Kylie Huckstepp and her son

Our wonderful local magazine, Profile heard that Kylie Huckstepp wanted to create a new food magazine on the Sunshine Coast.  Genine Howard, the magazine’s managing director contacted Kylie and suggested that perhaps there was a way they could work together.

Kylie knows her food – she has a popular food blog at Sunshine Coast Food and Profile already has a terrific reputation on the coast. That combination is sure to succeed.

Introducting, First Bite Magazine — neatly tucked inside the monthly profile magazine.

Last night at the Bica Bistro, Kylie’s friends and local food lovers got together to celebrate the launch of the new magazine.  I met heaps of terrific people starting with Marayke Jonkers and Alex Lynn who own and manage the Bica Bistro at 2 Ocean Street in Maroochydore.

Marayke is a ray of sunshine with a smile as big as all outdoors.  She’s a former Paralympian who’s represented Australia at 3 Paralympic Games and she has a foundation to assist people with physical disabilities to enjoy fun, fitness and personal development through sport.

Alex is a seriously good chef.  He has a decidedly English accent but his food inspiration comes from everywhere in the world. I could tell how good the food was last night because I kept waiting for people to stop grabbing all the food off the plates so I could photograph them for you but alas, I only got one.

Folks, the food at Bica Bistro was DELICIOUS!

If you haven’t had a meal at Bica, please consider going this week.  Your taste buds will thank me.

The first edition of First Bite featured Jamie Milverton, a local chef who makes the most amazing jams, chutneys and sauces which he sells at local Farmers Markets. He learned jams and relishes from his mum who won best in show every year.

I met Jamie the first time at The Big Pineapple.  With his engaging smile and vast food knowledge, you’ll want to buy something from him. I know I did!

Jamie also teaches cooking classes and provides “the Ultimate Dinner Party” for those who just want to get it perfect every time.  Jamie kindly donated several food items as a door prize.

Kylie’s launch party also auctioned off an antique Versailles mirror with proceeds going to Marayke’s Sporting Dreams Foundation.  If you’d like to help someone realize their dream, click on the link to give someone a much needed boost.  The foundation received $450 from the auction – well done!

The Bica Bistro was full of people wanting to show their support for Kylie and First Bite Magazine.  Everyone I spoke with talked about how much they enjoyed the monthly Profile magazine and that it could only keep getting better and better, especially now that they’ve added a great new food section.

Want to advertise in an issue of Profile magazine?  Contact Maree McGrath at maree [at] profilemag.com.au – I met her last night and she’s absolutely delightful and there’s nothing she doesn’t know.

I can’t wait for the 2nd edition!  Profile magazine is a free publication on the Sunshine Coast and is available at high profile and high traffic areas around the coast between Caloundra and Noosa.  In addition, the magazine is available online with over 6,000 subscribers.  Not a subscriber to Profile?  Click to get your copy of Profile every month! OR you can get a copy mailed to you for only $65 a year.

Ever meet a food producer that you just fall in love with?  It seems to happen to me all the time.  Recently I met the owner of Sticky Beak Foods at the Big Pineapple and couldn’t resist buying some of her Mango chutney.  I loved it!

The recipes for the homemade relishes and chutneys have been in the Place family for four generations.  What did your ancestors do when they had an overabundance of tomatoes and mangoes? They preserved them and then passed the knowledge on to the next generation.

This generation of the Place family has decided to share their wonderful recipes.  I didn’t get much time to talk with Mrs. Place because it was really busy at her stall, so I don’t know if they sell at other markets.  I’ll try to find out.

What impressed me is the way she talked about her products.  She makes them the old fashioned way, not like the huge multinational corporations – no preservatives, nothing artificial and all are gluten free.

If you see her stall anywhere, be sure to try one.  I don’t think you’ll regret it!

I just LOVE buying from the producer, don’t you?

I heard about Jamie Milverton first from my friend Lorraine Elliott who is also Not Quite Nigella, one of the biggest food writers in Australia.  She made a food tour of the Sunshine Coast last year and wrote about her visit.  In the post she showed us how to make tomato relish the Jamie Milverton way.  I didn’t think much about him until I recently met Kylie Huckstepp from SunshineCoastFood.  She was raving about how good his tomato relish was and then I remembered that Lorraine had made that same relish at a cooking class given by Jamie.  I had to meet him.

On my first visit to the Big Pineapple growers market there he was.  He’s got a smile bigger than all outdoors.  There were stacks of people at his stall trying to buy his relish, jams and fresh sourdough bread but I was able to squeeze through and snap this photo.  That’s MY bread!

