Tasty Bites.

With Valentine’s Day on February 14 and Chinese New Year celebrations for the Year of the Pig commencing February 18, it’s a great month for food lovers to indulge themselves and their loved ones

FRESH FROM THE FIELDS
Photo: Courtesy of Stefan Jannides

Feel, see and smell real food at new food store, Inn Season, in Brisbane’s recently completed Kelvin Gove Urban Village. This traditional European-style farmer’s market opens seven days a week, 7am-7pm. Customers are encouraged to handle produce and seek advice from knowledgeable staff with a passion for great food. An extensive range of seasonal organic produce, take-home meals, pantry staples and exciting cookware, plus cooking demonstrations, tastings and book signings by leading chefs, producers and food personalities, make this a must-visit for every foodie. 8 Carraway St., Kelvin Grove, tel: +61 (07) 3832 6655

RED RUBIES

Catherine Zeta-Jones supposedly rubs strawberries on her pearly whites to make them even whiter. True or false? Who knows — but it sure beats the taste of toothpaste. Victoria produces over 90% of Australia’s strawberry plants and many insist that Victorian strawberries are the tastiest. These divine berries are at their peak now so grab a punnet, especially if you’re lucky enough to be in Victoria this month at the source.

DOUBLE DIPPING Sean Connolly Cheong Liew

Feast on the talents of not one but two great chefs as Cheong Liew (The Grange, Hilton Adelaide) and Sean Connolly (Astral, Sydney) join forces for a dinner celebrating the start of the Chinese Year of The Pig, at Astral’s beautiful dining room atop Star City. The combination of Cheong’s remarkable fusion cuisine and Sean’s modern French leanings, set against Astral’s harbour views, ensure this will be a highlight of Sydney’s many Chinese New Year festivities. Held 20 Feb at AU$195/person, including wine. Tel: +61 1800 700 700, www.astralrestaurant.com.au

NORTHERN EXPOSURE

If summer is leaving you parched, reach for VOSS Artesian Water, billed as “the coolest water in the world” and just landed in Australia. Bottled at the source from an aquifer in southern Norway and shielded for centuries under ice and rock, VOSS has become a fixture in the hot spots around the world. Now it’s springing up in hip Australian hotels, bars and restaurants, including Water Bar at BLUE Hotel Sydney and Bottega Restaurant in Melbourne. Available as still or sparkling. www.vosswater.com

GOURMETS ON THE GO

If you’re battling to find the ideal Valentine’s Day gift check out Red Balloon’s gourmet gift certificates. These gifts will enchant any fun-loving foodie, plus you get to travel together in style. Try a three-wheel Harley-Davidson bike cruise through the Sunshine Coast hinterland and picnic; bushwalking and gourmet food weekend from Launceston; Barossa Valley winery tour by 1962 Daimler from Adelaide; DC3 flight from Melbourne to King Island with buffet lunch and cheese tasting; Margaret River winery tour and picnic travelling by 1955 S1 Bentley or Rolls Royce Silver Shadow from Perth; or, for Sydneysiders, an exhilarating jet-boat ride to the Heads followed by a kayak to one of North Harbour’s secluded beaches for a seafood picnic. Sweet. www.redballoondays.com.au