Melbourne goes Greek for a week in November
George Calombaris on set with Sweet Alchemist Stelios Parliaros. Photo: Instagram.
George Calombaris' Oh My Greek Week returns, bringing some of the best chefs and mixologists from across Australia and Greece to the foodie capital
Delicious Greek food made by some of the world's best chefs with cocktails to match, by sought-after Athenian mixologists? You guessed it, Oh My Greek (OMG) Week is back. Set to return next month, if you liked what you saw (and tasted) last year, then you're in for a real treat in 2016.
A true celebration of Hellenic culture, cuisine and community, the six-day event, spearheaded by George Calombaris, will once again see the highest calibre of Greek chefs from across Australia and around the world come together in Melbourne in a cross-collaboration that will embrace the many styles and traditions of Greek cuisine.
Kicking off on Monday 21 November, the event will commence with a progressive dinner across George Calombaris' Flinders Street suite of restaurants, starting off at Gazi. Guests will be welcomed with cocktails prepared by renowned mixologist Chris Houseas, accompanied by mezethes created by Athenian young-gun chef Polychronis Damalas.
The main course will follow at the The Press Club, created by famed chefs Alex Tsiotinis and Gikas Xenakis, and the final stop will see dessert taken to the next level with star pastry chef Stelios Parliaros (Sweet Alchemy) at Press Club – Projects, with perfectly-matched cocktails made by Athens' finest.
The following evening, some of Greece's top chefs, including Georgianna Haliakaki and Nick Roussos from two-Michelin-star restaurant Funky Gourmet, will take over The Press Club kitchen to recreate Athens' acclaimed contemporary dining and cocktail scene.
If you're interested in learning more about the roots of the Greek kitchen, you'll have the chance on Wednesday 23 November in a feast inspired by ancient Greece, prepared by the foremost experts in Hellenic culinary traditions − Yiannis Baxevanis, David Tsirekas and Maria Loi. Guests will then have the chance to complete their culinary journey with a private tour of a collection of rare items at the Hellenic Museum on loan from Athens' Benaki Museum.
The OMG week gala dinner will take place midweek, where attendees will have the chance to mingle with all special guest chefs. Hosted at the Peninsula, Atlantic Group, Docklands, as expected, there'll be a feast of epic proportions, along with an exclusive and intimate performance from Cypriot musician Michalis Hatzigiannis.
On Friday, the day's program will start off elegantly with a high tea at the Hotel Lindrum, where Parliaros and chef Christoforos Peskias will join forces to deliver diners an unforgettable experience.
In the evening, the attention will turn to cocktails at Press Club-Projects, with a masterclass by bartenders Vasilis Kyritsis and Nikos Bakoulis from The Clumsies, one of the world's best bars. Renowned for their bold experimentation in the 'alcoholic arts', taste their signature cocktails paired with a menu by Peskias.
And for those with a sweet tooth, you haven't been forgotten. On Saturday 26 November, Parliaros,also known as the 'wizard of pastry', will conduct a cooking demonstration and share his tips of the trade. Guests will then enjoy a three-course lunch at Odysseus + Penelope in Kew, with a dessert designed by Parliaros himself.
What better way to draw the week to a close than by paying homage to the classics. Calombaris will be joined by Baxevanis, Damalas, and Loi to prepare a four-course feast that pays tribute to the traditional Hellenic style of dining in Kew.
And if that wasn't enough, Federation Square will also get a taste of OMG Week, with Calombaris' pop-up eatery, Greek, open for the entire duration of the event, from 21-26 November. Oh the choices!
source:Neos Kosmos
Media awards honour Cretan Anzacs story
Mike, pictured at a hideout used by the Cretan Resistance during the Nazi occupation to shelter soldiers, near the village of Patsos.
Mike Sweet wins MIMA Best Editorial award for ABC documentary
Journalist Mike Sweet has taken out the Best Editorial award for ABC documentary Escape from Crete at this year's Multicultural and Indigenous Media Awards (MIMA).
Two years in the making, the ambitious radio documentary honours the Cretan Anzacs, telling the story of Indigenous Australian soldier Captain Reg Saunders' time on-the-run in 1941, and the relationships that grew between Allied soldiers and the Cretan families who protected them.
First broadcast by ABC Radio National on 19 May, 2016 to honour the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Crete, the judges were impressed by the project, their comments reflective of Sweet's high calibre of work: "Exclusive research, highly creative production skills, and insightful editorial judgement were brought to bear on a vital story of timeless Australian multicultural values."
Sweet spent three months in Crete researching and recording interviews for the program, with families who were involved in looking after Saunders for almost 12 months, from June 1941 until May 1942.
To help reveal the remarkable and largely unknown story of his time in Greece, Sweet went one step further by retracing Saunders' movements across the island and using field recordings at vital locations.
In an interview with Neos Kosmos, Sweet expressed his gratitude to the ABC and said he was thankful to be recognised for his work.
"As a project that took me nearly two years to make, it's very satisfying to receive an award for a project that was so close to my heart," he said.
"I'm very grateful to the ABC for commissioning the story, and the tremendous help I had from my dear friends in Crete, the Saunders family, and from the Greek Australian community in Melbourne and Sydney."
The MIMA presentation dinner was held at Brighton Le Sands in Sydney on Friday 14 October and was well-attended, with guests including Labor MP for Barton Linda Burney and Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane.
Now in its fifth year, the initiative was established in 2014 by MIMA chairman Shaoquett Moselmane, the first Muslim member of the NSW Parliament.
Escape from Crete is now available as a download at www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/earshot/escape-from-crete-anzacs/7…
source: Neos Kosmos
Easy win for Olympiakos 4-1, while Panathinaikos squanders lead 2-2
Olympiakos went joint top of its Europa League group after thrashing visiting Astana 4-1 on Thursday, while Panathinaikos wasted a two-goal lead at Standard Liege to draw 2-2 and PAOK lost 2-0 at Qarabag.
Two goals by Seba and one each from Diego Figueiras and Tarik Elyounoussi gave the Reds an easy win over the Kazakh team that had pulled one back via Junior Kabananga.
Just after Astana made it 3-1 it was reduced to 10 men, as Roger Canas received a second booking.
This was a confidence-boosting show by the Piraeus club ahead of the league derby with PAOK on Sunday.
Olympiakos has joined APOEL at the top of the pool with six points from three games, as the Cypriot champion went down 3-1 at Young Boys.
Panathinaikos's game was an opportunity missed but a point earned. The Greens led 2-0 thanks to a Victor Ibarbo brace on the 12th and 36th minute, but for a second game in a row in the competition they had a penalty decision go against them.
Much as the Greens protested, Polish referee Daniel Stefanski insisted on the penalty he awarded to Standard at the end of the first half and even sent Panathinaikos manager Andrea Stramaccioni to the stands for protesting. Edmilson Junior converted the kick and Ishak Belfodil went on to equalize eight minutes from the end.
The Greens earned their first point in three games and remain at the bottom of their group.
PAOK had a poor performance in Azerbaijan, unlike all other away games it has played this season in Europe.
Qarabag saw the chance to upset its visitor and after a goalless first half it struck through Dani Quintana on the 56th and Rahid Amirguliyev three minutes from time.
The Azeris are now level on points with PAOK as they both have four. They will battle it out again at Toumba in two weeks' time.
source:ekathimerini.com