One of the most important aspects of entertaining is the quality of the food you serve. Any dish you serve will taste amazing if the quality of the food you use is high! One of my favourite weekend sandwiches is ham and cheese on toast. I buy fresh, grainy bread, a great quality ham (I prefer Andrews Choice Hams) and some Manchego cheese and it does not get any better than that! Simple but tasty!
Where do you buy great quality foods? I personally shop at my local market – South Melbourne Market – where for many years, I have been buying my meats from the same butcher, my chicken from the same supplier, my fish from the same seafood supplier and my deli things from the same deli. I also fully support buying Australian fish and meats as you can guarantee the quality. In addition, I use a lot of fresh ingredients, fresh vegetables, salads and fruits. It makes a huge difference. In Australia, a South Melbourne Market is within reach of everyone. The key is to get to know your suppliers, shop their regularly and you will be rewarded with great quality produce every time. When I know I have a dinner party coming up, I will check the week before to make sure they will have what I want in stock for when I shop. One year, with the introduction of the reality cooking shows such as My Kitchen Rules, I found I was competing for Beef Cheeks with young budding chefs and had to ask my butcher to put some aside for me when they come in during the week! That’s not to say I do not shop at my local supermarket. I do believe the quality and stock does vary by suburb – you only have to go into a Coles Supermarket in Springvale compared to the one in South Melbourne to see the difference in what is stocked! If you cannot find what you are looking for in one supermarket, do not be afraid to drive along to the next suburb as you will be pleasantly surprised!
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