Archive for the 'Features & Profiles' Category

 

There is nothing as good as being surrounded by a team of Italian chefs. Especially when they can’t speak any English and are crooning away in Italian about their first love – food from their native region, Salerno. These incredible chefs cooked up a storm at Il Locale in Haberfield during a promotion of their beautiful area at the launch of the Giffoni Film Festival.

 

The menu was traditional, using hand-made pasta from the Gragnano region and beautiful tomatoes from the Nocera territory. These areas are found in the South of Italy and the produce is exceptional (I was sent home with a DIY meal and it turned out so well I thought of relocating).

 

The plump al-dente pasta was served with a traditional Napolitana sauce and was followed by a meatball dish equally smothered in the delicious tomato sauce. The main course of roast pork with rustic potato was simple and rustic. I could have been sitting in the Gragnano region at someone’s home.

 

The meal was finished off with a spectacular chocolate caprese that was textured and nestled beautifully in subtle light custard. If you do see product, especially pasta, from this region do have a go at using it – I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Images taken by Manlio Castagn

 

 

 

 

 

Rockin’ the airwaves and cooking up a storm, radio host and rev-head Brendan Jones, a.k.a. Jonesy of the Jonesy and Amanda Breakfast show, shares his fly-by-the-handle culinary adventures with FoodinFocus, from chugging beers at 9am and making vindaloo curry with his kids, to where he’d take his celebrity interviewees for a night on the town. Like his morning run on the radio, it’s quite the ride…

 

By Yasmin Newman

 

Now Jonsey, I understand that you’re a rev-head. But are you also a ‘food head’?
I love things that run on petrol, but I’ve been a big fan of food for 40 years. Food is like my petrol.

Is it more about the eating of food or the cooking of it?
Probably more the cooking. When I go out to eat, I always wonder, ‘how do they do that?’ I remember once, not to name drop, I was having beers with Luke Mangan and I asked him how they make their creamy mash so good. He told me that when you boil the potatoes, you need to rinse them first to get rid of all the starch, then you mash them up. Plus you add a heap of butter and cream…it’s always the butter and cream.

 

 

Do you often ask for tips and tricks?
Yes! Whenever I get near a chef I will always pick their brain -when I interviewed Matt Moran (there I go again with the name dropping) I made sure to ask him his tips for a good steak.

 

 

Do you put those tips into practice when cooking at home?
Yes, and I cook pretty much every night of the week.

 

 

So you’re the primary cook then?
Sure am. The story behind it is that when my wife was pregnant with my eldest son, her morning sickness would kick in at about 5pm in the afternoon, around dinnertime. Now, one can only eat 2-minute noodles for so long, so I just started to cook. I learnt more through trial and error than anything else -I started with the basics, like spaghetti, then progressed to the pastry department, then to the lasagna family, and so on.

 

So what’s the ‘Jonesy signature style’?
Simplicity. And using fresh ingredients. I’m a big fan of fresh coriander and basil – you just can’t replicate those herbs in any other form.

 

 

Do you like to spice things up in the kitchen?
I love making vindaloo curry. In fact my youngest son, who is 5 years old, has just discovered the joy of the vindaloo and making it as hot as you possibly can. If it’s not killing us, I haven’t done my job right!

 

 

So what’s your standout dish?
The one I’d serve to the Queen? Oh that’s a tough one. For an entrée, I’d make garlic prawns or salt and pepper squid. I am also a big fan of roast turkey – I love the tradition of getting a big old bird and stuffing it.

 

So are you a fly-by-the-handle on your motorbike kind of a cook, or more organized and methodical?
Definitely fly-by-the-handle. I don’t know where I got it from, but I have an uncanny talent for being able to measure without having to use measuring devices. I usually just whack it all in and hope for the best. And if my gravy is any testament, I’ve never had a gravy fail – I’ve never left a gravy behind!

