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10
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PASS IT ON
NAME
TICK
Tempting
Antipasto
Baxters Foods’
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Chinese New Year
Clever menu ideas
Rethink, reuse, recycle
Sustainable restaurant design
www.openhousemagazine.net
Training day
Do apprenticeships still count?
CAB Audited. Circulation 20,250 — September 2010
oPen house news
Editor’s word
Specially created
for the modern
Foodservice Industry
A
s the
“silly
season” heats
up, let’s take
a moment
to look back
at the year
that’s just
past.
TREE
REE OF LIFE OLIVE OIL RANGE
Winners at the 2010 National Savour
Australia Restuarant & Catering Awards.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Perth restaurant
named Australia’s best
• Olive Oil
• 100% AUSTRALIAN
• Quality & Great Taste
• Versatile / Multi-Use
EXTRA VIRGIN
OLIVE OIL
OLIVE
OIL
CHOLESTEROL FREE
CHOLESTEROL FREE
R
estaurant Amusé in East Perth proved that “west is
best” when it was announced 2010 Restaurant of the
Year and Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year at the recent
2010 National Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering
Awards, held at the Atlantic [V] Peninsula in Melbourne’s
Docklands on October 25.
• Consistent Taste & Aroma
Events Management Catering – Acer Arena at Sydney
Olympic Park took out the major catering prize, winning
the Caterer of the Year Award, as well as the Venue
Caterer of the Year award.
• 4L & 20L varieties
For more information on these products
please contact Michael Thomas or
4 LITRES
COOKING
DRESSING
The competition saw more than 500 trained judges
with a passion for food and wine anonymously review
close to 2,000 entrants nationally, rating them against
standardised evaluation criteria.
4 LITRES
DIPPING
SEASONING
FRYING
SAUTÉING
DRESSING
SEASONING
your State Representative.
NATIONAL
VIC/TAS/SA/NT
NSW/ACT
QLD/WA
Boundary Bend Olives
Grayson Food Brokers
Probert Foodservice Brokers
Boundary Bend Olives
Michael Thomas
Tony Grayson
Brad Probert
Michael Thomas
E: [email protected]
E: [email protected]
E: [email protected]
E: [email protected]
M: 0459 555 525
M: 0405 102 539
M: 0424 159 269
M: 0459 555 525
COOKING
DRESSING
DIPPING
SEASONING
National Chair of Judges Kate McGhie said that the
competition had been raised to a formidable level this year.
CONtENtS
• Value for Money
“The Savour awards are recognised as one of the most
significant and rigidly judged competition in Australia
with far reaching benefits impacting on the prosperity
of our thriving hospitality industry,” she said. “It’s an
economically challenging industry to work in and these
winners are the barometer and entrepreneurial face of
Australia’s creativity and optimistic spirit. Restaurant of
the Year Restaurant Amusé reflects the energy, resilience
and commitment to excellence. They now have the
satisfaction that their endeavours have been handsomely
rewarded to deliver world class dining.”
McGhie also congratulated the catering industry for the
high standard of entries this year, remarking that it was
“a tight call for the winners”.
More than 400 of the industry’s best chefs, restaurateurs
and guests turned out for the announcement of the
national winners.
I’m sure you’d agree that
it’s been a big year for the
hospitality industry, with
2010 seeing the removal of
chefs from the government list
of approved occupations for
skilled migration, introduction
of “scores on doors” food safety
programs around Australia,
award wage increases and
confusion over the all-inclusive
pricing laws. There’s been
controversy in Brisbane over
the judging of the Restaurant &
Catering Awards for Excellence
and in Sydney after Greg
Doyle from Pier handed back
his Good Food Guide “hats”.
Sustainability has become an
industry buzzword, restaurants
have embraced social media and
the Masterchef juggernaut keeps
rolling on.
Throughout all the ups and
downs however, our vibrant,
exciting industry has remained
resilient, with strong sales figures
month after month. If I had to
sum up 2010 in one word I’d
say optimistic. I can’t wait to see
what 2011 brings.
Merry Christmas and Happy
New Year to you all.
Ylla Wright
Editor
14
Industry news .................................04
Chinese New Year ..........................14
Cover story –
Choosing the right knife ................16
Baxters Foods ..............................08
Consultant chef...............................10
Origins of pepper............................10
Cafe options ...................................18
Products ..........................................20
Sustainable restaurant design ........11
Cooking the books ..........................21
Training options ............................12
Culinary clippings ..........................22
www.openhousemagazine.net
Celebrate
Chinese New Year.
Open House, December 2010/January 2011
3
news
Restaurants fined for misleading diners
The Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission (ACCC) took action against the
restaurants, Georges Bar and Grill and Steersons
Steakhouse, after they failed to tell customers
the full price they would pay on a Sunday or
public holiday, relying instead on a qualification
indicating that a surcharge applied.
Act, and spreading the word that, by failing to
comply, they will be running the gauntlet of the
ACCC’s patience.”
Earlier this year the ACCC surveyed a number of
cafes and restaurants, issuing Infringement Notices
to those venues which did not correct their menus
after a warning. Proceedings were instituted
against traders that failed to pay the Infringement
Notice penalty of $6,600.
The court determined that the restaurants have
beached section 53C of the Trade Practices Act
1974, which requires business that show a part of
the price payable for a product or service, must also
provide the total price of that product or service.
New gastro bar and supper club The Villager
has opened in the former YMCA building in
Brisbane’s George Street. The supper club will
stay open until 3am.
Peppers Salt Resort & Spa in Kingscliff
has launched Season, a lounge bar-style
restaurant with a focus on local and organic
ingredients from the Gold Coast Hinterland
and Northern Rivers areas.
David Chang from New York’s Michelinstarred Momofuku restaurant will open a
restaurant at the revamped Star City Casino
in Sydney next year, along with Australian
chefs Teage Ezard, Stefano Manfredi and
Adriano Zumbo.
Botanic Gardens Restaurant in Sydney has
welcomed Hamish Watt as head chef.
Melbourne’s Stokehouse restaurant will open
a second restaurant in Brisbane’s South Bank
development early next year.
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.
The new laws are part of the NSW Government’s
push to improve health and reduce obesity
across the state and follows on from the Fast
Food Forum, hosted by NSW Premier Kristina
Keneally in August. The forum brought together
government, industry, public health professionals
and stakeholders to discuss food content and how
to give consumers better nutritional information at
the point of sale.
Aria launches catering arm
Matt Moran, co-owner of Aria Sydney and Brisbane
has launched a catering arm with partner Peter
Sullivan. Aria Catering will cater for events and
private functions in and around Sydney. Aria Catering will be run by the teams behind Aria
and sister company Opera Point Events, which has
managed the function spaces at the Sydney Opera
House for over five years. Simon Sandall, head
chef at Aria for eight years before taking on his
current role as head chef of Opera Point Events,
will manage the Aria Catering kitchen.
Food bloggers recognised
Like it or not food bloggers are here to stay, if
the inclusion of a new award in the Australian
Association of Food Professionals (AAFP)
Australian Food Media Awards is anything to go by.
The growing prominence of food bloggers in
the Australian food scene was recognised at
the association’s recent awards night with the
Australian Pork Award for Best Food Blog. The
new award was open to all Australian blogs that
“primarily inform on the subject(s) of food or/and
beverages” and attracted a large number of entries.
The inaugural award was won by Trina So’s The
Gourmet Forager, www.thegourmetforager.com.
Jules Clancy’s The Stone Soup, www.thestonesoup.com, was highly commended.
Fast food labelling to
battle bulge in NSW
Fast food outlets in NSW will be required to
display kilojoule information on menus and
menu boards under new laws which come into
4 Open House, December 2010/January 2011 www.openhousemagazine.net
m
o
r
“More and more NSW families are eating
fast food, and if they’re not preparing food
themselves, they want more information about
what they are eating,” said Keneally. NSW
consumers will now have the benefit of clear
information about the kilojoule content of the
food they order from fast food businesses.”
Primary Industries Minister Steve Whan said the
new rules would establish a level playing field
across traditional fast food chains as well as cafe
and coffee chains, bakery chains, snack food
chains, juice bars and ice cream chains.
