11 June 2011

Seizure Magazine Launch: Black Star Pastry catering, The Paper Mill, Sydney (25 May 2011)

Ash Street Shop 2, 1 Angel Place, Sydney NSW 2000
http://www.thepapermill.org.au
Magazine: http://www.seizureonline.com
Catering: http://www.blackstarpastry.com.au



Flavour tripping launch

Seizure is an exciting new magazine showcasing the talents of some of our best young editors, writers and designers. Founded by a band of frustrated creatives hell-bent on producing something good while toying with new ideas, new styles and new media. Each issue will take on a different magazine genre and challenge writers and readers expectations.”

Thanks to Rosanna Stevens, the sub editor for Seizure, for inviting me along to their magazine launch at The Paper Mill. Catering was by the ever popular Christopher Thé from Black Star Pastry. Cute mini Aussie burgers and tasty Spiced pumpkin tarts filled the stomach while I tried to work out if the Test tube of apple cider granita with champagne was worth the visual effort of presentation. Green olives in dukka and honey were a little finger messy but flavoursome and the roasting of the chestnuts nearly set off the smoke alarm. I was most interested to try the Stonehurst Vintage 2006 Methode Champenoise Chardonnay Semillon which had a nice palatable finish and one I might look out for as a cheaper option to French champagne. On the night the magazine was available for $10 ($14.95 RRP) which I thought was a little strange for a media launch but I guess they had to recover the production costs somehow.

Guests were invited to partake in a gimmicky flavour trip by taking a Miracle Frooties tablet. The unmarked wrappers were passed around like some illegal party drug at a private nightclub. I wasn’t sure what to expect but like lemmings we all seemed to follow suit. Although before taking the tablet I wanted to try everything to see what it first tasted like in its natural state. This included limes, lemon, red grapefruit, strawberries, an interesting balsamic turkish delight with strawberry, beetroot sherbet, Guinness and chocolate spider, goats curd on pumpernickel, a wonderful crème brûlée flambée and even some bitters and balsamic vinegar (not recommended). After which I took a tablet which tasted like a flavourless piece of cardboard. It took a while to dissolve on my tongue so I munched on it a bit as well. Trying some of the fruits it didn’t make much of a difference for me so I ended up having another tablet and this time let it dissolve naturally. I did notice a difference in sweetness but for me it wasn’t as epic in change as others seemed to experience. Perhaps because I tried everything already my taste buds already had a reference point of expectation and difference.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:
PROS: Something different and interesting to read, The Paper Mill is a great gallery space
CONS: I didn’t notice an epic change in my taste buds from the Miracle Frooties which were liking sucking on cardboard, Don’t try roasting chestnuts inside a gallery
MUST TRY: Crème brûlée flambée
WORTH TRYING: Balsamic turkish delight — very unusual but strangely works in moderation, Stonehurst Vintage 2006 Methode Champenoise

Mini Aussie burger

Green olives in dukka and honey

Spiced pumpkin tarts

Test tube of apple cider granita with champagne — looks like it has gold flecks too

2010 The Architect Chardonnay, Philip Shaw, Stonehurst Vintage 2006 Methode Champenoise Chardonnay Semillon


Limes

Lemon, red grapefruit

Strawberries

Balsamic turkish delight with strawberry

Beetroot sherbet

Goats curd on pumpernickel

Guinness and chocolate spider

Roasted chestnuts


Cameras poised for Sandra from The French Wench and Angie from Angie Lives to Eat to catch the flambée

Crème brûlée flambée
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Special ingredient for flambée — awesome stuff

Bitters, Balsamic Vinegar

Alice Kerrie Grundy Seizure’s Editor-in-Chief

Delia Falconer – Author of Sydney

Alice introduces Christopher Thé

Chef Buster and Chef Christopher Thé from Black Star Pastry

Chef Buster concentrating on the chocolate saucing

Makeshift kitchen

Chef Mori Gumshara

The Chronic - magazine article by Sunil Badami

Seizure photographer Matthew Venables


Well-attended launch

Business cards and pin badges for Seizure and XOU Creative

3 comments:

Sandra said...

Nice coverage Simon, pictures are great!
What camera do you use, was it 60D..? And which lens? :-)

Angie Lives to Eat (and Cook)! said...

Great photos! The creme brulee flambe was an Angie favourite too ;)

Simon Leong said...

hi sandra, used the 60D with 28mm 1.8 lens. works well in low light conditions. i'd recommend. otherwise if you had a 5D you'd probably go for the 50 mm 1.8 or 1.4 :-)

hi angie, go the creme brulee flambe :-)

Simon Food Favourites Map

View Simon Food Favourites in a larger map Key: BLUE - Location visit and review PINK - Simon Favourites and places offering something special

Small Bars in Sydney map


View Small Bars in Sydney in a larger map