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Genetically-modified ingredients The case for and against

Good for the goose Humane foie gras

The national monthly news magazine serving the people in the foodservice and accommodation industries

Designer DessertsPatisserie d’Artiste delivers

www.openhousemagazine.net CAB Audited. Circulation 20,255 — March 2010

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www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, September 2010 3

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TSIndustry news .......................................04Cover story – Patisserie d’Artiste .........10Profile – Alla Wolf-Tasker ....................12Q&A – Joanna Savill .............................14Unpacking the menu ...........................16Origins of Honey ..................................18Consultant chef .....................................18Community ...........................................20Ethical foie gras ....................................22Pork & poultry ......................................24Food safety ............................................28

Breakfast ...............................................30Herbs, spices & seasonings ...................36Commercial fit outs ..............................40Real-time online bookings ...................42Sustainability: genetically-modified food ..................44Management .........................................46Beverages ..............................................48Books .....................................................50Products ................................................52Culinary clippings ................................54

OPEN HOUSE NEWS

It was great

to see so many talented young chefs, waiters and restaurateurs showcased

at the Electrolux Appetite for Excellence Awards ceremony last month, and to see the cream of the hospitality industry turn out to support them. Some of the industry leaders in the crowd had staff members amongst the finalists but many were simply there to celebrate the talent Australia has to offer.

As an industry we often complain about the skills shortage in Australia, but with the likes of Young Chef of the Year winner Soren Lascelles, sous chef at Assiette in Sydney, impressing the judges during a series of cooking tests, it’s clear that we’re doing something right.

What’s fantastic about programs such as the Electrolux Appetite for Excellence Awards is that they provide a framework for unique educational opportunities and experiences, and help to inspire and support the young people who are our next generation of industry leaders.

Congratulations to Soren, as well as all of the other winners and finalists. The future looks bright.

Ylla Wright Editor

Editor’s word

Capturing the breakfast crowd.

30

Guide dogs get raw deal

The recently released 2010 Guide Dogs NSW/ACT survey has shown that almost 30 per cent of people

who use a guide dog have been refused entry to a restaurant in the past year.

This is in contravention of national laws which state that people using a guide dog in a harness are allowed to enter all public places throughout Australia including restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs.

“When a guide dog is wearing a harness it means it is working and helping people who are blind or have impaired vision to get around safely and independently,” said Primary Industries minister Steve Whan.

The survey also found that 34 per cent of guide dog users had experienced unfair treatment in a restaurant or café within the past year.

“People with impaired vision have as much right as you and I do to enjoy a lunch with friends or a special dinner on a night out and that means their dog comes along too,” said Whan. “Whether that’s at your local cheap and cheerful or a fine dining restaurant.”

In an effort to address discrimination against guide dog users, the NSW Food Authority and local councils developed an action plan encouraging front line council staff such as environmental health officers to discuss the issue with restaurateurs and café owners as part of their regular inspections of businesses and remind them of their obligations when it comes to providing access to guide dogs.

“Refusing a person with a guide dog entry to a restaurant can result in legal action,” said Whan.

Guide Dogs NSW/ACT has also launched a public education campaign called “Guide Dogs Welcome Here” with a view to reminding NSW restaurateurs and café owners of their legal obligations. Free “Guide Dogs Welcome Here” information kits are available by calling Guide Dogs NSW/ACT on 02 9412 9300.

For more information on guide dog access rights nationally, visit www.guidedogsaustralia.com.

Heston Blumenthal tops UK restaurant listHeston Blumenthal’s three-Michelin starred Fat Duck restaurant in Bray has received a perfect 10 out of 10 score in the Which? Good Food Guide 2011 edition, ensuring it tops the list of Britain’s best restaurants for the third year in a row.

Gordon Ramsay’s Royal Hospital Road in London came in second place with a rating of nine out of 10,

earning praise for being the “nearest thing to a world-class restaurant experience currently on offer in the capital”.

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NEWS

NSW hungry for name and shame info

The NSW Government’s Name and Shame register has attracted more than four million

hits since its launch two years ago, successfully meeting the public’s demand for safe food information, the NSW Minister for Primary Industries Steve Whan has announced.

More than 2,000 food businesses have been issued with more than 3,500 penalty notices and there have been 63 prosecutions for violations of food safety laws since Name and Shame records began.

The top five reasons penalty notices are issued are:

• Cleanliness failures with premises or equipment

• Failure to wash hands or maintain hand basins

• Failure to exclude or eradicate pests

• Failure to hold food at safe temperatures

• Failure to protect food from contamination

Minister Whan said the results had been achieved as a result of successful collaboration between the NSW Food Authority and Local Government through their Food Regulation Partnership.

“Name and Shame serves two purposes; it protects consumers and the foodservice industry itself,” he said.

“The vast majority of NSW food businesses do the right thing and to protect these businesses and consumers we will continue to expose and penalise those who flout the law.

“There are over 36,000 food businesses in NSW who are subject to routine inspections by local Councils. When you consider that 2,000 have appeared on Name and Shame it represents only a small proportion overall.

“The other encouraging fact is that the Name and Shame concept is working – most businesses learn from their mistakes and work with authorities to

improve food safety standards in their business. Just 204 of the businesses penalised have received penalty notices at subsequent inspections.”

Australia’s top young talent announcedThe national winners of the Electrolux Appetite for Excellence Awards 2010 were announced last month at an exclusive reception held in Sydney and attended by Australia’s leading chefs, restaurateurs and food industry luminaries.

Soren Lascelles (right) from Assiette in Sydney was a popular recipient of the Young Chef of the Year award, narrowly beating runner-up Danika Heslop from Quay, also in Sydney, for the coveted award.

Louise Tamayo from Becasse in Sydney won the Young Waiter of the Year award, with Josh Smith from Black Cow Bistro in Launceston named runner-up.

In the Young Restaurateur of the Year category, judges were unable to choose between Kim Coronica from Richmond Hill Café & Larder in Victoria and Thomas Moore from Grazing in Gundaroo, NSW, naming them joint winners.

Judges included Christine Manfield, Guy Grossi, Philip Johnson, Lisa van Haandel, Luke Stringer and Tetsuya Wakuda. Brett Graham, multi-Michelin starred chef and owner of London’s The Ledbury, was the guest of honour at the event.

The winners receive an opportunity to expand their food and wine skills, learn from some of the world’s best chefs and be inspired by a once-in-a-lifetime overseas trip.

Corporate lunches on the riseNew American Express Dining Insights research has revealed a significant increase in business entertainment, with almost 50 per cent of full-time workers attending corporate lunches or dinners. The survey also showed that 20 per cent of Australians are dining out more than they were 12 months ago, a trend restaurateurs say is reflected in the corporate dining sector.

“During the GFC many companies put a hold on corporate entertainment, however with the resurgence of the economy businesses are now more open to investing in corporate lunches and dinners,” said Mr Geoff Begg, vice president of merchant services Australia at American Express.

“While the research doesn’t necessarily flag the return of the long lunch, it does mean companies recognise the value of corporate dining in furthering business relationships.”

The American Express Dining Insights Survey found that the key considerations when choosing a restaurant for a business lunch or dinner are a good menu (82 per cent), not too noisy (76 per cent) and convenient (67 per cent). However, more than half of respondents also looked for value for money (58 per cent), ambience (56 per cent) and easy parking (50 per cent) when choosing a restaurant for business dining.

“Corporate dining has been and will remain the mainstay of many restaurants and those businesses really felt the Global Financial Crisis,” said John Hart, CEO of Restaurant and Catering

Australia’s iron chefs confirmedThe line-up for the highly anticipated Australian version of Japanese cooking show Iron Chef has been announced. Sydney chefs Neil Perry from Rockpool and Guillaume Brahami from Bennelong will join Melbourne’s Guy Grossi from Grossi Florentino (pictured) as the Iron Chefs who battle the contenders.

In each episode of the show a contestant chef must cook-off against one of the Iron Chefs and the clock to create a multi-course meal featuring a mystery ingredient.

The original Japanese version of the show, filmed between 1993 and 1999, has achieved cult status with more than 1400 guests paying in excess of $550 a head to attend dinners cooked by original stars Iron Chef French Hiroyuki Sakai and Iron Chef Chinese Chen Kenichi earlier this year. A US spin-off was also highly acclaimed.

The Australian series starts filming in Melbourne’s Docklands this month.


Lillianfels Blue Mountain Resort & Spa has announced the appointment of Carl Middleton as the new executive chef of the hotel’s two-hatted fine dining restaurant Darley’s.

The Melbourne version of Neil Perry’s Spice Temple will open next month at Crown, taking over the space previously occupied by Bistro Guillaume.

Summit restaurant in Sydney’s famous Australia Square building has opened a private dining room. The exclusive Salon Prive by Champagne Taittinger offers absolute privacy and stunning 360 degree views of the harbour.

The Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove in Queensland has welcomed Michael Dawkins to the role of Food & Beverage Director.

Chef David Moyle has farewelled Byron Bay to head up the team at Tasmania’s Peppermint Bay, an hour south of Hobart.

ComiNGS & GoiNGS

If you would like to share news of appointments, departures, restaurant openings or closings with Comings & Goings, email the details to [email protected], with “Comings & Goings” in the subject line.

Get in touch with us today 1800 20 30 50 www.nestleprofessional.com

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Australia. “However, there are signs the dining market is picking up again as the economy strengthens.

“Corporate lunches are a big part of the Australian business culture and it is often said that lunch and dinner are where the ‘real’ work takes place.

“Relaxing over lunch often provides the opportunity for business people to ‘put their cards on the table’ in a less corporate environment.”

Of the states, workers in New South Wales (35 per cent) and Victoria (31 per cent) are the most likely to dine out for business, while West Australians were the least likely with only 20 per cent claiming to dine out for business.

“The restaurants which effectively managed the decline in corporate dining during the GFC by creating special menus and offers are best poised to take advantage of the return of the business lunch,” said Begg.

Award results have chefs in a stewThe Brisbane Times newspaper has reported that some of Brisbane’s top restaurateurs are up in arms about several shock winners announced at last month’s Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering Award for Excellence awards nights. Causing the biggest stir was the announcement that Drift Cafe in Milton beat Matt Moran’s Aria to be named Best New Restaurant.

Chefs and restaurant owners interviewed for the story were “also surprised by Bravo Bar B Que in Fortitude Valley taking out Best Steak Restaurant ahead of John Kilroy’s Cha Cha Char Wine Bar and Grill; Viale Canova at Clayfield being named

Best Italian Restaurant; and Brisbane’s Customs House taking home Best Contemporary Australian Restaurant – Informal (50-100 seats).” Phil Johnson, the owner/chef of E’cco, which competed against Customs House, has threatened to boycott next year’s awards.

Restaurant & Catering CEO John Hart defended the judging criteria, which are used to review more than 2500 restaurants nationally every year, saying “I trust these results implicitly.”

Meanwhile in Melbourne, Jacques Reymond was named Victoria’s Restaurant of the Year in the 2010 Restaurant & Catering Victoria Awards for Excellence. The restaurant also picked up the Best Fine Dining Restaurant award and restaurateur Reymond was honoured with a Lifetime Achiever Award, recognising his outstanding achievements and efforts to the industry.

Joining Jacques Reymond in the winners’ circle was Crown Melbourne which was named Caterer of the Year. Crown also won the category of Wedding Caterer.

Adelaide’s Manse restaurant won South Australia’s Restaurant of the Year and Best Fine Dining Restaurant awards in Restaurant & Catering South Australia’s Awards for Excellence. The National Wine Centre of Australia received the Best Caterer, Best Function Centre and Best Wedding Caterer awards.

All four venues will now compete with other state winners from across Australia in the National awards being held on 25 October 2010 in Melbourne.

Award-winning apprentices take on the Big AppleTwo of Melbourne’s most promising apprentices have won the opportunity to cook in New York with restaurateur/chef Adrian Richardson from La Luna Bistro in Melbourne.

World’s number one heading to SydneyRené Redzepi, head chef at Noma, the Copenhagen

restaurant which recently took out the number one spot in this year’s The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards, is coming to Sydney next month for the Crave Sydney International Food Festival.

The chef will make his only Australian public appearance on Friday October 1 at Sydney Opera House where he will talk about his food philosophy and innovative Nordic cuisine.

Since bumping five-time winner El Bulli from the Best Restaurants list, the 40-seat

Noma reportedly receives up to 100,000 reservation requests a month.

Competing in the Spotless Trans Tasman 2010 Culinary Awards Award, apprentice chefs Rosemary Utteridge and Tony Kulafi (below, with Richardson), wrote their own recipes, designed menus, photographed their three-course meal and kept to an $80 budget, to win the coveted prize.

Explaining his support for the award Richardson said he believes apprenticeship awards are an incentive for TAFE students and unemployed young people who see vocational training as a way to gain work in the growing hospitality sector.

“Awards send a strong signal that employers are prepared to invest in training at a time when some young people are struggling to find work or are uncertain about their careers,” he said. “I started out as an apprentice chef more than 20 years ago and have seen many young people launch cooking careers and secure jobs that pay off over time with the right work ethic.”

Tony Kulafi is a second year apprentice chef at ZINC, Federation Square, while Rosemary Utteridge is a first year apprentice at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Now in their 34th year, the Spotless Apprentice Culinary Awards have helped many young people to find work in some of Australia’s best restaurants and venues. Since 1976 Spotless has seen in excess of 1,000 apprentice chefs go on to work in the Australian hospitality industry.


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Wine list winners announcedRockpool Bar & Grill in Melbourne has won the prestigious Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards 2010.

The wine list came up trumps for its quality and depth, according to the judging panel which brought together Master Sommeliers, Masters of Wine and wine communicators from around the world.

Other winning wine lists were:

• Best Café/Brasserie List European (VIC)

• Best Country Restaurant Lake House (VIC)

• Best Restaurant List Rockpool Bar & Grill (VIC)

• Best International Hotel Restaurant Glass (NSW)

• Best New List Sepia (NSW)

• Best Regional List Pilu (NSW)

• Best Food and Wine Matching Universal (NSW)

• Best Pub Restaurant Settler’s Tavern (WA)

• Best Wine Bar Must Wine Bar (WA)

• Best Small List Fino (SA)

• Best Club Restaurant The Brisbane Club (Qld)

State winners were The Ginger Room (ACT); Pilu (NSW); Ortiga (QLD); Rockpool Bar & Grill (VIC); Appellation (SA); Me Wah (TAS), and Jacksons Restaurant, WA.

The Gourmet Traveller WINE Readers’ Choice Award was awarded to the Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld (VIC).

Industry backs new TAFE programKey industry figures have thrown their support behind a training initiative designed to address the lack of business and management skills in the industry. Previously only available in South Australia the course will be rolled out in New South Wales and Queensland.

Targeted at qualified chefs and cooks, the 18-month Appetite for Success program aims to equip the next generation of industry leaders with the skills they need. During the course participants will have regular mentoring sessions with established restaurateurs and chefs, and complete individual and team tasks, workplace-based projects and external education.

“The reality of being a chef in today’s market requires a multitude of skills,” says Matthew Kemp, the owner and chef of Restaurant Balzac, who has signed on as a mentor.

