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It's My Turn to Cook Margaret Brooker ISBN 978-1-86966-169-4, New Holland, RRP $NZ24.99 One of the most useful skills a parent can pass on to their offspring is teaching them how to cook. Unfortunately it’s something many of them miss out on and already we have a generation of young adults who have to resort to ready-made meals, takeaways and eating out because they’ve never acquired even basic cooking skills.
Author Margaret Brooker has worked with her daughters Alexandra, 10 and Charlotte, 8 to produce a book that makes cooking look like a whole lot of fun. And the choice of recipes is excellent – things kids will enjoy eating themselves or preparing for a family meal. The book begins with secrets for success such as reading recipes right through, checking all ingredients and equipment are at hand, allowing time for the job, washing hands first, measuring everything and the one most occasional cooks forget, the clean-up afterwards. Food safety rules and basic techniques are covered and there’s a short lesson in menu building. Then it’s recipe time. Everyone needs to start the day with breakfast and there’s a delicious Bircher Muesli, porridge, boiled and scrambled, eggs, pancakes and French toast to choose from. Simple lunch dishes like pasta, cold soba noodles, soup and other one dish meals lead on to roast chicken, spare ribs, chicken nibbles, Moroccan lamb and vegetables to accompany them. What child doesn’t love dessert? One of my own sons became a dab hand at whipping up an apple crumble, largely to feed his own pudding habit. This book contains plenty for those with a sweet tooth, A few biscuits round out this excellent beginner’s repertoire. The methods are easy for the learner cook to follow and each recipe has an equipment list and extra notes where necessary. This is an attractive book with appealing photography by Paul McCredie including full-size shots and sequences. It would be a great gift for any budding chef in the family.
Market Day: Tastes from New Zealand Farmers' Markets Vicki Winn and Terry Winn, ISBN 978-1-86966-161-8 , New Holland, RRP $NZ34.99
Prior to the evolution of these markets, I used to travel to out-of-town market gardens for freshly picked seasonal vegetables. Then the producers started coming to town. A friend and I would hit the road early on a Saturday morning to visit a market in a carpark a few kilometres up the motorway from Wellington. The site had to be cleared by 9am when the local shops opened. Since those days the country has joined near neighbour Australia in fostering the growth of vibrant weekend markets. While Vicki Winn doesn’t cover all of New Zealand’s markets, her book takes a leisurely look at 14 of them – where to find them, when they are held and what local specialties to look for. Some of the provedores are introduced and there are interesting short articles on what they are selling. It might be blended teas, pies and terrines, chutneys, olive oils and olive products, duck eggs, saffron products, cider vinegar, corn-fed chickens, wines, cordials, goat’s cheese, breads, cakes, herbs. It’s interesting to note the regional specialties from different climatic pockets. Terry Winn’s photographs from each area, along with sellers’ portraits and general market scenes, give a real market day feel. To round things out there’s a good selection of recipes from growers and suppliers to solve the market shopper’s “now I’ve bought it, what do I do with it?” An excellent book for the summer season and beyond, and definitely one to take on holiday.
Buyer's Guide to New Zealand Olive Oil Andre Taber ISBN 978-1-869661-07-6, New Holland, RRP $NZ24.99
While olives have been growing in New Zealand since the arrival of the first European settlers, it’s only in the past 15 or so years that Kiwis have developed a taste for Mediterranean cuisine and have become interest in tracking down locally produced oils. The olive tree is becoming a part of the New Zealand landscape, specially in wine-growing areas as both crops like stony, nutrient-poor free-draining soil. While New Zealand has a comparatively modest commercial stock of maybe 1.4 million trees – versus the 800 million in the Mediterranean – nonetheless it is producing oils of note. Taber lists the various olive varieties cultivated, their origins and characteristics. Some do well in the varying climates around New Zealand, others don’t, preferring hot, dry conditions. While the country may have the rain suitable for the big, oily olives, this can frequently be followed by a drying wind, making the correct olive choice crucial.. He goes on to explain the harvesting, pressing and grading processes then gets into the nitty gritty of what comprises good oil flavour – and bad. After all, tasting is what this book is all about. Once you’ve had a practice as home, it’s time to venture out. The oil trail goes from Northland to Central Otago and Taber lists the various producers along the way, where to find them, web addresses for those wanting to do their homework before they get in the car, the varieties grown and the characteristics of the oils produced. For those having to shop from home, some oils can be ordered online. Retail outlets for various labels are also given. For personal visits, some estates offer grove tours, cooking classes, even bed and breakfast accommodation. New Zealand olive oil is expensive – but then no more so than a bottle of wine. This book will prove invaluable to those wanting to improve their palate and learn just how exciting the country’s olive oil industry has become, something acknowledged in local and overseas awards.
Beach Bach Boat Barbecue II Penny Oliver ISBN 978-1-86966-110-9, New Holland, RRP $NZ45
It’s a beautiful book celebrating the lazy days of summer in four favourite Kiwi haunts – at the beach, in a cosy, casual holiday bach, on the boat or round the barbecue. Throw in a few brightly blooming pohutukawa trees or a large strip of bright blue agapanthus and it’s enough to make an ex-pat Kiwi get misty-eyed. This is a book of casual eating, of fresh ingredients and memorable meals, wonderful seafood, goodies for the picnic basket, chunks of smoky meat coming off the barbecue, salad lunches under the trees, freshly caught fish making a short journey to the pan, summer berries and stone fruit, new potatoes and another year’s memories in the bag. There’s a 21st century twist on the flavours of summers past as wraps and rocket, rice paper rolls and couscous meld with old favourite like roly poly pudding and pavlova sporting some pomegranate for a change. This is fresh, clever cooking that won’t take all day to make, specially if everyone pitches in. In fact, I could feel my brain slipping into holiday mode as I turned the pages. Many of the recipes will be just as much at home in a picnic on the banks of the Yarra as in the New Zealand holiday places where I spent many of my summers. Think Couscous and Cheese Patties (haloumi and feta) with a colourful salad of avocado, fennel, olives, baby spinach and tomatoes. Or Grilled Ham, Cheese and Spinach Tortilla Sandwiches. Maybe Barbecued Mushrooms with Bocconcini or Potato and Pecorino Rosti with Egg and Salmon. And the Grape Brulee looks so simple to make, it’s a job for the boys. Enough talk on an empty stomach. I’m off to try the Zatar Soldiers – toasted grainy bread spread with a paste of zatar, oil, lemon juice and sea salt topped with diced avocado and chopped chives. Visually enhanced by Ian Batchelor's superb photography, this book is worth packing with the sunscreen, the insect repellant, the swimming togs and the jandals this summer. Click on the titles or covers if you wish to buy any of the four New Zealand titles above from Fishpond NZ. All other books are available from Fishpond Australia - click cover for details.