Australian
o
rds
ha
rc
Merivale restaurants will open modern Asian
restaurant Ms G in Sydney’s Potts Point this
month. The restaurant is the brainchild of
chefs Dan Hong and Jowett Yu from Lotus.
Any business with 20 or more stores in NSW
or 50 or more stores nationally will be required
to comply.
Under the legislation, businesses will be required
to “clearly and legibly” place the kilojoule content
on menus, as well as prominently feature the
average adult daily energy intake of 8700kj.
Kilojoule information must be displayed next to
the price of the product and be least the same size
as the price of the product.
“This is the first time that the court has ordered
civil penalties, which began operation in April
this year, and follows the ACCC’s first use of
Infringement Notices under new provisions of the
Australian Consumer Law,” said ACCC chairman
Graeme Samuel. “The use of these new powers
has been instrumental in ensuring that restaurants
and cafes are aware of their obligations under the
Comings & goings
effect on February 1, 2011.
f
he Federal government has ordered two
NSW restaurants to pay a penalty of $13,200
each for breaching the all-inclusive pricing law
on their menus.
Picke
d
T
“Any ‘healthy image’ conveyed by these
businesses will have to be supported by genuine
nutritional data,” he said.
“Similar models overseas – such as the United
States and the United Kingdom – are beginning
to demonstrate long term benefits to community
health, including moves by the standard menu
food retail industry to produce and market
healthier product ranges.”
The NSW Government has also committed $1.5
million to an evaluation of the initiative and
the production of educational materials to help
consumers understand kilojoule labelling and
energy consumption. Once up and running
the scheme will be evaluated with a view to
including other nutritional information such as
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Servin
g sug
gestio
n
Letter to the editor
saturated fat and salt content.
With more than half of adults in NSW classified
as overweight or obese, the move has been
welcomed by health organisations.
“There is building evidence that menu labelling
encourages people to make healthier choices,
especially parents choosing meals for their
children,” said Tony Thirlwell, CEO of NSW
Heart Foundation. “Given the fact that 4.5 million
Australians eat out at fast food or snack food
outlets every day, we must learn by doing.
“Labelling information needs to be on menus
where it’s going to be noticed if we’re serious
about helping people make healthier choices and
reducing the risk of heart disease, the number one
killer of Australian men and women.”
New president for
Restaurant & Catering
Brien Trippas, the founder of Trippas White
Catering, has been named the new national
president of the Restaurant & Catering Industry
Association. Trippas takes over from Peter Doyle
who had been in the role since 2008.
Trippas has previously been the president of the
Restaurant and Catering Association of NSW
(2004 to 2009) and treasurer of the national
Association for the last twelve years. Earlier this
year he was inducted into the John K Walker Hall
of Fame alongside luminaries including Tetsuya
Wakuda, Neil Perry and Tony Bilson, as part of the
2010 Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering NSW
Awards for Excellence.
Scores on Doors pilot
seeks feedback
The NSW Food Authority’s Scores on Doors
initiative, developed in consultation with
industry and local government, is seeking
feedback from participating businesses, industry
groups and associations, consumers and
consumer groups.
The six month pilot program began in July with
20 councils across NSW volunteering to take part.
The use of the name barramundi on a
menu logically presumes serving the iconic
Australian fish. This is especially so in northern
tourist destinations where barramundi is the
local fish of choice. But cheaper, lower quality
Asian fish may be served. Consumers are the
losers. Country of origin labelling for seafood
enables consumers to make an informed choice.
University research delivers a clear message.
Consumers have strong preferences for
Australian seafood. It is clean and green.
Consumers suspect imported fish is not
the same standard. Also, blind taste tests
demonstrate a clear hierarchy with imported
barramundi low on that scale. To be blunt,
consumers strongly prefer Australian
barramundi. They want to know the country of
origin and will consider this along with price in
making a choice.
Really, the name barramundi should be
reserved for Australian product. Consumers
think barramundi must be Australian. Some
other iconic Australian products have similar
problems. Aboriginal didgeridoos and
boomerangs face fakery and substitution and
be taken into account when assessing the program
in action and we welcome any feedback to help us
in developing the best system possible.”
Industry is being closely consulted during the
pilot through the Hospitality Industry Working
Group and the Food Regulation Forum’s Retail
and Food Service Advisory Group.
“The NSW Food Authority will review the
proposed system at the completion of the pilot
based upon the feedback we receive from all
stakeholders,” Coutts said.
“The very purpose of this pilot is to trial the
system and get feedback from participants,
consumers and industry and incorporate that
feedback in our assessment of the trial before a
state wide roll out of the voluntary program in
2011,” said NSW Food Authority CEO
Alan Coutts.
Since the pilot began 321 businesses in the
participating council areas have signed up to
take part in the Scores on Doors pilot. So far
211 have been inspected, using a standardised
inspection checklist, with 166 receiving an A
grade (excellent), 32 a B grade (good), 11 a C
grade (acceptable) and two awarded a P grade
(improvements need to be made).
“We are well aware there are a variety of factors to
For more information, visit
6 Open House, December 2010/January 2011
www.openhousemagazine.net
consumer rip-off from copies from Asia. If
governments will not solve this problem by
reserving such names for genuinely Australian
product, then the next best thing is to give the
consumer the information to make an informed
choice. If they want to buy an Asian copy of an
Australian indigenous artefact so be it. If they
want to buy Asian fish instead of real Australian
barramundi, that should be their choice. But
they deserve to know.
C
M
Y
Would this be costly? In the Northern Territory
it is already law. Across Australia, supermarkets,
corner stores, fruit and vegetable and seafood
retailers have little difficulty meeting the
present national labelling requirements for
country of origin. It remains to extend the same
consumer protection to prepared seafood sold in
restaurants. Already leading chefs identify the
provenance of menu items. What is the problem
with consumers knowing where their seafood
comes from?
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Graham Dalton, President, Australian
Barramundi Farmers Association
www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au.
Hop to it with ’roo recipes
The Rural Industries Research and Development
Corporation has released a cookbook, Roocipes,
as part of its campaign to change Australians’
attitude to eating kangaroo meat. The lean red
meat gets the thumbs up from environmentalists
and health experts alike, however many Aussies
still don’t like the idea of eating “skippy”.
Following on from a series of tastings and master
classes for chefs held earlier this year, contributors
to the book include native food pioneer Raymond
Kersch, former Star City chef Sean Connolly and
Tony Bilson.
In addition to recipes the book showcases the
various cuts available and offers cooking tips to
maximise flavour and tenderness.
To download a copy, visit www.rirdc.gov.au. OH
CoVer story
Tempting antipasto
Freshen up menus for summer with a selection of marinated vegetables, pesto and tapenades
which can be served as they come or in a range of other dishes.
W
ith the increasing popularity of small and
shared plate-style dining, antipasto has come
into its own. Traditionally served as the first course
of an Italian meal, antipasto (which translates as
“before the meal”) can include a selection of cured
meats such as prosciutto, coppa or salami, Italian
cheeses, sweet-salty anchovies, plump olives,
marinated vegetables such as semi-dried tomatoes,
chargrilled capsicum and artichoke hearts, and of
course, crusty bread to mop up all the delicious
juices. With no hard and fast rules to follow, there
are as many different antipasto selections as there
are chefs, ranging from a few simple ingredients to
lavish platters.
Antipasto ingredients such as sun-dried tomatoes,
grilled eggplant and marinated capsicum are also
incredibly versatile, lending themselves to any
number of other dishes such as pastas, salads,
gourmet wraps and sandwiches.
vegetables offer a cost-effective, ready-to-go option
for busy foodservice operations, saving time and
labour costs.
Baxters Foods Australia offers a wide range of
premium chargrilled and marinated vegetables,
pestos, dips, sauces and tapenades to foodservice
through its Argents Hill Country Cuisine and
Bamboleo Fresh brands.
Bamboleo Fresh offers a range of antipasto items
developed with the foodservice market in mind.
Versatile and delicious, the range is made using a
selection of sun-dried, fire-roasted and chargrilled
vegetables seasoned with fresh herbs and spices,
and marinated in a light canola oil. Available in a
convenient 2kg tray with resealable lid, quality,
While some chefs prepare
many, if not all, of their
antipasto selections from
scratch, prepared marinated
8 Open House, December 2010/January 2011
www.openhousemagazine.net
flavour and an extended shelf life are assured.