“To become that successful person and gather the skills and knowledge on your way to the top, guidance is essential.

“I feel that the mentor program will guide these young professionals into the right environment that will advance their careers and this will in

turn benefit each and every establishment they work at.”

Marilyn Domonech, co-owner of Brisbane’s Baguette Bistro and Bar, said the program had the potential to re-shape the industry

across Queensland.

“I hope this program introduces much needed professionalism to hospitality,” she said. “Our employees need the opportunity to learn about the day-to-day running of a business – something that has been really lacking in our industry.

“You might be the best chef or wait staff in the world and serve fab food, but if you don’t understand the importance of controlling costs you’ll just go broke.”

For more information on the program, visit www.appetiteforsuccess.com.au.

Community chef opens new kitchenVictorian healthy living initiative Community Chef opened the doors of its new $24 million kitchen late last month at a launch attended by Federal and State Government representatives.

Community Chef is a collaborative project between all levels of government to ensure the food security and the nutritional wellbeing of older adults and other vulnerable people.

Chef Gabriel Gaté, who has provided the project with advice on meal choice and menus, told the assembled crowd that “Community Chef will create good quality, nutritious meals in this new kitchen, and the 20 member councils will provide them to people who require assistance due to frailty or disability. As a food lover, I think there can be no greater way to demonstrate our care for those in need of community support.”

The kitchen has been designed by renowned French architect, François Tesnière, of 3bornes Architectes in Paris.

“The Community Chef kitchen uses the latest technology and techniques,” said Mr Bill Jaboor, chair of Community Chef’s board and chief executive officer of Hobsons Bay City Council. “It is one third smaller than facilities with similar capacity, and has a lower level of energy use through limited refrigeration, less chemical waste by using ‘e-water’ and lower carbon emissions.

“The overhead rail system transports refrigerated boxes, or ‘cesars’, which move food through production stages, removing the need for trolleys, ensuring separation of raw and cooked food and increasing food safety and occupational health and safety.”

Community Chef expects to make and distribute 1.5 million meals per year.

Free music download for Open House readers

Music is a major contributor to the ambience of any restaurant and cafe, setting the tone for the venue and (hopefully) putting customers at ease.

Unfortunately the cost of playing commercially recorded music has increased sharply in the last nine months. Under a new licensing scheme for restaurants, which came into effect on December 1, 2009, some restaurants are being asked by the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) to pay as much as $1800 to play music on their premises. By 2015 this cost will rise to as much as $10,000 for some venues.

While the PPCA, which represents recording artists and record labels in Australia, previously charged foodservice businesses a nominal fee for playing commercial music the new rates represent a dramatic increase for many venues.

The Groove Gallery, which launches this month, offers restaurants another alternative. The company has put together a library of original contemporary ambient music especially for businesses such as restaurants, cafes and gyms. The music is largely lyric-free and designed to put customers at ease, rather than distract them. Packages start from around $13 per week including the playlist software, equipment and music, and are capped at $18 per week.

Open House readers can download a selection of tracks from The Groove Gallery free simply by visiting www.thegroovegallery.com and following the prompts. Once downloaded, the 12 tracks can be played anywhere, at anytime. OH


Patisserie d’Artiste have released a new range of portion controlled individual desserts to provide busy foodservice businesses with effective, innovative dessert solutions. These modern desserts combine classic flavours and recipes with contemporary presentation that’s sure to wow, and the quality of ingredients and preparation is second-to-none.

Woo customers with ooh-la-la French Vanilla Cheesecake (bottom middle). This sweet, textured cheese cake is perfectly balanced with a sauce of raspberries and steadied with a light-as-a-feather sponge base. The elegant round edges and size ensure it’s the perfect finish for any meal.

Or create a striking display on a buffet table with a modern-twist on an old favorite. Classic Tiramisu is presented in an elegant pyramid shape (bottom right). The tower of coffee and cream with a sponge-base is as pleasing to the eye as it is on the palate, both looking and tasting delicious.

Another favourite dessert with a fresh new look is the Bacio dessert (bottom left) with hot pour chocolate. The hazelnut chocolate

mousse is shaped into attractive domes and served with a chocolate fudge sauce and crunchy crushed hazelnut pieces.

Chocoholics will be delighted by the indulgent individual flourless chocolate cakes (top), featuring rich, moist cake and luscious hot pour chocolate centre. A decadent sprinkling of milk and white chocolate shavings only add to the pleasure.

The new range of desserts from Patisserie d’Artiste demonstrate the quality and innovation at the heart of the brand, and by incorporating modern, fresh presentation offer you and your customers a better choice.

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Sweet satisfactionFor an elegant and delicious finish to any meal, Patisserie d’Artiste

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PrOfilE

Local heroPassionate about locally-sourced, seasonal produce, chef and restaurateur Alla Wolf-Tasker is a driving force behind the growth of the Daylesford Macedon Produce Group.

There are few restaurants as much loved as The Lakehouse at Daylesford, 90 minutes

drive from Melbourne. For more than 25 years chef/owner Alla Wolf-Tasker has been delighting diners with degustation and a la carte menus that showcase the seasonal, local produce of the region. Online review sites are full of praise for the food, service and romantic lake views and the critics agree, awarding the restaurant Two Chef’s Hats and the Service Excellence Award in The Age Good Food Guide and the Country Wine List of the Year award in Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards earlier this year.

While there are plenty of chefs these days going down the local produce route, the difference is that Wolf-Tasker’s passion for regional produce has also been the driving force behind the promotion of the Daylesford Macedon region as a major food producing region and tourist drawcard.

“I trained in Europe where local produce coming through the kitchen door was a given,” says Wolf-Tasker. “Often it still had morning dew on it, and chefs knew all the suppliers and their families. It was the model I wanted when I decided to build a destination country restaurant in 1979. I had no idea how impossible that dream was at the time.”

Advertising for local produce, the only thing Wolf-Tasker sourced was a sack of spuds, dumped on the doorstop. Everything had to be bought from the wholesale markets in Melbourne. Determined recreate the supply chain model she’d seen in action in Europe, the chef first helped the few small artisan farmers that moved into the area by taking their product to market herself, and more recently by founding the Daylesford Macedon Produce Group, an organisation which works with local farmers and chefs to aid direct interaction and set up supply chains.

“Until we created local demand for their products none of the small farmers were sustainable,” she says. “The Daylesford Macedon Produce Group has a charter to create a sustainable local food system. It connects local suppliers with local chefs and restaurateurs; expedites communications, and promotes and develops local produce.”

A concurrent increase in consumer interest in regional food and the farmers market’s movement has also seen the birth of a thriving “farm gate” trail, which is popular with visitors to the region.

The benefits for the restaurant, according Wolf-Tasker, are obvious.

“I now have wonderful local produce almost all year round and I also have the opportunity to work with a particular farm or supplier to get

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the exact products that we want,” she says. “The other benefit for us is that the produce is truly remarkable. Often it is just picked or taken from the ground on the day of delivery.

“Having a salad of just picked vegetables that haven’t seen the inside of a fridge, tossed with a local olive oil and scattered with that morning’s fresh curd is my definition of absolute indulgence.”

Producers also have reason to cheer – they now have a ready market within the area, deal directly with their customers, eliminating the need for middlemen, and are guaranteed to sell their product. And with the money staying in the local community the region as a whole benefits.

Some of the local ingredients currently featuring on Wolf-Tasker’s menu are baby broad beans, white asparagus, wild morels and spring lamb.

Surplus produce is made into charcuterie or preserved so nothing is wasted.

“We follow the time honoured traditions of country life by utilising each season’s bounty and laying down products for leaner, less abundant seasons,” she says. “We’re using some of last season’s elderberry glaze with local venison at the moment.”

Wolf-Tasker’s belief in the importance of sourcing food locally goes beyond solving her immediate supply chain issues.

“As a society, as we continue to source our food from further and further away, we’re less likely to understand how it was produced,” she says. “Agriculture has now largely become an acknowledged and accepted degrader of the environment. Food that we eat is routinely exposed to questionable substances. Most often the economic case for the use of those substances is flawed, leaving the farmers worse off. Diversity is diminished, as only produce that can travel long distances or be stored for long periods of time, is grown and produced.

“In addition, cutting corners in order to provide cheap food has led to appalling animal husbandry practices, that most of us would prefer not to know about.”

As part of this year’s Daylesford Macedon Produce Harvest Week, held in May, Wolf-Tasker hosted activist-farmer Joel Salatin, who featured in the controversial documentary Food Inc., about the state of the food industry in the United States, at The Lakehouse.

“I’d read some of Joel’s books, understood his [farming] methods and thought I knew pretty much all of what he had to say but seeing him and hearing him in person, truly joined the dots,” she says. “He runs one of the most productive farms in the US and really ‘walks the walk’. He demonstrates what a truly sustainable agricultural model should look like and how agriculture should actually be regenerative, rather than a destroyer of our precious resources.

“Joel’s message for Australians was a timely one. It is still not too late for us to turn back from the US model of food production and agriculture which has resulted in economically unstable farms, the wide scale spread of disease and even dangerous contamination of food and the proliferation of processed food.”

Looking forward, Wolf-Tasker is optimistic about the future of food in Australia.

“I’m delighted that people are concerned about where their food is coming from,” she says. “It’s nice to see that connection being regained and re-established.” OH


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BACIO INDIVIDUAL: a dome of delicious chocolate hazelnut mousse topped with a chocolate fudge sauce and a light sprinkling of slivered hazelnuts

FRENCH VANILLA CHEESECAKE: a perfectly baked cheesecake savarin on a sponge base with a raspberry coulis centre

TIRAMISU: now in a modern pyramid format with a generous serving of coffee, cream and sponge finished with a cocoa dusting

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE: a divine flourless chocolate savarin with a hot pour chocolate centre and milk & white choc shavings

®

PAT183 DESSERTS OPENHOUSE AD.indd 1 25/08/10 4:29 PM

Q&A

Q: What credentials and experience do you need to be the director of the Sydney International Food Festival?

A: It helps to have a hearty appetite! No, seriously, I believe it’s important to have a good understanding not only of the restaurant and hospitality industry but also to be creative when it comes to events. I think it helps that I have been involved as a presenter or curator of many food events over the years, that I have travelled a lot both within Sydney and Australia (and world wide), and have good contacts both locally and internationally. I’ve also worked with chefs, cooks and food producers as a journalist and TV producer and have a long track record in the media.

Q: How far in advance do you have to start organising a food festival of this scale?

A: Ideally, a couple of years out, especially when it comes to signing the world’s biggest names. We are already talking to people for 2011.

Q: What are some of the logistics involved?

A: It’s a complex beast. Our team runs a number of major events such as the World Chef Showcase, the Night Noodle Markets, the launch Barbecue Madness at the SMH Growers’ Market and this year’s amazing Rene Redzepi presentation at Sydney Opera House. So we use the expertise of our operations colleagues for everything from staging to waste management. Then there are the marketing and sponsorship team as well as our very hard-working festival manager and executive assistant. Beyond that there are all the restaurant and food business-based events that happen

throughout the festival month such as Let’s Do Lunch, Hats Off Dinners and Hands On cooking classes. They are run directly by their organisers but we need to inspire them to create events and register them in our program, which creates a huge amount of website and administration work as well.

Q: Which festival events are you most looking forward to?

A: I love the World Chef Showcase – it’s such a buzz having all these amazing chefs and food people here from around the world. Having Rene Redzepi from Noma here, speaking at the Sydney Opera House Concert hall on October 1, will be a personal highlight. He’s such a great guy, so interesting and creative and modest, and I get to introduce him and present him to 2000 people! I also love the street festivals and regional events such as Ashfield’s Big Yum Cha, The Night Noodle Markets of course, Bankstown food tours, and Mamre Homestead’s 100 Mile dinner using produce from African refugees who run their vegetable garden.

Q: Who came up with the wish list of international chefs for the World Chef Showcase?

A: Mostly me. I decided on a few themes that I thought were interesting and then started looking to see who might be able to come. Some of our local chefs and restaurants have good connections too and offered to assist and partner up with some overseas stars.

Q: Does Australia have a good culinary reputation amongst the chefs you approached to be part of the festival?

Festival foodieThe program for the Crave Sydney International Food Festival, to be held from October 1-31, is a who’s who of Australia‘s and the world’s best chefs. We ask festival director Joanna Savill what’s involved in organising such a large event.

A: We have a great reputation and it’s growing. The only obstacle I meet is chefs’ hugely demanding schedules and a certain fear of distance. But last year, for example, Sebastien Bras from the Bras restaurant in Southern France (he has three Michelin stars, one of the World’s 50 Best restaurants and is an all-round fab guy) took the plunge and then wrote saying he has had a record number of Australian visitors to the restaurant this year. He was amazed.

Q: What’s your take on the Masterchef phenomenon? Has it increased mainstream interest in food and cooking?

A: It has. As well as inspiring our kids, which is fabulous, I love that it has made national heroes out of our top chefs and food people. That is an achievement in itself. People used to only know sporting stars. Now they know who Tetsuya is. And queue to eat at Quay!

Q: What do you think are the best culinary experiences in Australia at the moment?

A: Everything from dessert at Quay – I just had a chocolate dessert that rivals the now famous “snow egg” – to buying organic beef or great Sonoma sourdough at the SMH Growers Market. We are so lucky.

Q: What do you think are the big issues facing the restaurant industry in Australia at the moment?

A: Costs are escalating. It’s expensive to eat out in Australia now and I think it’s a battle for most restaurants. It’s a combo of ingredient prices rocketing, staff costs, bureaucracy etc... I also think there are a few too many people in the business who don’t really care about what’s on the plate or the service element. I know how hard these things are to perfect but it’s vital. When people write to me (as co-editor of the SMH Good Food Guide) it’s mostly – almost always – to complain about service and how problems are handled. The customer, even if he or she is a pain, is always right. As I say to my daughters who work part time in hospitality, “Just keep smiling! Once you stop, it’s impossible to get that smile back on your face!”

Q: Crystal ball gazing, what do you predict will be the next big trends in food?

A: I think we are looking more and more at food production and our farmers. This year’s festival has a record number of “green and sustainable” and 100-mile meal events – two of our categories. We want to eat well; to know how our food is grown; that it’s produced close by; that we will still have an agricultural system in 50 years’ time, and that our children will be able to eat good food. For more information, visit www.cravesydney.com. OH

Joanna with some of the chefs participating in this year's Crave Sydney International Food Festival.


Taste of the mediterraneanRespect for seasonal produce and the robust flavours of the Mediterranean stand Damien Naughton, head chef at Olio Mediterranean Brasserie, in good stead as he reinvents some old favourites.

Pork and scallops are a classic salad combination used in a multitude of cuisines across the world. The Olio version is a great spring salad that uses seasonal ingredients combined with the meatiness of pork hock and the subtle softness of scallops. I love how the tangy dressing cuts straight through the meat and contrasts with the tart, distinctive flavour of the grapefruit; the richness of the meat is complemented by the bitterness of the radicchio and rocket leaves.

This is a simple salad recipe at face value, however it actually involves quite a bit of forethought and planning. The pork hock is braised in chicken stock with a bouquet garni for two to three hours until it’s tender. After it’s cooled down, we slowly remove the meat from the bone and cut into small pieces.

