You should remember Danielle Dixon from last seasons Masterchef. She was the rockabilly chick with the great laugh. Masterchef was just the beginning for this culinary genius in the making. She’s on a fast tracked apprenticeship that will see her realise her dream of become her own Masterchef. Because she knows it’s hard to start she’s teamed up with Alison Taafe, ICON Training, and QTIC to give someone the chance to live their dream.

This scholarship gives you access to a seven week intensive course that will see you holding a Certificate 2 in Kitchen Operations in your hot little hands. The scholarship includes, uniforms, knives, text books and all enrolment and tuition fees. It commences Monday the 28th of May and enrolment closes Monday the 21st of May, so you should hop on this white steed while you can.

Do it, we believe in you! Email danielle.e.dixon@gmail.com or imeldab@icontraining.com.au. Alternatively call Danielle on 0409 892 096 or Imelda Bordiss on 07 5532 8489.

This form of transportation and I have never been friends. From sitting next to the toilet on a packed French train, to squashed into the cold and windy walkway between carriages in Germany (true story), to a 13 hour ride to hell with a family of five in front of me. Yep, it’s never been pleasant. But Laneway changed the tracks for me last night and now my views on train travel are blissful.

We all know (or should know) that Urbane is at the hight of gastronomic decadence. The Euro, though more relaxed, is still a culinary masterpiece, and Laneway Bar serves up the best burgers in the city. What I learnt last night is A. the cocktails are amazing, and B. You can get their burgers takeaway. Is my life complete? YES!

When talking about Urbane, The Euro and Laneway, Drew (co-owner) sounds like a proud father. For eleven years he’s nurtured this establishment with the help of Andy (the other co-owner – they’re both called Andrew so this cuts down the confusion). The new cocktail menu idea was a way for them to celebrate Brisbane, to show how much they love the city that has embraced them.

If you get on at Eagle Junction you’ll find yourself with a Salviana’s Gimlet (my favourite), which is a lovely Plymouth Gin mixed with a bespoke pineapple and sage cordial and garnished with an edible flower. Windsor would be your next stop and this time you’ll sip on an Old Chamber’s Collins. It’s a delicious Elderflower Liqueur and Dolin Bianco Vermouth concoction mixed with a dash of lemon juice and sugar. South Bank (The PK No Way!) I was told was their pièce de résistance and was a fantastic mixture of Pussers rum with bespoke orange and pineapple ice-cream which was then lightened with sparkling young coconut water and then served in a half coconut.

I could go on waxing lyrical but I’ll leave the rest for you to discover. Each cocktail is made with fresh ingredients that the bartenders have created from scratch. These aren’t the kind of cocktails you drink because you hate beer. These are the cocktails that you exclaim over and make a night of, where you savour every divine flavour.

We recommend you buy a ticket on this Brisbane train. You won’t need a return, your cocktail-lovin’ soul will have found its home.

—Images thanks to The Laneway Bar.

The Variety of Chefs Ball guarantees to be amazing and it’s held in The Grand Ballroom in the Hilton Hotel Brisbane on Saturday 16th June. With live music and brief live broadcasts from inside the kitchen as eight prestigious chefs work together (Alastair McLeod is particularly cheeky) to make amazing food, this night will be lively as well as drool-worthy. All the food and wine has been donated, as well as the chefs’ time and efforts, with all proceeds going to Variety the Children’s Charity.

What’s that? Get back to the food? OK, but remember to keep swallowing whilst reading, we don’t want to cause any embarrassments. The top seven Brisbane chefs (and one brilliant Melbourne one) have come on board to create these mouth-watering masterpieces. Of the four entrees I tried two scrumptious seafood samples: the sugi smoked ocean trout with micro herbs, unemboshi dressing and Tasmanian Wasabi and the Noosa spanner crab, kingfish, flying fish roe and quinoa. Both entrees were such a rich infusion of fresh tastes that I didn’t want to take a sip of my bubbles as I would lose the lingering flavours.

The Mains arrived and the tasting spoons were filled with more delicious cooked produce. I tried the grassfeed rib of beef, braised, corn, avocado and tomato salsa, followed by the twice cooked pork, crispy pig’s tail, smoked potato puree, apple jam and sauce charcuter. I savoured every morsel. I had died and gone to pigeon heaven.

Oh heaven is sweet. Dessert was chocolate and beetroot brownie, pear sorbet, licorice cocoa crumb and ganache as well as, my personal favourite, Bundaberg strawberry Cranachan, yoghurt Chantilly and bushmills. This was soo good I found myself maneuvering my spoon into the glass as if I planned on retrieving gold.

If there’s one red carpet event you go to this year, make it this one. You are bound to feel like a celebrity as well as doing a great deed for disadvantaged children. Win, win!

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