The Internet Chef Talks to

Champagne Jayne

and asks her Just One Question…

“What inspired you to blog about champagne?”

Food blogger profile:

Bio and Social Media Links:

Blog: www.champagnejayne.com

Twitter: @champagnejayne

LinkedIn: Jayne Powell

Facebook: Champagne Jayne

Blond, bubbly and irrepressibly cheerful, just like her favourite beverage, Champagne Jayne is a gregarious host and a passionate champagne evangelist, dedicated to helping both private and corporate clients uncork more passion, performance and pleasure in life. She is a sought-after speaker, writer and special event presenter, renowned for her ability to design and deliver scintillating relationship building functions for Australia’s Top 100 companies and de-mystify champagne for any audience. Her first book entitled Champagne Behind the Bubbles will be published in Australia in March 2011.

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Its 8:30 Saturday morning and I’m still in bed. Am I sick? Have I slept through my alarm? Have I taken early retirement? Fortunately none of the previous lines of questioning give answer to my luxurious Saturday lay in.  Thanks to all the planets coming into alignment, and the cards turning in my favor I had a very rare Saturday free to do with it whatever I please. So please can we can to the Eveleigh Farmers markets?

When such a day presents itself I spring into action and come up with a million and one things I would love to be doing and top of my list was a long overdue trip to Eveleigh Farmers  Markets in Sydneys Redfern to emmere myself in market life.

Thanks to Eveleigh markets undercover location, the weather is no reason to prevent you strolling past the  45+ stalls that line the sides of the huge brick and steel building that is part of the eccletic spaces that make up the old Eveleigh rail yards or carrigeworks that were built in the 1880′s to service the industrial era of the 19th century.  With one side open to allow the breeze to flow throw it makes for a great all year round venue.

We make our way down the stairs to the shop floor and begin the audacious task of “Where do we begin?”. With so many vibrant stalls laid out neatly in front of us, it was a case of start on the left and work your way round to the right.

Colourful organic fruit and vegetables make up more than one stalls offerings, with seasonal choices of heirloom potatoes, deep purple hued kale leaves and baskets of compact cauliflowers.  You can sort through and chose your produce from a dedicated apple stand or pick your greens from a specialist green grocer. No longer in the realm of exoticism despite its name, exotic mushrooms are on offer alongside shimijii, enoki and shitake.

Along with the obligatory offerings of fruit and veg, small goods, organic poultry and salt-bush lamb also make up the markets trade. Freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters, organic juices and farm fresh goats cheese tempt you  to partake in a free sample which can lead to a successful purchase.

Those with a sweet tooth are well catered for here at Eveleigh by delicate and flaky French pastries, gluten free towering lemon meringue pies, chocolate splattered mini Pavlovas and hand crafted chocolate truffles.

I make a beeline for the Gumnuts stand which specializes in chocolate and biscuits to stasify my sugar requiremnts. I’m in love with the lucious looking salted caramel sauce and friendly greeting from the two lovely ladies working behind the stand.

The guys working the  Yalla Dips and Desserts stand hand out endless little samples to an appreciative crowd, with the cue to purchase sometimes three dip and four wide.  Farmer Joe’s home style muesli, organic olive oils, pickles and jams and glazed bagels of varying flavors are  proudly displayed  for the mixed rabble that constantly stream past their pop up shops.

The Columbian connection are in attendance by way of an espresso coffee stand and silver cafe tables and chairs are laid out down the center of the building for taking a load off from your heavy duty market shopping excursion. We make fine use of the tables, chairs and coffee as we meet up with our delicious friend The Divine Miss White who is on loan to us  from New York to spend time with  family and friends.

Classical music serandes us as we sit and watch the world  and the ever present canine go by. Dogs of all shapes and sizes are on parade with giggling toddlers embracing hounds and parents alike. Despite the presence  of so many pampered pouches, not a bark can be heard over the hum of the crowd and cords of the cello. The vibe is good, encouraging people to linger at stalls and chat with the producers.

We discuss philosophy and basset hounds while sipping on cups of steaming brew. Miss 8 plays amongst the kids on the concrete floor skipping to and fro from the stands to sneak an extra slice of bagel or cup of Yalla Chocolate Mousse.

The smell of glorious food is beckoning me to traverse to the other side of the shed where I am greeted by the smiling face of Celebrity Chef  Kylie Kwong cooking up bio dynamic Chinese treats from her Billy Kwong stand. She looks calm and serene as she skillful whips together certified free range steamed pork dumplings and organic  savory pancakes for her admiring public.