This is a perfectly balanced dish that combines different flavours and textures. It is also a healthier and lighter option for an entrée.

Entrée Crispy pork salad, seared scallops, ruby grapefruit, witlof, radicchio and sherry vinaigrette

UNPAckiNg tHE mENU

This stew is Olio’s signature recipe and is a great dish to ward off cool weather. The concept for this comes from the French-inspired bisque but the Olio version takes a fresher, more Mediterranean approach. We have added other elements of seafood to the dish – fish, octopus, prawns, mussels and scallops – for more variety to enjoy. Our other point of difference is the roasted tomato sauce where we’ve added chilli and Spanish saffron for a hint of spice and sweetness.

We start off by combining all the ingredients for the tomato sauce and placing it in the oven for at least an hour. Once it’s tender we pass it through a mouli to achieve a great texture. Each of the varieties of seafood is cooked separately and has a different cooking time. I like using blue eye trevalla or jewfish fillet and mussels from South Australia which are all superb quality. We then add the seafood ingredients one by one and serve it with grilled sourdough to mop up all the sauce.

I like this because it is simple and comforting, with well balanced flavours.

Main course Mediterranean seafood stew with fish, prawns, scallops, mussels, octopus, tomato, fennel, saffron and grilled sourdough

Pear and rhubarb is another classic dessert combination. This dish is not rocket science to make but it is certainly enjoyed by all who try it. Our point of difference here is the creamy homemade vanilla ice cream and the crumble topping, made from oats and brown sugar.

We start by making the vanilla ice cream in which we combine crème sugar, vanilla pods, and egg yolks in the churner. Next, we cook the pear, vanilla bean, sugar and water for about half an hour and add the rhubarb until its cooked. The key here is not to overcook the fruits and turn them into mush. The mixture is then poured into a mould, sprinkled with crumble topping and placed in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until it’s cooked and some of the syrup oozes out. OH

Dessert Pear and rhubarb crumble with homemade vanilla bean ice cream

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cONSUltANt cHEf want the whole country to do it. Barramundi farmers and others have taken up the cause, issuing press releases supporting it. They say they are sick of foodservice outlets deceiving the public and ripping off customers with inferior imported fish.

Thanks for the wrap, fellas! And thanks for discussing it with us before going public. I hope you weren’t planning on selling anything to us – ever again.

Apparently the cost to foodservice of keeping track of stock and changing menus every time we change the source of our seafood will be “minimal” and because “most consumers prefer Australian” we can all quickly switch to local supply and reap the benefits without any issues. How silly of us not to have done that until now...

Let’s just ignore the fact that 75 per cent of seafood has to be imported to meet volume demand. Let’s forget the inconsistent quality of local fish (in the case of barramundi, due to a failure to implement their own program of purging to remove “muddy taint”, as revealed at their own conference last month). Not to

mention the $20-30 per kilogram price tag for Australian fish.

Give us a break. If this nonsense was introduced it would add tens of millions of dollars annually in additional compliance costs to keep track of the origin of every seafood item. Changing menus every time we change a supply source? Do they have any idea what that entails?

They say it would apply to “restaurants and foodservice”. Do they even know what foodservice means? How would these guys define what businesses it would apply to? It would become a dog’s breakfast of those caught up in it and those not, thanks to a definition of “foodservice” drawn up by an industry that apparently knows nothing about its biggest client sector.

It would lumber us with increased compliance liabilities and most outlets wouldn’t comply, leaving themselves open to prosecution every time an inspector feels like doing something different. Or if a competitor makes a malicious complaint...

The loss of confidence in customers

A fishy proposalAustralian seafood producers – notably Barramundi farmers – are currently lobbying to have country of origin labelling extended to the foodservice sector.

This might be laughable if the Northern Territory hadn’t introduced it last year – not through the national food standards process, but through the “back door” via some changes to fisheries regulations. Now they

OrigiNS Of...

Long before crumpets were invented, humans have

been enjoying honey, the natural sweetener made by honeybees. Rock paintings from the Mesolithic period showing honey being collected from a wild bees nest suggest that it has been consumed by humans for at least 10,000 years.

The earliest record of keeping bees in hives dates back to around 2400 BC and can be found in the temple of the sun near Cairo in Egypt. Ancient Egyptians used honey as a sweetener in food, as a medicine, for trade and to embalm their dead. The bee, being favoured by the pharaohs, often symbolised royalty in the hieroglyphics of the time, and Cleopatra is said to have used honey as part of her beauty regime.

The ancient Greeks viewed honey as an important food and linked it to ambrosia, the heavenly dew which they believed fortified the gods.

The Greek physician Hippocrates, widely credited as the father of modern medicine, valued honey for its medicinal properties, using it as an expectorant and to clean wounds and ulcers. After his death in around 370 BC legend has it that a swarm of honeybees lived inside his burial chamber, producing honey that was used to heal sick children.

Beekeeping also flourished in the Roman Empire, with the golden substance used in cooking, medicines and cosmetics. Military leader Julius Caesar reportedly accepted honey in the place of gold for the payment of taxes.

Throughout history honey has been given religious significance. The Old Testament describes the Promised Land as a “land flowing with milk and honey”, and it is also mentioned in Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic texts. It is reported that the Prophet Muhammed once said “Make use

suddenly confronted with a foreign country name and all the misconceptions that go with that would be catastrophic, even though international food safety standards and mandatory border testing for imported seafood are way better than the standards administered by the local council health inspector – the standard used most for locally produced seafood.

To paraphrase a report opposing the move it would be legislative “vandalising” of the foodservice marketplace, leaving it with a combination of additional costs, poorly enforced laws and a resulting high degree of non-compliance – all for no good purpose. Australian seafood producers would not be able to meet any significant increases in demand from foodservice outlets due to well-documented limitations to availability, consistency of quality and portion control, and price.

And by the way the way, if this happens the price of seafood goes up again. How dopey is that?

Honey

of two remedies: Honey and the Quran [the Islamic holy book]”.

The widespread historical belief that honey has healing powers has been borne out by science in recent years – honey is now known to have antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Prior to the discovery of penicillin’s ability to kill infectious bacteria in 1939, honey was the leading antibiotic treatment used for open wounds and lesions. It is still used in many medical applications.

In cooking honey is most often used in baking and desserts, as a spread on bread, and as a sweetener for drinks, with different

varieties having different flavour profiles. Honey is also the main ingredient in mead, also known as “honey wine” and is sometimes found in beer.

China, Argentina, Turkey and the United States are amongst the biggest producers of honey but Australia also has a thriving domestic industry, producing fuller-flavoured favourites such as Redgum, Leatherwood and Ironbark. OH

Honey


Cooking school of hard knocksAn innovative new program has teamed Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre chefs with disadvantaged Aussies to teach them how to cook and improve their diets, with great results.

cOmmUNity

Frytol Ad.indd 1 10/8/10 5:11:52 PM

group learnt about the different cuts of meat, use of fresh seasonal produce and how to cook cheap one-pot meals with basic equipment. Each session finished with the group tasting what they had prepared and cooked.

The final class of the course saw the enthusiastic learners showing off their newly found confidence and skills by cooking a tomato concasse for pasta dishes and meatballs, stir fry chilli chicken and a simple beef curry – all under the watchful eye of Latter and his apprentice chefs.

Feedback from everyone involved in the program, including BCEC staff, participants and support staff at the West End Community House, has been upbeat.

“All the feedback from the group has been overwhelmingly positive,” reports Kat Ogilvie from West End Community House. “It was great from our point of view because it

gave some of our disadvantaged people the chance to learn new cooking skills, and help improve their health, self-esteem and confidence.

“Self esteem is a big issue for people who don’t have a lot of meaningful activity in their lives. A lot of it comes down to confidence and being in the group, and having Martin and his team take the time to show them how to cook, was great.

“There are health benefits too. At least two of the group had diabetes and they said that the skills they learnt – not just the cooking but also how to read labels and shop for fresh ingredients – would help them manage their condition.”

Latter’s flexible, can-do attitude was also a plus for Ogilvie, who participated in the weekly classes.

“The course had enough structure to ensure that everything ran smoothly but Martin was very open about

discussing what was going on and what could be improved on the day, depending on the needs of the group,” she says.

“To have the opportunity to share my knowledge and skills, to educate a group of people to change their way of thinking, and to be able to demonstrate how to access cheaper, healthier, fresher food was wonderful,” says Latter.

With West End Community House keen to work with the BCEC to run another cooking course, the centre is considering ways to enhance and develop the program in future.

“The BCEC has been a wonderful support for the West End Community House,” says Ogilvie. “They also donate all the catering for our fundraising events. We run on the smell of an oily rag so it’s heartening for us that such a large corporation is reaching out to their local community.” OH

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) takes

its role as a member of the greater Brisbane community seriously, committing to a range of corporate social responsibility initiatives including donating pre-packed meals to Foodbank, an organisation which helps feeds the homeless.

As part of this commitment, executive chef Martin Latter has been conducting basic nutrition and cooking classes with the clients of West End Community House, a local drop-in centre for people struggling in the community. Every Wednesday for six weeks recently a small group from the centre would make their way to the BCEC where Latter and his kitchen brigade were waiting for them.

The idea for the course came out of a discussion between the BCEC’s Community Cabinet members led by Ruta Berzkalns, Latter and Kat Ogilvie, a community development worker at West End Community House. While the BCEC already had a relationship with West End Community House, the goal of this program was to teach participants useful living skills and hopefully improve their quality of life.

“We wanted to do something that would really make a difference,” says Latter, whose day-to-day role at the centre is more likely to see him overseeing a banquet for 2000 guests.

Dubbed the “cooks of hard knocks”, participants in the course threw themselves into a program of learning about the benefits of healthy eating, affordable menus and how to read food labels. The

Chef Martin Latter (fourth from right) with students from the West End Community Centre.

22 Open House, September 2010 www.openhousemagazine.net22 Open House, September 2010 www.openhousemagazine.net

SUStAiNAbility

Good for the gooseFoie gras is as controversial as it is delicious. Now a new humanely-produced alternative is turning heads.

Foie gras is favoured by chefs and diners alike for its sweet, rich,

buttery taste and silky texture, yet its production is mired in controversy, due to the method used to fatten the birds’ livers. Known as gavage-feeding, this involves using a tube to pump large amounts of food directly into their stomachs. Animal rights activists maintain that the practice is cruel and many nations have banned the production of foie gras. It has been taken off the menu altogether in several US states.

Now, for the first time, an ethical foie gras product, produced without force-feeding, is being distributed in Australia by Clayton Wright. Spanish producer Eduardo de Sousa, dubbed the “goose whisperer” (in Sydney next month for the Crave Sydney International Food Festival), encourages free-range geese to gorge themselves naturally in preparation for their winter migration, harvesting their enlarged livers for just a short period each year.

Sean Connolly, chef/restaurateur at Astral Restaurant and Sean’s Kitchen in Sydney has recently starting working with the product at Astral, using it as the centrepiece of a five-course tasting menu.

“Many years ago I was contacted by the animal rights group PETA about the use of foie gras,” he says. “Ever since then I have been searching for an alternative and Eduardo’s is the best. It is all about working

with nature as opposed to forcing it to happen – the product is quite literally an expression of nature.”

Ethical concerns aside, how does de Stousa’s stack up against conventionally-produced foie gras in terms of flavour and texture?

“It is slightly stronger, with a more livery flavour, and the texture is closer to a plate than a lobe at the moment,” says Connolly. The difference in texture makes it harder to pan fry however Connolly hopes to work with de Sousa in future to create a product that is more versatile in a commercial kitchen. He is currently using the humane product in a range of forms including a terrine, soup, butter and even ice-cream.

Fans of the de Sousa product internationally include Heston Blumenthal from three Michelin-starred restaurant Fat Duck in Britain and Dan Barber, chef/ owner of Blue Hill restaurant in New York, who told a 2008 conference that his first taste of the de Sousa product was “the best foie gras of my life. So much so that I don’t think I had ever really had foie gras until that moment. I’d

gras, it’s very difficult to justify going back to the traditional force fed variety. The only problem is that there is such a tiny amount produced every year it will only be available in a few select places. I feel very fortunate to be included.”

The response from customers, says Connolly, has been just up-beat. “It’s been very positive so far,” he says. “Both from an ethical perspective and in terms of the taste and texture.” OH

had something that was called foie gras ... It was

sweet, it was unctuous. It had all the qualities of foie gras,

but its fat had a lot of integrity and a lot of honesty.”

“This product has the potential to change the fine dining scene in Australia,” says Connolly. “Once people experience ethical foie

Coffee, foie gras, chocolate soil and

salty caramel.

Certified angus beef, king mushroom, foie gras

and just gras.

24 Open House, September 2010 www.openhousemagazine.net www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, September 2010 25

POrk & POUltry

Living high on the hogVersatile, great value and packed full of flavour, pork shoulder is giving belly a run for its money.

It may be a so-called secondary cut but pork belly is number one

with many diners, with many chefs reluctant to take it off the menu while it is such a steady seller.

The popular cut has a challenger however in the Shoulder Butt, a cut which, according to Australian Pork, is increasingly finding favour with savvy chefs. The cut consists of the neck (scotch) and the shoulder itself.

Scotch is marbled with fat with a looser muscle structure and texture that lends itself equally to slow cooking, cutting into steaks or being cut from the roll Chateaubriand-style. As a steak scotch can be grilled, pan fried and crumbed.

“The shoulder is definitely a prized cut amongst seasoned chefs as it has the most flavour,” says Tim Elwin, managing director of meat supplier

Urban Food Market. “It’s fantastic for braising, roasting, stuffing, turning into house made sausages, mincing for meatballs and ragout.”

Shoulder is also becoming more familiar with consumers, thanks to its popularity with magazine food writers who recognise that these structural attributes produce a consistently juicy and flavour-filled dish and promote it to their readers.

Traditionally the neck or shoulder is slow cooked as a single piece in milk. In Italian cuisine the dish, maiale al Latte, sees the cut immersed in milk with herbs and garlic, resulting in rich, tender pieces of meat flavoured and producing an aromatic clotted curd as a bi-product.

Acclaimed French chef Stéphane Reynaud, from restaurant Villa 9

Trois, uses shoulder in his recipe, featured in the best-selling Pork & Sons cookbook.

Slow-cooked shoulder is just as versatile as belly however. Darren Templeman, chef at Sydney’s Restaurant Atelier, is achieving remarkable results with pork shoulder, displaying all the qualities of belly but with a textural strata of rich moist flesh topped with a cap of crisp crackling.

Ian Curley, chef at The European in Melbourne is renowned for the shoulder he cooks sous vide and serves with a coconut salad, a dish that sells out whenever he puts it on the menu. Sydney restaurant Coast are planning to put a “pig burger” using minced pork shoulder on their new bar menu, according to Elwin.

Serving pork shoulder is also great

for your bottom line.

“The neck and shoulder are excellent value cuts of prime meat that provide excellent plate cost returns,” says Mitch Edwards, Australian Pork’s Food Service Marketing Manager.

When trying to woo diners away from pork belly, it pays to consider how the dish is worded on the menu and repeated by front of house staff. Lip-smacking buzz words such as “slow roasted” preceding the cut denote moist, succulent meat that falls apart, and are known to influence diners when used in the description.

