I was fortunate enough to get out of Sydney last weekend and head to our nation's capital. While the main purpose of the trip was to attend the regional Groovin' the Moo music festival (which was fantastic - I highly recommend it if you want a reasonably laid back festival experience and can withstand the cold after sundown) a secondary mission was to enjoy as much of the wonderful food and drink that Canberra has to offer.
Farmers' Markets - Exhibition Park
The Farmers' Markets at Exhibition Park was the first stop on this culinary journey. Open on Saturday mornings until about 11am, local farmers' from the region converge to sell you the very best seasonal produce and homemade goodies. Most of the stallholders I spoke to are bio-dynamic and organic certified, and I ended up spending over $80 on food before I had even thought about what I wanted to do with it. To be fair, most of it was spent on local cheese which has been passed on to my mother as a Mothers' Day present, but collectively my friends and I returned home with butternut pumpkins, capsicum, coriander, leek, fennel, mushrooms, oranges, apples, bananas, Australian garlic, a selection of marinades, fresh yoghurt, homemade baklava and a whole bunch more which we turned into a delicious homemade vegetarian dinner meal of butternut pumpkin and parmesan risotto, stuffed capsicums, buttered leek and orange and fennel salad. DELISH.
Brodburger
http://www.brodburger.com.au/
This unassuming red caravan apparently turned up one day at it's current home in the Bowen Park car park, plugged into the electricity at the nearby toilet block and started selling delicious cooked to order burgers for the masses that soon arrived. And if you go, arriving sooner is the way to go - the demand for burgers is such that you'll likely line up for half an hour and then wait another hour until your order is ready. Fortunately, the surrounds are pleasant enough if the weather is good that you can enjoy a daytime nap, feed the swans on the lake or even pop to the national galleries for a quick visit.
News is that the local council decided that the red caravan didn't fit in with the "upper class niceness" of the suburb of Barton in which the park is located, and ordered the little caravan to disappear, however a petition signed by thousands of Canberrians and travellers has seen the Caravan still sitting in it's same spot (it does however run off it's own electricity now).
As for the burgers: Yep, they're good. Very good.
Koko Black
http://www.kokoblack.com/
Originally Melbourne's answer to Max Brenner, Koko Black has expanded recently and now has stores in Canberra and is preparing to open in Perth. A seasonal menu which uses local and fresh produce in it's desserts as well as delicious classics (hot chocolates, iced chocolates and dozens of different individual bite-sized goodies to choose from) makes it the perfect stop for post-burger dessert.
Wig and Pen Micro-Brewery
http://www.wigandpen.com.au/
It may not live up to the "meat-market" reputation of Mooseheads, but if you're after more than a quick run through the student population in the 'berra, Wig and Pen may be the answer. Especially if the question is "Beer?".
The website is outdated, but the awards and accolades they have received extend well beyond our shores. They'll give you a sample of their dozen or so regular, seasonal and special brew beers, stouts and ales while you decide what you want, and if you are, like my friend, "one of those girls that doesn't drink beer" they even have a selection of micro-brewed ciders and will (perhaps reluctantly) pour you a glass of wine if you're really not keen.
Sati's Vegetarian Cafe
Watson Shops
Probably the most perfect brunch ever (it only opens at 8:30am and is closed early afternoon), Sati's serves delicious vegetarian and vegan breakfasts and meals that are big enough to line the stomach until dinner but leave you longing for more (so make sure you order the extra hashbrowns with your meal). I suggest either of their big brekkie options which come with any variety of tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, feta, chili, eggs, tofu and thick bread.
The service is great and the (free trade) coffee ain't bad either!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
I've Been Bad!
My plan for 2011 was to write at least one entry here each week - as you can see thus far my plan has been a major failure. I've had a few big things happen in my life over the last month and a half that have pretty much halted any creativity but usually these things only spark a little more so fingers crossed I can stick to the plan from here on in. I also have about a dozen articles half written, and while some of these are now dated I'll try and get them up here for good measure anyway.
There has been a whole lot going on in Australia recently that is sure to affect our food industries, and a few other things that are a bit more lighthearted going on in and around Sydney that I'll cover very briefly below!
