Gifts for foodies on Father's Day

Forget soap-on-a-rope or a three-pack of bright-red underpants this Father's Day. If you have a Dad who delights in donning his apron and getting in the kitchen, then choose from my Top 5 cookbooks for patriarchs who know their way around the pantry. Alternatively, buy the book for yourself and spoil Dad with a Father's Day feast.

The Gourmet Farmer Goes Fishing
In the Gourmet Farmer Goes Fishing, former food critic turned farmer Matthew Evans teams up with cheesemaker Nick Haddow and pig farmer Ross O'Meara to celebrate all that our rivers and oceans have to offer. As well as inspiring Dad to catch a bucket full of writhing mullet or skipjack, the book details how to prepare and cook everything from abalone to sea urchins. It is just the sort of book that fisherfolk will find useful as it demonstrates the way flavours can be combined as well as highlighting the lesser-known species we should be eating. There’s also an important message: while we like to eat fish, we don’t want to destroy our eco-system with what we catch and cook. The Gourmet Farmer Goes Fishing, by Matthew Evans, Nick Haddow and Ross O'Meara (Murdoch Books, $49.99).

Donuts 
Does your Dad like to play with the lint in his belly button while watching Friday night sport? Does he approach a buffet with military precision? Is your Dad Homer Simpson? Donuts have come a long way since Dominique Ansell scored a hole in one with his trademarked cronut. Forget, for a moment the deep-fat fryer version and think proper home-made donuts that range from fancy options - ice cream donut sandwiches and blueberry donuts - to stand-by sugar-coated basics. Author Tracey Meharg even includes a paleo donut in the mix of Donuts: 50 Sticky Hot Donut Recipes to Make at Home, which is a decadent compilation of intense pleasures. Dote on dad and feed him a dozen donuts dusted in sugar and crammed with jam until his eyes glaze over. Donuts: 50 Sticky Hot Donut Recipes to Make at Home, by Tracey Meharg (Murdoch Books, RRP: $29.99)  

My Street Food Kitchen
Perfect for the well-travelled Dad who is stuck in suburbia. Encourage Dad to break out of his three-meat-and-veg rut and recall those halcyon days in his 20s when he was drifting around the globe with dreadlocks. With My Street Food Kitchen, it doesn't matter if your passport has expired. The book will transport you and satisfy your appetite to travel with recipes that roam everywhere from America to China and Morocco. Turn your kitchen into an international food court and get the whole family involved in preparing tacos, curries, dumplings and souvlaki while Dad recounts stories from his travels. Yes it's cheaper than a plane ticket, but this authentic street food has inspiration enough to shoehorn you out of your midweek slump.
My Street Food Kitchen by Jennifer Joyce (Murdoch Books, RRP $39.99)

East: Culinary Adventures in South East Asia
From street food stalls in Thailand and Malaysia to bustling markets in Vietnam and Indonesia, East is the sort of book that will either remind you of your travels or inspire you to go in search of the sights, smells and flavours of Southeast Asia. East, by Leanne Kitchen & Antony Suvalko is such a vibrant beautiful book, with colours that pop like a spice palette used for a curry paste.  The writers' attention to detail is obvious on every page and, better still, East will make you want to begin cooking immediately. From Balinese pork parcels to laksa or fried Nonya chicken, there is no doubt that the book's heart belongs to Asia. East: Culinary Adventures in Southeast Asia, by Leanne Kitchen & Antony Suvalko is published by SBS (RRP: $39.95)

Food + Beer
Grill-seekers unite: Australia's King of the Grill Ross Dobson has travelled to Morocco, Italy, China and India in the name of research. But the inspiration from this book came from his travels to Bali, where he became excited about the connections between food and beer. From wings and burgers to Brazilian fish stew (moqueca) Chinese BBQ pork (char sui), Moroccan pan-fried pawns and crispy karaage (Japanese fried chicken), Food + Beer will serve as a bible for both barbecue and beer aficionados. The book includes a history lesson on culinary favourites and beer matching and suggestions for perfect pairings.
Food + Beer, by Ross Dobson (Murdoch Books, RRP $45).

Cronulla plugs into the Sounds of the Suburbs

Sounds of the Suburbs returns to Cronulla for the third year in a row.                    Image: Jack Bennett Photography.

