Alternative Media Group

Seasonal Perks

Author:

Jackie McMillan

Posted:

Wednesday, 14 December 2011

Deck your table with seasonally appropriate snacks…

Whilst I’ve been a Yamba Prawn aficionado for many years, this season I’m hoping to get me some Spencer Gulf King Prawns. The main reason I’ll be switching from my favourite brand, is that the Spencer Gulf prawn fishery was recently certified by the global Marine Stewardship Council. This makes them the world’s first sustainable king prawn! In layman’s terms, that means they’re fished without ruining our ocean’s ecology, and they come in at a rate that means we’ll be eating them for many Christmases to come. While Neil Perry snaffles up most of them, you can secure 2.5kg for $150 (about 55 prawns) delivered straight to your door by hardtofind. Sure, they’re pricy, but why should the Rockpool group get all the sustainable prawn joy this season?
www.hardtofind.com.au

Another new arrival to my table this month have been Taste Buddies® flat peaches. I used them to dress up a wagyu beef salad, and they nearly stole the show (my apologies to the cow in question)! They’re wonderfully fragrant and nicely fuzz-free. You’ll find that they hold together well in a salad, with an eye-catching red blush that announces their presence; however they’re also wonderfully fragrant if you fancy flambé. They were invented over in the United States by crossing ordinary peaches with a popular saucer-shaped Asian varietal. They’re in season now, so keep your eyes peeled for their distinctively squished shape until February.

Also making it into my spectacular summer of salads are these ruby red Piccolini® cocktail tomatoes. Arriving on the truss, the Amoroso tomatoes beg to be roasted in situ – served up blistered but whole for a rustic twist that would make Maggie Beer proud. However since I was cooking on one of the warmer December days, I was determined to eat salad – after all, this is supposed to be Sydney’s summer! All the unkind things I’ve said about tomatoes lacking in flavour I now take back; these little babies are positively raucous! I loved them so much I kept going back to the fridge, and snacking on them!
www.perfection.com.au

Festive products abound, however not all of them are bound quite so stylishly as these gooey-centred eggnog cupcakes. Not only is the packaging likely to intrigue, it’s also pretty much certain to get your dozen ($55) or half dozen ($28) cupcakes all the way from Sparkle Cupcakery to whatever function you’re attending without losing one dollop of buttercream frosting. I will not be held responsible however if you use your finger. Keep the box firmly closed whilst driving.
www.sparklecupcakery.com.au

Finally, my reviews this week are dripping with festive high tea experiences, so I couldn’t resist this event celebrating the real experts in tea – the Chinese. China is the stomping ground of tea; after all, they’ve been drinking it for over five thousand years! To find out more, head down to the Expo of Chinese Tea 2011 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. It’ll be on all weekend from 16th-18th December, and it’s FREE!
www.chinateaexpo.com.au

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