Natural Disasters
It would have been pretty hard to escape the news of devastating floods that caused havoc right up and down the East Coast of Australia, as well as further inland. This has, and will have a major effects on a number of crops, particularly those grown in and around the Lockyer Valley of South East Queensland and prices have and may be expected to increase over the coming months for products such as potatoes, brocolli, ginger, carrots, sweetcorn and celery. Fortunately for us, the major retailers did initially absorb much of the higher costs of transport of these goods and the effects should be minimal. But over future years we can expect to see smaller yields of a number of crops in these regions due to the amount of top-soil and fertilisers that have been washed away in heavy flooding. It'll certainly affect the farmers more than it will affect the rest of the population, so spare a thought for those guys.
And fortunately for us, Cyclone Yasi was nowhere near as devastating to our plantations in North Queensland as Cyclone Larry was 5 years ago. Bananas will still rise in price slightly, in part due to greedy profiteering from farmers who were unaffected, but the Australian government should be able to offset any rise in prices through import of other agricultural products. No doubt this will cause another storm surrounding issues of Australian Made.
Food Security and Foreign Investment
The University of New South Wales published this fantastic article about Australia's food security issues and our position in the world with regards to food security: Click Here
What it doesn't cover too well is issues surrounding the purchase of much of Australia's agricultural land, particularly by foreign investors from our Asian neighbours. I plan on writing about this shortly, so will leave it open to your own research for now.
BP drilling in our waters
About a month ago, the world's favourite company BP was granted 4 off-shore oil exploration permits to search for oil south of the Great Australian Bight. I don't think I really need to go into detail surrounding this issue but South Australia is a major fishing state, and with permits allowing BP to drill even deeper than they did in the Gulf of Mexico this is a disaster waiting to happen. To be fair though offshore drilling has always been part of Australia's energy conversation, and exploration happens on a yearly basis, but in my opinion it is just another reason for Australia to make use of the fantastic natural resources - biggest coastline in the world, huge amounts of sun - to power our population.
Home Grown Veggies
I have just started a formal vegetable and herb garden in my new place. In about 6 weeks if all goes well I should have some fresh bok choy, and in a little longer I should have some carrots and brocolli. Fingers crossed the slugs don't get to them - I'm trying to avoid the use of any pesticides at this stage but will reevaluate this if necessary. I have also planted some basil, mint (which I'm being relatively careful to contain so it doesn't get out of hand) and parsley which have all come in very handy in recent cooking adventures.
Malaysian Kitchen Food Market
This starts tomorrow and runs from tomorrow night until Friday evening (Wed 6–9pm; Thu & Fri 12 noon–3pm & 6–9pm). It is being held at the State Theatre laneway, entry via George Street, and your $10 entry includes food.
Happy Eating!
There has been a whole lot going on in Australia recently that is sure to affect our food industries, and a few other things that are a bit more lighthearted going on in and around Sydney that I'll cover very briefly below!
Natural Disasters
It would have been pretty hard to escape the news of devastating floods that caused havoc right up and down the East Coast of Australia, as well as further inland. This has, and will have a major effects on a number of crops, particularly those grown in and around the Lockyer Valley of South East Queensland and prices have and may be expected to increase over the coming months for products such as potatoes, brocolli, ginger, carrots, sweetcorn and celery. Fortunately for us, the major retailers did initially absorb much of the higher costs of transport of these goods and the effects should be minimal. But over future years we can expect to see smaller yields of a number of crops in these regions due to the amount of top-soil and fertilisers that have been washed away in heavy flooding. It'll certainly affect the farmers more than it will affect the rest of the population, so spare a thought for those guys.
And fortunately for us, Cyclone Yasi was nowhere near as devastating to our plantations in North Queensland as Cyclone Larry was 5 years ago. Bananas will still rise in price slightly, in part due to greedy profiteering from farmers who were unaffected, but the Australian government should be able to offset any rise in prices through import of other agricultural products. No doubt this will cause another storm surrounding issues of Australian Made.