The united nations are represented well  by way of Asian,  Indian, Meditarrian and European snacks vendors dispensing familiar smells and comforting fare.

Large brown paper cones filled with the inticing bright colours of spring flowers along side bushels of multicoloured silverbeet leaves crowd the eco shopping bags and baskets of the smiling crowd. We have already been here for nearly two hours, and are making no attempt to head towards the exit as we keep on bumping into  stalls we are yet to admire.

A handmade ice cream sandwich for 88 from Pat and Sticks is a must do before our journey begins to wind to its sweet conclusion. Being spring I feel the beginnings of my inner city terrace garden in the makings, so my final stop on our world wind market tour is with the lovely herb lady.

Her vibrant green pots of joy whisper there seductive song as I buy up Vietnamese mint, spearmint, thyme and coriander alongside robust rosemary, continental parsley and sprouting chives. I’m as giddy as school girl by my newly formed collection with my attempts to tip my gracious host being in vain as she says “All I need is to see you smile, and thats tip enough for me” She ceremoniously throws the gold coin into my bag of herbs and waves me on the way.

Despite the rain we make our way slowly towards the road, still content to chat and share a few laughs with each other. Its now lunchtime so we head home to plant herbs and cook up  some of our market finds, happy in the knowldge that we snaged oursleves some bargains and  good energy.

Eveleigh markets can be found at Carrigeworks on Wilson street in Redfern. Its open most Saturdays through out the year from 8am to 1pm come rain or shine. Well worth sacrificing an extra long sleep in for.

Wheres your favorite market?

App: Pohs Kitchen

Cost: Free

Who? Celebrity Cook/Chef Poh Ling Yeow who was catapulted to fame through her appearance in the Australian prime-time television show Masterchef where she was runner up. Poh’s infectious laughter and colorful Asian cooking style saw her gain popularity amongst the public and ABC television approached her to star in her own cooking show with cookbook and iphone app deals.

What? This is the iphone app to “complement” the ABC TV show.

Will this app help me to cook and eat better? Maybe. It has a decent selection of recipes  with lots of accompanying videos (wifi needed to watch the videos). The recipes lack consistency in layout and the method can be confusing and messy. This app seems to be a rush job and its redeeming quality is – its free! It wont win any awards for cutting edge technology or design and is more of a advertisement for the  ABCs TV show.

Look and Feel: If you download this app you will have the above picture of Pohs smiling severed head on your iphone. Some may find this slightly off putting, but for lovers of Masterchef and all things “Poh” it’s probably a welcome additon to the usual cartoon graphics that make up app thumbnails.

The app itself is gentle on the eyes and not overly flashy in its graphics and photos with the light blue background a continuation of theme from Pohs  ABC TV show.

Usability: The app moves through different screens at tortoise land speed and everytime you open it up, you have to have an active internet connection as the app searches for weekly updates. No coverage means you are unable to use it. The app may still have a few bugs as it freezes often and takes a long time to load certain screens.

Functions: The home screen consists of the next show in the television series of Poh’s kitchen and what you can expect if you tune in, the latest recipes from last weeks show and a snapshot of Pohs latest blog post.

The menu bar at the bottom of the screen has click throughs for the following

Recipes

The app has over 125 recipes at time of review broken up into categories by dish type, key ingredient or A-Z. The recipes are taken directly from the show and updated weekly after the weeks episode goes to air.

Watch

You can watch full length episodes from the show ~ make sure you observe your data usage as you need a wifi connection and video streaming loves to use up your data!

Favourites

This function allows you to save your favorite recipes and convert them to a shopping list with a tick and a click.  The shopping list function could do with an upgrade as it only lists the ingredients of the recipe, and if you have ticked a few recipes the ingredients don’t have the ability to amalgamate, which could make shopping rather tedious. It does have a swipe out function which makes up for it somewhat.

Poh’s Place

The home screen to Poh’s blog with a summary of her latest blog post and a few click through bars for cooking tips and techniques

Recipe selection: With over 125 recipes at time of review, they have an overall Asian influence thanks to Poh’s Malaysian heritage. The recipes are taken directly from the Television show, so there is diversity in recipe range thanks to the chefs and foodies that are showcased on her show.

Recipes for Chinese steamed fish sit next to recipes for Bouillabaisse or you can try your hand at Duck and ginger congee or chocolate eclairs.