1080 Recipes Simone and Ines Ortega, ISBN 978-0-7148-4783-2, Phaidon RRP $69.95
As the first wines were poured, we were handed sweet morsels of Pedro Nieto Jamon Iberico de Belloto, courtesy of The Spanish Pantry then chefs from the European started weaving their magic with the Ortega recipes. Mussels in the shell with vinaigrette, salt cod and potato croquettes, a garlicky gazpacho with goat’s cheese balls, squid in its own ink on rice, rabbit with olives and almonds, asparagus, ham and mayonnaise. Two recipes from the European – kingfish with mussel and oyster escabeche and a chorizo and red pepper salad previewed some more of the fare to be presented a few days later at a special launch dinner at the restaurant. There was also a magnificent mussel and prawn paella, cooked up on the patio. And for those who kept some space, there were almond sable biscuits and chocolate churros along with some Blanxart artisanal chocolate. There was no disputing the fact that this encyclopaedic work contains many Spanish treasures. The first volume was written by Simone Ortega in the early 1970 after friends and family nagged her into collecting her recipes together in one book. Her husband, a publisher, decided to publish it as 1080 Recipes. Little did they know, says daughter Ines, they would be celebrating millions of copies sold over nearly 50 subsequent editions. The Consul General produced early copies of the book, in Spanish, from his own library, modest paperback volumes. But the new edition, translated into English for the first time, is a work of art with more than 500 beautiful illustrations by Javier Mariscal (best known for Cobi, the 1992 Barcelona Games mascot) plus 104 specially commissioned photographs by Jason Lowe. Together Simone and Ines have revised and updated the recipes to reflect modern methods, but the traditional character of Spanish food has not been lost.
A book containing more than a thousand recipes is going to be a substantial tome and this one weighs in at more than 2.5kg so it’s not one you’ll be tucking in your shopping basket. But it is certainly one to cook from and with Spanish food such a hot item these days there’s something to suit everyone. Chapters traverse appetisers, little hot and cold dishes, sauces, soups and stews, rice, pulses, potatoes and pasta, vegetables, eggs, flans and souffles, seafood, meat, poultry, game, off, and desserts. The book includes recipes from every Spanish region. However, the book focuses on ingredients rather than regions. And the dishes don't have grandiose titles. Says Simone: "I have given them names that describe the main ingredients in the dish" except for those known widely by a common name, such as gazpacho. As with their English edition of Italian food bible, The Silver Spoon, Phaidon have invited several Spanish or Spanish-influenced chefs to contribute menus and each displays their individual genius. The original books were frequently given to Spanish brides as wedding present and the English version will go down equally well as a splendid gift, wedding or not. "I am confident that this book has helped to improve the way people in Spain eat: it has made learning to cook easier for those who don't have much time to spend in the kitchen," Simone Ortega says in the preface.
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How to Feed Your Friends with Relish Joanna Weinberg, ISBN 978-0-7475-8344-8, Bloomsbury, RRP $49.95.
This book would have been a useful addition to the kitchen library. Joanna Weinberg – who writes about food for The Times – has put together 175 recipes arranged in 47 menus that will get the host or hostess through most of today’s home entertaining occasions. Weinberg began her love affair with cooking when she was away at college, drooling down the line as her glamorous London-based sister Sam whispered salacious stories of extra virgin olive oil and fresh tarragon. She began to try out recipes on her friends, and, with the help of a communal oven and lots of cheap red wine, quickly realised that a great dinner was as much about people as it was about food — a fact that most cookbooks don't take into account and which she sets about to redress. Whether it’s supper around the kitchen table, parties, cooking for comfort, picnics, barbecues, romancing, afternoon teas, or weekend with friends, there are plenty of good ideas for cutting stress back to manageable proportions. The recipes are an interesting, eclectic collection and should be well within the capabilities of most. The methods include useful little bits of information will help those who are not confident cooks. This isn’t a shiny book. Cream matt stock has been used, giving the photos a certain warmth. It’s not a straight-out recipe book, either, but a bit more like an older sister talking you through everything from kitchen basics to seating arrangements, to table decorating, theming, what to wear, outdoor lighting and so on. This may grate with some readers. And there is “The Cast” – the author’s friends and family who pop up here and there. But plenty of people will warm to the chitchat and the resident helping hand. Why was I not surprised to find a quote from Bridget Jones’ Diary in the front? If this book encourages more people to get together with their friends round the dinner table, it will prove a good investment. Read a piece by Joanna Weinberg in The Times and see what kind of a host you are >>>
The Foodies' Guide to Melbourne 2008 Allan Campion and Michele Curtis, ISBN 978-1-74066-531-5, Hardie Grant Books, RRP $29.95 I’ve had good value out of last year’s edition of this Melbourne foodies’ bible as I’ve gone in search of produce and ingredients round the city and suburbs. It’s good to see the authors, in bringing us “the best of the best”, have this year extended the length of each entry, giving themselves a bit more room to explain what makes them stand out. “After all, if you’re going to make a special journey across town, you want to know it’s going to be worth the trip.”
Campion and Curtis have singled out a handful of providores for their 2008 Foodies’ Awards – the new alongside stayers who’ve been providing service for up to three decades. They have taken an eminently sensible approach to the listings. For the geographically challenged, like me, Melway references put us on the right track to start with. And if we propose to head across town to that special bakery or butcher, a selection of maps also pinpoint what other providores are in the neigbourhood. There’s a locality index. Equally useful, the suburb is listed next to the business in the index. The chapters are in alphabetical order and range from Asian food through bread and cakes, butchers, chocolate, coffee and tea, delicatessens, farmers’ markets, fine food stores, fish and seafood, greengrocers, ice cream and gelato, Indian and Sri Lankan, Italian, kitchen equipment, markets, Middle Eastern food, organics, takeaway/traiteurs, wine and beer and world food. There’s a grouping of food experiences including cooking classes and food tours. The guide then swings out of town to include foodie destinations around Victoria, and regional food experiences are also listed. Being a 21st century “hunter/gatherer” is certainly a rich experience, particularly with such a useful guide in the shopping bag or car glove compartment. More than 450 businesses are listed, enough to keep the foodie happily occupied through 2008. An essential for Melbourne locals and anyone planning a visit to the city. I wouldn’t be without it.