As a local celebrity chef, Jamie does cooking demonstrations as a part of corporate team building, works as a guest chef for events, hosts product demonstrations or product launches and offers cooking classes.  He’ll even do a one-on-one class just for you.  He’ll also help you host the ultimate dinner party in  your own home where everyone can learn how to cook like a master chef.  Jamie will even supply everything you need, like chef hats, aprons, knives and cooking equipment and the food! (you get to keep the hats and aprons)

I know he doesn’t look old enough but he’s been cooking for 20 years.  I need to eat more of his cooking if that’s what it takes to look that young.

Making tomato relish and baking bread isn’t all Jamie does by a long shot.  After his professional training as a chef, he took his mother’s treasured recipes and created a full line of jams, marmalades, relishes, oils and balsamic reduction.  For the past 10 years, Jamie’s mother has won gold medals for her jam at the Rockhampton show.  He’s one apple that didn’t fall far from the tree.

You can catch Jamie on Saturday mornings at The Big Pineapple growers market or Sunday mornings at the Noosa Farmer’s Market.  You can always buy his products online and he’ll ship them right out to you.  I recommend visiting the market and having a chat.

Contact him through his website at Jamie’s Gourmet if you want to participate in a cooking class, hire him or schedule one of those fancy ultimate dinner parties.

Have you been to the refurbished Big Pineapple yet?  I hate to admit that as a local I hadn’t visited.  It wasn’t open when I first moved to the Sunshine Coast and by  the time the growers market reopened my “market habits” were well and truly set.  That all changed when I got up on Saturday morning and decided, “this is it, I’m going!”

Like everyone else, I’ve driven past it many times and this time I would be stopping to visit the heritage listed Queensland icon and getting up close and personal with the big pineapple.  After considerable restoration, it’s again possible to “climb the pine” and enjoy the panoramic view from the lookout at the top.

Since I’m not a Sunshine Coast native I had to do some research on The Big Pineapple.  It was originally opened in 1971 as a working pineapple farm and agro tourism by the Taylors.  Over the years more land was added. Not only were there pineapples, macadamia nuts and other tropical fruits it grew, there was a also Nut Mobile ride and a small train ride that took passengers on a tour of the plantation.  The fun didn’t stop there because they added a small zoo and animal farm with dingoes, deer, donkey, chickens, ducks and pigs.  Visitors could also tour the nut factory where they processed the macadamia nuts grown on the 165 hectare site.  In 1983 there was a lot of hoo-ha when Prince Charles and Princess Diana took a ride in a Nut Mobile to see everything at The Big Pineapple.

In 1990 when the new Nambour bypass was opened, it meant that the The Big Pineapple was no longer sitting along the Bruce Highway and then in 1991 a mini tornado made a mess of the place and the road to decline was set.  All that changed last August when a group of business men purchased the property with the intent to give the icon a new lease on life.

The Big Pineapple growers market is again open every Saturday morning from 6:30am until noon.   The animal farm is up and running and the train ride should be operating in the very near future.  It’s all looking up for Sunshine Coast tourism.  It’s great to see more things for children to see, do and learn.

The market is quite large considering it hasn’t been open all that long.  There are fruits and vegetables of all varieties, spice mixes, sauces and chutneys, plants, flowers, baked goods and much more.  If you haven’t made a visit to the Big Pineapple, do what I did and get up on Saturday morning and head over there!

I’d never heard of the Saucy Spice Company mixes and was eager to give them a try.  Even people who love to cook as much as I do get really busy and a quick spice fix can give me more time for other things.  I bought Rangoon Lime Chicken and it was really good.  Then I found chef Jamie Milverton’s stall with his great tomato relish and gorgeous bread.

Looking at these photos, I’m hungry again.  Can’t wait for next Saturday!

Australia’s Hockeyroos take on the USA on the Sunshine Coast in a three test series over the Easter long weekend starting on April 5th at 3pm.  Both teams have qualified for the London Olympics but have yet to finalise their squads.

All players will be out to impress their national selectors so skillful tight games can be expected. The USA have just come off a victory over world number one Argentina in the Pan American games final but then suffered two 1-nil losses to the Hockeyroos in mid January 2012.

Local Sunshine Coast girl Jodie Schultz will lead the Australian defences against a USA side chock full of experienced attackers. This is sure to be a great series and the only chance for Queenslanders to see the Hockeyroos before they head to London.

Tickets purchased online are $45 and $55 at the gate.  See these two great teams at 1/5 to 1/3 of what it would cost at the Olympics and you’ll see them play at one of the best facilities in Australia – the Sports Complex on Ballinger Road in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast.  See you there!

