It's now +61 8 6219 5338 so update your little black books.

Yes I know this is a pretty boring announcement so here's a photo of Denmark. We'll be covering the region in our Autumn issue.

Posted by anthony at 12:35 PM | Permalink

Events have been finalised for Taste Great Southern - a fortnight of events that take place across the food and wine rich Denmark, Albany and Mt Barker region. It's a tremendous combination of tastes, eating, drinking and learning. Great to see SPICE writers Vince Garreffa and Verity James involved too.

Too much to mention in one post but the have a look and the Events Schedule PDF and get planning.

Posted by anthony at 11:38 AM | Permalink

Coming up at Denmark's Castelli wines is a Slow Food wood-fired oven cooked dinner by Vincenzo Velletri
Friday 26th February at 6.30 pm. Cost is $90 ($80 for Slow Food members) per head for dinner and wine. Bookings and enquiries -l Melissa Taylor on 98481700

SPICE is currently scouring Denmark for our Autumn '10 guide to the area.

Posted by anthony at 9:53 AM | Permalink

Hope you're having a lovely break and eating well. Many thanks for your support in 2009 and best wishes for 2010 from us here at SPICE

Posted by anthony at 1:16 PM | Permalink

Since a few people have asked, no we don't have anything to do with the recently re-badged hospitality industry giveaway mag from Sydney, 'Spice News'.

In spite of the eerily familiar masthead, we remain confident that readers will be able to appreciate the difference that five years of building a brand a quality mgazine can bring.

If you were confused by the two, we'd be happy to hear from you - just shoot us an email or give us a call.

Posted by anthony at 11:54 AM | Permalink

It's out and gracing the soothingly pink cover is Fremantle chef Stefan Amentanto - who's created our seasonal menu. We're all very happy with the issue and the delicately latticed bits of wisdom running through the mag like a nicely marbled bit of steak.
Much on Fremantle, much on Carnarvon, how to make your own ice-cream and keep Mr Whippy off the streets, putting meat back on the BBQ, what to do with fish, suburban bars, new restaurants, fancy burger joints, Great Southern Reislings, cold and refreshing local kolsch, planting strawberries, beautiful garlic, financialisation of food, and more ... or MOAR as my daughter would say.

And now would also be a time to suggest that you treat yourself and a loved one to a subscription with our stunning special offer of get one subscription and get another one for half price. Go to our subscriptions page.

Available at all good newsagencies and ask if they don't as well as selected stockists around the state [see beneath the fold]

Continue reading "SPICE 17 Summer 09" »

Posted by anthony at 2:03 PM | Permalink

Sat 12 and Sun 13 December

The Southern Forests region’s 2009 Manjimup Cherry Festival is on will also feature ‘Tastes of the Southern Forests Avenue’. Headlining the Avenue are chefs Peter Manifis and Gabriel Zahra, presenting the Southern Forests abundant produce – marron, truffles, trout, lamb, beef, cheese, nuts, wine, cherries to name a few. Should be a tremendous celebration of food in a region that's going leaps and bounds.

www.cherryfestival.com.au/

Posted by anthony at 11:38 AM | Permalink

In a bit of a bind(er) at the moment with the mags waiting to be bound at one of the two binders in Perth during a bust time of the year. Will be back this week and then out in the post and into the shops - you'll love it!

Posted by anthony at 1:18 PM | Permalink

It's Western Australian Biodynamic Festival at High Vale, Pickering Brook, this Sunday (22 Nov).

The festival runs from 10am to 4pm at High Vale Orchard, 35 Merivale Road. Our friends at Slow Food will be there making and selling wood-fired pizza and Pickering Brook's own Champion roasted-mushrooms to raise funds for next year's Western Australian Terra Madre delegation and thier school kitchen garden project, ‘Food with latitude’, launched by Carlo Petrini in Perth last month [see SPICE 17].

There will be orchard tours, tree-pruning demonstrations, talks at 11:15am and 2:15pm by Williams farmer and 2006 Terra Madre delegate William Newton-Wordsworth on 'social responsibility and agriculture: contradiction or necessity?', and cooking demonstrations by chef Nico Moretti. [see 15]

And, of course plenty of things for the kids and lots of produce.

