If you feel moved to forward this email on to one or more of your friends, please do. We're hoping to change our world one regional stomach at a time.  

 Newsletter # 3.
 May 2006

Editor/publisher note.

Issue 3 is on hold for a bit.

While that's almost certainly the cover of Issue 3,  don't look out for it about now as we promised. We've finished the content but we had a major advertiser cancel their pages, so we've had to chase up a replacement or two before we can afford to go to the printer. Call us old fashioned but we like to pay our bills.

We'll send a formal letter out to the subscribers offering to refund their subscription money (or extend it if they hang in there) but we see them as true friends and supporters. When we were delayed last time you all said "we don't want the money back, just shut up and do the magazine, we want to see it!". We keep the subscription money in a separate tin hidden in the garden, so it's safe.

Having lots of subscribers makes us more attractive to a potential investor (even if we don't make much of a profit after we've handled and mailed a copy to you). Advertisers also like committed readers.

But we understand that if you've given a gift subscription to your mum for Christmas, it's embarrassing. Maybe it's best if you get a refund and can then send them another magazine subscription instead. We'll welcome you back at anytime.

As the editor you can imagine the frustration of having a magazine I think is our best yet but we can't print it. I'm sure we'll do it, we believe in the idea and there will be many more issues. But we need some time to get the publication into a steady financial position and we can't expect subscribers to wait.

How did all this happen?

We had a good response to news stand sales for Issue 2 but with a more selective placement, (we didn't send it to newsagents who sold less than a couple of the first issue). We felt it was better to not print as many and to direct enquiries for copies to a particular outlet. What really pleased us was the letters and phone calls we've had saying 'Where are you, I need another issue!". It's nice to be missed, but we truly didn't plan to keep you waiting.

Just before Christmas we had a very good meeting with a big publisher who was interested in building a stable of publications. We held our breath as they checked us out with the their overseas head office. Another deep breath as they sent off our financial proposal. The deal would have meant some more assistance with subscription promotions, access to a top ad-sales team, and the chance that, with some cash, and a few more staff we could even go to a bi-monthly print schedule. 'Woo hooo', we said (that came out as 'wormmooo' because we were still holding our breath).

In February we still hadn't heard so we said 'stuff it', we'll have to breathe out sometime and decided to start the next issue on our own. Of course, then we heard from the publisher who said (nicely), sorry, don't go away but we're not going to do any deals just yet. So we're now looking again.

We then started running to get the Fleurieu issue out, and planning the following one so we could catch up the schedule. If the deal happens that will be great but we're determined to build a viable quarterly publication that lasts  (even if we're sometimes scratching around for the money at the last minute).

We believe (and you've told us) that Regional Food is worthwhile and necessary.  So it's a matter now of 'shut-up, sit down and write'. We are.

Thanks for all your patience,

Fred Harden.

How do you get a refund? Just email me and give me the name and address that we mail the issue to (or should have).  It's faster to pay directly to your account if you give us a BSB number, otherwise I'll sort out a cheque. BSB is better for us.

Wasn't this meant to be a top 100 issue? Would you believe a Regional Food 50? 40? 25? No, neither did we - it's 100 or nothing! We're still preparing our special issue with 100 food and wine bits from all around Australia but we came a bit unstuck when we started to commission articles and items from writers and photographers around the country. Bluntly, we realised the glue was missing from the bank account.

We didn't feel that we should promise to pay so many contributors if we didn't have it in hand. (Oh the joys of being a small publisher..

So that meant we knew we would have to make Issue 3 a regular regional coverage. We've been planning an issue on Mildura (see below) but that was hanging on our Contributing Editor Jackie Cooper who has moved back to Mildura after working for a few years in Ballarat. Moving 'back there' means to where she grew up and we knew she'd have a special eye for the place. We've started work on that but it isn't going to be ready until about July.

South Australian Tourism have been a great supporter of the magazine and we've got friends in McLaren Vale who keep bragging about the region, so we headed to the Fleurieu Peninsula for a survey. 'Wow, that's the place for Issue 3' we said.

We've long noted how successful the Willunga Farmers' Market has been (we went to their 4th birthday), and you could tell there was something special going on in the region. When we visited on a few weekends, we knew there were plenty of stories for a great issue. And we've taken enough pictures to give you a feel for the Places, People and Produce of the Fleurieu Peninsula.
 

Errors and Updates
We've been doing our penance for a 'the Old Stone House B&B is closed' error in the Bungendore section of the Guide in Issue 2. The Banbury's had advertised a website URL on their card and in ads for years, and never had one when you clicked! That's now fixed. We've built them a simple website. We've updated Issue 2's The Guide and we'll keep that updated as we get new information. So, PLEASE check our website before you travel to any of the regions we feature.

Mildura and the Murray
The July/August issue (well, that's what we're planning - consider it a catch up to get a true quarterly schedule) will be on Mildura. This isn't just a Stefano di Pieri issue although he stands tall on the riverbank and he's done a lot of great things that the locals will (somewhat grudgingly) admit. Stefano's belief in the area and his Chefs of the Murray project work is well worth a big mention. But as usual we're more interested in the other side of the table, the producers both big and small who made the region such a giant in irrigated agriculture (and now viticulture). You'll know more about the produce and history of the region known quaintly as Sunraysia by the time you get through this bumper edition. We're also keen to make sure that there is advance content on our Regional Food website. That's not aimed at spoiling your enjoyment of the print magazine, but there's just so much to tell you it will never all fit.

Hot Links. Bruce Cole who has one of our favourite food websites, Saute Wednesday has collected links to many of the web versions of  the Articles Nominated for the James Beard Foundation 2006 Journalism Awards. Don't go there unless you have time to spare because all these are worth reading. Some are a little edgy but start and you can't stop at one.

