This post was sponsored by Nuffnang


Being a food blogger generally means lugging your camera everywhere you go, in case you eat something worth blogging about. The amount of times I've been out and forgot my camera is just disgraceful.
Having a DSLR camera with different lenses and tripod, all fit into a bag, PLUS carrying a hand bag can lead to feeling very bulky, and sometimes I find I just can't be bothered bringing my camera along. Although I always try to bring it again when food is involved! But other times, I just need a camera to shove in my handbag and not have to lug my trusty DSLR along.


For the last week, I've been lucky enough to give the new Panasonic Lumix TZ10 a spin, and it's been with me everywhere I go. It's a great travel camera, and it has a built-in GPS for easy organization of the photos. Especially if you have iPhoto like me, and you can see the locations you visited on the map. It would be great to take on holidays and pin point all the places on the map in relation to each photo. That way you'd never be like.. "uh... where were we in this photo?".


It has double hand-shake correction allowing you to take beautiful night shots at slow shutter speeds without blurring. I haven't tried taking night shots with it, but I will be in the up and coming weeks, but I noticed I was shaking a bit when taking some photos, and the shot still came out crystal clear. (Took a night shot just before posting, check it out below):


Another great thing about this compact little camera is what Panasonic like to call "Intelligent Auto" or "iA". It's great for when you don't know what setting to have the camera on, or you don't have time to fiddle faddle around. You just put it on the iA mode, aim and shoot. The camera will automatically detect and correct. It will automatically adjust the brightness of dark areas in an image, the face detection helps you to achieve clear portraits, and the intelligent scene selection selects the best settings for that particular scene.


This compact little camera records movies in HD with no loss of image quality. We were playing around making a video and plugged the SD card straight into the said of Hamsely's Panasonic Viera TV and within seconds we were viewing the video and pictures. It was all too easy.
Recording is SO easy too. With my last compact camera, when I was at a live concert, I'd have to spin the little dial and try to find video in the dark; with this camera, there is a button that just says 'record'. So to start and stop, all you have to do is press the record button. MUCH easier, and less fumbling around.


Some facts and figures for the camera nerds that are reading this: 12.1 Megapixels for great quality pictures, and a 25mm wide-angle 12x optical zoom f/3.3-4.9 LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens…allowing it to have twice the shooting area of the standard 35mm lens.
We found it really easy to switch from normal to wide screen, for those nice panoramic shots.
In fact, the menu of the camera is very easy to navigate, I never had a moment were I had to dig out the manual and figure out what to do. Playback on the large screen makes it easy to see if you didn't quite get the photograph you were after.


I don't carry around a big handbag, it's really quite small compared to most women's handbags. But I can tell you, my new camera will be living in my handbag, so I don't miss another foodie moment.

The Panasonic Lumix TZ10 retails at $650.00 AUD.
More information about the camera can be found at http://lumix.panasonic.com.au/products/Lumix/Camera/DMC-tz10





Terms and Conditions of Entry for the Panasonic Lumix TZ10 Giveaway
1. Information on how to enter and prize details form part of these conditions. Entry into this Promotion is deemed acceptance of these terms and conditions of entry.
2. The Promoter is Nuffnang Australia Pty Ltd ACN 133 905 647 of 28 St Edmonds Road, Prahran VIC 3181 ("Promoter").
3. The Promotion will be open from 12:01 am Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time (“AEDST”) on 3 August 2010 and will continue until 11:59 pm AEDST on 3 September 2010 ("Promotion Period").
4. Entry is open to all Australian residents, aged 14 years and over, other than management, employees or contractors of the Promoter and other agencies, firms or companies associated with the Promotion (including suppliers of prize), and their immediate families ("Eligible Entrants").
5. In order to enter the competition:
*Participants need to leave a comment on the Panasonic competition post published in one of the nine participating blogs (The comment must include their preferred contact method in case they win [blog URL, Twitter or E-mail Address]:
a) chocolatesuze.com
b) herecomesthefood.com.au
c) ironchefshellie.blogspot.com
d) jeroxie.com/addiction
e) ladymelbourne.com.au
f) melhotornot.com
g) myfoodtrail.blogspot.com
h) sarah-cooks.blogspot.com
i) violetlebeaux.com
6. The winner will be the entry the judges most creative and practical by the judges.
7. The judges' decision (including any decisions as to prize distribution) is final and the Promoter will not enter into correspondence regarding the result.
8. The winner will be notified via their preferred contact method, and will be asked to provide their email and contact phone number at that time. If they do not respond to the notification within 48 hours, Nuffnang reserves the right to select another winner.
9. To claim the prize, the winner must reply to the winner notification and accept the prize within 48 hours of the blog notification, as well as indicate their preferred address for the camera to be sent. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, they will forfeit the prize, and another winner will be selected using the same judging process.
10. The results will be published on the Nuffnang Australia website, the Nuffnang Australia Facebook page and Twitter account. Nuffnang Australia and Panasonic also reserve the right to publish the results, including a photo of the winner, in the media.
11. Nuffnang Australia’s business directors, management and employees, their immediate families, their retailers, suppliers, associated comapnies and agencies are ineligible. Panasonic’s business directors, management and employees, their immediate families, their retailers, suppliers, associated companies and agencies are ineligible.
12. Nuffnang Australia reserves the right to change these terms and conditions. If any changes are made Nuffnang Australia will notify the public via its website.



