It's the champagne of choice in Hollywood : Champagne Piper Heidsieck want you to know they are in business in a big way in Australia so they held a
fabulous progressive dinner through five of The Star's top venues to
announce the renaissance of this fantastic drop. The Shuttle was only too happy to accept the challenge- make our way through five courses and five different superb Piper Heidsieck vintage champagnes. In fact, this should happen more often- the stroll between each of the great new restaurants in the billion dollar refurbished Star casino is the perfect way to work up an appetite and thirst. Honestly, the things we do for the sake of bringing a few social tales to the world !
Top foodie Lyndey Milan fondles Piper
guest in the grip of the grape, grips the grape
Fairfax Media wine expert Huon Hooke contemplates yet another glass of Piper.
Hugos owner David Evans & partner are happy to support Piper Heidsieck
The series producer John Caldon with partner Lyndey Milan
Tetsuya Wakuda, Lyndey & the ABC's Simon Marnie
If you missed it the first time, tonight SBS screens the series Lyndey & Blair's Taste of Greece. Lyndey Milan and her late son Blair travel to Greece to check out the country that has contributed so much to the Australian culinary scene ( Melbourne has the largest Greek community outside Athens).
It really is a delightful and different series on food as the pair travel the length and breadth of Greece seeking out the origins of some of that countries most famous dishes. To date the show has been screened in the UK and USA and is soon to be shown in Russia and throughout Asia.
On Wednesday Lyndey hosted a small party in her TV kitchen in Artarmon to launch a book about the series. It's a must have for your book shelf..lots of easy and delicious recipes. A small team whipped up some great treats for partygoers including Smoked Salmon in Ouzo and Whiting in Vine Leaves. Try them sometime !
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When Blair Milan passed away suddenly almost a year ago, it was a shock to so many people who had met the charming young man. He had so much promise and the TV series Lyndey & Blair'sTaste of Greece is a wonderful testament to his memory.
The talented actor, much loved son and brother, incredible
friend to so many, died on Sunday April 17, 2011. Blair's joyful life was suddenly cut short by Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. Now Blair’s family and friends have teamed up with Charles
Sturt University, where Blair studied, to form the The Blair Milan Fund . Go to Lyndey's personal website here and donate. You can see the money will be going to an excellent cause in Blair's memory.
What flat-lining economy ?. If last night's The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2012 launch and restaurant award announcements are anything to go by, the dining business is booming with more than 950 establishments listed including more than 100 new places to eat.
Rick Stein & Sarah Burns
The 27th edition of
the book and one of the largest to date was launched last night at the magnificent 1920's Byron Kennedy Hall in the Fox Entertainment Centre (corner of Errol Flynn and Peter Finch Boulevards) with 400 guests sipping Louis Roederer champagne.
The awards consist of one, two and three hats and the usual suspects topped this year's winners. Those awarded three included Quay which regularly tops international awards, Marque in Surry Hills, a newcomer on the block Sepia in the city and Bilsons run by the Godfather of Australian modern cuisine, Tony Bilson and Est, part of Justin Hemmes' empire with chef Peter Doyle.
Porteno in Surry Hills won Plumms Wine Glasses Best New Restaurant.
Tony Bilson makes a point to Patrick Benamou
40 reviewers put together the guide and the awards presided over by the SMH restaurant reviewer Terry Durack and co-editor of the guide Joanna Saville. Terry Robinson the chef at Sepia picked up the The Josephine Pignolet Best Young Chef while one of the countries favourite food identities LyndeyMilan was awarded the Vittoria (coffee) Legend Award. Lyndey is in Ireland filming a new TV series so good pal Rick Stein jetted in to accept the award on her behalf.
Just 2 months ago the Shuttle wrote of the plans of one of Sydney's bright young men about town-Blair Milan the charming 29 year old son of celebrity chef Lyndey Milan and TV executive Nigel Milan.
In recent weeks Blair had been suppressing feelings of being unwell. He thought it was due to complications from recent dentistry work. On Wednesday Blair was immediately admitted to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for blood tests after a visit to his GP.
Early yesterday morning Blair Milan passed away after slipping into a coma after it was discovered he was suffering from acute myeloid leukaemia.
