Australian Native Ingredient Profile: – Wattleseed

Friday 2^nd September, 2011.

Hello everyone.  Spring is here, I love spring – both my girls were born in spring. The first of spring (September 1^st -yesterday) is Wattle Day. Although different species of wattle flower at different times, a lot of wattle is in full bloom at this time of the year. I recently took a drive into the west of New South Wales and I was absolutely chuffed to pass about a kilometre and a half of adult Wattle trees proudly bursting with flowers on both sides of the country road near Tamworth – what a stunning sight! I’ve always loved the smell of wattle, we used to have a large tree in the corner of our yard when I was growing up and the smell of blooming wattle never fails to take me back there. For those who don’t know, events surrounding Wattle Day had their humble beginnings in Hobart, Tasmania, in 1838 and culminated 150 years later in Canberra. Although individual states had celebrated their own versions of Wattle Day, the first ‘national’ Wattle Day was celebrated in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide on September 1^st 1910. Wattle Day was used as a focus for raising funds to assist Australian’s World War 1 effort, and to encourage a sense of patriotism during the years of 1914 to 1918. It wasn’t until our bicentennial in 1988 that the Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) was officially proclaimed as Australia’s National Floral Emblem. The first of September was formally declared ‘National Wattle Day’ in 1992. September 1^st 2010 marked one hundred years since the first Wattle Day was celebrated nationally. The funds raised by Wattle Day events over its 173 year history have gone to many charitable organisations particularly between the first and second World Wars. So naturally our focus ingredient today is wattle seed.

Aboriginal Names:  Yarlirti, Arlep, Pulkuru, Ganabargu

Botanical Names: Acacia victoriae (Elegant, prickly or bramble), Acacia coriacea (wiry or dogwood), Acacia sophorae (coastal), Acacia retinodes (swamp or wirilda) and Acacia pycnantha (golden wattle- our floral emblem)

General Information:  Acacias are shrubs or trees with fluffy yellowish flowers and flattened or cylindrical bean-like seed pods. The leaves vary greatly between the species. There are now estimated to be over 1000 species of Wattle in Australia more than one hundred of these are found in the outback. In 1982 a research scientist working in Western Australia added eight new species to the tally and last year, almost 30 years later the same scientist, Bruce Maslin working as part of the Pilbara Wattle Project in the same area of the country has added a further 6 species. The wattle is a very hardy and resilient tree; it is frost tolerant, withstands great changes in temperature and grows in almost every part of Australia from the most inhospitable desert to the snow line. The seeds have very hard husks and when they fall to the ground will last for up to 20 years in their natural environment, usually only germinating after a bushfire. For this reason the seeds provided a rich source of protein and carbohydrates to Aboriginal people during periods of drought.

Traditional Uses: Acacias were exceptionally important to Aboriginals – they were a food source(using around 120 species), a source of timber for boomerangs, digging sticks, spear blades, woomeras, coolamons, shields, children’s toys and of course firewood. Much of the beautiful Central Desert carved wooden items available for sale are made of wattle, continuing an ancient craft. Aboriginals ate the gums from many wattle trees. Only the pale gums were eaten, the darker ones were too astringent. The gums were often mixed with nectars and made into drinks or soaked in water to make a thick jelly. They were also left to harden to create bush lollies. The seeds of more than 30 species were eaten and these were usually collected by the women of the tribe. The young green seeds were often eaten raw (A.victoriae). Once the seeds became ripe and hardened they would be roasted and ground into a paste from which a type of flour was made and finally a damper-like roll called a ‘johnny-cake’ was baked in hot coals. One of the most famous bush foods – the witchery grub, which is said to taste like scrambled eggs when cooked and very rich when raw, lives in the roots of an acacia (A. kempeana or witchetty bush) and honey pot ants would often make their nest under a mulga tree(A. aneura). Acacias even provided bush soap; the young green pods of A. holosericea would be lathered in water. The leaves of the same tree would be crushed and washed in water to stun fish which could then be collected by hand rather than line-fished.

