There's no better Australian tradition than skiving off work at noon on the first Tuesday of November to gorge on barbecue chickens and fizzy drinks for three hours before settling in to watch a horse race on the tiny television in the tearoom.
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But Melbourne Cup Day 2020 is a different affair. Can we go to the races? How can we celebrate if we're not in the office? What point is there in wearing my best hat if I'm sitting in my loungeroom fielding calls from school because there have been so many late pick-ups since they changed the race start time in 1991.
While restrictions have been eased in Victoria, Canberra could well be the best place to celebrate this year's Melbourne Cup.
Indeed it's probably fair to say it will be the first time in history that Canberra will host a bigger on-track crowd on Cup Day than Melbourne, with no spectators allowed into Flemington on race day.
ACT Racing Club chief executive officer Andrew Clark said 637 patrons and participants would be allowed into Thoroughbred Park on the November 3.
"I'm sure this will be the first time in history there'll be more people watching the Melbourne Cup from Canberra racecourse than there will be watching the Melbourne Cup [at Flemington]," he said.
Clark said the ACT Racing Club has been lucky enough to run all its meetings during COVID, albeit with restrictions on the number of people on track, and he expects Melbourne Cup will mark a change in fortunes for the racing fraternity.
"The Melbourne Cup is part of Australian culture as we're going through adversity, it's events like the cup that give us something to look forward to," he said.
"They talked about Phar Lap racing during the Depression as one thing that people looked forward to; sport can do that, we saw that recently with grand final weekend as well."
But here's the kicker - all of the tickets for the event have already been sold.
"We're happy we can get 637 on site," Clark said. "We'd normally host 5000 but it's been some year."
If you haven't already bought a ticket, several venues around town are hosting COVID compliant events, from four-course meals with premium drinks packages to stand-up shenanigans with pop-up bars and roaming canapes. Many have live music, sweeps and prizes, as well as best dressed competitions.
At the Hotel Realm tickets for one of Canberra's most popular social gatherings sold out within a couple of days.
DOMA's director of hotels Patrick Lonergan said people love the glamour of being able to dress up and cheer on their pick in the race alongside friends and colleagues at what's considered one of the major events on the Canberra social calendar.
"Traditionally there are Melbourne Cup celebrations on everywhere, from a few friends watching together at home over a casual meal, to boardroom lunches in workplaces, through to more formal, large events like the Melbourne Cup function we usually host at Hotel Realm," he said.
"We have been hosting Canberra's go-to Melbourne Cup party for years now. I'm really happy to be putting on this year's event, as a few months ago I didn't know if it would be possible. Thankfully restrictions have eased to allow us to put on a great event although somewhat smaller than we usually do."
Rather than one big party, smaller groups will be hosted across the venues within the hotel, people will be seated and have to check in. There is a COVID safety plan and marshalls will monitor the events.
"Canberrans are getting back out and socialising in line with current guidelines, which is great to see," Lonergan said.
"I think after the year we have had, people are keen to kick up their heels when the chance to do so safely arises."
Where to watch the race
Assembly, Braddon: $50pp for groups of six to 10, priority booth and beer garden seating with television views to watch the big race. Bottle of Veuve Clicquot on arrival. assemblycbr.com.au
Walt & Burley, Kingston: Foreshorean Feast Package for $69pp, best dressed competitions and sweeps. waltandburley.com.au
National Press Club, Barton: MC-ed by Tim Shaw, with oyster bar, live music, best dressed and three-course menu available. npc.org.au
Zoo Bar, City: three-course luncheon and three-hour bottomless Chandon for $119pp, or three courses for $79pp. zoobar.com.au
QT Canberra, City: Enjoy a glass of G.H Mumm Champagne before settling into a signature Capitol Bar & Grill three-course feast, including an indulgent seafood platter with full wine list available. Janette Wojtaszak from @thestatementlife will be hosting a spring racing parade of the latest styles of millenary and chic headwear. qthotels.com
The Duxton, O'Connor: Three-course menu and premium drinks package, $119pp, from 1-4pm and plenty of big screens to watch the race. theduxton.com.au
Pialligo Estate, Pialligo: four-course menu with oysters and champagne on arrival, drinks package, live music, sweeps and prizes, in the Glasshouse, $199pp; or three-course menu with bubbles from the prosecco bar, drinks package, with DJ, sweeps and prizes, $165pp. thepialligoestate.com.au
Or watch at home
Melbourne Cup Day will be televised on the WIN Network in Canberra from 10am to 5.30pm.
Stephen Quartermain and Gorgi Coghlan will lead the stellar field, set to co-host the racing spectacular with help from racing host Michael Felgate, current trainer and expert commentator Peter Moody, Group 1 winning jockey James Winks, form expert David Gately, horseback interviewer Brittany Taylor and racing reporters Caty Price and Annie Kearney.
