Beef cheeks in baharat spice with roasted brussels sprouts and soft polenta

The culinary landscape has evolved and devolved over the past 20 years. Back then, chefs worshipped the French canon with fury, finesse, and formality in kitchens like Banc, Est Est Est, and Tables of Toowong. Today, fire, fermentation and foraged flourishes are the moods of the moment. Think Firedoor, Gerards Bar, Igni. Temples of gastronomy used to be in big cities, whereas today’s ground-breaking restaurants are flung far. Tropical north Queensland is expressed in every bite at Nunu, the terroir of the Southern Highlands tasted at Biota in Bowral, and Brae in Birregura offers a soulful connection with agrarian Victoria. Showcasing Australia’s best The Good Food and Wine Show has been key in reflecting the trends for almost 20 years, telling the story of our farmers, fishers, growers, producers, winemakers, brewers, bakers and chefs in a fresh and innovative way. Such is the scale of the show, it serves as a culinary state of the union, a snapshot celebration of the best that Australia and the world have to offer. Having been involved with the show, I have seen an increased commitment to shining a light on each state’s best food and wine. Event Director, Claire Back, explains, “We have placed an emphasis on regionality. When we’re in Perth, for example, we bring the Margaret River and Swan Valley to you. “I also see my job as ensuring people take away something new. It could be learning that Cabernet tastes different in a Cabernet glass than in a Merlot glass. I want people to be excited about new products and learning a new skill.” Star spotting The show offers inspiration, aspiration and, with upwards of 10,000 guests flooding through the doors each day, perspiration! For many, the aspiration is the opportunity to see their food heroes. This year, star chef Matt Moran will be cooking in the celebrity theatre. As he reflects, “Over the past 15 years, there’s been an explosion in food. People want to know where it comes from, who’s grown it and who’s cooking it. The accessibility of the chefs is a real positive with chances to meet, taste their food and see them demonstrate their craft.” Another star of this year’s show is the ebullient Miguel Maestre . For all his mirth and merriment, he takes his cooking sessions very seriously. He believes his class should be 20 per cent laughter, 40 per cent cooking and 40 per cent things people haven’t seen before. “I have a massive fear of under delivering,” he explains. “I am as nervous as I am cooking for the most fearsome food critic.”  Wine immersion These days, the name could be ‘The Good Wine and Food Show,’ such is the ever increasing celebration of our winemakers and wine regions. In fact, when I get a break, you’ll find me in the Barossa Valley sharing a Shiraz with Rolf Binder or a joust about Jura with renowned wine scribe, Nick Ryan at the Riedel Drinks Lab. While the Wine Selectors Cellar Door offers a dazzling range of classes that reflect our insatiable desire for more knowledge. ‘Fireside Wines’, ‘Meat your Match’ or perhaps ‘Brunch Time, Wine Time’. The juggernaut that is the Good Food and Wine Show hits the road in June for its national tour. It’s a wonderful weekend to immerse yourself in your passion. The opportunity to learn, taste, sip and be inspired is what keeps me coming back year after year.

If there was one restaurant whose identity is quintessentially Australian, Quay would have to be it. Perched over Sydney Harbour, you look across to the iconic Sydney Opera House while dining on the acclaimed contemporary cuisine of Peter Gilmore.  For almost two decades, Peter has been in the upper echelon of the world’s best chefs, so he’s perfectly placed to define Australia’s food identity. He’s narrowed it down to one word: freedom. “Apart from our Indigenous history, Australia doesn’t have a long standing food history compared to countries like France or Japan,” says Peter.  “If I was a chef in France, I would have been born with a really strong French identity, but being an Australian chef, I have been exposed to so many different cuisines. So our identity is that sense of freedom and our willingness to open our palates to all different types of cuisines from around the world. “The other thing is, we can grow all the ingredients for all those cuisines somewhere in our country from the tropics right down to the cool climate areas of Victoria and Tasmania, so we have access to incredible fresh produce, so I think that has a huge influence.” From the earth Diverse produce is a certainly a key component of Peter’s cuisine and a topic he explores in his recently released book, From the Earth. Throughout its beautifully photographed pages, Peter catalogues an extensive list of rare vegetables, detailing their history and flavour profiles as well as showcasing the boutique farmers who grow them for him at Quay. “When I started growing vegetables in my own backyard 11 years ago, I realised how many unusual fruits and vegetables there are that are not in the mainstream market,” says Peter.  “Their difference is their thing. They have different profiles, looks, colours, flavours. As a chef, that is really interesting. It gives me a bigger palette to work from.” Key to a new Quay These heirloom vegetables play a key role in the new identity at Quay. For the first time in 16 years, the restaurant recently underwent a multi-million dollar face lift. The kitchen is bigger, the dining spaces more intimate. Gone too is the old menu, including the dish most people identify with Peter, his snow egg dessert.  “When we decided to renovate Quay,  I knew I had to let go of some of the signature dishes and the snow egg was one of those,” says Peter.  “I am very proud that I created an iconic dish that people love. But you have to let go of things if you want to be creative and renew. So it wasn’t that hard for me to say goodbye.” Of course, there is a new dessert, white coral – chocolate ganache that is aerated, put in liquid nitrogen and served on ice-cream. And while Peter admits it will probably be referred to as the new snow egg, he’s confident it will impress. “It is very fragile and brittle and we ask the guests to tap it with a spoon and it just breaks apart. So there is a little bit of theatre, a bit of fun and that emphasises our new approach to the food at Quay. “We are only doing a tasting menu now, so it’s allowed me a new structure – to take the diner on a holistic journey throughout the meal. It is about interaction without being too kitschy, but still maintaining the integrity of the dishes and ingredients.”