- Casa Barilla Cooking School
By Ms. Taste
I recently received an invitation to attend a cooking class with Casa Barilla. It was upon receiving this invite that I realised I had never done a cooking class before. I wasn’t sure what to expect and dreaded reliving my high school food tech classes. Dark and dingy, our classroom (and makeshift kitchen) was a breeding ground for disaster – not to mention salmonella. Our teacher was fairly uninspiring and the dishes taught were equally bland.
In complete contrast, Casa Barilla was a breath of fresh air and the atmosphere was incredibly relaxed: no one was here to be the next Guy Grossi, they were just looking for some inspiration to jazz up their tired repertoire. Plus, there was plenty of bubbles and vino to go around.
“We try to keep it as much fun as possible and to give a true Italian experience to the attendees from the minute they walk through our doors, until they leave. The locals love it and embrace it, so we keep working hard to improve it at all times,” says Luca Ciano, Casa Barilla’s Executive Chef who explains that Casa Barilla opened in 2008 with the aim of sharing the diversity of Italian cuisine with Australians.
“We only focus on Italian cooking, no twist no gimmicks, it’s simple and easy to understand and people can go home and truly replicate the dishes demonstrated.”
The class format is relatively easy to follow – first, Luca demonstrates the steps involved in putting the dish together and then the class breaks to their stations and replicates what they’ve just seen. The process is made a little easier with an elevated LCD which provides an aerial view of what Luca is doing.
I was won over by Luca and his assistant Angelo’s nonchalant attitude to cooking. They were also a great laugh and I really didn’t think a cooking class would be this enjoyable. Luca doesn’t profess to be an expert, but simply provides you with the basics for creating great dishes at home and giving you freedom to interpret and adapt however you wish.
Many of the classes are built around different regional dishes in Italy. The class we attended was inspired by the region of Lombardy in Italy’s north. On the agenda was Osso Buco, Salame di Cioccolato (Chocolate Salami) and Polenta.
Osso Buco is a Milanese specialty of veal shanks cooked in meat broth, flavored with white wine and vegetables. Slowly braised, this relatively tough, yet flavorful cut of meat becomes meltingly tender, and the connective tissues and marrow dissolve into the sauce, making it rich and creamy. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the luxury of time with our Osso Buco. I would really like to give the recipe a go in a slow cooker: a slow braise over six or seven hours will really soften the meat and bring out greater flavour in the dish.
Osso Buco alla Milanese
Serves 4Ingredients
½ onion, finely chopped
½ carrot, finely chopped
½ stick of celery, finely chopped
100g unsalted butter
4 veal osso buco (300 – 350g each)
100g plain flour
1 glass white wine
2 glasses veal stock
1 tin peeled tomatoes or 3 fresh vine-ripened tomatoes (optional)
100g green peasGremolata
30g lemon zest
¼ bunch parsley
1 garlic clove
Salt & pepper and olive oilMethod
1. In a large casserole, gently cook the onion, carrot and celery in butter until golden.
2. Coat the osso buco in flour, season them and sear on both sides in the same pan.
3. Add the wine and let it evaporate. Add the stock and tomatoes and simmer with a lid on for an hour and a half.
4. To make the gremolata, finely chop the lemon zest, parsley, garlic and mix with a little olive oil and season to taste.
5. Five minutes before serving, add the peas and season to taste. Serve with gremolata.
Barilla Polenta
375 grams Barilla polenta flour
1.5 litre water
1 tbs salt
1 tbs exra virgin olive oil
60 grams grated grana padano
20 grams unsalted butter1. Bring to boil the water in a large pot, add salt and oil.
2. Once boiling, add the polenta a litle at a time, whisking constantly.
3. Cook on gentle heat for 3 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and add butter and grana padano, allow melting and mix well.
Salame di cioccolato
100 grams dried biscuit, crumbled
50 grams almonds finely chopped
80 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
150 grams caster sugar
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 tbs dark cocoa powder
1 tbs rum1. In a large bowl mix the eggs with butter, sugar, cocoa and liquor.
2. Add the biscuits and almonds and mix well.
3. Place the mix onto the grease proof paper and roll it into a salami shape.
4. Allow to rest for for 2 hours in the freezer before serving.
For more information about Casa Barilla’s upcoming cooking classes, please visit www.barillaaus.com. Classes are priced from $50 per person.
Casa Barilla
4 Annandale Street
Annandale NSW 2038
www.barillaaus.com
- Chophouse – Sydney CBD
By Ms. Taste
There are certain things that get a food blogger really excited – macarons, cheese on a stick, Anthony Bourdain…
An 11.4kg suckling pig rolled in on a trolley somehow trumps all of the above.
