Essjay bites 20 November 2012
Entree sized tastes of the week that was:-
This week I ate a LOT of ham. All in the interests of research of course.
Friday saw me head up to Harcourt in the relative comfort of my car to do some cooking and serving for the riders on the Tour De Bress, a 150 km charity ride from Melbourne to Bress Winery in Harcourt. At the winery there was food, massages, showers, camp beds set up in winery and a chance to ride again in the Castlemaine Criterion. Then back to Bress for more food, wine, chicken shenanigans and lord knows what was instore for those sleeping over. I’m thinking that dehydrated folks gathered in a winery is not perhaps the best combination!
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This year their fundraising efforts will again be geared to supporting children through the Save The Children Foundation, and also linked with the Mirabel Foundation, and the wonderful work they do with children. Check out the list of competitors and if you have any affinity to wine workers / drinkers / makers perhaps you can spare a few bucks.
Saturday wasn’t my best day of the year, after shaping and baking 150 bread rolls in double time at Bress the day before I was prety much knackered (I think I tweeted that I was “broken” about midnight), but I couldn’t miss my visit to the Fairfield Farmers’ Market as I needed more peanut butter (and a Movida Bakery doughnut or two). I’d also heard that my friend Sarah would be there selling her new calendar devoted to all things seasonal. Have a look and buy one too if you like it.
But mostly this week I have been obsessing about a new little shop on Rathdowne street.
Skinner & Hackett is a “provenance known” retail meat shop which opens TOMORROW in Rathdowne Street, North Carlton. I’ve been very priveleged to work with owner Jonathan Stobbs to source of the best meat we can find. We’ve met the growers, we know where they come from and what they feed their animals. In some cases I’ve been friends with the farmers for years, though some are new friends. Either way, it’s a real honour to work with them all to make their products available to the public Monday to Saturday, 10:00am to 6-7:oopm.
If you shop at farmers’ markets around Melbourne you’ll know many of the brands, but we might just have a few you haven’t heard of. If you’re at all interested in where your meat comes from and how it’s lived it’s life, please like us on facebook or follow us on twitter and stay in touch with all things deliciously meaty.