Marco Pierre White in Hell's Kitchen Marco Pierre White, ISBN 978-0-09-192316-7, Ebury Publishing (Random House) RRP $49.95 Marco Pierre White is a driven man. At the age of 33 he scored his third Michelin star, the first British chef to reach such culinary heights, and the world's youngest ever chef to do so. But the achievement didn’t bring him the acknowledgement and happiness he believed it would. In 1999 he hung up his apron for what he thought was the last time, handed back his stars and entered the world of business. He now has a portfolio of restaurants across London.
Regarded as the enfant terrible of the British kitchen through the 80s and 90s, White maintains “most of my reputation is a product of exaggeration and ignorance.” When it was announced he would be appearing in the ITV1 programme, he said: “"My approach on Hell's Kitchen will be about inspiring people and helping them, not belittling them and putting them down. When people talk about Hell's Kitchen, one thing they never talk about is the food. One of the aspects of what we are going to do is to teach people how to cook." The series hasn’t been without its controversy as patrons who dared to criticise were thrown out of the restaurant. Celebrity chefs have become very much a part of today’s TV diet and it’s good to have a book to accompany a series we enjoy so that we have a chance to try the dishes at home. But is this a book of recipes from the show? There is nothing in the introduction or on the cover to imply this is the case, apart from the title Marco Pierre White in Hell’s Kitchen. However, a number of people who bought the book in the UK after watching the series which started there in September have been fairly vocal in their disappointment that dishes made in Hell’s Kitchen don’t feature. So, with that caveat, what of the book judged on its own merits? White regards himself at “old school” and says “Maybe today I’m out of date, but that’s fine.” Certainly he has been away from the kitchen for eight years, but there is not a lot in there to knock your stockings off. The recipe titles illustrate the direction of the cuisine. A sample:
He remains anchored in the largely classical, concentrating on technique and letting the ingredients speak for themselves. The plating is simple. Four successive fish dishes look like the chef had bought a job lot of garnishing herbs and used the same ones on each plate – some at variance with the recipe. The Vinaigrette of leeks and langoustines with caviar is a bit of an enigma. The recipe features eight langoustines, cooked baby leeks, courgettes, carrots and green beans, and a fennel bulb. These are assembled in a 20cm terrine starting with a layer of leeks and “two lines of langoustine tails”, filling the gaps with courgettes then building up further layers with langoustines and the other vegetables until all the ingredients have been used. I reckon my quota of eight langoustines would have been exhausted on the first layer. White may well have reached the same conclusion, as the photo shows four langoustine tails on a plate with a few pieces of baby leek and beans, a drizzle of olive oil, caviar dollops and some of the job-lot garnish. No sign of the Water Vinaigrette or the other vegetables. “I’ve deconstructed the dish for the photo,” says White. Deconstructed and discarded half? There are some grammatical lapses (e.g. “insure” instead of “ensure” at least three times) that should have been picked up in the editing stage. It seems production was rushed to publish the book in time for the TV series. While this book may not appeal to many of today’s more forward-thinking cooks, it’s an interesting glimpse at the work of a former Michelin star chef and there is a good chapter on basic recipes for those wishing to develop their technique. Read an interview with Marco Pierre White >>
Movida: Spanish Culinary Adventures Frank Camorra and Richard Cornish, ISBN 978-1921259395, Murdoch Books, RRP $45.00 I love eating at MoVida in Melbourne. Firstly there’s a tempting menu of tapas and racion. Sometimes it makes choosing difficult. That’s where the second part of the equation kicks in. The front-of-house crew are there to help. Really. They’ll suggest some complementary dishes to go with what you’ve already decided on. All you need to do is relax and enjoy the feast.
Now Frank Camorra, who runs MoVida is doing the ultimate in sharing. He’s passing on some of his recipes. They come in a handsome book where the spirit of the restaurant and Camorra’s passion for his work are immediately evident. One of the front-of-house lads, Andy, who helped us through the menu recently said the recipes for the book were all made in the restaurant – and photographed there. That is no small logistical feat in a snug restaurant that has been packed every time I have visited. Indeed space is at such a premium, the wine is stored under the seating. Reading through MoVida, I kept wanting to take a trip into my kitchen to start cooking. It’s that kind of book. First, the ingredients are discussed.- from almonds to vinegar. This is well worth lingering over to pick up some fascinating pieces of information like “Chickpeas are sensitive little souls who react badly to any sudden changes in temperature. When dropped in boiling water they like to show their disdain by toughening up and refusing to go soft.” Or “Some hazelnuts, particularly supermarket hazelnuts, are not just stale, they are rancid.” And there’s no in-between when cooking quail: “It’s either a blast of fast heat … or cooked low and slow.” And always ask your butcher for female pig if you want sweet meat, “the males can be a bit on the nose”. That’s a polite way of saying “boar taint”. At the foundation of Spanish food are the sauces and bases, so the first recipes cover this territory and include dressings, mayonnaise variations, marinades, sofrito, bread picada. “These are very easy techniques to master.” The tapas collection has some stock standard recipes that have crossed regional borders in Spain and are now found in almost every bar across the nation. A few salted almonds to whet the appetite, some Catalonian tomato bread, marinated white anchovies, some deep-fried piquillo peppers stuffed with salt cod. Initially MoVida’s patrons resisted the idea of a cold soup made of bread until a few were offered a glass of the smooth white liquid on a hot day. They were sold and word started to get around. The soup section includes Chilled almond soup with grape granita. Of course, gazpacho is there, too, as well as heartier midwinter fare like Lentil soup with chorizo and Spanish blood pudding. On to more substantial sharing dishes. The Tortilla de patatas has to be the best I have tried. It’s a dish requiring patience as potato slices, onion and garlic are cooked confit-style in olive oil under 100C before being drained, mingled with egg and turned into a delicious omelet. I just happened to have a large bag of fresh broad beans in the fridge, so I couldn’t resist the Fresh cuttlefish with minty broad beans. No matter that I had no cuttlefish. The rest of the dish made a superbly flavoured salad. One of the restaurants most popular dishes is Mushrooms with garlic and sherry vinegar. It’s started on the stove top and finished in the oven and has a great depth of flavour. In all, the book contains more than 120 recipes. Other chapters include fish and seafood, vegetables, rice, poultry, meat, small goods, desserts, pastries and drinks. This is a very accessible cookbook, complete with anecdotes that make for good reading. It features a smart design, lovely splashes of colour between chapters and sympathic photography by Alan Benson. His pictures in the restaurant and kitchen give a good taste of the atmosphere while the food photography shows good honest fare with a minimum of props. A nice touch – the dust jacket opens out into a large poster explaining the origin of the restaurant’s name. The Madrid Movement – La Movida Madrilena – was a cultural movement that hit the big cities in the decade after Franco’s death in 1975. The slang of the time contained the expression “Donde esta La Movida?” – “Where’s the action?” as we'd say here. Frank Camorra was born in Barcelona and moved to Australia with his parents when he was five. We can be pleased he rediscovered his homeland and brought its many flavours back to Australia. Richard Cornish is a free lance writer, television producer and sausage expert.