With the third annual Sounds of the Suburbs slated for September, Cronulla is well and truly plugged into the Gen Z zeitgeist for the jam-packed festival with the "warm and scuzzy vibes". 

Forget, for a moment, any visual clichés you have in mind about Cronulla.  Next, turn your back to the beach, don a colourful wristband and floppy hat and join the invading hordes at Sounds of the Suburbs, where it will be wiggle-room only in Wilbar Lane on September 27.

Sound of the Suburbs is the little laneway festival that dared to dream big.          Image: Jack Bennett Photography.

Everyone is welcome at the little laneway festival says Aaron Girgis, one of the co-founders of the music festival that showcases a growing alternative scene that has been bubbling up in Cronulla over the past decade or so.

Sounds of the Suburbs keeps the warm and scuzzy vibes alive.              Image: Jack Bennett Photography

"It's everyone's dream to start a big laneway festival isn't it? Three years ago, we were like, 'Let's do this' and we're so lucky that Sutherland Shire Council have been so super supportive and been behind the festival from day one. The community has also embraced us from the start," says Girgis.

'This is our opportunity to show the people of Sydney that there is another scene and another world that exists out here in the Sutherland Shire," he says.

Sounds of the Suburbs is one of the more intimate events on the festival circuit.                 Image: Jack Bennett Photography

Girgis and local street artist Jack Irvine are also behind Space 44, an independent gallery and creative hub that is now regarded as the community's space as much as it is their own. The pair have also teamed up with Geoff Trio and Jad Nahkle, co-owners of The Brass Monkey Cronulla and El Sol Mexican Cantina, who have been involved in the evolution of the local music scene for a decade.

A snapshot of Sounds of the Suburbs 2015.                                                   Image: Jack Bennett Photography 

It was after fielding feedback from the locals who attend their monthly exhibitions that the duo decided to stage an event that celebrates local musicians as well as international acts that will perform exclusively at the music festival.

Space 44 is on song with Cronulla's Sounds of the Suburbs festival in September.  Image: Jack Bennett Photography.

"People are starting to sit up and take notice of Cronulla. We knew after starting Space 44 that there were hundreds of people into art and boutique music and an alternative scene and we're so proud to bring some of these bands here for a big celebration," he says.

Sounds of the Suburbs is where art, music and fashion collide.                Image: Jack Bennett Photography.

At larger music festivals, 800 people might be queued to use the Portaloos. By comparison, with its at-capacity crowd of 800, Sound of the Suburbs feels more like a wild house party.

Sounds of the Suburbs is attracting party heads from all around the country.                       Photo: Jack Bennett Photography.

It's a formula the tightknit coterie of artists seem to appreciate with acts such as Brisbane indie duo Holy Holy sharing the stage with international acts such as The Garden, White Fang and The Memories presented by cult record label Burger Records and travelling all the way from Orange County in LA.

Celebrate the sunshine at Cronulla's Sounds of the Suburbs 2015.          Image: Jack Bennett Photography

With just three stages and 21 bands, the fact that the intimate festival is a nod to the Sound of the Suburbs song released by The Members in 1979 is reason enough to support Sounds of the Suburbs. "Sounds of the Suburbs has all the warm and scuzzy vibes to mark the perfect start to Australia's festival season," says Girgis.

Locals love the laidback beach vibe at Sounds of the Suburbs.               Image: Jack Bennett Photography

WHEN: September 27, 2015
WHERE: Wilbar Lane, Cronulla
DON'T MISS: The three international acts The Garden, White Fang and The Memories as well as Brisbane indie folk band, Holy Holy. I Am Apollo and hip-hop act Citizen Kay are a few of the stellar local acts on the lineup.
WHAT IT WILL COST: $65.30
PRO TIP: Catch a train to Cronulla and save your cash for beer and Mexican food from El Sol.
BUY TICKETS: www.soundsofthesuburbs.com.au
NEXT MONTH: Another sneak peek of Australian Music Week.
 
To read more of my articles visit www.carlagrossetti.com or subscribe to the Visit the Shire blog.

Sounds of the Suburbs is so intimate it has the feel of an off-the-chain house party. Image: Jack Bennett Photography.

