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

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PASS IT ONNAME TICK

Winter WarmersMaggi Premium Soup Mixes satisfy

Sweet sensation

High tea with a twist

Food for thoughtChefs stand up against hunger

4 Open House, June 2011 www.openhousemagazine.net

CON

TEN

TS

Industry news .................................06

Cover story – Maggi Premium Soup Mixes .....................................08

Profile – Greg Malouf ......................10

Q&A – Dan Sims, Sommeliers Australia ...................12

Sustainability ..................................14

Consultant chef ...............................15

High tea ..........................................16

Meat .................................................20

FSA preview ..................................25

Cooking the books ..........................26

Origins of pasta ...............................27

Products ...........................................28

Culinary clippings ..........................30

High tea with a twist.

16

OPen HOUse neWs

Western Australian college honouredSomeone

asked me this week what I would do for one night only if I could do anything in

the world, with no ramifications, and if money was no obstacle.

I’m sure they were hoping for a “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll”-style answer but I didn’t hesitate – I would have dinner at Ferran Adria’s El Bulli restaurant in Spain before it closes in just a few months from now.

Whatever you may think of molecular gastronomy, Adria is one of the best-known proponents of the movement that has introduced soils, foams, spherification, the use of liquid nitrogen and sous vide cooking into the mainstream. I’m not the only person for whom he is an ultimate “food hero”.

The good news is that El Bulli isn’t closing for ever; the chef has announced that he will reinvent the restaurant as a think tank for gastronomic creativity, reopening in 2014.

I may have missed my chance to dine at El Bulli, but I can’t wait to see what Adria comes up with next.

Ylla Wright Editor

@OpenHouseEditor

Editor’s word

Western Australia’s West Coast Academy of Hospitality & Tourism in Joondalup has been recognised by

the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) as a Centre of Excellence, the only one in Australia.

“Exceeding WACS’ Standards of Quality Culinary Education positions us as one of only four ‘centres of excellence’ world-wide and it proves that everything we’re doing here is world-class,” said Academy Director Patrick O’Brien.

To receive WACS recognition, the Academy had to meet

12 stringent “Standards of Quality Culinary Education” which cover factors such as student population, faculty, lecturers, delivery methods, sanitation, food safety and hygiene and industry support.

“As part of our continuing development and commitment to global culinary education and training, we are pleased to recognise the West Coast Academy of Hospitality & Tourism with a World Association of Chefs Societies Recognition of Quality Culinary Education Award,” said WACS Education Committee Chairman John Clancy. “This recognition will give the Academy a real advantage and opportunity to attract the best students on an international level and it gives employers the assurance that these students were educated at an institution that meets WACS standards of quality culinary education.”

The Academy has consistently turned out some of Australia’s best young chefs, with Academy students and staff winning more than 150 awards during the last five years including Oceanafest’s Most Outstanding Training Provider; the Nestle Golden Chefs Hat; the Australian Culinary Federation’s Apprentice of the Year, and the World Culinary Olympics.

Budget disappointment all-roundAfter initially welcoming the National Workplace and Productivity Initiatives outlined in the 2011-2012 Federal budget, saying they would help solve the skills challenge faced by the hospitality industry, industry body Restaurant & Catering later qualified its position, telling members that the “devil is in the detail”.

While it was originally thought that budget measures including apprenticeship mentoring, accelerated apprenticeships, a national workforce development fund and a productivity education and training fund would will help solve the skills shortage, “it has come to light since [the budget] that many of the measures may exclude hospitality”, according to CEO John

Hart. The measures will be limited to the mining, construction and aged care sectors until 2012.

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFCG) also expressed disappointment that the Federal Government hadn’t allocated any new funds in the budget for a National Food Plan.

According to a statement released by the council, “the Budget contained no extra funding for developing a broad-base National Food Plan, which is vital for Australia’s largest manufacturing industry – food and grocery – to have a long-term, strategic focus to ensure Australia has a safe, nutritious and sustainable food supply into the future.”

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Stir your imagination.

Creative chefs are discovering an inventive, new way

to put their individual stamp on signature dishes.

With the trend towards healthy eating, Australian

Avocados have become increasingly popular among

discerning diners.

From sumptuous starters to mouth watering mains

to delicious desserts, Australian Avocados add a new

twist to the texture and taste of just about every

conceivable dish. For instance, Avocado brings a

delightfully fresh accent to Seafood Spaghettini.

So why not explore the culinary opportunities of

Australian Avocados today?

Seafood Spaghettini with Avocado and Parsley

HC

A016

3

ADD AN avo TO YOUR MENU

TITLE: HCA0163_331X242.5_4C DATE: 28/04/11 REVISION No: #01 PROOF No: #01

SIZE: 331X242.5mm COL: CMYK INK WEIGHT: 290% RES/DPI: 300 dpi

PROOF TYPE: 3DAP OUTPUT SIZE: Proof output @ 100% IMAGES: OK

STUDIO ARTIST: __________________TRAFFIC MANAGER: _____________ PROOFREADER: __________________

CREAT.DIRECTOR: _______________ART DIRECTOR: __________________ WRITER _________________________

ACC MANAGER: _________________PROD.MANAGER: ________________ CLIENT: __________________________

SPELLCHECKED: FLIGHTCHECKED:

Level 7, 545 Queen Street, Brisbane QLD 4000, Australia.T. +617 3833 3666 F. +61 7 3833 3622

HCA0163_331X242.5_4C_LAYOUT.indd 1 29/04/11 4:43 PM


neWs

The InterContinental Sydney is refurbishing its Café Opera. Due to reopen in July, the restaurant will feature market-style buffet dining options across its main dining room, two private dining rooms and alfresco dining court.

Sydney restaurant and cocktail bar Longrain has opened a separate bar area downstairs as well as a spin-off, Shortgrain, which will offer a lunch menu of Thai curries and salads.

Guillaume Brahami’s much anticipated Bistro Guillaume has opened at Crown in Melbourne under the watchful eye of head chef Graeme McLaughlin.

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.

First impressions count for diners

Diners begin evaluating a night out before they ever set foot inside their restaurant of choice,

according to new research.

According to the latest American Express Dining Insights Survey, the dining experience for 93 per cent of Australians starts long before they take their first bite, with 16 per cent of diners saying their experience starts when they make a booking and 40 per cent saying they judge their dining experience from when they arrive at the restaurant.

The survey also showed that more than 20 per cent of diners use Facebook, Twitter or other social media to comment on their dining experiences.

“Australian diners start keeping score when the booking is made and they keep going until they have told friends about their experience,” said Geoff Begg, Head of Merchant Services Australia at American Express. “A good night out is no longer just about a tasty meal and professional wait staff – restaurant goers want more from their dining experience, including ease of booking, pleasant ambience and friendly interactions from the moment they walk through the door.”

Of the top elements identified as making a memorable dining experience, consumers rated food (77 per cent) number one, followed by service (61 per cent); helpful wait staff (59 per cent); good atmosphere (58 per cent); affordable menu (57 per cent); noise levels (45 per cent);

convenient location (42 per cent), and ease of getting a table without booking a day or two ahead (36 per cent).

“If a restaurateur can engage diners immediately from the booking stage and differentiate themselves from their competitors throughout the meal, it elevates dining from simply a meal to an experience,” says Begg.

Restaurant & Catering Australia CEO John Hart agrees. “The extra trimmings are what elevate a meal to a complete experience,” he says. “Making a customer feel valued can be as simple as recommending a wine to complement a meal or taking the time to explain a dish.

“Creating a unique experience and anticipating customer needs are key factors in ensuring restaurateurs fulfill diners’ expectations. Recommending desserts, describing ingredients and assessing needs creates intimacy and a positive and engaging atmosphere.”

Mushroom Mania bigger than everWith an expected 1,600 restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs taking part nationally, Mushroom Mania will be bigger than ever, providing an exciting opportunity for chefs to showcase their mushroom dishes throughout July.

An initiative of the Australian Mushroom Growers for the past nine years, Mushroom Mania will be heavily promoted on radio and backed by a range of new marketing initiatives offering weekly prizes to diners in each State.

Mushroom Mania Ambassador Ed Halmagyi (pictured) has called on foodservice operators to get involved and register to be part of the promotion.

“Mushrooms are not only great tasting, but they are easy to use in a variety of dishes and are available all year round, so there is always a good reason to feature them on the menu,” he says.

By registering for the promotion, foodservice outlets will appear on the Mushroom Mania website restaurant locality guide and new iPhone location guide, which will be released shortly.

Mushroom Growers General Manager Greg Seymour says the event embraces all types of cuisines and all styles of foodservice operations.

“The one common element is mushrooms, which will feature on every part of the menu from breakfast to dinner across arrange of cuisines and in all types of establishments from restaurants, bistros and cafes through to the corner pub.

For even more industry news, in-depth reports and new product information, or to sign up for Open House weekly email newsletter, visit www.openhousemagazine.net. You can also follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@ohfoodservice). Or download the free Open House iPad, packed with additional, exclusive content and updated monthly, from the iTunes app store.

Want more industry news?