Watch Frank Camorra in action at his restaurant, MoVida.
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My Last Supper Melanie Dunea, ISBN 978—7475-9411-6, Bloomsbury, RRP $59.95. Some people don’t know which meal will be their last. Others do. Former French president Francois Mitterand, who was dying of cancer, chose Marennes oysters, foie gras, capons and, with a white napkin over his head, also consumed an ortolan, a tiny, yellow-throated songbird that is illegal to eat. These were accompanied by some simple full-bodied wines. He lapsed in and out of consciousness during the evening. He refused any further food or medication and died eight days later.
Ferran Adria, Alain Ducasse, Anthony Bourdain, Daniel Boulud, Tetsuya Wakuda, Neil Perry, Jamie Oliver, Jacques Pepin, Raymond Blanc, Wylie Dufresne, Charlie Trotter, Angela Hartnett, Juan Mari Arzak, Gordon Ramsay, Fergus Henderson – the stellar list goes on. Many choose a small gathering of family and perhaps a few close friends. Some select a very clean, simple menu, a favourite venue, a special wine. Others want to go out with a bang, a gala occasion. Many would cook the meal themselves. Tetsuya Wakuda would like to be on a boat, preparing tuna he and his sailing teacher and fishing teacher have caught. It would be devoured with cold sake with just the sound of the water and wind for music. No farewell fireworks for Gordon Ramsay who would be joined at home by his mother, wife and four children for a classic roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Tyler Florence would go for the Southern feast of his childhood and stack the room with other celebrity chefs – along with his family. Jacques Pepin would opt for an open house event with a steady parade of dishes. Dan Barber, who was photographed with his massive hog Boris would feast on Boris and dine alone. [Editors note: I believe Boris has since met his fate, but Barber lives on...] Award-winning New York photographer Melanie Dunea has illustrated the book with an amazing assemblage of portraits from the downright cheeky (a naked Anthony Bourdain holding a strategically placed beef femur marrow bone) to the stylish (Lidia Bastianich in a glorious hat made of pasta) to the signature pose (Fergus Henderson with a pig’s head on his lap.) What would I choose for my final meal? The last third of the book is given over to a collection of last supper recipes from the chefs, I might find something there. Or a few Bluff oysters and a whitebait fritter from my home country, New Zealand– but not just yet!. A quirky book, an unusual yet thought-provoking topic and one that is sure to spawn some good dinner party conversations. I've already got a few friends talking. Listen to an interview with Melanie Dunea about her book >>>
Cheese Slices Will Studd ISBN 978-1-74066-550-6, Hardie Grant Books, RRP $79.95
In those days, a treatise on local cheese in Australasia probably wouldn’t have extended much past a four-page octavo leaflet. Fortunately things have changed. Will Studd has been involved in the cheese business for more than 30 years. In the 1970s he established several delicatessens in central London before emigrating to Melbourne in 1981. He has become the face of cheese in these parts and has done much to promote the many varieties now available, as well as championing the cause for raw milk cheese. When Studd first arrived in Australia strict quarantine regulations and transport logistics meant cheese varieties were very limited, aside from blocks of cheddar and “Coon” cheese. He brought in his first shipment of French and English farmhouse cheeses. In the ensuing years, locals have developed more of a cheese palate. Now there are plenty of artisanal varieties being produced locally and they’re certainly not restricted to cow’s milk with goats, ewes and buffalos all contributing to the growth in cheese varieties. Cheese Slices is no quick read. Studd traces the origins of cheese, the importance of pasture and soil, and the seasonal nature of the business. All lactating animals are not created equal and the differences in milk composition between species and breeds can influence the final product, which Studd discusses. The process of making cheese is explained along with the difference components used in producing the many different types, from soft fresh cheese through to long-matured cheeses. With mandatory pasteurisation of milk required for cheese made in Australia and New Zealand, few of us had sampled raw milk cheese until Roquefort was eventually allowed to be sold in Australia two years ago. Cheese tasting can be every bit as focused as wine tasting, and Studd spells out the specifics such as the smell, the effect on the palate, texture, the secondary aroma as the cheese is chewed and the different characteristics revealed. Purchasing the cheese, taking it home and storing it is addressed. Some cheeses should be purchased as close as possible to the time they are to be consumed. Making a complementary selection for a cheeseboard, the order of tasting, the etiquette of cutting, serving temperatures, accompaniment – all are important. Bread, cheese, wine and the mixing and matching thereof receive serious consideration, as does the subject of cooking with cheese. The various cheese types are examined at length and the major examples covered and finally Australian cheeses are discussed. There are comprehensive tasting notes for these local varieties and I’ve found it’s worth visiting local farmers’ markets to meet the makers, discuss the produce and educate your own palate. Cheese Slices is a worthwhile addition to the food lover’s library. The book’s publication coincides with the ABC’s release of Cheese Slices Volume 3 DVD – his third television series devoted to artisan and farmhouse cheese. Filmed on three continents, this 21-episode cheese odyssey provides a fascinating glimpse into the way the world’s best-loved traditional cheeses are made. Cheese Slices has now been seen by up to 50 million people around the world, including viewers in France, Spain, Poland and Hungary. It is being translated into Mandarin and Cantonese and a fourth series is in production. Bravo, Will Studd, for feeling so passionately about cheese and passing on the knowledge.
