Sometimes referred to as ‘Chinese parsley’ or ‘cilantro’ – coriander is a native herb of the Middle East and Southern Europe. However, it has also been popular throughout Asia for thousands of years. It grows wild in Egypt and the Sudan, and surprisingly can also be found growing wild in English fields. Most Australians would recognise coriander as an ingredient regularly used in Thai cuisine. The pungent tasting fresh green leaves almost look like the leaves of parsley, but with more of a flat ...
Aug 14, 2016•2 min
My wife is of Hungarian and German heritage. Growing up, she relished visits to her Grandfather’s home to indulge in all manner of Hungarian culinary delights. The corner-stone of this Central European cuisine is a distinctive blend of spices – of which paprika is ‘King’. There are very few aromas that beat the combination of onion, garlic and paprika frying in a pan. This simple combination of ingredients results in a depth of savoury flavour that is uniquely Hungarian. Paprika is the name comm...
Aug 13, 2016•2 min
Balsamic vinegar is very popular, due to it’s rich, sweet characteristics. It features prominently in many Italian recipes. It is so sweet in fact that it can also be used in desserts. Unlike most vinegar, Balsamic vinegar is not derived from wine but from newly pressed grape juice. In its most traditional form, balsamic vinegar is made from the Trebbiano grape, which flourishes in the Modena region of Italy. It is aged by transferring between barrels made from oak, chestnut, juniper or cherry, ...
Sep 06, 2015•3 min
Scallops are named after the fanned, fluted appearance of their shell. They are categorised as a bivalve mollusc. There is hundreds of species found throughout the waters of the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific Oceans. The closer you live to the ocean, the better your chances of purchasing scallops still alive – but in most cases they are sold already shucked (removed from the shell) and frozen. The reason for this is that scallops deteriorate quickly when removed from the sea and after they ...
Sep 06, 2015•2 min
Pavlova wouldn’t be half the experience without lashings of whipped cream. And, in the absence of whipped cream an ice-cream sundae would be just… a bowl of ice-cream. People have been whipping cream in Europe for centuries, and now-days it has found its way into the cuisines of most cultures. But, whipping cream is not quite as straight forward as you may think, there is some important science involved in the process. To begin with, pure cream has to contain at least 30% fat or it will be unabl...
Sep 05, 2015•3 min
A few years back, while picnicking at the Bunya Mountains, one of my children was almost hit by a bowling ball sized Bunya cone, which hurtled to Earth faster than the speed of sound. It exploded into the ground, making a crater before rolling down the hill into our picnic blanket. Good thing my son had just moved away seconds earlier. Bunya nuts are one of Australia’s greatest indigenous bush foods. They are large almond shaped nuts that grow in tight cones, on giant rainforest pine trees of So...
Sep 05, 2015•3 min
Sugar could be described as a pure carbohydrate, used all around the world to sweeten food. Most people are unaware of how many varieties of sugar are available. Conventional sugar is mainly obtained from the juice of sugar cane, but can also be made from the sucrose of the sugar beet. There are alternative sweeteners such as bee’s honey, date sugar, palm sugar and maple sugar (obtained from maple tree sap). And of course, there are countless sugar substitutes, from the highly artificial ‘Saccha...
Sep 05, 2015•3 min
My first taste of olives was on vacation, as a young teenager. Shortly after taking off from Bahrain Airport, I was served lunch of assorted cheese, Middle Eastern style meats and (in my youthful ignorance) what I thought was a couple of black grapes. The grapes happened to be black olives and with revulsion I impulsively spat one out and it landed at the feet of an airline steward. Embarrassed, I cried out, “There’s something wrong with that grape”, only to have the steward laugh at me. These d...
Apr 11, 2015•2 min
The passionfruit is an elongated oval or round fruit which originates from Central America. The two most common varieties are – the yellow or purple kind. The name ‘Passion’ is not referring to love. The fruit is named after its flower, which is in fact a reference to the Passion of Christ, on the Crucifix. Centuries ago, Spanish priests adopted the passion flower as a symbol of Crucifixion. The outer layer, made of 72 colourful, fine petals represents the Crown of Thorns; the 10 larger petals r...
Jan 01, 2015•2 min
Limes must be one of the world’s most hip citrus fruits. Demand for varieties like Tahitian and Kaffir has built up enormously over the last decade or so, probably because Asian cooking is so popular. There are several common varieties grown: Tahitian Lime is a very juicy fruit and grows all year round. When ripe they are a seedless green fruit – however they can be left on the tree to turn yellow, which makes them softer, juicier and a little sweeter. Wild Finger Lime is a long, narrow fruit wi...