A group of bloggers recently attended a ‘Pig & Pinot’ dinner at Chophouse, a moody North American inspired steakhouse located in the inner city.
The dinner was hosted by the restaurant’s General Manager, Adam Heathcote, who gave us an entree into what Chophouse does best: quality produce that’s sourced direct from the fields and retains its freshness and integrity.
Adam addressed the issue of educating the public about food. It seems that mass production and genetic modification has really brainwashed our conceptions of what food should look and taste like. One example is heirloom carrots, which is purple in colour – not orange.
Adam’s passion and dedication towards fresh local produce is truly inspiring. Chophouse’s black truffles, for instance, is sourced from the Southern Highlands, which makes them incredibly fresh having been out of the ground for less than 24 hours. I think it’s fantastic to see Chophouse support local suppliers, paticularly while they’re in their infancy.
The Mt. Lowe truffle featured on our ceviche of Hervey Bay sea scallops, which was served on the shell. It was very subtle, though the smell and taste was there. The scallops were luscious in texture, sweet on the tongue. That said, I wasn’t entirely satisfied with this dish as a ceviche, I felt it was lacking in acid and possibly a little extra dressing.
We also tasted an entree of jamon and Italian buffalo milk mozzarella. I found it a little difficult to evaluate this dish as I’m not really a jamon fan. In terms of flavour, I thought it was a nicely balanced dish, highlighted with the addition of roasted fennel, onion and almonds. I particularly liked the onion, which was beautifully rendered with balsamic. There was no rawness at all, only a smokey sweetness that was so incrediby surprising. I don’t think I’ve had onion that well cooked before!
When the big ticket item rolled around, we all went a little pork mad. Executive Chef, David Clarke carved several platefuls of the suckling pig, topped with plenty of crackling. Though it was obvious that the highly sought after parts were the nose, tail and ears.
Accompanying the sucking pig was a caesar salad ‘wedge’, a cauliflower gratin and green beans. The caesar salad was my pick of the three – so refreshing to see caesar presented so well in a restaurant. No sloppy bowl affairs at Chophouse, it’s all class!
Our dinner ended with a dessert of caramelised banana cheesecake. I thought it was a simple dessert with very little fanfare – until Adam brought over bottles of Hennessy and Grapa. I don’t think I’ve ever had dessert paired with 43% alcohol before. The Grapa was intriguing, very floral and spicy, but much too heavy for my liking. Interesting concept though.
We also devoured slices of Chophouse’s signature chocolate block, served on a wooden board with a mini cleaver. The block is made in house using a combination of milk and dark chocolate from Lindt. It was the perfect coffee accompaniment.
Chophouse will shortly be launching a 1920’s inspired New York carvery with a rotating daily special. The menu is yet to be finalised, but suckling pig is definitely on the cards. Stay tuned!
Chophouse
25 Bligh Street
Sydney City
NSW 2000
# 1300 246 748
www.chophouse.com.auOpen Monday to Friday from 12pm until late and Saturday from 6pm until late.
- Recipe: 8 Steps to a Perfect Steak
By Ms. Taste
I can’t tell you how many steaks I’ve butchered over the years. My steaks are never quite right – sometimes undercooked, other times, too tough. So I’ve steered clear of buying a good piece of steak until I mastered the art of a perfect steak.
I was handed the opportunity by Chophouse, who generously gave away a 400g piece of dry aged Delmonico steak at a recent blogger dinner (more on that to come!). The steak came complete with an 8-step cheat sheet prepared by Executive Chef, David Clarke.
So I took the recipe for spin last night and couldn’t believe how easy it was. The steak was a perfect medium: soft, juicy and supple on the inside, beautiful crust on the outside. Topped with steamed green beans and sweet potato crinkle fries, it was just the thing I needed after a hard, long week. I was pretty darn pleased with myself!
8 Steps to the Perfect Steak
1. Take the steak out of the fridges for 20 minutes before to temper.
2. Set the oven to 200 degrees.
3. Heat a thick bottom flying pan to hot.
4. Season steak with oilve oil and salt flakes.
5. Place the steak in the hot pan and cook for 90 seconds on each side, turn and repeat. Do not add any more oil.
6. Place in oven for 4 minutes and take out, rest for 8 minutes on a rack in a warm place
7. Place in the oven for 1 minute to reheat.
8. Slice, serve and enjoy!
NB – For those looking to try this recipe, the timing may need to be altered depending on the size of your steak.
- Ghermez Cupcakes
By Ms. Taste
I’m forever inspired by stories of seachange. There is something incredibly heartening about the risks that people take to live out their dream. It seems that when you’re passionate about something, you work hard to push yourself out of an everyday routine and pursue that dream unrelentingly.
