Herald Sun, foodextra Ed Charles dishes up the latest on Melbourne’s food and wine McConnell’s moves Chef Andrew McConnell this month steps down as executive chef of Circa, the Prince to concentrate on his latest ventures. The imminent launch of his all-day breakfast cafe and wine room, Cumulus Inc on Flinders Lane, and the move of his restaurant [...]

Herald Sun, Citystyle Home cooks are spoiled for choice when it comes to equipping their kitchens. ED CHARLES looks at the essentials, and the tools we love to use WE’VE come a long way from cooking in a bush oven over an open fire. The question is whether all our progress has been positive, with kitchen fads [...]

Herald Sun, Citystyle There’s a new generation of discerning drinkers, writes ED CHARLES ANDY Roche had never bothered with red wine until last year. The 26-year-old fashion designer had found his niche with white wines, specifically semillons or sauvignon blanc semillons, his favourite being Evans & Tate. But last winter became an odyssey as he discovered the range of [...]

INTHEBLACK > In the trenches Service is one of those funny things. Some companies care a lot about it and others don’t. But as far as the customer is concerned it can make or break a relationship. Nowhere is there a more concentrated microcosm of the good and the bad of customer service than the restaurant. [...]

The Australian, Entrepreneur FOOD franchises are the fastest-growing franchises. On the league table of fastest growers, six are taking some sort of health angle on food: Sumo Salad, Big Dad’s Pies, Healthy Habits, Noodle Box, Pizza Capers and Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar. Tim Dixon, CEO of consultant Franchise Works, says the high street is so dense with [...]

Herald Sun, Citystyle Rising prices is the biggest news in food this year, writes ED CHARLES WHEREVER you eat this year, it will cost more. Stay at home and the basic staples of flour, bread, pasta and dairy will cost more. Eat out and it will cost more - and the standard of service might not be up [...]

Herald Sun, Citystyle THERE are many complicated ways to prepare fish. But the best recipes, for cooking at home at least, are the simplest. The important thing to know is the best technique for each fish and what is in season. Oily fish - salmon, ocean trout, tuna, mackerel, swordfish - are best grilled, roasted or shallow fried, [...]

The Australian, Entrepreneur Importers accept the necessity of strict biosecurity measures but can find that their implementation is hard to swallow, writes Ed Charles | November 30, 2007 LAST month Melbourne-based food importer Friend & Burrell was forced to destroy 80kg of the prized Porcini mushrooms. Another exotic food importer reports that truffles — the underground fungus [...]

Herald Sun, Citystyle For diners wanting a cheap, authentic Asian or African meal, Melbourne’s suburbs offer a world of flavours. To get some insider knowledge, ED CHARLES talks to five people about the neigbourhoods they visit for a taste of their homeland. The secret to a memorable experience, he discovers, is to know which dish to order [...]

THE CURIOUS COOK: Ed Charles THERE are so many excellent markets, cafes and food shops in Melbourne it is sometimes difficult to know where to start. Even as an intrepid local I relax into my shopping comfort zones and forget to explore new territory. Curious cook Luckily, I’m one of about 20 souls from as far away as [...]