News from Australia and New Zealand

If you’re in the west, it’s time to book your tickets for Truffle Kerfuffle (25-27 June) … and if you’re on the east coast, there’s still time to make travel plans (subject to COVID19 restrictions)! You don’t want to miss this aromatic celebration of winter’s favourite crop, fresh Australian-grown Périgord truffles! Whether you join in the fun of a truffle hunt or just wander through the festival village meeting growers and producers and tasting their wares, there’s something for everyone. There’s wine matching workshops, masterclasses and, perhaps most exciting of all, the Chefs’ Cabin where leading chefs Analiese Gregory and Guillaume Brahimi, among others, will be showcasing dishes using fresh Western Australian truffles. If you’re Sydney-side and can’t head west, get your truffle fix at the Winter Truffle Laneway Pop-up in Bulletin Place on 8 and 9 July.

Just 2-hours north of Sydney brings you to the iconic Hunter Valley, exactly where you want to be in June for the Hunter Wine and Food Festival, a month-long celebration of great eats and drinks amid the vines and olive groves. Hunter wineries are running special events throughout June, from cooking demonstrations and wine blending masterclasses, to long table lunches and cellar dinners. The Grange Vs Hunter Tasting at Winehouse sees the 2014 vintage of Australia’s most iconic wine, Penfolds Grange (from South Australia’s Barossa Valley) pitted against top Hunter drops from the same vintage. With daily tastings, you’ll get to judge which is best. Meanwhile, the Hunter Culinary Association Food Fight sees local chefs Mitch Beswick of Muse and Sam Alexander of Yellow Billy in a 4-course cook off lunch against Sydney boys Alex Prichard of Icebergs and Andrew Wandless of Una Ms at Coogee Pavilion, June 28 at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley. Full program of events here.

Australian MasterChef favourite Khanh Ong celebrates the feelings food evokes and how it brings friends and family together in his first cookbook, A Gay Guy’s Guide to Life Love Food: Outrageously Delicious Recipes (Plus Stories and Dating Advice) from a Food-Obsessed Gay. Khanh shares his family’s recipes for Vietnamese classics including prawn and pork spring rolls and tamarind crab, alongside his own creations such as Vegemite dumplings and sriracha and coconut cauliflower. He celebrates the joys of the shared table with intriguing tales of his family history and entertaining anecdotes about life, love and dating sprinkled throughout the 70 plus easy-to-follow recipes for every occasion, from impressing a new date to healing a broken heart.

Ever wondered what chefs cook at home for their fussy toddlers and hard-to-please teenagers? Wonder no more, with this week’s publication of Phaidon’s Cooking For Your Kids: At Home With The World’s Greatest Chefs. Learn what Aussie chefs Jock Zonfrillo, Palisa Anderson, Karena Armstrong, and Ben Shewry serve up to their loved ones, along with recipes from 46 international chefs including Margot and Fergus Henderson of London’s St. John.

Roberta’s blog Food Wine Travel with Roberta is indexed on EYB. You can also follow her on Instagram.