Gourmands will be following their noses to Petone this Saturday as the seaside suburb's annual fusion food festival gets under way.
Celebrity chef Richard Till, who has fed some of music's biggest names U2, Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, New Order kicks off the month-long celebration along with locals Paul Rowan, of Lower Hutt's Mange Tout, and La Bella Italia's Antonio Cacace, in a series of tasty European and Mediterranean-themed demonstrations. Joining them will be the Culinary Fare Chef of the Capital 2006, Weltec tutor Scott Cameron.
Like Till, the well-travelled Cameron has also cooked for an entertainment who's who, including Frank Sinatra (in Switzerland, he ate cheese souffle), Bon Jovi (Australia, ate "an awful lot of seafood") and Sir Elton John. Originally from Scotland, Cameron, 37, began cooking part-time as a 15-year-old college student in a small Italian restaurant in Glasgow. He describes his style as a blend of classical European and new Pacific, and on Saturday will be serving up a trio of French-inspired "small soups" roasted garlic cappucino, chilled spinach and creme fraiche, and crab and coconut bisque.
A member of New Zealand's award winning Tri Nations Global Chef's Challenge team, Campbell sees the ready availability of top quality fresh food here as a big plus for the industry. "That whole thing of using good, local produce is a worldwide trend. That and the movement towards science and technology that people like Heston Blumenthal are getting into.
It's all about using the senses to have a complete dining experience." He is particularly appreciative of New Zealand seafood, with fresh scallops (sauteed quickly in a small amount of butter with a squeeze of lemon juice) topping his taste list. The festival continues the following Saturday when Life food writer Simon Holst cranks up the hotplate alongside Zibibbo's Adam Newell and Good Morning's Domenica Houlihan in a nod to Asian and Pacific Rim cuisine.
Featured entertainment over both days includes appearances by Wellington trio Twinset, Bollywood maestros Big Badda Boom, belly dancing performances, a Chado (Japanese tea ceremony) demonstration, and a children's activity area. As well as the two "taste tent" Saturdays a series of workshops, tastings and cooking classes are being held at different venues throughout March. The first is a risotto-making demonstration and tasting with Gabriele Cagnetta at La Bella Italia on Monday, while Mange Tout goes Scottish with a Robbie Burns night complete with haggis and Cock-a-leekie on March 14.
Spokeswoman Mandy Herrick said Fusion was launched in 2005 to enable people to explore different cultures through different cuisines. "Seriously rivalling Wellington in the cafe-per-capita stakes, Petone has always been a food mecca." The festival offers visitors the opportunity to snack their way around the diverse foodie spots without having to trek the suburb to do it, she said.
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