Open House Food Service February 2015 Issue

Print Post Approved PP100020878

FEBRUARY 2015

Time for a tree change?

Food waste in the spotlight Breakfast goes Middle Eastern

Rewarding you Speedibake’s new range

CONTENTS

26

ON THE COVER Speedibake is rewarding foodservice operators in more ways than one with their new promotion.

Regulars 04

Editor’s note

06

News

12

Q&A Cathy Alexander, Tropical Catering & Events

14

In season

16

10 things Deadly foods

17

Origins Caviar

06

Print Post Approved PP231335/00017

DECEMBER 2014/JANUARY 2015

Features

Security tips for the silly season Top trends for 2015 Travel broadens young chefs’ horizons OH1214.indd 1

Cover story Speedibake pre-baked breads

Regional snapshot Tropical North Queensland

10

34

Cooking the books

18

Sustainability How much food are you wasting?

36

Products

20

38

Profile Tara Bain, Bocuse d’Or

Breakfast Rocking the kasbah with Middle Eastern influences

39

Australian Culinary Federation news

26

Regional Australia Tree change for fine dining

28

Dairy Door opens on raw milk cheeses

30

Kosher food Sydney’s first five-star kosher kitchen

32

14

Perfect partnership Fonterra’s Perfect Italiano Parmesan 23/12/2014 12:49 pm

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Open House, February 2015

3

EDITOR’S WORD

Food for thought Published in Australia by Creative Head Media Pty Ltd

F

ood rescue organisations such as Foodbank, OzHarvest and SecondBite do an admirable job here in Australia rescuing and redistributing surplus fresh and packaged food that would otherwise end up in landfill to charities helping to feed disadvantaged Aussies.

Over the past few years Open House has published several features focusing on the fantastic work these organisations do, so it was with great interest that I heard about the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) invitation to OzHarvest to help throw the light on food waste at the Sustainable Innovation Forum, held in Peru in December, by organising a food-waste themed lunch for more than 350 delegates and VIPs. OzHarvest’s head chef, Travis Harvey, along with Wilfred Dass, executive chef of the Westin Hotel in Lima, and top Peruvian chef Diego Munoz of Astrid y Gaston restaurant (also in Lima) designed the well-received menu, using more than 300 kilograms of saved food and sustainable produce donated from local suppliers. The organisation’s founder and chief executive, Ronni Kahn, was also asked to give a speech to the forum about the charity’s work here in Australia.

While in Peru, the group took the opportunity to work with local chefs and personalities to spread awareness and highlight the collaboration between UNEP and OzHarvest, and met with local Banco de Alimentos (food banks) to share details of their food rescue model and help them implement a local food rescue.

“We were provided with an incredible opportunity to showcase how OzHarvest is leading the way in minimisation of food waste in Australia,” Kahn said earlier this month.

“It’s my hope that what we achieved in Lima has inspired other nations, members of governments, the business community and individuals to take action to address this global issue of food waste and food security.”

With food waste being the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases (after the US and China), let’s hope OzHarvest’s efforts at least highlighted for delegates the 1.3 billion tonnes of food being wasted each year. Acknowledging the problem is the first step to solving it.

Suite 202, 80-84 Chandos Street, St Leonards 2065 P.O. Box 189, St Leonards 1590 Website: www.openhousemagazine.net ACN 147 436 280 ISSN 0312-5998

PUBLISHER Alexandra Yeomans MANAGING EDITOR Ylla Watkins JOURNALIST Sheridan Randall ACCOUNT MANAGERS Leah Jensen, Lauren Szybiak DESIGN/PRODUCTION MANAGER Bin Zhou PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Anne Esteban ADMINISTRATION ASSISTANT Kate Wilcox

HEAD OFFICE – SYDNEY Creative Head Media Pty Ltd Suite 202, 80-84 Chandos Street, St Leonards 2065 P.O. Box 189, St Leonards 1590 Tel: (02) 9438 2300 Fax: (02) 9438 5962 Email: enquiries@creativehead.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS 1 yr $99; 2 yrs $174; 3 yrs $261 (incl. GST and surface mail)

Ylla Watkins Managing editor

Copyright © 2015 Opinions expressed by the contributors in this magazine are not the opinion of Open House Foodservice. Letters to the editor are subject to editing.

THIS MONTH’S TOP STORY Recent changes to Food Standards Australia New Zealand’s standards for the manufacture and sale of raw milk cheese in Australia has opened the door to a whole new range of artisan cheeses.

Find out more on page 28.

4 Open House, February 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

Official publication for the Australian Culinary Federation

AMAA, CAB Total Distribution Audit 21,687 September 2014

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Out of this world cat cafe to open open in a undisclosed CBD location and offer patrons the opportunity to enjoy “a coffee, a meal, or maybe a nice cool drink for the purr-fect escape from the daily grind and a chance to play with our furry friends”, according to the cafe’s website.

“Catmosphere’s domesticates have resolutely dedicated their past lives to space exploration and are back to basking in the Earth’s glorious oxygenated biosphere where any and all homo sapiens who wish to enjoy their company will be able to enjoy quality locally brewed coffee and a mouthwatering seasonal menu,” the website adds.

F

ollowing on from the international trend that has seen cat cafes spring up in Thailand, Japan and Melbourne, Sydney will get its very own cat cafe in July.

The space-themed Catmosphere cat cafe will

Funding for the cafe is a work in progress, with the team behind it calling for catlovers to contribute to an Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign, with perks such as merchandise, tickets to a VIP opening night and the opportunity to name one of Catmosphere’s cats available.

Urbanspoon bought by global search app Restaurant search app Urbanspoon has been acquired by international player Zomato, marking the platform’s entry into the Australian market.

The deal also sees Zomato move into the US market and adds to its already dominant position in the UK and New Zealand, with all Urbanspoon users – as well as restaurant and user-generated content and features – set to be migrated across to the new platform in coming months.

Following the acquisition Zomato will be present in 22 countries across the world; its restaurant coverage will increase from about 300,000 restaurants to more than one million restaurants across the globe. The site’s traffic is expected to more than double from about 35 million visits per month to more than 80 million visits per month, 6

Open House, February 2015

making it among the largest restaurant search companies in the world.

“Our Australian entry has been on the cards for a while now, and we’re delighted to be doing so by welcoming Urbanspoon into Zomato,” said Deepinder Goyal, founder and chief executive of Zomato. “We launched our New Zealand operations last year as a pilot for the Australia market, and we are confident that we now have a playbook to succeed in Australia.

“The Urbanspoon acquisition gives us a significant head-start in Australia.

Urbanspoon has a huge following, and is home to legions of people who are as passionate about food as we are.

“We will soon be integrating the two products to bring the best of both products to our users in Australia as well as the rest of the world.”

www.openhousemagazine.net

Queensland pays more for takeaway People ordering takeaway in some states are paying up to $5 more for a single dish than in others, according to data from Menulog.com.au, Australia’s largest online and mobile ordering service for takeaway food.

The analysis, taken from Menulog’s 2014 orders nationwide, compares the average prices that customers paid in New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland for five popular dishes – BBQ chicken, supreme pizza, butter chicken, pad Thai and Penang curry.

State-by-state price comparisons across the five dishes shows that prices in Queensland are highest, while Victoria is the best-value state for takeaway food.

A supreme pizza is the most expensive dish out of the five overall, and priciest in Queensland ($18.11), where residents pay nearly $5 more than the cheapest state for this dish, Victoria ($13.19). The nextpriciest dish was a BBQ chicken, with Queensland again paying nearly $5 more ($17.37) than Victoria ($12.76), which was again the best-value state.

Queensland also proves to be the most expensive state for pad Thai ($13.41), but it is second to Western Australia when it comes to butter chicken and Penang curry, which set West Australians back $16.91 and $15.78 respectively.

New South Wales is not far behind Queensland and Western Australia when it comes to the price points of those dishes, but food lovers in the southern states are generally getting much better value for money. Victorians pay less than any of the other states overall.

NEWS BRIEFS

Cockroach infection beyond belief The owner of a vegetarian restaurant in Canberra has been fined $16,000 for eight food safety breaches after refusing to wipe out a cockroach infestation because he was morally opposed to killing the insects.

show a number of live and dead cockroaches around the kitchen, including close to cooking equipment.

ACT Health inspectors discovered the infestation in the kitchen of the Kingsland Vegetarian Restaurant in April 2013 following a tip-off from a member of public, with the inspectors shutting the “unhygienic” restaurant the next day.

The Canberra Times has reported that defence lawyer Adrian McKenna told the court that his client had passionate vegan values but accepted, in hindsight, that his morals had been misguided. He now brought in a pest control team on a regular basis, has since won awards, and appointed a food safety supervisor.

Court documents included pictures that

The restaurant was cleared to open six days later when the breaches had been corrected.

Bocuse d’Or results announced

Aussies drinking less Contrary to popular belief, Australians are drinking 25 per cent less alcohol than 40 years ago, according to a new analysis of Australian governmentsourced research conducted by the Australian Liquor Stores Association, published in the Australia's Changing Drinking Habits report.

Symposium to tackle big issues A national restaurant symposium, to be held in Noosa on May 14-15, 2015, will address some of the challenges facing the restaurant industry including work force issues; consumer trends; cost of business issues; and taxes and regulations. Tickets are $198. For more information, visit www.restaurantsummit.com.au.

