Festival an oyster lover's delight

In the Merry Wives of Windsor, Shakespeare wrote 'the world is your oyster'. The expression means you are now in a position to enjoy all the opportunities that life has to offer. This year's annual Oyster Festival at The Morrison Bar & Oyster Room certainly provides the perfect opportunity to enjoy one of life's greatest pleasures: slurping on aquatic invertebrates in all their briny glory.

As much as the festival is about enjoying oysters, it is also about educating punters on what to look for, how to shuck oysters and the differences between varieties. Newbies should know that Pacific oysters taste of salt and sea. Personally, they remind me of being dumped by a wave and rolling around in the surf. In contrast, the Sydney Rock is creamier and richer and recommended for those who are getting their first taste of the contents of those silvery sea-green shells.

Aw shucks ... oysters sourced from around NSW and SA are shucked to order at The Morrison Oyster Festival.

What better place to celebrate the oyster than near to that mound of ice at The Morrison, wielding two-pronged forks and waiting for the bivalve molluscs with rough irregular shells to be opened so you can slide them down your gullet in one go. Enjoying a dozen or so of these delicate little morsels, which may be farmed for food or pearls, is the oyster lover's equivalent of ecstasy. Throughout August this year festival-goers will be able to sip on The Morrison's finest whisky paired with plump oysters served during a Whisky and Oyster Masterclass.

Oyster aficionados can also step up to the shucking station as chef Sean Connolly's team shucks your oysters to order and provides top tips on how to remove the hard shell without losing a finger. If you're a huge sucker for oysters, pencil in the ever-popular Oyster Hour, when oysters are just $1 each between 6pm and 7pm.

The ever-smiling and affable awardwinning chef Sean Connolly, executive chef at The Morrison Bar & Oyster Room.

For those who believe oysters are best eaten in solitude, grab a seat at the back of the bar and work your way through the in-house Oyster Library, which features the most prolifically grown oyster in Australia, the Pacific Oyster as well as the Sydney or Rock Oyster, one of the greatest eating oysters in the world.

De Costi Seafood's sales manager Frank Theodore has curated a list of more than 20 types of oysters from around the country for this year's festival - including the Pacific, the Sydney Rock and the giant Jurassic oyster. Although this is not peak season for oysters, Theodore says the oysters he sources are first-class from their region of origin for this time of year.

Theodore, who has been working with seafood all of his life, says he eats at least two dozen oysters each day in order to select the very best product for his customers.

De Costi Seafoods' sales manager Frank Theodore, a.k.a 'the oyster whisperer' at The Morrison.

"I have a special connection with oysters. Years ago when the Sydney Rock Oyster was the only oyster that was sought-after I was enjoying oysters for my own benefit because I could appreciate the differences in taste," says Theodore.

"My personal preference is for a nice sweet Sydney rock oyster. I like the layers of flavour, I appreciate the creaminess and sweetness and can determine, from its taste, the nutrients it is getting and the environment it is from. I love how a good Sydney rock oyster sits on the back of the palate and it stretches out. It makes the corners of my lips start twitching just to talk about it," he says.

Right this way ... for oysters in all their briny glory.

Theodore says what he loves about The Morrison's oyster festival is that he has the opportunity to educate and inform Australians about what constitutes a good oyster. With sales of oysters in Australia increasing by about 20-30 per cent each year, Theodore says Australians are become smart eaters, interested in their food and where it comes from.

"I love how a good Sydney rock oyster sits on the back of the palate and stretches out. It makes the corners of my lips start twitching to talk about it" - Frank Theodore, De Costi Seafoods.

"I taste oysters every single morning. I judge them by their condition, by their taste, by how they look and I can taste the difference between oysters grown 100m apart - it's all about their environment," he says.

"If you know what to look for in wine, you should want to learn about what to look for in your oysters. People ask me 'Should I bite them?' I say, 'Why wouldn't you?' That's where your tastebuds are, so of course you bite them," he says.

A good oyster 'has a bit of presence' says De Costi Seafoods' Frank Theodore.

As for choosing a good oyster, Theodore - the oyster whisperer - advocates looking at the body part of the oyster, ensuring there is a clean, consistent colour throughout and checking for consistency through the meaty part of the oyster. "A good oyster has a bit of presence. It should fill a good eighty per cent of the shell," he says.

The Morrison Bar & Oyster Room, 225 George St, Sydney, 02 9247 6744, www.themorrison.com.au

Ready, steady, glow ...