Once you have chosen your recipe, you can tap on the picture which takes you to another screen with the ingredients. Another tap gets you the method, and some of the recipes also have a video you can watch which is another tap away. Just remember that any videos you view incur data charges as set by your carrier.

The recipe pictures are a screen shot from the show, so the photos are not that great if you are relying on the picture alone to give you an idea of how the finished dish should look.

Some of the methods are  confusing and they lack consistency. Each step is not laid out individually, but rather grouped together in one long winded paragraph, which can be difficult to follow on such a small screen. I was left to ponder whether the most important part of this app,  the recipes, were somewhat over looked for the videos. If you don’t or cant watch the videos due to the outrageous  data charges of certain carriers, you are reliant on the written recipes which lack in usability.

Overall: If you like Poh, you will like this app. Its most impressive function is the collection of videos it has which can only be viewed with wifi which makes it user-pays despite its being available free. The recipes need work and the bugs need fixing.

Download iphone App Here >> Poh’s Kitchen

What to do when the Duck Fat hits the Fan.

You can either blame it on the boogie or in this case blame it on the duck fat roasted potatoes.

The calmness and serenity of the evenings meal turned to anarchy once the duck fat roasted potatoes were taste tested. The duck fat hit the fan so to speak.

” Oh My Goodness!”

” Are you for real?”

“These are crazy, superb!”

“Is there anymore left?”

“Can I eat yours?”

Well, you get the picture. Class and decorum were thrown out the window with just one taste of what could be the perfect accompaniment for many dishes. We had our duck fat potatoes or Pomme De Terre a la Sarladaise with  spiced pork loin cooked till golden in a searing hot skillet.

Other proteins that would work well with these crispy crunchy cubes of heaven would be a glorious thick rib eye steak, sunny side up free range organic chicken or duck eggs, tender roasted chicken breast, or a thick fillet of steamed white fish.

Ingredients:

2kg  potatoes ~ choose a floury variety like russet  which will produce a better crispy exterior when roasted.

300g of duck fat

6-10 sprigs of thyme ~ stripped and roughly chopped

Sea salt flakes and lots of freshly ground black pepper

Methodology:

• Preheat the oven to 200C on fan bake and heat a large cast iron roasting tray in the oven as well
• Peel and cut the potatoes into smaller chunks about 4-5cm in length . For even cooking make sure the chunks are  of similar size.
• Place the potatoes into pot and just cover with lightly salted water.
• Bring the potatoes to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Whilst the potatoes are boiling, carefully add the duck fat to the cast iron roasting tray and allow the fat to melt and sizzle in the hot oven.
• Drain the potatoes in a colander and shake vigorously to fluff up the outer exterior of the potato. This will add to the crisping whilst roasting.
• Remove the cast iron roasting dish from the oven and very carefully place the potatoes into the duck fat. Turn them carefully in the fat and sprinkle over the thyme and season well with salt and pepper.
• Continue to gently turn the potatoes over until you are confident that the potatoes are well coated in duck fat, fresh thyme and seasoning.
• Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, turning occasionally to make sure all the potatoes crisp up evenly
• Serve immediately for optimum crunch! If serving them in a separate dish, avoid covering them as they will go soggy.

Kitchen tip:

All the that glorious duck fat need not be thrown out. Once its cooled slightly, strain the fat through fine sieve and pour into a jar or heavy duty plastic container. The duck fat can be stored in the fridge for several weeks or in the freezer for several months.

A little birdy told me some time ago, “Next time you’re in Auckland, you gotta check out Bambina Cafe on Ponsonby Road”. Being accustomed to folks giving me there top geographical restaurant picks, I didn’t think too far into it at this point.

It wasn’t until i caught a snigger on the bluebirds beak that the inqusitive side of me delved deeper, ” Is it pretty good?” I baited my birdie.

“Let’s just say, it’ll be a trip down memory lane.” Hmmm, another cheeky grin and I begin to imagine myself walking into this popular Ponsonby eatery and been confronted by skeletons of kitchens past as 15 of my 20 years of cheffing had been undertaken in the bellies of Auckland kitchens.

“Trust me, just give it a try.” Never one to turn down a challenge, I filed Bambina away as a curious must try.

Fast forward 6 months and I find myself on a Chilly Auckland morning driving down Ponsonby Road on a recent trip home to New Zealand. With rumblings of bellies coming from the back seat of the car proving too hard to ignore, we secure a main road car-park and make our way to Bambina cafe.