“With a mix of radio and on-line promotions and competitions, we are looking to get people talking and sharing their mushy dining experience with other mushroom lovers during July.”

For more information on the campaign, visit www.mushroomchef.com.au.

Healthier options unpopularA new study shows that while healthier menu options are now on offer at many fast food restaurants, less than 3 per cent of customers are actually buying them. Researchers from Griffith University surveyed 1,025 Subway and McDonald’s customers on their lunchtime food purchases over a two-month period. Only 2.5 per cent of customers who ordered a main meal bought a “nutritionally-promoted item” such as McDonald’s Tick Approved choices or items which met Subway’s “six grams of fat or less” claim. “In response to rising obesity rates, many of the nation’s fast food chains have undergone a health kick in the past five years,” says Accredited Practising Dietitian and researcher Louise Atkinson. “To their credit, they’ve created menu items that offer consumers an alternative choice.

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, June 2011 7

But our research shows that Australians just aren’t choosing these meals.”

According to Atkinson, people who bought the healthier choices were predominantly female, older than the average customer, and more likely to be working or training in a health-related profession.

Those who did choose the nutritionally-promoted foods took in around 1,500 fewer kilojoules and had up to an extra serve of vegetables, compared with those who chose the regular menus items.

Breastfeeding rights enshrinedUnder changes to the Sex Discrimination Act passed last month by the Federal Government restaurants are no longer able to decline to serve a customer who is breastfeeding or ask her to leave, or to refuse to hire a woman who is breastfeeding.

The changes also prohibit direct discrimination against male and female employees on the ground of family responsibilities.

Failure to abide by the provisions of the Sex Discrimination could lead to prosecution.

Plan to simplify seafood sustainability labellingKey members of the Australian seafood industry met last month at the inaugural Seafood Services Australia Network Meeting, held at the Sydney Fish Markets, to discuss the need for clearer definitions and terminology surrounding seafood sustainability.

Summing up the present situation, Grahame Turk, managing director of Sydney Fish Market said “the issue we face is that there are many varied definitions and complex terminology relating to sustainability. There are also many eco-labels for seafood around the world – each with different criteria. In addition, contradictions currently exist between industry and conservation groups about which fisheries are sustainable. It’s very confusing.”

While this presents a large task for all parties involved, Mr Turk said he was encouraged by the willingness of all stakeholders in the industry to work together to create greater understanding and transparency on sustainability.

Key outcomes from the meeting were plans to develop a common language initiative and look at clearer sustainability labelling for Australian seafood products.

Apprentices encouraged to ‘add an avo’The Australian Avocados Chef Training Program that debuted last year has moved into an additional phase focussing on teaching young chefs about the versatility of avocados in foodservice, and equipping them with the skills to make the most of them.

Presented by chef and food writer Kate McGhie, masterclasses for apprentices have been held at Ultimo Institute in Sydney, Southbank Institute in

Brisbane and the Culinarium, a state-of-the-art food and beverage training facility within Melbourne’s Crown Metropol complex.

“The avocado training session is a valuable tool for hospitality students, introducing them to the versatility and varieties of the fruit in all stages of ripeness,” McGhie says. “They are encouraged to consider avocados as a key ingredient no different from meat or potatoes”.

“Creative, achievable dishes are devised and demonstrated to persuade students to think beyond guacamole and to embrace their own creativity. The sessions encourage students to explore their craft with a curious palate and to build on the basics of cooking to create interesting and highly delicious avocado dishes

in all sections of a menu.”

The apprentices were also shown a variety of dishes highlighting the different uses for avocados including kingfish sashimi with avocado and wasabi sorbet; smoked salmon and avocado tempura bites with green tea salt; prawn and green (unripe) avocado san choi bau; pork belly with chocolate and chilli dusted avocado, and seared lamb backstrap with avocado and pea mash.

The Australian Avocados Chef Training Program holds classes for all areas of foodservice including restaurants, 4- and 5-star hotels, clubs and leading commercial catering groups.

For more information, visit www.avocado.org.au/foodservice. OH

Letters to the editor

In the April issue of Open House contributor Glenn Austin asked “Who owns your recipes?”. Here’s some of what our readers had to say about the issue:

An issue of copyrightIn regards to the issue of recipe ownership, I think it’s an issue not unlike copyright and the assignment of copyright. If you are on the clock and creating for a client/employer for their use and with their backing or resources then they basically own it unless a prior agreement applies.

If it’s all your own work, research and materials then it’s yours and should probably be copyrighted, trademarked or patented however this means legal fees.

If a creation is truly unique and not a slight variation then it should probably be protected by copyright.

If it’s a signature dish of another chef and I was recreating it, as a courtesy I would use a tag line such as “in the style of....” or “a la...”.

D Naylor

Collaboration is keyIt depends on how your employer has written your employment contract. Traditionally employers would probably think your creations while in their employment belong to them. Check your contract – this is pretty standard or at least assumed.

If you’re a genius chef I suggest you seek intellectual property advice and design

your own contract, defining what’s yours and what you take with you when you leave, because you eventually will, won’t you?

Intellectual property rights in the food industry certainly warrants attention and more investigation with an employment or intellectual property solicitor.

Chefs have the opportunity to develop a better way to work together and be recognised for their work. Relational contributions should not go unrecognised. Innovation and individual collaboration can contribute to solving the food crisis and drive new behaviours for economic development of our struggling industry.

Collaboration on a grand scale will be required for the future to address future challenges. We need to move past the grandiose, self-promoting efforts of the modern day Picasso chef and look towards something new and more collaborative. I don’t know who owns the recipes but professional chefs have the opportunity in this age of information technology to greatly benefit from these advances and assist global economic development and the improvement of efficient food supply chains.

Trevor White, Managing Director, Food Industry Link

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

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Shake thingS upJoin the Manildra Gold rush

GM-food updateWhy we need better labelling Big, better, best Volume catering ideasoh0411.indd 1

24/3/11 10:50:56 AM

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, April 2011 15

Glenn Austinwww.xtremechef.com.au

ConsultAnt Chef

Who owns your recipes?

Chefs have always been very

liberal when it comes to sharing

information and recipes but

there is an increasing push from

centralised businesses such as

hotel chains and restaurant

groups to distribute all kitchen

recipes to one and all.

A number of chefs have phoned

me for my opinion as they don’t

believe they should have to give

their recipes to everyone. In some

respects that is a fair call, especially

if you have mastered some of the

techniques through your own

personal effort and funds.

The accepted process over the years

has been that if you work for a chef

and learn their skills then you’re

able to use them yourself at a later

date. Alternatively you develop

professional friendships and swap

ideas, or you can compete with

other chefs and learn from those

competitions. This is all part of

earning your stripes and developing

skills. When it comes to sharing

recipes, you don’t just give away

for nothing what you have worked

your whole career to learn.

The other side of the debate is

that if a company is paying you

to create a menu then they can

do what they please with those

recipes. This is also a fair call,

especially if you’re creating new

dishes for trialling, as part of your

day’s work.

But what if you’re expected to just

come in and produce the standard

dishes we all know?

If we work on the theory that the

business owns the recipes a chef

is cooking at their premises, is he

allowed to do those tried and true

recipes at a second restaurant if he

changes jobs, or do they belong to

restaurant one?

If those recipes belong to restaurant

competent tradesman than

another chef, then that is what the

restaurant is paying me to do. But

then again, not every chef has the

same skill set, and therefore won’t

be able to reproduce every shared

dish. Which leads to the question,

why pass on something that could

potentially lead to a disaster

because some well meaning chef

doesn’t have the skills required

to complete the dish, leading to

customer complaints?

On another note, given human

nature, who’s to say that if chefs

are forced to submit their recipes

that they won’t leave out some

small but vital ingredient to

ensure they retain the edge over

their fellow chefs?

So now that I have totally

confused myself and raised more

questions than I’ve answered, I’m

interested to hear from you which

way you think we should go.

Please email me at

[email protected] to

tell me what you think.

one then how can a company share

those recipes, as they already belong

to someone else? Let’s face it, if

you create two unique “signature

dishes” in your life you are doing

very well. But if the dish has been

done before, it doesn’t belong to

you or the restaurant, so why worry

about sharing it?

I would worry because if I have

taken the time to learn specific

techniques to make me a more

Pura Tuscan Open House

Ad.ai 14/2/11 1:5

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COver stOry

With demand for hearty, comfort food dishes such as stews, braises and roasts at its peak

during the cooler months, adding one or more hearty, winter-warming soups to menus is a sure-fire way of satisfying customers.

Answering the call for simple-to-prepare, high-quality dehydrated soups with maximum flavour

and a rich, hearty texture, Nestlé Professional has developed the Maggi Premium Soup Mix range using Maggi Fourth Generation technology.

This newly developed technology maximises flavour and aroma by encapsulating fresh, pureed ingredients in granules, which are then combined with high-quality inclusions to create a premium

Rich, hearty and full of flavourA technological break-through combined with premium ingredients makes the Maggi Premium Soup Mix range a foodservice winner.

soup customers will love.