Complementing the range is Bamboleo’s selection
of delicious pesto sauces, which are made with
fresh ingredients and no artificial colours or
flavourings, offering maximum flavour.
Argents Hill Country Cuisine’s range of semidried and sun-dried tomatoes, and chargrilled
vegetables combine premium ingredients with
traditional recipes, while the pesto and tapenade
range are handmade from fresh, locally-sourced
ingredients. Available in a range of foodservice
packs all the products are gluten-free, making
them an even more versatile addition to menus.
Whether you’re interested in refreshing existing
dishes, or creating a fresh new menu for summer,
these premium products offer maximum flavour on
the plate with a minimum of effort in the kitchen.
● www.bamboleo.com.au OH
origins of...
sustainability
Potatoes
From the ground up
Recycled materials and a pared-down, back-to-basics menu are at the heart of Melbournebased artist and designer Joost Bakker’s sustainable restaurant design.
Baked, fried or mashed, potatoes are a solid
foodservice performer with a fascinating history.
P
otatoes are one of the most
versatile vegetables available to
chefs, and one of the most loved.
Even the most veggie-shy kid will
happily tuck into a serve of hot
chips or creamy mash. Given the
significance they have in many
European cuisines it’s hard to believe
that they were unknown in Europe
until several hundred years ago.
Native to South America, potatoes
are believed to have first been
cultivated around 4000 years ago
in Peru. Historians believe that as
well as using potatoes (which they
called “papas”) for food, the Incas
worshipped them, even burying
them with their dead.
Spanish conquistadors in search
of gold were the first Europeans
to encounter potatoes, which they
thought were a kind of truffle, in
1537. Taking their discovery back
to Spain, they were sent to the Pope
for inspection and eventually to a
Belgian botanist for classification.
Considered a botanical curiosity,
only the very poor ate potatoes at
Consultant chef
Glenn Austin
www.xtremechef.com.au
Well, what is the score card after
yet another year with Open House?
For me personally it has probably
been one of the best years in my life
– business is great, married life is
fantastic. Sadly, there were two family
deaths but apart from that I have
nothing really to complain about.
O
first, however after it was noticed
that sailors who ate potatoes didn’t
develop scurvy, they became
standard issue on Spanish ships.
Throughout the late 16th century
potatoes spread throughout Europe
although many people thought
that they were poisonous (part of
the nightshade family, the leaves
are indeed poisonous) and evil. In
France the potato was accused of
causing a range of diseases including
leprosy, syphilis and sterility, and of
destroying the soil where they grew.
Sir Walter Raleigh is credited with
introducing the potato to Britain
when he was granted land in Ireland
by Queen Elizabeth I in 1589 to
grow potatoes. The local gentry were
invited to sample the new vegetable
but the inexperienced cook threw
out the potatoes themselves and
served the leaves instead, which
made everyone sick.
by pharmacist Antoine-Augustin
Parmentier who had become
convinced of the nutritional value
of potatoes after being forced to
survive on the tuber while a prisoner
of war during the Seven Years’
War with Prussia. Failing at first to
convince his countrymen of their
value, Parmentier planted a large
plot of land with potatoes, which he
placed under heavy guard. When the
locals became aware of the security
surrounding the crop they decided
it must be very valuable. One night,
Parmentier allowed the guards to go
off duty and, as he had hoped, the
farmers made off with some of the
potatoes to plant in their own fields.
It wasn’t until the 18th century that
large-scale cultivation of potatoes
began in earnest. In France the
vegetable was finally popularised
In Ireland potatoes gained
popularity thanks to their high yield
and nutritional value. By the middle
of the 19th century the Irish people
Potatoes came to Australia with
the early European settlers, with
Governor Hunter reporting in
1797 that 11 acres (4.5 hectares) in
Parramatta had been sown with the
crop. These days about 1.3 million
tonnes of potatoes are produced
in Australia, comprising of about
a dozen varieties. Australians
consume an estimated 53 kilograms
of potatoes each every year – that’s
a whole lot of spuds. OH
When I looked back at my year with
Open House I reflected on all of this
year’s articles and decided to take a
look to see if anything I had written
about had actually changed.
do actually care about their customers
and help them where possible. Well
done Fonterra Foodservice, and also
to Bidvest for their huge commitment
to social issues globally.
live with the consequences, including
the trillion dollars of secured debt we
now have. Well done Labor. And still
there’s no interest in looking at any
issues concerning hospitality.
I started the year in February with
the offer of free consultancy to
restaurants turning over less than
$600,000 per year. This resulted in
my business partner Peter Wright
offering to have me committed, but
also 37 restaurants contacting me
with various issues. Out of those
nine called back to tell me their
business had changed direction for
the better. This is a very positive
result; I hope the others had the
same success.
April was the article on the potential
of drugs to ruin your career. I had
only two comments on that so
clearly either a rubbish article or it
did not raise enough interest. May’s
“Meeting Mongrel” piece got a few
laughs and quite a bit of discussion,
but it pretty much got lumped into
the same category as the June article
on “Wankers dressed up as chefs at
trade shows”: we agree with you but
can’t see it changing.
The article on “country of origin”
labelling for seafood saw the second
highest amount of letters ever with
operators outraged at the ignorance
of those in power trying to inflict
such a ridiculous rule on us. Clearly
they have never had to forecast
menus or have any understanding
on what actually goes on with
business. I also received many letters
of support (thankfully) about my
stance on the importation of seafood.
July’s piece on the government, and
August and September’s columns on
seafood really created some interest.
So that wraps up yet another
year. Thank you to everyone that
takes time to read my articles and
provide feedback whether pleasant
or unpleasant. I hope you have the
best festive season possible, and if
I see any of you around it’s my
shout for a beer.
March’s column was about taking the
pizza industry more seriously from
a chef-manager prospective. I have
had considerable feedback from chefoperators agreeing with my comments
on costings and I’ve noticed an
increase in support for Fonterra, who
As far as the government goes,
Tony Abbot would do well to have
a relaxing Christmas in his budgie
smugglers. He did a fantastic job in
the election and Australia now has to
10 Open House, December 2010/January 2011 www.openhousemagazine.net
were so dependent on potatoes as
their major food source that when
the crop failed several years in a
row at least one million people died
of starvation. Others were forced
to emigrate to Australia and North
America. In the space of just a few
years the population of Ireland
halved from about nine million to
just over four million.
ne of the attractions at the recent
Restaurant 10 show in Sydney
was an installation by renowned
sustainability designer Joost
Bakker (pictured). The installation,
called “Growing Incredible Food
in Restaurant Waste! by Joost”,
showed how restaurant waste can
be converted via pyrolysis (chemical
decomposition caused by heat) and
in-vessel composting into re-useable
energy, delivering cost savings for
businesses. The thriving display of
potted herbs grown in converted food
waste from Rockpool Bar & Grill in
Melbourne showed how easy it was
to recycle scraps instead of sending
them to landfill.
It’s a subject close to the heart of the
designer, who has recently opened
Greenhouse St Georges Terrace in
Perth with partners Paul Aron and
Jason Chan.
The restaurant, a permanent version
of the temporary Greenhouse
which popped up in Melbourne’s
Federation Square for three months
in 2008-2009, uses only recycled
and sustainable materials in its
construction. Built around a steel
frame, straw bales in the walls
provide insulation and surfaces are
clad in plywood and recycled plastic.
Vertical gardens cover the walls
with greenery and a roof-top kitchen
garden produces fresh ingredients
for the restaurant. A worm farm
processes organic waste from the
kitchen, providing “worm tea” to
fertilise the gardens. Inside, furniture
is made from old road signs, fencing
wire, recycled car tires and wooden
pallets. Even the plates used to serve
food on are recycled, made from
materials such as melted bottles and
off-cuts from the construction of the
building itself.
The idea of sustainable design
extends beyond the building itself
and into the concept for the menu.
Working with head chef Matt Stone,
Bakker said that they designed the
menu “in reverse”.
“We based our food on the waste
it produced,” he says. “There
were a lot of products we couldn’t
the restaurant Paul said there’s no
way we’re going to be able to find
a chef who’ll want to mill his own
grain, roll his own oats, make his
own butter and yoghurt, but then we
found Matt and he loved the idea,”
recalls Bakker.
use because of the way it was
packaged. If an item was packaged
in non-recyclable packaging, it was
off the menu.”
