Monthly Archives: October 2009

Oct22

Boeuf bourguignonne crazy

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Oh how I enjoyed the movie Julie & Julia – have you seen it? The movie was such fun and a great reminder of how much we all love Julia Child.

I went with two of my very special food consultant mentors….these two wonderful woman who I have known, worked for and with and adore (I might add) have both met Julia – (yes actually up close and personal) and at couple of occasions.  Both of these living Australian food writer / food stylist legends are members of an acclaimed food organisation – The International  Association of Culinary Profressionals.  At various functions over the past years have lectured, lunched and viewed so many foodie icons.

While I was at Home Economics college, training to be an Industry Home Economist we constantly referred to Julia Childs recipes and another food great… Jane Grigson.  One of my favourite subjects was ‘Foods  A’  in which we learnt the hows and whens of many many legendary recipes and techniques – the likes of Coq au Vin, Tart Tartin, Ballontine of Duck, Puff pastry, Cream Angliase etc.

Seeing this great movie has motivated me to dust of my old cookbooks and discover again.

Julia had a love of KitchenAid (of course) and called her mixer ‘her K5′. Julia’s kitchen is in the Smithsonian Institute in WashingtonDC with all her  much used favourite things…. copper pans, motor and pestle and her K5.

Now to beef bourguignonne…  my tips are:

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Oct18

Butter Up!

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I just love butter…. it is the flavour and texture it gives to food…..  there is really no substitute for it.

For centuries chefs and foodies alike have known and appreciated what butter does – it enhances and enriches everything it’s added to or popped onto.

Butter is also completely natural. … How nice is that.

There are 4 various types of butter:

  • Salted – the most common with about 2 % salt added after the ‘buttermilk’ is drained away.
  • Unsalted – no salt is added
  • Reduced & low salt have about 50% less salt
  • Cultured butter / sometimes called Danish. This has a culture added and kept overnight in a controlled temperature.

What I use and when:

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Oct11

It’s Gluten Free!

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As a person who has a home that pretty well runs ‘gluten free’ I was delighted to be part of last weekends fabulous ‘Irresistible Gluten free Show here in Melbourne.

Whether or not you are a true Coeliac (a medically diagnosed condition of an intolerance to gluten in your diet) or simply someone who is intolerant to too much of this pesky protein…… and that’s me! The show was packed to the rafters with interested ‘irritables’!

My son Harry was diagnosed when he was just 18 months old and now that he follows a strict NO gluten diet he is super healthy, happy, very fit and active 12 year old.  Initially is it overwhelming the change in eating habits and even I a seasoned recipe writer found it a challenge – the variety of good quality gluten free foods available even at everyday normal supermarkets continues to grow daily – thank fully!

As part of the show I was responsible for the Coles Cooking Stage and worked amongst a terrific line up of presenters. As always KitchenAid appliances whipped, beat, kneaded, folded and processed –  purring away and performing the tasks at hand with ease.

The line up for The Irresistible Gluten Free Show …….

Tobie Puttock (of Restaurant 15 fame) presented some of his sensational Italian style favouites…. baked snapper with saffron, olives and fennel, a stunning ricotta alforno (torte) and a semi fredddo made on a luscious Italian marsala base. The semi freddo has quickly become an addiction in my house – I have already made this wonderful recipe twice since the show.

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