A bite-sized look at show cooking

Agricultural shows are an important part of community life across Australia, according to award-winning consultant and multi-media presenter Victoria Hansen who explores the topic in a recently-recorded podcast with author Liz Harfull.
"In country areas they give people an excuse to get off the farm and catch up with the neighbours, and the city shows are both a spectacle and an institution that bring the city and the bush together for a few brief days each year.
"But for many individuals they represent much more than an opportunity to relax and have fun. They are about the serious business of rewarding effort and enterprise."
Visit Victoria's wonderful food site, BiteSize Cooking and listen to the interview.

Learn how to make the perfect Christmas cake

Champion cook Emma Kemp will be demonstrating how to make the perfect rich fruit cake in time for Christmas at the Adelaide Showground Farmers Market on Sunday, December 13. Emma will appear with author Liz Harfull at 11am, in the market's popular demonstration kitchen. A major trophy winner at the Royal Adelaide Show, the audacious Emma is one of show cooking's brighest young stars. She has already qualified for the 2010 State Rich Fruit Cake Championship, after winning a qualifying regional final at the recent Lucindale Show.

Full house for Mount Gambier event

A full house of more than 120 people greeted Liz yesterday for her first Meet the Author event in her home town of Mount Gambier. Volunteers from the local Anglican Church created a fabulous spread for the occasion, using recipes from the book; they also organised a magnificent display of old cookbooks and historic kitchen items from the local National Trust collection. Liz talked about her early ambitions to become a writer, her career as a journalist, starting at the local newspaper, The Border Watch, and how The Blue Ribbon Cookbook came about. The event raised funds for the Christ Church Building Fund.

Meeting a favourite author

In between a hectic program of attending country shows, a recent personal highlight for Liz was having the chance to meet one of her favourite authors, Diana Gabaldon, during her visit to Australia this month. Diana has sold more then 8 million books, including the wildly popular, award-winning Outlander series. The seventh novel in the series, An Echo in the Bone, was released in Australia in September. A full-house of more than 200 people greeted Diana at her Mount Barker appearance, where guests were entertained with live traditional Scottish folk music, and refreshments, including wines specially labelled for the occasion.

Author heads home...

Liz Harfull will return to her home town for a special Meet the Author event to raise funds for the Christ Church Building fund in Mount Gambier. “We are really looking forward to hosting Liz and hearing about her adventures in writing the book, and being a published author,” says parish council member, Wendy Monger. “Since the book was released she has traveled the State appearing at country shows and speaking at author events, but this will be the first opportunity most people will have had to hear her speak about it in her home town. We are planning to provide a good old-fashioned afternoon tea for the event, including recipes from the book. The local branch of the National Trust is organizing a special display from its collection, and there will be a display of old recipe books provided by various parishioners.”
The event will be held on November 18 at 2pm at Christ Church Hall, Bay Road. Tickets cost $8, including afternoon tea, and are available from the church office, phone 8723 1353. Copies of the book will be for sale (cash only) and signing at the event.

Bloomin marvellous

The annual Penola Show at the weekend turned on a spectacular display of roses, filling most of Rymill Hall with one of the most spectacular exhibitions of cut flowers you would find anywhere. Because of a sudden, unseasonally warm spell, more than a few exhibitors dragged themselves out of bed in the small hours of the morning to cut their blooms for the event. Up for grabs was a $1000 prize for the overall champion rose - not easy to win given the town's reputation for producing outstanding roses and the increasing number and level of competition.

Eggs galore

Keeping your own chickens is obviously a popular pass-time at Callington. Author Liz Harfull counted more than 60 entries in the egg classes when she attended the annual show yesterday to officially open the event - by her reckoning, not far off the total number of houses in the small, historic mining town between Murray Bridge and Mount Barker. Callington holds what is believed to be Australia's youngest agricultural show. Now in its eighth year, the event is growing steadily, with the support of a very active local community and sponsors. Indoor classes grew so much this year the organising committee had to add a marquee to the side of the hall to cope. The event is also drawing a growing number of patrons from Adelaide, keen to experience the traditions of a country show.