Buying in bulk – ordering pallets
instead of cartons – creates minimal
waste. Grinding wheat on-site
(around a tonne a week) and using the
wholegrain flour to make everything
from bread to pasta and pizza dough
means that they only actually buy in
about 25 products.
Bakker believes that Stone is
representative of the generation of
young chefs who are coming up
through the ranks of industry.
“Neil Perry loves him. He keeps
saying you’d better look after that
boy,” he says. “There are heaps of
young chefs like Matt and that’s
why I’m an optimist and think
that the way we think about food
and sustainability will change
fast. I can already see it starting to
happen in Melbourne.”
“We’ve simplified the whole menu,”
Bakker says. “Yes, it’s limiting but I
think that if you offer five incredible
dishes on a menu, people will be
happy with that.”
An unexpected benefit of
streamlining the menu has been a
reduction in food costs to around 16
per cent, increasing profit margins.
“My friend Shannon [Bennett, from
Vue de Monde in Melbourne] was
looking at the costs saying this has to
be wrong but we realised that buying
everything in bulk and dealing
directly with growers was saving us
money,” he says. “Our labour costs
are about 5 per cent higher but our
food costs are low.”
Bakker is currently working on
another Greenhouse restaurant
which will tour Milan, Berlin, Paris
and London in early 2011.
“I’m going to run the whole thing on
cooking oil,” he says. “We’ll wash
waste oil on-site and turn it in to
diesel, which will power a generator.
“It does mean that we can’t have an
espresso machine because they use
too much energy but we’re going to
have pour-over coffee. It might cost
us a bit of revenue in coffee sales but
Matt’s excited about doing food to go
with single origin blends of coffee.
Again, it wasn’t my intention to go
down that route but he’s just picked
it up and run with it.”
One thing is for sure, Bakker
is determined to keep pushing
boundaries when it comes to
sustainable restaurant design.
“The Greenhouse in Perth is 10
times better than the one in Fed
Square, and this next one will be
even better than that,” he says. OH
Bennett was so impressed with the
figures that he’s looking at grinding
his own wheat at Vue De Monde.
Fellow Melbourne-based chef
Frank Camorra has already ordered
a stone ground mill for his tapas
bar MoVida.
“The other great thing about
milling your own flour is that
when you’re buying those sorts of
volume, producers are prepared
to make a trip into town to deliver
it themselves, so you have a
connection with the growing
process,” he says. “I think everyone
that comes through the kitchen
gets inspired because it’s back to
basics and they understand that the
guy who milks the cow brings the
milk; the guy who grows the wheat,
delivers the wheat.
Head chef Stone’s enthusiasm for
this unconventional way of doing
things is central to its success.
“When we were first talking about
www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, December 2010/January 2011 11
training oPtions
New management degree
Have apprenticeships had their day?
Apprenticeships have long been the norm for young chefs but experts are questioning whether
they still have a role to play in our ever-changing industry.
A
s many aspiring chefs
contemplate training options for
2011, the question of whether formal
apprenticeships still have relevancy
in today’s multicultural foodservice
marketplace has been raised by a
panel of high-profile industry figures.
Formal training provides young chefs with
a good grounding in technique.
Mangan, who co-founded the
Appetite for Excellence awards
to encourage the next generation
try before you sign up
An initiative from the NSW
Department of Education and
Training has seen the introduction
of a number of pre-apprenticeship
training courses.
of chefs, confessed that he is
starting to have doubts about the
apprenticeship system, which
he fears isn’t keeping up with
contemporary trends in cooking.
“Why aren’t we teaching students
masterstocks and other techniques
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12
While it’s obvious that there are
no cut and dried answers on the
question of apprenticeships, moves
such as the introduction in NSW
of pre-apprentice programs to
give young people a better idea
of the realities of undertaking an
apprenticeship were applauded.
“There are opportunities for the
whole system to be tweaked,”
said Hyam.
The debate, which took place
at the Restaurant 10 show in
Sydney recently, saw panellists
Deborah Hyam, Assistant Director
Educational Programs at TAFE
NSW, Michael Bennett, Chief
Executive Officer of group training
organisation HTN, and Sydney
chefs Alex Herbert (Bird, Cow, Fish)
and Luke Mangan (Glass Brasserie)
discuss training options for young
people entering the industry.
Specific issues relating to the
recruitment and training of young
chefs which need to be addressed
were identified as the high dropout
rate of apprentices (currently
50 per cent, with 38 per cent
dropping out in the first year), the
unrealistic expectations of what
apprenticeships and cheffing really
involves, the need for additional
mentoring to improve retention rates
and the high cost (versus benefit) of
apprentices to employers.
strong training environment and
commitment from the employer,
we can work out a flexible
arrangement.”
Open House, December 2010/January 2011
of Asian-style cooking, rather than
just sticking with classic French
techniques?” he asked. “Those things
are important but we’ve moved on.
We’re serving some of the best food
in the world in Australia and I think
the colleges should be sucking the
knowledge out of those chefs and
passing it on to apprentices.”
Herbert said that she believed the
apprentices she employed were
often frustrated by the food that they
were cooking at college, which they
considered outdated.
“Food is like clothes, music, cars,”
she told the debate’s audience. “They
want to be cooking what’s ‘now’.”
On the other hand, many apprentices
have unrealistic ideas of what
completing an apprenticeship
involves, attracted by the “glamour”
of television shows such as
Masterchef and ambitions of
becoming a “celebrity chef”. With
the long hours and conditions
considerably less rosy, many
apprentices simply gave up, leaving
their employers in the lurch.
“A better reality television show
would be following a first-year
apprentice through their training,”
www.openhousemagazine.net
commented Hyam. “That would
give people more of a reality check
of what’s involved.”
While the panel agreed that
apprenticeships weren’t the only way
to become a chef these days, Bennett
maintains that the industry is still
very much behind formal training.
“Industry is telling us that
apprenticeships are the way to
go,” he said. “At HTN we have 140
positions vacant for commercial
cookery apprentices.”
The NSW Kickstart PreApprenticeship Training courses
are available in trades where there
is a shortage of qualified workers
including commercial cookery and
are designed to give participants
an opportunity to decide whether
they’re interested in enrolling in
an apprenticeship. The courses
include 300 hours of hands-on
training, including units from the
apprenticeship qualification, and
60 hours of work placement.
The course are free and available
to people aged 19 and under.
For more information, visit
www.training.nsw.gov.au.
Mentoring matters
Following the success of the
Appetite for Success mentoring
program in South Australia, the
program has also been launched in
New South Wales and Queensland.
Designed to help develop the
careers of young chefs, participants
are paired with experienced chefs
for regular mentoring sessions,
as well as individual and team
training exercises. It is hoped that
the program will help increase
retention rates in the industry.
“The reality of being a chef in
today’s market requires a multitude
of skills,” says Matt Kemp, head
chef/owner of Restaurant Balzac,
one of the chefs who has signed on
as a mentor.
“To become a successful business
person and gather the skills and
knowledge on your way to the top,
guidance is essential.”
The program is being run
by Sunshine Coast TAFE in
Queensland and the Sydney
Institute and Northern Sydney
Institute in New South Wales.
For more information, visit
www.appetiteforsucess.com.au.
Other programs with a strong
mentoring component for young
chefs are the Electrolux Appetite
for Excellence awards
(www.appetiteforexcellence.com),
and the Tasting Success Chef’s
Mentoring Program (www.sit.nsw.edu.au/scholarships), a program
which is run by the Sydney
Institute and aims to increase the
likelihood of female apprentices
finishing their training and
embarking on an ongoing career
in the hospitality industry.
Second- and third-year apprentices
are placed in the kitchens of
high-profile chefs such as
Christine Manfield, Alex Herbert
and Kylie Kwong. OH
Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute
has launched a new Bachelor
of Business (International
Restaurant Management) course
to be run at its Ryde Campus in
Sydney for 2011.
Le Cordon Bleu’s new course will
train people for management roles.
The degree course is designed to
prepare students for management
careers in the hospitality, food
and wine marketing, and related
food production and food service
industries. It will have a strong
focus on the entrepreneurial and
culinary aspects of the world of
hospitality, including units in small
business management, marketing,
wine and beverage management.
