Morsels: Merrymaker paleo cookbooks, Black Fire and beer books

Merrymaker paleo cookbooks
Local food bloggers The Merrymaker Sisters have launched a new ebook series with three beautifully designed and easy to follow books: Make Your Bread Paleo ($3.99), Make It Sweet - Minus The Sugar ($3.99) and Make Your Kids' Party Paleo ($5.99). Emma and Carla Papas, who follow the paleo style of eating, focus on making everyday meals healthy, without compromising on taste. We are particularly drooling over the cookies and cream ice cream bars, vanilla cookie dough "amazebites" and double choc coconut cookies. Following their passion for all things healthy food and wellness, Emma and Carla Papas have recently resigned from their day jobs as public servants, and will now work as bloggers, authors and health coaches full time. The eBook bundle is available for $10.99 from themerrymakersisters.com.au.

Beer date out
The date has been set for this year's Beer Day Out - November 8 at the Old Bus Depot Markets in Kingston. Mark your diaries.

Books for drinkers
It's the time of year when a Canberran's thoughts turn to the wine vintage. And the wine writers of the nation have obliged. James Halliday has put out his Australian Wine Companion for 2015 (Hardie Grant, $39.95) and also has the Wine Atlas of Australia (Hardie Grant, $79.95), the more substantial coffee table tome that's indispensible when it comes to planning your boozy weekend road trip away. The gold book is also out this month - Robert Geddes' Australian Wine Vintages (thegoldbook.com.au, $34,99) for 2015. Also out for the beer lover in your life is 150 Great Australian Beers (Hardie Grant,$29.95). James Smith's guide to craft beer around the nation features porters, IPAs, ales and lagers from some of Australia's best small breweries. And next month look out also for the somewhat aspirationally-titled 101 Legendary Whiskies You're Dying to Try But (Possibly) Never Will (Hachett, $29.99). Ian Buxton explores the finest, rarest whiskies in the world - take it as a challenge.

Playing with your food

We don't always talk about theatre in Morsels but this show sounds very intriguing. The Q in Queanbeyan is putting on Food -a play about two sisters running a takeaway shop on the edge of a highway, serving up chiko rolls and burgers. But when a young Turkish traveller enters their lives, things begin to change. They turn their takeaway joint into restaurant that features comfort food and hearty cooking - and the audience members become restaurant guests as the actors serve up a minestrone soup with sourdough and local wine. There is dancing, there are big performances, and there is food and drink and company. The script is by actor and playwright Steve Rodgers, who also co-directs. It's a joint production from theatre company Belvoir and dance theatre company Force Majeure. According to The Q, the food in the production is vegetarian, does not contain nuts, and is composted at the end of each performance. It runs from Wednesday August 27, to Saturday, August 30. Tickets are $32-$49 from theq.net.au. See theq.net.au/food for more information.

Black Fire
Earlier this year we brought you the news that a new Mediterranean restaurant was opening up in Braddon, called Black Fire. It's set to open this week and is a venture from Paolo Milanesi, formerly head chef at Locanda Italian Steakhouse in the old Rydges in NewActon - which is now Capitol Bar and Grill. Milanesi says the food will be Spanish and Italian with a mix of pasta, pintxos (the Basque equivalent of tapas) and "high cuisine in miniature". It will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's in the Habitat apartment building at 38 Mort Street in Braddon.