The range is made up of five gourmet varieties: Creamy Mushroom, Hearty Lentil & Vegetable, Italian Style Minestrone, Sweet Corn & Noodle and Thai Pumpkin. Maggi Premium Cream of Mushroom is a rich, earthy mix of sliced champignon, shitake and porcini mushrooms, paired with a light, creamy texture. Maggi Premium Hearty Lentil & Vegetable is a tomato-based soup packed with vegetables, lentils and aromatic herbs. Maggi Premium Italian Style Minestrone is a traditional favourite, brimming with chunky vegetable pieces, pasta shells, red kidney beans and chickpeas. Maggi Premium Sweet Corn & Noodle is a Chinese-style soup that is bursting with sweet corn and noodles complemented by hints of white pepper. Maggi Premium Thai Pumpkin is a traditional Pumpkin soup with a tantalising Thai twist, flavoured with coconut cream, lemongrass, ginger and coriander.

All five products in the Maggi Premium Soup Mix range come in a convenient pouch which is pre-portioned to make four litres of soup, can be prepared using a soup kettle or on the stove top, and are ready in 40 minutes or less. Additional flavours or proteins can also be added to dress the basic soups up, creating a dish unique to an individual business.

With a low cost per serve and minimal preparation time required, Maggi soups are an excellent choice for foodservice businesses of all kinds, and one that customers won’t be able to resist ordering.

For more information, visit www.nestleprofessional.com. OH

Thai pumpkin.

Hearty Lentil &

Vegetable.

NEW


PrOfile

From iran, with love

As a freshly qualified chef the first thing Greg Malouf wanted to do was travel and

experience as many food styles and cultures as he could. Many years later Malouf has made a name for himself not as only as executive chef of Melbourne’s opulent MoMo restaurant but as the author (with former-wife Lucy Malouf) of five travelogue-style cookbooks focussing on his travels throughout the Middle East.

The latest, Saraban: a chef’s journey through Persia, published late last year, sees Malouf journey throughout Persia – contemporary Iran – in search of the regional specialities which make up Iranian food. According to the chef it’s a cuisine that has been largely unexplored by Australian chefs to date.

“There’s no such thing as contemporary Iranian food,” he says “Everything is steeped in so much tradition. It’s kind of locked in a vacuum of tradition.

“The recipes in the book are based on those traditional recipes but reinterpreted as seen through my eyes. It’s given it a more contemporary feel.”

At the heart of every Iranian meal is rice, steamed until a crunchy golden crust forms, which is served with khoresht, substantial stew-like sauces ranging from simple lamb and split pea to quail with melting onions, saffron and chickpeas, and prawns braised in a tamarind herb sauce.

Key amongst the flavour used in Iranian cooking are saffron, turmeric, ginger, cloves and black pepper. Ordinary ingredients perhaps but when blended together “quite magical”.

While Saraban has been shortlisted for several prestigious publishing awards, there is a more tangible pay-off for Malouf.

“There were techniques and dishes there that I’d never seen before,” he says. “And of course I’m going to try to incorporate those into my repertoire at the restaurant.”

One of the new breed of Middle Eastern restaurants that have sprung up in recent years, especially in Melbourne, MoMo already features North African (Moroccan, Tunisian and Egyptian), Lebanese, Turkish and Greek dishes on its menu.

“Melbourne has embraced Middle Eastern food

more than just about any other city outside the Middle East,” comments Malouf, whose own parents came to Australia from Lebanon. “I don’t know why. Sydney is much tougher.

“Melbourne has eight to 10 amazing contemporary Middle Eastern restaurants, doing really fine food. When you take falafel out of the takeaways and put the emphasis on architecturally-designed restaurants, sculptured dishes and beautiful wine lists, then all of the sudden an $8 felafel has become a little jewel.”

Amongst the dishes that exemplify Malouf’s philosophy on food are a Moroccan pigeon pie customers consistently ask for even when it’s not on the menu (which is most of the time; Malouf doesn’t believe in “signature dishes” and is constantly changing the menu). For this dish the pigeons are first cooked in aromatics and then when they are cooked, the juices of the pigeon are used to make custard that is folded back in with the meat, fresh coriander and parsley, to form the filling. This filling is wrapped in really fine pastry with fried almonds, baked and finally dusted with cinnamon icing sugar.

Another dish involves baking a whole salmon

very slowly until the protein is just set, so that it’s still quite unctuous and rare. The skin is peeled off and coated with a mixture of tahini, yoghurt, garlic and lemon, and then again with coriander, chilli and walnuts.

With so much to offer, it’s little wonder that Middle Eastern ingredients, flavour combinations and techniques are being embraced by chefs of all kinds. As with all cuisines however, Malouf stresses the need for chefs to understand and respect Middle Eastern dishes before starting to reinvent them.

“A lot of chefs, especially those at a younger age, tend to overcrowd dishes with too many garnishes; try to be a little too smart,” he says. “Things might be pushed through a sieve too many times, for example, and they end up with food that’s not quite right.”

With two hats in The Age Good Food Guide and a number of other awards to his name, Malouf’s food is undeniably “right”. He’s not content to rest on laurels however – he has another book due for release later this year, and there may be more to follow.

“There are still a lot of countries out there that are untapped,” he says. OH

Despite Middle Eastern food enjoying a new found popularity, Persian cuisine has been largely undiscovered. Chef Greg Malouf travelled to contemporary Iran to discover what it had to offer.

The recipe for Greg’s rhubarb and rose cream with rhubarb twirls is available on the Open House ipad app.

www.inghamfoodservice.com.au For more information or to place an order, contact your local branch. ARMORY_IN2821_OH

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Q&a

Q: What’s the philosophy behind Sommeliers Australia?

A: Sommeliers Australia aims to increase awareness, and to support and help educate sommeliers in Australia. It is an inclusive organisation, which anyone can join. We want to see sommeliers, winemakers, distributors, importers, retailers, wine writers and even wine enthusiasts all sitting in a room together and learning from each other. This can only benefit everyone.

Q: One of your key initiatives is the

Knowledge Fund. What is this and how does it benefit the hospitality industry as a whole?

A: Sommeliers Australia is a not-for-profit organisation reliant upon a core group of passionate volunteers. The Knowledge Fund was established as the philanthropic arm of the association for businesses keen to invest in the betterment and education of our members. This fund is used for initiatives like the Australia’s Best Sommelier Competition, our education

secrets from the cellarBehind every great wine list is a great sommelier. Here, Dan Sims, one of the team behind Sommeliers Australia and project manager of The Wine Guide, shares his secrets.

scholarship and various other tastings and events that support up and coming sommeliers.

Q: Why is it important for restaurants to employ a sommelier?

A: When you look at the business side of a restaurant, anywhere between 35 per cent and 55 per cent of revenue comes from the beverage side. Having a dedicated person to manage this not only makes sense, it’s essential. A sommelier can further add to a diner’s experience in terms of food and wine matching and, especially, service. A sommelier can also assist in training and motivating other staff who, in turn, can continue to add to a restaurant’s bottom line.

Q: What makes an exceptional wine list?

A: There are many aspects that go into a successful wine list though the most important is that it should be appropriate to the restaurant’s market; in short, know your customers. Balance as well as clear and easy-to-read formatting is essential. Guests should be able to navigate their way quickly and easily through the list.

Q: What steps do you go through when creating a wine list for a new restaurant?

A: Again, it is important to know and respect the market that the restaurant is going for. There are many things that need to be taken into consideration: how many suppliers you will buy from; how much storage you will have; what the other staff will be like. The list goes on and on. There is much more to a wine list than simply a stock list.

Q: Sauvignon Blanc has been incredibly popular for some time. Is that still the case or are other varieties starting to take over?

A: Sauvignon Blanc is still incredibly popular and certainly won’t be going away in a hurry. Other grape varieties are also selling well but it’s impossible to pick just one. “Diversity” is more than likely the next big thing. Diversity of

style; of grape varieties; of regions ... Though saying that, Pinot Noir is becoming increasingly prominent and popular.

Q: What are the broad trends in Australian winemaking at the moment?

A: Australia is making some of the best wines it ever has at the moment, despite criticism from some in the UK and USA. There's also a shift to more refined, savoury styles of wines that are more mid-weighted, rather than the fully charged flavour bombs of the past. This is especially important when it comes to food and wine matching. There is certainly more refinement and freshness.

Q: Which wine region/s are the most exciting at the moment and why?

A: It’s impossible to narrow it down, although I’d look at regions such as the Mornington Peninsula for Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley for Chardonnay, and Margaret River for Cabernet... We are also starting to see an evolution and maturity of the wines from Tasmania. You could also add Canberra to the list as well.

Q: Serving the right wine can lift food from the so-so to the sublime. What do chefs need to remember about food and wine matching?

A: Sometimes it’s all about the food, and sometimes it’s all about the wine. Too many components in a dish make it virtually impossible to match a wine. Sometimes keeping it simple is the best way.

Q: Some venues are also doing sake and food matching, and beer and food matching dinners. Do the same principles apply?

A: Yes and no. We are starting to see more sake on lists which is great. Beer can be quite filling, making it more challenging to match with a variety of foods. Sommeliers need to have the flexibility and depth of knowledge to look at all beverages.

Q: What would be your ultimate food and wine match?