Food Security and Foreign Investment
The University of New South Wales published this fantastic article about Australia's food security issues and our position in the world with regards to food security: Click Here
What it doesn't cover too well is issues surrounding the purchase of much of Australia's agricultural land, particularly by foreign investors from our Asian neighbours. I plan on writing about this shortly, so will leave it open to your own research for now.
BP drilling in our waters
About a month ago, the world's favourite company BP was granted 4 off-shore oil exploration permits to search for oil south of the Great Australian Bight. I don't think I really need to go into detail surrounding this issue but South Australia is a major fishing state, and with permits allowing BP to drill even deeper than they did in the Gulf of Mexico this is a disaster waiting to happen. To be fair though offshore drilling has always been part of Australia's energy conversation, and exploration happens on a yearly basis, but in my opinion it is just another reason for Australia to make use of the fantastic natural resources - biggest coastline in the world, huge amounts of sun - to power our population.
Home Grown Veggies
I have just started a formal vegetable and herb garden in my new place. In about 6 weeks if all goes well I should have some fresh bok choy, and in a little longer I should have some carrots and brocolli. Fingers crossed the slugs don't get to them - I'm trying to avoid the use of any pesticides at this stage but will reevaluate this if necessary. I have also planted some basil, mint (which I'm being relatively careful to contain so it doesn't get out of hand) and parsley which have all come in very handy in recent cooking adventures.
Malaysian Kitchen Food Market
This starts tomorrow and runs from tomorrow night until Friday evening (Wed 6–9pm; Thu & Fri 12 noon–3pm & 6–9pm). It is being held at the State Theatre laneway, entry via George Street, and your $10 entry includes food.
Happy Eating!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Restaurant Review - Soffritto
Soffritto
367 King St
Newtown, Sydney
You'd be forgiven for walking past this place on numerous occasions if you frequent Newtown. From the street, Soffritto perhaps looks like the dull "nice" place amongst the exciting multicultural delights that this bustling suburb has to offer - the shiny gem amongst the worn out, tried and true open kitchen Thai restaurants that line the graffitied, grungy streets. Fortunately for us, on a hot summer night after battling the traffic heading to the Bon Jovi concert, "nice" is exactly what we need to escape and relax over good food and good conversation.
The menu is small and considered - five entrees, four mains and three desserts, and the available selection makes the $49 Three Course offer an easy choice We make a vague effort to order different dishes so that we could sample as much of the menu as possible - and we are more than glad that we did. We crack open a bottle of smooth red, and settle in for the evening.
With duck very quickly catching up to lamb as my favourite meat, I opt for the duck, balsamic and sage filled tortellini and it's not long before I become reluctant to share the dish around - very light for a pasta dish with wonderful flavours that made me wish it was a main. The truffled potato gnocchi with parmesan is velvety smooth and left the table in awe - heartiness at it's best through the perfection of a simple idea.
The mains are just as equally delightful - the homely pumpkin, gorganzola and pine nut risotto true to a classic combination, the wild barramundi melts in our mouths and the pancetta wrapped beef draws pleasantries from all.
As the night progresses people do in fact poke their head in to see if there is a table but all are politely turned away. Most are older couples that I suspect chose Newtown as a place to eat without thinking too far ahead, but have decided that date night should be more than just Pad Thai and gelato. And the hoardes of Newtown hipsters that swagger by without a glance provide entertaining people watching opportunities (it is their swagger that makes them hip, right?).
By the time dessert comes, we are all wishing we opted for the salad entree, but somehow manage to find valuable stomach space to feed the sweet spot. The warm chocolate pudding with strawberries, poached pear and caramel crepe are all rich and sweet, and leave endorphins racing through our bodies. A happy end to a satisfying meal. The hardest thing is lifting ourselves off our seats to embark on an evening of adventures that we fear will taint what has been a perfect evening.
The food is good, the staff are friendly, and the night is not rushed. Put it on your list!
367 King St
Newtown, Sydney
You'd be forgiven for walking past this place on numerous occasions if you frequent Newtown. From the street, Soffritto perhaps looks like the dull "nice" place amongst the exciting multicultural delights that this bustling suburb has to offer - the shiny gem amongst the worn out, tried and true open kitchen Thai restaurants that line the graffitied, grungy streets. Fortunately for us, on a hot summer night after battling the traffic heading to the Bon Jovi concert, "nice" is exactly what we need to escape and relax over good food and good conversation.