Our attempts to sit outside and partake in the Ponsonby Road sport of people watching are dashed thanks to a bone chilling wind that is presently sweeping down the road. We set up camp inside the cafe to the relief of those in our party that weren’t dressed for the wintry blast and take over a couple of tables along the banquet mirrored wall.

A large blackboard on the opposing wall contains the menu and a huge communal table hosts newspapers and diners alike.

Hmmmm, that communal table in birch coloured wood looks awfully familiar…

We are quickly offered table service, to which I announce that coffees are required as medicinal necessities. Within a few minutes welcoming cups of steaming brew are placed in front of us which are deliciously good.

The crema and steamed milk is voluptuous, creamy and float almost suspended within its crockery confines. The taste of the coffee is smooth and elegant and a shining example of boutique coffee roasters Allpress Espresso’s commitment to producing a superior accessible and consistent product.

I scan the blackboard menu to get a  snapshot of the kitchen’s style and food ethos. Toast and preserves, muesli,  scrambled eggs and your choice of sides ~ The dishes don’t strike me as anything out of the ordinary. It wasn’t until my attention drifted past the obligatory offerings that  I got that funny, familiar forgotten feeling.

Ricotta hotcakes, Corn fritters with bacon and roast tomato…?

They say that imitation is the hugest form of flattery and looks like Bambina has taken some  advice in this area.

Having worked as head chef for Bill Granger for a couple of years in his iconic Sydney establishment ‘Bills’, I can spot a Bills take on a menu  a mile away, and from the looks of the communal table and several menu arrangements, the team behind Bambina are just smitten with Bills.

I had to chuckle to myself as we placed our order for scrambled eggs with bacon, Ricotta hotcakes and Corn fritters. Three Bills classics coming straight up to which my dining companions being only more than too happy to oblige.

The food was quickly dispatched to our table, and we dug in after snapping a few photos for prosperity.

The scrambled eggs looked sensational! The sunshine yellow eggs were piled mountain high a top a couple of thick slices of granary bread.

Now I’m not about to say that Bills invented scrambled eggs, as almost every breakfast menu in the Western world probably has scrambled eggs in some way,  shape or form. It is within the confines of Bambina and its obvious adoration for things “bills” that I order the eggs as a worthy comparison.

Bills scrambled eggs are so famous, they have been described in the New York Times as being ‘as gentle as the breath of an angel’, and folks flock from all around the world for a plate of them.

I loved the scrambled presentation at Bambina, as when I was plating up this dish whilst at Bills, it was blasphemy to serve the eggs on top of the toast for risk of the toast becoming soggy.

We always served the eggs on the plate followed by slices of sourdough off to the side to prevent potential liquid cross-contamination. The kitchen at Bambina throws caution to the wind and in a gutsy move serves the scrambled like Everest. Works for me!

Like the pristine waters of Lake Tekapo in New Zealand’s South Island, looks incredible from the outside, but stick your toe in the water and your liable to get frost bite ~ My scrambled Himalayas did not deliver on taste. The generous serving could have done with a sprinkling of  salt flakes during the cooking process  and the egg mixture needed some additional substance and less stove time to achieve Scrambled perfection.

Call me a scrambled egg purist, but after cooking 200+ servings a day  for a couple of years, I have become somewhat knowledgeable on this breakfast egg cooking technique.

The hotcakes with yogurt and fruit were placed in front of Mr5 who oooohed with anticipation. I was glad that he had wanted them, as they were child-like in portion despite the hefty NZD$14.50 price tag.  Three thin pancakes sat piled on the plate, topped with a dollop of yogurt and few pieces of fresh fruit.  Some of the fruit in question were oranges with skin still attached, not the most appropriate way to serve a fruit salad, nor were they seasonally sweet either.

I was unable to detect any ricotta in the hotcakes but they were a good example of a pancake none the less. They had a delectable crisp exterior and had they been fluffier and the portion more acceptable for the price they would have been a great dish. Bambinas take on the hotcakes with fresh fruit and yogurt a nice healthier alternative to Bills butter and honeycomb soaked gems.

The corn fritters with bacon, roast tomato and spinach was a near mirror image of this famous Bills dish, with the flavor being similar all but a tad doughy. At Bills, we would try to jam as much freshly shucked corn into each fritter as humanly possible. It should only have the lacy whisper of paprika spiced batter holding all that corn together ~ making it a veggie packed early morning treat.