A: Duck and pinot noir – easy! OH

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Formula40 Open House Ad.ai 14/2/11 1:51:22 PM


sUstainability

Taking a stance on hungerWith new government funding on the table and a viral video advertising campaign featuring chef Matt Moran, food-rescue organisations Foodbank and OzHarvest are expecting a boost.

In an effort to tackle the growing problem of hunger in Australia,

the Federal Government announced in last month’s budget that it will allocate $1 million annually to support the work of hunger relief organisation Foodbank Australia.

The not-for-profit organisation, which collects donations from food manufacturers, retailers and producers, currently provides food to more than 2,500 welfare agencies nationally, creating a total of 70,000 meals every day – over

25.5 million a year.

While the aim is to use only donated ingredients, some essential ingredients such as breakfast cereals, milk, pasta and pasta sauce, canned meals, fresh fruit and vegetables and meat do need to be purchased.

The government funding support will be used to manufacture food through Foodbank’s Collaborative Supply Program, which aims to meet the deficit in donations of these essential foods.

“There is currently a gap between

The video of Matt Moran’s rant against food wastage is available on the Open House iPad app.

the amount of key staple food that is donated to Foodbank and what is needed to feed Australians relying on hunger relief,” says Foodbank chairman Enzo Allara. “The Collaborative Supply Program allows us to address part of this shortfall as we coordinate the production, processing, packaging and transport of products, using donated ingredients and services from a variety of Foodbank’s valued partners.”

With funding support, Foodbank is able to leverage other donations and can make enough food to feed a family of four for just $1.40, so the government funding could potentially create an extra 2.8 million meals each year.

The funding announcement came on the same day that it was revealed that a video of celebrity chef Matt Moran shouting expletives at a staff member while filming a television cooking segment that went viral after it was posted on YouTube and Twitter was a publicity stunt for food-rescue charity OzHarvest.

In the video Moran, the owner of Sydney's and Brisbane’s Aria restaurants and a judge on television cooking show MasterChef, is seen berating an assistant who throws away a freshly plated-up chicken dish in an outburst reminiscent of Gordon Ramsay’s infamous rants.

The hoax was perpetuated by the charity to draw attention to the issue of food wastage in Australia and coincided with the launch of REAP, an initiative that takes OzHarvest’s food-rescue concept to regional areas around the country. The REAP project provides a toolkit for regional communities to carry out the work OzHarvest does in Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle, Wollongong and Adelaide, collecting excess food from restaurants, cafes, hotels, producers and retailers, and distributing it to more than 330 organisations at the frontline of feeding those in need.

“I was more than happy to be involved in something so controversial if it meant that the

message of food waste would be brought to the top of Australians’ minds,” said Moran of his foul-mouthed rant. “REAP is a simple concept started by leading food charity OzHarvest, who have already rescued millions of meals from going to waste and provided millions of people with fresh food that they normally would not have access to. It’s a f***ing great cause!”

“The issue of feeding those in need goes well beyond the areas we currently service,” said Ronni Kahn, CEO and founder of OzHarvest. “We have been working hard to create ways to help regional areas where our yellow OzHarvest vans just don’t have the capability to reach on a day-to-day basis.

“REAP provides regional areas with all the necessary tools that they need to rescue food and deliver it to the disadvantaged. On top of that, it also serves to stop good food from ending up as landfill.”

The NSW Premier’s Department has provided funding to OzHarvest for the project.

Recent Foodbank research suggests that demand for food support has increased rapidly over the past 12 months, with a 33 per cent increase in the number of welfare agencies that rely on its services in New South Wales, a 28 per cent increase in Victoria, and an 11 per cent increase overall nationally.

More than 13 per cent of Australians currently live in low income households and the increasing reliance on charities reflects the growing number of Australians dependent on welfare support and the increasing poverty gap. The rising cost of living has also increased pressure on other groups such as the elderly, single mothers and the working poor.

According to 2009 research from The Australia Institute, Australians throw away $5.2 billion of food every year, with three million tonnes of it going to landfill.

To find out more about donating excess food, visit www.ozharvest.org or www.foodbank.com.au. OH


Glenn austinwww.xtremechef.com.au

COnsUltant CHef

Hands up for kitchen handsNo matter whom you listen to, whether its industry leaders or politicians, the catch cry currently is “work safety”. It’s pretty impressive really when you think about it; our employers and governors want us to be safe at work and work in a secure environment. There are so many meetings, focus groups and discussions happening on work safety currently that we should be the safest country in the world. The trouble is it pretty much comes back to that – a “talk fest” with very little grounding in reality, especially when it comes to commercial kitchens.

I am all for being safe at work; one of the most dangerous places to work is a kitchen. Think about it: gas flames; boiling water and oil; hot steel; slippery, wet and greasy surfaces; electrical leads; knives… Pretty much all the dangers you can think of in one

instead of two or roster one less reception person but the kitchen hand is the life line to the business and should be treated accordingly. If you really think that a chef is going to prepare food all day, work through service and then spend hours effectively cleaning a kitchen you are wrong. Nor should they have to; it’s just not acceptable.

This is my recipe for kitchen safety. To date it has worked well.

area. Match that with inadequate basic and ongoing training, as well as a lack of incentives to work due to poor pay and conditions, and it’s a time bomb waiting to go off.

The upside to this is that for those of us who spend our lives in this environment is that for some twisted reason, we love it and it is our home. For hundreds of years commercial kitchens have survived without the interference of pen pushers from the OHS committee and human resources department telling us how to be safer, while doing sweet bugger all to help. I just love their visits and their “group hug” approach to the world.

Let me give you the heads up on what really makes things safer and better for the kitchen. Put in place a realistic repairs and maintenance budget and allow the chef to control it. Put in place a realistic replacements budget for small wares and major capital

expenditure and have the chef control it. Seriously, these are two really fine ways to ensure the safety in a kitchen's controlled.

There is one other thing that you can do that, in my opinion, is equally, and maybe even more, important and that’s the consistent rostering and use of the kitchen attendant. This position is paramount to the survival of your brigade, equipment and operation in general. Chefs rely on the kitchen hand. They provide us with clean work utensils, a clean and safe work environment; at some point in their day they perform almost everything the Chef does. If your kitchen is dirty you will end up with health issues, be it at a consumer level or with the local council.

Unfortunately as soon as trade slows down the first person to go is often the kitchen attendant and this is wrong. I agree that it’s possible to roster one barman

The information in this document is general in nature and does not consider any of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this information, you should consider obtaining advice from a licensed, financial product adviser and consider the appropriateness of this information, having regard to your particular investment needs, objectives and financial situation. You should obtain a copy of the HOSTPLUS Product Disclosure Statement and consider the information contained in the Statement before making any decision about whether to acquire an interest in HOSTPLUS. Issued by Host-Plus Pty Limited ABN 79 008 634 704, AFSL No. 244392, RSEL No. L0000093, HOSTPLUS Superannuation Fund ABN 68 657 495 890, RSE No. R1000054. INH_0220_06/11_01

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HiGH tea

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High tea with a twistSandwiches? Check. Scones? Check. Mini quiches? Check. Stop right there! Dilmah is challenging chefs to think more creatively about the food they serve at high tea.

High tea is currently enjoying resurgence in Australia,

with restaurants and hotels alike offering a mostly female clientele the opportunity to step back in time to a more genteel era.

While a spread of finger sandwiches, scones, bite-sized cakes and pastries is virtually de rigeur, Merrill J Fernando, founder of Dilmah tea, believes that in many cases venues are under delivering on the package they’re serving.

As part of Dilmah’s mission to lift the quality of the high tea experience, the company has launched a competition for professional chefs focusing on tea gastronomy, The Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge 2011.

“We are challenging Australia’s chefs and food industry professionals to craft and prepare their own Real High Tea,” Fernando says. “In doing so, we want these professionals to show us they understand not only how to make the perfect cup of Dilmah tea, but also present a high tea menu that is harmonious in taste and complements the tea alongside which it is served.

“It’s about tea gastronomy, something we take pride in having pioneered 10 years ago, and we want professionals to have a significantly advanced understanding of matching tea with food.”

During the course of the challenge, regional competitions will be held in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria (including Tasmania), New South Wales and Queensland, with entrants taking part in a High Tea event at the Hilton Hotel in their state.

Teams of two will be required to use a selection of Dilmah teas to produce original recipes and pairings. These will be assessed for originality, creativity, taste, respect and understanding of the specific tea, harmony of flavour and presentation and style, by a panel of judges including Bernd Uber, Perter Kuravita and Dilhan C Fernando.

The top three winning teams from the overall competition will win a trip to Sri Lanka, where they will showcase their Dilmah High Tea menu at a celebration at the Colombo Hilton’s Dilmah t-Bar.

A previous event, which challenged 27 of Sri Lanka’s top culinary teams to “put the tea back in high tea” saw dishes such as cinnamon orange tuiles with chocolate praline cream infused with Nuwara Eliya Pekoe, silk road spice cream cakes scented with Ceylon Supreme tea and Udawatte tea cookies presented to the judges.

