Launch the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre's (MCEC) new e-book menu and watch Executive Chef Shaun Bowles pop onto your screen to express MCEC's food and wine philosophy.

The e-book menu also features videos of Shaun and other MCEC chefs cooking up four of MCEC's favourite dishes.

"We recognise that for many of our clients, simply picking out a few items from a list is no longer appealing - they want more involvement when choosing their menu," said MCEC Director of Food and Wine, Frank Burger.

"They want to see what goes into the food, the quality of ingredients, and know that our chefs bring a personal passion for the items being offered."

This unconventional approach to menu planning aims to inspire clients with a glimpse into the kitchen, revealing MCEC's commitment to sourcing sustainable and local Victorian produce.

The e-book menu also presents Shaun Bowles in person. Shaun has worked in some of the world's most prestigious restaurants and his introduction in the e-book demonstrates his passion for fresh, local and seasonal ingredients.

"This guide is an extension of our commitment to ensuring that planning a menu is easy, engaging and exciting for clients that care about the food they are offering." Burger said.

Changing recruitment and their charges Below is a brief outline of what I’ve proposed, in relation to changing the ‘culture’ of recruitment and their continued profitability, whilst working through a recession. We’re on course for a double-dip recession – so it stands to reason, the thoughts are for a long term view and not a... Read More

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The Athenaeum And Cheese Expert Alex James Launch A Unique Cheese & Whisky Food Pairing Menu
Alex James, the British song-writer turned cheese aficionado, has teamed up with the athenaeum hotel's head chef, David Marshall, and resident whisky sommelier, Angelo Gobbi, to create a whisky and cheese food-pairing menu in celebration of the hotel's whisky bar. In addition, the trio have created their very own 'scotch-infused cream cheese called 'Athenaeum' to be included in the new menu.

With Alex James' expert knowledge and passion for cheese, which has been nurtured since a move to the countryside and building a cheese factory, the athenaeum's head chef's experienced palette and the whisky sommelier's expert knowledge of the spirit, the team have created a mouth-watering menu of culinary treats which will appeal to whisky lovers and cheese enthusiasts as well as novices alike.

Alex James says,

"The range of flavours spanned by first class cheese and whisky is so vast that matching them can be quite a tricky business. The athenaeum team and I feel confident we have found the ultimate combinations of superlative whisky and fine cheese. Sometimes it's the most unlikely combinations that produce the most 
spectacular results."

The five-star menu has been extensively researched and refined to provide unique and delicious taste combinations. For example, the 12-year-old blended Chivas Royal Scotch with its herbal aromas has been paired perfectly with the distinctive taste of Westcombe Cheddar. Sourced after a visit to the award winning Lower Westcombe Farm in Somerset, the cheddar has been maturing for the past 18 months to reach its fullest flavour.

The Suffolk Gold, named after its rich honey colour is produced from pedigree Guernsey cows in the traditional method within a small family business. It has been paired with Gentlemen's Jack, the first new Whisky from the Jack Daniel Distillery for 100 years and is blended based on a private recipe from Mr. Jack. Its smooth and satisfying taste brings out hidden flavours in the cheese and the two matched together make for a stunning finish.

The Whisky Bar at the athenaeum is a destination in its own right offering over 270 rare whiskies from mothballed distilleries. The sumptuously designed bar is filled with discrete and quiet corners that are warm and welcoming in keeping with the hotel's 'home away from home' ethos.

Guests and visitors alike can choose to experience this tasty cheese and whisky pairing menu either in the Whisky Bar or in the comfort and elegance of their room.

Terre di San Vito is the new premium olive oil brand hitting the shelves of Waitrose, a natural extra virgin olive oil hailing from the small town 'San Vito' that sits in the heart of the Puglia region of Southern Italy; the name literally translates 'Earth of San Vito'.

Blended from 6 different types of olive this latest UK import is produced by hand; each olive is hand-picked, not one olive is selected from the ground, and they are hand-pressed, filtered only once, and then bottled, all within 24 hours from start to finish; This yields a truly natural taste with only a very limited harvest every year, now available for the first time in the UK through Waitrose.

