You can find the contemporary Thai restaurant on level one at Charlestown Square. It's open seven days for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and offers takeaway, dine in and delivery.

Originally from Thailand, husband and wife team Wirat and Nikki Pattanakajorn moved to Newcastle 10 years ago. Wirat had followed in his family's footsteps and completed a degree in chemical engineering but soon realised working in an office was not for him. Instead, he decided to follow his dream of becoming a chef and started training at Absolute Thai - and has never looked back.

Wirat and Nikki's motto in life and business is "Be grateful, stay humble".

"Our team would like to thank our customers for giving us a wonderful opportunity," Wirat said. "It is our desire to keep you satisfied with our food and service. You are our inspiration to do our very best. Our name will remind us all the time. Thank you and remember; we value you."

Visit their website thegratefulthai.com.au or phone 4943 7750 to order. The menu is fresh, modern, colourful and full of flavour thanks to Wirat's homemade curry paste. Breakfast items include Open Faced Toast with toppings like crab stick and tobiko with cheese, or Thai-style pork floss with sweet chilli paste and mayonnaise. Something a little different to start your day.

Each year Newcastle's Soul Cafe runs a "Sleepout" which raises funds to provide hot meals and a gathering place for the disadvantaged in our community. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly increased the need for the cafe's services, but social distancing requirements mean that the traditional Sleepout gathering is not possible.

Instead, Collective Heart is organising "Sleepout For Soul At Home".

"Soul is adapting, diversifying and working tirelessly to continue to provide help and hope during COVID-19," Soul Cafe CEO Rick Prosser said. "And, like other charities, we are preparing for a tsunami of need as there are people in Centrelink lines who've never been there before in their lives."

Families, roommates, colleagues, neighbours, friends and classmates are being encouraged to register individually or as a team to become "Soul Sleepers" and raise funds for Soul Cafe through sponsorships. Then, on May 29, they grab their swags, sleeping bags and tents and create a campsite somewhere in their home, be it the backyard, courtyard, balcony, lounge room, bathtub or cubby house.

On the night Soul Sleepers will be connected via a Facebook event. Activities will be run between 6pm and 9pm for the Soul Sleepers to participate in including Tik Tok dance-offs, bands and performances, competitions for creative campsites and fancy dress, cook-outs, an auction and much more. Go to soulcafe.org.au/sleepout-2020 to register.

The 2020 state winners of the delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards have been announced and former Maitland chef Josh Niland, who now runs Saint Peter and The Fish Butchery, was one of the judges.

"Despite the pandemic and the challenges that we are all facing, this year's state judging was still as exciting as ever," he said.

The NSW winners of the following categories will now progress to the national competition.

DAIRY: Binnorie Dairy; Burraduc Buffalo; High Valley Cheese Co; Pecora Dairy; The Pines; Vannella Cheese. EARTH: Boon Luck Farm; Malfroy's Gold; Blue Mountains World Heritage; Newcastle Greens; Piccolo Farm; The Food Philosophy by Stix Farm; The Gourmet Potato Kadwell; Urban Green Sydney. PADDOCK: Bundarra Berkshires; Camden Valley Farm; Extraordinary Pork; Fair Game Wild Venison; Grassland Poultry; Highfield Farm & Woodland Lamb; Maremma Free Range; Moorlands Biodynamic Lamb; Near River Produce; Taluca Park; Wagga Free Range Pork. SEA: Australia's Oyster Coast; Gary Howard; Mimosa Rock Oysters; Tathra Oysters; Wapengo Rocks Wild Organic Oysters.

Spot any familiar names?

Pork Ewe Deli at Mayfield had to suspend its popular cooking classes due to COVID-19 and has been looking at new ways to connect with foodies over a shared passion of food. This week, the team are launching Cooking with Ewe and it's all about paella.

Each month the cooking club will feature a new recipe and video tutorial starring Pork Ewe Deli owner Samantha Glover. The ingredients pack is available to purchase on the website in the days prior.

"At Pork Ewe Deli, we love food and we love our customers," Glover said. "The cooking classes were always a really rewarding and fun way to connect with our customers and we've really been missing it. We thought this might be a fun way to share our passion for all things food and bring people together."

For more information visit the website porkewe.com.au/pork-ewe-cooking-club or phone 4906 8774.

Restaurateur and chef Frank Fawkner is poised to re-open Fawk Foods and EXP. restaurant at Pokolbin.

"We are testing the waters for Fawk Foods this week (Wednesday to Friday, 9am to 2pm) and on Friday, May 29, we will open both the venues, Friday to Monday, for the next month. We will look at opening the bakery more as restrictions are lifted. Our opening hours will be 9am to 2pm, then EXP. will be open for dinner for 10 guests at 5.30pm and at 8pm."

Fawk Foods and EXP. can be found at Pokolbin Village, 2188 Broke Road, Pokolbin.

In The Recipe, Michelin-starred chef Josh Emett brings together more than 300 of the most important classic recipes by 150 of the world's most acclaimed chefs.

Each recipe has been tested by Emett in his home kitchen, and he includes guidance and advice for the home cook. The book is organised into 12 easy-to-follow sections from basics (stocks, sauces and dressings), to grains and vegetables, meats, seafood and baking.

The Recipe is out now through Hardie Grant Books, RRP $45. Food & Wine has a copy to give away. To enter, send the words "The Recipe" with your name, address and number to freelunch@theherald.com.au.

Entries close on Monday at 9am.

Grab a copy of Saturday's Weekender for a list of restaurants, cafes and pubs open for dine in this week.

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