Australian Gourmet Traveller - (03)March 2020 (1)

Thetownsthatwererecentlyravagedbybushfires

arebeginningtorebuild.Now,manyofthem

arerelyingontouriststohelpbringlifebackto

thearea,includingSouthAustralia’sKangaroo

Island.Australia’sthirdlargestislandpossesses

a naturallypristineenvironmentaswellasa throng

ofcellardoorsandlocalproducers.HeadtoFalse

Capewinesfora glassofsustainablecabernet

sauvignonwhileoverlookingthevineyard;

DudleyWinestotakeintheviewsfromitsclifftop

cellardoor;orBayofShoalsWines’cellardoor,

whichalsohasglampingandself-contained

accommodationoptions.Orsampletheunique

localhoney,producedontheislandfrom

eucalyptsandwildflowers,atClifford’sHoney

Farm.Thenewlyopenedkitchen-gardencafé

MillieMae’sPantry,alsostockslocalhoney,

aswellasoliveoil,jam,chutney and sauces.

tourkangarooisland.com.au

ON THE PASS

with

CATERINA BORSATO, CATERINA’S, MELBOURNE

YourrestaurantCaterina’sis inspiredbyyourstudentdaysinPerugia,

Italy.WhatwasbeingincentralItalylike?Incredible.ItalywasItalyand

theclosestwehadherewasLygonStreet:parmigianaandcarbonara,

andprobablybadversionsaswell.HoweverinPerugia,I gottotaste

vitellotonnato,tortelliniallapannaandrealRoman-stylepizza.

DidyourregularsreallychipintohelpyoubuyCaterina’s?Yeah,it’s

crazy.I boughttherestauranttosavemyjobandallthestaff.Because

I’minthecorporateendofMelbourne,oneclientgaveme$50,000,

onegaveme$20,000,onegaveme$5000.Everybodygavemethe

moneyI neededtomakethedeposit:it wasallbasedongoodwill.

Caterina’scelebratesits25thanniversaryin2020.What’sstayedon

themenualltheseyears?Stracciatella:comfortfood.Vitellotonnato:

anhomagetomyItalianfamily.Andchocolatepudding:a recipefrom

a womanwho’stheequivalentofStephanieAlexanderinItaly.

Tellusaboutyourregularwhotradeshisfigsforbottlesofwine?

Thiswonderfulcustomerhasa 100-year-oldtree.Hepicksthemin

themorninganddropsthemoff.I get70-90kilogramsoffigsa year.

He’sa lawyer,andhegetsa buzzoutofa restaurantsellinghisfigs.

Doyoustillserveyourmother’splumgrappatodiners?Mymum

learnttherecipeinItaly.Shedoesplumgrappa,walnutgrappaand

coffeegrappa.Mymotheris 82andI’mtryingtogetmydaughter

tolearn,becausetherecipeswillbelost.

WhatwillyouserveatMelbourneFood& WineFestival’sTheBig

Spaghettievent?Gnocchi.If yougetit right,it’samazing,butif youget

it wrong,it’sa shocker.Butwe’vegotit right:withbraisedlamb,fresh

figsfrommywonderfulfriend,andpecorino.Theotherthingwe’re

doingis strozzapreti:weflavourit withsangiovese,soit’sslightlypink,

andwe’redoingit withvealandporcini.Old-school.It’scurrentlyonour

menu,andit walksoutthedoor. 28 March,TheBigSpaghetti,ShedX,

Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne, Vic, melbournefoodandwine.com.au

The 2020 FlindersIslandFoodandCrayfish

Festivalwilldescendontheseafood-focusedisles,

locatedoffthenorth-easterntipofTasmaniafrom

15-19April.Highlightsfromtheprograminclude

theFridayFoodFeast,wherealloftheisland’s

chefswillcookunderoneroof;a long-tablelunch

fromSydneychefJesseMcTavishandIndigenous

chefToniWood;anda wildgourmettourandlunch

onVansitarttIsland,whereyou’llfeastonoysters,

crayfishandsaltbushlamb,andarrivebya boat

or chopper.foodandcrayfishfestival.com

EA

TCRAYLOVE

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