With a track record of more than
two decades placing students in
restaurants and hotels as part of
Le Cordon Bleu’s Cuisine and
Patisserie courses, Bryn James,
Education Manager for the Institute
said that launching the degree
course was an obvious next step.
“It is a natural progression for the
Institute to now offer this multidisciplinary Bachelor Degree with
a focus on the restaurant industry
here in Sydney,” he said.
Facilities at Le Cordon Bleu
Sydney Culinary Institute’s Ryde
campus include 16 fully equipped
commercial and specialty kitchens,
two training restaurants, four bars,
specialist wine tasting facilities and
computer rooms.
For more information, visit
www.lecordonbleu.com.au.
For Hyam the key issue is ensuring
that aspiring chefs are offered
support and solid training,
regardless of where they study.
“I think there are many ways
that people can learn a trade
and apprenticeship is just one of
those,” she said. “Any training
system that is a collaborative effort,
has support from the employer,
commitment from the employee and
is underpinned by solid training
is a successful model. Statistics
show that when models are highly
supported though mentoring,
completion rate increase.
“Not all students have to come
to TAFE either. If there’s a really
Sally Snowden from Alliance
Catering with her Appetite for
Success mentor Peter Van Es
from the Amora Hotel.
www.openhousemagazine.net
Open House, December 2010/January 2011
13
Chinese new year
Kung Hei Fat Choy!
Join in the fun of Chinese New Year with a menu designed to ensure
your customers’ prosperity for the year ahead and that of your business.
like another word (for example,
the Chinese words for pomelo
and turnip sound like the words
for abundance and good omen
respectively). Specific dishes also
come with their own meanings.
T
he Lunar New Year is without a
doubt the most important period
in the Chinese calendar, celebrated
over 15 days with parades, lion
dances, dragon boat races, fireworks
and of course feasting. Widely
celebrated in Australia, February 3,
2011, will welcome in the Year of the
Rabbit, with festivities running from
January 28 to February 13.
Everything that happens during
Chinese New Year is designed to
bring good fortune in the year ahead,
and promoting a Chinese New Year’s
menu or organising one or more
special events during the New Year’s
period can have the same effect on a
restaurant’s turnover.
With symbolism key to Chinese
culture, foods considered “lucky”
are traditionally served at New Year.
Foods are generally considered
lucky either because of their
appearance (for example, whole
eggs symbolise fertility) or because
the sound of their name sounds
Although dishes vary from region
to region, jiaozi (below), dumplings
made with a wide variety of fillings,
are eaten in abundance on New
Year’s Eve (the most important day
of the festival) as they are said to
look like golden ingots and take their
name from an early form of paper
money, bringing with them the
promise of wealth and prosperity. In
some regions cooks will hide a coin
in one dumpling – whoever eats
abundance. Leaving the head and
tail on symbolises abundance from
the beginning the end of the year.
Another common dish is chicken,
served whole with the head and
feet on to symbolism completeness.
Many other New Year dishes are
also served whole or use uncut
ingredients as cutting carries with it
unpleasant connotations.
Eight treasures rice is a dish of
sticky rice mixed with eight other
ingredients including lotus seeds,
almond seeds, red dates, candied
fruit, sweet bean paste and brownsugar. Nian gao, from Southern
China, is a sticky rice cake which
is steamed in lotus leaves and is
believed to evoke a successful career
and prosperity in the future.
Buddha’s Delight (luo han jai), a
vegetarian dish usually served on
New Year’s Day – a day when killing
animals for food is frowned upon
– combines several “lucky” foods
including lotus seeds (fertility),
gingko nut (prosperity), black
seaweed and lily buds (wealth),
bamboo shoots (well being) and
bean curd (happiness).
that dumpling will be blessed with
good financial luck. In Northern
China steamed buns (man tou) are
considered lucky because their
round shape represents reunion
and wholeness.
A whole fish is also commonly
served during New Year’s Eve
celebrations because the word
for fish (yu) sounds like the word
Noodles are eaten to ensure long life,
especially on the seventh day of the
festival, which is considered to be
“everyone’s birthday”. When fried
with meat and bamboo shoots, the
dish symbolises “a wish for long
life”, since the Chinese character
for bamboo sounds the same as the
word for wish.
Also eaten on the seventh day is
During the New Year period sticky
sweets are traditionally offered
to Zao Shen, the Kitchen God,
to prevent him from being able
to open his mouth and say bad
things about the household when
he makes his annual visit to the
supreme being the Jade Emperor.
14
Open House, December 2010/January 2011
www.openhousemagazine.net
yu sheng, a dish made from finely
shredded vegetables, raw fish and
assorted condiments. Everyone at
the table is expected to help toss the
salad with chopsticks while wishing
each other well. It is believed that
the height of the toss reflects the
height of the diner’s growth in
fortunes, so the higher the toss, the
more wealth they can expect.
While the number of dishes and
courses served at a Chinese New
Year meal varies, eight is considered
an auspicious number, as the
Chinese word for it sounds like
the word for prosperity. Above
all, abundance is important, as
generosity is believed to ensure
prosperity for the year ahead, and
what business doesn’t want that? OH
Chefs tool boX
Choosing the right knives
A good knife is the number one tool in any chef’s kit, but how do you
know which brand is right for you. We weigh up the options.
T
here are literally hundreds of
styles, shapes and single-purpose
knives available to chefs, which
makes choosing the right one all
the more important. A good knife
is reliable, easy to care for and a
pleasure to use; a bad knife can lead
to slippage, fatigue and injury. No
wonder then that many chefs feel
so strongly about their knives, that
when they come across a brand that
“fits” they stick with it.
Discover the Dexter edge.
www.dexter1818.com/chef
Australian Import Agents: VGM International
Ph: 02 9997 3420
Fax: 02 9997 1795
www.vgmimports.com.au
[email protected]
_VLoSmlAD_OH.indd 1
OH-12/10
Professional cutlery designed to be
people-friendly and kitchen-tough.
Edges are sharp, right out of the box
and can be easily re-sharpened.
Cutlery, tools and accessories
provide time-tested
performance in the kitchen.
The Dexter edge –
the right knife and
solution, since 1818.
“My knife is as important as my
life,” says Takashi Ohuchi, executive
chef/restaurateur of Uchi Lounge in
Surry Hills. “According to Japanese
history samurais took great care of
their knives and treated them with
value, respect and appreciation.
Most Japanese chefs like myself
hold sentimental value for their
knives and this is why I’ve had my
28/10/10 4:44:33 PM
FraserandHughes
The complete chef toolbox
Masamoto and Fujiwara for over 22
years now.”
Matt Moran from Aria restaurant in
Sydney and Brisbane is such as fan
of Global knives that he has signed
on as an ambassador for the brand.
While Japanese brands such as Global,
Misona, Mcusta and Shun have
become increasingly popular amongst
chefs in recent years, European and
especially German brands such as
Wusthof and Zwilling J A Henckels
also have a strong following.
“I use Wusthof knives,” says James
Smyth, head chef of Bouzy Rouge in
Richmond. “They’re strong, durable,
keep the edge on the blade for a long
time, and it’s incredibly easy to get
them sharp again after a couple of
strokes of steel.”
While comparisons are often made
between German and Japanese, there
are pros and cons to both.
“Japanese-made knives are thinner,
lighter and made of harder steel than
German knives,” says Leigh Hudson,
managing director of retailer Chef’s
Armoury, which stocks Japanese
brands exclusively, including Sakai
Takayuki, Mcusta, Kanetsune,
Kaiden and Massagu. “The other
main advantage is that there’s a larger
variety. Along with Western-style
cook’s knives, there are any number
of traditional single-sided Japanesestyle knives. They have five different
knives for cutting crab alone.”
While the harder steel means that
Japanese blades are sharper than
European brands, it also makes them
more brittle, meaning that they can
chip or break if they are dropped or
used for tasks they’re not equal to.
“You do need to be careful of the
edge,” says Hudson. “But that’s no
great issue for someone who knows
how to look after a knife. If you’re
going to handle a heavy task, switch
to a different blade.”
