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Food, Wine, the Arts ... and Alexandre Dumas

When I first saw Tiepolo’s The Banquet of Cleopatra in my late teens I took no interest in the value of Cleopatra’s ill-fated pearl, but instead wondered about what manner of banquet had Antony concocted to try to impress a queen and rival her wealth. Every time I watch The Godfather I am certain I can smell the aroma of a tomato sauce with pork sausages and meatballs when cooked by “Fat” Clemenza (which, incidentally, is a sauce very similar to those in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas and Italianamerican). On reading Remembrance of Things Past I had wanted to taste not so much the famous ‘petites madeleines’, than rather a roast duck over which is ‘spilled numerous libations of red wine’, or a dish suggested by the scent of ‘a great chestnut tree, of baskets of raspberries, and of a sprig of tarragon.’ When I enter an Irish-styled pub I sometimes wonder if I will hear ‘the light music of whiskey falling into glasses,’ as wrote Joyce in his short story “Grace” (included in the collection Dubliners). I nowadays cannot buy a slice of capocollo, wafer-thin, without the slight trepidation that I might be overcome by anxiety and blackout (as did Tony Soprano in an early episode of The Sopranos).

5 Café Brunches for Father’s Day

You can pretty much go anywhere and order traditional bacon and eggs for brunch on Father’s Day. Or you can stay at home and do it yourself. But why not treat dad to something that’s a little more outlandish? And where he can still feel manly. Here are the Hamper Store’s recommendations for five cafes with brunch menus to make Father’s Day extra special.

Passion for Pizza: An Interview with Phillip Bruno

Phillip Bruno, famed pizzaiolo and proprietor of Scoozi, was born in Melbourne in 1959 to a Neapolitan mother and a Sicilian father. Although he studied engineering, Phillip always longed to have his own business. At the age of 22, he did just that. He gave up engineering and in 1983, along with his wife Amelia, bought into his first pizzeria in the Melbourne suburb of Watsonia. He has never looked back.

Sparkling Combinations for Mother’s Day

When the late Madame Lily Bollinger was once asked on which occasions she drank champagne, she replied, “I drink champagne when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. In company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it – unless I’m thirsty!”

The Hamper Store’s 2015 Playlist

Welcome to the Hamper Store staff’s playlist for 2015. No, it’s not run-down of our favourite albums released throughout the past year but a small collection of songs our staff has enjoyed listening to. We recently asked our staff to submit songs they’ve played obsessively during 2015. To which we wanted to put some ‘liner notes’ and links to files on YouTube, Vimeo or wherever, that the Hamper Store could share with subscribers.

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