Pier Greg Doyle, Grant King and Katrina Kanetani, ISBN 978-1921259043, Murdoch Books, RRP $85.00 One of the delights of dining out is having an exquisitely composed plate of food placed in front of you. One by one the senses come into play as you feast on it with your eyes, breathe in the fragrance then savour each delicious mouthful. As someone said to me the other night “This dish is so good, I don’t want to get to the end.”
Doyle, his head chef King and head pastry chef Kanetani have assembled a distinctive and innovative collection of dishes for this much awaited book. While there is some fairly cheffy stuff going on in there, the dedicated cook with time and patience should be able to make some spectacular fare to wow dinner party guests. Pier, subtitled “A unique Australia seafood experience” contains the clean fresh food that is the hallmark of the country’s best chefs. A deconstructed panzanella featuring raw tuna ravioli, a delicately garnished salad of raw scallop, tuna, tomato and herbs with a lime dressing, a vibrant bowl of gazpacho with spanner crab. There’s a delicious parmesan custard with a turban of blanched shaved asparagus, broccolini and peeled cooked soy beans, all atop a bed of anchoiade. There are no beds of brash lettuce leaves taking up the plating real estate. It’s all quietly understated. Roasted barramundi comes with some sweetcorn puree, brown mushroom carpaccio and mushroom mousseline. Scallop and truffle sandwiches had me salivating as I turned the page. Chapterwise, Pier embraces tasting plates (raw, warm, cheese and dessert), entrees featuring hot and cold canapés, mains, and desserts and petits fours. It’s in this last section Kanetani shows her deft and delicate touch with impeccable passionfruit madeleines, blood orange jellies, blueberry and raspberry sables, champagne and rose petal marshmallows and a succession of other beautiful desserts. It’s a substantial book of 280 pages and includes a final appendix of recipes for component sauces, stocks, embellishments, paints and purees. Some less familiar ingredients are also covered in the small – basil seeds (which soften and turn gelatinous when soaked and make an interesting garnish), an armory of texturas from El Bulli, and an explanation of foams and froths. Don’t be intimidated by elements of molecular gastronomy, however. For the most part the food is food, not something out of a chemistry textbook. This book combines the elements that make a dish memorable – the carefully selected ingredients, the skillful plating enhanced by David Morgan’s styling, the gorgeous photographs by Anson Smart. This is clever modern Australian food at its best and I’d be very surprised if Pier doesn’t collect a recipe book award over the next year or two. Read an extract from Pier about the restaurant
Nigella Express Nigella Lawson ISBN 978-0-701-18184-0, Random House Australia. RRP $69.95 The Domestic Goddess returns with a collection of recipes sure to appeal to the time-poor greedy – and isn’t that most of us these days? It’s that old saga. It’s 6pm and the end of a long day of meetings, or ferrying kids, or rapidly approaching deadlines, or sometimes all three and more. Preparing dinner is about the last thing we want to do. The sooner it’s over and done with, the better.
To cook, one must shop and therein lies part of the secret of express food. There must be a reasonable store cupboard as a back-up but otherwise a quick dash in/grab/pay trip to the supermarket during a lunch break or on the way home is within the scope of most of us. The chapters mostly obey the need for speed edict – Everyday Easy, Workday Winners, Retro Rapido, Against the Clock, On the Run. You get the picture? Most recipes have a typically Nigella preamble because “I couldn’t possibly eradicate all witter from my writing life.” But the method is given in short precise steps and each recipe is confined to a page. The design conforms to ideal cookbook style with ingredients in bold type, easily legible from benchtop distance and each step of the method is helpfully ruled off which saves scrambling to find one’s place. The recipes are not overly complicated, mainly with short ingredients lists. Many contain shortcuts, making use of store-cupboard items like canned beans, bought grilled peppers, pre-grated cheese and so on, while not compromising flavour. Some such as commercially prepared caramelised onions may be harder to track down, however. But there are good ideas for making your own “convenience” items like pancake mix, oven-dried tomatoes, and steeped Christmas fruits – on a quiet weekend when you have time... So what about the recipes. Plenty of good no-fuss ones, many of them quick but extremely flavourful. For example a speedy macaroni cheese, tuna steaks with black beans, high-speed hamburgers with fast fries (smashed new potatoes fried), Italian sausages with hot tomato sauce and polenta, mini meatloves, sesame peanut noodles, Spanish omelette, potato cakes with smoked salmon, croque Monsieur bake, quesadillas, stirfried turkey breast fillets with cannellini beans, and enough delicious desserts to keep the biggest glutton happy. There are also prepare-ahead dishes that need minimal finishing at mealtime. And there are dishes for entertaining, too. All are temptingly illustrated with photos by Lis Parsons. If the family chef is starting to look a bit frazzled, this book will cheer them up and re-inspire them. They say never trust a skinny cook. We can all take solace from the fact that the comely Nigella not only cooks, but she also eats and her latest 392-page collection is worth checking out. You can also download Nigella's vodcasts about recipes in her new book. Click on the book titles or cover photos if you wish to order from Fishpond
A Good Nose and Great Legs by Robert Geddes, ISBN 978-1740458764, Murdoch Books. RRP $39.95 Robert Geddes is one of the few Australian-born Masters of Wine. And his book, subtitled The Art of Wine from the Vine to the Table, is a comprehensive guide to wine culture and style in Australia and internationally.
