An audience with Margaret Fulton and friends

October is The Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Month and, as part of the activities, the Food Media Club Australia (FMCA) is proud to host a public audience with its Patron, Margaret Fulton, at the State Library of NSW.

Margaret was the first and one of the greatest of the Australian celebrity cookery writers, and through her magazine columns, and later her cookbooks, she showed the nation how to cook in new and exciting ways.

The evening offers the opportunity to meet Margaret and hear first-hand about her life in food, the challenges she faced at the start of her career, and about her latest cookbook. Margaret will be joined by two award-winning cookery writers to create an exciting panel discussion for the evening. Details of who will accompany Margaret on the night will be announced on the FMCA website, www.foodmediaclub.com.au, at the start of Good Food Month.

Scheduled so that you can enjoy concurrent events during Good Food Month, the Margaret Fulton Audience will run from 6.00pm to 7.30pm. The Cookbook Collection exhibition is currently showing at the library and can be viewed on the night, or why not wander down afterwards to the noodle markets for a bite to eat?

Space is limited in the Metcalfe Auditorium at the Library, so book early to secure your place.

Kitchen trends

Discover the latest technology in home cooking from industry experts

What is induction cooking? Why should we use it ? How do environmental issues and the changing Australian family unit influence the design of kitchen appliances?

The Domayne Kitchen Appliance Centre is the largest of its kind in Australia, and the answers will come from Domayne franchisee Gary Wheelhouse; Andrew O’Brien, State Manager for Miele; Leigh Knight, Product Manager, Cooking, Electrolux; and Ben Normyle, National Key Account Executive, Electrolux.

While we nibble on his delicious canapés, Christopher Whitehead, Head Chef at Mad Cow Restaurant in Sydney’s Ivy complex, will demonstrate the induction cooking method, and a range of appliances, from induction cookers to steam ovens, will be displayed and demonstrated in the Domayne showroom.

Cheesemongers McIntosh & Bowman will supply delicious cheeses, Sandhurst Fine Foods will offer platters of antipasti, De Bortoli will tempt us with a range of wines, and Lion Nathan will turn on Knappstein Reserve Lager.

Changing Consumption in the New Economy:

Who’s buying what, when and why?

High fuel prices, rising interest rates, increased work hours, two-income households, environmental concerns – the pressures keep coming. How are consumers now shopping for food?

What are they buying? • How often? • What time of day/week? • The roles of ‘organic’ and ‘local’ • and more

What do these changes mean in the developing, marketing and communication of food?

This discussion will be moderated by Barbara Lowery and the speakers will be:

• Simon Ford, Director, The Advantage Group. Simon started his career in the UK with the Millward Brown research agency, working on strategies for companies such as Guinness and Reckitt & Colman, and was Head of Market Research for Tesco for six years before coming to Australia.
  
• Gawen Rudder, FMCA member, Business Services Manager at the Advertising Federation of Australia and columnist for both foodService and Retail World. He has more than 30 years experience in food and beverage and has worked on the likes of Angus Australia, Australian Dairy Corporation, Ayam Foods, Healtheries (Aussie Bodies), Jalna Dairy Foods, Meat & Livestock Australia, Meadow Lea, McDonald's, Nestlé,Woolworths and Yalumba.
  
• John Baker, FMCA member, Chief Executive, Produce Marketing Australia. John established Produce Marketing Australia in 1998, and has more than 35 years experience in fresh fruit and vegetable production and marketing. He was previously Managing Director of the Australian Horticultural Corporation (AHC), as well as managing the Sydney wholesale fruit, vegetable and flower markets.

Olive oil masterclass

Train your tastebuds with our olive oil experts

This class offers an in-depth look at the different aspects of olive oil, from the various styles and flavour profiles to judging techniques and the practical applications of olive oil in the kitchen.

During this three-hour hands-on session, you will:

• understand and identify the different styles of olive oil;
• learn how to complete an organoleptic assessment of olive oil and identify faults;
• gain an insight into the scoring and judging process for olive oils;
• hear a chef’s perspective on olive oil styles and how to use them in the kitchen.

The class will be conducted by Stephen Mitchell, a leading olive oil specialist who trains judges for olive oil and table olive shows around the country, including the Sydney Royal. The class will be hosted by Nino Zoccali at his new restaurant, Pendolino, in the city. Nino is an accomplished chef and restaurateur, and has many years experience judging and consulting on olive oil.

What makes a healthy recipe?

Recipes in many of our publications claim to be healthy. On what criteria do they base their claims? Are these criteria important nutritionally or are they based on consumer perceptions of healthiness? Do we need healthy recipes at all?

Hear what some of our food editors, recipe writers and nutritionists think, and how we can all work together to make a difference to the health of our fellow Australians:

The session will be moderated by Lynne Testoni and will comprise:

• Michelle Southan, Food Editor, Australian Good Taste
• Frances Abdalaoui, Deputy Food Editor, The Australian Women’s Weekly
• Rebecca Cox, Acting Editor, Super Food Ideas
• Sharon Natoli, Accredited Practising Dietitian and nutritionist
• Nicole Senior APD, Nutrition Editor of Super Food Ideas, author
  and consultant
• Veronica Cuskelly, Home Economist, recipe developer and author

Celebrate WA on Sustainable Seafood Day

This extraordinary seafood tasting, to be held on Sustainable Seafood Day, will be hosted by the Western Australian Fishing Industry Council and presented by renowned Western Australian chefs Don Hancey and Peter Manifis, who will inform and prepare a good cross-section of WA’s specialties for your tasting pleasure:

• Western Rocklobster – the first fishery in the world to be certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) as a sustainable and well-managed fishery. Australia’s most valuable single species fishery, the lobsters are harvested along the WA coastline from Shark Bay to Cape Leeuwin. Supplied for the FMCA by Vinci Seafoods.
• Icefish – gained MSC certification in 2006 and are caught in the freezing waters of the Southern Ocean near Antarctica. Harvested by Austral Fisheries.
• Abacus Blue Swimmer Crab – harvested in Shark Bay, a World Heritage Area.
• Finfish from WA’s northern fisheries, harvested between Onslow and Derby.
• Exmouth Fresh Tiger Prawns from the MG Kailis Group
• Plus Fremantle Octopus and the best wines of the West – don’t miss out!