There are only a few days left before the heavy black curtain that is the night sky comes down on Sydney town. If you're planning to trip the light fantastic at this year's Vivid Festival, you still have a few days left to head to Darling Harbour, Walsh Bay, Martin Place, The Star & Pyrmont as well as Central Park in Chippendale and now Chatswood in the city's north. 

Visitors to the city during the event will find Vivid Sydney installations that add a splash of light and colour to corners of the city that may be otherwise shrouded in darkness or just lacking a bit of brilliance in the wintry months. Following are 10 installations and events dotted around different precincts so you can plot them on the map before venturing to Vivid.

Sydney is every bit as vibrant over winter. Take time out from the trail at Transcendance.  Image: Destination NSW

1. Transcendance @ Martin Place
One of the shining stars of Vivid this year is Transcendance in Martin Place. Here, multimedia artist Joseph Crossley uses light and technology to great effect. Crossley has engineered the computer-driven light show to match with great food at pop-ups such as Porteno, Cantina Movil, Agape Organic, Tsuru, Thievery, Bite Size Delights and gelato world champions, Cow and the Moon. Yes it was a lightbulb moment to include a variety of bevvies from Rocks Brewing Co, Archie Rose Distilling Co. and an incredible showcase of local wines (13 of the 14 NSW wine regions are represented). Opt for a glass of Helm Riesling and a roast pork roll from Porteno. 

From the game of drones to a drum circle, Martin Place is a magnificent meeting of minds.  Image: Destination NSW 

2. Drum Circle and Phase Frames @ Martin Place
Artists Kate and Marty Bevz's also paint Martin Place in luminescent hues with Drum Circle, where you can bash out a rhythm surrounded by a light-filled forest. Nearby Phase Frames marries interactive trippy technology with 1920s' film projection techniques.

The Opera House is transformed into a Living Mural for Vivid 2015.            Image: Destination NSW.

3. Set sail for the Opera House @ Circular Quay

One of the most spectacular places to get your retina twitching has to be Circular Quay where you can watch the sails of the Opera House transform into a Living Mural. Harbour Lights also sees a fleet of boats in synch with the spectrum. Bring an air horn to move swiftly through the crowds.

 

A walk around the cultural hub of Walsh Bay is one of the highlights of the Vivid Festival. Image: Destination NSW. 

4. Harbour Wave and Toy Shadows @ Walsh Bay
Walsh Bay is for those who are looking for a more under-the-radar Vivid experience but don't want to miss out on the illuminations. Highlights include Harbour Wave, a massive, curved transparent wave installation, which appears to break across a wharf, bathing it in blue light. Toy Shadows is also popular with children who enjoy seeing a series of shadows cast onto the wall and triggering the motion sensors, which add sound to the mix. Arclight is another must-see around the corner from Pier One hotel, where you can wind up the night at The Gantry Restaurant and Bar to watch the Harbour Lights show, which involves various boats travelling in and around the harbour.

Lights, cameras, action in Darling Harbour with the Vivid Laser Fountain. Va va voom. Image: Destination NSW

5. Vivid Laser Fountain @ Darling Harbour
Oracle Liquid by Australian artist Glenn Turner bends its knee to new media art while presenting sparkling fountains of light and coloured waterfalls that are choreographed like an audiovisual symphony. The installation took over six months to develop, required 15 crew to install and uses 30,000 litres of seawater per minute, which it blasts across the harbour and into the night sky.

The audience is transported to another planet at Customs House.                 Image: Destination NSW.

6. Enchanted Sydney @ Customs House
The light art projected onto the façade of Customs House is most mesmerising because it tells a story. The grand-scale projections are fitted to the form of the building as it integrates with natural images that remind audiences of the organic nature of the city. It's a visual feast that encourages viewers to see their city in a new light. From the soaring sails of the Opera House to the Mechanised Colour Assemblage that transforms the MCA, this is the beating heart of Vivid.

The Argyle Cut is awash with images from nature during the presentation of Life Story.  Image: Destination NSW

7. Hear from Sir David Attenborough @ The Argyle Cut
Hear the dulcet tones of Sir David Attenborough at 7pm each week night and 6pm on weekends with Life Story, which is based on four years of footage captured for the BBC. The Argyle Cut is filled with flowing imagery of birds, marine and animal life and the voice of Attenborough, who gently reminds us that the greatest source of visual beauty is in nature.

The Italo Dining and Disco Club will be held June 2-7 at Carriageworks.      Image: Supplied.