Online bookings see massive growth The number of restaurant bookings made online has seen massive growth, reaching 30 per cent in 2015 from just 1 per cent in 2009, according to online bookings site dimmi.

Mobile restaurant searches have risen 40 percentage points to 48 per cent.

Wish come true for Urban Purveyor Group

Norway has won the 15th edition of the Bocuse d’Or, held in Lyon, France, after five hours and 35 minutes of high-pressure testing.

The prestigious gastronomy contest, which was created by chef Paul Bocuse in 1987, saw 24 international candidates perform live in front of 2700 supporters as well as some of the most famous chefs in the world, including Grant Achatz (Alinea, Chicago, USA), French chef Thibaut Ruggeri (Bocuse d’Or 2013) and Jérôme Bocuse, president of Sirha.

Orjan Johannessen from the restaurant Bekkjarvik Gjestgiveri distinguished himself by demonstrating exceptional skills and mastery using the set products, Landes Label

Rouge free-range guinea-fowl and fario trout.

Philip Tessier from The French Laundry (California, USA) achieved second place, with Tommy Myllymaki from Spira-SjönN.E.O.-Julita Wärdshus (Sweden) came third.

Australia ranked 12th in the competition, with Brisbane-based chef Shannon Kellam equalling the best position ever attained by an Australian candidate.

“Competing for my country and placing 12th was an honour,” Kellam said. “The work, not only by me, but also my commis Tara [Bain] and the support team behind us has paid off and I’m proud of what we accomplished in Lyon this year.”

John Szangolies, owner of restaurant group the Urban Purveyor Group, has handed over a cheque for almost $110,000 to the Make-A-Wish Australia. The money was raised as part of a month-long donation drive. The cheque was accepted by the charity’s ambassador, cricketer David Warner.

Manu Fieldel bans food critics Celebrity chef Manu Fieldel will ban food critics from dining in any future restaurants, blaming them for the failure of his Melbourne eatery Le Grand Cirque last year. Fieldel told The Sunday Telegraph newspaper that he will personally forbid any critics from entering his premises.

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, February 2015 7

The Fat Duck opens for business Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck has opened at Crown Melbourne in Southbank.

The three Michelin starred restaurant has temporarily relocated to the site for six months from its home in Bray in the UK, while the British restaurant is renovated.

“Finally, we are opening the Fat Duck today after years of preparation and months of build,” said Blumenthal earlier this month.

“This has been an incredibly ambitious project, bringing the whole Fat Duck team to Australia, designing a brand new Fat Duck restaurant with original features whilst at the same time embracing the feel and energy of Bray.”

Italy wins Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie 2015 Italy has won the 14th edition of the Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie, competing against 20 other international teams comprising of a pastry chef, a chocolate specialist and an ice-cream maker.

The multi-course Tasting Menu will remain mainly untouched, featuring iconic dishes such as Sound of the Sea, Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and Snail Porridge, however some

This 2015 edition of the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie saw tougher rules introduced, as well as a new challenge for the candidates: in addition to the artistic piece made of sugar – composed of at least 50 per cent of drawn and blown sugar – candidates were required to integrate a whole block of sculpted Valrhona chocolate into their chocolate creation.

They also had to work with two blocks of ice of identical dimensions in order to present an artistic creation made of sculpted ice.

8

Open House, February 2015

New to the Melbourne restaurant will be a Chef’s Table, which will see four guests per service seated in front of the pass, with a birds’ eye view of the kitchen’s inner workings.

Design features of the new restaurant include a 19,500 piece jigsaw which involves the participation of guests who attend, and a Mad Hatter-style wall mounted time piece measuring the number of days until The Fat Duck returns to Bray.

Following The Fat Duck’s return to the UK in September, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will take up residence within Crown Melbourne permanently, becoming the only restaurant which the chef has in his portfolio outside of the UK.

Diner demand drives draught beer trend “Feedback we have received is that diners are increasingly demanding draught beer rather than bottles and many customers are now wanting to drink craft or premium beers.

The team, captained by Emmanuele Forcone, was awarded the trophy after 10 hours of intense competition where they demonstrated audacity, creativity and innovation. This is the seventh time Italy has made the podium. The country has previously won two gold medals (1997 and 2015), two silver medals (2009 and 2011) and three bronze medals (2001, 2007 and 2013).

Japan placed second, followed by the US in third place.

dishes have been tweaked to accomodate differences in the locally sourced produce, according to the chef.

“As a result, restaurants and cafes are looking to purchase their own beer systems so they can both meet demand for draught beer and have the option of regularly changing the beers they offer on tap.

“This enables them to explore some of the more interesting beers offered by smaller craft breweries, as well having mainstream options.”

Demand from diners is driving a surge in the number of restaurants and cafes that are offering customers draught, rather than just bottled beer, with their meals, according to Joe Thorp, managing director of drinks dispensing equipment supplier Lancer.

Thorp said offering draught beer in restaurants and cafes has a number of advantages over selling bottles, including less handling and storage, less waste and fresher beer.

“[In the past 12 months] we have probably installed around 1000 new draught beer systems around Australia, mostly in restaurants and cafes,” he said.

“Fresh beer is a significant advantage. Bottled beers have a limited shelf life, usually around six months in a pantry and nine months in a fridge after being brewed and it’s easy for bottles to stay in a fridge well beyond their use-by dates,” he said.

“Many of these have been smaller two and three tap systems which enable the restaurants and cafes to offer patrons a choice of draught beer by the glass.

“Unless restaurant and café managers are vigilant, diners can be served bottles that are past their peak, affecting the taste and enjoyment of the beer.” OH

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COVER STORY

Rewarding you Speedibake is rewarding foodservice professionals in more ways than one with their new promotion.

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Open House, February 2015

F

oodservice professionals looking to tap into the growing consumer demand for artisan style breads as well as convenient everyday solutions are being rewarded with Speedibake’s latest promotion.

For every $120 spent on qualifying Speedibake products foodservice professionals will receive a $20 Coles Myer gift card. Simply place an order with a local foodservice distributor (invoiced before April 15, 2015), then send the invoice, along with a name, address and phone number to speedibake@promomanagement.com.au or fax the information to (02) 8415 8950 to receive the gift card. Entries must be received by April 30, 2015.

The Speedibake range now offers more choice and flexibility than ever before with its quick-to-table pre-baked breads covering all meal occasions including lunch, dinner or all day sharing.

The range consists of two styles of bread –

www.openhousemagazine.net

Rustic and Classic – which can be thawed and served immediately or flash-baked for only minutes to achieve a just-baked aroma, catering for reduced baking times and convenient quick-to-table bread.

Speedibake’s ciabatta, rye and sourdough dinner rolls come in a mixed carton so you never have to compromise on choice.

The Soft Turkish Oval Lunch Roll comes in a small carton making it ideal for the often limited freezer space of small lunch outlets catering to busy lunch rush customers who are part of a growing trend of consumers requesting Turkish style breads.

The Speedibake 8” White Sandwich Sub is pre-sliced – just thaw or flash-bake, fill and serve for quick-to-customer service.

Speedibake’s dinner roll and round dinner roll are available individually wrapped, and can be heated in the wrapping so there is no extra handling for busy foodservice professionals.

The new range is also economical as it can be stored safely in the freezer for up to 12 months and used in line with actual customer demand. OH

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Q&A

All in the planning The farewell function for last year’s Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) in Cairns not only wowed guests but it also won local company Tropical Catering & Events the award for Best Achievement in Catering at the 2014 Australian Event Awards. Ylla Watkins spoke with Cathy Alexander, Tropical Catering & Events’ events manager. them to be open for guests at 5pm. It ended up raining for about one minute.

Q: Congratulations on your win. What does it mean to you to be recognised in this way?

A: We were blown away with the win. We assumed it would be one of the caterers from one of the capital cities that took out the gong. It’s amazing recognition out of a regional area like Cairns. It’s good to know that we’re on par with the big companies and to know that we’re on trend with the style of food that we’re serving.

Q: What steps did you take to ensure the event went off smoothly?

Executive chef Ben McCarthy, event manager

Q: As well as a farewell to Cathy Alexander and executive director Mark Kamsler. the 2000 delegates of the ATE, Tourism Australia used the event to launch its global “Restaurant labour just to do the prawns for us. On the Australia” marketing campaign. How did cheese station we brought in a couple of that affect what you did? cheese makers from a cheese factory up on the Atherton Tableland, so that if people A: The big challenge for the Restaurant wanted to ask “what is this cheese and Australia launch was that we had to have how do you make it?”, there was someone ingredients from every state of Australia there to talk them through the process. With represented in the menu, because that is the Restaurant Australia campaign, they’re what Restaurant Australia is all about. When trying to push the idea of food tourism and we did our tender document the chef came that’s the sort of thing you might experience up with a menu but also an ingredient list, if you went to a winery or a cheese factory. listing where everything came from. Another challenge was ensuring that everyone was Q: You put the event together in just five well fed, well serviced and well watered in weeks. What were some of the challenges two hours. That’s when we came up with you faced? the concept of doing a menu that combined A: The welcome and the farewell event stand-up canapé-style service with tended were in the same venue, which meant the food stations. set up time was really tight. On the day Q: What were some of the interactive food of the event it was the weather. From the stations you set up and how did they work? start we’d talked about what we’d do if it was fine weather, drizzling or worst case A: We had several different wine stations, scenario, heavy rain. At one o’clock that an antipasto station and a cheese station. afternoon they was forecasting showers for We had big seafood displays, recreating the evening, so we made the call to relocate the whole feel of it being an Australian some of the outside food stalls inside. We fish market. I think there were 3000 peeled prawns; it took our supplier 60 hours of had to pull those stands apart and rebuild 12

Open House, February 2015

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A: There was a lot of thought about how quickly we could get the food out. Obviously being a farewell event everyone was going to get stuck into the drinks, so we wanted to make sure the food went out as quickly and efficiently as possible. We made sure there was a very high level of staff to make sure everyone in every corner got served. With the food stations we pre-plated a lot of small portions, because we didn’t want people queuing.

