Owner and operator of Life's a Feast cooking school, passionate about food, cooking, home entertaining and local produce.
One of the many things I love about living in Noosa is that they really know how to throw a party. In the case of the Noosa Longweekend Festival, it’s a 10-day party filled with arts literature, food and fun. This annual event has grown over the past 10 years to become one of Australia’s best multi-genre festivals, and this year’s program offered a fantastic selection of food events, including the return of the popular Duck Waddle.
Winter has officially started, and even in Noosa it gets chilly at this time of the year. As much as I love the fresh clean tastes of summer food, right now I am craving more complex dishes like Beef Bourguignon, Braised Lamb Shanks and Osso Buco. During the colder months I also love a bowl of homemade steaming soup for lunch, like this Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soup.
As an avid foodie, I love a good food festival. But having Australia’s premier food event just around the corner from where I live is a foodie’s dream come true! If you weren’t lucky enough to be at the 2012 Noosa International Food & Wine Festival last weekend, picture this: amazing food, gorgeous wines, a line-up of some of the best chefs in the world and first class entertainment in a stunning location.
The 2012 Noosa Longweekend Festival Program has just been launched, and aren’t we in for a treat! Now in its eleventh year, this multi-genre arts festival is a 10-day celebration of world class events including food, music, dance, theatre, literature, visual arts, and more taking place in a spectacular location. There is something for everyone in this year’s program, and as Noosa Foodie’s priority is of course food, let’s take a look at this year’s culinary offerings:
The cooler weather brings with it a beautiful selection of fruit and vegetables. By eating and cooking with the following in-season produce, you can be sure you are getting the best quality, taste and value. Enjoy autumn’s bounty!
Normally a fairly sleepy town, Kenilworth was bustling on Easter Saturday. And with good reason – not only was it a gloriously warm and sunny day, Easter Saturday was the day of the Kenilworth Cheese Wine and Food Fest.
Autumn is with us, and the evenings are becoming a little cooler – a welcome relief from the hot humid days of the past couple of months. As much as I love salads and fresh clean barbeque cooking, at this time of the year I am starting to yearn for more complex slower cooked dishes. There’s nothing nicer that a pot of homemade soup warming on the stove when the temperatures are falling, and this gorgeous pumpkin soup is one of my favourites.
Autumn has arrived and with it brings a beautiful assortment of fruit and vegetables. Incorporating the following locally grown fruits and vegetables in your cooking will ensure that you are getting the best taste, quality and value:
I am a big fan of Thai food – I love the balance of flavours, the diversity of ingredients and textures, the bold taste sensations. Surprisingly for a country that has many ties to Asia and numerous Thai restaurants, only a few seem to get it right and create that “wow” factor. One such restaurant is Sprit House in Yandina, who serves up not only exquisite food but creates an authentic Thai experience in its setting and service.
The fingerlime is a native Australian bushfood, which provides a unique taste sensation. If you haven’t tried a finger lime before, you’re in for a treat with your first taste! Known also as “citrus caviar”, the interior pulp of the finger lime has a roe like appearance which “pop” as you eat them, releasing a fresh burst of lime juice into your mouth.