Dec 30, 2014•2 min
There aren’t many cheeses that are as heavenly, soft, rich and creamy as Camembert cheese – besides Brie of course. People often can’t tell the difference between Brie and Camembert. The irony is that there isn’t actually much of a difference. They were both originally made by monks – just in different regions of France. Camembert is classified as a soft-rind cow’s milk cheese. It has a velvety, white mould rind with a pale yellow interior. As the cheese ripens the creamy smooth pâté bulges. Cam...
Dec 28, 2014•2 min
The festive decorations adorning our retail stores are a stark reminder that Christmas day is just around the corner. For many it’s a time to gather with family and friends. My family has rotating roster that dictates who will be hosting Christmas lunch. My wife and I are both chefs, so we at least have to put in half an effort when it’s our turn to host. So we follow some basic rules for planning: My wife makes the rules, which she can change without notice. Don’t leave planning to the last min...
Dec 19, 2014•3 min
I personally don’t think blueberries are actually true blue. They are kind of a dusty indigo colour on the outside and mainly white or pale green on the inside. That said, they are as blue as a food is ever going to get. Most people are unaware there are many varieties, and around the globe blueberries are known by differing names. In northern England they are often called Whineberry, and in other parts of the UK Whortleberries. In America they can also be referred to as Bilberries or Huckleberr...
Dec 19, 2014•3 min
Bacon is the main reason why I’ve never become a vegetarian. I think bacon is one of the most extraordinarily delicious foods known to humankind. Although I’d agree that bacon does go with just about everything, I wouldn’t recommend eating it to excess as it contains a large amount of sodium and fat. Bacon is made from various cuts of pork (generally the belly) which is cured in a liquid brine or dry salt packed. Then it is commonly infused and showered with liquid smoke and baked. The more trad...
Apr 02, 2014•3 min
A plum is a type of ‘Drupe Fruit’, which means they have a leathery skin, surrounding soft flesh which is attached to a hard stone (pit). Therefore, it falls into the same category as peach, apricot, cherries and nectarines. Depending on who you talk to, some may claim there are thousands of plum species. I personally find that hard to believe – I’ve seen many different types in my cooking career, and I reckon there are probably only several dozen varieties. They all have smooth skin, unlike the...
Mar 06, 2014•2 min
I have a love/hate relationship with milk. I love to use it in cooking. But personally, I hate the bloated feeling I get after drinking it. So I’ve now turned to soy milk and almond milk, which seems better (for me anyway). And I also drink my coffee black as a straight shot of espresso. As a chef I would be lost without milk, as it’s an essential ingredient in many of my favourite recipes. However, for some time I’ve been questioning whether humans should be consuming something that is really m...
Feb 27, 2014•3 min
I always find it funny to see a child try a lemon for the first time. Their face puckers-up like they’re about to implode. Lemons are an oval, bright yellow fruit and a member of the citrus family. They are packed with vitamin C and are great for fighting off scurvy on those long voyages to distant lands. In fact, in the early 1800’s the British Navy spiked their sailor’s rum rations with lemon or lime juice. The most common varieties available today (yes there is more than one), are Lisbon, Eur...
Feb 18, 2014•3 min
Leeks are a vegetable that belongs to the same family as onions. It is widely assumed they are descendant of the wild onions that grow all over the European countryside. Leeks are a long cylinder shaped stalk of tightly packed leaf layers. They vary in both length and thickness depending on the age of the plant. The immature leek is sold as ‘Baby leek’ and is often pencil thin, while the mature plant can be as thick as a broom handle. They’re white at the base where they have been covered in soi...
Feb 02, 2014•3 min
I first experienced fresh coconuts as a child when visiting Cairns in far North Queensland., Australia. They were in abundance, lying on the ground at the base of coconut palms everywhere – very reminiscent to their native origins on the coastal regions of the Caribbean, South-east Asia and India. The name coconut is derived from the Spanish word for ‘grotesque face’ , because of the three dimples on its surface, which the Spanish thought resembles a monkey head. I personally think that’s not ve...
Jan 11, 2014•3 min
I once read that it was discovered in pottery jars from Egyptian tombs. And although crystallised, it was still edible. Honey was used around the world as a sweetener well before the introduction of sugar. The Ancient Greeks used it in many bakery products and considered it ‘The Food of the Gods’ and many of these ancient recipes are still used today, particularly throughout Europe. Honey could be described as a thick, sweet liquid made by bees from the nectar of flowers. The nectar passes throu...
