My day at the Auckland Food Show 2011

So, today I went to the Auckland Food Show.  Going on a Thursday, and to the preview day was awesome – still heaps of people but there wasn’t all the queuing to get to try stuff and waiting to move about.  I had quite a pleasant time taking everything in by myself.

I arrived there about 40 minutes before my truffle making master class so I looked around one of the halls.  Oh, before I looked about, I signed up on one of the computer terminals that were set up outside the main hall to get a sticker page printed off, containing my details so I could quickly enter ‘the over 60 competitions’ that were running at the show – don’t do this, I didn’t see all these supposed competitions.  There were a few, but really, you don’t need a sticker sheet to save you time in entering them.  Really they just want you on their database.

Annabelle White at the Truffle making master class

The truffle making master class.  I found this pretty disappointing.  It wasn’t all that different from going to one of the celebrity chef demonstrations except you need to pay for it.  And, since I knew how to make truffles I didn’t learn anything new there, however the other master classes, on topics I don’t know as much about clashed with the celebrity cooking demonstrations I wanted to see yet I still wanted to go to a master class so I was kinda stuck with this one.  I did get a goodie bag though and I learnt how to make chocolate into a play dough-like consistency so you can make stuff out of it, like the rose in the picture below.

Flower made out of chocolate and some of the truffles

My Whittaker’s loot from my goodie bag

Adam Liaw

After the master class I went and watched Adam Liaw in the theatre.  He made the most wonderful smelling chicken curry dish and some coconut rice.  He had recipes for other dishes but wasn't provided with the correct ingredients so he didn’t make them and he reckons he had just got off the plane from Aussie about 45 minutes before getting to the food show, so I don’t think he had the time or was in the right frame of mind to sort this out.  He would have been very pushed for time to cook anything else anyway, I think.  Adam was just like I remembered him off Master chef and I really enjoyed watching his demonstration.  I am inspired to try make his curry as it really did smell that amazing and I was sitting a fair bit away from the stage too.

Julie Le Clerc

After Adam’s demonstration I watched Julie Le Clerc.  Apparently she has a show on Sunday, TV 3 at 5pm called ‘Cafe Secrets’.  I am going to try catch it this week as she is popping into little and friday which is one of my fave cafes.  She made dishes using tea – she marinated Salmon in tea and used tea to cook some rice.  She also made smoke paprika buttermilk scones and a chocolate yoghurt cake – yum, yum!

Once I had watched these two chef’s I went back to checking out the exhibitors at the show.  I was laden with two very heavy bags and my shoulders ached by the time I got back to my car.  I picked up a few show specials – yes, I did take up the GÜ show offer, I got myself some Pitango pouches, and subscribed to Foodtown magazine ($25 for a year and I got a goodie bag and a spin of their prize wheel - I won a pack of salmon!)

My GÜ score – cost $20 but you got a pot of puds, two lots of their desserts that come in their cute glass ramekins, a box of ganache tubs and a cute little coolie bag!

My Pitango pouches – it was 3 for $10.  Seriously if you want a quick and easy meal try one of their curry’s over that microwavable 2 minute rice.  I usually get the Red Thai Curry but I purchased the Green variety today for a change.

Simon feels like he missed out, in fact he had to sit a computer exam today, so we might head back to the food show in the weekend.