In the first part of the book he introduces the reader to these three elements. In the second he shares how to discern what the drinker likes in a wine so they can purchase with confidence as well as appreciate the nuances that go with the wine lifestyle such as matching food with wine. Place matters, he says, “because the relationship of the vine and the environment dictates the characteristics of the wine.” He examines the determining factors like climate, temperatures, terroir and all the other variables. Then it’s on to the people – winemakers and winemaking and how grapes become wine. He examines grape varieties which are “the key to understanding wine. The characteristics of emos more familiar varieties from early through to late ripening stage are explained and then there’s an in-depth look at red and white wines and blends. Geddes explains the ritual of tasting a wine and the aim of the seeing, sniffing, swirling, sipping and sucking, spitting or swallowing, and savouring. The legs of the title are the legs inside a wine glass – the way the wine flows down the glass “which is supposed to reveal big distinctions in alcohol concentration and sugar richness.” There’s a chapter on buying wine with confidence – what to look for on a label, whether or not cleanskins are likely to be a good buy, corks v screwcaps, buyer’s own brands, how various tastings are conducted, how to read wine reviews and so on through to wine blogs, auctions, old and rare wines, wine clubs. Matching food and wine can be a pretty personal thing and Geddes goes far beyond the “white with fish, red with steak” school of thinking with some informative approaches to good matches. This book is going to appeal to a wide audience – from the beginner through to the passionate oenophile and the rest of us somewhere between the two. It’s clearly written, immensely interesting and a book to be savoured, preferably in small chunks with a glass of the day’s homework in one hand. It’s an attractive book, well illustrated with informative graphics and photos that illustrate the journey from the vineyard to the glass – and all for the cost of a couple of bottles of wine.
Pork: Easy, Delicious, Versatile ISBN 978-186396779-2, ACP Books, RRP $12.95 Ingredient specific cookbooks can be very useful, particularly if it’s an ingredient you’d like to gain more experience in cooking. For many, pork falls into that category.
Pork has a reputation for being a fatty meat. But it isn’t – many cuts are actually lean and there are 15 cuts approved by the Heart Foundation. Many people can’t see beyond the Sunday pork roast and yet this is a versatile meat that can be used for barbecues, stir-fries, meatballs, kebabs, tortillas, dumplings, quick steaks… the list goes on. Australian Pork Ltd has joined forces with the Australian Women’s Weekly in this recipe book that certainly emphasises the versatility of pork. While the traditional roast does make an appearance there are many other recipes to inspire the cook from starters through to grills and barbecues, pan-fries, stir-fries, curries and casseroles. Every dish has been photographed and there’s an international feel to the recipes – Pork and snake bean Madras, Singapore noodles, schnitzels, burgers, Teriyaki pork, Sage roasted pork loin, Sri Lankan pork curry, Pork larb with broccolini, Pork kway teow, Beetroot and lentil salad with pork sausages and many more. Nutritional counts for each serving will enable those watching carbs and saturated fat intake to see what they are consuming. A useful book that will encourage pork lovers to expand their repertoire and the pork-wary to discover cooking with pork can be easy.
Beyond Nose to Tail: A Kind of British Cooking: Part II by Fergus Henderson and Justin Piers Gellatly, ISBN 978-0-7475-8914-3. Bloomsbury. RRP $45.00 Not much escapes Fergus Henderson. Every part of a butchered beast, particularly a pig, is taken into his kitchen and embraced with enthusiasm.
Henderson felt his first book was a bit short on the world of puddings, baking and bread so this has been remedied thanks to Justin Piers Gellatly, pastry chef and head baker at Henderson’s St John Restaurant in London. After a cleansing glass of Campari and white wine to get the juices going, it’s straight into the most basic of piggy stuff, pork skin and fat. “Rather like eating grown up peanut butter” is a dish of salted pork back fat, thinly slice and served wrapped around a freshly cracked walnut. This is followed by pork scratchings – salted pig skin covered with duck fat and baked for a couple of hours then stored till required, when it is carefully baked and transformed into a crispy golden delight to enjoy with drinks. The ultimate crackling dish. With that calorie blast behind us, a soup seems in order. The soups are challenging too, specially the nettle and snail soup including DIY instructions for purging snails. Maybe a little salad, then. “Be firm but fair with salads,” Henderson exhorts. His are far from wimpy and I was pleased to note the inclusion of his delicious White cabbage and brown shrimp salad. He included this dish - though made with Moreton Bay bugmeat - when he visited Melbourne in 2006 for A Taste of Slow and made several of his St John dishes for a hearty dinner one chilly evening. It’s time to get into the serious food, starting at the pig’s head. No instant gratification here. Some dishes need nurturing over several hours or maybe even days. I’ve enjoyed tender pig’s ears at The Graham in Melbourne but I am not sure I have the patience to harvest 14 ears, shave them all, then embark on Pressed pig’s ear though it sounds very tasty. Next we are introduced to Trotter Gear, the first commercially available product from St John, launched in September. There’s even a recipe for making our own. It comprises “nuduals of giving wobbly pig's trotter” captured in a splendid jelly and is made from chicken stock, pig's trotters, onions, carrots, Madeira, leeks, thyme, celery and peppercorns. I suspect Henderson made up the word “nuduals”. They sound like something best eaten with a runcible spoon! Trotter Gear is a foundation element in several intriguing recipes including one for braising squirrel (which apparently tastes like oily wild rabbit). There’s some sage advice to accompany the Roast whole suckling pig: “Keep in mind the size of your oven when choosing your suckling pig. There is nothing sadder than a wee pig ready to roast and it won’t fit in the oven. So…” These little asides give the book a certain charm and character. For our daily bread, Gellatly guides us through making a “mother” or starter and there are several interesting bread recipes once we’ve mastered that technique. Ah, seed cake! I loved the stuff when I was a child though in those days I wasn’t permitted the recommended accompaniment – a glass of Madeira. Prune buns, anchovy buns, doughnuts, treacle tart, trifle, hot chocolate pudding, ice creams and a collection of “Steadying puddings.” Steady on! Have these men never heard the word calorie? This book will appeal greatly to food enthusiasts who are not afraid to take time to produce a seriously flavoursome dish or who appreciate the logic of getting out the razor and shaving a pig’s head before braising it. (Next Henderson will be making edible shaving foam for hogs, maybe?) The design is nicely restrained and there’s a mix of well composed colour and black and white photos by Jason Lowe. Holiday by Bill Granger, ISBN 978-1921259760, Murdoch Books, RRP $49.95. I was sitting at the breakfast table in the morning sun when this book arrived and I ended up lingering over my tea for some time, savouring Holiday's delicious contents.