 

 

So do you clean up after you’ve made this wonderful mess in the kitchen?
I actually don’t make much of a mess, but my wife does put the dishes away. I get in trouble however, for lecturing her on how to pack the dishwasher. For example, she’ll put a chopping board in there and I’ll say, ‘Oh don’t put that in there, don’t do that!’ Which makes me sound like a Nazi!

 

 

Where do you suggest she put the chopping board then?
In the oven. Just pop it in when the oven is cooling down and it’ll dry out. Just make sure the oven is switched off and it’s a wooden chopping board, otherwise you’ll have a fire on your hands!

 

 

What are two or three items that we will always find in your fridge?
Garlic, green curry paste and tomato sauce. I’m not a big fan of ketchup on my steak, but my wife likes to drown hers in it. I used to care, but I’m alright with it now. Even if I make amazing mushrooms and she drowns them in sauce, I’m ok with it now.

 

So how does you food schedule work in light of your crazy work schedule?
I get up at 3:30am, so once I get to work I eat some porridge or Weet Bix. The trap with breakfast radio is that lots of companies send food, lots of food. Like Krispy Kreme donuts. When I first started they’d send tray upon tray of donuts and Bob & Pete’s pastries too. It’s a real discipline to not eat them. The important thing to remember when working these hours is that you have to eat, but you don’t want to eat the wrong things.

 

 

So what keeps you alive during the show?
Coffee! I’ve recently cut back to just one cup per hour, which I drink scalding hot. But if you drink too much, you get to a point where you’re just so pumped up you can’t talk properly. The other person then proceeds to look at you like you’re crazy…

 

 

Do you eat on air?
From time to time, but not often. But by the time 9 o’clock runs around, you feel like you could eat a plate of nachos… and drink a beer. But I only do that four days a week (laughs). I ate a green curry at 9am once.

 

 

So tell us about the celebrities! Do you get to hang out with them?
No, not really…

 

Well hypothetically speaking then, where would you take some of your favourites interviewees?
I’d take Bono to Hotel Hollywood. Someone like Owen Wilson, you’d take to Billy the Pigs in Bondi Junction. Down my way, I’d take Matt Damon to North Cronulla Hotel and and Russel Crow to Caringbah Inn. And for Sandrah Bullock, I’d take her to Como Hilton, it’s a really great place.

 

 

And your wife, where do you like to take her for a special evening?
Helen is all about seafood. Seafood seafood seafood. We like to go to Sea Level in Cronulla. And Nick’s, she loves any of their locations.

 

 

Now we’re going to play a game where we take your regular segments on the radio show and twist them around food. First up, Dumb Is – What’s the most ridiculous dish you’ve ever made?
Yoghurt pasta.

 

 

Terrible!
I had some leftover pasta and I wanted to make a creamy style dish, but all I had in the fridge was some Greek yoghurt. I thought, ‘that’ll be fine!’ I reckon that was 8 years ago, and still, every time I serve up a creamy pasta, the kids go "Oh Dad! Is this that yoghurt pasta again?!" They never let me forget.

 

 

Fight Your Flashback – What’s something that you used to love eating, but is not so cool anymore?
Fondue. Oh and the deep fryer. I wish I had one; I have a serious love for deep fryers.

 

Mine is Chiko Rolls…
I want that to be my flashback! Can I steal that?

 

 

Gets My Goulies – What is something that is really trendy, food-wise, that you just can’t get your head around?
It used to be pine nuts; it was in everything! Now I don’t mind that so much as I do ‘jus’. And truffles. I don’t get them, I don’t get why they’re so expensive, they taste like a mushroom, that’s it.

Like father, like son? Not always, but in this family-run business their differences only make them stronger.

By Yasmin Newman

"It’s my view that a business, just like a person, either grows or it dies. I don’t think you can get a business to a point that it’s not growing anymore." It is interesting in my conversation with proprietors Steve Rickards and his son Elliot of organic supermarket chain Wholefoods House, that symbolism for nature, and the natural cycle, keeps cropping up.