Q: In hindsight, is there anything you would do differently?

A: I honestly don’t think so. We spent a lot of time in the planning, particularly back of house, to make sure everything ran smoothly all the way through. Even the location of where we had the kitchens was as strategic as possible, so that, in case it was bad weather, the food would still get to everybody as hot as possible.

Q: Awards aside, how do you judge the success of an event such as this?

A: It was a great night. Tourism Australia extended for an hour after they’d planned because everyone was having such a great time; they didn’t want to go home. They did a survey after ATE and apparently the farewell event rated as the highest scored, catered event in ATE’s 35-year history, which is pretty amazing. OH View slideshow in the Open House iPad app.

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IN SEASON

Valencia oranges A

fruit that is partly green may still be ripe, as the green colour acts as a natural sunscreen.

vailable throughout the summer months, February is the last opportunity to make the most of the fantastic Australian Valencia oranges that are around this season.

When selecting Valencia oranges choose firm, heavy fruit with bright, finely textured skin. Avoid oranges that are bruised, wrinkled or discoloured as this indicates that the fruit is old or has been stored incorrectly.

Deliciously sweet and juicy, Valencia oranges are ideal for both juicing (they are often called the “King of Juice Oranges”) and using in recipes ranging from salads and braises to desserts, cakes, tortes, and any number of refreshing cocktails.

Citrus fruit peel may vary in thickness depending on weather conditions during the growing season, however, thin skinned oranges tend to be juicer than thick skinned citrus.

Mainly grown in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Valencia oranges are perfectly suited to cultivation in the tropics, even though colour development may vary when the weather is hot. In the height of summer,

To store place in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Freshly squeezed orange juice and grated peel or zest can be frozen but steer clear of freezing whole citrus fruit. OH

February

March

• Avocados

• Limes

• Plums

• Apples

• Grapes

• Plum

• Blueberries

• Lettuce

• Radish

• Asian greens

• Guava

• Pomegranates

• Butter beans

• Lychees

• Rambutans

• Bananas

• Kiwifruit

• Potatoes

• Capsicum

• Mangosteens

• Raspberries

• Beans

• Lettuce

• Pumpkin

• Celery

• Melons

• Snake beans

• Broccoli

• Limes

• Quince

• Chillies

• Nectarines

• Sugar snap peas

• Capsicums

• Mangosteens

• Sweetcorn

• Chokos

• Onions

• Strawberries

• Chestnuts

• Nashi

• Tamarillo

• Cucumbers

• Okra

• Squash

• Cucumbers

• Okra

• Tomatoes

• Eggplant

• Passionfruit

• Sweetcorn

• Figs

• Onions

• Valencia oranges

• Figs

• Peaches

• Tomatoes

• Eggplant

• Passionfruit

• Witlof

• Flat beans

• Pears

• Valencia oranges

• Eschallots

• Pawpaw

• Zucchini

• Grapes

• Pineapples

• Zucchini

• Fiji fruit

• Pears

• Green beans

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TOP 10

10 deadly foods These 10 deadly food sins from across the globe can cause serious ill health and possible death for those unlucky enough to get to taste them, discovers Sheridan Randall.

1 Fugu Despite being deadly poisonous the Japanese slam down 10,000 tons of fugu, also known as the puffer fish, every year. The fish’s internal organs contain tetrodotoxin which is 1200 times more toxic than cyanide. Fugu, normally eaten raw, can only be served by highly trained chefs with years of experience in preparing it.

2 Casu marzu

Jamaica’s national fruit contains a poison called hypoglycin which can cause severe vomiting known as Jamaican Vomiting Sickness. It can also cause coma or death if eaten before it's fully ripe. The black seeds of this fruit are always toxic, but the yellow-hued flesh is apparently okay to consume if the red fruit has burst open, if you’re game.

4 Cashews Raw cashew nuts contain the dangerous chemical urushiol in their kernels.

Related to poison ivy it can cause an unpleasant reaction on your skin, and in large amounts be fatal. The raw chashews sold in shops have been steamed to remove the kernels.

5 Rhubarb leaves Rhubarb is a dessert favourite for many, but only the stalks.

The leaves contain toxins that can lead to breathing troubles, seizures, and even coma. The worst cases result in kidney failure.

7 Cassava This tropical root crop is better known as tapioca, and is often used as a filler in chips and cakes. Raw cassava contains a toxin called linamarin which the body converts to the deadly cyanogenic glycoside. The only way to eat it safely is to peel it and then boil it thoroughly.

8 Blood clams 6 Sannakji The idea of eating Korean raw baby octopus is something that sticks in a lot of people’s throat – literally. This cephalopod continues to move after it has died, and even after it has been chopped up into small pieces, with the little blighters sticking to your throat and becoming a choking hazard. Revenge is a dish served raw apparently.

16 Open House, February 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

Unlike other varieties of clams that are safe to eat, the blood clam can ingest viruses and bacteria including hepatitis A, typhoid and dysentery because it lives in lower oxygen environments. Blood clams are harvested in areas of the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic and the Pacific with blood clams from Chinese waters being behind hepatitis outbreaks.

9 Almonds Bitter raw almonds contain naturally occurring cyanide, and eating as little as four to five bitter almonds will cause light-headedness, nausea, and abdominal cramping. Before consumption, bitter almonds must be processed to remove the poison.

10 Mushrooms Some are delicious and some can kill you.

And it’s often hard for the untrained eye to tell one apart from the other. Death Cap,

Fool's Mushroom and Autumn Skullcap are among the mushroom species that are harmful to humans with symptoms including abdominal pain, vomiting, extreme thirst, and in some cases death. OH

Photo by Wiki Commons.

This Sardinian sheep’s-milk cheese is laid outside in the open to allow flies to lay eggs inside which then hatch into maggots and feed on the cheese causing fermentation. When ingested, the larvae survive and wiggle through your intestinal walls causing severe illness. Unsurprisngly it has been banned by the Europe Union.

3 Ackee

Photo by Wiki Commons.

ORIGINS

Caviar Once so cheap it was the bar peanuts of its day, caviar’s status has bounced back to become gourmet bling for those looking to impress, writes Sheridan Randall.

C

aviar – there is surely no greater symbol of culinary luxury.

Not because the taste is necessarily beyond compare, but because the stuff costs so much. Caviar’s price has roller coastered throughout the ages mirroring the rise of capitalism and its holy trinity of price, demand and supply.

So how did the eggs of the sturgeon fish become such a sought-after item? It’s hard to say who was the first to taste caviar, but sturgeon have been around for some 250 million years, so it was probably quite a while back. Chances are it wasn’t accompanied by champagne though.

Traditionally, the term caviar refers only to roe from wild sturgeon in the Caspian and Black Sea – giving us Ossetra, Sevruga and Beluga caviars, with the latter leaving the biggest dent in your bank balance.

The first recorded mention of caviar was in 1240 when the Mongols conquered Muscovy. A Russian delicacy that was heavily associated with the religious practice of the Orthodox Christians, caviar only made headway in the rest of the world with the arrival of refrigeration. Early attempts to transport it required excess salt, with early European tasters such as France’s King Louis XV spitting his offering onto the palace floor.

In the 1800s the popularity of caviar spread and with it more suppliers looking to get in on the act. Several sturgeon species were abundant in and around Western Europe, while the Yanks found that Atlantic sturgeon on the east coast and white sturgeon on the west coast of North America had a roe comparable in quality to that of Russian sturgeons.

The market became flooded with US produced caviar, so much so that it would be served in bars as a way to get patrons to drink more beer.

Unchecked and unregulated production, shrinking sturgeon stocks, pollution and the fact that until recently the fish had to be killed to harvest the eggs combined to reduce supply and boost the price, a trend that hasn’t abated to this day.

The cycle of capitalism may have almost brought this delicacy to the point of no return, but free marketers can cheer as the continued demand and high price has fostered innovation, with the production of farmed or "sustainable" caviar on the increase, the reintroduction of white sturgeon in to California, and a harvesting technique that doesn’t result in the death of the fish.

That has to be a win-win for both fish and man.

OH

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, February 2015 17

SUSTAINABILITY

1

Core

2

1 Food waste affects more than just the bottom line.

2 RMIT University researcher Dianne McGrath.

Watch your waste A new Australian study, Watch my Waste, will look into how much food is being wasted in the hospitality industry, and foodservice businesses of all kinds are invited to be part of Executive the research, writes Ylla Watkins.