The menu is small and considered - five entrees, four mains and three desserts, and the available selection makes the $49 Three Course offer an easy choice We make a vague effort to order different dishes so that we could sample as much of the menu as possible - and we are more than glad that we did. We crack open a bottle of smooth red, and settle in for the evening.
With duck very quickly catching up to lamb as my favourite meat, I opt for the duck, balsamic and sage filled tortellini and it's not long before I become reluctant to share the dish around - very light for a pasta dish with wonderful flavours that made me wish it was a main. The truffled potato gnocchi with parmesan is velvety smooth and left the table in awe - heartiness at it's best through the perfection of a simple idea.
 |
| Duck Tortellini |
The mains are just as equally delightful - the homely pumpkin, gorganzola and pine nut risotto true to a classic combination, the wild barramundi melts in our mouths and the pancetta wrapped beef draws pleasantries from all.
As the night progresses people do in fact poke their head in to see if there is a table but all are politely turned away. Most are older couples that I suspect chose Newtown as a place to eat without thinking too far ahead, but have decided that date night should be more than just Pad Thai and gelato. And the hoardes of Newtown hipsters that swagger by without a glance provide entertaining people watching opportunities (it is their swagger that makes them hip, right?).
By the time dessert comes, we are all wishing we opted for the salad entree, but somehow manage to find valuable stomach space to feed the sweet spot. The warm chocolate pudding with strawberries, poached pear and caramel crepe are all rich and sweet, and leave endorphins racing through our bodies. A happy end to a satisfying meal. The hardest thing is lifting ourselves off our seats to embark on an evening of adventures that we fear will taint what has been a perfect evening.
 |
| Warm Chocolate Pudding |
The food is good, the staff are friendly, and the night is not rushed. Put it on your list!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Restaurant Review - Bar Italia
Bar Italia
169 Norton Street
Leichhardt, Sydney
Nestled in the heart of Sydney's 'Little Italy' on Norton Street, Leichhardt, this bustling little Italian cafe come restaurant come gelato bar is not what you might come to expect from one of the oldest eateries on this famous strip. Plastic chairs, outdated furnishings, faded posters of Italian gangster films, and a deceptively large number of tables (it can seat 200 plus people!) make for a culinary experience that is full of surprises (which, if you go in with an open mind about it all, are usually on the good end of the scale).
If you arrive at Bar Italia and aren't first greeted by a queue to get in (which is most weekends or holidays), you'll encounter large blackboard menus which are largely ignored by the regulars that already know what they want, and a couple of signs that give a fair indication about what this place is all about - "No soy, no skim, no light milk" and "No credit, no EFTPOS". These guys have a system, and they stick to it - no exceptions.
You order and pay at the counter. You take your own water. You deliver your own coffee. You also need to find your own seat, and with no table numbers or no staff to direct you to a table, you may want to take some Valium to ease the anxiety surrounding the delivery of your food. Fortunately though, the anxiety lasts only temporarily, because every time, without fail, the food arrives unscathed. And quickly. Often too quickly in fact - if you dawdle too much you may collide with your order at the kitchen door (which you will have to walk past to find a seat up the back). And you certainly should not have any expectations about what constitutes an entree or a main. The food comes out whenever and however they want it to - and that's the way it is. Soup-Nazi much?
Fortunately what Bar Italia lacks in service, it makes up for in food. Big servings of delicious, hot pasta that are full of home made flavour - I can recommend any of the classics - they always satisfy an empty stomach and warm the heart. And it's cheap. Less than $15 will get you a meal that you'll be feeling good about for a long time. But make sure you leave room for dessert - if the line (which is often longer than that for the hot food) doesn't convince you, maybe the awards and accolades will (it has been voted the best gelato in Australia on numerous occasions). Again, the servings are big, and the flavours are full. Try the tiramisu and the pistachio.
