Coffee Culture - travel & lifestyle

For our recent Winter 2008 issue, Crema Magazine invited Stefano Manfredi, celebrated Australian chef, restaurateur, and coffee lover, to showcase some of his espresso inspired desserts. Above and beyond the call, however, Stefano decided to take it as a challenge to create an entirely new selection of desserts. “Kitchens love a challenge and so the challenge of creating new espresso desserts was a pleasure and one we simply had to accept” said Stefano. The pleasure is, of course, all ours as we bring you one of the four exquisite espresso desserts created expressly for Crema Magazine by Stefano Manfredi.

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by Gary Try

The splendour of Florence can be overwhelming and a ‘soft-entry’ into the city from the surrounding hills is a delightful way to ease into the onslaught of renaissance art, culture and architecture. Here, as part of our continuing series, Gary Try gives us his personal perspective on the city and its cafés.

There is such peace and serenity to be found in an olive grove. The tranquility that these gnarled old trees express falls over you like a soft cloak, gently caressing and relaxing. Dappled light falls from the intense blue sky above, through the silver-green leaves of the olive trees, creating a dance of millions of radiant ballerinas moving slowly across the grove in a never-ending ballet, staged on the rolling Tuscan hills. Below lies the river Arno, snaking its way through the valley, neatly defining the city of Florence, locally known as ‘Firenze – La Gioiello di Tuscano’ (the jewel of Tuscany). (more…)

Jo Jouin, former director Sydney’s Toby’s Estate Coffee made a visit to East Timor in late 2004 to look at local conditions. Crema magazine asked Jo to tell us of her experiences.

From the moment we stepped off the plane at Dili airport on the northern side of East Timor we were struck by the warmth and friendliness of the Timorese people.

The children were very accepting of us and we quickly learnt some basic Portuguese language skills – ‘Bon dia‘ for hello and ‘obrigado‘ for thank you. Initially most people were very shy but as we took some polaroid photos and showed the magic of developing the photos, the ice was broken and laughter rang out.

The extent of the poverty really became apparent as we moved up to the mountains. We were invited into the traditional thatched home of one influential and important family from the guerilla movement. There were no possessions. Nothing, just the clothes on their back and a mat to sleep on. (more…)

By Melissa Rimac

Unique, rustic, and ready to lure with its gentle captivations and warm smiles…

Having, throughout recent and distant history, fought hard to maintain its sovereignty and unique identity, Vietnam today remains proudly defiant and seemingly set in its own very charming ways. Whilst much of the rest of Asia surges headlong into the 21^st century, to form a blur of bright lights, skyscrapers and incessant buzz that blitzes the senses, Vietnam, especially in the north and central regions, bewitches with its gentle, slow and subtle captivations.  (more…)

Alfred Gregory: Photographs from Everest to Africa

Climber, explorer and professional photographer, Alfred Gregory was chief photographer with the triumphant British team that took Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay to the summit of Everest in 1953. From this time on, he travelled the world, leading expeditions and recording remote cultures and landscapes. Pristine images of the Himalayas, before it became a fashionable destination for an adventure holiday, to Africa, to his British hometown of Blackpool; more than one hundred remarkable images from a lifetime of photography are brought together for the first time. Simply stunning. RRP: $100.00 Penguin Group Australia

Crave: A Passion for Chocolate
Maureen McKeon

This is luscious decadence at it’s very best. Positively dripping with mouth-watering recipes, it is the ultimate celebration of chocolate. From simple childrens recipes and tea-time treats through to the most elegant of desserts, this book aims is to demystify the art of working with chocolate. Superbly photographed, it also contains all the technical information on chocolate you could ever need, as well as an array of hints and tips. Impressive and truly indulgent! RRP: $49.95 Murdoch Books

Fish
Pete Evans

This guy seems to live for fishing; it’s a good thing he is also a great chef! You get the feeling you have joined Pete on one of his fishing trips; with witty little anecdotes and holiday snaps to complete the vibe. With a focus on Australian seafood, this is a light-hearted, fun and accessible book, full of superb recipes for the everyday cook to create something deliciously special. RRP: $34.95 Murdoch Books

Secrets of the Red Lantern
Pauline Nguyen

An inner city favourite in Sydney’s Surry Hills, the Red Lantern Vietnamese restaurant is always good and always busy. This very personal book gives us an insight into its very being; a moving memoir of a family’s struggles and triumphs, as well as a how-to book of gorgeous Vietnamese dishes and the secrets that lie in their creation. An absolute must-have for those of us drawn to the delectable flavours of Vietnam. RRP:$59.95 Murdoch Books

Lotus – Asian Flavours
Teage Ezard

Melbourne foodies will already be familiar with this widely acclaimed chef and his very fine two-hatted eponymous restaurant in Flinders Lane. For those not lucky enough to be able to easily experience this deliciously bold south-east Asian inspired restaurant, here is your chance to try your hand at home. Generous, luscious, exquisite yet simple; these recipes display all the hallmarks of Ezard’s traditional style with his signature twist. Well worth the effort. RRP $49.95 Hardie Grant Books

Grossi Florentino: Secrets & Recipes
Guy Grossi & Jan McGuinness

One of the first places to serve espresso coffee and homemade pasta, Guy Grossi took over the Florentino in 1999 and it is now considered to one of the city’s best Italian restaurants. This book encompasses over 80 of Grossi’s classic recipes along with the history; written by McGuinness, that has seen Florentino rise from it’s humble beginnings in 1900 as a wine café at the wrong end of town, to one of Melbourne’s dual-hatted dining institutions. RRP $39.95 Penguin Australia

Winter in the Alps : Food by the Fireside
Manuela Darling-Gansser 

For anyone having experienced the beauty of a European winter, this is food to warm the hands and the heart. This is a personal account a Swiss winter when life moves indoors and food plays an important part in the rituals of the season. Within the confines of this small country there are a variety of regional cuisines, forced by the extremes of terrain and climate. The author does not try to emulate these fantastically unique foods but rather offers inspired recipes, which, on a cold winter’s day in Australia, are deliciously tempting yet relatively simple. RRP $59.95 Hardie Grant Books

for Maxime Bibeau, Principal Double Bass with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, each is an integral part of daily life. (more…)

When it comes to living lavishly, there’s no place quite like the Maldives, says Melissa Rimac.

Bolt-bright turquoise, aquamarine, azure, indigo, sapphire, aqua, cobalt, ice-blue, teal, powder-blue. 

In the Maldives, more hues of blue presented themselves than I could have ever imagined possible in a single vision. There are blues that excite, blues that soothe, blues so deep and intense you almost have to look away. These are blues that envelop your every move and lure you to forget yourself.  And, as far as the eye can see, there’s nothing but pure pleasure. (more…)

Big City Life

We wander around the world that surrounds us with a small bubble of protection formed by friends, family and experiences. In this issue we have four releases that explore that protection and the vulnerability when we step outside bubble. These albums look at our interaction with our urban lives; big cities, family, lovers and strangers. 

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