R

why food is being wasted.

esearch conducted in the UK shows that approximately 23 per cent of the food that is purchased each year for individual restaurants and cafes is thrown away. Equating to roughly $19,000 per venue each year, this not only wastes money but also has a huge environmental impact.

“We anticipate seeing similar levels of food waste to the UK in Australian businesses,” says RMIT University’s Dianne McGrath.

Similar figures for the amount and value of food waste in the Australian hospitality sector have been unavailable until now, but that is set to change with researchers from RMIT University launching a new study, Watch my Waste, into just that topic.

From this month a team of researchers from the Melbournebased university will be recruiting Australian foodservice businesses of all kinds to quantify the volumes and value of food they are throwing away, as well as identify why this is happening.

Participating businesses will measure their food waste over three months with an easy to use app on their smartphone or device, as well as complete a business operations survey to uncover the main factors behind 18

Open House, February 2015

“However, it is expected that food waste will vary depending on a number of factors including the establishment type (for example, restaurant, cafe, pub, etc), and where the waste actually occurs in the business (that is, through spoilage, in the kitchen, or from diners) – something our research will help determine.

“For example, it seems logical that a high-end restaurant will produce more food waste in the kitchen, due to the proportion of food that may be prepared onsite, versus a smaller cafe who may purchase more pre-prepared or partially prepared food for sale.”

While exact figures for individual Australian foodservice businesses are not known, the Australian commercial and industrial sector generates an estimated 1.9 million tonnes of food waste overall every year.

“Much of the non-household food waste research to date has

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been mostly high level estimates or smaller scale audits,” says McGrath. “Watch My Waste will fill a very large hole in food waste data. Our research will not only provide useful information to help inform policy and program managers in government at all levels, but more importantly this research will provide tangible results, tools and information that businesses can directly apply to help reduce their food waste.”

Results from the study will be available in the second half of 2015 following analysis. Once they are released businesses in the hospitality sector, will be able to identify similar issues in their own businesses and develop strategies to reduce their waste.

Acknowledging how much food Pension is wasted and where may well be the first step to changing business practices and reducing waste management costs, ultimately improving a business’s bottom line.

“For any business wasted food is wasted money,” says McGrath.

“My parents owned and operated a catering business when I was growing up; the thought

of throwing away a potential $19,000 of food a year would horrify them. In today’s market $19,000 equates to approximately 843 employee hours (Level 2 Casual), 5367 individual takeaway coffee transactions, or 2.5 years worth of interest on a standard six-year $150,000 business loan.

I'm sure most businesses would not consciously throw such hard earned money away.

“Perhaps more significantly, food waste has a huge environmental impact. The amount of greenhouse gases produced by food waste going to landfill in Australia each year is the same as the steel and iron ore manufacturing industries combined. There is also the consideration of how many natural resources such as water, quality soil and land, and energy, were used to grow, produce and transport the food that is wasted.”

The recruitment period for the research is between February 1, and March 31, 2015, with participants asked to commit to the study for three months. For more information, or to sign up, visit www.watchmywaste.com.au. OH

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BREAKFAST

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1 Breakfast at Shenkin.

2 Shenkin’s shakshuka.

2

Rock the kasbah Australia is a land of migrants, with its cuisine enriched beyond measure because of it.

The next wave of change may be happening early in the morning with breakfast menus really starting to spice it up, discovers Sheridan Randall.

A

ustralia has never been afraid of breaking new culinary ground, but the breakfast menu has for a long time stood its ground resisting the urge to give up stalwarts such as bacon and eggs, and ham and cheese toasties. That line in the sand is getting blown away with a raft of cafes across Sydney spicing things up big time with their Middle Eastern flavours.

Shenkin delivers a slice of breakfast Tel Aviv-style, with its shakshuka (a combination of capsicum, tomato and garlic sauce, topped with poached eggs) a crowd pleaser across its three cafes. However, the business started its breakfast menu on a more traditional footing.

“When we started Shenkin we had a business partner who was on a completely different page from us,” says Din Haikin, one of four brothers in the family run business. “He wanted to put ham, cheese and tomato, and bacon and eggs [on the breakfast menu]. We gave it a go, but kept saying to him ‘why should someone come here and not just go down the road and get the same thing?’.”

After two months the Haikin family bought him out and changed the menu to reflect their Israeli heritage, with shakshuka one of the

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Open House, February 2015

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first things to go on the menu.

Other dishes such as its Israeli Big Breakfast (a choice of eggs served with labanne, avocado, Israeli salad, salmon and pita); Ziva (baked filo pastry filled with cheese and olives served with a boiled egg, hummus, grated tomato and spicy coriander); and Shenkin Stack (sourdough toast topped with labanne, za’atar, salmon, tomato, bocconcini and fresh basil) added to the mix.

“For the first six months it was bit of shock for our customers,” says Haikin. “After six months there was a line at the door on Mondays to try the dish that they saw online and were talking about.”

The Israeli-inspired menu may nave attracted new converts, but it also had to be explained to the uninitiated.

“People were confused at first because they didn’t know how to eat shakshuka and we had to go from table to table to show them how,” he says. “It is served with fresh pitta made in-house. They used to cut their pitta with a knife and fork and try to dip it into the dish.

We had to explain how to eat it, and how we make it, cooking it for eight hours.”

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1

2

1 Dad’s Favourite Breaky at Kepos Street Kitchen.

2 Couscous trifle at Kepos Street Kitchen.

With Israel as much of a melting pot as Australia, it wasn’t such a stretch to get Aussie diners to embrace it.

“Australia is great place to bring it [Israeli cuisine] together because we are from all over the world, and we want something different,” he says. “In Israel everyone is very competitive [in regards food] and wants to come up with new things.

“I think we have become much more of an adventurous nation as Australia grows,” he says. “We are into trying new things and breakfast is much more affordable than any other meal of the day. So people are most likely to try new things when the budget is more acceptable.”

Taking breakfast at Turkish restaurant Efendy on a Sunday is like travelling to Istanbul, according to owner Somer Sivrioglu.

“The shakshuka we started with is very different to now. We had to change it to suit the Australian palate. We had to adjust the salt and spices to find a balance but still have everyone appreciate the dish.

Serving authentic regional Turkish cuisine from the city of Van, the Sunday brunch is a leisurely affair with customers spending two or three hours grazing on the 39 dishes available.

“We started with a blank shakshuka that came with two poached eggs and nothing else. Then we started adding things to it. At the moment we have a chorizo, a halumi and eggplant, which is one of the biggest sellers, and a Mexican one which comes with corn, chilli and beans.

We also have a pulled beef shakshuka which is another winner.

“It’s very hard to pinpoint Turkish cuisine,” says Sivrioglu. “We Turks don’t see ourselves as part of the Middle East. It’s a unique place that is somewhere in between [Europe and the Middle East].

“Some say it is Moroccan, others say it is from Tunisia, but when you look at it from a chef’s perspective you are just looking to make it better.”

Chef Michael Rantissi grew up in Tel Aviv, but spent years globetrotting to follow Michelin starred chefs. However, when he finally settled in Sydney and opened his own restaurant, Kepos Street Kitchen in Redfern, he chose to go back to his roots “based on the food I like eating at home”.

“My whole perspective was getting out of the fine dining world and trying to do food that is more me,” he says. “I took what I grew up on and translated it to what I would enjoy eating.”

Early morning treats include Dad’s Favourite Breaky with falafel, hummus, labneh, hardboiled egg, tomato salad and schiacciata bread, and Moroccan lamb and pine nut cigars, watercress, poached eggs, goats cheese and Vegemite tahini dipping sauce.

“My wife is an Aussie girl so for me to introduce this food to her I had to adjust it,” he says. “It is also why I was exposed to Vegemite at home. It is part of her breakfast routine so I needed to incorporate both my and her personalities into the menu.”

With Aussie diners embracing new food offerings from different cultures, Rantissi says breakfast is great way to try new things.

22

Open House, February 2015

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“Having said that Van is one of the cities that is closest to the Middle East and so there are lots of similarities in that style of food particularly in breakfast. There’s also a lot of Russian influences with all the dairy farming and the wonderful cheese making.”

Sivrioglu went out on a limb when he opened Efendy, bucking the trend of Australia’s huge coffee culture and sticking to his Turkish guns.

“We don’t serve Italian style coffee and we don’t have bacon and eggs [on the menu],” he says.

“Restaurants like us survive by giving diners an original experience so I don’t dilute that experience for my customers. It started quite slowly, first being full of Turkish Australians… but people understand that if we convey the message right it is a great way to escape to another country. I try to give people something as close to my homeland as I can.”

The menu, featuring the likes of kaymak, goat feta, kashar cheese, curly haloumi, homemade jams, menemen eggs, sujuk spicy sausages (made in-house) and cigar borek washed down with Turkish coffee or tea, has won over plenty of customers from a non-Turkish background.

“I used to tone things down for the Aussies but now we have a bit more confidence about it,” he says.

“When I look at the numbers we are booked out every Sunday now, so much so that I am going to open on Saturdays next month.” OH

Moroccan lamb cigars, poached eggs and goats cheese Serves 6-8

½ teaspoon caraway seeds ½ teaspoon coriander seeds ½ teaspoons cumin seeds 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 small brown onion, peeled and finely diced 5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced ½ teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon turmeric powder ½ teaspoon ground cumin 500 grams coarse lamb mince Salt and pepper to taste Michael Rantissi.