I was first introduced to Bar Italia by an ex-girlfriend that lived about a 5 minute walk away. It was her local, the reliable stayer that always satisfied regardless of the circumstances. Not really a date place, but perfect, casual dining. We joked after we broke up that I wouldn't be able to go back there because it was her place. Don't tell her I've been back many times - there's good reason for me to think she was serious when she said she wanted it to herself!
169 Norton Street
Leichhardt, Sydney
Nestled in the heart of Sydney's 'Little Italy' on Norton Street, Leichhardt, this bustling little Italian cafe come restaurant come gelato bar is not what you might come to expect from one of the oldest eateries on this famous strip. Plastic chairs, outdated furnishings, faded posters of Italian gangster films, and a deceptively large number of tables (it can seat 200 plus people!) make for a culinary experience that is full of surprises (which, if you go in with an open mind about it all, are usually on the good end of the scale).
If you arrive at Bar Italia and aren't first greeted by a queue to get in (which is most weekends or holidays), you'll encounter large blackboard menus which are largely ignored by the regulars that already know what they want, and a couple of signs that give a fair indication about what this place is all about - "No soy, no skim, no light milk" and "No credit, no EFTPOS". These guys have a system, and they stick to it - no exceptions.
You order and pay at the counter. You take your own water. You deliver your own coffee. You also need to find your own seat, and with no table numbers or no staff to direct you to a table, you may want to take some Valium to ease the anxiety surrounding the delivery of your food. Fortunately though, the anxiety lasts only temporarily, because every time, without fail, the food arrives unscathed. And quickly. Often too quickly in fact - if you dawdle too much you may collide with your order at the kitchen door (which you will have to walk past to find a seat up the back). And you certainly should not have any expectations about what constitutes an entree or a main. The food comes out whenever and however they want it to - and that's the way it is. Soup-Nazi much?
Fortunately what Bar Italia lacks in service, it makes up for in food. Big servings of delicious, hot pasta that are full of home made flavour - I can recommend any of the classics - they always satisfy an empty stomach and warm the heart. And it's cheap. Less than $15 will get you a meal that you'll be feeling good about for a long time. But make sure you leave room for dessert - if the line (which is often longer than that for the hot food) doesn't convince you, maybe the awards and accolades will (it has been voted the best gelato in Australia on numerous occasions). Again, the servings are big, and the flavours are full. Try the tiramisu and the pistachio.
I was first introduced to Bar Italia by an ex-girlfriend that lived about a 5 minute walk away. It was her local, the reliable stayer that always satisfied regardless of the circumstances. Not really a date place, but perfect, casual dining. We joked after we broke up that I wouldn't be able to go back there because it was her place. Don't tell her I've been back many times - there's good reason for me to think she was serious when she said she wanted it to herself!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Food Memories - Booralee
When I was growing up, cricket was a very important part of my life. From the age of 10, I played just about every weekend without fail, summer, winter, whenever. When I played basketball, I'd run from one end of the court as if I was running in to bowl at a cricket game, using the half-court line as the crease. When I played tennis I liked being the ball boy because it gave me a chance to practice my fielding. And during the 1999 Sydney hailstorm I ran outside trying to catch as many hail stones as I could - completely padded up in all my cricket gear. It consumed me. By the time I was 17, I was playing three games a week, and training 3 days on top of that. It made up a lot of my good memories, and was for the most part where I felt most comfortable
You're probably wondering where this is going. Fast forward to 2010. 7 years since my last game of cricket. As part of my constant search to enjoy the little things, I recently signed up to play in a local park cricket competition hoping to achieve some kind of enlightenment by pursuing my childhood passions. The day before the third game of the season, our captain emailed us details of where we were playing. Booralee Park, Botany.
Almost instantly my senses ran wild, and the odd smell of freshly toasted cornflakes filled my room. Located next to the Kellogs Factory, Booralee Park is perhaps the most delicious place to play cricket, and simply seeing the name of the the park instantly took me back there (and if you have never been past the Kellogs factory, I can highly recommend it just for a kick). Sure enough, the next day when I hopped into my car to head to the game, I had barely pulled out of my driveway when the smell surrounded me again. And it was with great delight upon arrival at Boralee to smell the real thing once more - and that day I felt like a kid again, and enjoyed my cricket as if I were a kid again.
