Not just shrimp on the
barbie
Sample cooking holidays Down
Under
Sydney has never shone so brightly.
Juan Antonio Samaranch declared it was the best Olympics ever, and
so did most of the reporters and everyone else on the scene.
But the Games' most lasting legacy may turn out to be
tourism. John Morse, managing director of the Australian Tourism
Commission, recently referred to the Olympics as "the biggest
one-off advertisement for Australia in living history." Tourism
officials expect major interest from travellers around the world in
the next few years.
Chances
are, though, that few would-be visitors are aware of one of the
lesser-known aspects of Down Under attractions -- a burgeoning
choice of cooking schools, offered by a variety of small luxury
hotels and guesthouses.
The concept of spending a vacation
learning to concoct fancy dishes in Italy, France and the like
appeals to certain travellers.
GLOBAL INFLUENCES
But such gourmet getaways are fairly new to Australia, which,
gastronomically speaking, was long the preserve of the bland and the
boring.
As National Geographic noted in a recent article,
just a generation or two ago, Australians would have considered
fried chicken Maryland to be a sophisticated dish. The article
quoted a Sydney restaurant owner as saying that in those days, most
Australians had never tasted garlic or eggplant or field mushrooms
and that if a vegetable wasn't green and spherical, they wouldn't
touch it.
But thanks to an influx of non-European
immigrants, Australian cuisine is today a blend of Asian, Moroccan
and other piquant influences from around the globe.
Visitors
can now eat such fare prepared by their own hand at a number of
cooking schools scattered around the continent.
Peppers, for
example, a chain of upscale resorts, offers day-long cooking courses
at various times of the year at four of its properties. Peppers
Delgany is on what was originally a private estate on the Mornington
Peninsula 90 minutes from Melbourne, while Peppers Manor House sits
amid gardens and rolling pastureland in the Southern Highlands, 90
minutes southwest of Sydney. Peppers Anchorage nestles under a
headland in the popular New South Wales coastal resort area of Port
Stephens. And Peppers Guest House is in the vineyards of the Hunter
Valley, a two-hour drive from Sydney.
Each course focuses on
one topic, such as "Asian creations," (Peppers Delgany, May 3,
2001), "summer berries at their best" (Peppers Anchorage, Feb. 5,
2001) or "pantry pleasures" (Peppers Manor House, April 20, 2001).
You can purchase a package that includes one night of
accommodation, but you can also participate even if you're not
staying at the property. Package prices run around $250 Australian,
while non-guests pay $120 Australian for the courses (it's worth
noting here that the Australian dollar has been dropping this year
and is now worth about 81 cents Cdn). Go to
http://www.peppers.com.au/ and click on "taste
of Peppers."
CHEFS ON SABBATICAL Meanwhile, some
of the continent's best chefs convene at The School House, a little
hideaway in Queensland, several times a year for a one-week
sabbatical with a small group of students. The courses cater for
cooks of all abilities, and afternoons are free to laze under a palm
tree on the beach or explore the tropical rainforest.
(011-61-7-4099-5573)
Another option is the Howqua Dale Gourmet Retreat 200 km
northeast of Melbourne, operated by Marieke Brugman and Sarah
Stegley, and offering a distinct Aussie flavour during weekend
residential cooking schools."It's about cooking in the Australian
countryside," says Brugman. "It's about being authentic, about being
rustic, but having some finesse." (011-61-3-5777-3503)
Other
possibilities that the Australian Tourist Commission describes as
top cooking schools for visitors:
Lilianfels Blue Mountains, a luxurious boutique hotel in
Katoomba in New South Wales' Blue Mountains, 90 minutes from Sydney
(011-61-2-4780-1200, www.lilianfels.com.au/index.html).
Brookland Valley Vineyard, a small, picturesque winery located
in the renowned Margaret River wine-growing region 350 kilometres
south of Perth in Western Australia. (011-61-8-9755-6250, www.brlhardy.com.au/brands/brookland.html).
Strathlynn Wine Centre, home to the Pipers Brook Vineyard
restaurant and shop, in the Tamar River valley in Tasmania, 200 km
from Hobart (011-61-3-6330-2388, www.42south.com/taswines/pbv.html, with a link
to a page that lists upcoming courses).
Most capital cities
offer cooking schools as well, with courses ranging from a day to a
week.
Sydney has schools available at the Fish Markets at
Pyrmont that specialize in seafood but offer a range of different
cuisine types throughout the year.
For those in search of an
actual cooking career, Sydney is also home to a branch of the famous
Cordon Bleu school (sibling to schools in Ottawa, London, Paris and
Tokyo; see cordonbleu.net/main.htm).
For more information on travel to Australia, visit http://www.australia.com/
www.summer
holiday.info
www.winter holiday.org.uk
