Turkish food at Harvest

One of my favourite things to do at festivals is, wait for it...eat!  Yes, it's a shocker, but I truly appreciate fair food and Aussie's do it pretty darn well.  I've seen/smelled/eaten some great dishes at the various neighbourhood festivals here.  It's always hot, so freshly squeezed lemonade is a favourite (had one today actually at Mardi Gras), as is ice cream, obviously.  I also love the fried/baked potato on a stick - it sounds trashier than it actually is.  

Anyhow, my favourite item of fair food thus far is Gozleme, a bite that was so good, it took a spot on my Top Ten Bites of 2012 list.  I've since realised that Gozleme is available every Saturday in my hood at the Glebe Markets, but I like to maintain its special-ness by only eating it on the appropriate occasion.  I mean, would rum & eggnog really be as good in the summer?!?  

Gozleme is, essentially, a cross between a flatbread and a crepe, filled and sprinkled with lemon.  The options are usually feta w/ either beef; spinach, spinach & mushroom, or all three.  I say this again, and I can't stress it enough: I am NOT a vegetarian.  But - I do enjoy meatless meals...so I went for the spinach & mushroom option.  

It was so tasty.  I imagine that it was one of those occasions where the company and the setting enhanced the food experience, but to my memory, it was certainly one of the best bites of 2012.  My friends and I were attending Harvest Festival, which was bittersweet for me, since one of my favorite bands - Beirut - pulled out on the morning of!!  Who does that?  I was heartbroken.  BUT, Harvest did rekindle my love of Cake and Ben Folds Five (their new album is amazing) and introduced me to The Dandy Warhols and Santigold - whom I had loved before, but never knew the name of the artist.  

Anyhow, we parked ourselves in the shade of a gumtree with our cans of (overpriced) Sunshack apple cider, and had our snacks while waiting for Cake to grace the stage.  The gozleme bread had that awesome chewy consistency, which was both nutty, yet slightly sweet.  And obvs - how can you go wrong with spinach, feta & shrooms?

Yes, it was a cultural discovery in both bands and Turkish cuisine, one that I'll happily repeat any (festival) day!

Night Noodle Markets - part of Crave Sydney Food Festival!

I was thrilled to be in Sydney for one of it's most anticipated festivals; Crave Sydney food & wine festival.  During the month, there are a plethora of events, raging from cocktail events;  killer meal deals; food-based artwork and more.  I even managed to haul my ass out of bed for 'Breakfast on Bondi', an event that featured an Australian soprano accompanied by an orchestra while the sun rose.  It was pretty incredible.

But one of the main attractions for this event is the Night Noodle Markets in Hyde Park.  A longstanding tradition, this event runs until about 10 pm for two weeks in October and features noodles, dumplings, desserts and more.  The vibe here is so chill and jovial; it's an awesome spot to catch up with your nearest and dearest.

Crave Sydney Banners at the entrance to Hyde Park

Red Chinese paper lanterns lined the walkways 

and a multitude of coloured lights highlighted the trees

There are so many food options to choose from here.  Being at the 'noodle markets', I had to indulge and chose a vegetarian bowl of greasy chow mein noodles with vegetables ($9) from one of the many stalls.  I have to admit, that the noodles were simply 'ok', but at this event (to me) it's more about the atmosphere than the food.  It's about plonking yourself on a patch of grass and taking in the sights.  If you're lucky enough to score a table - even better.  And better still, the festival is BYO.   Score.

Vegetarian Noodle Bowl

Myself and my pal Christina in front of the tallest 

building in Sydney; the Westfield Tower

A panorama of the festival!

The Skinny on Savour 2011

Well, another year's Savour food & wine Show has come and gone, and a great time was had by all. Last Wednesday night, Savourites gathered at the Westin Nova Scotian to celebrate the 8th annual event. With over 60 booths of food and wine, there was a bite to tempt every tastebud and a wine to please every palate.

The quantity of product at this show is amazing - there is so much to try that one person would never get to do it all...and there have been many to try! After 4 Savour shows, I never go in without a game plan. I check out the exhibitors and decide where I'll be stopping before venturing into the fray. As a sommelier-in-training, I checked out a lot more wine booths this year and tried to pair them with the most appropriate bite. In case you're wondering...I'm well aware of my uber-geekiness.

If you didn't get to attend this year, I would highly suggest giving Savour a shot next year. It's the perfect opportunity to try some of the best food and wine in Halifax all under one roof. There was even a Local Food Award (which went to 5Fish). And as the tagline reveals, Savour is 'Mingle-licious'!

Don't forget to check in next week to find out the winners of the 'Best of Show'!

How a foodie 'does' Savour...Mapping it out!