But the food memory doesn't stop there (though this cricket-food association I'm a little less happy about). I am not very proud to say that, particularly in my younger years of playing cricket, after every game my parents would take me to those big old golden arches. It became almost a ritual. Every game, win or lose, with team mates or not, we'd drive through McDonalds. And every game, without fail, the order was the same. Small McChicken Meal. Unfortunately for me, since my return to cricket, after every game once my kit is packed and dumped in my car, I can taste that awful processed chicken meat, the plastic mayonnaisey sauce and the soggy lettuce in the over-sweetened bun. It disgusts me, and I am thankful that I no longer eat fast-food of any variety.
What these two food memories illustrate is the power of our often forgotten senses of smell and taste. Food shapes our lives more than people possibly realise, and so many memories, good and bad can be formed through the least likely senses. A lot of research is out there about this phenomenon, and food memories are pretty popular in gastronomic literature. No doubt this will be something I'll be writing about again.
You're probably wondering where this is going. Fast forward to 2010. 7 years since my last game of cricket. As part of my constant search to enjoy the little things, I recently signed up to play in a local park cricket competition hoping to achieve some kind of enlightenment by pursuing my childhood passions. The day before the third game of the season, our captain emailed us details of where we were playing. Booralee Park, Botany.
Almost instantly my senses ran wild, and the odd smell of freshly toasted cornflakes filled my room. Located next to the Kellogs Factory, Booralee Park is perhaps the most delicious place to play cricket, and simply seeing the name of the the park instantly took me back there (and if you have never been past the Kellogs factory, I can highly recommend it just for a kick). Sure enough, the next day when I hopped into my car to head to the game, I had barely pulled out of my driveway when the smell surrounded me again. And it was with great delight upon arrival at Boralee to smell the real thing once more - and that day I felt like a kid again, and enjoyed my cricket as if I were a kid again.
But the food memory doesn't stop there (though this cricket-food association I'm a little less happy about). I am not very proud to say that, particularly in my younger years of playing cricket, after every game my parents would take me to those big old golden arches. It became almost a ritual. Every game, win or lose, with team mates or not, we'd drive through McDonalds. And every game, without fail, the order was the same. Small McChicken Meal. Unfortunately for me, since my return to cricket, after every game once my kit is packed and dumped in my car, I can taste that awful processed chicken meat, the plastic mayonnaisey sauce and the soggy lettuce in the over-sweetened bun. It disgusts me, and I am thankful that I no longer eat fast-food of any variety.
What these two food memories illustrate is the power of our often forgotten senses of smell and taste. Food shapes our lives more than people possibly realise, and so many memories, good and bad can be formed through the least likely senses. A lot of research is out there about this phenomenon, and food memories are pretty popular in gastronomic literature. No doubt this will be something I'll be writing about again.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
The MasterChef-fect.
I was overseas when the first Masterchef wave reached Australian shores - though from the sounds of it, it hit more like a tsunami. Every week from the far reaches of South and Central America, I would without fail see comments on Facebook, in the news and even in casual emails I was receiving from friends and family about this exciting new reality TV show that seemed to be generating more salivation than Pavlov's Dog. Salivation that came the most from friends whose idea of cooking consisted of emptying a tin of pre-made sauce over packet pasta, and whose idea of eating out was a $7 pub steak (and even then only if suitable entertainment was on hand). They were eating out of necessity - the food was a low priority, and it's taste was even lower.
Regularly hailed as one of the great culinary cities of the world, Sydney has for many years maintained a fantastic mix of restaurants - some good, some bad - serving food from all over the world. For reasons which I will discuss my theories about at some point in the not-too-distant future however, this never had the support of a population which was in many ways culinarily challenged. Sure - the roast meat and three veg have slowly over the years been replaced by the thai green curry - but even that transition was not a far reach from the pre-made sauces aisle in the supermarket.