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24

Open House, February 2015

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Sultana Flakes

Muesli

Corn Flakes

XO Crunch

2 bunches fresh coriander, finely chopped 50 grams pine nuts, toasted 18 sheets of brik pastry or spring roll pastry 1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt 1 litre rice bran oil for frying 2 poached eggs per person, cooked as desired 100 grams goat’s cheese 1 bunch watercress, washed 50 grams pine nuts, lightly toasted Tahini for drizzling Heat a dry fry pan to medium, add the caraway, coriander and cumin seeds and lightly toast until fragrant and then remove.

Using a mortar and pestle lightly pound the toasted seeds.

In the same fry pan heat to medium and add the olive oil, onion and garlic and sautĂŠ until transparent. Add all the ground spices and toasted seeds and fry for an extra minute. Add the lamb mince in batches and break the mince down with a fork and cook

until the meat is cooked through, around 10 to 15 minutes. Take off the heat and season with salt and pepper.

Add the chopped coriander and pine nuts and mix through.

Allow the mix to cool. Drain off any excess liquid.

Take a sheet of the brik pastry or spring roll pastry and brush it with the egg wash. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the lamb mince and place it about two thirds of the way into the pastry, in a sausage shape so that it covers half the width of the sheet. Then fold in each side of the pastry so it joins at the centre. Egg wash the folded pastry then roll into a cigar shape. Repeat until you have used all the mince and pastry sheets.

In a large deep saucepan add the rice bran oil and heat to frying temperature. To test if the oil is hot enough drop in a piece of bread until the bread is golden. Fry the cigars in batches until golden then drain on paper towel. The lamb cigars are best if served immediately. Serve with watercress, poached eggs, goat’s cheese and pine nuts, and drizzle with tahini.

Recipe courtesy of Michael Rantissi from Kepos Street Kitchen. OH

See more recipes in the Open House iPad app.

www.openhousemagazine.net

Open House, February 2015

25

REGIONAL RESTAURANTS

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2

See recipe in the Open House iPad app.

1, 3 Circa 1876 Restaurant. 2 Venison at Circa 1876. 4 Cameron Cansdell in Bombini's vegetable garden. 5 Local produce on the Bombini menu. 6 George Francisco in the restaurant's organic garden.

Tree change Getting your hands dirty is part of the appeal of heading to the country, and with paddock to plate and food miles high on Australia’s culinary radar, New South Wales’ regional restaurants are right on trend, writes Sheridan Randall.

I

t used to be that diners in regional areas had to head to the nearest big city to enjoy the best dining on offer, but those times have long gone, with the traffic now heading the other way.

Diners looking for both a culinary treat and the pleasure of getting away to the beauty on offer in Australia’s regional areas are being spoilt for choice with many top chefs choosing to set up shop away from the major cities.

Culinary consultant Andreas Martz made the call to swap the “impersonal” role he had working for a large hotel in Sydney for a tree change to Orange, in New South Wales, where he ended up running his own restaurant at Nyrang Homestead, alongside boutique accommodation Bed and Breakfast, and an eight-variety vineyard Barton Creek Wines.

However, before setting up his own business Martz spent a decade heading up the kitchen of a local hotel that the owner wanted to modernise, gaining invaluable experience of both the local market and the network of suppliers.

“It was more the locals we were re-educating

26

Open House, February 2015

with the pub,” he says. “When I moved to Orange there was some high end dining but it needed something in the middle; otherwise it was just a lot of takeaways.”

With his own restaurant Martz capitalised on the space on offer, setting up his own vegetable and herb garden.

“We targeted local produce and I had a huge vegetable garden where I grew a lot of my own vegetables and herbs,” he says. “We had fruit trees so I was always making my own jams and fruit pastes.

“There was a wood fired oven in the kitchen, so I would make sourdough breads as well. Because I lived there as well getting up early and working till late at night didn’t bother me.”

With the restaurant attracting plenty of diners from both the local and Sydney markets coming for the food and scenery, Martz says that staffing was the biggest challenge, with locals unwilling to do the 30 kilometre drive from town.

“In the end we used backpackers, who would work for three months and we could supply accommodation,” he says.

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“We had some awesome people working for us, and I found it easier to deal with people from out of town.”

Staffing issues are a common theme among regional restaurant operators with George Francisco, from Circa 1876 in the Hunter Valley, finding ways of getting round the issue.

“What I see in the Hunter is that we just keep recycling the same chefs and waiters,” says Francisco. “It’s a bit frustrating. We went big on sponsorships for a while but that was an expensive solution. What we do now is offer staff housing so I am trying to bring staff from the city.”

Francisco arrived in the Hunter Valley from stints in his native US, Jonah’s Whale Beach in Sydney and QT Hotels in Queensland.

“I have always wanted to set up a sustainable restaurant,” he says. “We have a 1.2 hectare organic garden, organic mulberry trees, Muscat grapes and bee hives.

“I love the fact that we could grow [our own produce], getting in touch with the food. It doesn’t come from the back of the truck; it comes from the ground.

3

6

4

“I’m also encouraging foraging with my chefs. You need to walk out of the door and see what you can find. We are surrounded by pepper trees with pink peppercorns.”

Cameron Cansdell was well versed in catering to regional tastes before setting up his Avoca Beach restaurant Bombini, following stints at both Bells at Killcare and De Bortoli Wines in the Hunter Valley.

“I’m very passionate about regionality,” he says. “What’s exciting in Australia mirrors what happens in Europe with specific dishes built around local produce. What’s really special is that you have this beautiful produce that is available to you in its prime and you find that you shape your menu around that

5

produce. Being in a sub-tropical region we are growing a lot of leafy greens, eggplants, peppers, bananas, grapefruit and limes.”

Cansdell gets round the staffing problems by investing his time in some talented apprentices.

“They have become some of my finest workers in the kitchen,” he says. “They require a lot of your time and it’s a lot of work to shape them to where you want them to be but they become like your shadow.”

Despite the challenges Cansdell says he would never swap it for the hustle and bustle of a big city.

“The restaurant is such beautiful place to work in,” he says. “When I walk out the back of the restaurant it’s such a beautiful view and

when I do the same thing in the city it’s a dirty alleyway. When you’re doing a lot of hours, that small amount of time you have when you live in these beautiful areas is precious.”

Francisco is also a passion advocate for his tree change, calling on others to follow the lead.

“There are so many people who claim to be interested in paddock-to-plate philosophy and sustainability, there have to be some Sydney chefs or waiters who would want to move to the country and to learn and get hands on,” he says.

“We have a garden where you pick the vegetables, clean them and put them on the plate. Come and learn where food really comes from.” OH

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www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, February 2015 27

DAIRY

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2

3

1 Saul and Sheree Sullivan from Udder Delights. 2 Udder Delights King Saul Raw Blue cheese. 3 Cheese expert Will Studd.

No more raw deal Recent changes to Food Standards Australia New Zealand’s standards for the manufacture and sale of raw milk cheese in Australia, has opened the door to a whole new range of artisan cheeses, writes Ylla Watkins.

F

ollowing a 10-year battle to change legislation restricting the manufacture and sale of raw milk cheese in Australia, the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation last month voted to accept an amendment to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) which will allow a wider range of local cheeses to be made from raw milk.

Under the new standards local cheese makers will be able to produce and sell new

i

What is raw milk cheese?

Raw milk cheese is made from milk that hasn’t been pasteurised to kill any bacteria present.

Cheeses made from raw milk are considered to be the benchmark against which all other cheeses should be judged by cheese specialists around the world, reflecting their region of origin, quality of milk they are made from and the skill of the cheese maker.

Up until now, only very hard cooked curd cheeses made from raw milk, such as parmigano reggiano, have been allowed to be sold in Australia, with the exception of a very few imported cheeses such as roquefort and gruyere.

types of cheese made from raw milk, and consumers will also be able to enjoy a wider variety of imported raw milk cheeses.

The manufacture and sale of raw milk cheeses has previously been heavily restricted in Australia because of concerns regarding the safety of the “raw”, otherwise known as unpasteurised, milk it is made from. Pasteurisation is a process that heats milk to a specific temperature for a set period of time, killing any bacteria present.

Unpasteurised milk provides an ideal environment for a number of unpleasant organisms (see box opposite). In Australia all milk intended for human consumption is required to be pasteurised.

Raw milk cheese advocate Will Studd, presenter of the Cheese Slices television program, has cautiously welcomed the news.

“It is important to recognise that the changes proposed by FSANZ are conservative and it will be necessary for local cheese makers to demonstrate to the dairy regulatory authorities in their state that they have a food safety plan that meets all the FSANZ requirements,” he says. “This may well prove too onerous and expensive for many local producers.

“How the changes are interpreted by AQIS/IFIP [Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service/Imported Food Inspection Program] for imported cheese is not yet

28 Open House, February 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

clear, but in Europe strict standards already apply to the production of raw milk cheese so we can certainly expect to see more of these benchmarks in Australia in future.”

Studd points out that eating cheese made from raw milk is already far safer than drinking raw milk.

“It would be a mistake to link drinking raw milk with cheese made from raw milk,” he says. “The cheese making process has significantly more controls to ensure a safe outcome.