8. Celebrate everything Italian @ Carriageworks
Explore the spectrum of colour while a DJ tinkers with tunes and fills this cavernous space with rainbows of refracted light. Enjoy a bowl of pasta from pop-ups that include Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta, Fratelli Paradiso, 10 William St and then boogaloo to the tunes laid down by Italian disco legend Beppe Loda.

The street art of indigenous artist Reko Rennie is a highlight of the Vivid Festival at Central Park. Image: Destination NSW

9. Stay streets ahead by sticking to the outskirts @ Chatswood and Central Park
Learn the underwater aquatic story of Norbert and the Nautilus and then set up camp on the Concourse for some refreshments at the night market. If you have little people and live in the north, the light-filled river full of glowing creatures and projections is a great introduction to Vivid and its many hues and views. If you want to stick to the 'skirts and avoid the mosh pit of the more popular precincts, Central Park has free night markets alongside the works of indigenous artist Reko Rennie. Immerse yourself in the experience and then cut loose at the silent disco.

Vivid Ideas curator Jess Scully has pulled together a program that looks to the future.    Image: Destination NSW 

10. Think for yourself @ Vivid Ideas
The many events taking place under the umbrella of Vivid range include experimental talks, exhibitions, parties and happy high-brow happenings to get involved with. From talks on architecture and design that offer transformative views about how to transform the future of cities, to educational talks for the young and young at heart, Vivid Ideas remind us that the festival is about nurturing a free-thinking atmosphere where anything is possible.

Visit www.vividsydney.com for the full Vivid Sydney program. To read more of Carla Grossetti's stories please subscribe to www.carlagrossetti.com

The Reuben: sandwiched between the past and present

The Reuben sandwich is far from being a culinary curiosity in Sydney. In fact, it seems Sydneysiders now have a rapacious appetite for the sandwich that has been a staple of culinary life in the US for nigh on a century. Regardless of the myths relating to its origins, the construction of the sandwich using rye bread as its foundation can be controversial as purists insist it must be true to the original deli-style sandwich if it is to be named after the much-revered classic.

Whether tweaked or true to tradition, the Rueben sandwich (snapped here at Hazelhurst Cafe) is a sensory pleasure. 

When New York-born Michael Shafran, of Brooklyn Boy Bagels, moved to Sydney in 2001 he declared the city a Reuben-free zone. Shafran says he first noticed a Reuben on offer at Danks St Depot about a decade ago, and credits chef Jared Ingersoll with making the sandwich a fixture on menus around the NSW capital.

These sandwiches tick all the right boxes when it comes to being sandwiches of substance.

More than a decade on, the Reuben is now a best-selling item at eateries all over Sydney. Following are a few places to enjoy a Rueben that either stays true to tradition or is based loosely on the original with the addition of a few radical tweaks. Reuben snobs be warned: there are a few Rachels masquerading as Reubens, one Rebecca in the mix and even a daring Cuban making a controversial cameo. Call them what you will, what the following options have in common is they are simply sensational sandwiches.

Ruby & Rach chef Tony Gibson raises the bar with his take on the Reuben.

Ruby & Rach
Roll up roll up for the signature Reuben sandwich filled with wagyu corned beef, Swiss cheese, a tangle of sauerkraut, pickles and Russian dressing on rye at Ruby & Rach. Chef Tony Gibson (ex Marque and Four in Hand) has raised the bar with his take on the Reuben: he cooks the wagyu beef in a sous vide for three days, brines it for five, hangs it overnight and smokes it for nine hours over cherry wood and maple. Gibson also takes liberties on behalf of vegos by presenting the mustrami (aka 'the Rebecca' mushroom pastrami sanga).

Pyrmont Growers market (first Saturday of the month) and Bondi Famers Market (all the other Saturdays) Rubyandrach.com.au

The Bowery Lane serves a Reuben that is both rustic and refined.

Bowery Lane
Bowery Lane makes Reubens that walk a tightrope between being both rustic and refined. Bowery Lane ramped up its version of the West Coast Reuben simply by using the very best quality ingredients: exquisite UK-style salt beef, sauerkraut, high-quality Swiss cheese, mustard dressing and a welcome side of sweet potato crisps. An upscale homage to the humble sandwich indeed.
Shop 1, Level 4, 1 O'Connell St Sydney, 02 9252 8017, bowerylane.com.au

The Not Reuben may not be a Reuben, but it's a revelation nonetheless.