“German knives are normally forged
from one piece of steel, with a
full tang [the part of the blade that
extends into the handle] and a thicker
spine,” says Hadi Kwa, a buyer for
specialty retailer King of Knives,
which stocks both Japanese and
European brands including Wusthof,
Shun, Ran, Kostur and Bismark. “The
good thing about a thicker spine is
that if you want to hack a piece of
bone, you can just use the spine and
go for it.”
A key difference, according to Kwa,
is that the “softer” steel used to
make European knives means that
they need to be sharpened more
Before you buy
Leigh Hudson, managing director of Chef’s Armoury lists his top three
things to consider when choosing a knife.
1. Ease of sharpening. Steer clear of knives that have a bolster – a piece of
metal that extends down from the bottom of the handle to the blade – as
it will make the knife very difficult to sharpen.
The Cooks Shop
16
Parramatta
Darlinghurst
(02) 9633 2924
(02) 9360 4760
www.cooksshop.com.au
Open House, December 2010/January 2011
www.openhousemagazine.net
..
Peel
Shea Chawford, head chef at
Monkey Magic in Surry Hills,
agrees: “My Misona gyuto is a
very versatile knife – I can use it
to butcher chickens or to carefully
slice hamachi for carpaccio – but my
Aritsugu knives are more for specific
tasks. The deba [filleting] knife I
use on Suzuki jewfish wouldn’t
be a good choice to slice tuna for
example, because it is heavy with
a thicker blade and is designed for
cutting through bones with ease.”
2. Comfort. Most chefs will use a knife for several hours a day so comfort
is vital. A number of the Japanese knives are shaped to increase comfort,
for example, have finger grips cut into them.
3. Type of steel. Knives should be made of good quality steel. If a knife is
made from very grainy steel it won’t sharpen to a good edge or hold that
edge long.
..
Don’t just peel, peel
and feel the difference
..
..
Wusthof Grand Prix II knives are
precision forged from high-carbon, no
stain steel to hold a razor-sharp edge.
Made in Solingen Germany,
Takashi Ohuchi, executive
chef at Uchi Lounge, with his
favoured Fujiwara knife.
frequently, and honed to straighten
out the blade. German knives are
however much easier to sharpen
then Japanese blades.
Price is also a consideration when
weighing up the options. Handforged blades such as those made by
Japanese company Sakai Tatayuki
can be as much as four times as
much as European brands.
At the end of the day, however, how
a knife feels in your hand is vital.
“With so many brands in the market,
all saying they’re the best, the main
thing to do when choosing a knife
is to hold and get a feel for it,” says
Kwa. “If someone is going to work
with a knife for long periods it needs
to be comfortable. If it feels right,
that’s the most important thing.” OH
the ergonomic handle is perfectly
balanced and weighted to act as an
extension of the hand - for an
An Australian option
Australian-designed Furi Knives
were created with chefs in mind.
Realising that when chefs cut
forward and down repetitively
with a knife where the handle
tapers towards the blade they
automatically squeeze the handle
to stop slippage, designer Mark
Henry came up with the idea
of reversing the handle. The
resulting knives, which are
made in one piece and feature a
“reverse wedge” handle (the hilt
is broader closer to the blade),
reduce hand fatigue because there
is less slippage and less squeezing
is needed to do the same job.
effortless cut each time.
Serious Cutlery for Serious Chefs
www.wusthof.com.au
www.openhousemagazine.net
Open House, December 2010/January 2011
17
Cafe oPtions
10 ways to stand out
Competition in the cafe market is fierce, so how do you set your business apart from competitors?
Nick Oliveiro, manager of Australia’s Best Cafe, Cafe Vue in Melbourne, shares his tips.
A
fter being named Victoria’s
Best Cafe at the 2010
Restaurant & Catering Victoria
Awards for Excellence back in
August, Melbourne’s Cafe Vue
went on to claim the national
title at the 2010 National Savour
Australia Restaurant & Catering
Awards for Excellence, announced
on October 25 in Melbourne. To
find out what makes Cafe Vue
stand out from the thousands of
other cafes nationally, we asked
cafe manager Nick Oliveiro for his
top 10 ways to stand out from the
cafe crowd.
hire. You need great staff to be the
face of your business. They represent
the cafe’s style and the way it feels
to your guests. Nothing can break a
cafe’s reputation quicker than bad
staff and nothing can promote your
cafe better than great, friendly staff.
2. Have a unique element
A great cafe always has a unique
selling point that sets it apart in
people’s minds. Cafe Vue is famous
for its burgers and lunch boxes – it
is what makes us stick in people’s
minds and draws new guests in.
4. Be flexible
If you can demonstrate that you’ll
go out of your way to accommodate
a special need, be it for gluten-free
bread or a special soy-milk, you’ll
make guests feel special and lookedafter. It might be an effort to fulfill a
request but it is worth it.
5. Provide consistent coffee
1. Hire great staff
The most important thing for
AUS AD 13/8/10 11:36 Page 1
standing out is the staff that you
There is nothing worse than
being in a slow cafe, with rude
service; work at providing service
which is efficient, friendly and
knowledgeable.
3. Provide fast, friendly and
professional service
With all cafes, good consistent
coffee is a benchmark that needs
Add authenticity to your bakery offering
with the Bakehouse pastry range
Authentic European pastries –
No preparation or proving required
Bake straight from frozen –
Freshly baked pastries in just 18 minutes
Simped’s
to be set. People aren’t always
drawn to cafes that just make
great coffee but they are always
reluctant to visit a cafe that makes
inconsistent coffee.
7. Choose great produce
It might seem obvious but having
excellent fresh produce goes a long
way to creating a good reputation.
Customers love good quality bread
and fresh fruit and veg; choosing top
quality produce makes customers
feel like you’re more concerned
about their experience than your
bottom line.
6. get to know guests
Getting to know your regulars
is a great part of being in the
cafe industry. But you need to
be proactive. Acknowledging
return guests is very important for
developing a strong relationship
with them. Initiating conversations
with customers, getting to know
their names and what they like to
eat and drink goes a long way to
creating loyalty.
8. Work together as a team
With good staff comes the need for
good teamwork. You need your
staff to work well together, not just
to ensure things get done but to
create the atmosphere of a happy
workplace.
9. Offer variety
Having regular or semi-regular
events outside your normal
operating hours is a great way to
promote yourself to customers. At
Cafe Vue, our Friday night cocktail
nights, which are completely
different to our usual cafe trade,
allow regulars to experience
something other than lunch or
breakfast and helps open up the
business to new customers.
10. Have fun
Having a fun atmosphere is an
important factor in standing out.
While it is not always appropriate
in other styles of dining, cafes
shouldn’t take themselves too
seriously. Having fun doesn’t mean
not working hard but if you can
provide a venue with great food,
great coffee and an occasional
laugh, you will definitely be better
off than most. OH
Cafe Vue in Melbourne.
SPECIALIST MANUFACTURERS
AND SUPPLIERS SINCE 1969
All product processed and
packed under externally audited
HACCP criteria
Over 40 Years
• Frozen Berries, Tropical &
Deciduous Fruits
• Fruit Purees
• Fruit Mixes (incl. Fruit Salad)
• Fruit Fillings
• Salads and prepared Fruit and
Vegetables (NSW only)
IQF Peeled Chestnuts
• Frozen Specialty Vegetables
including Asparagus, Okra,
Snow Peas
• Fruit Concentrates
The widest range available with
processing facilities to value add
your business
Guacamole
Decorative, healthy and
innovative ideas for Christmas.
For more information or to request a Bakehouse brochure
please contact us on 1300 79 46 72
or email us at [email protected] Bakehouse Ltd.
Level One, 15-21 Glebe Point Road, Glebe, NSW 2037
18
Open House, December 2010/January 2011
www.bakehouse .com
www.openhousemagazine.net
www.simpedfoods.com.au
NSW: (02) 9521 5384 VIC: Victorian Food Brokers (03) 9576 4231
SA/NT: Blackwood Agencies, Tel/Fax (08) 8177 1263
QLD: Foodchoice Pty Ltd (07) 3862 7388
WA: Harley Sales & Marketing, Tel 0418 946 875; Fax (08) 9444 9778
www.openhousemagazine.net
Open House, December 2010/January 2011
19
ProDuCts
CooKing the booKs
new booking service launches
Fresh, owe their name to their
unusually flat shape. Smaller
than other varieties they have a
smooth yellow skin overlaid with
a rosy blush, perfumed aroma and
sweeter than usual white flesh.