One Australian chef who is already

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bucking the trend and adding his own twist to high tea is Kumar Mahadevan from Aki’s restaurant in Sydney, who offers an Indian High Tea once a month. The menu brings together a collection of indulgent sweets, savouries and drinks with a distinctly Indian focus, such as Jinga Pakoras, succulent prawns dipped in Lentil flour and fried; Sooji Hlawa Strudel, creamy layered semolina strudel, and Mango lassi, spiced mango buttermilk.

“I wanted to bring an Indian touch to an English tradition, maintaining the general theme of ‘high tea’ but adding an Indian twist,” says Mahadevan. “Since the British colonisation of India, high teas can be found in all of the major 5-star hotels, and palaces throughout the country. I wanted to bring a taste of this to Sydney.”

Feedback from the public has been overwhelmingly positive, according to the chef.

“People have been very responsive to the Indian High Tea concept,” he says. As high teas have sort of come back into fashion over the past few years, I think people like the Indian

twist I have put on an old favourite.”

Innovation can take many forms when it comes to high tea; the only limit is your imagination. At Patisse, also in Sydney, chef Vincent Gadan is theming the food he serves at high tea, with upcoming themes including exotic spices of the world, winter fruit and Indigenous Australian flavours. The Langham hotel in Melbourne offers a popular Chocolate Indulgence High Tea, offering an array of chocolate themed sweet treats such as strawberry chocolate vacherin with elderflower cream, Valrhona chocolate and Malibu rum soufflé, and a Jaffa chocolate torte.

The Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge runs in tandem with a series of “Real High Tea for Charitea” events in Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney which will be hosted by the company throughout August. The events will raise money for war widows displaced during the Sri-Lankan conflict, with Dilmah matching every dollar raised.

For more information about the Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge, visit www.realhightea.dilmahtea.com.

Jackfruit and saffron payasam Serves 6

2L milk200g sugar¹/3 cup rice1 tbsp almond2 tbsp coconut, freshly grated30ml saffron water100g canned jackfruit, finely chopped8 green cardamom pods, crushed

Soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes and drain.

In a heavy based pan, simmer the milk and rice on slow heat till the rice is soft (approximately 30 minutes).

Dry roast the almond and coconut lightly and add to the milk and rice micture. Save some almonds to garnish. Add the green cardamom pods and cook over low heat,

adding the sugar and jackfruit.

Once it is a thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, add the saffron water and remove from the stove. Allow to cool.

Garnish with almonds and a rose petal if desired. This dish can be served hot or cold.

Chef’s note: To make the saffron water, soak 1g of saffron in 50ml of rose water. This dish doesn’t require this much liquid, however it’s important to keep this ratio. Saffron water can used in other dishes such as for garnishing vanilla ice cream, Biriyanis, Pillau rice and other Mughlai dishes.

Recipe by Kumar Mahadevan, Aki’s.

Twinings to create an Aussie blendThe Irish, the English, the Russians and even the Kiwis boast their own Twinings blend but until now Australia hasn’t had its own tea.

Seeking to remedy the situation, Twinings recently challenged more than 30 well-known Australians including Kerri-Anne Kennerley, Layne Beachley and Alan Jones to create an afternoon tea blend that captures the essence of Australia.

The celebrities presented their

blends at an event in Sydney to Twinings Master Blender Michael Wright and Stephen Twining, who will pick the best five to be made available for the public to taste and vote on in coming months.

Entrants were also asked to select a charity of their choice, to which a percentage of each sale of the winning tea will be donated.

The Australian Afternoon Tea blend is expected to be available for Australia Day 2012. OH

Indulge in High Tea at Sheraton on the Park, SydneyDaily between 2pm-5pm at The Gallery Tea Lounge

161 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, Ph. 02 9286 6000sheraton.com/sydney

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Tea is for Twinings

TWIN_HIGHTEA_OPENHOUSEMAG_FPC.indd 1 12/05/11 4:42 PM


meat

Campaign a work of artA new Meat & Livestock Australia campaign to promote secondary cuts of lamb to foodservice has been met with widespread approval from chefs and suppliers alike.

Following on from last year’s highly successful Beef

Masterpices campaign, Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) recently launched the second phase of its “foodservice red meat revolution”, Lamb Masterpieces, to chefs nationally.

The Lamb Masterpieces program aims to provide chefs with the inspiration and information they need to master cuts of lamb not often seen on restaurant menus, such as lamb forequarter, lamb ribs, lamb rump and that great all-rounder,

lamb mince. Through the provision of a range of materials including globally-inspired recipes from top international and Australian chefs and masterclasses conducted in partnership with foodservice wholesalers, it highlights the benefits of using these “other” cuts of lamb including versatility and improved plate costs.

“Although our research shows consumers are still ordering lamb at foodservice outlets, price increases are making it timely for chefs to try these alternate cuts of

lamb to differentiate their menus and keep plate costs down,” says Claire Tindale, Trade Projects Executive for MLA.

Felicity Goodall from Pendolino in Sydney is amongst the chefs to contribute a recipe to the campaign and praises the philosophy behind it.

“Using secondary cuts is not only a great way to keep food costs reasonable but they are more versatile and flavoursome,” she says. “They challenge chefs to create dishes that aren’t just a rack of lamb or loin a home cook could master ... and to offer diners something different and inspiring.

“At Pendolino we have had a slow braised lamb neck with grilled white polenta and Tuscan black cabbage on the menu for a few months and without fail, it blows customers away with how tender and flavoursome it is. It is one of the most popular items on the menu.”

Chef Shane Delia, from Maha Bar & Grill and St Katherine’s in Melbourne, also applauds the MLA initiative. “It brings a much-needed focus on the diversity of lamb,” he says. “There’s more to lamb than just lamb cutlets.

“Slow roasted lamb shoulder has actually become the dish we are best known for. It is an amazing piece of meat that not only offers a fully developed flavour profile and lean fat covering, but an

incomparable price point that will help any chef control his food cost.”

Maha Bar and Grill alone sells a staggering 700 kilograms of lamb shoulder every week.

The Masterpieces campaign has also been welcomed by suppliers such as Mirrool Creek Lamb, which supplies restaurants and caterers in Sydney and Melbourne.

“Masterpieces is a great concept that links producers, suppliers, foodservice and ultimately consumers,” says Sam Hayes from Mirrool Creek Lamb.

“The most popular cuts for foodservice have generally been quite seasonal – for example, shanks in winter and grilling cuts in summer – however our most popular cuts at the moment are rump, ribs and shoulder which is proof that MLA is doing a great job.”

With demand for comfort food reaching its annual peak during the winter months, it stands to reason chefs will be experimenting with more slow braises and roasts using these so-called secondary cuts of meat.

“Prepared correctly these cuts will put Australian chefs in a strong position to deliver ‘Wow’ factor lamb dishes that will keep their customers coming back for more,” said Tindale.

For more information on the Lamb Masterpieces campaign, visit www.chefspecial.com.au.

Tomato braised lamb with polentaServes 8

2kg lamb neck fillet, boneless, diced 1cm x 1cm18g sea salt2g ground black pepper300ml extra virgin olive oil300g onions, finely diced10g garlic, finely diced2kg pureed tomato1 fresh bay leafPolenta2L water1 tsp salt

310g instant polenta25g butter45g shredded parmesanSalt and freshly ground black pepper80ml extra virgin olive oil Season the diced lamb with the sea salt and pepper. Heat half the olive oil in a large pot and brown the pieces evenly on all sides. Remove the browned lamb from the pot and set aside in a baking tray. Add the remaining olive oil to the same pot


Quick recipe

to which you browned the lamb and add the diced onion, garlic and herb. Sauté for five minutes or until translucent. Add the pureed tomato. Bring to the boil before lowering the heat slightly and placing the lamb back into the pot. Slowly bring to the boil again then reduce to a simmer. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly. If the tomatoes are not as ripe and sweet as they should be, a little sugar can be added. Cooking time may vary and will take somewhere between two and three hours. The lamb should

be fork tender, with the meat just beginning to fall apart. Remember to constantly stir the sauce to avoid ingredients sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. A little stock may be required if the sauce becomes too thick. Do not try to reduce this sauce.

To make the polenta, line the base and sides of a 20cm x 30cm (base measurement) baking pan with plastic wrap. Place the water and salt in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil. Gradually add the polenta in a thin steady stream,

stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until incorporated.

Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, for four to five minutes or until the polenta thickens and leaves the side of the pan. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and half the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into prepared pan and smooth the surface. Set aside for one hour to coll. Preheat oven to 200°C. Turn the polenta onto a clean work surface and cut into 8 rectangles. Cut each

rectangle in half diagonally. Place the polenta triangles, in a single layer, on a large baking tray. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.

To serve, plate the oven-baked polenta with the tomato braised lamb neck and serve immediately.

Recipe by Felicity Goodall, Pendolino, Sydney.

A new Spanish product is changing Australia’s perceptions of what chorizo should taste like.

In an Australian first, Spanish chorizo is now available to chefs. Chorizo Confit Manolete is a 100 per cent Spanish chorizo hailing from the Asturias region in the north of Spain.

Made using traditional methods and techniques that have been practised for hundreds of years, the chorizo is made from premium pork cuts and flavoured with

paprika. It is then cured for five weeks before it is confited in oil to retain the authentic richness and intensity of flavour that is uniquely Spanish.