Rueben Hills
This Surry Hills hot spot is a hub for hipsters who enjoy giving their beards a good drenching in horseradish mayo. The Not Reuben is, well, not really a Reuben at all. Thin slices of slow-cooked wagyu brisket are cut with a pickled slaw and horseradish cream and topped with Manchego cheese and horseradish cream. Michael Shafran (Brooklyn Boy Bagels) inadvertently inspired the naming of the Not Reuben after he pointed out to the owner that braised brisket breaks the Reuben rules (to serve corned or salt beef). The next time he visited the cafe, it had been rebranded as the Not Reuben.
61 Albion St, Surry Hills, 02 9211 5556. reubenhills.com.au

The Rachel is not just a haircut named after actress Jennifer Aniston. It's also the sister sandwich to the Reuben.

The Reuben's little sister, The Rachel will be available at Brooklyn Boy Bagels' new Matraville store.

Brooklyn Boy Bagels
The Rachel is not just a legendary haircut named after actress Jennifer Aniston; it's also the sister sandwich to the Reuben. BBB's New York-born Michael Shafran's has looked to both the US West Coast and New York for his inspiration. The Rachel is built between his bakery's house-baked NY Deli rye, elevated with a sourdough culture and mixed with caraway seeds. Shafran also uses pastrami instead of corn beef and mustard instead of Russian dressing. Note: Brooklyn Boy Bagels' new retail outlet is nanoseconds away from opening in the Eastern Suburbs.
448 Bunnerong Rd, Matraville. 02 8540 4595. brooklynboy.com.au

The ridiculously good Reuben sandwich at Daisy's Milk Bar.

Daisy's Milk Bar
In Harry Met Sally, Meg Ryan famously faked an orgasm while enjoying a Reuben sandwich at Katz's Deli in New York City. If you want to understand why the sandwich and the deli have an evangelical following then order one from Daisy's, which flirts with fairly faithful flavour combinations. The sandwich arrives toasted and stuffed with corned beef, pickles on rye and a Russian dressing. Daisy's vanilla and malt shake is also a sensual pleasure.
340 Stanmore Rd, Petersham, 02 8065 3466. daisysmilkbar.com.au

Cafe 2042 in Newtown says stuff it with its wagyu beef sandwich based on the Reuben.

2042 Cafe & Deli
Cafe 2042 knows how to woo us with its smoked wagyu beef sandwich, which is based on the Reuben and features sauerkraut, pickles and cheese served on rye. This darling of the King St strip celebrates all that is good about sticking certain ingredients between two pieces of bread. It's worth including on a Reuben crawl because of the smoked beef alone (made by Schulz Smokehouse, Barossa Fine Foods).
403-405 King St, Newtown 02 9550 2500, www.2042.net.au

Who cares if it's not strictly a Reuben? This construction piled high with brisket pastrami is sandwich perfection.

Lox Stock and Barrel 
This deli diner does a homemade brisket pastrami with Russian coleslaw and pickles on rye that may not adhere strictly to the Rueben rules but tastes ridiculously good all the same. Like most good deli diners in New York City, you can also get bagels and braided challah too. While Sydney's love affair with the Reuben sandwich is hardly over, brother-and-sister team Lianne and Neil Gottheiner of Lox Stock and Barrel aim to do for corned beef, pickles on rye what Dan Hong did for banh mi.
140 Glenayr Avenue, Bondi Beach, Sydney 02 9300 0368, loxstockandbarrel.com.au

This is a Reuben that speaks Spanglish thanks to the influence of chef Oscar Gorosito.

Bridge St Garage
This is not a place to take a vegan on a first date. The Bridge St Garage is expat heaven as the sandwich has the Lower East Side stamp of authenticity all over it. Join the swank lines of downtown diners who declare this Reuben (which is again more of a Rachel) a decadent delight: shaved pastrami, loaded with sauerkraut and bacon, Garage sauce, coleslaw and pickles on a light rye sourdough.  Expect a few Latin-American twists courtesy of Argentina-born chef Oscar Gorosito.
17-19 Bridge St, Sydney, 02 9251 9392, bridgestgarage.com.au

Meltingly tender pastrami is the piece de resistance of the Momo take on the Reuben.

Momo Brasserie 
Momo has made a name for itself for a repertoire that extends beyond the Reuben. The brasserie makes its own traditional New York-style pastrami, rendering its Rachel-esque rendition of the Reuben a comforting composition: warm housemade pastrami served toasted on rye slathered with slaw, pickled cucumbers and American mustard. This is a nod to the New York delis responsible for putting a simple sandwich on a pedestal.
65 Elizabeth St, Sydney, 02 9233 8838, momobrasserie.com.au

The Reuben at Reuben & Moore is a thing of beauty.

