From Gauchos to Glaciers - Adventures in South America
Release Date: 11/22/2023
An Italian Life: Tony Percuoco’s Culinary Journey
ExtraVirgin Food & Travel
Hospitality runs in the blood of chef and restaurateur Tony Percuoco, owner of Tartufo restaurant in Fortitude Valley. His food journey began as a young boy growing up in the Italian town of Naples, where his father and uncle were restaurant owners, and his mother was a remarkable home cook. While all the other kids around him wanted to become pilots and police officers, Tony’s dream was to become a chef. It was a dream he set into motion as soon as he migrated to Australia with his family in the early 1970s. In this episode, chats with Tony about arriving in Australia and the family's...
info_outline
Episode 107: Egypt Travel Tips: How to Navigate, Stay Safe and See the Best
ExtraVirgin Food & Travel
It was a simple coin toss and a chance bus ride - two sliding-door moments that would forever connect destiny to the country of Egypt. In this episode of ExtraVirgin Food and Travel, is joined by Belle, a multi-award-winning travel journalist, to talk about her second home: Egypt. One of the world’s most fascinating destinations, Egypt is often misunderstood. Belle, who considers it her second home and brings years of first-hand experience and professional insight to the conversation, shares practical Egypt travel tips that go beyond the headlines and clichés. From navigating...
info_outline
Episode 106: Looking for Travel Inspiration?
ExtraVirgin Food & Travel
In this episode of ExtraVirgin, offers some suggestions of trips and destinations you might like to put on your wish list - from cruising the Amazon to a new Orient Express luxury train journey, visiting the home of the world’s most famous cartoon dog and more. You'll find links to the places mentioned in the podcast on the
info_outline
Episode 105: This Delicious Life, with Food Writer Sonya Gellert
ExtraVirgin Food & Travel
Sonya Gellert has the enviable job of being a full-time food writer. She’s done a host of fabulous things throughout a career that's taken her from Australia to Japan, the UK and back to Australia. She's been a travel editor, restaurant reviewer, editorial food and drink writer, copywriter and recipe editor. She’s written for Table Magazine UK, Escape magazine, delicious Magazine, Vogue Living, Huffington Post and more and worked with food luminaries such as and We're going to hear about Sonya's career trajectory, what she likes to cook and eat, what makes a good recipe, her...
info_outline
Episode 104: Sicily - A Food Tour in the Land of "White Lotus"
ExtraVirgin Food & Travel
Thanks to the incredible popularity of the show White Lotus, Sicily is red hot right now. In this episode, Natascha Mirosch chats with Carmel Ruggeri, former restaurateur-turned-tour guide, who runs extremely popular tours to a part of Italy not only blessed with natural beauty, but some of the country's best regional cuisine (cannoli anyone?) Carmel and Natascha chat about everything from the places you shouldn't miss, to the hand signs you should, never ever use, to the regional food specialities you just have to try. Carmel tells it how it is, with humour and...
info_outline
Episode 103: Australia's Guy Grossi and "La Cucina Italiana"
ExtraVirgin Food & Travel
Guy Grossi has carved out a distinguished career and made a significant contribution to the hospitality scene over the last forty years, both as a restaurateur and chef. In fact, in 1996, Guy was awarded the L'insegna Del Ristorante Italiano by no less than the president of Italy, for his dedication to presenting and promoting "La Cucina Italiana" and the Italian lifestyle. He’s written four cookbooks and has been on a slew of television programs, from "Food Safari" and Iron Chef, to "My Kitchen Rules." He also runs a small empire of highly regarded restaurants countrywide, including his...
info_outline
How to Buy a Property in Italy and Those One Euro Houses
ExtraVirgin Food & Travel
We've talked about in a previous podcast (episode 81) but in this episode we’re about to revisit the subject (and the topic of buying property in Italy as a foreigner in general) with Michele Capecchi, a lawyer based in Florence, who has extensive experience in guiding foreigners through the red tape that is buying a property in Italy. Michele is managing partner of teaches International Business Law at at the European School of Economics and has been a a legal columnist with , the international magazine of the expat community in Florence for over 10 years. Michele...
info_outline
What's an Antarctic Cruise Really Like?
ExtraVirgin Food & Travel
Have you been thinking of (or dreaming about) taking an Antarctic cruise? Cruising is huge and estimates have the cruise industry growing by another 9% in 2024. For some regular cruisers, particularly those with large disposable incomes, the great white continent, represents just another an as-yet unexplored cruise destination to conquer. For others, Antarctica is a long-cherished dream. But what’s it really like? What can you expect on a cruise to Antarctica? puts that question to travel journalist Catherine Marshall, who has been to Antarctica not once, but twice. They discuss the...
info_outline
How to Hike, with Caro Ryan
ExtraVirgin Food & Travel
We all know that getting out and communing with nature is good for both our body and our mental health, but where to start if you've never done any hiking but are keen to give it a go? Trekking, hiking, tramping, rambling or just plain walking - whatever you call if and whatever you aspire to, whether it's a kilometre on a flat countryside track to conquering rugged terrain over multiple days, or even taking it easy with a , it's an activity that most of us can achieve. If, like ExtraVirgin host, Natascha, however, you have lots of questions: (Am I too old? Am I too unfit? is hiking...
info_outline
Playing with Fire. With Agnes chef, Ben Williamson
ExtraVirgin Food & Travel
was recently awarded . In this episode of ExtraVirgin, chats with Agnes executive chef, Ben Williamson, who also co-owns other popular restaurants , and . Western Australian-born Ben spent time travelling the Middle East, where he sharpenened his kitchen skills and learned about cooking from the heart - something that would become the cornerstone of his culinary philosophy. On his return to Australia, he settled in Brisbane, working in some of the city's most highly regarded restaurants, including a lengthy tenture at , where introduced the city to his modern re-imagining of...
info_outlineIs South America on your wish list but you worry it might be too challenging or unsafe?
In this episode, ExtraVirgin host, Natascha Mirosch who has just returned from 3 weeks in Uruguay, Argentina and Chile, shares her experiences. Her trip, travelling by plane, car and boat, starts in Santiago in Chile, where she visits an extraordinary museum and wanders the vibrant Yungay and Lastarria barrios. From there, she explores the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, with its unique architecture and excellent restaurants, as well another fascinating museum dedicated to a famous and tragic incident in Uruguayan history.
Then it’s onto a ferry across the widest river in the world, the Rio de la Plata to Buenos Aires. Here Natascha discovers the origins of the tango, visits Eva Peron at Recoleta cemetery and the balcony of ‘the pink palace’ where she gave her final speech to the Argentinian people. She does a walking tour of the colourful La Boca district, takes i a beautiful bookshop in a theatre and more.
In Patagonia, Natascha visits a glacier, attempts to hike up another one, gets up close with the iconic Fitz Roy, eats the world’s best lamb and drinks a liqueur made from a local berry in a bar at -15c.
From there, it’s onto the province of Mendoza, where she stays in a ‘dome with a view’ overlooking the Andes, visits a couple of wineries and has an unforgettable horse ride with a gaucho.
If you’ve thought of visiting South America, you’ll want to have a listen as Natascha shares the details of her new favourite destination.