And what would the Melbourne Cup Carnival be without a sprinkling of fashion. Rob Mills and WIN Networkl's Victoria Latu will ensure the viewers at home don't miss a thing as the Fashions on the Field goes virtual with all Australians invited to compete in Fashions on your Front Lawn.
Order in gourmet
If you're hosting a party at home or a few brave souls are gathering in the office tearoom, elevate your experience and order in. While it might be too late to order bulk catering, have a look at some options from Amici Bar, The Italian Place Providore, Pialligo Market Grocer, or Poacher's Pantry, who all stock charcuterie, cheeses, and DIY options for putting together a good spread.
Place your bets
It's not cup day unless you lose $2 in the office sweep. While the use of cash has been discouraged during lockdown, it's a keen punter who will do a $2 bank transfer. Instead, think of safe ways to collect cash and run sweeps. Get everyone to drop a coin into jar using a gloved hand and winner takes all. Or if you are all still working from home, and people are super keen, pick the most trustworthy colleague to share their bank details. We don't want anyone running away to the Bahamas with the pot. Not that they could anyway.
Or DIY dining options
Want to whip up a few little treats for your at-home celebrations? Try these easy ideas from Use It All by Alex Elliott-Howery and Jaimee Edwards. (Photography by Cath Muscat, Murdoch Books, $39.99.) It's always handy to have a few hors d'oeuvres recipes in your repertoire, remember it's not too long until Christmas and New Year.
Curried vegetable pocket pies
Ingredients
2-3 tsp all-purpose curry powder
400g all-purpose roasted winter vegetables
milk, for brushing
Basic pastry:
345g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 tsp salt
250g cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup iced water
Method
1. To make the pastry, place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. With the motor running, slowly pour in the iced water and pulse until the mixture forms a ball.
2. Turn the dough ball out onto a floured workbench and lightly knead. Flatten into a disc, then wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 200C.
4. Roll out the dough on your lightly floured workbench until 5mm thick. Using a small cereal bowl or similar, cut out 15cm circles (or your preferred size). Reroll any dough offcuts to make 12 circles.
5. Stir the curry powder through the roasted vegetables, then place a couple of heaped tablespoons of the mixture on one side of each dough circle.
6. Be generous, but make sure that you don't overfill your pockets or the dough may tear. Using your finger, dab the edge of the dough circles with water, then fold the circles in half and seal - you can also do fancy pleats or use a fork to seal the edges.
7. Brush the pockets with milk, then transfer to a baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes, then flip over and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve the pockets with a salad for dinner, or allow to cool and store in the fridge for a few days.
Note: You can really put anything in these pockets; just make sure you add the filling cold to avoid soggy pastry.
All purpose roasted winter vegetables
Making a big batch of roasted winter vegetables means that you've got the base for a few meals ready to go. We use this base for soups and vegetable pockets or as a simple side with a piece of fish or meat. If you have leftovers, see our tips below for more ideas.
2kg raw mixed winter vegetables will give you just over 1kg roasted vegetables. This makes enough for a batch for the curried vegetable pocket pies. You can use a mix of beetroot, pumpkin, carrot, sweet potato, parsnip, kohlrabi or potato.
Cut faster-cooking vegetables, such as pumpkin and sweet potato, into 3cm pieces, then cut your root vegetables into 1-2 cm pieces. You can leave the skin on everything; just make sure you wash them well. Spread the vegetables over two baking trays and pour 50ml olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 2 teaspoons dried thyme, oregano or rosemary over the top. Mix well with your hands. Roast in a preheated 180C oven for 30-45 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and sweet but not falling apart.
Makes 12.
Fried mushroom dumplings
Making dumplings isn't as hard as it sounds. The mixture is usually incredibly simple and with a few hands on deck, folding the dumplings doesn't take long, plus it's a nice way to get everyone involved. We've included a dumpling dough recipe here, which we got from our friend Maddy, if you want to make everything from scratch, but you can also buy dumpling wrappers, which are a good option if you're pressed for time. We'd rather you buy the wrappers and make dumplings at home than not make them at all! This mushroom mixture is full of flavour and only uses 150g raw grated mushrooms. You could add a little raw minced pork or grated tofu as well.
Ingredients
150g grated mushrooms
1/2 cup very thinly sliced cabbage
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 thinly sliced spring onions, a handful of snipped chives or a little finely diced onion
24 dumpling wrappers
up to 1/2 cup vegetable or sunflower oil
Basic dumpling dough:
1 cups plain flour, plus extra for dusting
100ml warm water
Method
1. To make the dumpling dough, place the flour in a bowl, make a well in the centre and add the warm water. Whisk to combine, then bring the mixture together into a ball and turn out onto a floured workbench. Knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic - when you gently push your thumb into the dough, it should spring back. Wrap in a tea towel and leave to rest on your workbench for 20 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into quarters. Working with one piece at a time (and keeping the rest of the dough under the tea towel so it doesn't dry out), roll the dough into a 10cm log, about 2.5cm thick. Cut the log into six equal-sized pieces, then roll each piece into a ball. Gently flatten each ball and use a rolling pin to roll them into 10cm round dumpling wrappers. Stack the wrappers into a pile, ensuring there is plenty of flour coating them to stop them sticking together, and repeat until all the dough is rolled out.