“The words slow cooked coupled with pork speak volumes in the delicious and tender anticipation stakes,” says Edwards.

get crackingJoin the growing number of Australian businesses committed to serving eggs, chicken or pork produced

from animals that have been farmed humanely.

The RSPCA’s Choose Wisely initiative is free to join. Participating businesses are promoted on our website www.choosewisely.org.au, and thousands of RSPCA supporters are regularly encouraged to dine at Choose Wisely establishments.

Register today if your business is serving one or all of the

following:

• cage free eggs• free range chicken• free range or bred free range pork

If you’re interested in serving higher-welfare food, talk to your suppliers and become an industry leader

recognised by the RSPCA.recognised by the RSPCA.

4 New varieties!

Hakka has extended its range to bring you the finest selection of authentic dumplings, each one the perfect harmony of ingredients. Finished with a

touch of hand crafted appeal, it can only be Hakka.

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SeafoodPork with Prawn & EggChicken with MushroomsVegetable with Enoki MushroomsVegetable with Enoki Mushrooms

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Open House 2010 September.indd 1 9/08/2010 11:24:17 AM

1 boned shoulder of pork, approximately 1.5kg

20g juniper berries

5g cloves

10g black pepper

1 bunch thyme, chopped

1 cinnamon stick

10g fennel seeds

1 bunch celery leaf, chopped

100g Maldon sea salt6 bay leaf, fresh, chopped

Using a spice mill grind spices and mix together. Add salt, thyme, celery leaf and bay leaf to make the spice cure.

Rub the skin of the pork with the spice cure. Use the leftover mix to pack around the meat. Allow to infuse in the fridge for 4-6 hours.

Wash off spice cure and pat dry with paper towel. Place in a deep-sided baking tray. Rub olive oil into the skin to enhance the crackling. Cook in a pre-heated oven of 160°C for approx 2½ hours, until the meat is soft and the skin is crisp.

Allow to stand for 10 minutes. Carve and serve with creamed parsnip and buttered kale.Recipe: Darren Templeman, Restaurant Atelier, Glebe.

Boned shoulder of pork roasted with a spice cure


Wings of desireGuineafowl, spatchcock and duck step up to the plate as chefs look beyond the humble chook.

In just one generation chicken has gone from being a special occasion food to an everyday one, but the humble chook is losing its lustre with many chefs who are looking for poultry with a more distinctive flavour profile, according to Tim Elwin, managing director of meat supplier Urban Food Market.

“Lots of restaurants are looking for something a bit different to chicken,” he says. “They’re going for more gamey birds. Quail has always been popular but guineafowl and spatchcock are really taking off.”

Duck is also a popular choice, lending itself to any number of dishes ranging from consommé and cassoulet to Asian-style dishes such as San Choy Bow.

Where chicken is being used, Elwin

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Pork or chicken stock

6 scallops, roe removed

2 red onions

3 cloves garlic

3 red capsicums, peeled

3 finger chillis

2 tsp sambal olek

2 tbsp Korean hot bean paste

To garnish

10g dried shrimp, ground in spice grinder until a fine powder

10g dried garlicCoriander cress

To prepare the crispy duck breast, first make a masterstock by combining cinnamon, star anise, fennel scraps, oyster sauce, coriander seeds, mushroom soy and Chinese cooking wine. Place duck in master stock and cook for 2-2½ hours. Cool. Remove fat and bones from duck.

Return masterstock to pot and reduce to make consomme.

Portion duck breast. Before serving, dip in fish sauce and a mixture of rice, corn and tapioca flour then deep fry and dust with Szechuan salt.

To prepare the pork belly, rub with fennel seeds, garlic and rosemary. Place into stock, cover and cook overnight at 85°C. When cooked, slice and grill.

To prepare the red pepper sauce, sauté red onion with garlic. Add capsicums, finger chillies, sambal olek and Korean hot bean paste. Blend and correct for seasoning.

Sear scallops until done.

To assemble, place seared scallops on a plate with duck breast, pork belly and red pepper sauce and garnish with prawn floss [dried shrimp powder], dried garlic and coriander cress.Recipe: Craig McIndoe, MuMu Grill, Crows Nest.

Guinea fowl with parsnip, pistachio watercressServes 4

1 guinea fowl

8 slices pancetta

Oregano

Salt

Pepper

Orange zest

Du

ck by Oh

hL

ook.com.au

.

30g pistachio nuts

1kg parsnips, divided three ways

2 cloves garlic

Olive oil

300ml cream

40g butter

20g honey

Thyme50g watercress

De-bone guinea fowl, starting at the back of the bird and working your way around to the breast, ensuring not to pierce the skin. Remove all other bones and lay bird flat, skin side down.

Layer thinly sliced pancetta, oregano, orange zest and seasoning. Roll guinea fowl from thigh to breast tightly to form a cylinder. Rub butter over skin and wrap tightly in cling film. Leave in fridge for 30 minutes.

Remove from cling film and wrap in a layer of baking paper, then aluminum foil, and seal ends tightly. Place in pre-heated oven at 200°C for approximately 40 minutes or till 70°C in the centre.

Blanch pistachio nuts, refresh and peel. Toss in sea salt and slowly roast at 160°C until crunchy.

Roughly chop a third of the parsnip and sauté with garlic in olive oil. Pour in cream to cover and cook until soft. Puree till smooth and pass through a sieve. Season with salt.

Chop a third of the parsnip into batons. Toss in non-stick pan until golden brown. Add butter, thyme and honey and remove from heat.

Peel remaining third of the parsnip in strips lengthways and fry in vegetable oil at 160°C until golden. Remove from oil and season with sea salt.

Pick and wash watercress sprigs.

To assemble, place parsnip batons in oven for 2 mins to warm through. Heat and spoon parsnip puree on centre of plate. Plate guinea fowl on right side of puree. Layer parsnip batons and watercress on left. Top with parsnip chips and pistachio nuts. Finish with olive oil. Recipe: Luke Randall, A Tavola, Darlinghurst. OH

adds, chefs are utilising the whole bird rather than just buying in breasts.

“Chefs are buying birds whole and breaking them down, taking off the marylands and tenderloins, using the carcasses for stock etc...” he says. “As our birds are organic, the price for whole birds is more reasonable than for the separate pieces.”

Crispy duck breast with a deconstructed XOServes 6

Handful cinnamon sticks8 star anise3 cups fennel scraps300ml oyster sauce2 tbsp coriander seeds200ml mushroom soy1 bottle Chinese cooking wine1 Duck, halved with back bone removed3 tbsp fish sauceEqual parts tapioca flour, rice flour and corn flourSzechuan salt1 pork belly2 tbsp fennel seeds3 cloves garlic

1 sprig rosemary


fOOd SAfEty

According to the Food Safety Information Council there are more than five million cases of food poisoning in Australia each year, resulting in 120 deaths and 1.2 million doctor’s visits. Food safety specialist Gavin Buckett, the founder and managing director of food safety consultancy The Gourmet Guardian, reveals how to stop your business becoming a statistic.

Putting safety first

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Q: What are the most common food safety problems you see in commercial kitchens these days?

A: Complacency; inadequate cleaning with no sanitising step; poor temperature control (especially in bain-maries and display cabinets); staff not understanding new technologies such as sous vide fully, and lack of commitment from employers to training. Many employers simply rely on their employees having a food handler’s certificate, without reinforcing their own requirements.

Q: What are some of the potential ramifications of being slap-dash

about food safety?

A: You can kill people – plain and simple. Humans need food to survive and if that food contains food poisons or toxins, it can result in serious illness, even death. For most businesses a major food poisoning outbreak will also result in the business being closed down. Even if it doesn’t the public naming and reporting of food safety indiscretions will have a massive impact on business revenue and overall business values.

Q: Do you think most chefs are fully across all the legislation relating to food safety?

A: No not at all, and they don’t understand why it is in place either. There needs to be practical balance between what is required and how it is applied. There are plenty of “white coat” inspectors who have no practical understanding of how to apply the legislative requirements in a kitchen. As a qualified chef who has worked in many kitchens, including HACCP-certified ones, I have the approach that while food safety is vitally important, it doesn’t need to be overly complicated.

Q: What are the most common misunderstandings that chefs have about food safety?

A: Chefs believe that they can tell if something is “off” just by smelling, touching or tasting it. They are always trying to “get another day” out of something. The fact is the pathogens that cause the majority of food poisonings do not have any sensory aspects that can easily be detected. The only way to prevent the potential contamination of food is to store, handle and transport it correctly.

Q: What responsibilities do restaurants and cafes have to inform diners about potential allergens in their food?

A: None, if the customer doesn’t ask about them. There are however many controls that they can easily implement to reduce the possibility of confusion. We recommend that the main allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, milk, egg, soy beans, fish, crustaceans and wheat) are included in menu descriptions.

If the customer does ask the food business is required by law to provide information on the ingredients contained in their food. For food businesses that package food, the allergens must be declared in the list of ingredients (no matter how small the quantity is). If the business is not required to label their food (ie. restaurants and cafes) they must still provide the information

to the customer by either displaying it or providing to the purchaser on request. This information can be provided verbally or in writing, but you can’t say things like “it is a secret recipe”, or “I don’t know, I didn’t make it”. Accurate information must be provided so the training of staff is once again vital.

Q: Correctly cooling food is one of the most important aspects of managing food safety. What is the current legislation relating to this?

A: The Food Standards Australia New Zealand code has a requirement called the two hour/ four hour rule. I find that this is the least complied with (and most dangerous) of all of their requirements. For potentially hazardous foods such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs and dairy, the requirement is that after cooking, you must chill the product from 60°C to 21°C in less than two hours, and then from 21°C to 5°C in a further four hours. This is a total of six hours. To achieve this requirement you need to do more than just place it into the coolroom. Depending on the product, it may need to be broken into smaller portions or spread on a flat tray.

Many chefs get confused about the start point. The first two hour step is from 60°C, not from the cooking temperature, though you should check the procedure in your food safety program, as some programs do require that the product reach 21°C, two hours after cooking.

The Australian cook/chill guidelines recommend that cooking temperatures of more than 75°C be reached, and then chilled to less than 3°C in under 90 minutes. Unless refreshing under cold water, a blast chiller will be needed to achieve this requirement.

Q: What actions can you take if a customer accuses you of causing food poisoning?

A: Even though it is not a legal

requirement in all states of Australia, we recommend that all food businesses have a food safety program. A food safety program is based on the internationally recognised principles of HACCP and contains preventative food safety controls. A good food safety program should contain sufficient evidence to prove that you have done everything that you can to make the food safe.

If a customer makes a complaint, we recommend that you ask them to fill out a “customer complaint form” and tell them that you take food poisoning complaints seriously and that for the complaint to be fully investigated they will need to document what, when, where and with whom they ate. This simple step will eliminate many “freebie” chasing customers, as many won’t want to put their name to it.

Once you have the complaint documented, you can go back through your food safety program records and see if you can find evidence of any potential issues. Most customers (and chefs) don't know that food poisoning has many different symptoms and gestation times. Some poisonings show symptoms within 15 minutes of consuming the food, while others take up to two days. It may not be the last meal they ate and it may have been something they have done to themselves.

Q: What does a food safety audit involve?

A: The purpose of an audit is to determine whether a food safety program meets all of the requirements that it is being audited against and if the business is complying with the food safety program. While an audit does have a definite policing aspect, it should

also be an educative process as well. At The Gourmet Guardian we believe there is no point “smacking” you, if we’re not also offering guidance on how to rectify the problem. That being said, an auditor cannot instruct you on how to fix a problem; they can only point out resources that may assist the client or indicate different methods of compliance that they have seen.

Q: What are the top six things you need to do to ensure compliance with food safety requirements?

A: Commitment from management to food safety – one that provides adequate resources and finances to ensure compliance with requirements.

• A good working relationship with an outstanding cleaning chemical and pest management provider. Don’t just outsource these services, think of them as part of your food safety team and liaise with them each time they are on site.

• A working, calibrated, waterproof probe thermometer. Don’t waste your time on infra red guns – they are overpriced and rarely accurate in a kitchen environment. In Australia, your probe thermometer must be accurate to +/-1°C.

• An effective and achievable induction training program to ensure all new employees understand what you do and how you do it. It also goes without saying that ongoing refresher training is also vital.

• A basin solely used for hand washing that is accessible, operational and stocked appropriately with liquid soap and paper towels.

• If you cook and chill any potentially hazardous foods, you must invest in a blast chiller. For foods that are cooked and chilled that are found to be the cause a food poisoning outbreak, the cooling process is four times more likely to cause the outbreak than the cooking process. A blast chiller will increase the safety of your food products as well their shelf life.

Q: Can food safety programs be tailored to the needs of individual businesses and if so, how?

A: Food safety programs must be made site specific. Many businesses use a consultant to prepare their food safety program however they have no input whatsoever into the contents. If you purchase a food safety program (including templates and consultant prepared

programs), make sure you read and understand the program that has been written for you. If some of the requirements don’t match your processes or seem overly cumbersome, try to look at ways to streamline processes or amend procedures to match what you do.

The process that we go through at The Gourmet Guardian is to sit down with and discuss with the client all of the information that we need, including any current policies or monitoring that can be incorporated. It may be more expensive than some others, but it ends up being much more practical and easy to apply than some “off the shelf” programs.

All food safety programs (other than the templates) should have an amendment procedure that indicates how they can be updated. Your food safety program is a living, breathing document that must change as your business does.

Q: How important is staff training to running a safe kitchen?

A: Vital, both from a business perspective and an employee perspective. Businesses can be

shut down or face bad publicity as a result of an employee not doing what they are supposed to do. An employee also needs to be aware that they can be prosecuted if they do something that they shouldn’t have done. The penalties are much higher if the employee had knowledge or ought to have reasonably known what to do.

Training of employees provides two main benefits: the employee gains valuable skills and knowledge that they can apply in the workplace, protecting the business and safety of customers, and employees feel more valuable and appreciated if they are constantly trained and up-skilled.

It’s worth looking at the type of the training you do provide staff. The benefit of running the same food safety refresher course each year will have a diminished effect each time it is delivered. In relation to food safety training, we suggest that you mix up the methods of delivery and resources used. Try using training methods such as workshops, interactive DVDs and guest speakers. ● For more information, visit www.AustralianFoodSafety.com.au OH


Guests want value for money.The breakfast buffet is an exciting and special moment for them and an opportunity

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The breakfast clubEnsure breakfast really is the “most important meal of the day” with these strategies for reinvigorating menus and blitzing the competition.

In theory breakfast should be a profit winner – ingredient costs are

low, margins are high on staples such as coffee and tables turn over quicker than at other meals – but how do you ensure that customers choose your restaurant over the three other breakfast places in your area?

While it’s true that many customers may not want to be challenged first thing in the morning, few breakfast menus offer them the chance. Bacon and eggs (poached, scrambled or fried)? Check. Eggs Benedict? Check. Vegemite toast for the kiddies? Check. Fruit salad and yoghurt for any healthy types that might power-walk in? Check.