So it is with a full belly and a table of  content diners that I mull over my findings. Yes, there are some very blatant and obvious copies of some Bills classics, like the corn fritters, hotcakes and communal table. But it is within the execution that differentiates these two establishments.

Bambina is an icon of the cafe scene in Auckland and has been serving the inner city faithful for many years in its current  location.  For that alone, it gets a well deserved medal for longevity in the fickle New Zealand market.  Their food requires polish and is somewhat lacking in x factor but the coffee, service and surrounds make up for its short comings.

With food we are all imitators of some kind. Taking inspiration from a meal we ate, a recipe we read or a restaurant we admire. Bill Granger himself takes inspiration for his cookbooks and restaurants from his peers and multiple dining opportunities that present themselves when you carry celebrity clout.

It is within the execution that our individuality speaks volumes and the little subtle touches that makes a dining experience memorable.

22,682 Nights Serving Burgers and Counting

All Photos taken by the talented Bill Mehana

22,682. That’s the number of nights that the White lady Food Truck has been open for important burger business on the streets of  Auckland City.

The White Lady Food truck or “pie cart” as its affectionately known has been serving the faithful, ravenous and occasionally intoxicated  Auckland late night revelers for over 60 years,  as the hand scribed whiteboard informs me as I shimmy up to the counter to place my order. That’s over 22,682 nights.

The White Lady is a 15 meter long ivory coloured food caravan that currently sits on the corner of Commerce and Fort Street in the heart of Auckland’s  business and bar district in New Zealand. It gets towed to location in the evening by tractor and is  adorned with  fairy lights for atmospheric dining. Just pull up a milk crate, squirt on some tomato sauce and you have late night dining at its most grand.

Any Aucklander worth their weight has acquired a burger or toastie from the Lady.

My parents, when they were courting would order a burger and share it between the two them, and when 88 and I were dating, we would stop by after a couple of bottles of wine and order a ‘King burger’ for him and an ‘Egg burger’ for me. Hanging around the lady whilst you waited for your order to be cooked was always fun  as you were bound to run into someone you know.

On this chilly Sunday night in the middle of a New Zealand winter, myself and my dining companions arrive at our destination shortly after 9pm. Already the lady has been serving burgers since 6pm Friday night with its 24hour a day policy on weekends. Weeknights has the lady cooking up patties from 6pm to 5am the next morning, before the tractor arrives to tow it back to base to make way for weekday parking needs of a bustling business district.

The accommodating young man with the low riding beanie in charge of the grill tonight is friendly and helpful as he talks me through our menu options for the day.

“I’ll have an Egg burger ( no surprises there) an Old fashioned Burger, The King Burger, and a side of chips.” And to keep the experience as authentic as possible… ” You better throw in 3 cans of L&P as well my good man”.

The burgers here are meaty and filling, with pickled beetroot, ice berg lettuce,  chunky tomato, homemade sauce and bespoke burger buns topped with sesame seeds. If you order a burger with onions, the onions are cooked in wholesome meat grease and a side of chips can be sloshed with your choice of vinegar or tomato sauce.

Burgers range from $7.00 for the standard burger to $18.00 for the behemoth Aucklander Burger, which consists of pretty much everything you can think of! An unlockable jaw is required if you plan to undertake this 6 course meal in a bun.

Once our order has been registered with the chef de cuisine, we gravitate towards the best seats in the house ~ 3 over turned milk crates up against a shop window. The pace and the atmosphere of the lady begins to pick up as suits and ties alongside slurring young men and giggling scantily dressed young ladies arrive at  this desert oasis.

Despite his sudden surge in occupation, our server and chief burger maker still manages to get our burgers to us in less than 5 minutes ~ wrapped in paper and looking food photography ready.

I stop for a moment and breathe in the atmosphere before devouring my burger with nostalgic delight. All manners are thrown out the window as we chomp and chat to each other, reminiscing about people we had meet here, burgers we’ve eaten and nights we’ve danced our cares away.  A few chips smothered in tomato sauce and a sip or two of fizzy L&P and our night is complete.

My pick of the menu du jour ~ you have to try the Old Fashioned Burger. It consists of an overly tasty beef pattie, well grilled and served with  a mattress of crispy lettuce, thick slices of  tomato, pickled beetroot and a fried chooks egg , slathered in a delicious relish that adds a wonderful acidic kick to the quivering mound. The relish is delectable and I elegantly lick my fingers between every huge bite.

