RENOWNED food writer Roberta Muir loves making it easy for everyone to explore new cuisines, ingredients, wines and places.
And the Moree on a Plate Food and Wine Festival is thrilled the community will soon gain from her valuable knowledge and skills, with the cookbook author and gourmet tour leader announced as the celebrity presenter for this year’s festival.
With a Master of Arts degree in Gastronomy and a 25-year tenure running Australia’s largest recreational cooking school, Sydney Seafood School at Sydney Fish Market, Roberta is excited to share her expertise with locals and visitors to the north-west.
She’s looking forward to showcasing the region’s excellent local produce in her recipes and inspiring the crowds with suggestions on new ways to use their favourite locally-sourced ingredients, from Grove Juice citrus through to Pally Pecans. This will be Roberta’s first trip to Moree, and she can’t wait to explore the region and its produce.
“I’m very excited about my first visit to the region. I’m a Sydney girl born-and-bred – and while I love the city life, I also adore getting out into the country,” she smiles.
“Open spaces, friendly people, closer to where our food is produced. As a cook and food-lover, being in regional areas is very exciting.”
Platforms such as Moree on a Plate are essential, she believes, when it comes to “celebrating and supporting the people who produce the food that feeds our country”.
“In the cities, we’re too often disconnected from where our food is produced, celebrating regional and rural produce starts in the regions – from there it reaches chefs who serve it and food writers who write about and talk about it so that cooks all over the country become informed and excited about it.
“I’m looking forward to learning more about the produce of the north west so I can share that information with my readers and tour guests.”
Roberta will present a number of demonstrations at the festival, sponsored by Grove Juice, sharing her knowledge and expertise while incorporating local produce into her recipes are – intended for ‘at-home’ cooks.
“My recipes are all double-tested in my home kitchen using domestic appliances and my regular cooks tell me they’re pretty ‘fool-proof’ and that they always get great results following them – which makes me very happy,” Roberta said.
“I’ll be showing Moree on a Plate visitors how to make delicious, easy dishes that are quick enough for mid-week dinners and special enough for entertaining – all with as much local produce as possible, of course.”
Entry to Moree on a Plate is via a gold coin donation, ensuring it’s a day the whole community can enjoy. The premier food and wine festival will be held at the Moree Racecourse, from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, May 10.
For further information go to Moree on a Plate.
Words: Georgina Poole; Image Supplied