Culinary Uses: Not all wattles produce edible seeds and although the Aboriginals found a use or way of eating almost whatever plant nearby, there are only a handful of species with commercially produced spice on the market. Usually wild harvested by indigenous communities in central Australia, which is a time consuming process and contributes to its price. The spice is known as Wattleseed – the dry roasted and ground, hard black seeds of the Acacia. Wattleseed is a versatile ingredient that can be used for both savoury and sweet dishes. The flavour has been described as hazelnut, chocolate and coffee. Wattleseed for use in the food industry mainly comes from the species A.victoriae which has a bitter dark chocolate and hazelnut flavour and the aroma is similar to freshly ground coffee. Some companies however use A.coriacea which have larger seeds, yielding more product and it has a slightly milder chocolate flavour or A.retinodes which is one of the more palatable and rich tasting species. Generally the paler the ground spice, the more chocolate notes it has, with the darker spice tasting more like coffee grounds. Wattle seed can be used to flavour breads and pasta or used with Mountain Pepper, Lemon Myrtle and Bush Tomato as a rub for red meats in particular kangaroo, venison and lamb. Wattle seed complements chicken and fish well too, especially when a small amount is blended with ground coriander seed, a pinch of lemon myrtle leaf and salt to taste. It also goes well with the meaty taste of mushroom varieties. It is exceptionally useful in desserts, cakes, muffins, ice-cream, mousse and custards. It is fabulous with chocolate and delightful with grilled pineapple. In their book ‘Wild food In Australia’ A.B and J.W Cribb talk about adapting an old Escoffier recipe using the fluffy yellow flowers in a light batter to make small fritters served with sugar and whipped cream. I find it goes very well with warm egg yolk such as a hollandaise over poached eggs or in a dressing for a Caesar salad. It can affect the gluten content in flour so it is best to add it towards the end of the mixing process. Before using it is a good idea to warm the ground spice in a dry pan to release the essential oils or to infuse in very hot water or milk. Wattleseeds are extremely nutritious, yielding protein levels of 18-25 per cent, and high levels of unsaturated fats and dietary fibre, higher than that of wheat, rice and some meats. It is high in iron, calcium and zinc. Wattleseed has a very low glycemic index (GI) and so is often incorporated into dishes for diabetics. The high protein content will aid in thickening sauces and can be used to stabilise whipped cream. It’s a great replacement for coffee and its caffeine free. Check my earlier blog for a recipe incorporating wattle seed into ANZAC cookies.

Wild food advocate Vic Cherikoff is credited with creating the modern day product and producing it for use in the commercial food industry. In 1984 when he took a phone call while experimenting with lightly toasting wattleseed, he accidently roasted them too much. The seeds ‘popped’ like popcorn and developed the dark roasted flavour, when this was ground it gave us Wattleseed. Available to buy from speciality stores in grounds, extract and paste. The dry ground roasted seeds will keep for up to 12 months in an air tight container in a cool, dark place and should be only bought from a reliable source. The extract (which is a great alternative to using reduced balsamic vinegar), and paste should be kept chilled. Over the past few years even the pod or husk of A. victoriae has been researched for its medical properties in the fight against cancer and other species for anti-inflammatory and anti-irritant actions. 

Til next time, Peace and Good Eating.

Share this:

Thursday 25^th August, 2011.

Hello everyone. A friend of mine gave me a copy of Us and Them: The Symphonic Music of Pink Floyd recently and I was blown away; A at how good it was and B at the fact I had not come across it before. I always get excited when I hear something new or at least new to me and I love symphonic versions of pop or mainstream albums. One of my favourites is the collaboration of Metallica and The London Symphony Orchestra. In recent years though, much of the music I hear is at work as restaurant background ambience which symphonic tracks don’t really lend themselves to all that well. Neither does Pink Floyd for that matter and another of my favourite types of music – film score, is ruled out for the same reason, too much variance in dynamic level – no one wants to be shocked out of their chair by a sudden cymbal crash or the sound of an 80 piece orchestra hitting fortissimo.