As Granger observes, a holiday doesn’t always need to be going away somewhere so his book reflects the serendipity of a special picnic, breakfast in bed, harvest suppers, fireside fare. What struck me was the simplicity of many of the dishes. After all, a holiday – even if it’s all in the mind – shouldn’t involve hours in the kitchen. Picture green ratatouille with zucchini, celery, capsicum and fresh herbs, an eggplant salad with chilli and mint, crispy chicken with ponzu dressing, chargrilled baby octopus with sherry vinegar dressing or whole grilled fish with curry paste. The emphasis is on good, simple ingredients, maximum flavour and inviting presentation. This book spans the year taking in season-matched dishes from soups to desserts. Excellent photos by Petrina Tinslay capture the essence of the changing seasons. The clever cover can be removed and unfolded to reveal a peaceful seascape. The only jarring notes are chunks of super-sized text, and the use of capital letters for ingredients. Words in capitals can’t be read as fluently as those in lower case and ingredients listings need to be clear and unconfusing. That aside, this will be a useful addition to the relaxed cook’s library – one to tuck in the suitcase this summer, perhaps. Footnote: One of my 20something sons quickly claimed this book for himself. Said it was his kind of food and the recipes looked like they were within his capabilities. That's an endorsement!
Orgy Planner Wanted: Odd Jobs and Curious Callings in the Ancient World by Vicki Leon. ISBN 978-1-84724-096-5, Quercus, RRP $34.95 Most of my forebears were from England, Ireland or Scotland and many of them, like their contemporaries, had fairly humdrum jobs. Sure, some were soldiers who served in exotic lands, but a lot of them were plain AgLabs – agricultural labourers who kept the rural wheels turning.
“What do you do for a living?” The orgy planners of the title probably had the ultimate event management job. All that wine to organise, musicians for the uninhibited dancing, etcetera etcetera. Cleaning up afterwards also had its moments – like the time one party ended with drunken revellers storming through Athens breaking the phalluses off hundreds of statues. There were numerous jobs in the food industry. Beekeepers were favoured and would often put their hives on boats and take them miles upstream in search of more blooms. As well as honey, they also sold the wax for use in medicine preparation. Gluttony became the yardstick for measuring who had the most in their coffers. The cook gained status as cooking became an art form. Cookbooks started to appear and cooks became more competitive in their quest for the unusual. Bakeries thrived. At one stage there were 254 in ancient Rome. The ketchup of the ancient world was garum. Top of the range was liquamen, made by the garum manufacturer from mackerel or sardines, probably something like a paler, fishier Worcestershire sauce. He also made terracotta amphora to store garum, as well as olive oil and wine – a little offshoot industry. Some jobs probably had limited tenure The praegustator or foretaster of the house had to taste the food to ensure it had not been poisoned. Sometimes it had and paranoia abounded. And of course there was the winemaker, bringing joy and headaches to all. With all this eating and drinking, Roman engineers had to find a way to bring in fresh water and carry away waste. The latter was the job of the stercorarius who emptied the slop buckets and cesspools and carted the pickings to the outskirts of the city then recycled his waste to farmers. In lively fashion, Vicki Leon takes the reader through countless other jobs and professions (including the oldest one of all). There are amulet makers, vestal virgins, tour guides, cobblers, gladiators, authors, sailors, mercenaries, rent boys, miners, scribes, muralists, musicians, fishwives, astrologers, mosaic artists and many more to hold the reader’s attention. The book also includes brief biographies of 30 specific job-holders. For someone whose Latin exam marks generally came from the Roman life and times questions rather than the grammar, I found this a fascinating read.
Secrets of the Red Lantern: Stories and Recipes from the Heart by Pauline Nguyen with recipes by Luke Nguyen and Mark Jensen. ISBN 978-1740459044, Murdoch Books, RRP $59.95 This book has a lot going for it. Firstly, it’s a jolly good read as Pauline Nguyen takes us on the journey her family made from Vietnam to Australia in 1978, how they coped, and how they got on with life in their new country while still preserving their own Vietnamese culture and traditions.
Throughout the ups and down, food is the very potent binding force that saves them all time and time again. Pauline’s parents ran a restaurant and it seemed inevitable that their offspring would eventually get drawn into the same business in their own right. These days Pauline, her brother Luke and her partner Mark Jensen run the successful Red Lantern Vietnamese restaurant in Sydney’s Surry Hills. But this is a family biography with a bonus. As Pauline spins her family tale, the chapters are interspersed with the secrets of the Red Lantern – a delicious collection of recipes that offer the reader virtual sustenance along the way. These recipes from Red Lantern now have their place in posterity. There are wonderful fish dishes, a delicious array of pork, chicken and beef dishes, flavoured and spiced to perfection, restorative dishes to perk up the spirits, light and tasty meals, salads. Anyone who is a novice to Vietnamese cuisine will find this an excellent guide to the way various ingredients, herbs and seasonings are used. Food photographer Alan Benson has added to the charm of this sumptuous volume and the attractive design totally complements the theme. Add to this the many family portraits and candid shots that flesh out the story and it’s quite a remarkable work. This was a hard book to put down, though as it weighed in at more than 1.6kg, I needed the occasional rest. I hope this is not the last piece of writing we see from Pauline Nguyen
Blokes: Tasty No Fuss Recipes edited by Keith Austin. ISBN 978-1-921190-65-0. Fairfax Books. RRP $29.95 When Blokes landed on my desk, elder son Ben, a boomeranger who’s about to leave home for the third time was immediately interested. I think it must be difficult to be dragged away from the family dinner table and back into the hard cold world of making one’s own meals again. All that planning ahead or pondering how to make a half-edible meal out of four eggs, a dodgy block of cheddar and seven limp carrots.