I recently met with Ghazaleh Lyari, the founder of Ghermez Cupcakes. Ten years ago, Ghazaleh was a high flying investment banker on Wall Street. Now she’s the head of a booming cupcake business, concoting new flavours and managing the day-to-day of her brand’s three stores.
“Having worked with so many entrepreneurs, I’ve always wanted the opportunity to be the girl in charge,” Ghazaleh tells me and admits that she explored several business models before settling on cupcakes. What prompted this decision was that serious businessmen in the US were investing in cupcakes.
Sydney is no stranger to cupcakes and Ghazaleh has cleverly identified a gap in the market. Ghermez caters for a different kind of consumer, one perhaps like Ghazaleh herself who doesn’t have a sweet tooth but will indulge in a seriously good piece of cake.
Having done her research, Ghazelah set out to make quality cupcakes with a variety of unique flavours set out in a stylish environment. Her cupcakes are baked fresh everyday, using wholesome natural ingredients. No thick slabs of fluro buttercream on her cupcakes, everything is made from scratch – including the strawberry icing which is made fresh daily with real strawberries.
Ghermez currently have 20 flavours on their menu, with new flavours added seasonally. Dulce de leche is one of these flavours as is the new gluten free orange and almond (with more to come!).
“My inspiration for new flavours come mostly from my mother’s cooking. She is an amazing cook, and I grew up in a household where fabulous, wholesome and delicious food was around no matter when you walked through the doors!” Ghazaleh says, “She makes a lot of beautiful sweets and uses a lot of ingredients from the east, including pistachios, rose water, orange blossom extract.”
I got to sample a few of Ghazaleh’s creations, which included Chocolate Honey, Chocolate Marshmallow, Red Velvet, Dulce de Leche and Strawberry.
The standouts are undoubtedly the two chocolate flavours, both fluffy and moist – a rare quality missing in most cupcakes. The flavour of honey in the Chocolate Honey cupcake is subtle, well-balanced and not too overly sweet. Meanwhile, marshmallow forms the gooey centre of the Chocolate Marshmallow and makes a very clever (and addictive!) combination.
Ghazleh has big plans for her brand in the years to come, “My objective with Ghermez is to make sure we are regarded as ‘best in class’. I am hoping that ‘Ghermez’ will be a brand associated with all things delicious and stylish.”
Expanding beyond cupcakes is definitely on the cards. Ghazaleh has her eye on the next venture, and we’re all excited to find out what it is!
- Heston’s Feasts
By Ms. Taste
I always knew Heston Blumenthal was wacky.
I just didn’t know how wacky until I saw him on Masterchef. I remember sitting there, amazed and bewildered as he unveiled his three Michelin star dishes one by one, including the iconic Sound of the Sea (edible sand! foam! iPod!).
After watching a sneak peak copy of Heston’s Feasts, which airs on SBS ONE next Thursday, I’ve come to the conclusion that the man is not only wacky, he’s an absolute nutter.
In each episode of Heston’s Feasts, Heston explores a period of extraordinary gastronomic innovation, recreating ‘lost’ recipes and discovering forgotten ingredients. He takes you behind the scenes and travels to remote areas to source unusual foods, where he uses his unique scientific approach to cooking to assemble his own versions of great historical and mythical feasts.
Some crazy creations featured in the series include: A chocolate waterfall that ‘unmixes’ to form chocolate water… A flying dessert complete with flying saucer… An edible house made from gingerbread, cakes and candy… Lickable amuse bouche wallpaper…
Heston’s Feasts is as much a food show as it is a science, travel and history extravaganza. You pick up lots of nifty facts about various historical periods in history and come to appreciate his one-of-a-kind genius when it comes to reinvention.
Heston is a joy to watch on camera and you can’t help but be swept up in the excitement of his child-like wonder. He doesn’t take food too seriously and puts the fun back into dining and entertaining.
Perhaps the most outlandish episode (and my favourite) is where Heston prepares a Willie Wonka feast based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, complete with Oompa Loompas!
Other episodes in this series include an Edwardian Titanic Feast, a Fairytale feast inspired by his favourite stories which thrilled and scared him as a child, and Heston goes ghoulish in an eye-popping Gothic feast that takes inspiration from iconic works of horror such as Frankenstein, Dracula and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
The second series of Heston’s Feasts will air on SBS ONE on Thursday 19 August at 8:30pm. Don’t miss it!
And here is a sneak peak if you can’t wait until then…
For more information, please visit www.sbs.com.au/hestonsfeasts.