Reuben & Moore 
You know the Reuben has entered the mainstream when it opens dedicated eateries in shopping centre food courts. This is not such a radical interpretation of the Reuben. And there's no arguments about the attention to detail given to sangas served up at this dinky chain. The bread is first rate and the contents applied with ceremonious attention, with the rye slabs laden with sauerkraut and drizzled with mustard. Expect other American-inspired favourites on the Reuben & Moore menu.
Level 5, Food Court, 86-100 Market St, 02 8072 9777; Level 4 at The Macquarie Centre, Entrance Via Herring Rd, North Ryde, 02 9870 7608, reubenandmoore.com.au

This sandwich that is a distant cousin of the Reuben makes cameos on the daily specials board Monty's Sandwich Shop.

Monty's Hot Sandwich Shop
The sangas at Monty's Hot Sandwich Shop have ridden the coat-tails of the Reuben renaissance. The Reubenesque successfully tweaks with tradition with this generously proportioned sandwich made using slow-roasted beef brisket, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, pickles and Russian dressing. The Boston also goes the full Monty with its nouveau Reuben with beef brisket, provolone cheese, caramelised onions and spicy tomato relish. Keep an eye out for a radicalised Rueben (wryly observed to be served on white bread, not rye) on the specials board.
141 Glenayr Avenue, Bondi Beach, 52 Spring St Bondi Junction, montysandwichshop.com.au

The Hazelhurst Cafe has given the Reuben the flick in favour of the Cuban.

Hazelhurst Cafe
Yes Cuban rhymes with a Reuben, but that is where the similarities between the two sangas ends. The Cubano is believed to be a common lunch served to Cuban workers in the late 1800s.  So why did the Cuban make it onto a list of great Reubens when it is a decidedly different beast and has such a disparate culinary history? Because Hazelhurst Cafe executive chef James Watson has tipped a Cuban revolution. Hazelhurst Cafe recently flicked the Reuben from its menu in favour of the Cuban, which comprises citrus-baked pork shoulder, Gypsy ham, mustard, Swiss cheese and house-made pickles. The cafe's Cuban makes a cha-cha to Gymea a must.
782 Kingsway, Gymea. 02 8536 5755. www.facebook.com/hazelhurstcafe

Do you have a favourite Sydney spot for a Reuben? Or even a Cuban?

The history of the Reuben

The Reuben sandwich is the stuff legends are made of. Pictured is the Bowery Lane version.

The great Reuben sandwich is defined by whatscookingamerica.net as a “grilled sandwich made with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing on rye bread”. But as for the history of the monumental sandwich that tradition dictates must be filled with both salt beef and dairy, it’s the stuff that legends – or at least legendary items of food – are made of.

There are many claims and counter-claims surrounding the creation of the sandwich with the cult following: one of the most popular stories doing the rounds is that the first Reuben was created in 1906 at a deli on Park Avenue by German immigrant Arnold Reuben. Legend has it that the owner of the deli constructed the sandwich for an actress who came into Reuben’s Restaurant and Delicatessen in New York and demanded he make her a sandwich because she was “as hungry as a brick”.

However, according to an article in The New York Times quoting Arthur Schwartz, author of New York City Food and blogger at The Food Maven, the sandwich thought to be a New York staple is believed to have been created in Omaha in the 1920s by wholesale grocer Reuben Kulakofsky who made the sandwich for his friends after a late-night poker game.

Regardless of the Reuben’s origins, the sandwich with superstar status has been on menus in Sydney for so long now that a celebration of it seems compulsory. What else is there to do but roll up your sleeves and enjoy? Coming soon: my round-up of great Reubens around Sydney.

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Ramsgate Market round-up

There’s nothing quite like shopping at farmers’ markets. I love talking to the farmers about what’s best and in season and zigzagging around my favourite stalls, accepting a segment of mandarin here, and a slice of tomato there, ogling pert avocados, fat garden peas, enjoying the fragrance of pho (pronounced fuh), a square of sourdough and wheeling my retro nanna cart about to decide what to buy based on what's best and in season.

Market forces: shopping at Rusty's Market in my hometown of Cairns has given me very high expectations.