While no-one’s suggesting you do away the Big Breakfast (the breakfast of choice of hung-over Aussies nationally) altogether, by offering a more varied, innovative menu, you’ll stand out from the breakfast crowd and attract new customers.

Go organicThere are any number of health and environmental arguments for switching to organic food and probably just as many against it; what is undeniable however is that, according to a 2008 Australian Organic Market Report, 40 per cent of Australians now buy organic food at least occasionally. That’s a large slice of the potential market. While the cost of using organic ingredients are higher, so is the perceived value of organic food, meaning that customers will be prepared to pay a premium.

Add a foreign twistLook for inspiration in the flavours and ingredients of regions such as Asia, the Middle East or North Africa. The Middle Eastern/North African-inspired breakfast menu at Kazbah in Sydney has proved so popular that bookings are required on weekends, and breakfast stretches from 8am until mid-afternoon. Popular dishes include warm rice pudding served with saffron poached pears and hazelnuts; a hearty breakfast tagine of spiced lamb, spinach, roast capsicum, tomato, caramelised onion, feta and eggs baked, and a

caramelised onion, sausage and feta omelette.

Do double dutyWhen is a cafe not just a cafe? When it’s also a book shop, a bakery or even a motorcycle salesroom. Teaming up with another business, or adding another string to your bow, allows you to share costs and gives customers another reason to drop in for breakfast. Or take a tip from Belgian bakery/restaurants Le Pain Quotidien, which displays an array of buttery pastries, croissants and sinfully-indulgent tarts next to the cash register where customers


Sweet couscous with rhubarb & pashmak1 cup water1 tbsp honey1 tbsp date molasses1 tbsp palm sugar1 tsp orange blossom water1 tbsp butter1 cinnamon stick2 star anise4 cardamom pods1 cup couscous1 cup mix roasted unsalted nuts1 cup mix dry fruits1 tbsp stewed rhubarb (see recipe, page 34)

Place the water, honey, date molasses, palm sugar, orange blossom water, butter, cinnamon stick, star anise and cardamom pods in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour over the couscous, stir and cover for 10 minutes. Uncover and mix in dried fruits and nuts using a fork to fluff the couscous. Serve in a martini glass with stewed rhubarb and pashmak (Persian fairy floss).

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can’t help but buy them no matter how full they are from brekkie. Bakery customers who come in for bread, on-the-other-hand, are often tempted to stay for a cappuccino and pain au chocolat.

Cater to localsTake a close look at who your customers are and tailor your menu to them. Higher than average number of runners dropping in after an early morning run? Add some healthy, low-fat, high protein items to the menu. Lots of young families and mothers groups? Think babychinos and kid-friendly items such as boiled eggs with “soldiers”, and mini-muffins.

Offer all day brekkieFor most nine-to-fivers weekend mornings mean a slow start before emerging for a leisurely breakfast. They may have had a big night, or a rare sleep-in, but chances are they won’t be fronting up for breakfast any time before 11am. Limiting the hours you serve breakfast means you’re not catering to the crowd who still want breakfast even though it’s 1.30pm.

Capture the business crowdRestaurants in areas with lots of offices often attract business people for working breakfasts. Breakfast is often viewed as a more productive time for meetings than other meals because there is less likely to be quite as much small talk. Make your venue as attractive as possible by keeping take-away queues away from seated areas, providing efficient but discreet service and offering a selection of mid-week breakfast specials.

Join the brunch bunch

Take a tip from New York restaurateurs and market brunch as a meal in its own right. The popular New York brunch concept generally features a set-price meal, with a small selection of menu options for customers to choose from and cocktails (usually inexpensive to make fruit-based cocktails such as mimosas or bellinis) although there are many variations on the idea. Rarely starting before midday, brunch is attractive to groups in a way breakfast is not and the fact that alcohol is offered increases the average spend.

Sweet couscous with rhubarb & pashmak

1 tbsp date molasses

1 tsp orange blossom

1 cup mix roasted unsalted nuts

1 tbsp stewed rhubarb (see recipe, page 34)

Place the water, honey, date molasses, palm sugar, orange blossom water, butter, cinnamon stick, star anise and cardamom pods in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour over the couscous, stir and cover for 10 minutes. Uncover and mix in dried fruits and nuts using a fork to fluff the couscous. Serve in a martini glass with stewed rhubarb and pashmak (Persian fairy floss).

off to a sweet startNeed inspiration? We asked three chefs renowned for their breakfast menus to share their favourite bacon-and-egg-free brekkie recipes.

Fritelle di MeleServes 4

2 large eggs ¼ cup whole milk 1 cup flour

¼ sugar

2 tbsp Kirsch

8 cups oil (for frying)

2 green apples, peeled, cored and sliced into rounds

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Slowly add the flour, about 3 tablespoons at a time, whisking until it is all incorporated. Stir in the

sugar and Kirsch. Allow the batter to stand for 10 minutes.

In a large deep pot heat the olive oil to 190oC. Dip each apple slice in the batter and add to the hot oil. Deep fry until golden brown. With a slotted spoon transfer to a paper lined plate to drain.

Place 5 fritters on each plate and serve with a dusting of cinnamon. Recipes: Guy Grossi, Grossi Florentino, Melbourne.


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Stewed rhubarb1 bunch rhubarb2 tbsp sugarSqueeze of lemon

Wash and dice rhubarb, being sure to discard all the green leaves as they are poisonous. Place in a saucepan over a low flame with sugar and lemon. As soon as liquid is released from the rhubarb turn the flame to high for just 3 minutes and remove from heat. Recipes: Zahi Azzi, Kazbah, Balmain.

Ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter11/3 cups ricotta¾ cup milk4 eggs, separated1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour 1 teaspoon baking powderPinch of salt50g butter

Bananas

Honeycomb butter, sliced (see recipe)

Icing sugar for dusting

Place ricotta, milk and egg yolks in a mixing bowl and mix to combine.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add to the ricotta mixture and mix until just combined.

Place egg whites in a clean dry bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites through batter in two batches, with a large metal spoon.

Lightly grease a large non-stick frying pan with a small portion of the butter and drop 2 tablespoons of batter per hotcake into the pan (don’t cook more than 3 per batch).

Cook over low to medium heat for

2 minutes, or until hotcakes have golden undersides. Turn hotcakes and cook on the other side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and quickly assemble with other ingredients.

To serve, slice banana lengthways onto a plate, stack 3 hotcakes on top with a slice of honeycomb butter. Dust with icing sugar. Serves 6-8.

Chef’s note: Hotcake batter can be stored for up to 24 hours, covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator.

Honeycomb butter250g (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened100g (31/3 oz) sugar honeycomb, crushed with a rolling pin2 tablespoons honey

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Shape into a log on plastic wrap, roll, seal and chill in a refrigerator for 2 hours. Store leftover honeycomb butter in the freezer.Recipes: Bill Granger, Bills, Sydney. OH


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Spice to meet youLike Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese before them, Middle Eastern and North African flavours are inspiring Aussie chefs. In their new book Just Add Spice, king of spice Ian “Herbie” Hemphill and foodie Lyndey Milan explore the common spices and spice blends that characterise this exciting and vibrant region of the world.

AllspiceAllspice are the dried, unripe fruits of a tropical evergreen tree native to Jamaica. They are dark brown in colour and average 3mm in diameter. It was called allspice because the flavour is like a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Scandinavian staples such as herrings in tomato sauce are spiced with allspice. Whole allspice are added to pickles and are an ingredient in pickling spices. Ground allspice is a good substitute for ground cloves in cakes and pastries, when a less pungent flavour is desired.

Caraway seedsCaraway is used in many European cheeses – the fresh anise and fennel notes help to balance the fatty richness and robust flavours often found in smoked cheeses. Caraway flavours the liqueur “kummel” and is used in making gins and schnapps. It is an important ingredient in traditional garam masala and that fiery Tunisian paste, harissa (see recipe, page 39).

Cardamom This is commonly referred to as

green cardamom because the pods are bright green, even though the tiny seed are dark brown to almost black. Cardamom has a sweet, eucalyptus-like aroma that adds fresh notes to spice mixes. The strong camphor-like flavour earns cardamom a position amongst the pungent spices and it is therefore used in small quantities. There is almost no limit to its uses in cooking: from rich curries and slow-cooked tagines to Indian sweets, Middle Eastern desserts and Danish pastries.

CassiaBoth cinnamom and cassia are wonderful spices, but there is some confusion about which is which, as cassia is often incorrectly labelled as cinnamon.

Cassia bark comes in all shapes and sizes, from large dark-brown chips to quills that are a single scroll of 1-2mm thick bark. When ground, cassia is dark reddish-brown and very fragrant, with a slightly hot background note.

Cassia is commonly used in baked items such as muffins and cakes (hence the name “baker’s cinnamon”) and is the best variety to use in Asian dishes that contain strong spices like star anise.

ChilliThere are literally hundreds of different chillies, all of which descend from the original ones discovered by the Spanish when they found the Americas. The hot bite and delicious capsicum taste of chilli was warmly embraced by nearly every nation on earth, thus we find some form of capsicum or chilli (often referred to as peppers) in nearly every cuisine.

Dried chillies have a very different

levels that tend to be marketed as mild, medium and hot.

ClovesCloves are the dried unopened flower buds of a tropical evergreen tree. They are picked when they begin to turn red at the base and are dried in the sun. Native to the Indonesian

chilli and paprika.

Whole cumin seeds retain their flavour well, however once ground, they should be stored carefully in a well-sealed container. Due to its relatively high oil content, ground cumin can be dry-roasted in a pan without burning.

Despite their name, black cumin seeds are actually dark

brown, smaller than standard cumin, and are usually dry-roasted before using. They are not to be confused with nigella seeds (kolonji) which are often sold as black cumin.

Fennel seedsNative to southern Europe and most parts of Turkey, historically fennel was regarded as a symbol of success. The seeds should be pale yellow to green and have a characteristic “anise” flavour. Fennel is classed as one of the amalgamating spices as it brings other flavours together, while imparting delicious fresh anise notes to Malaysian curries and satay sauces.

flavour from fresh ones

as the drying process caramelises the natural

sugars, creating a delicious, robust taste that is not found in fresh chillies. It’s like comparing a sun-dried tomato with a fresh one. Although chilli should be used sparingly, it does add a distinctive flavour to food as well as heat.

There are many different varieties of dried chillies, ranging from blistering-hot habaneros and almost as hot birds’ eye chillies, to medium and milk and fruity anchos, pasilla and mulato chillies. Chilli powders are safe and predictable, as ground chillies can be blended to achieve uniform heat

NutmegNutmeg and mace are contained within a yellow to light-brown fleshy fruit resembling a peach. When the nutmeg fruit is picked and cut open, a blood-red aril of mace is revealed. The mace clings to the shell of the nutmeg and it is this aril that is removed and dried, becoming the spice mace. The nutmeg, which is still within its shell, is then dried until it rattles. This thin and brittle outer shell is then removed, leaving the inner nutmeg. Whole mace is referred to as “blade” mace in some recipes and is used when the flavour is to be infused.

spice islands, they were traditionally used as a breath freshener and as an antiseptic. Small wonder then that the strong “antiseptic” note in this pungent spice reminds many of us of the dentist!

Ground cloves are added to sweet spice blends for cakes and fruit dishes, and while cloves are added to pickles and preserved meats. However, ground cloves are best in curries if you don’t enjoy the surprise of crunching down on a whole clove. Look for cloves that are intact, uniform in size and shapes, dark brown with a lighter-brown top to the bud, and have to pieces of stem.

Coriander seedsCoriander leaves have a clean, appetising taste that is most often associated with Thai and other Asian cooking. The dried seeds are referred to as a spice and have a mild, lemon-like taste that complements both sweet and savoury dishes. Ground coriander seeds are found in sweet spice blends for cakes and biscuits, as well as being used to flavour curries and Moroccan dishes.

CuminThe seed of a small annual plant that looks similar to fennel when growing, cumin is native to the Mediterranean and known for is characteristic “curry” flavour. Not surprisingly then, it is often used in Indian dishes, as well as Moroccan recipes. Ground cumin seeds are also an important ingredient in Mexican chilli powder along with

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, September 2010 3938 Open House, September 2010 www.openhousemagazine.net

Baharat spice mixThe other name for baharat is “Lebanese seven spice” and it is a wonderful blend for kebabs and any cooked red meats. The versatility of this spice mix is demonstrated by its ability to add a full, robust flavour to food without giving any hint that it has been overly spices. Makes 1 heaped tablespoon.

2 teaspoons mild paprika1 teaspoon ground black pepper½ teaspoon ground cumin½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds½ teaspoon ground cassia¼ teaspoon ground cloves¼ teaspoon ground cardamom seeds

Berbere spice mixPronounced “ber-ber-ray”, this is a distinctly North African spice blend that complements chicken and seafood, as well as going well with potatoes and pumpkin. The quantity of chilli powder can easily be increased. Makes 2 tablespoons.

Nutmeg is regarded as a sweet spice and is often used with fruit and in pastries. It also complements vegetable such as pumpkin, carrot and spinach. Mace is more pungent and tends to be used in savoury dishes, pickles and chutneys.

PaprikaPaprika is the name given to the sweet and only slightly hot members of the capsicum family. Whole chillies are used mostly for their flavour and heat, paprika is most appreciated for its vibrant colour and agreeable, full-bodied flavour. Sweet paprika is bright red in colour and has no background bitterness. It is used in Hungarian goulash and many European recipes. Mild paprika is dark red in colour and has a slightly sharp (but not hot) edge to it. This is the best type for Moroccan and Middle Eastern cooking. Hot paprika is like a very mild chilli powder.

Smoked paprika is a very special type from the La Vera region of Spain and should not be confused with other varieties. Use smoked paprika in small quantities to add depth of flavour to stews and casseroles, pasta dishes and pizza.

6 of the best blends2½ teaspoons ground cumin3½ teaspoons coriander seeds, dry-roasted and ground¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed½ teaspoon chilli powder (medium heat)¼ teaspoon ground cloves¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Tagine spice mixA tagine is a conical-lidded earthenware cooking pot traditionally used in Moroccan cooking. Tagines were designed to enable slow cooking over a fire or gas burner, with the earthenware diffusing the heat evenly to replicate an oven. These days we tend to make tagines in casserole in the oven, but that genuine tagine flavour can still be achieved by using a traditional tagine spice mix. This is great with chicken, lamb, veal or vegetables. Makes 2 tablespoons.

1 tablespoon mild paprika2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds1 teaspoon ground cassia½ teaspoon ground allspice¼ teaspoon ground cardamom seeds¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Harissa spice mixA North African spice blend, harissa is generally made into a paste, and this predominantly chilli combination is great for those who like to add a little or a lot of heat on the side. Use it as a spicy rub on the meats before cooking or make it into a paste (it will make about 200ml when mixed with oil and water). Makes about 3 tablespoons.

1 tableppon chilli flakes2 teaspooon milk paprika1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds1 teaaspoon ground coriander seeds1 teaspoon ground cumin½ teaspoon dried spearmint½ teaspoon salt

DukkahAn Egyptian specialty, dukkah is a blend of nuts and spices that is generally served with crusty bread and olive oil. It may also be sprinkled over dressed green salads or used to coat chicken and fish before pan-frying. If you like, use roasted peanuts instead of, or in

addition to hazelnuts and pistachios. Makes about 4 tablespoons.

