Dancing on My Table

Hawke’s Bay October 31st-9th November 2014

Hey, listen up! There’s so much happening here, with 60 events covering cooking demonstrations, tastings, charity wine auctions, winery visits, vertical tastings, sumptuous feasts, mystery location lunches, private chefs in homes, and a mystery box cook-up between chefs held at the farmers’ market (2nd November), that you would be mad not to visit sometime during the 10 days of this remarkable series of one-off events and so enjoy the best of Hawke’s Bay food, wine and hospitality. I’ll be doing a demonstration at a mystery location Saturday 1st November and taking part in the farmers’ market cook-up on the Sunday.

www.fawc.co.nz

New Zealand’s Premier Wine, Food & Music Festival
Sunday 16th November 2014

I’ve been desperate to return to this spectacular festival for years, but neither time nor luck has been with me until 2014. Yay! I’m going! Of course, it’s not all a leisurely traipse through the vineyards, glass in hand – I’ve got to man the ovens and turn out some food. I’ll be at Larry McKenna’s Escarpment Wines (lucky me!). Fortunately, Hester Guy will be doing the real cooking. I’ve got the easier job, I think, of putting on a couple of cooking demonstrations throughout the day, likely to be around 11.00am and 3.00pm, and Hester will be serving up her version of one of the dishes I demonstrate. There’ll be a dedicated Stewart Island seafood bar with fresh blue cod (yum), salmon, mussels and paua, and oysters will be shucked to order. The Nairobi Trio will be strumming away in the background, the food’s going to be fabulous, the wines are sensational… what’s not to like!

www.toastmartinborough.co.nz

New Zealand’s Premier Garden Event runs November 6-9th 2014

I’m really looking forward to this event because the mix is just so ‘me’ – gardening, food and wine! It’s not all a holiday, though I will be relaxing at the garden party at Lake Timara Lodge Saturday 8th, and enjoying the garden fete the following morning, because I’ve got a workshop and dinner to deliver Friday 7th.

This is a big event, and something I couldn’t do alone – luckily I’ll be in the experienced hands of the good people at Raupo restaurant in Blenheim who have devised a menu inspired by my latest book Julie Biuso At Home. Bubbles on the terrace overlooking the fountain on the Taylor River sounds like a charming way to proceed a scrumptious dinner, but as I’ve got to have a chat and cook up a few specialities beforehand, I’ll have to go easy on the gorgeous wines from Framingham and Spy Valley until I’ve got through that bit! I’d love to see you there. I’ll have books for sale, too, and I’m happy to sign them with a dedication. I’ll also be happy to answer any culinary questions you may have. Finally, I’m staying in one of my fave places ever: Hotel D’Urville. Yes!

www.hoteldurville.com
www.gardenmarlborough.co.nz

Mystery Creek, Hamilton – 6th and 7th September
Heathcote Appliances Theatre

My demonstration is at 1.00-1.45pm Sunday but throughout the 2-day festival my culinary mates Nici Wickes and Annabelle White will be raging away in the kitchen along with Mat McLean, Nikki and Jordan and Eugene Hamilton. It’s bound to be fabulous fun with that lineup!

www.greatnzfoodshow.co.nz