We all know the kind of music that gets played in restaurants but what about at home, not just as background music to a dinner party or BBQ. What do you play while cooking? A quick search on iTunes for cooking music will bring up 100 or so titles, with each type of cuisine covered. Celebrity chefs have cds of their favourite music for sale and foodie magazines such as delicious have done jazz compilations to cook to. You’ve probably seen titles like Breakfast with Beethoven and Morning Tea with Mozart from the classics range. I could be cliché and say I like Pavarotti when cooking Italian and the singular tonal twang of a sitar or breathy melody of a lone wooden flute whilst preparing Asian food but the truth is I often prefer to play soundtrack(not score) cds. Usually these albums have a good collection of tracks, not all upbeat, not all mellow and can definitely enhance a cooking experience. There are exceptions of course, I like to play a band called Chingon when preparing Mexican food, for some reason it just seems to taste better, although it could be the Corona with lime and Tabasco that I only drink when eating Mexican that has something to do with it too. If you were to search the internet you would see that many bloggers have their own opinion on what you should play while cooking.

Universities throughout the world have studied the effect of music on the brain and its influence on other experiences such as eating. Until the last decade or so, specific music was played in shopping malls because it was thought to entice people to spend more. Until around the same time, colour was used in fast food organisations to ensure a higher turnover of customers – yellow to be precise; is said to speed up the dining experience. Yellowtail wine company set up a Vinyl Bar some years back that matched their range of wines to seventies and eighties pop hits. Chefs all over the world are experimenting with food and different senses. Colour in dishes, monochromatic degustations, and the scent of something non food related to invoke an emotional response to the meal, the sound of waves and the ocean being played at the presentation of seafood courses. I once had a meal that ended by being presented with an mp3 player to accompany a dark chocolate, orange scented dessert. The track being played was African drums, the deep bass resonance was supposed to enhance the dark, bitter notes of the chocolate – whether it did or not, I can’t say for sure as I didn’t try the dessert without the player.

I’ve given you my thoughts on food in various media before in past blogs, both in film and on television and while there is a myriad of songs devoted to food, many of them performed by Jimmy Buffet, I prefer to marry food and cooking or dining rather than entertain a hybrid of the two subject matters. Here are just a few of my choice selections for chilling out in the kitchen or for turning up the heat. From the soundtrack genre try these:-

 

Cruel Intentions (1999): A good eclectic mix of pop tunes featuring Placebo and Counting Crows as well as Aimee Mann and Marcy Playground. Best Bit-A tossup between track 1 and track 5. I’m leaning towards track 5 – Colorblind by Counting Crows.

 

Jack & Sarah (1995): Some great chill out tracks with artists like Annie Lennox, Massive Attack and Simply Red. Best Bit- Track 1. Stars by Simply Red. 

 

 

 

Simply Irresistible (1999): Not too many artists on this album are well known (which I don’t mind) and there are a couple of good cover tracks. Our bridal waltz was even taken from this album. Best Bit-Excluding track 8 which was our bridal waltz, I’m going with track 7. Beautiful Girls by Chris Lloyd.

 

 

 Three to Tango (1999): For the jazz lover, some of the top jazz artists of the time contribute such as Dr. John, The Brian Setzer Orchestra and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Best Bit- Track 2. Swing Sweet Pussycat by The Atomic Fireballs.

 

What Women Want (2000): One of my favourites with a heap of tracks from the Crooners as well as a few pop princesses like Christina Aguilera, Leah Haywood and Meredith Brooks. Best Bit –Track 4. I Won’t Dance by Frank Sinatra.

 

If you prefer a perhaps, less engaging instrumental album try these:-

 

Determination (1991): Arguably the best album by the guitar guru from down under, Tommy Emmanuel. Best Bit- Track 5. Initiation.

