[author]Story & photo Eve Jeffery[/author]
The Northern Rivers Regional Food Celebration was a sizzling success over the weekend and thousands trod through the William Smith Pavilion at the Lismore Showgrounds is search of something tasty.
The three-day event, whose aim was to showcase the amazing produce from the north coast and the region’s sustainable growing and producing practices, was held for the second year as part of the North Coast National. The theme was ‘A taste of the tropics from the paddock to the plate’.The celebration attracted not only local growers and producers of the region’s finest food, but also the talent of some of Australia’s best chefs who gave food and cooking demonstrations on two stages at the venue.
Punters had the opportunity to sample tasting plates from more than 50 food stalls including many of the region’s premier eateries. They could explore wine and cheese appreciation, cheese making, food forums, bushfood barbecues, local beer tastings, even a masterclass in CWA scone cooking.
Cooking demonstrations displayed a wide variety of tastes and methods and everyone’s mouths were left watering by the end of the day. Cooks on show included Charmaine Todd from Healthy Inspirations with healthy eating tips and advice; Satiate’s Katrina Kanetani (SMH Good Food Guide’s Chef of the Year) – joined fellow hatted chef, Fins’ Steven Snow, for a sweet and savoury nutty cooking demo; hatted Indigenous chef Clayton Donovan made macadamia treats; and local cook, foodwriter and editor Victoria Cosford whipped up a tasty treat from the pages of her book Amore and Amoretti.
The finale of the three days of gastronomical heaven was with Nicholson Fine Food and Michael’s Seafood who helped demystify the secrets to seafood with tips on preparation and condiments; the last demonstration was followed by a happy hour with delicious food and produce tastings.
