Culture

Marrakech came to Melbourne with a riot of exotic tastes at the Exposure Gala for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. Rock the casbah indeed.

At Cook It Raw Japan, 15 of the world's most creative chefs were asked to create dishes which both reflected the environment of Japan's Ishikawa prefecture, where the event was held, and were in harmony with the serving wares made specifically for each of them by local artisans. PHOTOGRAPHY ERIK OLSSON Read more about Cook it Raw 2011.

As if foraging in Japanese forests and netting your own ducks weren’t challenge enough, the latest Cook It Raw festival threw art into the mix, writes Pat Nourse. PHOTOGRAPHY ERIK OLSSON Read more about Cook it Raw 2011.

Things are looking up at Star City. The Star, as it’s now called, has invested heavily in offering bold new food and drink ventures, which means that for diners, the odds have gone from a crapshoot to blackjack. That is to say, the house still holds all the cards, but if you’re canny, you’ve got a shot at coming out ahead, and you’re sure to have plenty of fun along the way.

There’s no greater party to launch the festive season than the Melbourne Cup and there’s no more exclusive invitation than one to Flemington’s Birdcage.

Five of the country’s most popular chefs invite us into their home kitchens to share their insights into the must-haves (and the mistakes) of this most fundamental domain. Read the article here and launch the gallery to see more images of the home kitchens of some of Australia's top chefs.

Where do you take the world’s most fearsome restaurant critic for dinner when he comes to town? To his favourite Bondi restaurant, naturally, and the choice of Sean’s Panaroma, the venue for our reception for our columnist Adrian Gill, was a smashing success by any measure.

“From Paris with Love” was the theme of the recent Silver Ribbon Exposure Gala for the OCRF. And in true Gallic style, we had a ball. PHOTOGRAPHY DANIEL MAHON

We had a ball when fine Italian food and sparkling good company all came together for a good cause at the annual Exposure Gala. PHOTOGRAPHY DANIEL MAHON

WINE ★ ★ ★ Put simply, this restaurant offers one of the finest, most interesting and most mouth-watering. ★ ★ An outstanding, well-presented selection of wine that makes a significant contribution to overall appeal of the establishment. ★ A restaurant notable for the quality and sustainability of its cellar.