This post was made possible thanks to the Panasonic Lumix TZ10 and Nuffnang.

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 I'm going to give a warning just like I did before my post on the Taste Festival of Melbourne.
Before reading; please put your seat in the upright position, grab a drink/sandwich/over priced pringles and enjoy reading all about the delicious night I had.

The date was Tuesday 23rd February 2010 AD.
Nuffnang had invited about 20 food bloggers to an exclusive dinner at Collins Kitchen, which is part of the Grand Hyatt hotel in Melbourne. I had never been inside the hotel before, let alone the dining area; but I was pleased to learn it had recently been renovated from the food court that it used to be.

Early birds met in the main lobby of the hotel, then proceeded to the RU-CO bar just off the main dining area whilst we waited for everyone to arrive. There was an extensive wine list which seemed to go on for pages. Knowing nothing much about wine and wanting to line my stomach with food before drinking, I just opted for sparkling mineral water.

We were then all seated over 2 long tables in the dining area with Nuffnang hosts David and Sarah; as well as Marketing Communications Manager of the Grand Hyatt, Lucy. We then met executive chef, Jason Camillo, who proceeded to give us a full tour of the open kitchen.

Collins Kitchen consists of 5 different cooking stations; grill, wok, sushi, deli and patisserie (guess which one is my favorite!).It is based on the Mezza9 restaurant at the Hyatt in Singapore which runs on the same concept. Their stations are a little different: western grill & rotisserie, sushi and sashimi bar, yakitori grill, the steam basket, the European deli, Thai deli and crustacean bar, the patisserie, the martini and cigar bar and a gourmet boutique.

I'm sure the kitchen staff were expecting us, but I'm not sure they were expecting 20 people with cameras snapping away like the Queen was in town. They remained cool and were probably glad when we were out of there.

We started at the sushi station where we could see the sushi chef freshly grating Tasmanian wasabi for our dinner. Slabs of fresh fish look so tempting through the glass cabinet as we are told that the kitchen really promotes local produce. It's only the first station and we are all already drooling and wanting to sink our teeth into some sushi.
We then move through to deli section. I was at the back of the group snapping away whilst Jason was talking about the deli, so I can't really tell you too much about it. I do know that they use Otway free range bacon though. The deli set up was very impressive though, I'm pretty sure anyone who appreciates deli goods would be happy to move in.

Behind the sushi bar is a wall of fridges with clear doors allowing you to see even more produce. Jason explains that for breakfast, guests and help themselves to yoghurt and bircher muesli that is in the fridges; giving hotel guests a feeling as if they were at home, helping themselves. Breakfast sounds fantastic at the Collins Kitchen, with fresh eggs cooked to order, as well as dim sum.

We move through to the wok station, where we see industrial grade burners that sounds like an airplane when the chef takes his wok off the heat. We see the massive steamers for steaming dumplings and whole fish, as well as the smaller holding bays for steamed food. We also see fresh chilli sauces that have been freshly prepared.

The final station in the main kitchen area is the grill. It's about now I notice how sleek and clean the kitchen is, and how much effort it must take to maintain the shininess of all the metal surfaces. It made me just want to put my fingers all over it! We see the oven which is half wood and half gas, and are told we will be having a foccacia that is baked in said oven. There is a nice range of grill plates on display, I would loved to have seen them cooking on them if I wasn't so busy stuffing my face at the table.

Between the wok and grill stations you see the Asian roasted meats hanging. Succulent roast ducks hang about, waiting to get in my belly. The crackling on the roast pork looks like it will provide good crunch, but we don't find out till later if it will or not.

The last station which is situated just outside the main kitchen area is the patisserie; my favorite section! We see the pastry chef stirring a sauce on the induction cook top. The cook top is so sleek I wouldn't have noticed she was cooking on it if it hadn't have been pointed out to me. There is a lovely range of ice-creams and gelatii on displays, as well as tempting slices and boxes of truffles mocking us as we stand around. High tea is on offer every day, and scones are freshly baked in the oven that is in the patisserie station. Lucy tells us the smell is just amazing as it wafts throughout the area.

The menu is a'la carte, but you can watch the chefs prepare your food. I find the idea of this less intimidating as a diner. The chef is not some magical food wizard that you never see, and can't see what he is up to; you can actually see everything being done. No matter where you sit in the dining room, you can see into the kitchen. It's a relaxed atmosphere, you can almost feel like you are at home.
There are also 2 private dining rooms, one is known as the chef's table; where they encourage a share menu which we dined on, serving signature dishes from the seasonal menu, which demonstrates dedication to using only the best local and organic produce.