“The new standards cover every stage of the cheese making process. The starting point is to ensure good quality raw milk from healthy animals and the code also includes a combination of factors such as starter culture, pH, salt, moisture content, maturation time and temperature, as well as testing of the cheese before release, to ensure it meets Australian standards.”

In December South Australian company Udder Delights, run by cheese maker Saul Sullivan and his wife, the company’s director and general manager, Sheree, became the first Australian company to produce a blue vein cheese made from raw milk.

The launch of Udder Delights’ King Saul Raw Blue followed two years of intensive research and development before the company was granted approval to start making the cheese

The case against raw milk

i

The case against the consumption of raw milk was tragically illustrated late last year when a three-year old child died in Victoria after being given raw milk marketed as “bath milk” by his parents.

Banned from sale for human consumption in Australia, raw milk provides an ideal environment for a range of nasty organisms such as E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria which can cause illness, and as in the Victorian case, potentially even death. Young children, pregnant woman, the elderly and infirm are particularly at risk.

While the Mountain View Farm Organic Bath Milk has since been withdrawn from sale, health authorities across the country are taking the matter very seriously.

In Victoria, new requirements have been introduced requiring producers of cosmetic products to add a bittering agent to make the milk undrinkable. Members of the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation also recently called for a national approach to stop people drinking raw milk.

by the Dairy Authority of South Australia (DASA), in June 2014.

The couple worked closely with DASA to ensure the cheese they created was legally able to be sold.

With many of the steps they were required to take to make the cheese “not easy and not conducive to blue cheese production”, Sheree Sullivan recalls many experts saying they didn’t think it was possible for Udder Delight to make blue cheese within the guidelines.

Sullivan believes the changes to the FSANZ legislation will allow for a greater range of raw milk cheese, however “all the cheese will still have to achieve a certain pH, moisture level, salt level and microbiological level for legal sale; the making of raw milk soft cheeses will not meet the requirements, and it will still be illegal to make them”.

“Raw milk cheese won’t become mainstream as the dairy authorities will only release permits to highly experienced cheese makers, and it will be very expensive due

to a greater micro testing program and extensive product segregation requirements,” she adds.

While it remains to be seen how artisan cheese makers take on the challenge of fulfilling the amended FSANZ requirements for the manufacture and sale of raw milk cheeses, the door is open to a greater range of artisan cheeses than Australians have ever been able to experience before.

“It’s very exciting,” sums up Studd. OH

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Open House, February 2015

29

CATERING

1

2 3

1 From left: Baron Revelman, president, Kashrut Authority; Rabbi Moshe Gutnick, rabbinic administrator, Kashrut Authority; Julien Pouteau, executive chef, InterContinental Sydney Double Bay; Bruno Fallegger, acting general manager, InterContinental Sydney Double Bay; and Rabbi Aaron Groner, assistant rabbinic administrator, Kashrut Authority.

2 The hotel's new kosher menu was launched at an intimate gathering of community leaders.

3 Herb crusted tuna Nicoise.

View the slideshow in the Open House iPad app.

Keeping kosher A hub for Jewish kosher celebrations under previous management, the newly opened InterContinental Sydney Double Bay sought kosher certification before launching its new kosher catering menu, discovers Ylla Watkins.

T

he InterContinental Sydney Double Bay in Sydney has launched its own in-house kosher catering for events and celebrations, having recently received kosher certification from Jewish

i

certification board, the Kashrut Authority.

The hotel worked closely with the authority, as well as kosher chefs, suppliers and local community to bring together all the required elements to

What is kosher food?

Kosher foods are those that conform to Jewish dietary law, known as kashrut. Foods that are not kosher include animals deemed “unclean”, such as pigs and shellfish, meat that has not been slaughtered according to Jewish law, gelatin made from animal protein, and meat and dairy products eaten together.

deliver kosher catering across its function rooms and events spaces from its own fully-separate kosher kitchen (built in 1991 as part of the former Ritz-Carlton Double Bay hotel), and gain full kosher certification.

Executive chef Julien Pouteau led the development of the in-house offering, creating a range of menus and culinary experiences for events at the hotel, from weddings and bar and bat mitzvahs (male and female coming of age ceremonies), to private Shabbat (the Jewish sabbath) dinners.

“When we talk about keeping kosher it’s important to mention the symbolism behind it,” says Rabbi Gutnick.

“It is not just about having the right kind of food; being able to enjoy gefilte fish or chicken soup. There is a unique lesson that each of us have to learn from the laws of kosher.

Menus feature gourmet kosher options across meat, milchig (dairy) and pareve (food that contains neither meat nor dairy) selections, including canapés, plated dishes and buffet options. Also featured is a range of kosher wines, beers, spirits and house-made cocktails.

“Whether we understand them or not, throughout history our sages have given specific meaning to all aspects of the kosher laws. The observance of kosher in general is supposed to instil into a person a feeling of caring, a sensitivity to your fellow human beings. We don’t consume birds of prey, we don’t allow hunting.

Even when we eat meat it has to be prepared in a special way, not to show cruelty to the animal. All of the laws of kosher, the direction and the ultimate purpose of them, is to make us better human beings.”

The hotel is also building a collection of traditional cultural Judaica items for events if required, such as Kiddush cups (a special cup used for ritual blessings), benching books and washing stations.

There are a large number of kosher products available in Australia, many of which carry the Kashrut Authority logo certifying that they produced in accordance with Jewish dietary law. A Kosher Product Directory can be found on the Kashrut Authority website, www.ka.org.au.

“We are delighted to be able to fully host 30

Open House, February 2015

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and cater for kosher events at the hotel,” said Pouteau.

“Our focus is on bringing the freshest seasonal ingredients to our guests and enhancing their events with beautiful food, while ensuring all cultural and traditional rituals are respected.”

As part of the requirements for achieving kosher certification, the hotel is required to maintain separate areas for the preparation of meat and dairy, with each area containing separate equipment, utensils, crockery and cutlery that can never be mixed; ensure all equipment, utensils and food in the kosher kitchen is kosher, and is never used for non-kosher purposes; and have a kosher supervisor known as a Mashgiach present whenever the kitchen is being used.

With no previous experience working in a kosher kitchen, Pouteau says it was important to him to be well-educated on kosher traditions before launching the new menu options.

“While some members of our team do have kosher experience, we all agreed it was very important to us, in treating the opportunity to deliver kosher catering for

the Jewish community with utmost respect and understanding, that we were all welleducated on kosher before considering ourselves ready,” he said.

“Since mid-2014, our team has been working closely with the local community, kosher caterers and chefs, suppliers, and wedding and event planners to research and develop our in-house kosher catering offering.

“We have also been working very closely with the Kashrut Authority to prepare our offering and gain our kosher certification.

“The Kashrut Authority has been very supportive throughout our journey to deliver in-house kosher catering, offering our team guidance, recommending and facilitating cultural and technical training, connecting us with kosher suppliers, advising on equipment requirements, and sourcing a kosher supervisor for our kitchen.”

Presenting the kosher certification, Rabbi Moshe Gutnick, rabbinic administrator of the Kashrut Authority, congratulated the hotel in “going a step beyond and above in trying to create kosher facilities” for Sydney’s Jewish community.

“It’s almost like being in a hotel in Israel,” he joked. OH

New 15g single-serve size.

Same great taste.

What’s on the menu?

The InterContinental Sydney Double Bay officially received its kosher certification earlier this month at an intimate event to launch the new menu, attended by community and religious leaders.

Canapés served on the night included grilled teriyaki salmon with bok choy, coriander and Spanish onion; herb-crusted tuna nicoise; maplesmoked duck breast with marmalade and crostini; 12-hour roasted Moroccan lamb served with mini lavosh, spicy herb salad and sumac dressing; kale pistachio parpadelle with roasted pine nuts; and slow-cooked beef sliders served with shallots and potato chips.

Dessert options included poached peach with rhubarb syrup, verbena and ice-cream; chocolate crème brulee tart with pistachio Chantilly; and strawberry and blueberry Charlotte (pictured).

Australia’s number 1 hazelnut spread with cocoa* is now available in a new 15g portion control pack.

This handy single-serve size is perfect for serving on the plate or on the table.

It’s ideal for catering, breakfast buffets, dining or quick service and completely shelf stable, requiring no refrigeration.

So let your customers spread the love and start offering Nutella Portion Control Packs today.

*Source: Nielsen Grocery Scantrack value sales and value share %. 31/08/2014

For more information call 1800 199 183 or visit www.ferrero.com.au/foodservice/nutella/home.html

ARM0678 Nutella New 15g_OH_Half Page.indd 3

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, February 2015 31 15/10/14 1:13 PM

REGIONAL SNAPSHOT

3

1

Photo 1 by Maxime Coquard. Photo 2, 3 by Andrew Watson.

1 Atherton Tablelands. 2 The region is a mecca for tropical fruits and produce.

3 Asian influences are also a strong theme on many menus.

2

Tropical North Queensland From the wet tropics of the Daintree to the cool mountain plains of the Atherton Tablelands, TNQ offers a cornucopia of great produce, writes Sheridan Randall.