This is a collection of tasty no-fuss recipes that ought to be within the scope of any hungry man with half a brain and a working knowledge of the supermarket. Early in my corporate career I was told to limit most of my communications to one page, an excellent piece of advice I heeded diligently. Likewise bloke’s recipes should be kept short and punchy and within their attention span. As the book’s editor Keith Austin notes, they shouldn’t “double as short stories”. Blokes starts with a seasonal cooking calendar which I like to think of as a reality check – know what’s likely to be available at the greengrocer’s before planning the menu. That out of the way, it’s time for breakfast. Nothing boring there. In fact verging on the impressive. But a bloke cooking breakfast might be a bloke cooking to impress… Lunches, salads, soups and dips, mains and desserts. Austin has tried to source recipes that are long on presentation and have that “wow” factor. Like Brigitte Hafner’s Grilled fig and duck salad. Mmmm. Or Alister Brown’s Chargrilled crayfish with horseradish and lime butter, Tony Tan’s Cantonese-style steamed fish or Les Huynh’s Frangelico jelly with coconut sauce (pity about the unfortunate literal on that page…) Other recipes come from Jill Dupleix, Lynne Mullins, Keith Floyd, Jared Ingersoll, George Francisco and Sean Moran plus Austin and friends. Willie Simpson, author of The Beer Bible, has come on board to offer drinks matches. All in all a great book for blokes. And I think a few sheilahs might be happy to have it in their kitchen, too.
Pastries and Breads: The Baking Recipes You Must Have by Jane Price. ISBN 978-1921259081, Murdoch Books, RRP $32.95 This is one of those smart, no-nonsense books that earn their keep in a cook’s library. It’s from the Kitchen Classics series.  Pies, flans, tarts, quiches – all have a part in the busy cook’s repertoire, specially when the fridge is looking a bit bare. Amazing how the small bunch of asparagus, the odd tail-ends of cheese, a few eggs and maybe the bonus of a couple of rashers of bacon or even some prosciutto can suddenly re-emerge as a perfectly respectable quiche garnished with some orphan salad leaves.
It’s always a good idea to have a few sheets of puff pastry in the freezer. Recently an old friend rustled up a beautiful snack of light flaky pastry and caramelised onions and this book contains many ideas for defrosting pastry and making a wonderful meal of it. Consider Mushroom, asparagus and feta tart, Goat’s cheese and apple tarts, Fish Wellington, or Lemon brulee tarts. Short pastry is made so quickly and easily in a food processor it’s quicker than dashing to the supermarket to buy some. So, Smoked cod flan or Herbed fish tartlets or Tomato and bocconcini flan all look pretty tempting, not to mention an abundance of delicious desserts. There are also numerous ethnic breads to choose from. A savoury tart is often something I choose to make when the family isn’t able to assemble together at the same time for a meal and there’s plenty of inspiration here.
Crave: A Passion for Chocolate by Maureen McKeon, ISBN 9781740458047, Murdoch Books, RRP $49.95. This is a seriously good chocolate book. Serious in that it includes the best explanation of chocolate science for the cook that I have come across, good in that this is a cracker collection of recipes for those who crave the stuff.
My craving is at the top end of the scale – the darker and more bitter the chocolate, the better I like it. No milk chocolate for me – I like the 90% stuff. White chocolate? That’s not even chocolate in my book. I am also a cook who likes to know the underlying science and this books scored very highly on that count. Chocolate is a sensitive beast. It doesn’t like extremes of temperature or water. It’s capricious and can break your heart when you’re sweating over a dish for a big dinner. But with Maureen McKeon to hold your hand, half the worry is gone as you learn the tricks of the trade, the science behind critical temperatures, the role other ingredients play in baking that perfect chocolate delight. And having mastered those, you can move on to the good stuff. And good it is – luscious cakes, desserts, indulgences, celebrations. McKeon acknowledges the part her sons played in inspiring this book as she furnished them with chocolates treats. My own sons led a deprived childhood with a meat/fish/veg/fruit-focussed mother and I feel I should make amends. One boy could sniff my periodic cache at 100 metres and would thoughtfully consume sympathy chunks just to keep me on the straight and narrow. Maybe I will make them The Ultimate Truffle Brownie, a Food of the Gods Torte, the Almond Dacquoise With Chocolate Buttercream - just for a treat, of course. This work is the culmination of many years’ working with chocolate and that depth of knowledge shows. If you want to progress your chocolate finesse, this has to be the new bible.
The World's Weirdest Sports: Bog Snorkelling, Goat Grabbing and Dwile Flunking Paul Connolly ISBN 978-1921259975, Murdoch Books, RRP $24.95 I saw this title and thought there has to be some food involved in there somewhere, and sure enough… I wonder if I inherited my love of cheese from some of my forebears who emigrated to Australia from Gloucestershire, home of cheese rollers. For hundreds of years, on the last Monday in May at Cooper’s Hill, folk gather at the top of a very steep hill for the first of the day’s four races. There are 20 people in each race and a second before they start hurling themselves down the hill, a 7-pound wheel of Double Gloucester is set rolling for them to chase. They slither and slide, cartwheel and tumble in hot pursuit of a cheese that can travel up to 60 kilometres an hour. The first person to arrive at the bottom takes home the cheese.
Most of us have seen Tsunami Kobayashi, six time holder of the Coney Island hot-dog chompathon. I read recently where he might have to give away competitive eating as he has arthritis of the jaw. I am not surprised. In a recent record bid he hoovered up 57 (8.3kg) of cow brains. He’s obviously not worried about mad cow disease. Others have downed meatballs, waffles, doughnuts, Spam, watermelons, hard-boiled eggs and chilli peppers in a bid for fame. At the other end of the food chain, so to speak, there’s cow chip throwing, while another quaint English custom, is egg throwing. I see my own homeland makes the book for the annual gumboot throwing competition. We’ve all seen Spain’s mass tomato fight when more than 100 tonnes of over-ripe tomatoes are squished then hurled. Watermelon seed spitting has put Lulling, Texas and Frechou, France on the map while the Italians, who used to throw pots of beans into the street, replaced that with a three-day orange fight. And every January in Manitou Springs, Colorado, there’s a great fruitcake toss – either by hand or by supplied catapult. Port Lincoln, South Australia is home to (frozen) tuna tossing while an interstate mullet toss keeps Florida and Alabama residents entertained in April. There must be a lot of homework involved in gathering building material for Darwin’s beer can regatta where boats are made almost entirely of beer cans. Author Paul Connolly has gathered more than 50 quaint and creative “sporting” endeavours for this entertaining book – bog snorkelling, dwile flonking, wife carrying, goanna pulling, competitive apnoea. The things we do to amuse ourselves!
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There are several myths surrounding pork that are quite incorrect. Pork isn’t difficult to cook. It’s fast and easy. It can be married with a range of different sauces, It doesn’t have to be cooked until it becomes dry and tasteless. 