The Five Fishermen

Lobster Stuffed Scallops w/ a Chardonnay Beurre Blanc

Mini Lobster and Goat Cheese Cakes with Basil Aioli

Tempest

Crispy Fish Tacos

w/ Smoked Line Caught Haddock and Guacamole Coulis

Stories at the Haliburton

Tahitian Vanilla Panna Cotta w/ Drunk and Sober
Berries and Lacey Almond Tuille

Taj Mahal

Lamb Hyderabadi Biryani

Mango Juice and Chocolate Fountain

Saege

Getaway Farms Cider Braised Pork Belly, Balsamic & Red Onion Agrodolce

Sweet Potato & Thyme Blini and Caramelized Gala Apple

Chives

Nova Scotia Pulled Pork

Brioche w/ Winter Slaw and Bourbon BBQ sauce

Chez Tess

The Euro ~ Sweet Vanilla Crepe stuffed w/ Banana,

drizzled with Nutella, Caramel, Chantilly & Toasted Almonds

Chocolate Mousse ~ Chocolate Mousse in a bite size crepe cup

topped w/ Chantilly and Almond Brittle

The Press Gang

Seven Hour Bison Ravioli

tossed in a Truffled Caramelized Garlic & Bourbon Reduction

w/ Celery Toot Puree and Pistachio Wilted Chard

White Point

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Maple Creme & Pecan Brittle

Mix Fresh Kitchen

Lamb Kebabs

The Westin Nova Scotian

Mini Burgers on Brioche; Philly Steak & Crab Cake

Durty Nelly's

Fresh Shucked Oysters and Guinness

Delta Barrington & Halifax

Meadow Brook house-smoked Pork Belly topped w/ Dragon's Breath Blue Cheese

served w/ Celeriac Puree and Van Dykes Blueberry Drizzle

The Port Pub

Pan Seared Digby Scallop on Local Dulse Seasoned Cracker

w/ Apple & Fennel Slaw and Wild Blueberry-Maple Vinaigrette

The Spread at Hamachi

Morris East

Potato Ravioli

Root Vegetable Crackers

Nova Scotia Raspberry Daiquiris

Le Caveau

L'Acadie vine Smoked Salmon w/ chilled Fox Hill Quark Souffle and Leek Coulis

Wild Nova Scotia Porcini Risotto finished w/
Old Growler Gouda and Martock Glen Duck Confit

Fid Resto

The Black Pearl Shooter
Soy Tapioca Pearls & Fresh Carrot Juice

Seasoned w/ Apple Cider Vinegar, Chive Oil and a Sweet Potato Crisp

Pipa

Bacalhau a Bras

Saute of Cod, Onion, Potato & Egg

Seasons

Liquid Nitrogen Candy Pop Corn

White Chocolate Soup w/ Espresso & Cocoa Nibs

Blueberry Cocktail

My friend Stephanie and I - post event. I realized that I forgot to mention one of the other key rules to planning and making the most out of your Savour food & wine Show experience - Bring a friend!

The most wonderful time of the year....!

It's almost here, the most wonderful time of the year! No, I don't mean Christmas, or New Year's Eve, or my Birthday. I mean my favourite night in the city of Halifax - on that I look forward to all year long, the Savour food & wine Show!

This year's show will take place at the Westin Nova Scotian TOMORROW night, March 2nd from 7:00-9:30 pm. Tickets are just $79+HST, a fantastic value for the amount of food and wine.

I'd like to challenge you to try everything, but there's no way to taste it all - it's just too much! To view the list of exhibitors, click HERE.

In case you still don't 'get' how amazing this event is, check out my blog post about Savour 2010....then I think you'll get the idea! if you're a foodie in Halifax, you'll hang your head on Thursday if you weren't at the most "mingle-licious" event in town!

Tickets are still available! Visit the eDining Website's Savour Page to purchase tickets!

3rd Annual Rare & Fine Wine Tasting

As a member of the Savour food & wine Festival planning committee, and a sommelier-in-training, I'm really excited for the Rare & Fine Wine tasting. Join us on Friday, February 18th, 2011 for the #rd annual event. From 7 - 9:30 pm at Windows at the World Trade Centre, R&F wines will be poured for an exclusive tasting of rare and vintage wines.

With over 30 wines rated at 90 points and above, this is THE wine tasting you do not want to miss out on. Once you've narrowed it down to you "I can't leave without a bottle" wines, you can even purchase them! Each wine, retailing at $60 and above, will be available for this one night only in Nova Scotia and will include:

•a 94-point Super Tuscan wine

•a 95-point Rhone wine

•a 95-point German Riesling

•a 93-point Champagne
•But don't take my word for it! Click HERE for the list!

DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY! TICKETS ARE ONLY $99*

Friday, February 18th, 2011

Windows at the World Trade and Convention Centre

7:00 - 9:30 p.m.$99 + HST*

Ticket and hotel room packages are now available through the Westin Nova Scotian. Call 1-877-993-7846 and quote Rare & Fine to book your room today. Only $179 plus taxes!

