KerrieMcCallum,Editor-in-chief
Follow me: @kerriemccallum @kerrie_mccallumPHOTOGRAPHYMARK ROPEREVERYSEPTEMBER,WEcanvasthecountryforournation’sbest:theproduce,
people,andplacestocelebrate.Thedelicious.teamembarkedona missionto
exploreAustralialikeneverbefore,oftenin thegripofsomeinterestingorstrange
adventurein ordertoputthisissuetobed.Fromnear-missesonremotedirttracks,
tomeetingreadersondesertedbeaches,orsufferingthroughseasicknessontiny
boats,wecanconfidentlysaywecoverednewgroundin thelineofdelicious.duty!
Isqueezedmyselfintoa tinyplanewitha pilotnavigatingwhileona mobile
phone,tomakethe30-minuteflightfromLauncestontoFlindersIsland,a remote
partofTasmaniawitha localpubandravecavereminiscentofPriscillaQueenof
theDesert, a sausagesizzlevastlydifferenttotheaverageBunningsaffairand
a uniquecondimentshop(calledCondimental)withbrewsandfermentsthat
blewmymind(andAlexAtala’sapparently).It wasthesecondyearoftheannual
FlindersIslandFood& CrayfishFestival,wheresevenofourcountry’smostinnovativeyoungchefs,sourced
wildfoodin seasonandcookeda memorablefeastin theelements.FooddirectorPhoebeWoodandI hosted
a cookingdemonstration(saltbushflatbreadswithmisocrayfish– therecipefortheflatbreadsis onpage123)
anda hostoforphanedbabywombatswerecurledupin crochetedblankets in the front row. I’ll never forget it,
andyoucanreadmoreaboutourcrazyexperienceonpage114.
I bravelysqueezedmyselfintoanothersmallplanewitha posseofbigpersonalitiesanddelicious.contributors
foranassignmentonLordHoweIsland– anotheruntouchedparadisebelongingtothestateofNewSouthWales.
TheonepolicemanontheislandwiselyleftthedayourmotleyUnitedNationsmafia– ColinFassnidge(Irish),Manu
Feildel(French),AnthonyPuharich(Croat),MontyKoludrovic(Russian)andI (Queenslander)– toucheddownonthe
tinyairstrip.Weborroweda local’sMitsubishi,andaftera fewjumpstarts,exploredeveryinchoftheheritage-listed
location,cookingcrays,swimmingwithturtles,jumpingoffjetties,fishing,bee-keeping and brewing our very own
teawiththeisland’sbestingredients.Readaboutit onpages 134 and98.
Finally,thismonthis theculminationofa year’sworthofworkasweannouncethewinnersoftheannualdelicious.
HarveyNormanProduceAwards(p14).Ourremitis tounearthAustralia’sbest,mostsustainableandinnovative
produce,regionsandproducers.FromsamplingQukesatGerryHarvey’sfarm(thelargestin Australia,p 66)in
PeatsRidgewhenhecrashedourregularChefandTheButchercolumn,toexploringthefirstharvestatnational
judgeAllaWolf-Tasker’snewcookingschoolandlodgeDairyFlatLodge& Farm(p82),totherigorousjudgingdays
in the top kitchens around the country, this one-of-a-kind process always makes us feel lucky to call Australia home.WELCOMEStandingin forthechefs’
portraitis thedelicious.team
(fromleft):KirstenJenkins,
SamanthaJones,PamelaPirovic,
HelenaMoursellas,LucyAllon,
HayleyIncoll,DominicSmith,
Jessica Brook,PhoebeWood
and Lucy Busuttil.ED’S LETTER.
6 delicious.com.au