Cronulla joins the music festival circuit

The Brass Monkey will be in the spotlight during the inaugural Australian Music Week in Cronulla.

Cronulla will crank up the volume this summer when it presents the inaugural Australian Music Week and HiFi Days Festival from November 18-22. One of the organisers of the event, Geoff Trio, says the five-day festival will culminate in HiFi Days, which includes internationally renowned act UB40, as well as Australian acts The Bamboos (with Tim Rogers), Phil Jamieson (Grinspoon), The Snowdroppers, Caravana Sun and indie four-piece Fripps & Fripps.

UB40 headlines the bill at HiFi Festival, presented by the inaugural Australian Music Week in Cronulla. Image: Supplied

As the co-owner of two of the best live venues in the Shire - the Brass Monkey and El Sol - Trio has been instrumental in the growth of the Shire's live music scene. But despite his industry knowledge and connections through his role running a music label and touring company for local and international artists, Trio says the response he has received has still come as somewhat of a surprise.

"The response and support we have received has been overwhelming. We want this to be an annual event and the plans are to grow it every year and to eventually take it to the world stage and the feedback we have had has been so incredibly positive that we are confident we can achieve that," he says.

Trio believes Cronulla's chilled-out picturesque vibe of beach and bay will provide the perfect backdrop for a week of grooving in the sunshine, with up to 150 local and international artists appearing everywhere from the Brass Monkey, to the Sting Bar, JDs and El Sol as well as the centre mall stage and several cafes.
 

The stage will be set at El Sol to host a diverse range of acts during Australian Music Week. Photo: Carla Grossetti

Trio says the celebration of live music also doubles as a mega music industry conference designed to spark conversation and connections between everyone from industry executives and recording professionals to up-and-coming artists and music lovers.  

Do The Stomp with the Snowdroppers during Australian Music Week's presentation of HiFi Days.  Image: Supplied

As well as bringing together musos from a multitude of genres such as contemporary soul, rock, blues, indie, country and folk, there will be a series of interactive Q&As and workshops featuring speakers such as Andy Cassell, co-owner and founder of Winterman & Goldstein (Jett, Empire of the Sun, Something for Kate, The Preatures) and Chloe Goodyear, head of programming at the Woodford Folk Festival.

Sutherland Shire band Fripps & Fripps has been invited to perform during HiFi Days. Image: Supplied

Trio says artists are invited to showcase at Australian Music Week in front of some of Australia's most influential and successful agents, venue bookers, managers, labels. Applications close on August 14, 2015. All bands that apply to AMW will be able to opt in for automatic consideration for Captured: Australia, a short film festival pairing up eight emerging filmmakers with eight emerging artists. 

The event will also feature food stalls that have sprouted in the Shire with pop-up coffee bar from Grind Espresso, Arabian-inspired cuisine from Yalla Sawa and pizza from AVPN-accredited Queen Margherita of Savoy.

Phil Jamieson, who is a founding member of Grinspoon, and is now flying solo.

AUSTRALIAN MUSIC WEEK - November 18-22
Conference passes: 2 DAY Conference & 3 NIGHTS Showcases - $93.50 + booking fee
November 21 Saturday Youth Conference only - $34.50 + booking fee

GIG TICKETS
3 NIGHTS GIG TICKETS - $45 + BOOKING FEE
November 19-21

2 NIGHTS GIG TICKETS - $35 + BOOKING FEE
November 19-20, 20-21 or November 19 and November 21

1 NIGHT GIG TICKET - $20 + BOOKING FEE
Thursday, November 19
Friday November 20
Saturday November 21

GOLD PASS TICKET - costs $175 and includes full access to conferences on November 19 & 20, showcases November 19-21and general admission to HiFi Days November 22. Tickets on sale now from www.australianmusicweek.com For more information on Australia Music Week visit www.australianmusicweek.com
www.facebook.com/AustMusicWeek

HiFi DAYS
WHEN: Sunday November 22 from noon-8pm.
GETTING THERE: Gunnamatta Park is located 50m from Cronulla Train Station.
TICKETS: Adults: $89 plus booking fee; kids aged 3-13 $45; on sale through www.oztix.com.au
WEBSITE: www.hifidays.com and http://australianmusicweek.com

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