Go nuts
Sydney has its fair share of fabulous markets. There's the pioneering Growers' Market in Pyrmont, the equally slick Eveleigh Farmers' Market and Marrickville market in the inner-west as well as bountiful bazaars held everywhere from Hornsby to Manly, Bondi and Bulli.

DIY trail mix with a range of nuts and dried fruit.

To market, to market
When I have the drive, time and energy and am not chasing deadlines, I've been known to get up pre-dawn on a Saturday to drive across the city to the Sydney Markets. 

My family and I also make a day of it at the Grower's Markets in Pyrmont, Marrickville and Eveleigh. For the sake of convenience, I also stock up at my local Cronulla cafe, HAM, which hosts a pop-up organic market on Saturdays.

When I first visited Ramsgate Organic Foodies Market a year ago, it was not exactly radical when compared to what's out there. But one thing is for certain: the majority of what we buy from there is far better than OK.  The market seems to be improving every time we take the 25-minute trek across the Captain Cook Bridge from Cronulla in Sydney's south.

It's compulsory to make a rye request at Reuben Republic.

From little things big things grow
One of the many reasons I am now a regular visitor to the Ramsgate Organic Markets is because it's a relief not to fight the traffic or burn too many food miles driving across the city to source fresh organic produce.   Another market on my radar is Como Riverview Market, a monthly affair.

Stevenson's Fine Foods is a great pit-stop for a gourmet pie.

Vying for vegans
What I love about Ramsgate is what I love about all markets: that communitarian buzz. People stopping to taste and chat with artisan producers who are justifiably proud of their products. I am also so grateful that I have a market that is relatively nearby where I can jam with the apple-cheeked farmer about when she picked her pink lady apples and enjoy the fact that both a paleo stall and glorious counter of cakes share equal promise, depending on your perspective.  

Stevenson's is great for a guilt-free midweek meal or a gift for a neighbour in need.

Nutjobs unite for this chocolate hazelnut spread.

Snickers-me-not from the peanut gallery
Shopping at such markets is truly a sensual pleasure. Much of my motivation in making the drive comes from the fact that I want it to continue and it can only go from strength to strength if the community supports it.

On my last visit to stock up on food for Christmas, my first stop was at the Cream Fork stall where my sons eyed off the NOTella roasted hazelnut spread, Snickers-me-not tarts and raw vegan blueberry cheesecakes. The stall is paradise for paleos and the proof is also in the gluten-free, refined-sugar free, dairy free, almost raw and vegan pudding.

Say cheese ... my go-to stall for goat's curd.

Eat Fuh is a family affair.

Say cheese

Whether you're looking for an artisanal wedge of cheese to impress your dinner guests, or a quick bite to eat before traversing through the crowds, the market has much to be proud of: from the New-York-style sandwiches stacked with pastrami, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing to the fiery chilli chutneys and pre-made meals from Stevenson's Fine Foods to the air-dried meats from Backa.

The market's raisin d'être
My tailor-made itinerary always includes a stop-off at the fruit and vegetable stall manned by a young Mauritian just so I can hear him sing "Sweet, sweeeeeeeeet mangoes". I also like to time my run around lunchtime so I can pay a visit to the Eat Fuh folk, who offer shots of the Vietnamese noodle soup, pho, as testers in the hope that it will seduce you into buying the Vietnamese soup. It's a winning formula. The noodle soup, which The Urban List named as the #1 Noodle Choice at the 2014 Night Noodle Markets, is chock-full of bean sprouts and ginger and chilli and shallots and is so fragrant and comforting that - for fuh's sake - it is reason enough to cross the Captain Cook Bridge.

Scones get the high society treatment when slathered with Pepe Saya butter.

Use your scone
Paddy the Baker has also graced the market with his presence. I adore the baker's Irish soda bread, a squat loaf of airy bread that is best enjoyed with a wodge of Pepe Saya butter.  Sweet tooths are also sated with freshly baked scones, butter and jam. Worth noting is that the bread contains no nasties or preservatives and the potato bread, according to Paddy, is the best outside Ireland.

Pat a cake, pat a cake, baker's man.... with bread from Paddy the Bakers.

In a pickle? Talk to James Bron Mackney.

Ferment it good
One of the surprise winners of the market is Ferment It. Hippocrates said: "All disease begins in the gut. Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food."

I've fallen hard for the raw organic pre- and probiotic packets of goodness, which are full of essential digestive enzymes and super living probiotics to encourage vital intestinal flora.

