Book Review
Rama Gaind
By Rama Gaind
PS News Books

The Butcher, the Baker, the Best Coffee Maker…
   By Gaye Weeden & Hayley Smorgon (Viking, $39.95, softcover, 281 pages)

Born out of a “passion” for seeking the best food in Melbourne, this is a tangible, comprehensive, colourful, quintessential good taste guide.
   Gaye Weeden and Hayley Smorgon display an infectious zeal, have done the legwork and trawled Melbourne's streets on the hunt for classic recipes, hidden foodie gems and fabulous flavours.
The Butcher, the Baker, the Best Coffee Maker… by Gaye Weeden & Hayley Smorgon
The Butcher, the Baker, the Best Coffee
Maker… by Gaye Weeden &
Hayley Smorgon.
   Both take pleasure in imparting details about the variety of nationalities, living side-by-side, showing off their culinary skills and traditions in Melbourne. They elaborate on Footscray being a “hidden gem”; the “trendy destination” of Lygon Street, Carlton; their delight at spending time in Little India in Dandenong; Sydney Road, Brunswick, that’s “bursting with exotic produce”; Johnson Street, Fitzroy/Collingwood offering a small slice of Spain; and cosmopolitan St Kilda.
   For them, the thrill of finding an “undiscovered treasure is always exhilarating”.
   It was a labour of love for these two food-loving authors as they hit the footpaths to unearth some wonderful grocers, bakeries, delicatessens, cake shops and tell us why Melbourne is synonymous with coffee.
   For an interactive shopping experience, get first-hand tips on farmers' markets, organic markets, specialty supermarkets, suppliers and cooking schools.
   Find out the best places to go for breakfast, lunch and dinner, where to find unrivalled fish and chips, ice-cream, chocolate, award-winning sausages plus the best barista in town.
   The Butcher, the Baker, the Best Coffee Maker also includes the recipes to
signature dishes from various Melbourne institutions such as Phillippa’s
Lemon Tart, 7 Apples’ Mango Gelato and Pellegrini’s Gnocchi.  
   Brimming with short, insightful interviews, recipes peppered throughout and evocative photographs, this book highlights: “The quest for the best is woven into the routines that shape our lives. We are always on the lookout for the finest, the most authentic, the most delicious”.
   Now you can reap the rewards of their diligent, delectable research!

To find out more about Rama Gaind click here.
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