The product is being imported by Brisbane-based company Idea Foods, headed by Catalan food marketer JuanJo Sagnier, who got around Australian Quarantine Inspection Service regulations preventing the importation of meat products by packing it in tins.

“We are incredibly excited to be bringing Manolete Choriszo to Australian consumers for the first time, something we’ve been working on for some time now,” Sagnier says. “We felt it was very important that the product became available to everyone who loves real Spanish food and wanted to ensure that people at home could enjoy high-quality, authentic chorizo that is affordable and very accessible.”

Spanish born chef Javier Codina, from Moda restaurant in Brisbane, who has been working with Sagnier to develop recipes using the product (see box), says the flavour is quite unlike any other chorizo available in Australia.

“When I taste or smell the Manolete chorizo, it’s like I’m at home,” says Codina. “The intensity of the paprika is very good, and because

Spanish chorizo hits our shores

Chorizo Confit Manolete with scallopPrepare a sauce of smashed garlic, fresh parsley and extra virgin olive oil. Prepare thin slices of fresh tomato and onion and set aside. In a fry pan, sauté the scallops in butter until golden (do not overcook) and set aside. Slice the chorizo and fry gently in the same pan to warm. With a toothpick assemble the tapas by placing a thing slice of tomato, then the scallop, a thin slice of onion and finally the chorizo confit. Drizzle with the sauce.

it’s been cooked in the fat, it is the quintessential Spanish chorizo.

“It’s versatile but also a product you don’t have to think about a great deal. I have it on my tapas menu at the moment and all I do it put it on the grill, fry some garlic, some peppers and serve it with olive oil. The feedback is ‘wow’ – people love it.”

The product has also been warmly received by other chefs who’ve tried it, including Chris Cranswick-Smith from Emmilou restaurant in Sydney, who has been experimenting

with dishes such as seared blue eye trevalla with dried bacalao, Manolete Chorizo chips and asparagus; Seared Yamba prawns with zucchini flowers, gremolata and Manolete Chorizo salsa, and stuffed piquillo peppers with Alaskan king crab, grain mustard and Manolete Chorizo vinaigrette.

In its native Asturias, the chorizo is most famously used in the dish Fabada Asturiana, a rich stew which also includes white beans, shoulder or pork, and morcilla (black sausage).

For more information, email [email protected].

There are additional quick recipes using Chorizo Confit Manolete on the Open House iPad app.


new “green” beef rangeWith strong environmental credentials, Enviromeat is offering Victorian chefs a greener alternative to conventional beef.

Meat wholesaler Gamekeepers of Australia and producer group

Gippsland Natural Meats (GNM) have teamed up to deliver a high-quality, environmentally-friendly beef range to restaurants across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula.

The Enviromeat range is a grass-fed, free-range beef brand produced on farms in the Gippsland region of Victoria which have an ISO 14001 compliant Environmental Management System.

“Gippsland Enviromeat has been around for a while,” says Jerome Hoban of Gamekeepers of Australia. “But this exciting new relationship opens the restaurant and foodservice sector up to an excellent locally produced product.”

The Enviromeat farm management

system assesses the environmental impacts of farming activities, and includes procedures to improve practice in the areas of grazing management, soil and fertiliser management, weed and pest management, chemical management, biodiversity and water quality. Cattle are raised free-range, managed to minimise stress and are not exposed artificial growth-promoting hormones or antibiotics.

While the green credentials of the product provide a strong point of difference to conventional feed-lot beef, the product also provides the end consumer with an excellent eating experience.

“To provide the eating quality and tenderness guarantee, we backed Enviromeat with the Meat Standards

Australia (MSA) tenderness guarantee,” says Paul Crook, an Enviromeat producer and director of GNM.

“While we set the bar high with our environmental process, underpinning the beef with the MSA guarantee also sets us apart,” he said.

Although still early days, the Enviromeat range has been positively received by foodservice.

“Chefs are some of the people who are leading the charge on the environment so the feedback has been great,” says Hoban. “It’s a specialised product but restaurants such as Movida in Melbourne have jumped right on it.

“An added bonus is that if a chef

wants to know more about where the meat is coming from, we can take them right back through every step of the process. And the MSA grading also gives them confidence.”

It seems that, at the end of the day, happy cows leads to happy chefs.

For more information, visit www.enviromeat.com.au.


Do you know? The sight of cooked red meat has a calming effect on men. Canadian researchers from McGill University found that the sight of meat made men significantly less aggressive, perhaps because it reminds them of mealtimes with friends and family.

200g butter2 garlic cloves1 sprig of thyme2 large parsnips, peeled, cut into wedges, centre removed4 x 300g scotch fillet1 bunch watercress 2 shallots, slicedOlive oilLemon juice

Peppercorn sauce100g green peppercorns50ml brandy1L veal stock 500ml cream

To make the sauce, in a heavy bottom pot add the green peppercorn and heat them up. Add the brandy and flame to evaporate the alcohol. Add the veal stock and reduce by half. Add the cream and reduce by half. Season to taste.

Scotch fillet, slow cooked parsnips, peppercorn sauce & watercress saladServes 4

In a pan melt the butter and add the garlic cloves and thyme. Add parsnips once butter is foaming. Cook at low heat until golden brown and reserve in the butter.

Grill the scotch steak as desired, place on the parsnips, pour over

50ml of the peppercorn sauce

and serve with a salad made with

watercress and shallots dressed

with olive oil and lemon juice.

Recipe by Dan Szwarc, Livebait

restaurant, Melbourne. OH


fsa 2011

it’s show time! Australia’s best foodservice suppliers are set to step into the spotlight when the curtains rise on the FSA Expo in Melbourne this month.

The FSA Expo is on again this month, offering foodservice

professionals an opportunity to meet existing and new suppliers, see the latest technology, taste new products, listen to industry experts and network with peers.

Combining both Foodservice Australia and Bakery Australia, and presented by the Foodservice Suppliers Association of Australia (FSAA), the show is on from June 19-21 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, and is tipped to be

When: June 19-21, 2011

Where: Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, Melbourne

Opening hours: 10am-5pm, daily

How to register: Entry is free. Register at www.foodserviceaustralia.com.au

Fast facts

even bigger than in previous years.

In addition to the opportunity to meet suppliers, the show will host a range of additional activities including skills-based competitions and free business seminars.

Awards for Excellence recognise Open House

A who’s who of Australia’s foodservice suppliers will gather on Monday June 20 to celebrate the best food, beverage, equipment and service suppliers in the business at the Foodservice Suppliers Association Australia’s National Awards of Excellence.

After the success of last year’s event, which saw more than 320 foodservice suppliers gather in Sydney, this year’s gala event will be held at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Melbourne.

Open House is amongst the businesses to be singled out for special attention, being named as a finalist in the Service Supplier of the Year category by FSAA members for the third year running.

Creating a talking point

Bringing together some of the best brains in the industry, the “Can We Talk” series of business seminars are set to tackle the biggest issues affecting foodservice in 2011. Topics include the art and science of menu design; how to find, train and keep good staff; curing poverty one meal at a time, and finding the right marketing mix.

Panelists include Andrew O’Hara, president of the Baking Industry Association of Victoria and production director of Phillipa’s Bakery; Janne Apelgren, editor of The AGE Good Food Guide; David Mercer, general manager of

Epicure Catering, and Aron Turner, executive chef and owner of Loam.

Celebrating the best of the best

Australia’s best chefs, bakers and apprentices will showcase their skills and creativity during the show in a series of high-stakes competitions.

Heading up the schedule is the FSA 2011 Chef of the Year National Championship, presented by Luus Industries, and the William Angliss Institute FSA 2011 Apprentice Chef of the Year competitions. Both competitions will see chefs competing against each other in a one hour pressure test of creativity, with the seniors competing for a $10,000 cash prize and the apprentices vying for a $5000 prize. In a move sure to increase excitement last year’s Chef of the Year, Soren Lascelles from Assiette restaurant in Sydney, will be defending his title.

Celebrating its fifth year, the Australian Artisan Baking Cup will be a focal point of this year’s Bakery Expo. The cup will showcase the innovative work of Australia’s best artisan bakers and pastry chefs as they push to change the perception of artisan breads.

Australia’s top bakers will also be sweating it out in the kitchen in the National Pastie Competition, with three titles up for grabs in the categories of best traditional, gourmet and vegetarian pastie.

Rounding out the competition program is the National Southern Final of the Great Australian Sandwichship, celebrating that great lunchtime favourite in all its guises from toasted to gourmet. OH


COOkinG tHe bOOks

Rock the KasbahFrom the heady aroma of spices and slow-cooked meat to the heaped piles of jewel-like fruits and nuts in the souks, food is an inescapable part of Moroccan life. In new book A Month in Marrakesh, Andy Harris takes us on a food journey to the heart of Morocco.