Cue the pleasant surprise upon arriving into Sydney post-yearlongtripaway and post-masterchef-culinary-paradigm-shift. It had become very quickly apparent that people suddenly cared about food. Not that the passion wasn't always there - like language, there is perhaps something inherently instinctive and underlying in our biology, burning deep down inside of everyone, regarding food beyond it's role as a basic need, and of course there is no question of cultural influences on our culinary habits. But since my return, more and more often I noticed that a meal out consisted of a much greater appreciation of the time spent eating food, and that more and more often the names of reputable restaurants outside the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney were discussed as meal options. Even a night out for pub steak became part of a search for the BEST pub steak - the flavours, the atmosphere, the side dishes all turning the pub meal into something far bigger than it used to be. Friendly (yet oh so serious) bets emerged regarding the non-consumption of fast-food for as long as possible, and paying $30 for a meal no longer seemed like too expensive an option. And all of Australia was feeling the same way.
Market Research and Analysis Group IBISWorld has stated in it's recent Australian Industry Report on Cafes and Restaurants that, thanks to Masterchef as a direct result of Masterchef:
This suggests that - depite the Global Financial Crisis - the Australian restaurant industry is booming - big time. Growth of up to 4% is predicted over the current financial year, which is more than double from the previous financial year, and growth up to 22% is predicted over the next five years. Australians will consume more than $10billion eating out over the next twelve months - up more than 10% on previous years expenditure.
But not only are people beginning to think about what they put in their mouth - and enjoying the experience at the same time. They are also beginning to understand how it gets there, by more than ever jumping into the kitchen and trying their hands at the recipes they see on TV. Coles has reported upwards of 1400% spikes in sales of the more unusual products featured in Masterchef recipes after they appear on the show, and the sale of cookbooks are predicted to increase 13% over the next 12 months despite a highly saturated, and traditionally poor performing market. Thanks to the Masterchef Masterclasses, Australian's everywhere now know how to make their own gnocci, shuck their own oysters, and croquem their own bouche. Or at least they think they do.
And herein lies one small problem. Not everyone is a Masterchef, but a lot of people out there believe they could be. People are inherently overachievers, particularly when there are other people to impress, and while there might be no harm in trying to recreate an Adriano Zumbo macaron, or Matt Moran's suckling pork with ginger and pickled watermelon, or while we are at it, Hestor Blumenthal's "Sound of the Sea", there is perhaps a bit too much glamorisation going on regarding cooking. These celebrity chefs have spent years perfecting their crafts in industrial kitchens around the world working long hours in highly critical environments. Even the Masterchef contestants have enjoyed years of practice in their home kitchens testing their passions. Speaking to a prominent Australian celebrity chef recently at a food demonstration in my local supermarket (who I won't name, because I had no intention of reposting his remarks until even more recently) there is a lesson to be learnt from this.
As for the Junior Masterchef-fect... apart from endorphins released in amazement at the on-screen creations, we may have to wait another 10 years until the cheflings leave the nest before we start to see the fruits on societies cultural table.
Regularly hailed as one of the great culinary cities of the world, Sydney has for many years maintained a fantastic mix of restaurants - some good, some bad - serving food from all over the world. For reasons which I will discuss my theories about at some point in the not-too-distant future however, this never had the support of a population which was in many ways culinarily challenged. Sure - the roast meat and three veg have slowly over the years been replaced by the thai green curry - but even that transition was not a far reach from the pre-made sauces aisle in the supermarket.
Cue the pleasant surprise upon arriving into Sydney post-yearlongtripaway and post-masterchef-culinary-paradigm-shift. It had become very quickly apparent that people suddenly cared about food. Not that the passion wasn't always there - like language, there is perhaps something inherently instinctive and underlying in our biology, burning deep down inside of everyone, regarding food beyond it's role as a basic need, and of course there is no question of cultural influences on our culinary habits. But since my return, more and more often I noticed that a meal out consisted of a much greater appreciation of the time spent eating food, and that more and more often the names of reputable restaurants outside the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney were discussed as meal options. Even a night out for pub steak became part of a search for the BEST pub steak - the flavours, the atmosphere, the side dishes all turning the pub meal into something far bigger than it used to be. Friendly (yet oh so serious) bets emerged regarding the non-consumption of fast-food for as long as possible, and paying $30 for a meal no longer seemed like too expensive an option. And all of Australia was feeling the same way.