The white lady still lives up to expectations. Even more so thanks to a recent menu overhaul where for the first time in 60 years you can now get a side of fries with your order. Don’t you just love new technology!

The burgers are wholesome, hot and tasty and the Auckland crowd and skyline still provides the best late night atmosphere in town. Despite the cold surroundings, the bright light of warmth and welcome can  be felt  through smiling faces that greet you with a “Hey Bro, what can I getcha?”

Where’s your favorite burger joint?

Ed Charles from Tomato

The Internet Chef Talks to Ed Charles from

“Tomato”

and asks him  Just One Question…

“What inspired you to blog about food?”

I was inspired to write about food because I wanted to escape “foodie” food writing and communication in an unwanky way.

Originally I was a financial and business journalist from the UK who moved to Sydney in 1995 and then Melbourne in 2000.

In 2004, I started my own food magazine Tomato, which was distributed through cool cafes, bars and restaurants. While the content, which was similar to my blog, was successful, financially the project was ill-thought out.

I then discovered blog platforms and put my content onto the blog, also called Tomato.

I used the name Tomato as my maternal grandfather imported fruit (mainly bananas) and vegetables to the old Covent Garden market in England and had his own Tomato plantations. As well as the family connection, the Tomato also symbolized everything that is good and bad about food from the delicious heirloom variety warm from the sun served simply with basil and olive oil to the hard, cardboard variety sold out of season in the supermarkets.

Food blogger profile:

Bio and Social Media Links:

Food Blog: http://www.tomatom.com

Facebook address: http://www.facebook.com/ed.charles

Twitter handle: @Tomatom

Other websites:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/edcharles http://www.youtube.com/gastrotom

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomatom http://friendfeed.com/tomatom

http://delicious.com/edjak

Since then, thanks to my blogging I’ve written on food and drink for many newspapers and magazines, including The Australian, Herald Sun, The Age and Gourmet Traveller. I’ve reviewed for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide and The Age Good Food Guide, judged cakes, cheese, cocktails and participated in almost any food or drink tasting you can think of.

Currently, I’m reviewing for the Melbourne Coffee Guide and will be disappearing to India and South East Asia from November for a few months to complete my search for the perfect curry (with only one spare pair of underpants).

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Written and photographed by Zoe Roy

“The truffle is not exactly an aphrodisiac, but tends to make women more tender, and men more likeable”- Jean Antheleme Brillet-Savarin, renowned 17th century gastronome.

The history of truffles is older than one might think. In 300BC, truffles were already a sought after expensive delicacy.

They were the favourite dish of Pharaoh Cheops and in early writing were referred to as “children of the earth”. Legend has it that the first being on the planet to devour truffles was a female wild boar. A farmer watched the sow dig up and eat the presumably poisonous underground funghi and waited patiently for her to die. Instead she flew into a fit of passion and attracted so many lovesick suitors that the species began to proliferate in hot haste.

Now skip to 1997 when Australian CSIRO scientist Dr. Nick Malajczuk, specialising in trees and funghi started experimenting with some initial planting in Tasmania. He identified Manjimup in Western Australia as an ideal location for growing truffles. Hence was born the Hazel Hill Truffiére..

In 1998, 13,000 Oak and Hazel tree saplings were inoculated with the French Black Truffle. To do this, the Perigold truffles are made into a mush which is rubbed into the roots of the saplings.

At this early stage, Dr. Nick chose to use both oak and hazel with the foresight that if the truffles didn’t develop then they would at least have hazelnuts to harvest! More than 5 years of experimentation and anxious waiting passed and in 2003 the first truffle was uncovered accidently on a morning walk.

So it is here in Manjimup, we went truffle hunting…

Manjimup is a thriving agricultural centre, about 3 1/2 hours SE from Fremantle in Western Australia, a land of cherries, apples, pears, avocados, marron, and of course truffles.

A nice early road trip with my friend- head chef Peter Manifis landed us in Manjimup at 930am. We join another couple and began the tour with some history and truffle science.

This is followed by a breakfast of  truffled scrambled eggs served on  hazelnut bread, whipped up in front of us by the head chef of The Wine & Truffle Company. To wash it down we had a sneaky little glass of their well regarded Riesling. Good start to the day!

Next we were assigned gumboots and overalls and taken to the training area to meet the dogs. They have three prize hunters. Sunny- a kelpie, Lizzie- a beagle and Bella- a black lab.

