By Dr. Michael Lim The Travelling GourmetTM

The indomitable Travelling Gourmet stirs the pot at a workshop with a panel of celebrated Chefs and The Australian newspaper‘s Food critic in Adelaide where…

Mon 30 April, 2012

MORNING found me in the Gym at 07:00 and then 10 laps in the pool on the floor marked P. It was cold and windy but invigorating nonetheless. I tried the Breakfast Buffet in the Riverside Restaurant of the Intercontinental Hotel. A very good spread indeed, and I especially liked the do it yourself freshly squeezed juices. I made celery, pineapple and carrot juice! Most energising!+ The Spanish omelette I ordered was lovely, albeit a trifle too well done in the middle.

Soon it was time to walk to the Adelaide Festival Center where “Stirring the Pot” was held. Frank and often politically incorrect Briton Matt Kemp, the Chef of Montpelier gastropub in Sydney, and one of the chefs for the “Best of British’ Dinner on Monday 30 April, 2012, was most entertaining with his irreverent comments.

The afternoon was busy too with a special Clarendon Hills winery vertical tasting in Blake’s of their 2009 Grenache from 6 different vineyards! It made me late for the Tasting Australia dinner!

Buona Notte…

23:56 and I am back in the hotel from a special Tasting Australia Dinner held in Petaluma‘s Bridgewater Mill Cellar Door and Restaurant. Youthful Chef Chef Zac Ronayne prepared Canapes of Fried Coffin Bay Oysters, Black Fungus, Sesame and Ginger Caramel (there’s a Cantonese influence here) and plump and tasty Quail Sausage wrapped in savoury Proscuitto, Pumpkin Toast & Sage plus Blue Fin Tuna with Sweet Corn and Red Pepper Crumbs. Well matched with effervescent Croser Piccadilly Valley Sparkling Vintage 2009 by the ‘methode champenoise’ and Petaluma Hanlin Hill Clare Valley Riesling 2011.

I met Petaluma’s two lady winemakers, probably the prettiest winemakers in the Adelaide Hills. The 3 piece jazz trio played “New York, New York!” while we dined on the 3 floors surrounding the stage. Incidentally, the Bridgewater Mill was built in 1860. Petaluma bought it in 1984 and restored the building and waterwheel known as “Old Rumbler”.

Good night and happy dreams of champagne and caviar…{;-)