Market Research and Analysis Group IBISWorld has stated in it's recent Australian Industry Report on Cafes and Restaurants that, thanks to Masterchef as a direct result of Masterchef:
"The industry is currently feeling some positive flow-on effects... Many households are rediscovering the joys associated with the total meal experience, incorporating the package of well-presented quality meals as well as the ambience and associated hospitality."
This suggests that - depite the Global Financial Crisis - the Australian restaurant industry is booming - big time. Growth of up to 4% is predicted over the current financial year, which is more than double from the previous financial year, and growth up to 22% is predicted over the next five years. Australians will consume more than $10billion eating out over the next twelve months - up more than 10% on previous years expenditure.
But not only are people beginning to think about what they put in their mouth - and enjoying the experience at the same time. They are also beginning to understand how it gets there, by more than ever jumping into the kitchen and trying their hands at the recipes they see on TV. Coles has reported upwards of 1400% spikes in sales of the more unusual products featured in Masterchef recipes after they appear on the show, and the sale of cookbooks are predicted to increase 13% over the next 12 months despite a highly saturated, and traditionally poor performing market. Thanks to the Masterchef Masterclasses, Australian's everywhere now know how to make their own gnocci, shuck their own oysters, and croquem their own bouche. Or at least they think they do.
And herein lies one small problem. Not everyone is a Masterchef, but a lot of people out there believe they could be. People are inherently overachievers, particularly when there are other people to impress, and while there might be no harm in trying to recreate an Adriano Zumbo macaron, or Matt Moran's suckling pork with ginger and pickled watermelon, or while we are at it, Hestor Blumenthal's "Sound of the Sea", there is perhaps a bit too much glamorisation going on regarding cooking. These celebrity chefs have spent years perfecting their crafts in industrial kitchens around the world working long hours in highly critical environments. Even the Masterchef contestants have enjoyed years of practice in their home kitchens testing their passions. Speaking to a prominent Australian celebrity chef recently at a food demonstration in my local supermarket (who I won't name, because I had no intention of reposting his remarks until even more recently) there is a lesson to be learnt from this.
"Masterchef doesn't teach people things they can cook at home - it makes everyone think they can do things that just aren't possible in a normal household kitchen under any normal time period. It is certainly generating interest, and that is important. But if you want to become a better chef, and cook at home, the most important thing is to start simple. Walk before you run. Learn to make your short crust pastry before stuffing it with your lemon curd. Then learn to cook the perfect roast rack of lamb. Then learn to make the perfect mint sauce. Do things one at a time and then - if you are serious about it - start to bring them all together."What Masterchef has achieved however is a brand new appreciation for cooking at home. Pre-grated cheese is a thing of the past. Tinned soup is on the out. And food that is "local", "fresh", and "seasonal" is high priority for more and more shopppers. It is this awareness that has more than anything else changed the scene for the Australian food industry - people are now cooking more at home, cooking better at home, and are expecting more and better when they eat out. And this effect is certainly not a bad thing.
As for the Junior Masterchef-fect... apart from endorphins released in amazement at the on-screen creations, we may have to wait another 10 years until the cheflings leave the nest before we start to see the fruits on societies cultural table.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Thought For Food.
Nothing excites me more than food. Cooking it, the smells, the sounds, the sights, the people, the places, the flavours, and the tastes. The thought that every day, people all around the world stop everything they are doing, on (usually) three or more occasions, to focus entirely on fulfilling the basic human need of food consumption. The thought that such a need can be so enjoyable.
I read it. I cook it. I learn it. I want it. I need it. I love it.
And now, I will write it.
This will be a collection of my thoughts on everything and anything related to food. My memories. Recipes. Government policy. Global issues. Reviews. History. Concepts. Cultures. Events. Enjoyment.
I read it. I cook it. I learn it. I want it. I need it. I love it.
And now, I will write it.
This will be a collection of my thoughts on everything and anything related to food. My memories. Recipes. Government policy. Global issues. Reviews. History. Concepts. Cultures. Events. Enjoyment.
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