 

 

 

And just like a seedling blossoming into a tree, Wholefoods House itself, one of Sydney’s only all-organic food suppliers, has grown from one small store, cavernous and brimming with organic produce in Woollhara, to a mini-chain with another store located in the sleek suburb of Waterloo.

"It’s great to start small, because when you first start, you do nothing but make mistakes. Luckily though, because it’s small, they’re small mistakes and you can live with them," says Steve of starting out. "But if you go in big, then they’ll kill you."

Steve would certainly know what it takes to make a business work, having laboured as a commercial lawyer for businesses small and large for the past 20 years, before venturing into the organic food world.

"One of the things we adopt in this business is the idea of organic growth, rather than growth that’s too rapid. From my experience, a business can fail because management can’t keep pace." Wholefoods House at least seems to be heading in the right direction, with now more than 35 people on their permanent payroll.

Amongst other advice, "if you can grow, grow close to where you are already located – it’s smart because of logistics," and sage wisdom from his time practicing law, Steve is the first to admit he’s not the driving force behind the business. He hands that title over to his son Elliot who, along with an ex-workmate, conceived the idea back in 2004.

"This is my consuming hobby…stroke job! Elliot’s the ultimate boss," says Steve, who was brought on at the early stages for some start-up advice. But following a string of events, and an interest piqued by a solid business idea, has stayed on in the capacity of chairman, or mentor of sorts, along with managing the administration side of the business. "It’s fun! I do put in some hefty hours, but I can’t describe it in any other way."

Elliot also makes note of the long hours required to get a business off the ground, but puts it down to his obsessive-compulsive tendencies; "I’m still exhausted from the first week! I still haven’t had a chance to stop."

"He’s the inspirational guy, but he’s also an incredibly hard worker," Steve adds, and you get a real sense of respect the father has for the son.

"I think it’s the hardest thing in the world to work with your father," Steve says with admiration. "I will always think about my dad with whom I never worked. Neither he nor I would’ve had a bar of it."

Elliot follows on, "I think it [working together] has made us closer." In fact, both Elliot’s mother (Steve’s ex wife) and two of his other siblings are involved in the running of Wholefoods House. As Steve puts it, having a deep interest together, and time to hang around each other, has given them "a wonderful form of closeness."

But that’s not to say that trouble doesn’t brew from time to time; "When you’re working with anyone, constantly, and in high-stress environments, there’s always going to be times when you think…"

"You silly old fart!" interjects and laughs Steve.

Elliot smiles. "We go fishing. It helps relieve the stress!"

Or, it seems, they go for trips to visit their producers, many of whom are local farmers, or similarly, family businesses. "You’ll see photos in our stores of us in the paddocks, picking. That’s what we like to do. We like to get close to our products where we can. We like to get involved," says Steve, recounting a trip up to Tenterfield to help a short-handed farmer and his wife pick garlic.

"You have to love, and believe in what you do," says Elliot, who, like his father, enjoys educating customers about organic products. But while passionate about the organic movement, the two do not see themselves as advocates or ‘industry-type’ people. "We like to give people an awareness about where their food comes from, but not in a full-on way."

It’s no surprise then that Wholefoods House embodies the same ideals, providing organic food to its increasingly diverse clientele, without being elitist about the products. But while Steve sees the business as having a "life and personality of its own," it’s clear that it is a mix of the two ¬- the father, the business acumen, and the son, the passionate, driving force.

For one stop organics visit Wholefoods House at 119 Queen Street Woollahra, 02 9363 9879, or 9 Danks Street Waterloo, 02 9319 4459

She started with only two goats and a how-to-make-cheese book. Now, at the Sydney Growers’ Markets, Karen Borg is setting the standard for high-quality cheese.

By Melissa Lubowski

Amongst the trendiest of foods, goats cheese was not always as popular as it is today. According to Karen Borg, owner and chief cheese maker of Willowbrae Chevre Cheese, it was mainly due to it not being made properly. "Now you can get good produce," Karen says with a wink.

