My Middle Eastern invitation to mix it up with Macy Gray was to celebrate the opening of The Pearl, Qatar, a 500 billion dollar purpose built island oasis off the coast of the Arabian state. The 1800 strong mega rich guest list swilled my cocktails all night in Doha, Qatar.
“Qatar has come a long way since I opened the very first liquor licensed bar their in 2001… It’s all gearing up for the soccer world cup 2020” “Since this will be the biggest party Qatar has ever had with alcohol, I’m proud to continue to develop beverage culture in this exciting part of the world.”
I’ll will be attending the NYC Food and Wine Festival Sep 29 – Oct 2. The parties continue at the San Diego Gourmet Experience on October 8-9. C’mon America! Let’s get your cocktail on!
Well it’s been a blast touring Australia for the first half of the year and giving everyone a taste of green food from my new book Green Food Generation. Now it’s time to jump on a flight and head stateside to catch up with some buddies of mine who are killin’ it right across the mighty USA. Guy Fieri, is to many, the superstar of all American food, and he serves it up with an extra helping of his crazy personality (which is like hot sauce for the ears). I mean this guy ‘Guy’ is on fire!!!! I love it!
So, the big man himself asked me to star as his opening act for sixteen dates across the USA to launch his new book Guy Fieri Food. I’ve stepped up to the plate — I’ll be mixing up a storm and putting a few members of the audience through their paces while I get you charged up for the big smoking gun. You can check out the tour dates here. See you all soon.
As a drinks man, I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world, mixing drinks for all sorts of people. It’s provided me with a really good living, but until recently, I hadn’t had much time to explore my love of food — other than swapping cocktails and wine for kitchen secrets from some of the world’s best chefs!
So, I made a few phone calls, packed my bags and camera, and set off on my own culinary adventure to discover my farming childhood roots and the food I grew up with; I like to call it the Green Food Generation. This is the story of a generation of people who embrace it.
I’ve posted the first 7 episodes of my Green Food Generation series on Youtube. Just click on any episode to check it out! And hey, I’d love to know what you think, so be sure to leave a comment while you’re there!
Episode 1: Woody revisits his farming roots in New Zealand with his Dad
Episode 2: Woody talks sustainable winemaking with Adrew and Lisa Margan
Episode 3: An unforgettable day of food, beer and wine with Stefano di Pieri
Episode 4: Woody visits Paul Stafford at Spice Island Cooking School on Phillip Island
Episode 5: Woody meets Miccal Cummins, one of Australia’s top caterers
Episode 6: Dave Campbell of the Hungry Duck invites Woody on a country adventure
Episode 7: Woody enjoys the simple things in life with chef Stefano Manfredi
Oprah Winfrey and Curtis Stone about to enjoy a HAV-O Cocktail mixed by Woody. Photo: George Burns/Harpo Studios
You know, I bet you’re wondering: what was Oprah Winfrey’s first real taste of Australia? Well, I can tell you. When the ‘Queen of the Small Screen’ herself began her Ultimate Australian Adventure on the iconic Whitsunday’s Whitehaven Beach, I figured the first thing Oprah and all her guests needed was a great cocktail. I decided to whip them up a HAV-O — made from delicious fresh Aussie ingredients, and having named it after the Whitehaven Beach, I thought it made the perfect welcome drink (besides, we all know that everything good in Australia has an ‘O’ thrown on the end).
Click here for the recipe for my HAV-O cocktail, which I think should be Australia’s National Cocktail. So c’mon, what else would you rather drink on Australia Day?
After touring the US with a busload of chefs and being surrounded by food for the past 12 years, I thought I’d go back to my roots and spend a year in kitchens across Australia. Of course it wasn’t all just about the chefs — I spent a large part of my time hanging out on farms with the producers, seeing the basics of food production done in a respectful and sustainable way. So after 15,000km around Australia I wrote a book about my journey and this, along with a a bunch of delicious recipes, is what Green Food Generation is all about.
Grab a copy and let me know what you think! It’s food through my eyes, and a real snapshot of Aussie food and kingpin chefs in the early 21st century. You can also see what Simon from Simon’s Food Favorites had to say on his blog.
Hayden Wood presents HOME party: a fun new app for iPhone and iPad, designed for people who want an easy solution for throwing a party at home. Check it out at the iTunes store!
Sign up now for your chance to score one of ten HAV-O cocktail gift packs including my new book Green Food Generation and a jar of Wild Hibiscus Flowers
