Editor's letter

I love the contrast of that salty extract against the slight sweetness of the bagel and the dense texture that lets you know this is a real bagel. My most recent real bagel was in the Polish Rye Crust Bakery in Dandenong – one of our ‘bread stars’ in this, our special bread issue. Andrew Lipiszko takes great pride in baking the breads and pastries of his Polish background and the results are there for the tasting in his wonderful range of baked goods. It was experiences like these that inspired us to create this issue all about bread – from simple flatbreads and more-ish stuffed breads, to cinnamon sugar-dredged sweet bread and flavourful salads where bread is an integral ingredient. Turn to page 46 to find out more, and be sure to let us know on our Facebook page about your favourite bread recipes from this issue – or anywhere, as Luke Nguyen and Shane Delia have on pages 60 and 73.

A country that certainly loves their bread is Italy, and it’s one of our Feast readers’ favourite travel destinations. Our Global Roaming story this issue (page 110) takes place in Abruzzo – one of Italy’s lesser-known provinces, where traditions are still strong and the food is local – just like it’s always been. We joined an intimate tour group to discover the tastes of the region and the genuine hospitality of the people. Closer to home, chef Tony Howell gave us an insight into his favourite local producers in WA’s Margaret River region (see page 128).

We joined him for a cook’s tour, a regular journey for him that culminates in delicious meals at his restaurant.

We always love to hear about the local producers in your area, so be sure to contact us on Facebook or via email.

Happy feasting.