Ask James Bron Mackney or partner Belinda Smith and they will happily tell you why we should be eating more fermented foods. For starters, the enzymes strengthen our immune system and assist with eliminating bad bacteria.

Batter up

If you are mad for macarons, visit Coco & Bean stall.

Arrive hungry and try Chilean street food from Pochito corn fritters from Fritter House, a pot of chai tea or choc chip cookies, a yoghurt pot from Stefano's Kitchen or some smoked salmon and trout dip from Snowy Mountains Trout.   Add to the list the Isis River Farm organic meat stall, macarons from Coco & Bean, the stall devoted to artisan cheeses - my go-to is the goat's curd - cronuts, waffles and organic wines. So, Cronulla peeps, get out and support Ramsgate market until such time as the beachside suburb pulls together its own farmers' market.

Ramsgate Organic Foodies Market is located at Ramsgate Public School, Chuter Ave, Ramsgate. It is open 8am-1pm every Saturday.   

Want to know what is in pho (fuh)? Read the in-pho sheet, 

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Queen Margherita of Savoy: all fired up

Lee and Sharon Carroll, of QMOS, at restaurant Brandi, Naples, where the pizzaioli who created the margherita worked.  

Over the past few years, I have done the rounds, so to speak, steering my family everywhere from Leichardt to Lane Cove in search of some of Sydney's best pizza. Imagine my delight then, after an early-evening walk about eights months ago, when I noticed a local shopfront window in Cronulla with a laminated certificate stamped by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana stuck onto glass doors plastered in sheets of newspaper.  

I read with interest the accompanying newspaper article about local chef Lee Carroll, who had participated in a three-week training course in Napoli in March 2013 and was set to follow the stringent set of rules required to receive accreditation from the association. While in Italy, Carroll also worked around the clock at a pizzeria in Naples, to gain work experience. Mamma mia!

Lee Carroll's white-hot ambition in action at Queen Margherita of Savoy, Cronulla.     

White-hot ambition
As pizza purists in the know will tell you, accreditation from the AVPN is the stamp of approval that indicates that the pizzaioli (person who makes pizza) is sticking to the rules when it comes to 'due pizza-making processes'.  The fact that this Australian chef had travelled to Italy to learn how to make traditional Neapolitan pizza told me he was very serious about complying with pizza protocol. 

The Queen's Banquet ... at Queen Margherita of Savoy. 

Lee Carroll has earned his pizzaioli's stripes.

Say fior de latte
For non-Italians, this rigorous procedure may sound a bit over-the-top. But what it does ensure is that by adhering to the guidelines - which include a very precise method of manipulating the dough, to the cheese used in the preparation of pizza margherita, to the ingredients used to make the dough and the method of proving and then cooking the dough - the ancient traditions of 'verace pizza Napoletana' (true Italian pizza) are kept alive.

A passion for pizza
I stuck my head around the door and found chef Lee Carroll busy sending white puffs of flour into the air beside a glittering wood-fired oven. Lee appreciated my reverence for what he was trying to do and we riffed about pizza, Italy, that oven and where his passion for good pizza began.

"I took one bite from a slice of pizza at Pizza Mario 10 years ago and it changed my life. I've aspired to own a pizzeria ever since," says the 40-year-old, who sports rock-star sleeves of tatts and earned his chef stripes working at local restaurants such as Sea Level and the Blue Parrot.

Giulio Abussi is a Napoli native who helps man the pizza pans at Queen Margherita of Savoy. 

Red, white and green
Fast-forward eight months since my first meeting with Lee and his wife Sharon - who manages the floor - and Queen Margherita of Savoy is on fire. Well the inside of the Stefano Ferrara Forni oven is, at least.  The name of the pizzeria pays homage to the Queen consort of the Kingdom of Italy (1878 to 1900) during the reign of her husband, Umberto. As legend has it, in 1889, Queen Margherita visited Naples and summoned the best pizza maker of the time, Raffaele Esposito, to prepare three pizzas for her. Her favourite pizza turned out to feature the red (tomatoes), green (basil) and white (cheese) colours of the Italian flag. When the queen asked Raffaele the name of the pizza, he said: "Margherita, in your honour."

It can't hurt the QMOS brand to have Neapolitan native Giulio Abussi working alongside Carroll in the kitchen helping to peddle an average of 150 pizzas per day. Carroll met the 25-year-old in Italy when he employed him as a language assistant to help him understand the training course, which is presented in Italian. The pair became firm friends and Carroll recognised that the young Italian had an intense theoretical understanding of Neapolitan pizza.

