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If you're heading to Melbourne in the next month, rejoice as the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is on. From March 7-23 there will be the chance to meet 30 Michelin stars in town, including Heston Blumenthal and join Masterclass chef dinners at the city's top restaurants such as the likes of Carlos Cracco.You can hear from a host of international winemaking legends and take part in more than 150 events including the Laneways and
Rooftops dinners, the World's Longest Lunch (with 1200 guests), the inaugural Tapas Crawl and Bite and the Aphrodisiac Orgy at the famous Madame Brussels. To find out more, go to www.melbournefoodand wine.com.au
Artisan awards
Farro Fresh, at 80 Lunn Rd, Mt Wellington, is the place to be this Saturday when the finalists of the Cuisine Artisan Awards 2009 will be in store. You can chat to all the different food producers, sample their products and make the most of some special deals. The winners will be announced on the day.
Grow your own
If you're inspired to grow your own vegetables, keep an eye out for Grow It, Cook It. The new book combines cooking and gardening and presents simple ideas on growing your own vegetables, fruit and herbs and using them to create delicious meals. The twist being that all of the plants in the book can be grown in pots, so you can do it even if you live in an inner-city apartment. There are 355 recipes to be inspired by, and there's even a section on getting kids interested in edible gardens. Grow It, Cook It, by Sally Cameron, published by Penguin, $50, is released tomorrow.
