thecapitalcookbook@hotmail.com
Inquiries: www.wyndhamestate.com or (02) 4938 3444.
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Food, Wine & Travel Books
Reviewed by Christine Salins |
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Home | About Christine Salins | Food | Restaurants | Wine | Travel | Photo Gallery | Events | Destinations | Links |
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Now I know why I love Canberra so much. The recipes and photos in The Capital Cookbook ($39.95) are proof that the city is a feast for both palate and soul. Zorana Grbic thought so too, so she set about compiling a book of recipes from local restaurants, interspersed with Jeremy Rozdarz' photos of Canberra in all its seasonal glory. Book quality is as good as any from the major publishers. Among the recipes are The Ginger Room’s King Prawn Eggnet with Cucumber Relish, Tossolini’s Spaghetti Marinara, Verve’s Roast Vegetable Stack and The Green Herring’s Chocolate, Whiskey and Ricotta Cheesecake.
Inquiries: thecapitalcookbook@hotmail.com |
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For those who haven’t experienced a Seasons Plate lunch at the historic Hunter Valley Wyndham Estate winery, The Seasons Plate Cookbook (Hardie Grant Books, $29.95) is the next best thing. It includes recipes from some of Australia’s greatest chefs including Luke Mangan, Serge Dansereau, Stefano Manfredi and Peter Doyle. Wyndham Estate has paid homage to Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter on the first Saturday of each season since 1995. Each year a prominent Australian chef is invited to devise a special three to four course menu reflecting seasonal produce, which is matched with a selection of Wyndham Estate Bin and Show Reserve wines.
Inquiries: www.wyndhamestate.com or (02) 4938 3444. |
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For more than 30 years, Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine has been keeping its readers informed about the latest food trends. In more recent years, it has added a series of cookbooks to its stable, including this latest one, Seafood (ACP Books, $19.95), with recipes for everything from simple soups and salads to Mediterranean risottos and gratins, Indian curries and Moroccan-style tagines. There are party food suggestions, a cold seafood feast, a special dinner party menu and recipes for a gourmet seafood barbecue. You’ll also find cooking techniques and tips on how to get the best results when cooking seafood. |
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Elegant Sufficiency: A Taste of Edwardian Times ($39.95) was produced by the National Gallery of Australia to coincide with its Edwardians exhibition. It opens a window into the Edwardian kitchen through recipes such as Cornish Pasties, English Apple Pies, Anna Pavlovas, Mulligatawny Soup, Scotch Eggs and Bakewell Tart. The recipes – some barely changed, others with a contemporary edge - are interspersed with fabulous food photography and reproductions of paintings from the exhibition. Available from the gallery or www.ngashop.com.au |
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Wine in New Zealand (Random House, $59.95) is a lavish coffee-table size book which looks at the development of the NZ wine industry, the varieties that do best, the top wine regions, and hints for cellaring and serving wine. The book is an initiative of Montana Wines but rather than being compromised because of this, is comprehensive and authoritative in its scope. For details on how to obtain the book, phone 1300 139 125. |
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The cover of Beautiful Accommodation in Queensland, Australia (The Invermay Press, $29.95) hooked me immediately. Lush tropical palms and sophisticated yet relaxed accommodation in vibrant colours … welcome to a choice array of beach houses and apartments, traditional B & Bs, eco retreats, gourmet getaways, funky hideaways and more, with rates varying from $56 to $4500. Properties have paid to be included but were invited to participate only after being visited privately beforehand. The book is available from bookshops, newsagents, RACV outlets or www.beautifulaccommodation.com |
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The Spirit House is a wonderful restaurant and cooking school set in a lush tropical garden inland from Noosa. The restaurant, in an open pavilion overlooking a tranquil lake, is noted for its Thai food. The cooking school provides tuition for up to 16 people at a time in morning classes, with students dining on their efforts afterwards. There’s a huge range of themes to choose from, with an emphasis on Thai and contemporary Asian cooking. Recipes for the most popular and frequently requested dishes are included in Spirit House Thai Cooking ($34.95), a delicious book available from bookstores or directly from www.spirithouse.com.au |
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I’ve sipped wines in the Barossa Valley and haggled over prices in Vietnamese tailor shops with Ann Rickard, so I speak with some authority when I say that she is jolly good fun to travel with. Not Another Greek Salad (New Holland, $24.95) is the story of her hilarious romp around the Greek Islands with her husband and ever-faithful travelling companion, Geoffrey. A chapter from this book won her the 2005 Travel Writer of the Year Award from the Australian Society of Travel Writers. |
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I’m going to make it my mission to work my way through all 24 of the fabulous spas in Australia’s Best Spas (Periplus/Simon & Schuster, rrp $34.95). The book’s author, Amanda Jane Clark, says researching the book was the best job she has ever had, and I’m not surprised. Her hand-picked selection of spas from tropical Queensland to the Tasmanian wilderness is complemented by instructions for do-it-yourself spa treatments, recipes for spa cuisine and glorious photography. |
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