Lyndey Milan with Margaret Fulton
Testimony to how much Blair was loved by his pals was that over 30 of them along with Lyndey and his dad Nigel packed his hospital room to be with him. Outside dozens more friends filled the hospital waiting room. At the local pub next door many of Blair's school pals from Barker College had already began to drown their sorrows.
The Shuttle had watched Blair grow from a cheeky school lad who first appeared on the stage at the age of 14 into a well mannered, charming and gifted actor. He appeared on the FoxtelGo channel and big things were being lined up for him.
At the launch of the Lavazzi calender in February where Blair- who like so many in the uncertain theatre world, doubled up as a maître d' for Stedman's Catering told us of his plans to start his own catering staff firm and of the 13 part TV food series -Lyndey & Blair's Taste of Greece, he had completed with his Mum . It is due to be screened on SBS TV this year.
We joked about how Lydney, the vivacious and hugely popular TV chef had been one of the few to tame Gordan Ramsey whenever he was in town and of how chefs Rick Stein and Jamie Oliver had sent messages of encouragement to both Blair and Lyndey wishing them success for their Greek food show.
Blair Milan is survived by his sister Lucy who is travelling back from London and his mother Lyndey Milan and father Nigel Milan.
We love this calendar. It's a bit late in the year to release it but one should always time their promotion to a date as Lavazzi Coffee did-Valentine's Day.
Layne Beachley, Wendy Harmer Kym Wilson at Lavazzi
Lavazzi have been publishing a calendar for 19 years now and this year's snapper who took the beautiful and subtle photos is world famous Mark Seliger whose work you see in publications like Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone.
The theme of the calendar was 'Falling In Love With Italy' with Seliger's work depicting different scenes each set in a different part of Italy where as any romantic worth their salt knows it is impossible not to fall in love. And that's just with the food.
Mark's work is often seen in galleries and museums all over the world and he's especially known for his creative shots that transform real life into art.
Past photographers have included Annie Lebowitz (currently in Sydney for her MCA exhibition that will soon tour the country ).
The calendar was launched the same night at a private party along the Navigli the historic and once navigable canals that are now Milan's most romantic settings within a venue transformed into Cupid's garden.
Sydneysiders settled for a huge terrace house in leafy Challis Avenue, Potts Point transformed into-well a large room with plenty of good eats, champers and delicious coffee based cocktails surrounded by huge billboards of some of Selinger's romantic photos. This calendar is a great size-6" x 8" but can the general public get a copy ?. We forgot to ask.
Blair Milan
## Naturally a top Italian coffee firm like Lavazzi wants only the best for it's guests and that was evident with the parties catering staff supplied by the award winning Stedman's team led by Mandy Quinn who has won numerous awards.
They may soon have competition. Blair Milan one of their major, majordomos is about to set up a catering and staff hire firm of his own. Hugely talented Blair's dad is the media personality Nigel Milan who once ran New Zealand's top television network and transformed SBS TV into the sensational multi cultural outlet it is today.
And Blair's mum is one of TV's most popular chefs and foodies-Lyndey Milan who writes for the Australian Women's Weekly and appears on Kerri-Anne Kennerley's Morning TV Show. Lyndey once presented Gordon Ramsey with a 'swear jar' at a Sydney party into which he was to deposit gold coins for charity every time he swore. Ramsey fumbled the jar upon presentation and it smashed to the floor in a thousand pieces as he exclaimed "oh f*ck !"
So says film-maker and artist Bruno Grasswill the son of a noted French film director. Bruno was filming everything that moved and didn't, at the launch of top foodie Lyndey Milan's 4th book The Best Collection. Bruno is also married to top ABC TV producer Helen Grasswill, the driving force behind the hugely successful Australian Story (which featured the Shuttle once-we are biased) and Oz sections for the US series Entertainment Tonight.
Both were guests at the swell shindig given by Lyndey's merchant banker boyfriend in his magnificent duplex apartment in the Ikon building in Kings Cross. The Ikon is the home away from home (and the best kept secret until now) of Hollywood royalty and visiting film stars working at the near-by Fox Studios.With the most commanding views of the Sydney skyline from the harbor heads to the Opera House and beyond, it's hard to top these homes.
