Social Media and Food

The worlds of food and technology are colliding in a new and wonderful way. Chefs are taking to their Facebook and Twitter accounts to share what they’re growing, buying, prepping and serving with loyal fans around the world. Number one chef Rene Redzepi regularly posts pictures of dishes prepared by visiting chefs who have foraged with Rene at Noma.

Recently I noticed an interesting hashtag taking the foodies of twitter by storm, #noshowshame. Chefs in Australia have decided to take a stand by naming and shaming people who don’t show up for bookings. The whole idea behind it is to deter people from bailing on their bookings, which according to some chefs, is working. However, as with any initiative there has been some criticism saying that the hashtag is unprofessional and unnecessary.

Now even chefs in the UK are picking up on it and soon it might spread to restaurants across the globe. Personally, if I book a restaurant it’s because I’m absolutely dying to go and if I’m even a minute late I feel absolutely awful. I can’t imagine not showing up without even a phone call, that my foodie friends is just the height of rudeness.

What do you think? Is it unprofessional for chefs and restaurants to name and shame their no shows?

Curiously,

Me.

Food Trucks

In the name of all things fast and fabulous Melbourne has welcomed with open mouths a trio of food trucks. These travelling foodies tweet their location mere hours before service and boy do they pull big crowds. Saldy, not all of the councils in Melbourne allow them to do their thing so South Easteners like me have to trek to the other side of town for the experience. I took the liberty of visiting each one to give you an idea of what they have to offer

Beatbox Kitchen – Rated by The Burger Adventure as the best burger in Melbourne for 2010 and they’re not wrong! This tender, juicy, meaty, saucy creation leaves you satisfied but longing for more after the very last bite, because it’s just that good. Accompanied by thin cut chips, your sauce and drink of choice this is the ideal burger experience, and the truck itself is pretty bloody cool too.

Taco Truck – Fresh ingredients and spice reign supreme here. With plenty of sauces to choose from you can jazz up your taco as much or as little as you like. We had the chicken and fish tacos. Definitely worth stopping by if you’re a fan of everything Mexicana.

Le Sausage – This hot dog truck brings gourmet sausages to a street near you, well that is if you live in Northcote. With a variety of sausages to suit any taste, from Maltese Tease to Little Miss Porky, these dogs are topped with tasty cheese, caramlised onions and your sauce of choice. There’s even a grilled zucchini option for al the vegans/vegetarians out there.

Also, on a recent trip to Adelaide I discovered that the good people of South Australia are not being deprived of the food truck experience. Burger Theory brings burgers, burritos, chips, drinks and sometimes even cookies to the good people of Adelaide!

Hope you had something fast and delicious today,

Me.

Mount Zero Olive Grove

I recently visited Mount Zero Olive Grove who will be hosting an event (which happens to have sold out) during the 2012 MFWF. The olive grove is absolutely heavenly. It immediately takes you to the Mediterranean with its sandstone courtyard with its mismatched handcrafted

Take a look at the surroundings for yourself…

We began our foodie exploration with an olive tasting and swiftly moved on to lunch.

This pizza-like flat bread topped with caramlised onion, goats feta, pesto, sundried tomatoes, Parmesan shavings, herbs and undoubtedly olives. A drizzle of olive oil and it’s ready to be devoured. It was truly one of the most delicious things I've eaten in a very long time.

And last but not least a coconut macaroon with dark chocolate. divine.

Hope you had something heavenly today.

Me.

Farmhouse Home

In my opinion, it’s practically sacred when someone invites you over to share a home cooked meal. The love emanating from the kitchen is palpable and present in every bit of the delicious offerings. On this special occasion I was invited to break bread with Farmhouse Home a simple yet soul-satisfying feast.

Take a look at what we had..

I’m a devout lasagna worshiper and this was a particularly delectable one. I rather unashamedly asked for seconds.

The fresh crisp salad was dressed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar(my favourite!) and featured some crunchy asparagus as a nod to seasonal produce. To me, bread is a very important part of any meal and this crunchy baguette with butter was perfection.