In just a few short months Sunshine Coast Oriana Choir singers will be heading off on the trip of a lifetime to perform in prestigious locations across Europe.  They’ll also compete on the world stage at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in Wales.

Sunshine Coast audiences will be the first to hear the music they are preparing for this remarkable tour at a concert entitled ‘On the Road to Europe’ on March 31 at 2:00pm at the Lake Kawana Centre.

Tickets can be purchased by phoning 5450 1049 at a cost of $25 for adults and $15 for children over 12.  Tickets will also be available at the door.  Come out and enjoy a wonderful concert.

That’s right, Elmo’s World Tour will perform at the Nambour Civic Centre in Nambour on the Sunshine Coast on Tuesday 27 March from 10am to 12noon.  Tickets are $29.90 for anyone over 1 year of age.

You’ll enjoy the singing and dancing stage show that’s been touring all over Australia.  Abby Cadabby, Big Bird, Grover, Zoe, Cookie Monster and Elmo will use all the letters of the alphabet as they tell you about their visits to China, Zambia, France, India and Australia.

Every child will love this show!  Elmo and the gang will need your help when Cookie Monster eats a letter of the alphabet.

Get your tickets from the Nambour Civic Centre.

If you’ve always wanted to explore your creativity and learn to write, you’ve got a great opportunity to get started in a one-day seminar in Maleny on the Sunshine Coast.   Leeza Baric will provide you with inspiration, information and motivation to get you started.

Starting with the fundamentals of writing – including plot, character, setting, point of view, dialogue and theme and then moving on to editing, and publishing.  You’ll learn it all in a relaxed atmosphere from a proven author and lecturer.

Book your spot today at www.leezabaric.com.  The cost is $100 for the full day course.

Come and experience an intimate and exclusive chamber music concert on Saturday 24 March 3-4pm at the Butter Factory Arts Centre, Cooroy performed by the celebrated and award-winning musicians of the Aether Quintet.  The Aether Quintet performs wonderful classical music with inspiring and fresh vitality.

Passionate performers with a vast wealth of musical experience, these musicians are highly sought after as soloists, educators, chamber and orchestral players constantly performing around the country. These vibrant and dynamic performers present a varied program of beautiful and romantic repertoire from the turn of the 20th century.

Featuring music by Villa-Lobos, Francaix, Spohr and Vincent d’Indy this concert is a must for any classical music lover. This sublime music combines the beautiful sounds of the concert harp, with flute and string trio performed by Australia’s finest and celebrated chamber musicians.

Michele Walsh (violin) is Head of Strings at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Patricia Pollett (viola) is the Senior Lecturer of Music Studies at University of Queensland, Louise King (cello) freelances with as a soloist and chamber musician and lives on the Sunshine Coast, Patrick Nolan teaches flute at University of Queensland and was Principal Flute with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Lucy Reeves (harp) freelances with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.

Tickets available from Louise King via email info@cellodreaming.com.au or phone 0415 128 799 for $25.  Concert time 3pm to 4pm Saturday, 24 March, 2012 at the Butter Factory Arts Centre, 10 Maple Street, Cooroy – Sunshine Coast.

If you’re on the Sunshine Coast and you haven’t taken a cruise on the Kawana Canals, you’re really missing out on a fun time.  The cruise leaves from the Mooloolaba Wharf and you can buy your tickets at the ticket booth on the wharf.  Then just before cruise time you’ll be allowed to board the Mudjimba, a restored river ferry.  If you look at the photos in the header of this website, that’s a photo of the canals the Mudjimba travel on.

The captain gives a fantastic commentary and will explain how the canal was created and will describe some of the award winning homes and point out some of the multi-million dollar homes along the canal.  At the end of the canal tour you’ll get to feed the pelicans (I’ve never known a time when they weren’t hungry) and  then head out the Mooloolah River and have a look at LaBalsa Park and then leave the river to have a quick peak at the Mooloolaba Beach before heading back to the wharf.

I took this photo from my balcony so I might wave to you if I’m outside.  Before you ask, nah, we’re not in a multi-million dollar home.    Bugger.

The cruise times are 11am, 1pm and 2:30pm.  There are also sunset cruises.  If you want more information you can contact them on (07) 5444 8257 or by email at info@mooloolabacanalcruise.com.au .  It’s really worth it.  We always take visitors from away on the tour and we never tire of it.  (although I can almost give the tour myself after so many rides)

Mooloolaba Canal Cruise