Lyndey presents food sections on the top morning show hosted by Kerri Anne Kennerley and is food editor on the Packer family pride and joy, the Woman's Weekly (which is published monthy to confuse readers). She is also a hostess with mostess-in every way. Bruno also painted a fab portrait of Lyndey for beau John and when our party gal saw it she immediately requested more cleavage should be added. Those who know the lovely Lyndey know this is par for the course. Delicious nibbles at the party came from Lyndey's recipes and were passed around by the handsome waiters from Mandy Foley-Quin'sStedmans (the French government is trying to lure this top caterer to Paris).
Food legend Margaret Fulton launched the book. At 85 , Scot's
born Margaret has now sold millions of cookbooks and knows a great chef
when she sees one. In between glasses of champers and vintage wines
from Lyndey's own cellar we forced down Bloody Mary shooters with
oysters. And every time we tried to leave another crate of French champagne was wheeled out. Who are we to disappoint ?. No-one can actually re-call what time they left but the Shuttle woke up this morning clutching a bottle of wonderful Taittinger. Get the book now. For Christmas.
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A darling of the new media Madame Arcatifeatures a video on her blog by writer Duncan Fallowell. It's a superb piece titled Andy Warhol in Church :
Check out Fallowell's books on his site. They are really very good. Put him on your reading list.Now.
Nude artist Spencer Tunick is coming to the 2010 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras in March and is calling on all gays and lesbians to be prepared to take off their clothes for one of his mass nude snaps, on the Golden Gay Mile of Oxford Street.
The work will be called The Base and all body shapes, sexualities and preference are welcome. Will the legendary Dykes On Bikes participate ?. The once topless ladies on Harley's who lead the opening of the parade went all coy about 4 years ago when their topless snaps started appearing world-wide and on various porn websites.
There's a sort of schizophrenic attitude here.
Once a year normally reserved people let their hair down, fling open the wardrobe door and burst out in gleeful abandonment, screeching slogans about gay rights before heading off to the mass party of thousands that usually ends up in a drugged seething mass grope in the underground facilities.Come Monday they retreat back to their day jobs as chartered accountants, school teachers etc. Or in my case with the 6' horrendous drag queen in a vintage YSL ball gown who slapped me on the back half-way up Oxford Street with a maniacal look in his eyes-the bench at Downing Street Courts where he presides as a very sober magistrate,
The Shuttle experienced this mini Sodom & Gomorrah (without participating) at the last G & L Mardi Gras we attended when we accompanied 'movie star" Rupert Everett who was the special guest in 2007. Unless one swallows huge quantities of drugs (and most do) it's the most tiresome night of the year. Hours spent in the VIP room peering down on the seething mass of people circling the cavernous dance floor swaying in time to whatever DJ Boy George says goes. And just to catch a glimpse of the star act like Kylie Minouge lip syncing at 4am. Maybe we are just past it. Getting bitter as we age.
Apparently getting your gear of with a few hundred others is liberating. But is art ?. Whatever turns you on.
Only 2 weeks after his successful exhibition at the National Trust, artist Martin Sharp and the art world is in shock with the brutal murder yesterday of Sharp's curator, the respected art figure Antony Waterlow OAM whose body was found along with his slain daughter, the popular food writer and publicist Chloe Waterlow in her Randwick house. Chloe's young daughter is clinging to life after her throat was slashed and her 2 young sons who escaped unscathed are being cared for by family members as husband Ben Heuston rushes back from London.
Sharp attended a party at the University of NSW Roundhouse onSaturday night with Waterlow . Police have one suspect- a family member who was seen near the home shortly after the murders. *****************************
The awful tragedy that has struck the Waterlow family is having far reaching effects in many areas. Australia's most renowned painter Margaret Olley has spoken affectionately of the gentle Waterlow who she housed when he first arrived from the UK 40 years ago.
Police have only one suspect-a family member who suffers from schizophrenia. Over 15 years ago the state government in a rash move closed the many excellent hospitals that dealt with mental illness on the claim that patients should be housed in the community.
The battles that have ensured since over the valuable land where these hospitals were located-some by the harbour, have been long and bitter. Sadly, the then government minister who oversaw this action has gone on record proclaiming his mistake after both his sons committed suicide while they were suffering from depression.