T

he barmy weather of Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) produces more than great sun rises over white sand beaches, it also has an equally captivating food scene, with coffee and cheeses, tropical fruits and artisan spirits all on the menu. The nearby Atherton Tablelands grow a plethora of fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices and nuts, while tropical fruits abound in the Daintree. Expect to see plenty of lychee and mango on menus, as well as the less well known mangosteen and Davidson’s plum.

Skybury Coffee Plantation. As the country’s largest coffee exporter, Skybury grows two varieties of Arabica Coffee, Bourbon and Katuai. The plantation is also the country’s largest supplier of sweet red papya, as well as lady finger bananas.

de Brueys Boutique Wines produces a range of tropical fruit wines, liqueurs and ports using local produce such as lychee, mango, jaboticaba, bush cherry, mulberry, passionfruit and star apple using traditional techniques.

Located in the pristine surrounds of North Queensland’s World Heritage Rainforests Mungalli Creek Dairy produces a range of award winning biodynamic dairy and organic dairy products including yoghurts and cheeses such as fetta and ricotta.

For Craig Squires, owner of Cairns-based Ochre Restaurant, it is all about the seasonal vegetables, with Rusty’s Market in Cairns a perennial favourite.

Caffeine addicts should make a beeline for Australia’s oldest coffee plantation,

Wine may not be the first thing you think of in the tropics, but winemaker

32 Open House, February 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

“It's 30 metres from the restaurant and has great niche fruits and veg plus all the seasonal produce,” he says.

Now that’s keeping it local.

VIEW FROM THE KITCHEN

DIARY DATES Melbourne Food & Wine Festival February 27 - March 15, 2015

From a pop-up artisan bakery in the heart of the city and a long lunch for 1500 in Melbourne’s iconic fresh produce market to master classes with some of the world’s top chefs, the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has it all, and there are plenty of extraordinary events happening throughout regional Victoria as well. www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au

Enlighten 2015 February 27 - March 7, 2015

Craig Squires, owner of Ochre Restaurant

1

Best thing about the region: Such a variety and abundance of produce.

TNQ has the largest variety of produce in Australia as we have wet tropics through to cool mountain plains.

2

Favourite local ingredient to work with: That's hard as there are a few favourites, but at the moment Morganbury Pork.

3

Food heroes: Hard working farmers.

Our herb suppliers, Earth Foods, are a good example of people passionate to produce the best. Without growers like these we are nothing.

4 5

Most underrated ingredient: Onion.

Most overrated ingredient: Paying $10 for a packet of farmers market lavosh (flat bread).

6 7

Food philosophy: Balance in flavour and let the ingredients speak for themselves.

Career highlight: There's a few, perhaps being included in Mietta's Top 50 Australian Chefs.

8

Best advice you’ve been given: Taste it. OH 1

One of Canberra’s signature events, Enlighten’s program also sees the addition of the Enlighten Night Noodle Markets, with the festival punters enjoying Asian delights from pork buns and steamed dumplings to pan fried gyoza. www.enlightencanberra.com

Taste of Sydney March 12 - 15, 2015

1 Ochre Restaurant in Cairns. 2 October to March is mango season in TNQ.

2

This year’s program includes the Foodie Garden Party in Centennial Park with some of Sydney’s top chefs serving up tasting menus designed

by Sydney’s latest, greatest and hottest restaurants. Expect cooking classes, a round table discussion and sample wines. www.tasteofsydney.com.au

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Open House, February 2015

33

COOKING THE BOOKS

Healthy and delicious Word is out that a plant-based diet doesn’t have to be boring or hard to accomplish, with new book Easy Vegan by Sue Quinn revealing the secrets of how to “veganise” a recipe without compromising on flavor.

Marinated tempeh and sesame noodles

1 handful coriander, chopped

Serves: 4 as a side; Preparation: 10 minutes; Cooking: about 12 minutes

For the sesame dressing 2 tablespoons tahini paste

T

empeh has a lovely chewy quality that’s very moreish in this spicy noodle dish.

2 teaspoons agave nectar 225g tempeh, cut into thin bite-sized slices 200g medium rice noodles

60ml light soy sauce

1 splash sesame oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

175g snow peas

2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

Fine sea salt

1 garlic clove, grated

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

100ml vegetable oil 1 large garlic clove 1 teaspoon onion granules 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 2 tablespoons soy sauce 60ml rice vinegar 2 tablespoons soft light brown sugar 1 teaspoon hot chilli paste 2 tablespoons chopped coriander 90ml hot water Whisk together the soy, vinegar, ginger, garlic, agave and 1 tablespoon water. Put the tempeh slices in a shallow bowl and pour over the marinade. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles following the packet directions. Drain, toss with the sesame oil and set aside. Blanch the snow peas in boiling salted water, drain and refresh in cold water. Set aside.

To make the dressing, blitz the ingredients together in a blender until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil until very hot in a heavy frying pan and stir-fry the tempeh until brown on all sides. Add the drained noodles and snow peas and toss to warm through. Remove to a serving plate and toss with the dressing. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the coriander.

Recipe and image from Easy Vegan by Sue Quinn (Murdoch Books, $39.99).

34 Open House, February 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

What’s on shelf this month?

River Cottage light & Easy

by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Bloomsbury, $49.99

Having tackled everything from human placenta to the British Isles’ lesser-known fish species in previous media outings, picking up the nickname of “Hugh Fearlessly-Eatsitall” along the way, UK chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall takes on healthy recipes in his latest book. Working from the idea that delicious, healthy dishes don’t have to be time-consuming or complicated, the chef serves up 170 light and easy recipes for every occasion. Recipes are all wheat- and dairy-free and sweeteners are kept to a minimum.

Secret recipes from the world famous New York bakery

Tom Kerridge’s best ever dishes

by Tom Kerridge Bloomsbury, $39.99

by Dominique Ansel Murdoch Books, $39.99

Most famous for the croissant-doughnut hybrid that’s taken the world by storm, the cronut, pastry chef Dominique Ansel is the man behind one of New York’s most renowned bakeries. In this whimsical book Ansel shares not only the recipes that have made his name but also the lessons he’s learnt from a lifetime spent crafting his favourite pastries. Creations range from apple marshmallows to black and blue pavlova, chocolate caviar tart and of course the world famous cronut itself.

UK chef Tom Kerridge is best-known for the beautifully crafted yet accessible food that has earnt his Buckinghamshire pub The Hand & Flowers two Michelin stars and the recipes in this gorgeous book are no exception.

Classics such as tomato soup, cottage pie and chicken Kiev are given a twist to elevate them from so-so to special, while dishes such as halibut with chicken liver and mushroom ragu combine more unusual ingredients to sensational effect. OH

Get it while it’s hot!

Open House is now available as an iPad app, offering even more ways to enjoy industry news, views and feature stories on the key issues and trends affecting the hospitality industry.

This exciting free app is packed with bonus extras including recipes, behind-the-scenes videos and interactive features.

Updated monthly, the Open House iPad app is available to download free at the iTunes app store or www.openhousemagazine.net.

www.openhousemagazine.net

Open House, February 2015

35

PRODUCTS

Potted pies

Finishing touch

The home-style Chicken Pot Pie by Lotus & Ming is handcrafted and beautifully presented to be the perfect fit for any foodservice outlet.

Filled with premium Australian vegetables and lean chicken fillet, the pies are complete and ready to serve in custom-made, reusable, ceramic bases. Designed to go from the freezer to the oven and straight to the customer, handling is kept to a minimum.

Nicholson Fine Foods has launched a new Roasted Red Capsicum Finishing Vinegar. The award winning finishing vinegar combines a sweet and sour flavour with the richness of red capsicum. It is a perfect match for fish, chicken, pasta, risotto, salad and vegetables.

●

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www.nicholsonfinefoods.com.au

www.rusticbylm.com.au

Vodka o’clock

Naturally sweet

Artisan Spirit Merchants has released a new range of naturally crafted premixed vodka cocktails, under their Vodka O brand. The premixed cocktails contain pure Vodka O vodka, carbonated filtered water, real fruit juices, fruit purees and spice flavours. They have no added colours or artificial flavours and have less sugar and fizz compared to other leading premixed drinks and ciders. They are available in four flavours: Apple, Ginger & Spice; Pineapple, Cucumber & Mint; Pear with a hint of Vanilla; and Strawberry, Cranberry and a touch of Basil.

Naturals with Stevia is the all-natural way to add sweetness without the kilojoules. Each single serve stick provides the equivalent sweetness of one level teaspoon of sugar with 98 per cent less kilojoules. Naturals with Stevia can be used as a sugar replacement in recipes, as well as in hot drinks. Naturals is gluten free, genetically modified organism free and suitable for diabetics. They are available to foodservice as single serve sticks in two pack sizes, 40s and 300s.

●

www.vodkao.com

36 Open House, February 2015 www.openhousemagazine.net

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www.naturalssweetener.com

Hot and toasty

A trio of oils

Toasty Products has launched the new Toasty Auto Grill, featuring induction technology that delivers hot, toasted sandwiches in just a couple of minutes. It is completely automatic, with an energy efficient stand-by mode, and is operated by a simple push button control, offering 10 fully adjustable program times and heat levels. The external casing never heats up, and is perfectly designed for the fast moving food counter, such as cafes, takeaways and quick service restaurants.