Karen, and husband David, founded Willowbrae just nine year’s ago, when they purchased two goats and a ‘how to’ book. The Borgs now have over 100 goats on a five-acre property one hour out of Sydney, in Wilberforce. "It started in our small kitchen, and now encompasses a large cheese room and a full dairy," says Karen. The Borgs milk twice a day, yet still cannot make enough cheese. "Everything made in the week is completely sold out at the markets," says Karen. These days they sell at 14 growers’ markets around Sydney per month.

Cheese making is a relatively new vocation for Karen. The decision to farm goats and run a goats-milk dairy was decided on a whim, as well as on certain practicalities. "Goats are easier to manage. They’re smaller animals, and cheaper," Karen explains. Now, nearly a decade later, she is an artisan and would not want to be doing anything else.

At the markets, Karen loves dealing with her customers directly (a benefit of selling her products there), and getting their responses to her cheese. "Customer feedback is very important," she says. "Our style and variety develops as customers’ tastes change."

Part of Karen’s range includes marinated goats cheeses as well as fresh curds with herbs, olives, and pepper. And, rather than sticking to traditional French style, Karen likes to experiment with flavours, and develop new, inventive varieties, like her sweet, yoghurt-like dessert goats cheese. David describes himself as "the chief sampler" and, understandably, is overjoyed with the role. "We all eat cheese every day, it is a staple in our diet," he says.

And, whilst Karen might be the star of the show, you cannot forget about the other Very Important Contributors – the goats. This is something Karen does not forget to mention. She likes to feed them on high mineral and sulphur diets, "as if they were race horses in training."

On top of quality produce, Karen ensures that hers is extremely fresh. "It is what you should expect from good market produce," she explains. Often, the cheese isn’t packaged until 11.30pm the night before. "And it is all made with these little hands," says Karen smiling proudly.

For more information on Willowbrae Chevre Cheese, visit them at the Good Living Growers’ Markets at Pyrmont and the Growers’ market at EQ.

The key to great bread is to get the environmental conditions right.

By Jo Stubberfield

Authentic sourdough used to be hard to find. That’s because you can’t make yeasted bread in the same bakery. Bakers, Allison and Stephen Arnott, of Morpeth Sourdough have resurrected the traditional sourdough process in Morpeth, in the Hunter Valley, and distribute bread at the Kings Cross Organic Food and Farmers Markets on Saturdays. As Allison says, "It’s the only regular market we go to."

The two met in their twenties in Sydney through a friend. They didn’t cross paths again until their thirties, when they struck up a friendship. As Stephen says, "one thing led to another," and they were married in 2000.

Stephen’s family has been in the baking business for six generations, and he’s proud to have purchased the original old bakery they used in the 1860s. "It still sends shivers up my spine!" he says. Allison has a degree in microbiology, and has plenty of technical knowledge about the culture of sourdough. "Sourdough has a mix of microorganisms – wild yeasts and lots of types of lactobacillus species – that form the signature flavour of a baker’s sourdough."

Prior to the 1900s, all bread produced was sourdough, until baker’s yeast started to be commercially produced, drastically shortening the bread making process. The Arnott’s process takes 30 hours from start to finish, but the resulting loaves are worth it. "The best thing about my job is the feedback from customers who have been unable to source sourdough in the region – they say they have come out of the woodwork to find us," says Allison.

The two make ciabattas, baguettes, fruit and nut, 5-seed, organic ryes, traditional casalingas – around 12,000 loaves a week. They even make sourdough crisps and sourdough stuffing mix! And while you can make a sourdough starter at home, of just flour and water, the time it takes is the drawback. So make a visit to Morpeth Sourdough at the markets, and grab a loaf from traditional bakers whose family has been in the business for 150 years.

For more information on Morpeth Sourdough, visit www.morpethsourdough.com.au