In the training area they have set up rows of plastic trees, at the base of which there are little pieces of sponge. Some have a drop of truffle oil on them, and the others have a red cross. The dogs all have there own commands so that they know which one is working. It’s either “seek”, “go get it” or “find”. The dogs run from tree to tree and when they smell the truffle they sit and wait for a treat.

With training complete it’s time for the real thing! We all board the little wooden carriage, pulled by a tractor, to take us up to the truffiére. Before we board we must walk through water in our boots, yet another precaution they take to prevent any potentially harmful spores reaching the truffiére.

Once we are there, its all business and not even 2 minutes pass before Sunny has found a beauty. When a truffle is identified in the ground, the hunter first smells is to assess its state. Truffles are formed in November/December, grow through Feb/March and mature during the winter months. Only when a truffle is mature does it release its aroma.

When a truffle has matured it needs to be harvested within 3 days or it will begin to rot in the ground. A very small window! Once a truffle has been deemed mature, fingers and a small plastic needle are used to scrape the ground around the truffle until it is unearthed. Truffles can be found as deep as 60cm, and a single tree can produce up to 2.5kg each season.

Truffles are often found in clusters and a lot of small truffles can come together to form a very large truffle. Like the one we dug up, weighing about 430gms! Unfortunately we were not permitted to take it with us, and there are no pockets in the overalls they provided!

The Manjimup truffles typically sell for between $2000-$3500/kg, except for the “icon” truffles which are the largest ones ranging from 750g-1.5kg, which are usually auctioned on ebay for up to $6000/kg.

This year they expect to harvest 1tonne of black truffle. Australia is the biggest producer of French black truffles outside Europe and currently produce 15% of the world black truffles. Because of Europe’s rapidly decreasing production due to the age of the trees, it is predicted that by 2020, Australia will be producing 50% of the world’s truffles.

This little truffiére in Manimup is now exporting to 15 countries, including France.

Then we headed to the farm café for a beef pie on truffled mash and glass of shiraz before we hit the orchards to pick some vine-ripened Granny Smiths!

Back at the restaurant where we work in Fremantle, we were couriered 1kg of Manjimup truffles for our annual Truffle Dinner, which consisted of 100 people, 5 courses, 8 chefs and lots of truffles……

Woodfired Pizza Bianco with Shaved Truffle, Parmesan and Truffle Oil

Truffled Leek & Potato Soup

Marron & Truffle Omelette

Housemade Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms & Marsala

Roasted Spatchcok with Truffle Butter (under the skin), Asparagus wrapped in Pancetta

Mielle Feille with Caramal Apples and Truffled Custard

At the end of the night we all realised we would be happy not to see or smell another truffle until next season!

About Chef Zoe Roy!

At 16 working as a waitress I became captivated by the concept of creating flavour. The next 3 years I spent exploring Europe and UK, working in England, Ireland, Scotland, Turkey and finally 6 months in France working in a farmhouse ‘La Ferme du Mont Mussey’ at the foothills of the Jura mountains. It was here that my path was truly cemented for me…. The quest for food that still smells of the earth or the forest or the ocean it came from, and the creation of simple flavours that make your heart sing.

Back in Melbourne I began a catering business ‘Feed your Friends’. I provided fully personalised menus, catering for schools, hospitals, film sets, corporate, cocktail parties and dinner parties.  After two years, at 21, I again craved the pace of  a commercial kitchen… I became Head Chef of Montsalvat Café & Restaurant in Eltham, cooking European food with the help of a beautiful kitchen garden. After 1 year I was enticed by the excitement of Richmond Hill Café & Larder, which was to become my home for the next 4 years. Working alongside Stephanie Alexander and other wonderful chefs and top shelf ingredients in a professional environment kept me very stimulated. I finally bid farewell to Richmond Hill, and became Head Chef of The Commoner. A modern British restaurant in the heart of Fitzroy with a woodfire oven and a Moorish touch. This took me back to my travelling days and my first love affair with food, following the spice trail around the world.

Currently I have moved out west with my partner (also a passionate chef!) and we have plans to open a small and intimate European style bar in Fremantle. Watch this space!

So tell me, whats your favorite way to eat truffle?

Good  coffee is art.

And I’m not talking about a picture of Elvis frothed out in milk and creama on top of your vanilla hazelnut  half strength decaffeinated mocha-frappa-soy- cinno either.

