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Several people have suggested that I organise a food & wine bloggers meet up.
Here is my suggestion:
Venue: Vegout community garden on the corner of Shakespeare Grove and Chaucer St, St Kilda, which is pretty funky. Yes, I know it is on my doorstep but it has the advantage of having cover (for when it rains), BBQs for both carnevores and vegetarians and a woodfired oven, which I’m told we can use.
Date: This is up to you but I’m suggesting a Monday or Tuesday evening in November. All you have to do is vote for one of these dates in comments: Monday 12, Tuesday 13, Monday 19, Tuesday 20, Monday 26, Tuesday 27. My preference in Monday 12.
Food: Bring your own to share. Pizzas, wet dishes, oven cooked risotto, burgers, salad, incredibly rich chocolate desserts, the lot. Perhaps a few of us could co-ordinate dishes via comments and blogs. Ditto booze.
Numbers: Put you name down now as I’ll need to confirm with Vegout.
What next? Spread the word on your blog.
Aspiring bloggers and partners welcome.
What do you reckon?
Popularity: 26% [?]
{ 58 comments… read them below or add one }
Great idea. Count me in for the 12th.
Nice and local for me as well.
Jack
I’m good for the 12th too. Not many bloggers read my ramblings, but I’ll put a shout-out up too.
Ed, xlnt idea, only wish I were closer so I could participate.
Tuesday nights are difficult for me
I meant monday and tues pm, sorry. Are weekend daytime picnics a possibility?
Hiya Ed (and other food bloggers!)
Great idea!
Yup, count me in for either the 11th or 12th of November but should be alright on any of those dates except perhaps the 27th- I’ll see if I can rustle up some of my co-flagrant food fawners to join in too
Is there a theme?
Will do my best to spread the meme!
Good idea:) Unfortunately I won’t know my availability until much closer to any of those dates. Here’s hoping!
I would like to come. I’m ok with any of those days. Are we talking night time though? Can it be like 7pm or later as it’s hard for us Eastern Suburbs workers to make it into the city area that quickly after work.
I’m also in favour of a weekend lunch picnic if that’s possible for people.
I think we should email you what we’re thinking of bringing or we might end up with 20 cakes, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
AOF, I was toying with a wekend but it is more difficult to get Vegout.
Gobbler, maybe we need to organise the bloggers’ bus tour down to see you
Thanh, yes it’s evening.
Gobbler it’s too bad you didn’t get one of those $10 flights to Melbourne on Tiger Air this week.
I’m all for a jaunt to Tassie some time. How about a Blogger’s Slow Food Tour of Gobbler’s yard?
Ooo, I’d be in for any of those times. Although something in line of a weekend lunch I’d have to leave you guys to it as I work then.
But yeah, a great idea! So I’ll check back often for the final date, and see you all then.
Ed, perhaps a trans Tasman, blog-trotting event should be the natural spin-off to the St Kilda event. Who knows it could be the next Moonlight cinema/day on the green/harvest picnic thingy?
Sticky, yes I should have taken advantage of those tickies. Belive me your tomatoes, herbs & lettuces sound better than my my yard at present, more like Steptoe & Sons garage at my end. But if you do come over you’ll be welcome.
With each new comment I get more thrilled - thanks Ed.
Does anyone know how to crank up this wood fire oven? If not, I’ll chat to my Slow Food friends for advice. I’m thinking of doing a post on what to cook in it.
BTW, so you know Thanh, I’m not the type to bake sweet things. I’m sure there’s tons of enthusiastic blogging bakers to do that. Most likely I’ll bring a whole Barramundi, spuds and fennel to roast together, a tagine (goat or vegie) and perhaps a loaf of bread to bake or some pizza dough.
Gobbler - love the analogy! You win on your picturesque Tassie locale, while I live in urban Port Melbourne, with a yard increasingly filling with polystyrene boxes - ironically from Tasmanian Salmon suppliers - stuffed with soil.
Stickyfingers put me on to this. I’d try and make it, though I’m pretty new to this scene, so haven’t set up a relationship with any of you guys! I’m unavailable Mondays and the first Tuesday.
Yep, Stickyfingers is doing a good job recruiting for this banquet, but I’m afraid that like Fiona, I’m unavailable Mondays. Any Tuesday is good though…
Stickyfingers, your dishes sound so good. It makes me ashamed of what I was going to bring. I was only going to bring a couple of the same cake. Now I think it will have to be a few different cakes.
I must post about this banquet on my blog soon as well, recruit more fellow foodies so I can finally meet everyone.
Great idea Ed… I will need to check my schedule, but I think 12 or 13 Nov is fine…
I will confirm this next week if possible!
great to se the enthusiam. I think pizzas will be the go. Perhaps one or two of us can mix some dough and we can bring along various toppings to share. I’ve looking orward to inroducing my banana and chocolate pizza, the show-off that i am.
Good idea. I should be able to do 12,13 or 19,20th!
Looking forward to it
Pizzas are a great idea Ed.
Hope your dessert pizzas are as good as i carusi around the corner, even if I’m stuffed i have to have the dark chocolate and pear…
Anyway i digress, lock me in for pizza bits, dough is not my thing but I can do the meats and cheeses, perhaps someone else can organise some sugo and any other veggie bits…???
Jack
As a new blogger still working on my blog I’d love to meet you guys who have inspired me. I enjoy reading your blogs and would love to meet up on any one of these dates if I am free and welcome.
Hey. 19th, 20th, 26th and 27th would suit me. It seems though that most people are keen for the week before. Obviously if I can’t make it there will be many, many postings to let me know how it went.
Oops, am I too late? Alas, I cannot make it, this is the arse end of semester and I’ve got to stay on the ball if I want to stay on the dean’s good list. Not that I even like the sod, but eh!