Jan 10, 2014•2 min
It’s one of those Hollywood things – we often associate foods like lobster and caviar with the fabulously wealthy upper-class. After-all, in movies we see millionaires in tuxedoes being served silver platters of caviar with glasses of champagne. So it’s no surprise that caviar has been given a bad rap with the average Joe. Plus, the thought of eating fish eggs doesn’t always go down well with most people. Truth be told, caviar isn’t all that bad! In brief, caviar is the salted roe of certain spe...
Jan 05, 2014•3 min
It’s a fact of life, not everybody likes blue vein cheese. It can be an acquired taste. Many people I know absolutely hate it. However, when I was kid I can’t recall anybody liking blue vein cheese. So, obviously there has been a culinary or cultural change in Australia over recent years. I also think there has been a change in the availability and assortment of blue vein cheese in the marketplace. If you look back a few decades, there were mainly the very strong, acidic and crumbly varieties av...
Jan 04, 2014•3 min
The word antipasto is derived from the Italian ante, which means ‘before’ and pasto which means ‘meal’. Antipasto is traditionally a selection of hot or cold appetisers served at the beginning of and Italian meal. The most typical antipasti (plural) items could include various table olives, cheese, pickled vegetables, cured meats, salamis, cold fish, frittata, fresh or sun dried tomatoes and anchovies. In most of the regional areas of Italy, antipasto will consist of vegetable and meat items, bu...
Jan 03, 2014•3 min
I don’t like microwave ovens. It’s a hate-hate relationship. Therefore I have no advice for you on the subject. Regardless of what magical tricks the manufacturer will claim their nuclear gadget can do, I would never use a microwave to cook something. They do have some limited use, to defrost small frozen food items, or to melt butter (maybe). But even then, they regularly over-heat; burn and half cook the food. With all the buttons, dials, beeps, bells and digital displays found on a microwave,...
Nov 25, 2013•3 min
One of the first skills a professional chef will learn is the production of ‘Mirepoix’. It’s correctly pronounced ‘meer-pwa’ because the ‘x’ is silent. I can’t help but smile when someone pronounces it ‘miri-pocks’. Mirepoix is a French term used to describe a mixture of aromatic vegetables which impart their flavour into stocks, sauces, stews or braises. Vegetables, such as onions, carrots and celery are roughly cut up and slowly cooked into a recipe to improve its flavour. They are often strai...
Nov 21, 2013•3 min
Unfortunately for me, I can’t eat raw bananas without upsetting my stomach. There is something in them (maybe tannin) that makes my feel unwell. I’m also too unfit to swing from trees – so I would make a lousy monkey. I can however eat cooked bananas, so if you have a similar intolerance, try them barbecued or fried with caramelised sugar and rum. Or maybe diced and cooked in pancakes. Bananas are one of the oldest cultivated fruits and have been eaten by humans in places like India and Asia tho...
Oct 25, 2013•3 min
I’ve discovered over the years that there can be some confusion categorising squash, depending on where you live in the world. There is a whole range of vegetables that belong to the ‘Marrow’ family. They include squash, melons, cucumbers, gourds, marrows (zucchinis) and pumpkins. The general rule is that squash that grow in winter time have thick skin and hard flesh, while summer squash has softer skin and wetter flesh. In Australia, when someone goes shopping for Summer Squash, they are referr...
Oct 25, 2013•3 min
My love affair with Sushi began in the mid 90s when I worked as a Pastry Chef in a large hotel. The establishment had a Japanese Restaurant called Kabuki. I would smuggle the Japanese Sushi Chef’s desserts as a trade for their sushi and tempura. I became hopelessly addicted. Eventually, my obsession became so overwhelming, I convinced the Sushi Chefs to show me how they were made, so I could make them myself at home. I quickly discovered that Sushi is incredibly easy to make. And, although I lov...
Oct 17, 2013•3 min
It’s one of the most humble and least glamorous vegetables on Earth; however most cuisines would be unrecognisable without them. Onions have a long and colourful past, and are probably one of oldest culinary ingredients in human history. Egyptian hieroglyphics and artwork tell the story of how onions where purchased at great expense to feed the slave workforce and keep them physically healthy and motivated while building the pyramids. Countless religious writings, scriptures and historical docum...
Oct 17, 2013•3 min
There are three varieties of artichoke – the Globe, the Jerusalem and the Chinese artichoke. The most common of which is the ‘Globe’. The globe artichoke is in fact, an unopened flower bud of a perennial of the thistle group of the sunflower family and is believed to be a native of the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands. If the bud is allowed to open, it blossoms as a brilliant violet-blue flower about 7 inches in diameter. Artichokes are available all year round, but peek in spring and autumn...
Oct 11, 2013•2 min