Judging the CATCH Culinary Competition

On the wkn. of June 21-22nd I was a judge for the CATCH Seafood Festival's Great CATCH Culinary Competition. Dream Gig! It's not this often that one gets to enjoy a selection of seafood such as this, and of such great quality to boot.

What a tease! We only got one or two bites of each dish before they were whisked away to try the next. Sigh...but I guess I can't complain because it was an incredible two days full of decadent seafood!

The rules were set at this: each chef had to use the seafood contained within the 'black box' a selection of mystery ingredients including Nova Scotin seafood. They were also permitted to use only ingredients provided to them, and in addition, two of their choice.

Here are the results...

(A 'Scratch & Sniff' feature would be seriously useful here)

Competition #1: BeeChoo Char vs. Earwin Palo

BeeChoo

Appetizer~Tuna three ways: tuna w/ avocado ball; seared Cajun tuna with corn salsa, jicama, coconut and cilantro; tuna dumpling.

Main~Pan fried Haddock with panko Parmesan, roasted sweet potato, tomato chow, fennel puree, green beans, peas.

Earwin

Appetizer~Cucumber cube w/ tuna tartare; tuna smoke; tuna in coconut ginger vermicelli.

Main~Black rice mushroom risotto; haddock wrapped jicama, carrot caramel; haddock served with roasted veg, parsnip puree, balsamic butter.

COMPETITION #2: Peter Dewar vs. Jesse Vergen

Peter

Appetizer~Mussel sheet, cucumber citrus salad, stuffed avocado, salsa verde bubbles, roasted almonds.

Main~Sous vide halibut, roast fennel, strawberry sauce, sweet potato puree, green beans, pea shoots.

JESSE

Appetizer ~Smoked mussel w/ strawberry arugula salad, herb oil.

Main~Pan seared NS Halibut, veg medley, crispy prosciutto and red wine vinaigrette.

Competition #3: Tom Malycha vs. Luis Clavel

Tom

Appetizer ~Clam, corn and bacon chowder w/ smoked salmon, radish and jicama salad.

Main~Swordfish with passion fruit and white wine sauce, cilantro polenta and pickled beets.

Luis

Appetizer ~Smoked Salmon Ball w/ cream cheese and dill; clam salad w/ navel orange, fennel and red wine vinegar; smoked salmon chowder and clam soup.

Main~Butter-poached swordfish, sweet potato-corn hash, white wine Muscat maple ginger reduction, green beans, butternut squash pavee, turnip puree, roasted parsnip.

Competition #4: Nitin Mehra vs. Roger Andrews

Nitin

Appetizer~Sizzler chili prawn w/ passion fruit and rhubarb.

Main~Mom & Pop halibut, mango chutney, smoked eel w/ lentils, rhubarb lassie.

Roger

Appetizer ~Smoked eel and baby shrimp salad w/ mango coulis and crushed avocado.

Main~Halibut poached in olive oil, bacon and onion bread pudding, warm rhubarb and grapefruit salpicon, sautéed green beans, truffle squash.

Semi-final round #1: Peter Dewar vs. Roger Andrews

Peter

Appetizer~Crab and bean curd roll, mango sauce, crab and vegetable slaw, tomato sheet.

Main~Sous vide halibut cheek, pickled beets, curried parsnip, parsley sauce, sweet potato sticks, red onion jam.

Roger

Appetizer ~Shredded crab and sun choke soup, pickled cucumber sautéed corn.

Main~Panko crusted halibut cheek, fennel and grapefruit reduction, lychee cream, sweet potato and parsnip soup, steamed green beans.

Semi-final #2: BeeChoo Char vs. Luis clavel

BeeChoo

Appetizer~Oyster w/ shallot and jalapeño; panko oyster w/ tomato chutney octopus salsa w/ fennel and grapefruit.

Main~Quinoa w/ smoked Oulton’s bacon, seared cornmeal arctic char, asparagus ribbon, parsnip puree, Savoy cabbage roll with sweet onion.

Luis

Appetizer ~Panko fried oyster w/ lime mayo, cucumber salad; butter poached Octopus w/ chimmichuri, jicama pickled, tomato salsa.

Main~BBQ blueberry salad w/ Brioche crouton, truffle sabayon, Char in smoke, carrot pearls, Portobello ragout, steamed bok choy.

Championship Round: LUIS CLAVEL VS. Peter Dewar

Luis

Appetizer~Scallop credo, cucumber lime cilantro; pan seared scallop, coconut and blueberry; scallop in a banana leaf.

Main~Butter poached lobster, fondant potato, basil pesto, tempura lobster, maple gastrique ginger beet puree.

PETER

Appetizer~Lobster sheet, carrot caramel, seared watermelon, marinated cucumber, quinoa salad, minted sour cream.

Main~Seared scallop, pomme anna, red pepper sauce, sautéed asparagus, squash puree, roasted corn relish.

* Seafood donated from the Fisherman’s Market, Scotian Halibut Ltd. & CanAqua Seafoods Ltd.