Hello!
Great idea. I’m in for the 12th, 13th, 19th or 20th. And I’ll be happy to bring a big chocolatey dessert!
xox Sarah
Mon 12th is good for me, as are all M
The sportier half of “where’s the beef?” is usually busy on Mondays and Tuesdays but I can probably come (with veggie pizza toppings!) any night except Nov 20.
I’ll just have to wait and see, it’s a bit hard for us to get out during the week. Maybe I’ll apply for a leave pass.
It looks like the 12th or is best. Any thoughts on which one?
Shame Neil, AOF and others can’t make it but how about another one in the New Year and I’ll (or somebody else if they’d like to organise it) will do a weekend one. Jon et al. - everybody is welcome.
This sounds like a great idea! I’m in for any date, but preferably a Monday. I’ll definitely come if I am free on the day. I’m into the sweet stuff so I’ll most likely bring something sugar laden. How does a big hummingbird cake with cream cheese icing sound? Or maybe a banana cake with lashings of ganache made with Callebeaut chocolate?
I’m up for any Mondays, easy.
I have NO idea what I would bring. Hopefully I’ll think of something before the day.
I’d be up for it… free most of those days. Looking forward to meeting everyone.
Hi guys!!
Just heard about this from stickyfingers!!!
Count me and hubs in on any evening (hubs is a blogger, but not a food blogger)
as to the wood fired oven, we’ve got one in the back yard, so I’ll put my hand up to get it going, if you like.
Just need to know what wood they provided, if any.. otherwise we’ve got a stack of kindling and red gum that we could bring.
keep me in the loop!!
pg
Hello, please count me in. I will go with the majority on the voting of the night, no problems. I would like to be advised if the wood fired oven will be on and then I can do pizza and if not likewise let me know and I will do something sweet! Vida x
Wish I could but the Gold Coast is a bit too far! Can you post pics for us?
Looks like the 12th it is. i’ll sort it out. great to see some new blogs i’ve haven’t seen before.
Goldie, Sure we’ll post pics an stories. Maybe an outing to the Gols coast once we’ve done tassie.
oooohhh, 12th sounds good and fingers crossed that I can make it as I fly out the next day!
happy to bring whatever is missing whether dessert or pizza toppings or dough.
looking foward to an update, Ed.
okay, I take that back. I can’t read my own itinerary! I will be in London on the 12th so hopefully there will be something in the new year…enjoy!
Ed, can I confirm for two people (me and my partner).
So we agree on pizza, right?
In that case. i will bring some sweets and perhaps some finger food.
Cin, that’s a shame. Next time.
Anh, pizza - or anything alese that can be cooked in a wood fired oven.
Hi Ed and all!
There should be between 5-10 of us from FFF. Not sure what we’re all bringing but expect something sweet and/or salads from me.
Maybe we can have some wacky raffle related draw with food related prizes donated by us too??? Okay I might be getting carried away sorry!
m
The idea of a summer picnic on the weekend next time sounds good to me (and can I suggest in advance some non-dairy food themes
Hi Ed,
Shame I can’t make it, but I’m with AOF - a weekend next time would be great.
I think I’ll bring a few cold roast lemon-and-pepper marinated chickens. I figure people can either throw bits on pizzas, or eat it on its own. Maybe will also bring some sweet stuff… I seem to be a biscuit-making demon lately. Or some huge bowl of some type of salad… I don’t know, I almost never socialise, so I’m very out of practice.
The Tummy Rumble kiddies are currently overseas, I think they’ll be back in time, but not sure if they will have read about this… I’ll see if they want to come too.
Despite being a unrequeted carnivore we will bring a pizza (raw) and some piced oven crisp pitta with eggplant or Tehinna and beetroot dips as an pre entree taster for the peckish
I wanna come!!! Can I Can I Can I PLEASE???
but I’m from Sydney. do you have a definite date? 12th November?
Yes, it’s the 12th but I need to add up the numbers and okay it with Vegout. I’ll probably post something on the weekend.
Hi Ed
We will be able to be there on the 12th. Not sure whay we will bring but please keep us informed!
Looking forwrd to meeting everyone.
Paul & Mike
will be there with hubby.
not sure what to bring as coming down from sydney
i’m in for the 12th.
Ed, sticky reminded me of this and I am keen, and will aim to be there… may also drag the other half along too… in fact, can you bring dogs to vegout? they will enjoy the scraps…
anyone with any requests from sydney?
Grocer..
bring Toby’s coffee!!
Hey Ed, perhaps it would be good to put the final date as an update at the beginning of this post?
What time will it get started? Looks like I’m going to be with a client until mid-evening, so looks I might not make it:( And I was even planning petit-fours!
Will have to retract my last statement about numbers for the food banquet.
At best there may be 2 of us turning up tonight (if it’s still going ahead- any final details/updates?) and unfortunately I won’t be there because of work commitments.
Apologies to all- but hopefully this will be a successful banquet with lots of yummy food!
Until next time…
ps. Was going to suggest if people were interested to meet up between the christmas new year’s period for another try eg.Sunday arvo on 30th of December by the yarra or in the botanical gardens? Will post something on FFF too.
Be well!
Guys, I’m probably the youngest blogger here, I mean my contribution is zilch so far. Would it be to much for you to meet a new face today?
M’s Nemisis, shame.
Ned kelly, please come. There’s no exclusivity here. this is open to anyone who blogs food or has an interest in it.
Thanks, looking forward to meet you all. I’ll bring something for the oven.
Cheers
Great Idea Ed.
Only just read about it but would be too far for me anyway, but something for the future maybe. Hope that the event was great fun. Now off to visit some of the other blogs that have commented.