The New Gossip: The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival

When I found out that the Food & Wine Festival was coming to Melbourne I got really excited, I almost felt a chill shake its way down my spine. I then had a look around the website and concluded, "Yeah. Right. Like I can afford to drop $150 on a meal, just for myself". That was weeks ago. Then this happened.

I was at my college last week on my way back from the kitchen getting my usual cup of tea in the morning and I noticed a new set of papers along the wall. I picked up one up and it happened to be a notice inviting 12 students from the college to participate for 4 days in the master class being held at the Langham Hotel for the Food and Wine Festival. When I read it I somehow felt that I deserved to be one of those 12 students; these sorts of demanding feelings never really happen to me. I clutched the notice in one hand and my cup of green tea in another and took the stairs (two at a time) to go drag some information out of my chef-instructor. "Do you know anything about this?" I practically demanded. One thing led to another and yesterday I found out that I was one of 12 students out of the entire college chosen to participate in the event.

Today was my first day and, boy, was it exhilarating. I will spend the next 4 days helping prepare for the master class, which will showcase the hottest chefs from all over the world. who will be giving lectures and demonstrations on their own cuisine. I was having a chat to the chef and apparently the chef from Spain speaks zero English and I was told that I'd be paired with this chef to help prepare for the master class. Andoni Luis Aduriz is one of the hottest Spanish chefs in Europe, closely following Ferran Adriá in his molecular gastronomy footsteps. Adriá is basically one of my chef idols. Both of their creations are like edible works of abstract art on plates. Art + Edible + Food = the best idea ever

These guys inspire me to push vegetarian cookery to it's limits, although I find I have little time to actually pursue such inspirations these days. With each passing day I spend frying away entrees at my restaurant, I become increasingly vocal about what I think vegetarian food should be and taste like.