1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds2 teaspoons ground cumin¼ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon ground black pepper1 teaspoon sesame seeds1 tablespoon finely chopped roasted hazelnuts1 tablespoon finely chopped roasted pistachios

Ras el hanout spice mixIn Morocco, the spice sellers in the souk will all try to outdo each other by making the best ras el hanout. Although it looks like the most complicated of the spice blends, this fragrant version can be made from readily available spices. It is not hot, so think of it as a general-purpose spice to add to couscous or rice, use it to enhance the flavour of casseroles or rub it onto meats prior to cooking. Makes 2 tablespoons.

2 teaspoons milk paprika1½ teaspoons ground cumin1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds½ teaspoon ground cassia¼ teaspoon ground turmeric½ teaspoon ground fennel seeds ¼ teaspoon ground allspice¼ teaspoon ground cardamom seeds¼ teaspoon ground nutmegPinch of ground caraway seedsPinch of cayenne pepperPinch of ground cloves

Note: For larger quantities, simply increase the quantities in the same proportions.

This is an edited extract from Just add spice by Lyndey Milan and Ian Hemphill (Lantern, $49.95). OH

TurmericThe turmeric plant resembles ginger in appearance, and like ginger, it is the rhizome that is used in cooking. The two types most commonly used are Alleppey and Madras. Alleppey turmeric has a deep orange-yellow colour and a flavour very close to fresh turmeric root. This is the best variety to use when the true flavour of turmeric is desired. Madras turmeric is paler and milder, and is generally used when just the colour is sought without the characteristic flavour.

Although turmeric has a distinctive flavour, it can have an amalgamating effect in curry and Moroccan blends.

Fresh turmeric rhizomes are often available from fresh produce stores and markets. Grate fresh turmeric in the same way you would grate ginger and add it to stir-fries and curry pastes.

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Kitchen confidentialPlanning and building a kitchen from scratch is one of those things many chefs fantasise about. We go behind-the-scenes of a recent build to find out what happens when the dream becomes reality.

Not every restaurateur or chef is lucky enough to be able to build

their dream kitchen but for those who do it’s one of the most important, not to mention expensive, steps in the process of opening a new restaurant.

The checklist of things to consider before starting includes the style of food you’ll be making, council requirements and Australian standards to be met, floor space, layout and appliances.

Moreover, the sky really is the limit when it comes to cost. Historic Jenolan Caves House in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales recently announced that they are giving their Edwardian kitchen a complete makeover, to bring it into line with the needs of a modern foodservice operation, at a cost

of $900,000.

To find out what goes into creating a commercial kitchen from scratch, Open House asked Alex Kearns, chef/owner at Neutral Bay Bar and Dining, which opened in July, and project manager Dean Benchmark from Stainless and Franklin Catering Equipment to talk us through the build. Alex and Dean previously worked on the refit of Alex’s other restaurant, Glebe Point Diner.

Alex

There was nothing here when we started. The extraction fan was in which told us where we were going to put the kitchen but other than the space was a blank canvas. It was very exciting.

The first thing we did was work out how big the dining space would be. The leftover space was for me.

Before working on the kitchen’s design we had to decide on the concept for the restaurant and what style of food we wanted to do. We also had to work with the shape of the kitchen – it’s a galley kitchen with no room for the chefs to cross over so everything needed to be in a straight line. Once we’d decided on the menu and the shape, things slotted into place from there.

The main thing I wanted was an open fire pit and that had to go in a particular spot. I really wanted to go back to old school flavours with the menu and you don’t get the same flavour with gas. I don’t know if having a fire pit unusual but it wasn’t cheap. We had to get a Smog-Hog [ventilation system] installed and the fuel isn’t cheap either. We run it on charcoal, which is the most economical, but I’ve got a couple of bags of hardwood which we’re going to try instead.

The final design has the grill at one end, and then it has two sections, repeating itself. Each section has a pasta boiler, Targa top with an oven underneath it, then a two-burner, a deep fryer, a little bit of bench space, and then a Rational six-tray

oven. It goes grill, main course, hot entrees, and finally, down the other end, desserts.

Since opening we’ve only made a few minor changes to the kitchen. There hasn’t been a major overhaul, or any “I can’t believe we forgot that” moments. The biggest issue for me has been working with computerised dockets. I’ve never worked with computerised dockets in over 10 years of cooking. I think you lose the personal touch – the ability for a waiter to tell you that a customer wants their steak a little bit under medium rare, or asking if can you hurry a particular table along, for example.

This place is like chalk and cheese compared to Glebe Point Diner. Here, we have a 100-seater restaurant with a bar for 40 people; Glebe is a 40-seater restaurant. In Glebe there was a little kitchen already there; it has an eight-burner stove and two ovens and we pump the food out. At Glebe we just did a few cheap, cosmetic changes, but here we spent a lot of money getting the kitchen we wanted.

Dean

The design of a kitchen hinges on a number of things – the space

that’s available, the type of menu they want, how much money they have to spend... Budget is just as important as the rest of it.

We worked on the project that ended up being Neutral Bay Bar and Dining for about six months. The owners had in mind that they wanted a second restaurant [in addition to Glebe Point Diner] and they went through a few other premises before they settled on Neutral Bay.

I was called in to look at the space once it became available, to see whether it would be suitable to build a commercial kitchen in. There are certain restraints in relation to ventilation and access which make some sites unsuitable. Whether you can meet the Australian standards and comply with council requirements.

Six months is fairly typical, but some of the other teams I’ve worked with before have looked at premises for a couple of years prior to them setting on a place.

The layout of this kitchen was dictated by the space. It’s a long skinny building and the owners particularly wanted a bar up the front, which would drag people through to the dining area, so that’s

why we ended up with a long galley-style kitchen rather than a kitchen at the front of the building or one that goes across the back of the room.

It’s a hard layout to get everything in. Because it’s a long kitchen all the guys are working side by side, and it’s not easy to move around. All the workstations have to be exactly right.

The fire pit didn’t complicate the design but it did complicate the ventilation dramatically. There are certain codes that you have to meet to cook on timber or charcoal, so there’s a completely separate ventilation system above the fire pit. That in itself probably cost as much as the rest of the system.

We used Italian appliances. It’s an open kitchen so they wanted something really nice. There are two styles of appliances on the market – the stuff that comes out of Italy, which is soft and rounded, and the American stuff, which is boxy and covered in cast iron. The European stuff takes up a lot more floor space, which is why it was hard to fit it into the Neutral Bay Bar and Dining. The cooking line is a lot longer than if we had used American appliances. OH


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Book ’em dimmiOne year after the launch of online bookings service Dimmi, the company and the restaurants who use it are going great guns.

Australians are well known for their early and enthusiastic

adoption of new technology so it’s perhaps not surprising that consumers have embraced real-time online bookings service Dimmi.

In the 12 months since Dimmi hung up its shingle in cyber-space, the service has seated 350,000 diners in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide. More than 1500 restaurants have signed up so far, with more signing on every week. It’s a phenomenal result, and one that’s surprised even Stevan Premutico, managing director of Dimmi (pictured, opposite page).

“In the past 12 months we’ve gone from zero to 1500 restaurants, which is much faster than we expected,”

he says. “As a new product on the market, there was an element of ‘wait and see’ at the beginning but we’re well past that now.

“The introduction of real-time restaurant reservations into Australia was long overdue. The concept has been hugely successful in the USA and UK markets for over a decade now.”

For consumers, Dimmi offers hassle-free, instantaneous and discreet bookings that can be made at any time, from anywhere.

Restaurants benefit by automating the reservations process, reducing time wasted responding to emails and voicemails, and capturing bookings that might otherwise be lost. The system sends on-the-spot

emails confirming bookings and an automatic reminder a day before the booking to minimise no-shows. It also allows restaurants to build a database of their customers’ details, which can be used for direct marketing down the track. Of the bookings made so far, 23 per cent were made when restaurants were closed and a further 43 per cent were made during peak service hours, when staff are at their busiest.

The service is free for customers and restaurants only pay a small booking fee after customers have dined with them.

A network of more than 30 booking partners – restaurant search engines such as Best Restaurants, Eatability,

Miettas and Ninemsn, as well as The SMH and The Age’s Good Food Guide iPhone apps – means that Dimmi is able to promote restaurants to around five million people actively searching for somewhere to eat every month.

Amongst the restaurants who have signed up with Dimmi so far are Quay, Catalina, Flying Fish, Pier and Restaurant Balzac in Sydney; Jacques Reymond, Flower Drum and Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen in Melbourne; Alchemy, Fellini and E’cco in Brisbane, and The Manse, Chloe’s and Urban Bistro in Adelaide. Some of the top performing restaurants are already accepting over 50 per cent of their bookings through the system.

In an Australian first, Gordon Ramsay’s Maze and Maze Grill took reservations exclusively through Dimmi for the four weeks prior to opening earlier this year, booking out their opening night within a few hours of going live.

“Having used online bookings internationally, their preference was to direct all their customers online,” says Premutico. “It’s more efficient and a natural evolution from

booking hotels and flights online.”

Sydney chef and restaurateur Craig McIndoe from MuMu Grill is so enamoured by the system he’s thrown out his old reservations book in favour of an ipad, with everything now done online.

“Six months ago all of our bookings were coming in over the phone,” he says. “Now most of them are online.”

Bookings are up more than 10 per cent overall and, says McIndoe, Dimmi’s integrated marketing tools have allowed him to more

up an in-depth profile of them.”

Not content to rest on its laurels, Dimmi plans to enter the Western Australian market before the end of the year and will also launch a new rewards program next month. The program will see customers who book six restaurants through Dimmi receive a free meal at one of a selection of participating restaurants.

“Some people do that in a month, particularly concierges and personal assistants, and this way they’ll be rewarded for doing it through us,” he says.

With Premutico predicting that 50 per cent of restaurant bookings in Australia will be made online within the next five years, it seems the future of reservations is just a mouse click away. OH

effectively build a database of his customers and interact with them after they leave the restaurant.

“You can’t ask people for their email address when they phone for a booking – it seems weird – but this way it’s natural,” he says. “Two days after dining with us, customers get an email thanking for them for dining at MuMu. For me it’s about creating a dialogue with diners and building repeat business. It has fundamentally changed our business.

“From an owner’s perspective, it’s also good because if I have day off, it doesn’t matter where I am in the world, I can log in and check my bookings for the day or see how many covers the guys did last night.

“At the moment we’re launching a massive push into lunches and having access to this information is helping us set goals.”

“Operators can use the system in different ways,” adds Premutico. “Some people are using it just for bookings. Others, like Restaurant Balzac in Sydney, are using it because they want to get to know every customer intimately and build

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With the announcement back in June that the US Food

and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering whether to approve the first genetically modified (GM) animal for human consumption – salmon that can grow at twice the normal rate – genetically modified food is back in the headlines.

In making their decision the FDA will look at whether the salmon are safe for humans to eat, nutritionally the same as other salmon and safe for the environment. If the salmon is approved, it will open the gate for other GM animals to enter the food stream, such as cattle which are resistant to mad cow disease or pigs that supply healthier bacon. A Canadian university is already looking at submitting the so-called “enviropig”, a pig which

creates less environmentally-harmful manure, for approval.

Developed by a company called AquaBounty Technologies, the GM salmon contains a gene transplanted from another fish called the ocean pout which switches on the salmon’s growth hormones year-round so that the salmon grow to harvestable size in around 18 months rather than three years. Conventional salmon only make the growth hormones in warm weather.

The company points to the key benefits of the new technology as being reduced pressure on wild fish stocks and an increased ability to help meet the world’s demand for fish using fewer resources, including capital, feed and fossil fuels.

Food for thoughtAs scientists unlock the secrets of DNA genetically-modified ingredients are becoming increasingly common but is it a trend chefs should be buying into?

Critics however have coined the term “Frankenfish”, raising concerns about possible effects on human health and the impact on the environment if it were to escape into the wild, as other farmed salmon have in the past. Once a species is in the wild, there’s nothing that can be done to recall it and it’s possible that the faster growing fish would beat out other salmon for food and mates.

“Fish are notorious for getting out, even more so than terrestrial animals,” says Bob Phelps, executive director of Victorian-based organisation Gene Ethics. “If they did it could be devastating for native fish stocks.”

AquaBounty refutes the claims, maintaining that the fish will only be grown in contained inland tanks, and will in any case be both all female and sterile, making it impossible for them to mate.

Genetic tinkering While the manipulation of the genetic make-up of animal or plants for desirable traits through breeding is nothing new, genetic modification allows genes to be transplanted from any organism into the cells of another plant or animal to give a desirable characteristic. Examples of GM foods include corn plants with an added gene that makes them resistant to insects, tomatoes which last longer, and soybeans with a modified fatty acid content with makes the oil better suited for frying.

Advocates of genetic modification point to benefits such as increased crop yield with less reliance on fertilisers and pesticides; increased crop resistance to attack by bacteria or insects; better tolerance to drought, salinity and global warming, and increased nutritional benefits in food (for example, rice with additional vitamin A).

Amongst the “cons” associated with genetic modification are the risks to the environment of GM crops escaping into the wild, or transplanted traits jumping to other species; an increased use of pesticides in some cases, and the potential, as yet undermined, long-

term health risks.

Phelps also points to a lack of independent studies examining the scientific claims of the biotech companies, meaning we only have the developers’ word that they work the way they say they do.

“We just don’t know,” he says. “Articles published in Scientific American and Nature Biotechnology suggest that the biotechnology companies are being deliberately obstructive about providing scientists with information.”

The Australian situationIn Australia, the only GM crops currently approved for commercial cultivation are blue carnations, cotton and canola, used for oil, in margarine-type spreads and dairy blends, as an ingredient in many processed foods, and as food for livestock. However, as food safety regulator Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) allows manufacturers to use a wide range of imported GM foods including soybeans, corn, rice and potatoes, many manufactured foods may contain GM ingredients. Meat, eggs and dairy products could also come from animals being fed GM feed.

Unfortunately current labelling regulations make it difficult to be sure if a product is free of GM ingredients. While, according to the FSANZ website GM foods and ingredients “must be identified on labels with the word ‘genetically modified’, if novel DNA and/or novel protein from an approved GM variety is present in the final food” there are some exceptions allowed under the labelling requirements. For example, “foods which do not contain novel DNA protein do not have to be labelled, such as highly refined or processed foods such as vegetable oils or sugars”. In other words canola oil that contains no DNA or protein after processing doesn’t need to be labelled, even when it is made entirely from GM canola. Products such as meat, eggs and dairy made from animals fed GM feed also don’t require labelling

as the feed can’t be detected in the end product. It’s a situation which has many Australians concerned.

“In all the polls done since 1992, over 90 per cent of Australians want GM foods to be labelled,” says Phelps. A Western Australia Newspoll survey, released by Greenpeace in 2009, found that 55 per cent of respondents wouldn’t choose to buy genetically modified foods. Unfortunately, as things currently stand, they may not always know what they’re buying.

“The public is even more overwhelmingly opposed to eating foods from GM-animals than from crop plants,” adds Phelps.