Moro has launched its new Selection range of extra virgin olive oils. The range consists of three oils, using only the finest Spanish olives. The Hojiblanca is a delicate olive oil that is ideal for drizzling, sautéing and finishing dishes such as seafood and vegetables, while the Picual is ideal for using in stews with red meats. The Cornicabra is great for white meats, cooked vegetables and pasta dishes.

●

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www.worldofmoro.com.au

www.toastyproducts.com.au

Lighter soy sauce

Like magic

The Good Grub Hub has introduced a White Soy Sauce (Shiro Shoyu), which is clearer, thinner and slightly sweeter than traditional soy sauce. The lighter product infuses food with flavour without colouring dishes, and is an ideal accompaniment to sushi and sashimi, seafood, clear soups, tofu and steamed vegetables. It also makes a great marinade when blended with olive oil. The white soy sauce is available to foodservice in a 1.8 litre bottle.

Phoeniks has introduced the FlexiCombi MagicPilot combi steamer from MKN. The MagicPilot features a “touch and slide” operating concept, similar to a modern smartphone or tablet, with a screen that can be viewed from all angles. The FlexiCombi automatically recognises how much is inside the cooking chamber and adjusts the cooking process, without the need for a probe. The MagicPilot provides assistance to the user with step by step instructions and video operating instructions shown on the appliance.

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www.thegoodgrubhub.com

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www.phoeniks.com.au

OH

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Open House, February 2015

37

PROFILE

1

2

1 Tara Bain competing at the Bocuse d’Or. 2, 3 The Aussie team’s fish dish and meat plate.

3

Watch the video in the Open House iPad app.

Brisbane’s new roar Tara Bain has come a long way in a few short years from her first job as an apprentice washing dinner plates to taking the stage at this year’s Bocuse d’Or, writes Sheridan Randall.

B

risbane is turning into a culinary hothouse, with the Brisbane Club seeing its young apprentices shine under the helm of former executive chef Shannon Kellam. One such young star is Tara Bain, who has seen her career fast track since scooping top honours at last year’s Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat National Finals with fellow Brisbane Club apprentice Rachel Male, and joining the Australian Bocuse d’Or team as commis chef.

It was only four years ago that Bain started her school-based apprenticeship at the Brisbane Club, which continued into a fulltime apprenticeship on leaving school.

“I thought it was absolutely crazy when I first started,” she says. “My very first job was to scrub 150 white plates with Jif. I just ended up liking it. Every time I went in it was something new, never the same old stuff.

There was always a challenge and that’s what keeps me going.”

Bain was lucky enough to see Kellam prepare for the Bocuse d’Or in 2013, helping out with fundraising dinners.

“I got an insight into the training and how they do the whole thing, which was pretty full on,” she says.

Bain, as are all the apprentices at the Brisbane Club, was encouraged to enter local and national competitions as they came up.

“Shannon encourages all his apprentices to compete,” she says. “He doesn’t force it on you, but he’ll say what’s coming up so you can choose.”

Bains’ first taste of competition was with Kellam in Restaurant of Champions at the Fine Food show in Sydney in 2013, which they won.

She also competed in the Apprentice of the Year in 2014, before going on to take out the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award, which included a trip to Lyon, France, to get a taste of Bocuse d’Or with the Aussie team.

38

Open House, February 2015

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Little did Bain realise that she would end up on the Aussie team.

With four months to go, Kellam’s commis chef withdrew, prompting him to ask Bain if she was up to the challenge. She was, training up to 18 hours a day seven days a week, with one day off a month to rest.

Despite the fact she would be competing in front of thousands of people, Bain says nerves were never a problem.

“To be honest it wasn’t until two days before the competition that I sat there and thought ‘oh my God, I’m going to be standing front of thousands of people in the next couple of days’.

“Our morning started off a bit rough but as soon as we got into the kitchen I didn’t feel nervous, I just felt normal because of the training we had done. It just felt like another day in the kitchen.”

The Australian team placed 12th out of 24, equalling the nation’s best result in the world finals, with Bain being nominated for best commis.

Bain acknowledges that she couldn’t have achieved what she has without the support of both her family and peers, but also wide ranging industry support. Nestlé Professional gave significant financial assistance and support to both Bain and Males on their prize winning trip, while the company’s sponsorship of Bocuse d’Or, along with others such as Bidvest and Moffat, helped take the pressure off the team as they focused on training rather than fundraising.

Bain’s future looks bright, with a stint at Serge Vieira’s Michelin-starred restaurant Chaudes-Aigues, France, on the horizon.

“As for competing in the future, it is definitely on the cards and I will see what opportunities arise,” she says. “One of them being doing the Bocuse d'Or again but this time being the first female candidate for Australia, which is definitely a goal that I will be working towards.” OH

AUSTRALIAN CULINARY FEDERATION NEWS

Fresh start A

s we settle into 2015 there is no better time to tell you what the Australian Culinary Federation (ACF) is planning for the year. We are currently redesigning our website with a new fresh look, making it user friendly with easy navigation to show who we are and what we do within our industry. The ACF is also excited to announce that we have filmed our first online current affairs program on our industry, with another 10 planned for this year where we will be discussing industry news and covering several events.

On February 22-23, the ACF will be holding the inaugural Chefs Conference “Chefs Weekend” at the Novotel Twin Waters Resort on the Sunshine Coast.

The aim of the conference is for chefs to network with industry professionals, discuss industry issues, learn about new products and to have a little fun.

After the success of last year, the ACF Road Show will be travelling again to rural Queensland and Victoria showcasing the best of Australian beef and lamb to

apprentices, cooks and chefs. This series of workshops and dinners has been so popular that we are currently developing a new program with Fonterra.

On the competition front this year, the ACF will get behind the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat, the largest junior chef’s competition in Australia, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Fine Food 2015 will also see the inaugural Fonterra “Battle of the Pacific” with regional teams competing from Australia, New Zealand and several Pacific island countries.

The International Secondary Schools Culinary Challenge will be hosted by Tahiti and several states are already planning their regional heats. Our National Apprentice Competition will be held in October and will see the best of our apprentices compete.

This is just a little taste of what the ACF has on at a national level, while at state level there are many social dinners and local workshops planned. So if you are a member I look forward to catching

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Neil Abrahams Australian Culinary Federation (ACF)

up with you at some of these events. If you’re not a member of your local chapter maybe it’s time you joined and help shape our industry, as only through your participation can we do more. OH

ON THE MOVE Chase Kojima, executive head chef of Sokyo restaurant at The Star, Sydney, has opened his second restaurant in Australia, with his newest venture, Kiyomi, at Jupiters Hotel & Casino, on the Gold Coast. His previous experience includes leading kitchens for Nobu in Las Vegas, Dubai, and London.

The Boathouse Daylesford in Victoria has re-opened its doors, with the kitchen helmed by head chef Christian Reuther.

His career spans more than 15 years, with his most recent role being owner and chef of Ego Cakes & Catering.

Merivale has appointed executive chef Jordan Toft to lead the kitchen of the new rooftop bar at Coogee Pavilion, Sydney, where he’s created an Eastern Mediterranean-inspired menu. Toft was formally head chef at Eveleigh restaurant in Los Angeles.

Restaurateur Sam Christie has closed Shortgrain and Bunker Bar in Surry Hills to make way for a new Indian eatery, Subcontinental. This newest venture adds to Christie’s restaurant portfolio, where he currently oversees Longrain, The Apollo, and Cho Cho San as managing director.

Jupiters Hotel & Casino, on the Gold Coast, has appointed Salvatore Silvestrino as executive head chef of Cucina Vivo.

Silvestrino is an Italian-born and -trained chef, with nearly 30 years' experience in five-star luxury resorts across Bangkok, Singapore and the Middle East.

Crowne Plaza Coogee Beach has unveiled the new look Oceans Dining & Drinks, with executive chef Matthew Duggan to lead the kitchen. Duggan has created a new menu, which gains influences from his love of Southern European cuisine.

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, February 2015 39

Convotherm 4 Designed around you Because we listen to you, the new Convotherm 4 range has been developed around your needs in the kitchen. With two control-panel designs – easyTouch and easyDial - 7 capacity options, and 28 models to choose from, you will have the degree of control you need.

Convotherm 4 has been re-designed, and brings a new benchmark in combi-steamer cooking.

Redefined: clear design meets functionality -

Lower operating costs whilst helping the environment -

The new Convotherm 4 design is ideal for front-of-house cooking.

Aesthetics are combined with a new dimension in intuitive operation and straight forward servicing.

Every watt and litre count.

Convotherm 4 stands for the requirement on energy efficiency and minimal water consumption.

The new standard in flexible, reliable cleaning -

Your cooking results in focus -

The Advanced Closed System+ (ACS+) offers perfection in the third generation. Delivering the ultimate in even cooking, with optimised results to your requirements.

Convoclean+ and Convoclean have been developed to deliver maximum flexibility with minimum consumption.

Automatic cleaning means chemical contact is avoided.

To find out more about how you can experience the new Convotherm 4 way of cooking, contact Moffat on 1800 023 953 or visit www.moffat.com.au VIC/TAS/SA vsales@moffat.com.au, NSW nswsales@moffat.com.au, QLD qldsales@moffat.com.au, WA bgarcia@moffat.com.au

Your meal. Our mission.

moffat.com.au f ffat.com.au Free Phone1800 023 953

MOFFAT 1439 02/15