Recipes
Salad in a jar
Food & Drink

Bottle your salad to keep it fresh and crispy

If there was one taste that defined our childhood, it would probably be that old schoolyard foe: the soggy sanga. The sweaty cheese, the squelchy tomato, the wilted lettuce – it was enough to give some of us serious mental scars and instil fear every time we packed our lunches in later years. But as with most of life’s little challenges, it also gave us an opportunity to learn and we developed a swag of nifty tricks to avoid experiencing soggy-lunch syndrome in the future. While the current trend to consume everything from recycled mason jars may have you rolling your eyeballs, it’s an incredibly practical way to pack your workday salad. We’ve listed our favourite fillings below, but get as creative as you like, substituting the rice for tofu, beans or quinoa and adding your choice of fresh vegetables, fruit and herbs. more

Bars
Fluid Festival 2014
Food & Drink

Fluid Festival 2014 celebrates craft beer

More than 50 taps flowing with craft beer and cider may sound like a divine vision, but team it with knowledgeable experts, a matched menu and free entry, and you have yourself a deliciously educational day at the annual Fluid Festival. more

The Grocer
Generation Food film
Food & Drink

Generation Food tackles broken food system

Generation Food is an upcoming documentary that takes a look at the current food system and explores ways in which we can produce and distribute food more fairly. Instead of going straight to the standard panel of experts, this film lends a voice to the little guys – real people working towards real solutions in different regions around the world. This fascinating project was successfully crowdfunded in 2012 and is expected to hit our screens later in the year. Check out the campaign video above and learn more online. more

The Grocer
Eat Bake Grow markets
Food & Drink

Eat Bake Grow real food markets launches in Mount Cotton

At the crack of dawn every second Sunday morning, a swarm of local growers, farmers and artisan food makers can be found packing their foodie treasures into vehicles and descending upon the Mount Cotton Community Hall. The rich smells of coffee, pastries, fresh juice and free-range bacon-and-egg rolls fill the space on the corner of Seaview and Mount Cotton Roads from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm, offering locals both ready-made food to eat on-site and plenty of fresh produce and artisan goods to go. more

Bars
John Mills Himself, Brisbane City
Food & Drink

John Mills Himself opens in Brisbane City

Drawing focus to calculated food and drink miles, supporting the local economy and opting for organic where possible, John Mills Himself is a new cafe and bar by Marcus Allison from Bunker and Helen Bird and Billerwell Daye from Street Food Australia and Pearler studio. more


The Grocer
achacha
Food & Drink

The Grocer: Achacha

A traditional fruit to ring in the New Year amongst the tropical Amazon Basin of Bolivia, achacha (pronounced ah-cha-cha) is now also grown in the Burdekin region in north Queensland. more

Recipes
bliss balls recipe
Food & Drink

Get happy with a handful of bliss balls

Taming that need for an afternoon sugar hit can be difficult, especially when your colleagues are sharing a block of Alter Ego dark quinoa chocolate. Make a batch of bliss balls this weekend, so you’re all kitted up for sharing a sugar-free treat come Monday. Experiment with different nuts like cashews, almonds, pecans and walnuts, or a combination of all, tuning the recipe to your preferred tastes. You can also sub in carob powder instead of cacao, and go wild experimenting with different fruits, nuts and seeds to make your bliss balls satisfyingly chunky. These will keep well in the fridge throughout the week, or until all gobbled up. more

The Grocer
stone and wood
Food & Drink

Stone & Wood x McTavish: the craft of brewing and shaping

Out of the surf, up the sandy shores, into the beer garden – the cool crisp bubbles of beer satiate the salt-enhanced thirst that accompanies a day of wave riding. Drawing inspiration from its surrounds, Byron Bay-based brewery Stone & Wood fosters providence and a sense of place in crafting its range of beers, shaping each brew to complement the local conditions. In this way, co-founder and head brewer Brad Rogers sees a connection between his handicraft and that of Bob McTavish – godfather of surfing and creator of McTavish surfboards. Discover the passion behind each company in the short film, Brewer/Shaper. more

Recipes
Watermelon and mint salad
Food & Drink

Freshen up with watermelon and mint salad

Hands up who over-indulged in the holiday season? Judging by the discarded Christmas pudding boxes and drained wine bottles lining our recycling bin, we’re certainly guilty of eating and drinking our way to merriment in 2013. But it’s a brand-new year and we’re not ones to hold on to old regrets, so we’re leaving our follies in the past and looking ahead to a brighter, better 2014. Kick off the new year with a healthy-eating action plan full of fresh, summery flavours and nourishing ingredients, starting with this easy recipe for watermelon and mint salad. more