Despite being centred firmly at the heart Italian food culture, the olive actually originated from Greece and made its way to Italian shores at a later time, finding particularly fertile ground in Puglia. Having been growing there for thousands of years, these olives now account for over 70% of the olives used for all of the olive oil made in Italy.

Puglia is one of the most historical regions in Italy with a local diet renowned for its fresh fish, seafood, vegetables, fresh cheeses and of course its' very own pasta - Orichietti. It is well known as one of the healthiest diets in Italy and the world.

The ancient olive trees of Puglia are one of the major sources of prime extra virgin olive oil and its high nutritional value is enhanced by the presence of vitamins E, A, K and D which carry both antioxidant and cell-protection properties.

It has been scientifically demonstrated that constant use of extra virgin olive oil lowers bad cholesterol whilst boosting good cholesterol levels, and extra virgin olive oil as a regular part of our diet helps to prevent cardiovascular diseases and arteriosclerosis.

Terre di San Vito's extra virgin olive oil pays homage to the Puglia region by providing so much natural benefit with a natural flavour that is truly unique.

Duet of chocolates ‘fondant’, white chocolate ice cream Baked, bitter chocolate sponge, with a white chocolate centre, white chocolate ice cream and fresh berries. The visual effects of a dark, bitter chocolate ‘sponge’ with a liquid white centre is something to behold and savour. The first fork-full, breaking through the fondant is like finding a... Read More

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Bespoke English Wines Commissioned By British Restaurant
In a move believed to be a 'first' in UK culinary history, the Bingham - Richmond upon Thames's favourite foodie location - is joining forces with England's largest vineyard - Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking - to produce a bespoke collection of locally produced wines which will complement the Bingham's Michelin-starred menu. Talks between the two award winning Surrey businesses commenced in summer 2010.

"We have always been keen to source locally as much produce as possible," says Samantha Trinder, proprietor of the Bingham, "and we met initially with Denbies in the summer. It seemed a natural progression for us to work together on producing an exclusive range of English wines for our restaurant and for events. In most other parts of Europe it would be seen as an omission not to include wine from the local 'terroir'."
Shay Cooper, the Bingham's executive chef, is delighted with the venture. "In the same way that we prepare our menus from the finest British produce wherever possible, and serve a wide range of English cheeses, so, too, should our customers have the option of enjoying locally produced wines." He says.

A collection of three wines has been created: a light everyday drinking white wine; a more complex white and a red, a 100 per cent Pinot Noir. From the initial tasting the Pinot Noir is believed to be one of the highest quality reds produced by Denbies: a still Pinot Noir of such a high quality has never been produced by Denbies for trade in England.

Working closely together Brendan Seal, vintage wine maker and viticulturist at Denbies, Bingham's deputy general manager Jean-Michel Thomas have selected three different blends, using six varietals. These, as yet unnamed, wines will be introduced from early next year. "We are not aware of any other UK winemaker joining forces with an individual restaurant, and these blends show exceptional promise." says Chris White, general manager of Denbies.

"We have blended three superb wines, following a series of site visits and tasting sessions, and know that our customers will relish the experience of being able to enjoy quality local wines with our food." Says Jean-Michel Thomas. "It is interesting to see how the reputation and standard of British food has grown in recent years and we were very impressed with the quality of the wines produced by Denbies. What counts in winemaking, is the 'terroir', and the ability to extract the very best from what nature has given. Today UK food is world class and English wines, in our opinion, are following closely behind."

The English house table wine, which will be the first available, in early spring next year, is an aromatic off dry wine with crisp clean flavours really focusing on the all round appeal of English wine. It will be made of a blend including Müller-Thurgau and Ortega.