Taking actionOne useful resource for consumers and chefs alike is Greenpeace’s annual Truefood Guide, which rates food brands and products as “green” (GM-free) and “red” (may contain GM ingredients). Many major food companies including Unilever, Kikkoman and Darrell Lea have implemented policies to keep GM ingredients out of their supply chain. Processed foods that are certified organic will also be free from GM ingredients, even if it is not specified as such on the packaging, as The Australian Standard for Organic and Bio-Dynamic Produce prohibits the use of GM-crop varieties or animal-feed derived from GM cops.

In 2008 Greenpeace also launched the GM Free Chefs Charter, signed by more than 200 Australian chefs to date, which states their opposition to serving GM foods or ingredients derived from them in their restaurants and calls on the

New South Wales and Victorian governments to reverse their position of growing GM canola for “the benefit of the nation”.

The charter also calls for changes to the legislation governing the labelling of GM foods, stating: “This is essential so that Australians can make clear decisions about whether to buy GM free ingredients of not. The labelling should include all vegetable oils, starches, sugars, colourings, produce made from canola, processing aids and additives, as well as animal feed. It should also include the labelling of meat from animals that have eaten GM feed.”

Chefs who have signed the charter include Guillaume Brahimi, Peter Gilmore, Kylie Kwong, Testsuya Wakuda, Neil Perry, Cheong Lieuw, Stephanie Alexander, Teage Ezard, Ben Shewry and Guy Grossi.

Chef Jared Ingersoll, who hosted the NSW launch of the charter, explains his decision to support the charter by posing the question, “would you rather eat food that is produced seasonally and ethically with respect to nature, the environment and your health; grown for taste and with respect for not only environmental sustainability but also a fair income for the farmer, or eat food that has been manipulated at a genetic level so that you can to spray it with even more poisonous pesticides than before and still produce a big crop?”

While the jury is still out on how much impact the GM Free Chefs Charter has actually had on government policy, it has undeniably helped to raise awareness of an issue we’ll be hearing a lot more about in the next few years. OH

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Staff mattersIncluding your staff in the vision for your restaurant can lead to positive results, says Tom Rutherford, chef and creative director of food and beverage consultancy fnb.

You’ve got order forms, rosters, temperature checks and even a policy on uniforms, but

does your business have an organisational plan?

An organisational plan is vital for food and beverage business owners to “create” the business in the minds of all the staff and to give clarity and direction to each of them about your entrepreneurial vision. It is even more important when you have casual staff members, who receive only small amounts of training, in kitchens and on the floor as it helps reinforce a consistent image of the operation.

Organisational plans are important for businesses as they communicate the fundamentals of how their unique machine works, how everyone contributes to the bigger picture and how important everyone’s role is to achieving success.

Know where you stand

One of the most common things I hear foodservice business owners talk about is how to continually motivate and communicate directions to staff – from management to chefs and front-of-house staff, and everyone in between.

Having an organisational plan and chart which shows the interaction between the different roles, and which communicates the greater vision of your business to all your staff is a sure way to increase understanding and motivation.

For example, a waiter’s role is to engage with customers, take their order, deliver their food and make them welcome. However, a waiter who can see how their role fits into the overall mechanics of the business is not only a waiter but the initiator of a machine which rolls into action with the goal of creating happy, return customers. If they have this in mind, how they interact with customers when they take an order, how they present the

food at the table and how they up-sell will be aligned with the vision of your operation.

With this mode, a business owner or manager is able to not only praise the staff when they are doing well but show them the ramifications of their work – linking them to the bigger picture and motivating them for outcomes greater than their pay packet.

Improving job satisfaction The food and beverage environment is stressful, pressured and fast for all involved. Paying attention to the staff’s ideas is a positive way of raising the job satisfaction of everyone involved.

When I start working with a new client I always ask the staff what would make their jobs better, easier and more fun. In return I get intelligent, simple, yet effective ideas. Make a point of asking your staff regularly – you won’t know until you ask.

Acknowledge a job well doneJob satisfaction is likely to be low when staff aren’t being recognised or thanked for their work. For managers and owners simply saying thank you at the end of the shift is a good way to let staff know that you appreciate their work even when things get tough. Don’t forget to let them know how they have contributed to the bigger picture.

Plan for different shifts

The power of an organisational plan is that it evolves as your business grows and changes. The structure of a business at its busiest time is not the same as on a quiet Tuesday night. By taking your plan and adapting it for each shift you quickly and succinctly communicate to all staff what gaps they need to cover or which additional tasks they may have to perform, and what expectations they can

or should have of their colleagues.

Use your organisational plan to develop your “staff versus turnover” ratios, and be open with your team about it. Coach them about the percentage ratios against turnover predictions to determine the appropriate staff levels for upcoming shift.

Your organisational plan can help with developing rosters and rostering budgets. Having a clear procedure in place means anyone can understand it, which in turns builds a smart dynamic culture within the business.

Food people need to be “people people”Restaurateurs are at times chefs, sommeliers, tilers, plumbers, financial controllers, sales and marketing managers, cleaners – the list goes on. However, one of the most important roles you take on is that of people manager and motivator. When you give attention to your people and the human resources management of your business, you will reap the results. By focusing on ensuring staff understands the bigger picture, you’ll ensure that they also have bigger smiles, more inspired cooking and ultimately happier, more regular clients.

By using tried-and-tested strategies such as a well thought through organisational plan, you will be able to communicate to staff what you are trying to achieve which means you can get on with the important part of the business – fulfilling your entrepreneurial food lover’s dream.● For more information, visit www.fnb.com.au OH


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Would you like sake with that?

With the increasing popularity of izakaya (Japanese-style

bars) in Australia, interest in sake and other Japanese beverages such as shochu and umeshu has never been greater. Stepping into an educational role, Melbourne-based sake master Toshi Maeda (right) has teamed up with chef Raita Noda from Japanese restaurant Ocean Room in Sydney to host a series of interactive food and sake matching events.

Well known for his encyclopedic knowledge of sake, Maeda is keen to educate Australians on the drinkability and varying flavour profiles of high-grade Japanese sake, and has previously been involved in a number of other sake tasting events around Australia.

The first two degustation-style

dinners married Noda’s contemporary Japanese fare with a selection of premium sakes, handpicked by Maeda. Between courses guests learnt about the history, processing procedures and variations in flavor found in premium sake.

Amongst the sakes served was Eikun Ichigin Junmai Daiginjo, a soft, mid-bodied dry sake with a delicate fruit fragrance, which has won the gold medal at the Japanese New Sake Awards 10 years running.

The six-course menu for the dinners was designed to not only showcase Ocean Room’s distinctive modern Japanese cuisine but also sake as a key ingredient. Dishes included Alaskan king crab and cured white turnips cooked sous-vide with

With interest in sake on the rise, sake master Toshi Maeda and chef Raita Noda are exploring sake and food matching.

sake and sour plum jelly; pink snapper, scallop and tofu, steamed in a cellophane bag with sake and yuzu butter, and roasted Angus beef with sansho pepper served with ginjo scented jus and flame-seared Roquefort cheese.

The Ocean Room plans to roll out more sake and food matching events in the first half of next year.

Top 10 wine-matching tipsTop sommelier Matt Hardy from Universal Restaurant in Sydney shares his tips for a (food and wine) match made in heaven.

Rock ‘n’ rollThe team at Universal plan to turn the traditional dining experience on its head in October with a series of three “Rockstar Wine Dinners” (October 26-28). Diners will have the opportunity to experience an exemplary selection of vintage and rare “rockstar” wines, each available by the glass, chosen by Manfield and Hardy.

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Universal Restaurant in Sydney recently won the top award for

Best Food & Wine Matching at the prestigious Wine List of the Year Awards 2010, thanks to the efforts of sommelier Matt Hardy and chef/owner Christine Manfield.

“To me the most exhilarating dining experience is when there is a perfect synergy between food and wine,” Hardy said. “Christine’s globally inspired dishes encourage this relationship.”

Aim for balance

The food should bring out the best in the wine and vice versa. The wine should not dominate the food and nor should it be lost in the food. Look for a harmonious balance that hits every part of your palate and where all the flavours shine.

Plan ahead

When planning a meal, degustation, or banquet menu, think in graduated steps. Each course should flow into the next, gradually stepping up in palate weight.

Consider all the elements

The protein only makes up one element of the dish; there is also the garnish, sauce or dressing to consider. Choosing a wine solely on the main component will lead to a one-dimensional match.

Rough it

Textural food deserves textural wine. Look for wines with interesting structural textures to

match the textures in your food.

Look for acidity

A good “food wine” has good balanced acidity that ties in all parts of the palate from start to finish.

Think outside the bottle

Try new styles of wines such as sherry, gruner veltliner, off dry riesling, malbec, tempranillo and blaufrankisch. If you haven’t heard of it, don’t dismiss it; try it and find out for yourself.

Experiment

Try different flavour combinations; sometimes trial and error is the best way to expand your palate to find out what does and doesn’t work.

Take notes

Always write tasting notes when trying new things to help develop your palate memory so you remember which flavour profiles work together.

Kiss and make up

Wines with big tannin structure such as big dry reds and cabernets fight with chilli and spicy food, intensifying the spiciness and the tannins. Look for plush juicy wines that don’t clash with the key ingredients when serving curries.

Cut through sweetness

Don’t go straight for that bottle of botrytis with desserts. Look for dessert wines with fresh acidity to cut through richness and balance the palate, rather than those that leave the palate heavy and cloying.

Diners can choose four to five wines from the list and upon arrival of each “wine course”, a mystery dish, devised by the Universal kitchen, will be served to complement it. Manfield credits one of her favourite Parisian haunts, Il Vino d’Enrico Bernardo, which offers diners only a wine list, for the idea. The concept is to “make wine-tasting fun, and thought provoking not intimidating”, she says. OH


Heston’s Fantastical Feasts by Heston Blumenthal (Allen & Unwin, $55)

Heston Blumenthal, chef/owner of three Michelin-starred restaurant Fat Duck in Britain, is known for his innovative approach to cooking, in the past collaborating with scientists to come up with new techniques and effects. In this intriguing book Blumenthal adds a healthy dash of whimsy to the mix, coming up with six historical feasts inspired by books (including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), legends and fairy tales. While recipes such as lickable wallpaper, savoury Slush Puppies and leeches fed on goose blood are unlikely to translate to everyday menus, the stories behind their inception are fascinating.

cOOkiNg tHE bOOkS

My Family Feast by Sean Connolly (Hardie Grant. $59.95)

Yorkshire-born chef Sean Connolly had little experience of the cuisines he explores in this book before starting this project. Meeting and cooking with families from backgrounds as diverse as Cuba, China, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Burma and Bali, Connolly discovers the ingredients, flavour combinations and cooking techniques unique to those cultures. An engaging and inspiring read, many of the dishes that appear in this book such as the Italian stuffed eggplant and Argentinean flan de leche, have since appeared on the menu at the author’s bistro, Sean’s Kitchen.

What’s on shelf this month?

My Family Feast

Yorkshire-born chef Sean Connolly had little experience of the cuisines he explores in this book before starting this project. Meeting and cooking with families from backgrounds as diverse as Cuba, China, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Burma and Bali, Connolly discovers the ingredients, flavour combinations and cooking techniques unique to those cultures. An engaging and inspiring read, many of the dishes that appear in this book such as the Italian stuffed eggplant and Argentinean

Heston’s Fantastical Feasts

Heston Blumenthal, chef/owner of three Michelin-starred restaurant Fat Duck in Britain, is known for his innovative approach to cooking, in the past collaborating with scientists to come up with new techniques and effects.

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With spring’s warmer days upon us, now’s the perfect time to introduce some lighter dishes to menus. Here, acclaimed French chef Damien Pignolet from Sydney’s Bistro Moncur shares one of his favourite salad recipes.

Salad daysWarm salad of scallops, sorrel croutons & grilled red pepper with witlofServes 6 as an entrée

2 red peppers

2 bunches sorrel, stalks removed, leaves washed at the last minute and patted dry

1 small clove garlic, finely chopped

20ml Noilly Prat vermouth or dry white wine

Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

20ml double cream

50g hazelnut kernels

12 × 4cm × 1.5cm × 5mm-thick croutons

cut from Vienna-style bread or briocheExtra virgin olive oil36 scallops (with roe if possible)2 heads small red witlof, leaves separated, trimmed to half their length2 small heads white witlof (or the inner leaves of larger ones), leaves separated, trimmed to half their length

Vinaigrette60ml hazelnut oil40ml grapeseed oil2–3 teaspoons cider, seaweed, eschalot and fleur de sel vinegar, to tasteSea salt and freshly ground white pepper

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grill the peppers over a direct gas flame or on a cast-iron chargrill until blackened. Transfer to a plate and seal with plastic film for 15 minutes. Peel off the skins with your fingertips and with the aid of a paring knife. Don’t be tempted to wash off the skin since this will spoil the flavour. Slice off the tops and bottoms then cut in halves lengthwise and remove the seeds and membrane, then cut into very thin matchsticks.

Place the sorrel, garlic and vermouth in a saucepan, season lightly with

salt and pepper, then cover the pan and cook over low – medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sorrel has collapsed to a moist purée. Increase the heat to evaporate the liquid, then add the cream. Adjust the seasoning, turn onto a plate and cover with plastic film.

Place the hazelnuts in a small ovenproof frying pan and toast in the oven until the skins split. Turn immediately into a sieve and use a clean tea towel to rub them against the sieve; this will remove most of the skins. Return to the oven and toast again; watch carefully since they burn easily. Turn onto a plate to cool, then chop very finely.

Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C. Paint the croutons lightly with olive oil and toast in the oven until pale golden, keeping a close eye on them to ensure they don’t dry out and

My Kitchen by Stevie Parle (Quadrille, $34.95)

Unlike many cookbooks written by chefs this is an intensely personal book – part diary, part travelogue with an eclectic mix of favourite recipes thrown in. While this book will appeal to the Masterchef-crowd, professionals will no-doubt be able to relate to Parle’s impeccable classical training and enthusiasm for his craft. Many chefs would be able to able to pull together a similar volume but how many would reveal so much about themselves?

The perfect finish: special desserts for every occasion by Bill Yosses & Melissa Clark (John Wiley & Sons, $47.95)

Bill Yosses has been the executive pastry chef at the White House in Washington since 2007, serving up his spectacular desserts and cakes to presidents, prime ministers and even Pope Benedict XVI. Here, teaming with James Beard Foundation award winner Clark, he presents 80 of his best creations with notes on provenance, handy shortcuts and substitutions. There’s no word which of the dishes is President Obama’s favourite but Open House can’t go past the chocolate caramel tart with sea salt. OH

become hard.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk the hazelnut and grapeseed oils with the vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Put most of the vinaigrette into a good-sized bowl.

Pick over each scallop, trimming and discarding the hard tissue. Trim off the scallop roe and set aside.

Heat a heavy-based frying pan over high heat to near smoking temperature. Season the scallops, then add a very little olive oil to the pan and sear the scallops in batches. They should gain some colour but remain raw inside. Transfer the scallops to the vinaigrette as they are cooked, tossing immediately so that the flavours mingle.