3. Place the mushroom and cabbage in a bowl and gently mix. Add the salt, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and spring onion and mix gently to avoid the mushroom releasing too much liquid. Taste the mixture and adjust where needed.
4. Take a dumpling wrapper and spoon a scant tablespoon of the mushroom mixture onto one side of the wrapper. You don't want to overfill the dumpling or it will explode when frying. Dip your finger in water and run it around the rim of the dumpling wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling and seal the dumpling. Repeat with the remaining mushroom mixture and wrappers.
5. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches, add the dumplings so they're not touching each other, and fry for two or so minutes on each side - the dumplings should be a deep golden brown. Drain on paper towel.
6. Once all your dumplings are cooked, eat straight away!
Makes about 24.
Hummus
Hummus is found in supermarkets the world over, sitting alongside all the other dips, and it's a bit ho-hum. But hummus is serious business: at its best, it transcends being merely a dip to something much more central to a meal.
In Arabic, hummus simply means chickpeas, as they are the only constant ingredient in a dish that can have many, many iterations. Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Israel and Greece all lay claim to hummus, with each cuisine making it their own by serving it warmed or at room temperature, adding pine nuts or yoghurt, roasted chickpeas or lemon.
Our version is creamy and fluffy, and we serve it at room temperature with a glug of olive oil. A few left-over vegetables or herbs can be added to make hummus with distinct flavours and vibrant colours. Follow the basic recipe opposite and use our suggested combinations as a guide.
Ingredients
150g dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight (you'll need 300-350g soaked and cooked, or canned, chickpeas)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 cup hulled tahini
1 tbsp olive oil
Method
1. Drain the chickpeas, place them in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Place the chickpeas, garlic and salt in a food processor and blend to a coarse paste. With the motor running, add the lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda, then add the tahini, olive oil and 1/2 cup water. Blend for two to three minutes until you have a smooth hummus (you may need to add a little more water to get a really smooth consistency). Let the hummus sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.
3. Hummus will keep refrigerated for three to four days. Always serve it at room temperature.
Combinations we like:
Carrot hummus: Add 1/4 cup chopped roasted carrot with the chickpeas
Green hummus: Add a large handful of mixed herbs, such as parsley and coriander, with the chickpeas
Beetroot hummus: Add 1/4 cup chopped roasted beetroot with the chickpeas
Sausage rolls
Good old sausage rolls are still favourites in school canteens and at sporting events, but the ingredients lists for some supermarket sausage rolls are alarming. This recipe is easy to make and contains 50 per cent vegetables. It maintains that sausage-roll flavour, but with far less meat, salt and fat.
For this recipe, we use a basic homemade pastry; it honestly takes five minutes to make and while it does need to rest for 30 minutes, you can use this time to make the mix and preheat the oven. We still buy premade pastry when we're pushed for time (the same goes for wonton wrappers and pizza bases). When you do buy store-bought pastry, look for brands that contain the least amount of ingredients, choose butter over margarine and avoid palm oil.
Ingredients
200g sausages
200g grated vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, zucchini, carrot, celery)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2-4 tbsp chopped herbs (parsley, thyme, coriander, oregano)
1 garlic clove, minced (use 2-3 cloves if using plain sausages)
1 tbsp tomato sauce or Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, plus a little beaten egg or milk for brushing
sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Basic pastry:
345g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 tsp sea salt
250g cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup iced water
Method
1. To make the pastry, place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. With the motor running, slowly pour in the iced water and pulse until the mixture forms a ball.
2. Turn the dough ball out onto a floured workbench and lightly knead. Flatten the dough into a disc, then wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 180C.
4. Squeeze the mince from the sausage casings into a bowl, add the grated vegetables, breadcrumbs, herbs, garlic, tomato or Worcestershire sauce and egg and combine well. If you want to check the seasoning, make a little meatball and fry it in a frying pan, then taste and adjust the flavours where needed.
5. Roll out your pastry on a floured workbench to 30x40cm. Cut the pastry into two 15x40cm rectangles. Form the sausage mixture into two long logs and place them down the centre of each strip of pastry. Fold the pastry over to seal and create long sausage rolls.
6. Brush each sausage roll log with egg wash or a little milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cut the logs into 7-10cm sausage rolls and bake for a good 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes 15 party-sized sausage rolls.