To make a good coffee requires a delicate balancing act of beans, barista and machine. So many variables come into play when you discuss these three major aspects that coffee making has become. It is really a scientific art form of the highest level.

Lest we forget the other important and vital aspects that go into a decent cuppa Joe, like location, consistency, service and price.

Does such a place exist that can tick all the magical boxes? Thank fully yes.

Sydney folks and visitors alike can be assured in the knowledge that our caffeine needs are being well catered for in the heart of the Sydney corporate and shopping district.

In a tiny street side kiosk behind the majestic Queen Victoria Building in the Sydney CBD sits a  gem of a coffee joint, that is so small you can’t even swing an analogue in it.

Espresso on York sits on the windward  corner of York and Market street, and is owned and operated by Tony with the skilful assistance of Barista Roberto.

Roberto’s ability to turn out consistently top quality espresso is only matched by Tonys foresight to keep prices at the most reasonable I’ve seen in Australia to date which is, wait for it… $2.00.  Could this be the best coffee in Sydney?  I’m convinced it is.

This is a no nonsense purists establishment who require their coffee the way god intended it. Freshly roasted and expertly crafted. There are no tables here, no magazines to linger over and no chance of a free refill. You stand, you order and you inhale.

Never one to waste an opportunity, I like to order myself a doppio which comes first, followed by a flat white. I enjoy the doppio whilst waiting for my flat white to be created.  And Tony knows exactly what I order and how I like it despite seeing hundreds and hundreds of faces everyday at his kiosk.

I shot the breeze with Roberto as he deftly twists and turns with hand movements so precise and exact. He doesn’t waste a millimetre of energy as the ground coffee gets tampered with a flick of the wrist and milk jugs are tossed into position with the ease of an acrobat.

“It’s all in the Extraction Bridge,” he tells me with a smile as I watch mouse tails cascading from the silver espresso machine.

Having worked in restaurants all my life and having access to many wonderful espresso machines and skilful baristas, I know it’s more than just extraction which produces such masterpieces. It requires love and care for your craft and a commitment to producing the best product whether it’s your first cup of the day or the 600^th.

And if you want to talk about skill, Roberto tells me he has a passion for photography as well. So I ask him if he would like  to take a few photos for the article I want to do on Espresso on York.  The results are the stunning  shots that you see here amongst this post. Coffee porn anyone?

Want to see more of Roberto’s work? Check out his Flickr photostream and follow him on Twitter and  to taste Roberto and Tony’s handiwork, just one small gold coin will get you the best coffee in Sydney.

Tony and Roberto of Espresso on York

So tell me, have you had your caffeine fix today?

Share and Enjoy:

I seem to have lost the art of couch potato-ing.

The thought of sitting in front of a Television set when I’m at home doesn’t appeal to me anymore.

Have I come of age? Has television programming become stale and robotic? Is my couch not as comfortable as it could be? Has the Internet become my new form of edutainment?

I think all of the above are correct in someway with one more added statement to describe my lack of tele-watching  enthusiasm.

The kitchen has become the heart of the home again.

I can happily say that I would much rather be cooking and sharing the food love with my family then sitting stone faced in front of the box watching reruns of terrible American sitcoms.

Last night was no exception as I skipped merrily into the kitchen and produced this super little dessert with the help of Miss8 and visiting Miss6. In fact it was so simple they did all the stirring and licking of bowls for me!

Sticky Date and Molasses Pudding

Ingredients:

200gm pitted dates ~ roughly chopped

1 ¼ cup water

½ tsp baking soda

60g unsalted butter ~ softened

¾ cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

¼ cup molasses

1 cup self raising flour

Pinch of salt

1 tsp ginger

Methodology:

• Preheat the oven to 180c on Fan bake.
• In a small saucepan bring to the boil the dates and water. Reduce to a simmer and cook gently for 5 minutes until the dates begin to breakdown.Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
• In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and the sugar is dissolved.
• Mix in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
• Pour in the molasses and mix until well combined.
• Sift together the flour, salt and ginger and fold through the wet mixture lightly.
• Pour the mixture into a well greased pudding basin or 6 individual greased ramekins and bake in the oven for 25 minutes for individuals or  40 minutes for a large one or until a skewer inserted into the pudding comes out clean.
• Serve hot from the oven with clotted cream, ice cream, or butterscotch sauce

Photo Credits: Roberto Kapp of www.bobbykphotography.com. and Ben Sutherland via Flickr