Choose slightly under-ripe peaches
for cooking, or add ripe to salads,
desserts and juice.
● www.perfection.com.au
O
nline booking service
bookarestaurant.com offers
restaurants a new way to secure
last minute reservations. Operating
in real-time, restaurateurs can
advertise available tables and special
offers to diners who are looking for a
last minute table, maximising covers
and profitability.
Bookarestaurant.com allows
diners to search for time and table
availability at a specific restaurant
or by cuisine or location; snap
up special offers advertised by
participating restaurants, and receive
instant confirmation of bookings.
Benefits to restaurants include
the ability to promote last minute
table availability, manage bookings
electronically and build a customer
database. Restaurateurs have
complete control over their public
profile and table inventory, and
there is no registration charge or
monthly fees. A flat-fee of $8 per
booking is applicable only after the
booking is honoured.
Prominent restaurants who have
signed up for the service so far
include Quay Restaurant, Otto
Ristorante and Aria in Sydney and
Attica, Mirka at Tolarno Hotel and
Nobu in Melbourne.
● www.bookarestaurant.com
Peachy keen
Set to be the star of
this year’s stone
fruit season is
the Donut
peach, in
season
from
now until
February.
Renowned for its wine list, Must Winebar in Highgate, Western Australia,
pairs premium wines with wine-friendly French bistro-style food. Here, chef
and owner Russell Blaikie shares one of his favourite combinations.
Confit goat shank, braised flageolet beans,
tomatoes & mint pistou
taste of tradition
Serves: 6
Along with brandy-laced fruit
mince and buttery shortbread
nothing says traditional Christmas
baking like the rich almond flavor
of marzipan.
12 baby goat (capretto) shanks
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 garlic clove, crushed
A few sprigs of thyme
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
300g flageolet (navy) beans
2 litres duck fat (can be re-used)
1 litre brown chicken stock
A sprig of rosemary
1 bay leaf
50g butter
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Confit tomatoes (see recipe, below right)
Founded in 1909, Odense Marcipan
produces a range of premium
marzipan and almond products for
the foodservice and bakery markets.
Products available in Australia
are marzipan (30 per cent), ideal
for modeling, confectionery and
chocolate, and suitable for baking;
almond paste (60 per cent), ideal
for giving a strong almond flavor
to pastries and baked goods (above
right), and an almond baking paste,
which will give baked goods a
traditional European taste.
● www.mayers.com.au
Freeze frame
Until now Pacojet has been the only
system available for chopping and
blending frozen foods to produce
purees, mousses, ice cream or
sorbets, however chefs now
have another option.
Donut
peaches,
marketed
by Perfection
20
Wine ’n’ dine
Open House, December 2010/January 2011
preserving the natural and rich taste
of food, to get a velvety texture at the
ideal tasting temperature.
● www.ecotel.asia
and images, send their orders
directly to the kitchen and even
leave feedback.
● www.ipadmenu.com.au OH
Ipad ordering
simplified
Mint pistou
40g flat-leaf parsley, washed and picked
70g mint, washed and picked
85g pistachio kernels, roasted lightly
½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
50ml lemon juice
130ml extra virgin olive oil
50g parmesan, grated finely
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Ipadmenu has launched a
customisable ipad menu
“app” for restaurants, clubs
and bars.
This simple-to-use product
allows restaurants to upload
menu descriptions, photos,
corporate branding and other
information such as food
and wine matching, dietary
and allergen information
and specials, creating a
unique menu which can
be then loaded onto one or
more iPad.
Ensure the shanks have been trimmed at the base
and tip to approximately 12 cm in length. Season
the shanks with salt, garlic, thyme and pepper and
marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Soak the
beans in plenty of water overnight.
With the interactive
technology, diners are able
to peruse menu descriptions
The Nemox Frix-air is an
ideal solution for chefs
who want to process
and chill small
amounts of a wide
range of foods easily
and quickly. Frix-air
minces, mixes and
blends all ingredients,
either frozen or fresh,
www.openhousemagazine.net
Bright idea
Create a candlelit atmosphere
without the mess, fuss or open
flame of ordinary candles with
Rechargeable Tea Light Candles.
Available in packs of 12, these longlasting LED flickering tea lights from
Candles Recharge give the effect on
candles without any of the hassles.
● www.candlesrecharge.com.au
Preheat the oven to 140˚C. Wipe any excess
ingredients from the shanks and place into a
casserole dish. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 to
2½ hours, until the flesh is tender to the touch.
Remove from the oven and allow the shanks to cool
in the fat. Increase the oven temperature to 180˚C.
Alternatively, the shanks can be cooked in a slow
cooker for about the same amount of time.
While the goat is cooking, place the drained
flageolet beans
into a large saucepan,
cover with cold water and bring
to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook
for about 45 minutes until the beans are tender.
Drain the beans and return to the saucepan, add
the stock and herbs, and simmer over the lowest
heat until the beans have soaked up most of the
cooking liquid. Remove the herbs, stir through the
butter and season the beans. Keep warm.
Combine all the ingredients for the pistou in the
bowl of a blender or food processor. Process for
approximately 45 seconds, until the ingredients
are still slightly grainy (don’t over-process).
Reserve in a cool place.
Place on a metal tray and heat in the oven until
the shanks are warmed through.
Spoon the bean braise onto each plate, sprinkle
with confit tomatoes,
top with the goat
shanks and finish with
a dob of mint pistou.
● Recipes and image
from Must Eat by
Russell Blaikie
(UWA Publishing,
$49.95). OH
Wine suggestion
La Spinetta Barbaresco “Starderi”, Piedmont, Italy
Confit of goat is strongly flavoured and needs a high-toned wine with strength, firmness
and acid-tightness. This very serious wine balances the rustic flavours and slices through
the meat fat. It’s a winner.
Confit tomatoes
3 large roma tomatoes
1 garlic clove, chopped finely
A few sprigs of thyme
Sea salt & freshly
ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Blanch and peel the tomatoes. Cut into quarters
lengthways, de-seed and place onto a sheet of
baking paper on an oven tray. Sprinkle with
chopped garlic, thyme sprigs and salt and pepper.
Drizzle with the olive oil and place in oven
for approximately 30 minutes. The tomatoes
will intensify in flavour and dehydrate a little.
Remove and reserve at room temperature if
you are using them on the same day.
The tomatoes will keep for 3 to 4 days if kept
in the refrigerator; take them out to warm to
room temperature before using.
www.openhousemagazine.net
Open House, December 2010/January 2011
21
CULINARY CLIPPINGS
Victoria comes out to compete
Best wishes for the festive season
H
o Ho Ho, or should I say Ha Ha
Ha? I may not look like Santa
Claus with a white beard and rotund
waist line but I sure feel like it. It is
at this time of year when we really
appreciate what has happened
over the past year, and although
many of you are flat out making
everyone else’s Christmas festive
and bountiful, it’s still a time to
celebrate and enjoy.
The year culminated in us finally
notching up a win on the culinary
circuit with a win at the Pacific
Cup in Fiji in November. This was
after finishing second many times
during the year including at Global
Chef in January, in Singapore in
March and in New Zealand in July.
However the jewels in the crown
for me were the Proud to be a chef
program in March, the Golden
Chefs’ Hat in September and the
National Apprentice Competition
in November. Focusing on junior
chef development, these three
events have assisted us in reaching
over 4000 apprentice and training
chefs and cooks nationally, in some
way shape or form. My hat goes off
to all of you who played a part in
this extraordinary feat and to the
thousands of cooks-in-training who I
which I might add is gaining lots of
momentum, a true sign that things
are working, but also extremely busy
with Xtreme Chef, the business I
share with Glenn Austin. The point
I want to make is that the ACF and
Xtreme share an office. The ACF
and Xtreme sometimes also have
the same clients and the question
that gets asked more often than
I like relates to potential conflict
of interest: “when I am having a
meeting am I representing Peter
Wright, the ACF or Xtreme?”. I could
ask many of you who work out of
kitchens and have a representation
elsewhere the same question.
PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
Peter Wright
Australian Culinary Federation — ACF
know are better off than before.