Distribute the witlof and peppers between 6 entrée plates, spread the sorrel on the croutons, then place 2 on each plate. Put the scallops on the croutons, then dust them with hazelnuts. Add the remaining hazelnuts to the juices in the bowl and use to moisten the leaves and peppers. Serve at once.

Recipe: Salades by Damien Pignolet (Penguin, $59.95).

hazelnuts. Add the remaining hazelnuts to the juices in the bowl and use to moisten the leaves and peppers. Serve at once.

Recipe: Pignolet (Penguin, $59.95).


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Menora Foods has just relaunched Maman conserves (above) into the Australian market.

Crafted in France, Bonne Maman conserves are made with a minimum of 50 per cent real fruit, with no preservatives, artificial colourings and flavourings, making them a healthier choice.

Bonne Maman conserves feature just four ingredients – pure fruit, natural sugar, lemon juice and fruit pectin, slow cooked to perfection.

There are twelve varieties available including familiar favourites Strawberry, Raspberry and Orange Marmalade, and more unique flavours Fig, Apricot and Damson Plum.

Available in 30g jars featuring the brand’s distinctive red and white gingham lid and handwritten logo, Bonne Maman conserves are ideal for breakfast buffets, room service and cafes. ● www.menora.com.au

Durability and styleWide rimmed plates are one of the most versatile trends in crockery, ideal for most styles of dining and providing a generous backdrop for food without dwarfing the actual elements on the plate. Now Crown Commercial has released Tivoli (right), a new, wide rimmed collection from Duraceram.

The Tivoli collection is specially designed with durability and style in mind. It consists of five sizes of wide rimmed plates as well as a matching wide rimmed soup plate and is made from fully vitrified hard glaze porcelain which is double fired for additional strength and chip resistance. It is finished in a classic bistro style ivory, a stable of the hospitality industry, and is a timeless and quality addition to any venue. ● www.crowncommercial.com.au

Conserved with careNew vegetarian option

Looking for a quick and tasty vegetarian meal option, without compromising on quality? Herbert Adams has released a Cheese & Cauliflower Savoury Roll which is sure to delight diners.

Ideal as a quick and easy lunch or dinner, the new Savoury Roll is made from fresh local cauliflower with a scrumptious blend of Australian-made ricotta, feta and cheddar cheese, encased in Herbert Adams’ famous flaky pastry.

Light and fresh, MSG-free, and deliciously cheesy,

Hebert Adams’ Cheese & Cauliflower Rolls are a great option all year round. ● www.patties.com.au

Organic hot chocolate choiceBeck’s Organic Hot Chocolate range offers hot chocolate connoisseurs an alternative to the usual milk or dark chocolate varieties.

The Australian-owned range comes in four delicious flavours, Bourbon Vanilla, English Toffee, Cinnamon and Roasted Hazelnut, and is made from premium organic ingredients (including real ground vanilla beans) for a delicious full flavour. All ingredients are certified organic with Australia’s National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia.

Beck’s Organic Hot Chocolate is available in one kilogram packs ideal for cafes, restaurants and hotels, and can be made with hot water or milk, for a more decadently indulgent treat. ● www.finefoodwholesalers.com.au/listing/ RKFineFoods

Huon salmon achieves a perfect score Huon Aquaculture’s Banquet Slice Salmon (above right) was awarded the maximum 100 points, winning the Richard Langdon Champion Product in Show, at the recent 2010 Royal Hobart Fine Food Awards. The salmon was also named Champion Seafood and was the only product amongst the 961 show entrants to receive perfect marks.

The award follows on from the recognition that Huon Aquaculture products received at the Sydney Fine Food Awards earlier this year, as well as being one of six finalists in the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW President’s Medal.

No slip solutionNo hands free to hold the mixing bowl steady while making an emulsion or using a handheld electric mixer? Sticky Bowl is an ingenious invention designed to stick mixing bowls to benches so they don’t slip and slide around while you’re working.

To use, place Sticky Bowl on any flat surface, then place the mixing bowl on top and press to secure suction. To release, simply twist the lever to release the bowl.

The Sticky Bowl can accommodate many different sized bowls and is food safe, odour proof and dishwasher friendly. It is made from non-porous high quality food grade silicone and can withstand temperatures of up to 250 degrees.● www.stickybowl.com.au OH

“We are not the biggest producer by any measure but we maintain that with our dedication to quality and fine produce, we are certainly rated as one of the best,” said Frances Bender, co-founder of Huon Aquaculture.● www.huonaqua.com.au

Greener fridges rangeThe new Compact and Plus range of refrigerators and freezers from Gram Commercial Refrigeration, distributed by Maurice Kemp & Associates, offers a “greener” alternative to other refrigerators. Grams’ new energy efficient refrigerators and freezers use environmentally-friendly R290 and R600 natural refrigerants as standard, together with foam propellants.

The cabinets are certified by the UK Energy Technology List (overseen by the Carbon Trust) and demonstrate the potential power savings

possible. The new Gram Compact 610 2/1 Gastronorm cabinet uses just .09 kilowatts in 24 hours of operation. Plus, they’re so quiet you won’t even notice them until you need to use them. ● www.mauricekemp.com.au

Maggi Concentrated Chicken Stock is back After an absence of two years Maggi Concentrated Chicken Stock makes a welcome comeback to the market place.

Maggi premium stocks are made with care and time so you can be sure that the magical intensity of flavour is there.

This premium stock has the distinctive, delicious taste of double-boiled chicken, to ensure depth of flavour. Giving complexity to dishes of all kind, Maggi Concentrated Chicken Stock is perfect for soups and marinades, gives balance to sauces, and lifts the flavour of casseroles.

Maggi Concentrated Chicken Stock is also incredibly economical. One bottle can produce 31 litres of stock which allows for easy costing and consistency. ● www.nestleprofessional.com


OPEN HOUSE FOODSERVICE is proud to be a diamond sponsor of the ACF.

For information on ACF, visit www.austculinary.com.au,

or contact the ACF National Office via [email protected]

or (03) 9816 9859.

HEAD OFFICE – SydneyRank Publishing Co. Pty LtdSuite 202, 80-84 Chandos Street, St Leonards, 2065Tel: (02) 9438 2300Fax: (02) 9438 5962Website: www.openhousemagazine.netEmail: [email protected]. 001 208 368

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Published in Australia by Rank Publishing Co Pty Ltd · P.O. Box 189, St Leonards, NSW 1590Opinions expressed by the contributors in this magazine are not the opinion of Open House Foodservice.

Official organ for the Australian Culinary Federation; Association of Professional Chefs and Cooks of NSW; Professional Chefs and Cooks

Association of Queensland Inc.; Academie Culinaire de France; College of Catering Studies and Hotel Administration, Ryde, NSW; Les Toques Blanches, NSW Branch; Australasian Guild of Professional Cooks Ltd.

Subscriptions: 1 yr $99; 2 yrs $154; (incl. GST and surface mail). ISSN 0312-5998

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EDITOR Ylla Wright

REGIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER Leah Jensen

ACCOUNT MANAGER Sharne Wheeler

DESIGN/PRODUCTION Bin Zhou

ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATION [email protected]

cUliNAry cliPPiNgS

PrESidENt’S mESSAgE

Peter WrightAustralian Culinary Federation — ACF

It has been five years since I was sworn in as the National

President of the Australian Culinary Federation; five exceptionally rewarding years participating in the growth and development of this fine organisation.

In reviewing the past my experiences and rereading some of the articles that have been published in Open House I cannot help but feel a sense of achievement and belonging to the craft I chose almost 30 years ago. It has been a time of reflection on who was then, and who is now, genuinely involved and active in promoting our cause.

Friends I have made plenty of, people who have come on board to support our national chefs organisation. Enemies I have also made a few of, amongst those who still cherish their own selfish agendas. But hey, being a little bit political is something that I have

learned along the way. Either way you know where you sit.

Nothing makes me happier than hearing from my fellow presidents about the new members that have joined or the excellent programs and events going on in each state and territory on a regular basis. Nothing makes me sadder than when I hear of a great supporter such as Jock Stewart (NSW), an active chef after almost 50 years in the kitchen and a lifelong and dedicated supporter of the ACF, retiring from our ranks, due to short comings within the organisation. Jock, a big thanks to you.

That’s enough of the past. Looking towards the future, I have decided to continue on as president for another two years at least and keep pushing my long term agenda. My ambition is to further develop the ACF infrastructure and to increase our office staff by at least one more person. By ACF infrastructure I

mean the office, our national junior teams including the Nestlé Golden Chefs Hat team, our national apprentice competition, national sponsors, ACF merchandise, and of course our Certified Chef Program. All of these things provide strength, growth and stability for the future. None are short-term projects and all are fully supported by our national board and our sponsors. The development of the ACF will come at a short-term cost to senior national teams but will create great opportunities for juniors and help with the development of young chefs.

Hope to see you all at Fine Foods in Melbourne.

Stick to cooking.

Peter Wright National President Australian Culinary Federation [email protected] www.austculinary.com.au

Five minutes with... Steve McFarlane, president of ACF VictoriaQ: What do you enjoy most about your role as the president of the ACF VIC?

A: I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to give back to an industry that has given me a great deal over the years. I also really enjoy being in a position to offer resources to junior chefs and apprentices to assist them with their development. The ACF committee in Victoria has spent the last three years working on a business plan that allows us to offer our members greater value. This can come in the form of networking, master classes, workshops and discounts through association partners and the members themselves. We have also almost finalised some major plans for our apprentice and junior chefs that will allow them to network with peers from other states and countries as well as offer them the opportunity to enter an exchange program with other countries.

Q: What do you think are the biggest issues facing the hospitality industry in Victoria and how would you like to see them resolved?

A: The one thing that I see as being

an issue for the industry in Victoria is that we all want the same outcome – more qualified, skilled employees – but don't seem to be able to work together as one. I see a lot of professionals who have forgotten where they came from and how they got to where they are, and who don’t always give back to the industry. It doesn’t have to be much but being involved makes a difference. It’s also a good feeling to give back and see someone else benefit.

Q: The rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney has been around for years. How do you characterise the two city’s respective dining scenes?

A: I think it’s great. Competition is what makes us all try that little bit harder. As long as each state is trying to be the best and come up with a great new technique or dish, then anyone who loves food will be a winner. I’m probably a little biased but I think that Melbourne’s culinary cultural diversity gives its diners a great selection of cuisines to choose from, such as Italian in Lygon Street, Vietnamese in Victoria Street, Middle Eastern food around Brunswick, or the Greek and

Chinese areas in and around the city.

Q: You’re actively involved in training apprentices. Have you seen an upsurge in interest because of the popularity of Masterchef and other TV cooking shows?

A: Yes, definitely. Especially with mature age apprentices (anyone over the age of 25) who are prepared to change careers to get into hospitality. At my place of employment I have seen an increase in applications over the past 12 months, but not everyone is up for the reality of long hours and hard work that isn’t shown on television. I personally enjoy watching Masterchef and I think the flow-on effect will benefit the industry in years to come. My niece, who is nine years old, and a lot of other kids I know that age, loves Masterchef and now cooks more than she did prior to the show airing. Most of the good chefs these days will tell you that their love of cooking came from home. It may just be that if Masterchef leads young kids to want to learn how to cook off their parents and grandparents, the industry will benefit in the long run.

Q: What do you think the solution

The case for competingAt the recent ACF QLD Secondary School Culinary Challenge, state president Bruno Gentile found himself being asked the same question repeatedly: why should our young chefs compete? Here, he explains the case for competing.

As the year progresses, more and more details about cooking

competitions become evident, from Masterchef on Channel Ten to professional competitions. This year ACF Qld will be involved in over 12 culinary competitions featuring prizes ranging from vouchers and signed cookbooks to cash prizes of up to $30,000 and in one case, even a week’s stay at a five-star hotel in Asia. All this is up for grabs just by entering a simple competition.

Competitions play a fundamental part in the gastronomic arts by continually setting the standard of culinary skills, levels and excellence. In what other arena can a chef or apprentice perfect their craft, placing their skills and knowledge to be tested and judged by nationally accredited judges? Competition is all about benchmarking yourself against fellow chefs and apprentices and evaluating where your level of skill and knowledge is positioned.

I believe that the benefits a chef or apprentice receives from

competing are vast and priceless. The competition creates enthusiasm through the development of culinary skills and meeting like-minded chefs. It is also an opportunity for chefs to reinforce their techniques and cooking abilities. In my opinion chefs and apprentices that excel within the industry are more likely to be seasoned culinary competitors.

Competitions are about who you are, how your level of experience, knowledge and know-how compares to other chefs of your level. It tests you by placing you in unfamiliar environments; makes you perform with the pressure of judges looking over your shoulders, and exposes you to being critiqued by judges and having fellow competitors asking you why and how you created that ultimate bordelaise sauce. If you take each of the above issues and analyse them, you’ll see that competitions are not unlike what professional chefs have to face each day.

In other words, competitions are just an extension of what a chef

accomplishes and what is expected of him or her every day. Competitors set the standard of what they want to achieve in a competition and train to achieve the best possible outcome with that dish. Training is a vital tool. Remember the more times you cook or try something, the more consistent that dish becomes and the further your skills as a chef will develop.

In this industry there is an immense number of apprentices, kitchen hands, cooks and chefs. I would estimate that a very conservative figure would be 80,000 people in these positions. Out of 80,000 people what makes one, as an individual, stand out? What makes you more employable than the others? Why should an employer pay you the salary that you are requesting?

It all boils down to experience, talent, capabilities, accolades, point of difference, outstanding characteristics and determination.

While competing in competitions might not be the total answer I

believe it will give you the edge over someone who hasn’t competed. Next time you are in the bottle shop, take a look at the wines which have won medals. They are showcased in store, demand a slightly higher price and tend to have higher sales than wines without medals. The sporting hero with the most well-paid endorsements? The winners.

National finals next stop for junior chefsThe final two regional heats for the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Awards were held last month. Tasmanian winners Joe Lidgerwood and Tim Steel will join Western Australian winners and Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award defending champions Shane Middleton and Cameron Wetton, and other state teams at the national final to be held at Fine Foods Melbourne.

All national final competitors have the opportunity to win medals for achievement in culinary excellence to recognised standards in entrée, main and dessert course categories, and the overall winners

is to solving the skills shortage in Australia long-term?

A: That’s not a simple question to answer. Is paying apprentices more the answer? I don’t know. The government is talking about providing even more bonuses to apprentices to keep them in the industry – I’m not sure that’s the answer either. Is it that Generation Y are not prepared to work as past chefs did to earn their positions, or are industry-related visas the answer? I don’t think there is any one answer, but a collection of many. I’m sure it will be on everyone’s agendas for years to come.

Tasmanian winners Tim Steel and Joe Lidgerwood.

will receive an international travel prize worth $15,000 to further their culinary careers.

The longest running chef’s competition in Australia, the Nestlé

Golden Chef’s Hat Awards put the cooking skills of young chefs under 25 to the test and gives them the opportunity to become recognised as the best up and coming apprentices in the industry. OH

for junior chefs

Joe Lidgerwood.Defending champions Cameron Wetton

and Shane Middleton from WA.

Competitors at last year's Nestlé Golden Chef's Hat Awards.

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