We then return to our seats in the dining area where are settled with wine and bread. The bread is lovely and fresh. I'm a sucker for warm fresh crusty bread with butter smothered over it. This was a good way to start. BUT best not to fill up on bread as they say!

So what did we eat?
The first part to our night started with a sushi and sashimi platter, antipasto platter and freshly baked foccacia.


The fish was so incredibly fresh and just melted away in your mouth. My end of the table could have happily dined on these platters all night.


The buffalo mozzarella is from Queensland, and it just amazing with the fresh tomato and basil. It was deliciously sweet, yet such simple flavours. This wasn't my first time with liverwurst, I've only had it by our favorite continental butcher though. It looked so good with it's mini gherkin, I just had to have some. It was fantastic. A smooth texture, it went perfectly with crisp bread we were given. How can you go wrong with cantaloupe and prosciutto?


Second course involved a platter of roast meats from the wok station, fried rice, and asian greens.


All meats were cooked perfectly; from the succulent duck, to the crispy crackling of the roast pork.

Fried rice was nice, the rice cooked well; with each grain clearly separate to the other. Nice flavours and went well with the roast meats. Served with the fresh chilli sauces prepared by the wok kitchen, and Asian greens.

Third course was an amazing mixed seafood grill platter, porterhouse steak, broccolini, mashed potatoes and mushrooms.


The scallops were so plump and sweet, probably the best scallops I've ever had. The Morton Bay bug was so sweet and fresh. I didn't get a chance to sample the tuna from South Australia or the salmon, but they sure looked good!


The porterhouse was definitely one of my favourites of the night. We did send it back when it first arrived as it was very rare. People who liked it cooked that way took a piece, whilst the rest of us waited for a more slightly cooked slice to return.
It was lovely and smokey; and teamed with the sweet sauce reduction was just amazing. There was also a bernaise sauce which was also delicious.

The mash was so creamy, we tried not to think how much butter was in it. The broccolini was fantastic, not sure about the mushrooms, didn't try them!
 
Last but not least my favorite course; dessert.
An impressive dessert platter arrives and we all go "oooooo!!"


OH.....MY....GAWD!
Just as I thought I couldn't fit more in, I fit in at least a mouthful of everything.

The ice creams were fantastic. The strawberry flavour was my favorite with an intense strawberry taste.
The crumble was perfect with its perfectly stewed fruit and crunchy top. Fresh vanilla cream, you could even see the specs from the vanilla bean.
The peach melba was the least favorite for everyone, rather runny to what I was expecting it would be. Still a nice flavour.
The chocolate fondant was the favorite. Neil and Sarah trying to convince me that it wasn't very good so I woudln't have any. It was gooey inside, and the flavours would have rocked anyone's socks off.
The banana millefeuille was also another winner with custard and I think there was even honey in there. The pastry was so perfect, crisp and also melted in your mouth.
The chocolate biscotti was paper thin, and had an intense chocolate flavour. I of course, liked it!

There is a strong emphasis on local produce. Jason and Lucy told us about the "Green Team". Sourcing the food locally reduces their carbon footprint, and allows to showcase the amazing food Australia and local producers have to offer.
There is also an emphasis of making everything on site. We were told only the messy things like making stocks and chopping live lobsters is done in another kitchen. The backroom kitchen which no one sees is very small and only has one bench, as the majority of the cooking is done in the open kitchen at the respective stations.

Jason and Lucy also talked to us about the express lunch they are trying to promote to CBD workers. You get a selection of food on a tray. You come in, order, wait 10 minutes and then you can eat and go back to work. All for around $30-38. So, if you work nearby; I highly suggest you give it a go as the food at Collins Kitchen could not be faulted.

The staff were fantastically friendly throughout the night.
It was great to meet more bloggers from the Melbourne blogger scene. It was also great not to be the only one taking photos of food. I infact had to wait for people to stop taking photos so that I could take photos!

Thanks again to Nuffnang and The Grand Hyatt, as well as all the food bloggers for an amazing night.

Agnes from Off the Spork
Maria from The Gourmet Challenge
Sarah from Sarah Cooks
Adrian from Food Rehab - http://foodrehab.com.au/2010/02/28/blogger-dinner-at-collins-kitchen-grand-hyatt-melbourne/
Penny from Jeroxie - http://jeroxie.com/addiction/nuffnang-food-bloggers-gathering-collins-kitchen-at-the-grand-hyatt/
Thanh from I Eat Therefore I Am
Melissa and Danny from Tummy Rumbles
Joyce from Jetsetting Joyce - http://www.melhotornot.com/hot-nuffnang-food-bloggers-dinner-collins-kitchen-grand-hyatt-123-collins-st-melbourne-part-1/
Suzanne from EssJay Eats
Billy from Boys For Noise
Neil from At My Table

Nuffnang's post about the dinner

I don't think I left anyone out! If I did please leave a comment. I will link their reviews when they are posted!

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