June brings food festivals galore, delicious Spanish and Italian fare and a really long weekend

WORDS ROBERTA MUIR

GOURMET GOODIES

Ainsley HarriottInternational celebrity chefs Ainsley Harriott and Curtis Stone join local celebs Matt Moran (Aria in Sydney), Tobie Puttock (Fifteen in Melbourne) and Donna Hay this month at the Melbourne and Sydney Good Food & Wine Shows. Stone presented at last year’s shows, and enthuses, “They’re such a great chance to find out what everyone in the industry’s been up to and check out all the new and innovative products.” With cooking demonstrations, a whole range of gourmet goodies for tasting and sale, and over 100 wineries and breweries offering their wares, you won’t want to miss it. In Melbourne 1–3 June and Sydney 15–17 June. Tickets are AU$24.90 for adults; children under five get in free. Book through Ticketmaster on 13 61 00 within Australia.

TAPAS TEASERS

Next time you’re in Brisbane get down to depot Emporium for Tuesday Night Tapas. For just AU$45 a head you get three courses of amazing tapas crafted by Frank Camorra of MoVida, matched to Spanish wines while your host, the charming Sam Ingham-Myers, gives you the lowdown on each dish’s history. Try dishes like pulpo alla gallega (Gallician octopus) and pan catalan (imported jamón ibérico with Catalan-style bread and tomatoes). Spanish maestro Camorra visits depot Emporium regularly to work with head chef Nigel West on new tapas for the weekly event. Ingham-Myers says, “We’re really lucky to work with Frank; his dishes are like nothing anyone else in Brisbane is creating.” 6–8pm every Tuesday, depot Emporium, 31/1000 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley, tel: +61 (7) 3666 0188.

GREAT BARRIER FEAST

Curtis StoneSome of Australia’s most acclaimed chefs and wine-makers will share their secrets over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend this year (9–11 June), at the annual Great Barrier Feast on Hamilton Island. Curtis Stone and Tobie Puttock will be joined by Jimmy Shu of Hanuman in Darwin and Frank Camorra from Melbourne’s MoVida. Blend your own drop at a wine workshop, learn how to start a cellar, or master the art of food and wine matching – there’s even a special Len Evans memorial wine class, in homage to the Great Barrier Feast’s founder. From the opening cocktail party on Friday night, through a weekend of cooking and wine classes, tastings and lunches, to the final dinner prepared by all the visiting chefs and wine-makers, this greet and eat promises a very special weekend. Tel: 1300 720 651.

WILD ABOUT FOOD

Darren SimpsonPort Douglas in June. Here’s the perfect excuse to book your flight – the chance to mingle with an all-star chef cast at the first of the ‘Six Chefs, Six Dinners’ series at bistro 3. Cheeky Irishman Darren Simpson, of Sydney’s famed La Sala, is heading north to join friend and fellow chef Matthew Wild for a special Italian-inspired dinner on 18 June. Both chefs will be chatting with guests and answering questions during the night. Wild, whose previous gigs include Byron Bay’s much-lauded Fins and Restaurant Wild, is passionate about using fresh local produce and seafood on his menu, while Simpson’s signature is simple Italian dishes that allow excellent produce to shine through – it should be a delicious evening! AU$140 per person, including matching wines. Bistro 3, Corner Wharf St & Macrossan St, Port Douglas, tel: +61 (7) 4099 6100.

A REALLY LONGWEEKEND

Ten days is our kind of long weekend! Escape the winter blues by flying to the Sunshine Coast between 15 and 24 June to join in the fun of the Noosa Longweekend, a festival of theatre, art, food, music and literature. On 17 June you can head for the hills for the Eumundi Food Fest, where a farmers’ market will showcase the local produce. Choose your own picnic from the range of goodies on offer, then sit back, relax and listen to some of the region’s great musicians. Bush-tucker workshops for adults, face and plaster painting for kids and free entry make this a great family day out. Tel: +61 (7) 5474 9941.