The Gala Dinner our ‘night of nights’ has a special place in the history of Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. For 10 years the dinner, supported by Crown has been held in often unlikely locations (a television studio, a warehouse, in sheds at Docklands and in meat and produce markets) and has seen chefs such as Antonio Carluccio, Shannon Bennett, Atul Kochhar, Chris Salans, Nobu Matsuhisa, Thierry Marx and Fergus Henderson bring delicious life to these hidden and obscure sites.

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Russian Standard Vodka will be shaking up cocktails at the Festival’s Gala Dinner, but if you can’t wait until then, here we share one of their favourite summer cocktail recipes, the Old Fashioned Red Square.

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We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the Festival’s 20th anniversary than taking a seat at the Festival’s night of nights, the Gala Dinner.

Gala Dinner

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What’s the Festival’s secret to spicing things up at events? What else but the perfect cocktail! Our friends at Russian Standard Vodka kindly shared their cocktail recipes as enjoyed by guests at the Festival’s Gala Dinner.

From a smooth Vodka Espresso to a tangy Vanilla and Grapefruit Collins or a spicy Pomegranate Highball – these drinks are the perfect way to give your dinner party or special event an extra edge.

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Crispy fried John Dory with spicy pea mash and gorkha chutney.  Mouth watering yet?  Michelin star chef Atul Kochhar has reinvented Indian cuisine attracting guests such as Prince Charles.   A cooking experience not to be missed!

Atul Kochhar

Chris Salans enjoys the music made by the pots and pans while cooking up a Balinese storm using ingredients such as torch ginger, curry leaf and kaffir lime.   The international award-winning restaurant owner brings a whole new edge to Indonesian cuisine.

Caesar salad by Chris Salans, Mozaic Restaurant

Alpaca ham, snails the size of baseballs, guinea pig and Peruvian jungle fruits, grains and spices are just some of the ingredients found in Pedro Miguel Schiaffino’s kitchen. From exotic fruits, to fishes from rivers and lakes of the world’s richest ecosystem, Pedro Miguel explores the biodiversity and natural resources of his country to create contemporary dishes.

Pedro Miguel Schiaffino

Missed out on tickets to Crown chef dinners?  Get hands-on at Culinarium cooking classes with Atul Kochhar, Chris Salans and Pedro Miguel Schiaffino from 9 – 11 March.