Top 5 reasons to visit the Sydney Good Food and Wine Show 2009
The foodie expo of the year has rolled round again. Here's why you should haul your hungry self down to Darling Harbour.
By Sarah Theeboom
1. To immortalise yourself in vinyl
Check out the Vinyl Star Photo Booth by [yellow tail] wines. The idea is that you dress up in the musical genre of your choice, have your photo taken and then printed onto a record cover that you can take home. Styles include reggae, pop, rock and disco. We suggest combining them all into a brave new style: Repropco! (So hot right now.) Chill out afterwards in the Vinyl Bar with a glass of [yellow tail] wine and some records on the stereo.
2. To play the Gordon Ramsay Drinking Game - live
Gordon Ramsay will be doing several live cooking segments every day. Tickets cost around $50 so get your money's worth by playing the Gordon Ramsay Drinking Game. Take a sip whenever he says "mate" or "bollocks". Two sips if he says "fresh, local produce" or smacks the back of one hand against the palm of the other. If he actually swears in front of the audience or takes off his shirt, down the bottle. Or you could get the $80 Special Offer ticket comprising admission to the show, a Ramsay cooking segment, showbag with Ramsay cookbook and so on. Up to you.
3. So you can stop alienating your vegetarian friends
Admit it - when your veggie friends come over for dinner, more often than not they get pasta. And if they don't eat fish you try not to invite them over at all. For shame! To protect the charter of UN-enshrined Vegetarian Rights we recommend you all attend the veggie cooking class. Learn how to make spiced Moroccan carrot salad, baked vegetable gratin, boregi of spinach, lentils and fetta... oh, and what a boregi is too.
4. To spend 45 minutes eating cheese
You heard right - 45 minutes working your way through soft white, washed rind, cheddar, Parmesan and blue. The Cheese Matters Masterclass is a guided tasting with a cheese expert, who has matched them with suitable wines and accompaniments. If you're lucky you might get some truffles too. For $30 (on top of the show entry cost) you get a tutored tasting and a Cheese Matters recipe book - as well as samples from King Island Dairy, Tasmanian Heritage, South Cape and Mil Lel.
5. To drive safe, every time
Visit the AlcoLimit stand and pick up your own breathalyser. We kid you not! Top-of-the-range digital slimline Platinum models are now available, with a free car charger. Yippee! Imagine pulling one of these babies out of your pocket when the party's flagging - instant fun, making you the centre of attention. It can also be used as a trump card in a game of iPhone one-upmanship. Now that's real satisfaction.
More details on The Good Food and Wine Show