The premium white wine is a complex blend of Chardonnay and Bacchus and will be matured in oak barrels, due for release early summer 2011. Finally, the 100 per cent Pinot Noir red should be available next autumn. "The red is the first still Pinot Noir of this quality to be made in the UK. It is a superb example of pure Pinot Noir and one which can certainly give New Zealand competitors a run for their money." Says Brendan Seal, whose New Zealand wine making heritage qualifies him well to comment.

All the wines are produced from single estate grown grapes situated on the North Downs with its famous chalky soil, in a protected valley of south facing slopes, so the quality is controlled from the vine to the bottle.

Avoiding the Heathrow injection There is a familiar term for many emigrants arriving at Heathrow: getting the Heathrow injection. Basically it has to do with a person getting an injection which causes them to balloon within the first 6 months of landing here in the UK. I guess it is a physiological injection as we... Read More

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Franschhoek Cape Seed loaf y= 6loaves 1500g Whole-wheat flour 300g White Bread flour 250g Crushed wheat (which has been soaked) 250g Sunflower seed 100ml Vegetable oil 100g Golden Syrup 70g Fresh yeast Poppy seeds 50g Salt 25ml Vinegar 1500ml Water Method: Put all ingredients into an electric mixing bowl and mix together for approx 12... Read More

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Magimix is introducing exciting developments and improvements to its range of Food Processors. Building on its phenomenal success since the launch of the first Magimix food processor in 1971, Magimix is now bringing all the latest technological research and development together in a new attachment that is set to take the kitchen by storm.

A team of design and technical specialists have been working with painstaking care to ensure that this new addition offers even more in terms of efficiency, ease of use and reliability. When combined with the sleek and stylish design lines that are synonymous with Magimix, the result is a food processor fully equipped to meet the challenges and demands of the style and function conscious 21st century kitchen.

The all new BlenderMix attachment changes the direction of the liquid from a centrifugal to a vortex motion. During this process it finely blends the ingredients so soups will never be lumpy again, smoothies will be ultra smooth and even the family favourite milkshake comes out lump free!

With the BlenderMix attachment you get all the advantages of a blender as well as all the functions of a processor. The BlenderMix attachment will be included as standard on all new Magimix machines.

The Magimix range of processors all have as standard; efficient control panels, a quiet but powerful commercial grade induction motor, enhanced whisking, discs for slicing and shredding, stronger bowls and lids and now the BlenderMix attachment. These are just some of the range of improvements set to make life even easier for professional and home cooks alike.

Magimix Food Processors have long been regarded as the industry's gold standard with cooks everywhere enjoying efficient and reliable products since 1971. It is testament to the enduring nature of the product that you can still buy spare parts for this first machine today and that is why Magimix is confident that these new machines truly are the food processors of the future.

New Range price list

<iframe src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=globa-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B003VWD7BS&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" align="right"></iframe>3200 Compact White with BlenderMix: £179.99
3200 Compact Chrome with BlenderMix: £199.99
3200 Compact Satin steel with BlenderMix: £199.99
3200XL Compact Satin with BlenderMix: £219.99
4200 Systeme White with BlenderMix: £199.99
4200 Systeme Cream with BlenderMix: £199.99
4200 Systeme Chrome with BlenderMix: £219.99
4200 Systeme Satin with BlenderMix: £229.99
4200XL Systeme Satin with BlenderMix: £249.99
4200XL Systeme Deep Red with BlenderMix: £229.99
4200XL Systeme Cream with BlenderMix: £229.99
5200 Systeme White with BlenderMix: £249.99
5200 Systeme Chrome with BlenderMix: £269.99
5200 Systeme Satin with BlenderMix: £299.99
5200 XL Systeme Satin with BlenderMiX: £299.99

The XL version (extra large) comes with a wide feed tube for slicing or shredding larger fruits and vegetables.<br />
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I instantly liked Amanda Lewis the owner of this fabulous new boutique deli at the Old Biscuit Mill.

Amanda has a colourful background with wonderful stories about working as a chef on yachts in various exotic locations around the world. She has also done her time in quite a few well known Cape Town restaurant kitchens, and worked as a private chef. for full story > saucisse deli @ the biscuit mill