A Sense of Place

We are going on a short break.

Normal transmission will resume at the beginning of June....


Something for while we are off the air. I wrote it in 2006 not knowing that we would be re-opening the restaurant two years later. It encapsulates much of what I believe tourism should be about... clearly a sense of place.

Why do Fish and chips taste better by the beach?

Some dream of a long drive with the kids in the bush.
To stop at the an unexplored country pub, stumble on a counter lunch menu offering a piece of rump grilled over real coals a bottle of local red [perhaps with a bit of age as the publican owns a piece of the vineyard] and some smelly cheese.
Fresh garden veggies for the children with those chips?

Others may long for a country breakfast in that lodge overlooking the lake with oven fresh bread and real eggs. Perhaps some tree-changed renegade foodie has even supplied a Seville marmalade.

For the traveller who loves to taste, the whole day begins to hold a new promise.

This project is about the annual conference retreat.

You know the one where as catering organiser last year you rang the local Chinese take-away to smuggle in sustenance as the pesto prawns were well past it.
The email arrives, tells you that the catering company has changed and would like to know your food preferences.
You reply, they reply. They have the pinot, yes the lamb is local, and yes the key-note speaker can have Kosher.
You wake up.

This is about a coffee lounge. The Gaggia gleams, the barista delivers in spades as she tells you about the new roaster she’s just invested in.
You blink; turn off the highway its still 24 hrs from Tulla.

This project is also for the cook. He is writing his menu overlooking the ocean watching the ships in the distance; it is 6.30pm the fish has still not arrived. The first booking is for 7.15pm

He is beginning to channel the great Vatel.

For the complete document click here

http://www.scribd.com/doc/929252/A-Sense-of-Place

Paul Levy's Escoffiergate Top 100 and our First Re- Anniversary....

Paul Levy wrote a piece in his Guardian Word of Mouth blog a short while ago about August Escoffier [he and Ritz’ feet of clay]

LINK HERE. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2009/mar/07/gordon-ramsay-egon-ronay-ritz-escoffier.

I remember reading about this in the eighties when Paul broke the news that the then most famous chef in history, along with his co-conspirator, the then greatest hotelier in history, had been busted for ripping off the Savoy Hotel and were both sacked in disgrace. As a young chef at the time I was shocked and it has given me a very skeptical view of celebrity ever since.

I found a first edition of his Guide Culinaire in an antique shop in Hamilton about the same time that the scandal broke and have treasured it especially his long and glorious essay on stock.

The Guardian article now prompted a question that you may be able to help me with?

I have been asked to write on the following.
Who do you think could be included in the 100 most important cooks that have “changed the world”?
Careme, Soyer, Bocuse, Beeton, David .......the westerners are possibly easy.
Any help with Asia or ones that may not seem so upfront? Does Ramsay etc qualify if/so/or not why? If it was a list of food writers Paul Levy would definitely be near the top of the moderns of my list.

PS
We have been re-opened for a year this weekend.
Big thanks to all for making it happen again.... as they say you know who you are.