Chicken bistillaServes 6–8

2 tbspns extra virgin olive oil1 medium red onion, thinly sliced2 cloves garlic, finely sliced1½ tspns saffron threads1 tspn quatre épices1 tspn ground ginger1 tspn ground coriander1 tspn ground cinnamon½ tspn ground nutmeg400ml chicken stock, warmed2 eggs, beaten800g cooked chicken, shredded50g sultanas, soaked in warm water80g almonds, choppedJuice of 1 orange50g butter, melted for brushing, (plus extra 150g if using filo pastry)Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper8 sheets warkha pastry or 12 sheets filo pastry150g butter, melted (if using filo pastry)Icing sugar, for dustingGreen salad, to serve

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, then add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened. Add the saffron threads, quatre épices, ginger, coriander, cinnamon and nutmeg and cook, stirring continuously, for 2–3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the liquid has reduced by half.

Remove from the heat, then add the eggs, shredded chicken, sultanas, almonds, orange juice and stir well. Allow to cool, then season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 180°C and lightly grease a 22cm pie dish. If using filo pastry, brush the pastry sheets with the melted butter and stack them on top of each other.

Place four sheets of overlapping warkha pastry, or six sheets of filo pastry, on the bottom of the

prepared pie dish. Spoon in the chicken mixture, then top with the remaining warkha or filo pastry sheets. Pull the edges of the pastry away from rim of pie dish, so that they crimp up a little during baking. Brush the top of the bistilla with melted butter. Bake in the

oven for 20–30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden.

Remove from the oven and cool for 3 minutes before transferring to a serving plate. Dust with icing sugar and serve sliced with a simple fresh green salad.

Recipe and image from A month in Marrakesh by Andy Harris (Hardie Grant, $45). OH


OriGins Of...

The Chinese, Italians and Arabs have all laid claim to having first

created pasta, however it’s likely that pasta and its kissing cousin noodles originated independently as part of several different cultures.

Evidence suggests that variations of pasta have been a staple food in many parts of the world for at least 2000 years. A preserved bowl of noodles which scientists believe to be 4000 years old was found in North West China in 2005, while the first written record of noodles appeared somewhere between AD 25 and 220.

One of the most enduring pieces of culinary mythology is that Marco Polo introduced pasta to Italy in 1295, when he returned from his exploration of the Far East, however there are written references to pasta prior to this date.

One early version of pasta called lagane (the origin of the modern word lasagne) consisted of long flat strips of dough made from durum wheat that were cooked in an oven. First century Roman philosopher and writer Cicero was particularly fond of the dish.

Medieval versions of the dish saw lasagne sheets layered with a sweet, creamy sauce made with cheese, honey, nuts and cinnamon, and these were most often eaten during Lent.

Food historians also agree that filled pastas such as ravioli, and in China

Pasta

A staple on most Australian menus, pasta is one of the most diverse and versatile ingredients available, and it has been for thousands of years.

mangiamachheroni (macaroni eaters). The first industrial pasta factory was established in 1824.

Around the same time, the first sauces made with tomatoes – an exotic fruit introduced from the new world – appeared, creating one of the great culinary partnerships in history.

There are estimated to be more than 350 different varieties of fresh and dried pasta including strands (such as linguine, tagliatelle, papardelle and spaghetti), tubes (cannelloni, ziti and penne), shapes (farfelle, oriecchette and rachette) and filled (tortellini, ravioli and capelletti), with different varieties lending themselves to different styles of sauces.

Thin, light tomato sauces or seafood-based sauces work best with delicate pastas such as angel hair spaghetti, while oil-based or thicker tomato sauces suit flat pastas such as linguine or fettucini. The large diameter and ridged surface of pasta shapes such as penne and orecchiette are ideal for thick, rich sauces such as pesto, four cheese sauce, arrabiata or chunky meat ragus, as they trap the sauce both inside and out, creating a fuller flavour. Larger tube pastas such as ziti work well in baked dishes because they hold their shape when subjected to a longer cooking time. OH

won tons, were introduced during this period. A 14th century letter quoted in The Oxford Companion to Food refers to pasta stuffed with pounded pork, eggs, cheese, parsley and sugar. These early ravioli were usually deep-fried.

By the 13th century, dried pasta had become popular as a relatively cheap and nutritious food that was easy to prepare and could be stored for long periods of time. This made it ideal for long ship voyages, ensuring its spread throughout Europe and beyond.

Advances in technology such as mechanical presses led to a number of thinner varieties of pasta appearing, as well as shapes such as macaroni, and made it cheaper to produce. It was so popular in Naples by the 16th Century that the townspeople became known as


PrOdUCts

Best foot forward

As every chef knows, standing for long periods of time can

lead to foot, leg, joint and back pain. Designed with the hospitality industry in mind, MBT footwear can help relieve pain, tone core muscles, improve circulation and ease the overall discomfort of being on your feet for hours at a time.

MBT Karibu is designed to keep feet cool, dry and comfortable. Features include a functional low-cut; adjustable “Hook and loop” straps; a removable EVA sockliner with MBT Dry & Cool technology; dual board construction, and a durable, non-marking rubber sole.

MBT is giving Open House readers the opportunity to win one of two pair of Karibu shoes, valued at $399.

To enter, simply tell us in 25 words or less your best tip for comfort in the kitchen, and email your answer with your name, postal address,

daytime phone number and shoe size

to [email protected], with “competition” in the subject line. See www.openhousemagazine.net for conditions of entry. ● www.au.mbt.com

New Zealand King Salmon impressesNew Zealand King Salmon continues to impress, with all six of the company’s products submitted for the annual International Taste & Quality Institute (ITQI) Superior Taste Awards in Brussels gaining either the top three-star or two-star rating.

It’s the second year in a row that New Zealand King Salmon, a favourite with many Australian foodservice operators, has achieved outstanding results at the event.

Three stars are awarded to “exceptional” products that score more than 90 per cent. Two stars signify “remarkable” products that have scored between 80 and 90 per cent.

New Zealand King Salmon’s Regal Hot Smoked Natural and Regal Hot Smoked Mixed Peppers & Spices products both received three stars in the awards, while the company’s Southern Ocean Cold Smoked Sliced Salmon, Seasmoke Cold Smoked Sliced Salmon, Regal salmon caviar and Regal fresh fillets each received a two-star rating.

The ITQI is the world’s leading independent chef- and sommelier-based organisation set up to test and promote “superior tasting food and drink from around the world”. Products entered in the Superior Taste Awards are blind tested solely on their own merit; criteria scored are first impression, appearance, aroma, texture, flavour and retro-olfaction. ● www.regalsalmon.com.au

A match made in heaven Coffee company Merlo has teamed up with fellow Queensland business the Alchemy Cordial Company to unveil the Merlo Café Series Syrups range.

Created by Dean Merlo and Michael Bishop, the founder and business development manager at Alchemy, the range features four classic flavours: Caramel, Chai, Hazelnut and Vanilla.

The range was prompted by the dramatic growth in the use of coffee syrups in Australian cafes.

In the last five years Merlo Coffee has increased sales in syrups by a huge 450 per cent, with the last two years showing a 50 per cent increase each year.

The new partnership aims to provide cafe customers with a full range of products designed to satisfy consumer demand. ● www.merlo.com.au

New sustainable seafood brandFrozen seafood supplier Pacific West is, for the first time, offering foodservice providers the choice of putting sustainable seafood, as certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), on their menus.

To be sold under the new Sustainable Harvest brand, Pacific West is now sourcing the fish for its original tempura range of products from an MSC-certified hake wild captured fishery in South Africa. Already a popular product with foodservice outlets, the Sustainable Harvest tempura hake products will now bear the MSC’s blue ecolabel.

This MSC standard evaluates the state of the fish stocks being sort, the environmental impacts of the fishery and whether there are effective overarching governance systems in place to manage it, and certifies fisheries that have sustainable fishing practices. Only fish sourced from these fisheries can bear the ecolabel. ● www.sustainableharvest.com.au

WIN


The Ministry of Muffins range is made with premium ingredients and available in two sizes, regular (100g each), which are individually wrapped for added convenience, and Mini (25g each). Once baked, the muffins are snap-frozen to lock in the freshness and to ensure consistent quality. ● www.gwf-foodservice.com.au

Coffee with an Italian accent Italy’s IZZO Caffe, the original manufacturer of the Lever Coffee Machine and one of the world’s

favourite coffee companies, has launched in Australia.

The company offers a range of lever piston coffee machines as well as a range of full-bodied sweet and strong coffees designed to ensure baristas

achieve perfect results every time.

Key differences between a lever machine and a standard pump driven espresso machine, which the company claims lead to a fuller and smoother coffee, include a unique pre-infusion system and 100 per cent consistent brew temperature over the life of the shot.

IZZO Caffe’s coffees range from rich, dark espresso to velvety cappuccino. Each blend features a flavoursome mix of Arabica beans with a touch of Robusta for an extra caffeine kick and superb crema.

IZZO is also the only Australian source for

McCain expands beer batter rangeMcCain Foods has responded to strong demand from foodservice for its beer batter fries by adding a 10mm Beer Batter Fast Fry to its existing selection.

“Beer batter is extremely popular with foodservice end-users and their customers, with a particular appeal to adults,” says McCain Foods marketing director Nicki Anderson. “It’s become a well-known, premium flavour that’s widely seen in cookbooks and on restaurant menus. The new 10mm Beer Batter Fast Fry gives foodservice end-users more cut options and enables them to offer customers a wider flavour choice.”