Those of you that know me realise
that I am extremely busy with the
Australian Culinary Federation,
My answer is that sometimes
I represent myself, sometimes
the ACF, sometimes Xtreme and
sometimes all three, as there will
always be some grey in the rainbow
of success. If I am with a client
that could use a sponsor’s product
of course I am going to encourage
them to use it; just ask the chef at
the Sydney Cricket Ground. Those
of you that work with me and know
me well realise that I also represent
myself with a very high level of
integrity which allows things to
work out. So a message to my foes
– build a bridge, get over it and use
your energy to better our fantastic
culinary federation, and not to try
and provide yourselves selfish
compensation.
To the Australian Culinary
Federation sponsors and supporters
thank you once again. A special
thank you to Sharon Aye (Fonterra),
Roger Bond (Meat & Livestock
Australia), Editha Del-Carmen
(Nestle Professional), Otto Meile
(Moffat), Peter Crowe (Bidvest),
Steven Popovic (Robot Coupe), Craig
Bond (Mirvac Hotels & Resorts),
Ylla Wright (Open House), Alistair
Sloman (Tassal), Walter Wagner
(Crown Entertainment Complex) and
Lee Alsten (Krio Krush).
To all Australian Culinary
Federation members, friends and
colleagues, enjoy this time of year,
try to take some time to have a meal
with your family or friends, and
most importantly, stay safe.
Thank you in anticipation for a
great 2011.
Peter Wright
National President
Australian Culinary Federation
[email protected]
www.austculinary.com.au
5 minutes with... Christine Codell, President of ACF South Australia
Q: Congratulations on your new
role as president of the ACF South
Australia. What are you most
looking forward to doing in the role?
A: Thank you! I am really looking
forward to the challenge of getting
the word out to more chefs about
the Australian Culinary Federation
and giving them a chance to bring
in new ideas.
Q: What do you think are the
biggest issues facing the hospitality
industry in South Australia at
the moment?
A: We need affordable, sustainable,
environmental plans to secure our
resources for future generations.
A lot of work is already being put
in to this issue by a large number
of local producers and providers,
but it needs to become standard
practice across the board. I would
like to see more support and
incentives for businesses that
promote these practices.
Q: South Australia has some
amazing produce. What have been
your best finds recently?
A: We are so lucky in South
Australia; there is seemingly no limit
to the awesome ingredients at our
fingertips. Lobster season has just
opened and the crays coming from
Kangaroo Island are amazing. I have
been excited by some of the new
smoked and cured meats coming
from the Coorong lately, especially
the Waygu products. And I tasted
some wine soaked, chocolate dusted
muscatels, recently – yum! White
and yellow carrots have become
available too. I love their sweetness
and they look great on a plate.
A: We have a lot of really great
chefs in South Australia who are
prepared to break the rules and
push boundaries. It’s all about the
incredible produce we have to work
with and bringing out those great
natural flavours while putting a
Q: What are South Australian
chefs doing better than the rest of
the country?
22 Open House, December 2010/January 2011 www.openhousemagazine.net
personal twist to it.
Q: What does 2011 hold for the
ACF in South Australia?
A: Hopefully, lots of new members
and some interesting new projects.
We have a great line up of
competitions in 2011, including
The Secondary School Challenge
and the Nestle Golden Chef’s Hat
Awards. We are also hoping to get a
team to the Oceanafest competition
– watch this space!
There will be a number of tours to
local producers throughout the year,
which are always informative and
fun, and we have regular networking
events that are staged at different
venues throughout the year.
Planning is also underway for
Adelaide to host a major international
competition in 2012, which will be
fantastic for South Australia.
Steve MacFarlane
Anaphylaxis
matters
Jock Stewart
The ACF in NSW recently
held a master class at Ultimo
TAFE to inform members about
the dangers of anaphylaxis (a
severe food allergy). Conducted
by Maria Said, National
President of Anaphylaxis
Australia, the session covered
the causes, symptoms and
treatment of anaphylaxis.
To help the food industry better
understand food allergies and
how to create and maintain
a safer environment for their
patrons, Anaphylaxis Australia
had developed a Food Service
kit. The kit includes an
interactive CD Rom, posters,
allergen cards, fridge magnet
and an informative, easy to
understand booklet that explains
Australian food laws and how
businesses can minimise risk.
“Awareness, education and
training are all vital in keeping
those with severe food allergies
safe,” Said says. “And it
takes effort from the whole
community,”
This kit is available to order from
www.allergyfacts.org.au.
Thinking pink
Melbourne tuned on a beautiful
spring day as the Victorian branch
of the ACF hosted a Pink Breakfast
at The Queen Victoria Market
recently, with all money raised going
to support breast cancer programs
run by the Cancer Council Victoria.
Chefs from William Angliss Institute,
NMIT and Victoria University,
along with chefs from the ACFV
put together a pink-themed menu
to satisfy hungry shoppers. Dishes
on offer included pink fruit salad,
bacon and eggs on pink baguette and
pancakes with pink berries, with
ingredients and produce donated by
the ACFV’s generous sponsors.
The Australian Culinary
Federation’s Victorian branch
hosted the Australian Culinary
Challenge Victoria again at this
year’s Fine Food Australia show,
with butchers, baristas and frontof-house competitors joining the
chefs in an expanded program.
As always the main event was
the Fonterra Foodservices
Restaurant Challenge with 12
teams competing for the first prize
of $10,000. Congratulations to The
Point – Albert Park for winning the
event for the second time.
We also had four new events in 2010:
The La Cimbali Barista Cup
Open to cafe and restaurant baristas
and trainee or junior baristas,
competitors had to produce a range
of espresso beverages including a
signature coffee of their own creation.
Congratulations to winners Remy
Shpayzer and Matt Perger, winners
of the open and junior division
respectively. Matt Perger also won
the Gun Barista category, which
pits baristas against the clock. He
managed to produce 10 lattes for
an appreciative audience in three
minutes and 35 seconds, beating his
nearest rival by 25 seconds.
From left: Fonterra Foodservices National Sales Manager, Garry Stone,
the team from The Point – Albert Park, and Steve McFarlane.
and the live dessert challenge.
Congratulations to Jenni Key from
Bitter Sweet Patisserie in Adelaide
who won the event as well as the
Australian Culinary Challenge
Chef of the Year award.
The Meat & Livestock Butchery
Competition
The Aquanas Foods Australian
Pastry Cup
Apprentice butchers competed in
preparing different cuts of meat,
incorporating specialist garnishes
and finishes, and matching them to a
menu and a wine.
Open to junior and senior pastry
chefs, the Cup was judged over
four classes including best dessert
Congratulations to Thomas Bouchier
(first year), Corey McGregor (second
year) and Michael Hay (third year).
After a 5am start
setting up, the team
started serving food
at 7am to the market
traders; by 9.30am
a steady stream of
customers were
enjoying the fare.
This is the second
year the ACFV
have celebrated
International
Chefs Day with a
fundraiser for breast
cancer, raising
money for a good
cause and bringing chefs from all
over Melbourne together with a
common purpose.
The ACFV aims to make this an
annual event and look forward to
seeing you there in 2011. OH
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Alexandra Yeomans
EDITOR Ylla Wright
Regional Account Manager Leah Jensen
ACCOUNT MANAGER Sharne Wheeler
Subscriptions: 1 yr $99; 2 yrs $154; (incl. GST and surface mail).
ISSN 0312-5998
Teams from metropolitan and
regional hospitality training
institutes working in the Fonterra
Foodservices Restaurant were
judged by a panel of experts
on the quality of their service.
Congratulations to the winning team
from Victoria University, Donny Dep
Cao, Desiree Otte, Samuel Bebawi
and Jane Seini Veamatahau.
As usual we have been overwhelmed
by the support given in 2010 by our
long-standing and newly welcomed
sponsors. We would like to thank all
the sponsors who make events such
as this a success.
OPEN HOUSE FOODSERVICE is proud
to be a diamond sponsor of the ACF.
PUBLISHER Robert Yeomans
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.
The Alsco Front of House Cup
DESIGN/PRODUCTION Bin Zhou
ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATION [email protected]
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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Foodservice.
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www.openhousemagazine.net December
2010/January
Letters to the editor are subject to editing.
2011 23