 

 

 White Blues (1996): A compilation of the smooth jazz sounds of Chet Baker, his best and signature laidback tracks with the highlights being ‘round Midnight and Dolphin Dance. Best Bit- Track 5. Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

 

I also love One Small Step: Live and Solo by John Butler. Track 4. Oceans is amazing. I can also recommend Lucky Man by Dave Koz and New York City by The Peter Malick Group featuring Norah Jones (I know, I know… but this is not like her solo albums).

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. There are two very powerful mood modifiers in this world that don’t come from over the counter with a prescription and they are; Music and Food.

Til next time, Peace and Good Eating.

Share this:

Sunday 3^rd July, 2011.

Hello everyone. Here is another Native Ingredient Profile for you, our focus ingredient today is Bush Tomato. There is so much to write about these little gems but here is an overview.

Bush Tomato (Solanum centrale) or Desert Raisin is the fruit or entire plant of a nightshade (Solanum) species native to the central desert and more arid parts of Western Australia. While they are quite closely related to tomatoes(Solanum lycopersicum), they might be even closer relatives of the eggplant(Solanum melongena), which they resemble in many details. Bush tomato plants are small shrubs whose growth, like many Australian native plants, thrives after bushfires, the initial prolific fruiting steadily declining over a few years until rejuvenated by the next bushfire. The fruit of a number of species have been used as food sources by Aboriginal people for centuries. They have a very strong,

spicy, piquant flavour and scent when ripe and fresh, similar to concentrated sun dried tomatoes with a strong tamarillo/caramel character, so that you can actually smell a richly fruiting plant from quite a distance. Dried Bush tomatoes have a distinct, pleasant ‘caramel mingled with sun-dried tomato’ aroma with comforting ‘baked’ background notes reminiscent of a wholemeal cookie. The flavour is initially caramel-like, yet after about 30 seconds develops a somewhat bitter, lingering aftertaste which leaves the palate unexpectedly refreshed, similar to green tomatoes.

A number of Solanum species contain significant levels of solanine and are highly poisonous. There are 94 (mostly perennial) natives and 31 (mostly annual) introduced species in Australia. The plant dies in humidity. Known as Akudjura in its ground form. The bush tomato has a strong connection with the mythology of the Warlpiri tribes and Anmatyerr people. Regarded as a staple, bush tomatoes that had dried on the shrub in low humidity desert conditions were gathered and ground with water to produce a thick paste which was formed into large balls and left to dry in the blazing sun. The high acidity characterized in the tangy flavour and rich vitamin C content acted as a preservative, making storage over long periods of time possible and these balls were often wedged into the forks of trees for later use. This process was essential if they were to be safely eaten with no harmful side-effects because during the drying process the level of alkaloids is reduced. Dehydration also concentrates the flavours in bush tomatoes and creates more full-bodied and complex flavour notes in the same way as drying in the sun modifies the flavours of many familiar spices from around the world. Although the Australian Aborigines used bush tomatoes primarily for sustenance, our current inquisitiveness and desire for diversified taste experiences has led us to appreciate bush tomatoes as a spice, used in small quantities to enhance the flavour of a wide range of foods in everyday meals.

Whole bush tomatoes can be added to long, slow-cooked dishes such as soups and casseroles. Akudjura, the powder, is often combined with brown sugar and used as a rub for lamb and can also give a country-baked taste to cookies and apple crumble. A savoury bread flavoured with bold herbs rosemary and thyme can marry well with bush tomato, either baked within or soaked and used as a topping. Even a spread made with olives and garlic can take advantage of the strong, raisin-like character that blooms from ground bush tomato. You can also use akudjura to flavour casseroles, beef stews or wild game. Or sprinkle it on focaccia, antipasto and chutneys. It also works well as a coating for grilled fish, such as salmon or tuna. It combines particularly well with ground coriander seed, wattleseed, lemon myrtle and a little salt for rubbing onto white and red meats before grilling, barbecuing or stir frying. A tangy pepper steak spice can be made by pounding black and white peppercorns, mustard seeds, salt and akudjura in a pestle and mortar. Sprinkle over the steak and then barbecue.