Served as a side dish or snack, McCain 10mm Beer Batter Fast Fries are ideal for bars, pubs, restaurants, cafes and takeaways. They’re

par-fried in 100 per cent vegetable oil and will stay crispy and crunchy, with a light golden colour that presents attractively and will complement any meal.

As a premium product, the fries can command a higher price, returning a better margin to foodservice operators.● www.mccain.com.au

Muffin madnessGWF Foodservice, the foodservice specialist division of supplier George Weston Foods, has launched a new Ministry of Muffins brand.

The premium range of muffins is available in three moist and delicious varieties: Double Chocolate, packed with rich chocolate chips; Blueberry, made with real blueberries and bursting with natural sweet flavor, and Banana & Oat, made with real banana to ensure a lovely golden caramel colour and topped with oats.

Brasilena, a popular drink from southern Italy that is brewed from Brazilian coffee beans and blended with lightly carbonated mineral water from Calabria’s Monte Covello spring. Brasilena has a crisp, refreshing taste that will appeal to coffee drinkers. ● www.izzo.com.au

Organic biodynamic cheeses to pleaseThe cheesemaking team behind the successful Udder Delights range of artisan cheeses have launched a new range of organic biodynamic cheeses.

The Divine Dairy range includes a brie, double cream brie and camembert, and is made with fully certified organic biodynamic milk sourced from the Adelaide Hills.

“Consumers are also more and more concerned about the sources of their foods and with something as natural as cheese, it’s all about the milk, which is why we are so pleased

to have secured supply of fully certified organic biodynamic milk for this range,” says Udder Delights' Cheese Cellar General Manager Sheree Sullivan.

The range will be extended to include other dairy products in the future.

Udder Delights took out the Growing Small Business award at the

South Australian Premier’s Food Industry Awards last November in recognition of

their continuing business success.

● www.udderdelights.com.au OH


The video highlights package of last year’s Nestlé Golden Chefs Hat competition is available on the Open House iPad app.

CUlinary CliPPinGs

President’s messaGe

Peter WrightAustralian Culinary Federation (ACF)

in praise of culinary teachersOn the 11th of May I had the

privilege of speaking at the graduation of the 2010 cooking and patisserie classes at William Angliss College.

I commenced my speech with “I have been a chef for 30 years, five months and six days and from humble beginnings as a skinny 16-year-old boy who had to move into a bedsit at the Chevron Hotel in Prahran when I started my apprenticeship”. By the time the graduation ceremony was finished I had a newfound appreciation for the college and the culinary teachers who devote their time, day after day, to preparing our young people for their life ahead as the future of our industry.

To see a room filled with many graduating chefs all frocked in robes and clutching their new qualifications, supported by close family and friends and a significant amount of William Angliss staff all looking as proud as

punch, was both enlightening and a humbling experience.

I realise this activity happens every year in every college and Registered Training Organisation, however I think it is worthy of a mention. I take my hat off to all culinary teachers as I now realise the satisfaction that you must get in witnessing firsthand the fruits of your labour. Well done.

In the same vein I would like to congratulate Pat O’brien and The West Coast Academy of Hospitality & Tourism in Joondalup, as the Academy has been recognised by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) for WACS’ Standards of Quality Culinary Education. Currently there are only four colleges in the world with this recognition. Appreciating the hard work and pioneering that the West Coast Academy has done opens the door for other Australian companies to follow. For

applications contact our national office, www.austculinary.com.au, or check out the WACS website.

I’d also like you to spare a thought for Shane Keighley, Mathew Wynn and Royston Clark, who will in a few weeks venture over to New Zealand to compete for the right to represent the Pacific in the Global Chef and Hans Bueschkens to be hosted in Korea next year. Competing in New Zealand is always tough, so best wishes and good luck to them.

And don’t forget the ACF is hosting a fundraising dinner for the World Cooks Tour Against Hunger at the Sebel Citigate Hotel in Albert Park on July 24. Tickets are available through the ACF head office.

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

Last year’s Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat National Winners, Shane Middleton and Cam Wetton, jetted off on their most amazing culinary adventure to date late last month, a once-in-a-lifetime training trip to Chicago that includes work experience at Charlie Trotters, one of the world’s top rated restaurants.

The pair will also attend the National Restaurant Association Show, the largest global gathering of restaurant and foodservice professionals; experience a tour and training at Sysco, North America’s leading foodservice marketer and distributor, and dine at Alinea, currently ranked sixth in the S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Speaking at the airport, the pair couldn’t contain their excitement.

“There’s a lot of hype about American food at the top tier and to go and experience it for myself will be incredible,” said Cam. “I’ll definitely be bringing back some

new ideas to put into use.”

“I cannot wait to go to Alinea,” said Shane. “A lot of people are jealous that we’re getting to eat there! That’s definitely going to be one of the highlights for us. Also, working in the kitchen at Charlie Trotter’s, and shadowing the man himself [will be] priceless.”

After two consecutive national title wins, a record in the four-decade history of the competition, the two will split up this year, with Shane taking a year out from competing. He will start working at Clarke’s of North Beach in Perth on his return from Chicago. Cam is set to relocate to Victoria to take up a position working under executive chef Shane Keighley at the soon-to-be-launched Wilson’s Boathouse in Melbourne, and will compete in the Victorian regional cook-off.

What is certain is that both young chefs have a very bright culinary future ahead.

Nestlé winners take on Chicago

Shane Middleton and Cam Wetton leave for Chicago.


Hospitality apprentices inspired by Japanese cuisine

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.

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

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Published in Australia by Creative Head Media 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. Letters to the editor are subject to editing.

A whiz on the golf course as well as in the kitchen, Caitlin Ellingson from Joondalup Resort, winner of the 2010 WA Apprentice Chef of the Year title, is a young chef with a bright future.

Q: What inspired you to be a chef? A: I have always wanted to be a chef ever since I was a little girl. I have always loved cooking and baking.

Q: What is your favourite ingredient? A: It would probably have to be butter, even though it’s not very healthy; it adds such a good flavour to most foods and is used in sweet

and savoury dishes.

Q: If you could invite anyone to dinner, who would you choose? A: I would have Jamie Oliver because he is someone I have always liked to watch. Even though he is not the best chef his passion for food is amazing. I would have my gran as she always make the most amazing dishes and I would like to make her dinner. The third person would be South African Olympic swimmer Penny Heynes, as she is someone I look up to. And the last person would have to be Nelson Mandela as he is an inspiration to everyone.

Rising star: Caitlin EllingsonQ: Who inspires you most? A: It would probably have to be Cam Wetton. He’s on the Australian Youth Team and has such an amazing passion for food. He is always trying new things; in his spare time he works on ideas and things he can put together for competitions.

Q: What would you tell young people to encourage them to join the industry?

A: Everyone loves a chef! There is no way you will ever be out of a job as there is such a demand for chefs, and you can get travel anywhere in the world with it.

Six apprentice chefs from the Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE in Townsville, North Queensland, along with hospitality teacher Don Haddon, recently visited Aigaku Cooking College in Ehime, Japan, for a 10-day trip.

The group of Certificate III in Commercial Cookery students were selected to travel to Japan in February after submitting an application and portfolio of their interests to a panel of judges.

Over the course of their stay, the students and their teacher gained culinary skills in Japanese

cuisine, including ice carving and banquet preparation. Putting their new skills to the test they gained work experience in two international hotels and the college’s restaurant, where they catered for the public.

The group also gave a cooking demonstration to 100 of the college’s Japanese students to give them an insight into Australian and French cuisine.

The TAFE apprentices are now using their new skills in their workplaces and showcasing their talents to diners back home.

The Australian Culinary Federation in Victoria and Les Toques Blanches joined forces recently for a fantastic mushroom-themed daytrip. Members and associates of the two associations were lucky to have the very knowledgeable and enthusiastic ecologist Alison Pouliot as their guide on forage around the Daylesford region, 80 minutes from Melbourne.

A frequent visitor to Switzerland, where she goes each autumn to improve her knowledge, Alison told the group that in every village in Switzerland there are “mushroom police” who check forager’s baskets, throwing out the dangerous mushrooms and leaving only the edible ones. When there are only subtle differences between an edible mushroom and a poisonous one, there’s no room for error!

After a morning spent learning the characteristics of some of the more common edible mushrooms the entire group headed into the pine plantation near Daylesford, an area that contains Australia’s largest concentration of mineral springs, to go mushrooming.

While there were a huge variety of

Mushroom madness in Victoria

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by T

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mushrooms to be found in the forest – some edible, most not – slippery jacks and pine mushrooms were the most prolific of the edible varieties.

With Simon and Sooveer from the RACV City Club in Melbourne volunteering to be the chefs for the day, cooking up a storm on an open fire, the group finished off the day with a fantastic meal of flavoursome, foraged mushrooms, crusty bread and a glass of wine. Who could ask for a better day out? OH

ACF members prepare mushrooms

they've foraged.

Catlin Ellingson on the golf course at Joondalup Resort.

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