Such as this one on why bouillon cubes are ok. Ok?

My what a pretty face. I guessed it was a rough translation, when I said I hadn't seen them before and asked if Pretty Face was their variety name. The young man on the Adelaide Market stall said "We've always called them Pretty Face pears. I think they're a French variety, my father used to stock them years ago and they're coming again from the same Adelaide Hills grower so I think they're quite old". I bought a bag and resolved to look up the name when I got back to my library.

Then at the Willunga Farmers' Market, there they were in a box labelled Paradise Pears - which didn't seem close to any language guesses I'd made about Pretty Face.  It seems they're both right. The variety is called Faccia Bella and Paradise in Australia.  'La faccia bella' is Italian for Beautiful Face and how that ends up as a Paradise Pear I'm not sure. They're ripe when they're green-yellow, and some have a touch of colour like a Corella pear. They have stalks the same size as regular pears which makes them look big on these small crunchy, sweet flavoured fruit. The seeds are small so you can just chew the lot and I'd imagine they'd cook nicely because they'd hold their shape. The image at right gives you an idea of their size.
 
The Apple and Pear board pear chart (PDF) lists the availability of Faccia Bella as being from January to end of April.  Get 'em next year when they're fresh.

Hot Links. The March print and online edition of Waitrose Food Illustrated has an article on British Food habits, a survey says "We no longer bake bread. Celebrity chefs don't inspire us. And 30 minutes is the amount of time most people spend cooking dinner."  Sounds like it would be the same result here. See the Number Cruncher article.
Much more fun is the item further down that page on the impact of TV chefs, called Screen Idle.  Did you know that -

"In France, this cult TV status is unknown. Chefs become deified for their cooking rather than their telegenics. If Paul Bocuse's recent autobiography is anything to go by (the veteran French chef was voted Chef of the Century), you don't have to have a high TV profile to pull the birds. Bocuse, 80 this year, is still regarded as a sex symbol in a nation whose passion is focused on the plate, rather than the screen."

Slow Barossa
When we started Regional Food we didn't think we'd be like the big travel mags with offers of paid travel and accommodation that ensures you write something about how fabulous the place is. Maybe it's our attitude (or our agenda. Or our small magazine circulation.) but somehow it hasn't happened. Until now.

Jan and I had four days in the Barossa that was generously paid for by South Australian Tourism. After clocking up 8000 kilometres at our own cost in the previous 10 days to cover the Fleurieu Peninsula and McLaren Vale for the next issue, the idea to fly over the bloody boring Sturt Highway to Adelaide was seductive. When they suggested it, we gave in immediately (although driving back and forth gave me a new affection for all those small towns with funny names).

But there's a catch. We're Slow Food members, we support and care about the Slow Food movement and we would have done this anyway if it was just a bit closer to home. So of course we're going to give it a big write up in the next issue of, but we want to give back as good as we've got. See our Slow Barossa entry in the website Photo Diary section, as there are more pictures than we can use in the magazine.

Is there still a distinctive Barossa cuisine? Definitely. It's not just the smoked meats we can get around the country or Maggie Beer. For example the lady at left is from one of the (Lutheran) church school's mothers' groups is offering you a cup of rote grütze with cream. Take it, you'll like it.

The ABC website has a small bit of audio and a recipe that describes the bare bones for making rote grütze or 'red gruel'. It mixes fruit juice and fruit pulp and sago and each person we talked to has their own variation. There are rote grütze recipes online that use all kinds of berries and cherries, and you can even buy a packet mix, but in the Barossa they like it best made at harvest time  from red wine grapes. In season. And when served chilled, with a splash of fresh cream it's a refreshing summer desert or snack. We were introduced to a champion rote grütze maker who adds cinnamon and a small pinch of cloves. We approved.

Then there's Honig Kuchen (Honey Biscuits) and Zimmt sterne (Cinnamon Stars) another specialty. These have been one of my imported Christmas treats for a while now, they were introduced to me by German friends. But in the Barossa they're popular all year round. They're slightly chewy and keep well.

There are recipes we found online for Zimmt Sterne. There's a detailed one on the Waitrose site we mentioned in our hot links above. There's also one we found that uses a small amount of flour. The eggs whites give the lift, the almond meal can be substituted for ground hazelnuts and the icing on top often has flavourings such as vanilla or rum. You can't substitute the star shaped cutter or they wouldn't be 'stars' would they?

Issue 3 will have a photo spread on the weekend and you'll see that those traditions are truly alive and the food culture hasn't stopped.
 

That's 'our' very own Jill Dupleix with a Campari in hand (there are two pictures you see of Jill used everywhere, this is the least used, in the other she's laughing, head back. You know the one.) Jill's cookbooks are on our kitchen shelf and are used often, used= good. You'll remember that Jill and Terry Durack left our shores for a life in London where Jill is the The Times Cook. For years she has written and created recipes for The Melbourne Age's Epicure magazine insert, and the SMH's Good Living.

Jill was back in Sydney not to drink Campari, but for a Penfolds wine promotion, (She described the choice of a week in the Sydney sun vs. a week in wintery London as "a not too difficult one to make".) We spoke to her about family meals, entertaining and tradition for a short piece that will be in the next issue. We also gave her some copies of the magazine. The next day, we received a great email that I'm sure she won't mind us quoting from.

"I'm in love with your magazine. It's fresh, genuine, down-to-earth and satisfying, with content and readers totally in tune and going somewhere great. It has what it takes to really change and build things in this fabulous country of ours."

Gee, that made us smile for days. Thanks Jill!