Queen Margherita of Savoy has a relaxed and comfortable vibe, conducive to chatter and noise.

"It struck me very early in the piece that Giulio knew so much theory. He worked for the AVPN as an interpreter, he’d been to the flour factory, he had met the tomato growers, has good friends who have pizzerias, and he was very giving with his knowledge. He knew everything from the ground up and shared my desire and passion to deliver the best possible product. He'd also worked at his friend's pizzeria in Naples," says Carroll, who is seeking to sponsor his offsider to extend his stay in Sydney. 

Watch chef Lee Carroll and offsider Giulio Abussi in the cut-out kitchen at QMOS. 

Naples: A way of love.

At your service.              Photo: Deidre Worsley.

The margherita pizza is food fit for a queen.                                                             Photo: Deidre Worsley.

The staple in Naples
"Giulio is a joy to have as a secondhander. It's so difficult to find talent when it comes to making proper Neapolitan pizza," says Carroll. Carroll describes the AVPN as "a glorified franchise" and he says that with the utmost respect. Part of the rules surrounding accreditation include the requirement to make a 40-minute video that follows him step-by-step through the process of making pizza. "Earning accreditation will be recognition that what we are doing is being done with integrity and pride. It will be a vote of confidence," he says.

The wood-fired oven takes pride of place in the rustic, dimly lit dining room, which features a black-and-white chequered floor, copper tones and dark timber. The theatre of watching this pair of pizzaiolis is part of the fun and it's the sort of dining room where you expect noise and clatter.

Lee Carroll's dream to open a pizzeria was no pie in the sky.                                                   Photo: Deidre Worsley.

Fire up
As for the product itself, my family have hoovered up many margheritas and that interplay of fire and dough and tomatoes and cheese is consistently fabulous. The dough comes out with that high and fluffy edge that has the right kind of chew and char and is so soft and pliable you could stuff a duvet cover with it. 

When just cooked, the taste of the tomatoes and cooked mozzarella and basil is intense and harmonious and a chorus of 'oohs and aahs' fills the small space, which also sells takeaway pizza. I've seen Carroll and Abussi in the kitchen together many times since that first meeting and their success says as much about the Shire's ever-improving food scene as it does about the quality of the product.

Carroll says what he loves most about Italian food is its simplicity. "Italian food is really primal. Cucina povera got people through world wars. Instead of surviving on awful food, they made the most of cheap cuts of meat and preserved food to make it last all year. I love the respect that they show for good food and great ingredients," says Carroll.

Christmas Carrolls .... Cute Christmas lights at QMOS are in the shape of triangles of pizza.

Carroll is not reinventing the wheel. But he has done much to shape local understanding about what constitutes an authentic Neapolitan pizza. Pizza posturing aside, it's really worth giving his pizzas a whirl. To read a review of QMOS, visit Good Food where fellow food writer Angie Schiavone recommended it for the Good Food Under $30 section of the site.

The dough has been properly rested and has the right amount of chew and char.

Pizza with principles
Highlights on the QMOS menu include the proscuitto cotto e funghi freschi (tomato, fior di latte, leg ham, mushrooms, garlic and parmigiano reggiano) from the pizze rosse section and the salsiccia e rapini (fior di latte, pork and fennel sausage and broccoli) from the pizze bianche. 

Antipasti and arancini.     Photo: Deidre Worsley.

The menu also includes insalata, antipasti, salumi and fritture (fried morsels) and the arancini make cameos on the specials board. Pizzerias with AVPN accreditation in Sydney include: Gigi, in Newtown, Lucio's Pizzeria, in Darlinghurst, Pizza Mario, in Surry Hills and Aperitivo in Leichardt. There are also many more pizzerias that, though they don't have accreditation, do a great job of earning a crust. Following are a few more of my favourites: Via Napoli in Lane Cove, Frankie's Pizza, Rosso Pomodoro, in Balmain, Hugo's Bar Pizza in King's Cross, Pompei's in Bondi, Vacanza, in Bronte and PizzAperta, at The Star. 

Take the AVPN quiz to see if you understand the principles of neapolitan pizza and tell me where you go to find a slice of pizza heaven. 

Queen Margherita of Savoy is located at Shop 9, 2-8 Surf Rd, Cronulla. For bookings, phone 02 9527 4992. Open Mon-Sun 5pm till late. Note: QMOS is looking to recruit another master neapolitan pizza-maker.