L to R: Sam Walker who is Steward-in-Chief of the Beer & Cider Competition, Angus Barnes, RAS Councillor, me, William Wilson from ICC who is a fabulous Chief Steward for Wine, Beer & Cider, Ian Kingham, Chief Judge for Beer & Cider and Sally Evans, Chair of Wine, Beer & Cider Committee
It’s Awards Season
Welcome,
There are awards for this and awards for that, but what do they mean to us, the consumer? It all depends on the integrity of the organisation holding the awards and the integrity of the judging process. From personal experience since 1996, I can tell you that any food, wine, beer or cider judged by the Royal Agricultural Society of NSWhas the highest level of integrity and impartial judging. OK yes, I am on the Council (and proud to be so) but I have been involved from the inside and part of the evolution of our competitions, so I have experienced it all first hand. There are other excellent awards programmes around too, but it’s always worth assessing how they are judged.
Last Saturday Grape, Grain and Grazewas a wonderful, relaxed event with plenty of space to circulate, trying the wines and sampling the delicious award-winning food. I was delighted to host two masterclasses, introducing our esteemed judges. During the afternoon we also announced the results of the Sydney Royal Beer & Cider Awardswith some very excited winners. Remember, unlike some other competitions, these are for all-Australian products.
Last Monday I supervised the Pasta Competition but the medals and championship winners won’t be announced until the Taste of Excellenceon Tuesday 20 September, which is largely a trade event to assist our dedicated producers in getting distribution. The other results will be online at the end of all the competitions earlier in September. I also recently MCed the Sydney Royal Cheese & Dairy Awards and those products are worth seeking out as your guarantee of excellence.
The Halliday Wine Companion Awards have been announced. An exhaustive process reviewing a huge range of wines, wineries and viticulturists. this co-incides with the release of the wine-enthusiast’s bible, the 2023 Halliday Wine Companion, available in stores comprising 5000 tasting notes though you can also access more than 8000 online. However, at $39.95 I always find the book a great gift for anyone with an interest in what they are drinking.
I hoped to get this out early, but yesterday when I was recipe developing for Selector Magazine, my oven blew up and shorted out all my electricity. All back on but I now need a new oven. I’d value any recommendations?
You can keep up-to-date with me onFacebookand Instagramor email me with any requests or comments.
Please eat and drink well, travel with your tastebuds if not in person, and be happy and healthy – Lyndey x
L: At the Beer & Cider awards with friends and R: The fabulous spacious layout of the Grape Grain & Grain Festival.
Recipes of the week
BLOOD ORANGE
CROSTATA With blood oranges in season, there’s never been a better time to make this sensational dessert. GET MY RECIPE HERE
KINGFISH WITH SALSA VERDE, WHITE BEAN PUREE & FENNEL SALAD Fresh, light and easy, you can substitute any fish or salad ingredients in season. GET MY RECIPE HERE
In the kitchen with Lyndey
Thai Salad Lettuce Bites
The printed recipe is here.If you would like to see more of my videos, subscribe to my YouTube channel HERE.
Delicious Restaurant Awards Announced
I have been reviewing restaurants since 1987 when I started reviewing for the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide with then editor, Leo Schofield. It is something I take very seriously, realising the responsibility when writing about someone else’s business. A review is always booked anonymously (or by the companion you are taking with you) and must be paid for. Even if you are recognised after you walk in, the venue can not change the quality of the food, the staff or the menu. Sure service may be more attentive but it is important to see the service and food other tables are getting, and you can always make one or more bathroom visits to check out the whole restaurant!
have been delighted to be a contributor to delicious.com.au since they began reviewing restaurants this year and I know some of the other reviewers. These reviews which appeared in both in the Saturday Telegraph and online, have now been combined into a Top 100 for each state in Australia. You can look for your state/s results or those of a state you are visiting here. delicious 100: Most Delicious Restaurants in Australia for 2022
Glorious Blood Oranges
Blood Oranges. Photo Elle Hughes
Blood oranges have a relatively short but glorious season (late July, with luck through to early December). I have quite a few recipes on my website and have recipe tested with them extensively. I like them because they look and taste great, but, with colour as a guide, there are some amazing health-giving properties too:
They have 9 x times the antioxidants and double the vitamin A of navels and a raft of polyphenols that regular oranges don’t have. One blood orange is equivalent to eating a whole bag (around 2 kilograms) of navels to get the same hit of antioxidants.
Blood oranges are the only commercially available citrus fruit to contain anthocyanins (which are more commonly found in blueberries, cherries and red wine). In addition to anthocyanins, blood oranges contain many other beneficial phytonutrients, known as phenolics (or commonly referred to as polyphenols).
They hold their own against other berries (yes, they are technically classified as a berry), particularly when assessing price and glycaemic load (GL).
They’re also an excellent source of vitamin C with one blood orange providing the daily recommended intake
Interestingly, while juices often get a bad rap, studies have shown that drinking freshly squeezed blood orange juice can actually lead to weight loss and improve various metabolic diseases.
From a culinary point of view, I have found that they freeze well when segmented so you can extend your enjoyment of the season. I also thinly sliced some with the skin on and dried out in my oven on very low to make lovely dried rounds for drinks.
You can now get 9kg boxes of 60 blood oranges home delivered for $46 by Redbelly to 6000 postcodes in Sydney, ACT, Greater Melbourne and Greater Brisbane/SEQld including the Gold Coast and surrounds. Also to many regional areas in VIC, NSW and QLD and to the ACT.Check here to see if your postcode gets deliveries.
Things to read, share and experience
Farmers are urging Australians to eat more avocados as prices drop. Photograph: Errol Rait/Alamy The Guardian
– ONLINE – Season 2 of Aftertaste has been released. You can catch up with Series 1 online on ABC IView. Season 2 is Wednesdays 9.10pm on ABC iview and ABC TV
MOROCCAN TOUR – ONLY 6 WEEKS AWAY! 23 September – 4 October 2022
If you’re keen to join me for an authentic, gastronomic tour of Morocco’s best culinary experiences and marvel at the ancient palaces and medinas that make this exotic country so exciting, you need to be quick!
There are only a few spots left for this very special tour and bookings close very soon, so click below to find out more now!
This truly authentic wine and gastronomic experience takes in the best of what beautiful Puglia has to offer. Spend an unforgettable week learning the secrets of a deeply passionate and relatively undiscovered region of Southern Italy.
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