Food Issues

Is there such a thing as Italian cuisine, Mietta asks. In a country, unified in the 1860s, whose people still consider themselves more part of their immediate neigbourhood than part of Italy, how coud there be a national cuisine?

Quality chickens will cost money - are we prepared to pay the extra asks Barbara Santich.

Global cuisine. Barbara Santich examines Jean-François Revel's remark that, 'there are no national cuisines; there is international cuisine, which must remain extremely flexible, and there is regional cuisine'.

The times dictate our dining style, argue Mietta O'Donnell and Tony Knox.

Food Articles 96-00

Danny Lo runs Ducgo Live Seafood in Box Hill whichone of the few retail outlets with a selection of live fish.

Gamekeepers' Birds Alan and Barbara Rundell started farming deer in 1978, four years ago they decided to go into game birds in direct response to requests from their restaurant clients for better quality, fresh pheasant and guinea fowl.

Enoteca Sileno Gino Di Santo opened Enoteca Sileno in 1982 with a wholesale license for wine. From a few wines the choice grew to 400 varieties and now nearly 500 different food products.

Grinders Coffee When Giancarlo Giusti first opened Grinders Coffee House in Lygon Street, Carlton in October 1962, selling coffee beans was not big business. Since then, Grinders business has expanded to a factory where the four tons of beans can be roasted, packed and sent all round Australia.

Eating Italian in Melbourne with its heaps and heaps of bars, cafes and restaurants boasting Italian names and dishes is nor easy. Mietta lists some of the best places.

Food Media Awards. The winners of the 1999 Jacob’s Creek World Food Media Awards.

Jonathan's Meats. Jonathan Gianfreda supplies top quality meat to many of Melbourne's top restaurants. He gives a recipe for his cotechino sausage.

Organic Food in restaurants. Mietta gives a list of some of the better Melbourne establishments.

Ovens Valley Festival happens every secod year. Other local gastronomic attractions, like Simone's at Bright are always there.

Queen Victoria Market, Preston, Prahran, South Melbourne, Footscray and Dandenong markets are joining forces for Market Week.

Cheesemaker Richard Thomas has achieved extraordinary success with many cheese varieties in Australia. He has been in the cheese making business since graduating in dairy technology in the 70’s. Now he is frequently described as our best cheesemaker and certainly has an exceptional palate and passion for cheeses.

Raising Wagyu Beef in Australia. Siu Ling Hui syas that Wagyu is a Japanese breed of cattle that produces highly marbled beef of astounding flavour and tenderness which can command retail prices in Japan in excess of $400 per kilogram and that it is now being raised here.

| Cooking Classes A selected list of cooking classes to be held in Melbourne and Howqua Dale in 2002