And just to add a special touch to the meal there were these lovely hand made placemats that tied in all the vibrant colours of our dinner.

Ultimately, I’d like to pay homage to my hosts for this lovely dinner.

I hope you’ve all had just as delicious home cooked meal of late,

Me.

Farmhouse Home is a boutique online store showcasing homewares and sharing beautiful recipes and ideas for entertaining – http://www.farmhousehome.com.au/

Café Vue

I heard wonderful things about the Wagyu Beef burger at Café Vue and considering my outrageous love affair with all burgers, I couldn’t resist.

With a succulent beef patty, tiny pickles, smokey bacon, fresh lettuce and a brioche bun, I certainly wasn’t disappointed. I loved the rustic feel the skins gave to the hand cut chips. Unfortunately, the presentation doesn't do it justice.

I was most impressed by the homemade tomato sauce full of beautiful spices that just added something special to the whole meal. I also treated myself to a freshly squeezed Café Vue juice.

Hope you had something satisfying today,

Me.

Sadly I must admit, since writing this post I went back a few times for the burger and the service was less than impressive. Go for the burger. Not the atmosphere.

MoVida Next Door

After many a failed walk-in (because frankly I’ve been too indecisive to book, shame on me) I finally managed to secure a table for two at MoVida Next Door. Looking for something light and delicious before the Secret Symphony MSO concert, we thought Movida Next Door would be the perfect place. And we were right.

On the corner of quirky Melbourne laneway, Hosier Lane, we sat at a little table pressed up against the window with a fantastic view of both the kitchen and Federation Square.

Take a look at what we had…

Sadly the bread was disappointing. The crust was a bit too chewy for my taste and the olive oil too nutty.

Chorizo-filled catalan potato bomb with spicy sauce and Fried Croqueta with Wild Mushroom. Both dishes were bursting with flavour.

Grilled chicken skewer.

Spicy asparagus with a peanut and capsicum salsa

The special of the day was squid in squid ink sauce with fried tentacles… this was definitely a surprise favourite of mine!

And what Spanish meal would be complete without churros and a rich drinking chocolate sauce to dip them into.

Hope you had something delicious today,

Me.

Union Dining

The MFWF team celebrated Christmas at Union Dining last year, a realtively new restaurant in Richmond that celebrates Victoria, seasonal produce and sharing plates. My absolute favourite thing about food and dining is being able to share it with other and guilty of tasting everyone else’s dishes at dinner. Yes. I’m THAT person. So Union Dining is definitely my style.

Here’s what the MFWF team had for their Christmas lunch, or at least everything I managed to take a picture of before the foodies pounced on it.

Our beautiful table.

The menu which had our mouths watering before anything even hit the table.

Unfortunately I don't happen to have a picture of the quick cured salmon but this is a MUST HAVE dish when visiting Union Dining. You'll thank me later.

Smoked ham hock, fregola, soft egg & cornichons was a surprise favourite of mine! The runny egg yolk was the added a rich coating to the pearl shaped pasta and the tender piece of ham. Highly recommend!

Mussels with fennel, garlic & amontillado sherry. this was admittedly the first time I've every actually enjoyed eating muscles and the Mediterranean flavours had me going back for more.

Abbachio of baby lamb, green chilli, pecorino & baked semolina gnocchi. This was without a doubt the hero dish of the entire meal for me. The lamb fell off the bone as you would hope after being slow cooked for nine hours. the pecorino and chilli gave it a nice kick that was softened by the smoothness of the semolina.

Strawberry Breton . You can't really go worng when you combine strawberries, the crack of a butterscotch soaked cookie with a generous helping of cream. need i say more?

And as you know I'm not a coffee drinker and I particularly enjoyed the way my English Breakfast tea was served and it was the loveliest finish to a wonderful meal where each dish with its matched wine was better than the last.

Since writing this post I went back to Union Dining sampling some of the same dishes as well as some others from their summer menu and let me assure you, I was in no way disappointed. They've opened a Terrace upstairs too so be sure to check it out.

Hope you had something delicious today,

Me.