Posted by anthony at 10:41 AM | Permalink

If you're heading down South this weekend (and half your luck if you are - we'll be working all night putting Summer SPICE together, not that we're complaining mind) be sure to drop in at Cowaramup on Saturday to see the best of the community.

CowTown Focus, Pioneer Park, Cowaramup.
14th November 2009, 10am-8pm

· Wines . Ales . Local Produce . Live Music . Markets . Kids Games . More!
· Kids Poster Comp: create a poster, bring on the day to win

Gates open: 10am. Tasting Lounge 12-5pm. Live Acts 4pm-8pm
Adults $5 entry, Kids $2
Call Katie Earl 0448897717 for more information.

Posted by anthony at 12:08 PM | Permalink

... are on this weekend. The general public (that's you) are encouraged to come along to support and taste some really nicely made coffees. Details and map here and you can have a look at the poster here.

Posted by anthony at 4:59 PM | Permalink

If a friend were to send you a text message on a Saturday morning asking nicely of you knew where they could buy some good pizza bases, you might text them back shaming them for even thinking of not making their own. [no names here]
Or you could helpfully send them to Anchor's handy pizza making site, pizzabase.
Videos!

Posted by anthony at 4:03 PM | Permalink

Congratulations, best wishes and a collective awwwwwwww from us to former SPICE writer and now Edinborough resident, Emma Leask. Emma and John are now the happy parents of the small and gorgeous Indiana, 7lbs 11.5oz.

Posted by anthony at 11:55 AM | Permalink

In 2008 Carlo Petrini was listed in the United Kingdom’s Guardian newspaper as one of ‘50 People Who Could Save the Planet’ and he was named ‘European Hero’ by Time magazine in 2004.

Carlo had visited Australia years ago but had never seen the West and came to see what makes Slow Food Perth convivium the largest in Australia. Slow Food today has more than 100,000 members in 150 countries, including six branches in Western Australia. The organisation works to counteract the disappearance of local food traditions, people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how individual food choices affect the rest of the world.

Emphasising the importance of children having the opportunity to learn about food Carlo launched a food garden collaborative project between Slow Food Perth, the children’s environment awareness organisation, Millennium Kids, and participating schools at Lathlain Primary School where he presented Slow Food Perth cheques to Lathlain school principal Cathy O’Dea and St Hilda’s junior school principal Julie QuanSing-Rowlands and took a walk through the garden with the children.

The public event at UWA required a change of lecture theatre to accommodate the crowds. In his talk ‘Good, clean and fair: small, slow food in a big food nation,’ Carlo discussed Slow Food’s approach to agriculture, food production and gastronomy, based on a concept of food quality defined by three interconnected principles: good, clean and fair. ‘Slow Food believes that the food we eat should taste good; that it should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health; and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work,’ Carlo explained.

Carlo reflected on the future directions of the association in its twentieth year and the influence of Terra Madre – the global network of food communities launched by Slow Food. He also wondered at the fact that indigenous Australians had never had a presence at the event which celebrates indigenous food cultures across the globe.

Slow Food members turned out to welcome him to Western Australia at a reception at The Old Brewery that included a Welcome-to-country ceremony by Derbil Yerigan Noongar elder Mingli Wanjurri Nungala (McGlade) and the launch of the Western Australia small food awards by the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Terry Redman MLA.

slowfoodperth.org.au

Posted by kate at 5:19 PM | Permalink

2009 Gala Awards Dinner

On the menu are fresh, seasonal WA ingredients paired with trophy and gold medal winning wines from the 2008 Wine Show. The 2009 trophy winners will be announced and Chief Judge, Vanya Cullen will offer insights into the judging. Reknown WA viticultural scientist, Dr John Gladstones – the pioneer of the Western Australian wine industry (see our Spring issue) will preview his new book on terroir, viticulture and climate change.
Tuesday 20 October 2009, Grand Ballroom, Hyatt Regency Perth
Time: 7.00pm, seated 7.30pm. Dress: Black Tie
Cost: $175 per person. For more information or to book for Awards Dinner see
http://www.wineshowwa.com.au or phone: (08) 9381 4200
To book for Top 50 Tasting at hrperth.marketing@hyatt.com or phone: (08) 9225 1220

Posted by kate at 1:35 PM | Permalink