Christmas in July might sound archaic but is still a popular tradition in Australia. The idea is that Aussies celebrate Christmas traditions in winter to emulate the atmosphere of a northern hemisphere Christmas.
I heard from Janet Newton last week, who is manager of the not-for-profit Adamstown Pudding Kitchen, and she reckons more people than usual were celebrating Christmas in July this year, due to COVID-10 preventing many family catch-ups over the past two years.
"We have just spent three days at the Good Food & Wine Show at Sydney's International Convention Centre and most of the people who visited our stand - at least 1000 people - were planning to celebrate Christmas in July with a special lunch or were going away for a Christmas in July weekend," she said.
"Many were also travelling to another state to see their family and friends."
Understandable. Better to celebrate while we can than to potentially get the rug pulled out from under us again in December, right?
Last year Adamstown Pudding Kitchen "celebrated 50 years of making Christmas puddings and giving over a million dollars to welfare projects in our community and overseas", Newton said.
Their puddings sell out every Christmas and they have also started making seasonal chocolates, jams, pickles and sauces to sell all-year round.
Surprisingly, not much has changed in 50 years with the way the kitchen makes its puddings.
"We still hand wrap them in a calico cloth and tie the cloth with string, then put them in large copper boilers for three hours, and then we hang them to dry," Newton said.
"The one thing we are changing - which is also significant for July (Plastic Free July) - is that we are gradually phasing out the plastic vacuum seal bags we package our puddings in and introducing bags that are made out of 70 per cent sugar cane and are carbon negative.
"We have a Christmas Sample Bag we are selling that is perfect to take to a Christmas in July celebration."
Adamstown Pudding Kitchen, 288 Brunker Road, Adamstown, is open from 10am to 2pm, Monday to Friday. You can also find them at The Olive Tree Markets in Newcastle on July 16.
Festive month ahead
Other businesses getting into the Christmas in July spirit include:
Star Anise, Valentine: July 30, three-course themed dinner, $70, book at staranisecafe.com.au;
Cafe Deore, Mt Hutton: Roast dinner ($17.90) or roast dinner with pudding, tea or coffee ($25.90);
Pork Ewe Deli, Mayfield: Order from a selection of set grazing platters and/or a free range roast (meat orders close July 8 for collection July 22 or 23);
The Blind Chef, Cardiff: July 17, two-course set menu, $28.50 per person, book by phoning 4954 7244; and
Mayfield West Bowling Club: July 9, $35 per person includes a glass of bubbly on arrival, grazing table, festive two-course meal, lucky door prize and more (tickets available at the bar).
Food Fight a record breaker
The 11th annual Hunter Culinary Association Food Fight held last week at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley was three years in the making, thanks to COVID interruptions. Humbug chef and co-owner Michael Portley, from Newcastle, won the popular vote with his third course: mafaldine with smoked pork rib, mustard green and cured egg.
"My dish was based on a carbonara, which is usually made as a pan sauce, by frying off guanciale, before adding pasta cooking water and some pecorino, parmesan and egg," he explained.
"We make a mafaldine at Humbug which I think is a fun shape to eat and works with many different kinds of sauces.
"To scale the dish up and make it work for a big crowd, I decided to smoke some pork ribs (Borrowdale, free range) low and slow with a heavy coating of pepper. We then sliced them thin and bathed them in a seasoned chicken stock.
"The pasta was topped with this, some soy and sake cured egg yolks, mustard greens (sweet, fresh and spicy), crispy sprout leaves and a savoury and salty blackberry and onion oil.
"It was a fun event and great to be a part of."
Hunter Culinary Association chair Gus Maher said the day marked a number of milestones - a record number of 350 attendees and record auction proceeds of $52,000 - but he was most impressed by the "sense of camaraderie and culinary fellowship" in the room.
"There was a real feeling of community in the room, an esprit de corps amongst an industry that has been to hell and back in the past two years, survived, and come back working towards being stronger than ever," he said
"Increasingly we have more and more consumers from Newcastle and Sydney who have heard of the Food Fight, and it was evident that they contributed towards the energy, knowing that were part of the re-awakening of our great hospitality industry".
The annual round of HCA Apprentice Scholarships were also announced on the day, for which a record number of applications was received (14). The scholarship winners were Ryan New (Crystalbrook Kingsley), Rees Wilde (The Flotilla), Brendan Green-Hill (Hotel Cessnock), Lara Hagan (Margan Restaurant) and Benjamin Eitel (Humbug).
Due to the calibre of the applicants, runner-up awards were given to Milly Parker (Belmont 16s), Thomas Cook (Boydell's) and Alexander Macfadyen (Bistro Molines).
Funds raised from the auction go towards supporting Hunter Culinary Association's growing list of scholarships, aimed at nurturing young and aspiring chefs and apprentices.
Short and sweet
Bistro Eden at Cooranbong is now open for dinner from 5pm, Thursday to Saturday.
Pino's at Islington now has a breakfast menu and it is typically eclectic and exciting.
Jewells Tavern is reviving its schnitzel menu to include some old favourites (for example The Godfather, The Mexican, The Aussie).
The folks behind Charlestown's Schilly Street are bringing Burg Street to Jesmond soon.
Comedian and wine lover Merrick Watts is hosting a 70-minute wine tasting show at Brokenwood Wines on August 26. Tickets are on sale now.
Local Connections at Shortland has a NAIDOC-inspired dessert on offer until Friday: lemon myrtle cream with Davidson plum compote and wattle seed meringue.
Civic Theatre Cafe & Bar is celebrating native ingredients this week with a special NAIDOC menu. It looks delicious, too.
