Eat It

We started today's show trying to identify a mystery ingredient, that turned out to be fresh wasabi - yum! Why not try it as we did, grated into soy and served with raw tuna. Awesome.

From Japan to Japanese Hawaiian fusion, we spoke to Charlie Rothery from Windsor's Tokyo Tina about the fact that Poke fish is the new cool kid on the block. We sampled his tropical-style don dish featuring Poke, and spoke about the evolution of Japanese cuisine in different countries.

Next up we had a market report from John at the Vic Market.

We finished up with a food quiz, hurrah for all you listeners battling it out to win a book pack from Books for Cooks.

Today we spoke to Sophie Lamond about a meal she prepared called Gastronomica Apocalyptica, which was part of a broader exhibition from the Carlton Connect Initiative on the future of food. What will the 22nd century food marketplace look like? We've all moved on from meat and three veg, and the exhibition explores what will be on our plates in a (potential) world without bees and cool oceans.

Next up we spoke to John at the Queen Vic Market, green beans are $20 per kilo right now... avoid!

Vanessa and Mat from Melbourne City Rooftop Honey joined us in the studio and spoke about their new honey processing and educaton centre. They'll be running sessions on all aspects of beekeeping as well as having a shiny new home for their honey. We also spoke about a recent discovery of verroa in two beehives in Townsville, which unfortunately means we'll probably see it distributed around Australian hives in the coming months.

On today's show we caught up with Cam who is off the leash this weekend, and he's ended up in Bendigo for the 2016 Bendigo Festival of Lamb.

Next up we had an extended chat to Leo Donati, who has been the owner of Donati's Fine Meats in Carlton since the early 1970s. We spoke about his arrival in Australia way back in 1956, and the changes he's seen in Melbourne's food (and general) culture in the decades since then.

To finish off, we may have cheated slightly and grabbed a reheated meal out of the freezer - we caught up with TV host and cookbook author Adam Liaw earlier this year, and he spoke about how his approach to food has changed and simplified over the years.

On today's show we spoke to Daylesford farmer Danny Kinnear about the perception (and reality) of farmers, as in Australia the average age of all farmers is 55 year's old. Who is going to grow our food in 20 years? We also chatted about getting into farming, and his WOF-work on farms around the world, and how to balance farming ethics with profitability. Check out his work at Danny's Farm.

The Age Good Food Guide's editor Roslyn Grundy joined us next and spoke about some recent bad luck she's had with her chooks. We chatted about the upcoming 36th edition of the Good Food Guide, which will now also incorporate the Cheap Eats and Bar guides in the one book. The entry point for inclusion into the guide has risen from 12 points to 14 points, as the number of restaurants in Melbourne continues to grow.

To finish today's show, one of Melbourne's true culinary legends Philippe Moucheljoined us to speak about his new bistro Philippe. We spoke about his period being mentored by the great Paul Bocuse, his discovery of Japanese cuisine, and how the local produce scene has grown in the twenty years that he's been based in Melbourne. Plus he gave some tips on how to cook the perfect roast chicken, get cracking!

We started out today's show mentioning some upcoming Dine with Heart dinners for Sacred Heart Mission, Cam is hosting an event at Luxembourg tomorrow night and then Craft & Co in a couple of week's time.

We were joined in the studio by the chef behind Red Spice Road, John McLeay. We spoke about all the different foods you can use to suck up flavour... think daikon radish, carrot, okra, and even the humble potato. We also spoke about some of the awesome places to shop around Richmond for Asian ingredients.

It's no mean feat to survive for 10 years in the restaurant game, and Brunswick's Rumi has just celebrated that milestone. We spoke to chef / owner Joseph Abboud about his journey in the industry, and what made him make the bold decision to open a Lebanese restaurant in the middle of inner-northern Melbourne.

On today's show CAM SOLVED PORRIDGE! That's right folks, prepare the night beforehand and enjoy porridgey perfection!

Our first guest was Sharon Flynn who has spent much of her life developing a love of fermented food. Her business The Fermentary is creating heaps of fresh fermented products, and we spoke about sourdough bread, kraut, kimchee, and natto (which is fermented soybeans)

Next up we had a market report from Damien Pike at the Prahran Market.

We finished today's show with Alex and Cam from the Noisy Ritual Urban Winery. A few years after Cam discovered a winemaking room underneath his house, the team have expanded to become an inner-city winery that anyone can visit and contribute to. We spoke about wild fermentation, grape-stomping music (Kriss Kross anyone?), and the process of making wine over the year.

Wintertime in Melbourne, and on today's show we spoke to Nigel Wood about his work harvesting truffles on the Mornington Peninsula, we had a drizzly market report with John, and we chatted to Josh from South Melbourne's Chef's Hat about the useful - and not so useful - gadgets for your kitchen.

On today's show we spoke to food columnist Richard Cornish about the recent crisis in Australia's dairy industry. It's a very complex issue that's been triggered by a drop in global milk solid prices, and seen many farmers - who were already in debt after borrowing to increase their herd sizes - retrospectively owe money to the bodies that purchase their milk.

We also chatted to professional food forager Elijah Holland whilst he was in town collecting ingredients for a special dinner at Oakridge Estate. We chatted about his time collecting local ingredients for Rene Redzepi's Australian outpost, as well as the importance of knowing the origins of ingredients and sourcing locally where possible.

It's a windy Sunday and some of Melbourne's plants seem to think it's Spring already... SETTLE DOWN PLANTS you're a few months early.

It's also a windy day in the Yarra Valley, and we had a quick chat to Oakridge chef Matt Stone about an upcoming dinner at the winery featuring ingredients he'll be foraging with Elijah Holland. We discussed the increasing regionality of Australian food, and how Oakridge and their neighbours are focusing on creating a specific Yarra Valley cuisine.

We also had an extended market report with John.

To finish we spoke to Radio Mexico's Adele Arkell, and Marco Cedano & Nick Reid from Tromba Tequila about Mexico's national drink. "Proper" Mexican cuisine is becoming more popular in Melbourne, and similarly we are starting to move on from our traditional perspectives of Tequila as a cheap way to get drunk. We chatted about the Agave plant, matching Tequila and food, and when best to drink certain styles.

On today's show we started with a recipe for a quick and simple meal, potato rosti. Don't hold back with the butter!

The first ever Melbourne Tea Festival is coming up on May 29, and we spoke to organiser Corinne Smith about how tea is becoming sexy again. The whole point of the festival is to get people out of the teabag, and to learn about the various single origin teas and the best way to prepare them. Plus you get a free teacup, what's not to like?

One of our favourite Melbourne events is the Darebin Homemade Wine and Food Festival, which starts tomorrow and culminates on Saturday May 14. Carmelina Di Gugielmo is one of the festival organisers and MC for the day, and we spoke about how imported cultural traditions have been absorbed into Australia's social fabric, as well as the Secret Italian's Business of homemade grappa.

Another regular at the Darebin festival is Ingrid Phyland, who has taken out the best olives award two years running. We chatted about how the olive trees planted by immigrants 50 years ago are still bearing fruit and providing us with food today, as well as what she marinates the olives with to achieve such a yummy result.