Both whole bush tomatoes and akudjura (ground) are best stored in an airtight container and protected from extremes of heat, light and humidity.

Til next time, Peace and Good Eating.

Share this:

Wednesday 29^th June, 2011.

Hello everyone. It’s been a couple of weeks since I featured a focus ingredient in the blog. So this week I thought we’d look at Lemon Aspen. I like to use it with mango in a mayonnaise type sauce on a grilled Barramundi burger.

Lemon Aspen (Acronychia acidula) is a small to medium sized rainforest tree of Queensland. The aromatic grape-like fruit is about 2cm in diameter with a grapefruit and lime flavour with hints of honey and eucalypt. It has a refreshingly sharp acidic, distinctly tropical, spicy citrus note with a sharp texture. The fruit has high antioxidant activity. The fruits are sold whole, frozen or as a juice. Lemon aspen has an apple-like core and is more common in the industry than white aspen (Acronychia oblongifolia), which has fruits that can be eaten whole as the flavour is less intense. Lemon aspen can be used in any recipe requiring a unique lemony flavour, though the flavour is much stronger and more complex than lemon. Lemon aspen is suited for use in almost any type of dish such as cordials, conserves, ice cream, puree, pastes, sauces and glacé, biscuits and cakes. It is particularly suited to seafood and chicken dishes. However boiling will diminish much of its flavour.

Til next time, Peace and Good Eating.

Share this:

Friday 10^th June, 2011.

Hello everyone. Here is part two of my homage to food films, please be sure to read part one first.

Many of my favourite food scenes come from the Romantic Comedy or chick flick genre (yes, yes I am still a guy) – I couldn’t think of a better way to eat a Gray’s Papaya Hot Dog than like that of Fools Rush In, sitting on an escarpment looking out over the Nevada desert. There’s the O’Reilly’s Irish Italian restaurant scene in Return To Me in which David Duchovny ends up with a take-away of spinach ravioli and a side of cabbage. Waitress shows an array of beautiful looking pies made by Keri Russell and Catherine Zeta Jones makes a gorgeous seared scallop dish in No Reservations.

But to food of a restaurant quality you can’t go pass Disney Pixar’s love letter to the food industry – Ratatouille. The producer’s actually enlisted the help of famed American chef Thomas Kellar. Disney has a long history of food scenes in their films. Everyone remembers the spaghetti scene in Lady and the Tramp and the ‘slimy, yet satisfying’ grub scene in The Lion King and who remembers the snow cone scene in Monsters Inc.?

Science fiction and fantasy films don’t miss out either, whether it be Richard Dreyfuss sculpting mountains out of the humble mashed potato in Close Encounters of the Third Kind or a Hobbiton feast in The Fellowship of the Ring food plays its part. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone delivers two good food scenes; the first is Harry’s introduction to the wizarding world’s junk food on the train to Hogwarts and the second shortly after at the first feast in the Great Hall where all the food magically appears on the plates before him. Another scene like that is the pretend food fight in Hook where all the food looks like the filmmakers used a whole bottle of food colouring in each dish. George Lucas used brief eating and drinking scenes in his original Stars Wars trilogy to show a similarity to our universe and a part of everyday life – Blue Milk for breakfast in A New Hope, Yoda cooked Dagobah swamp stew in The Empire Strikes Back and slimy frog creature snacks inside Jabba The Hutt’s palace in Return of The Jedi.

Other unusual food scenes were big in the eighties – anyone who has seen it would not forget the Chinese take-out scene from The Lost Boys. “Maggots Michael, you’re eating maggots, how do they taste?”  The hungry little Mogwai eating fried chicken, or rather ingesting it in Gremlins. But my favourite would have to be the temple feast in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – eyeball soup, snake surprise and giant bugs and of course dessert, chilled monkey’s brains.

Strangely cannibalism is a theme that turns up in many films with food scenes like Guy Pierce’s Ravenous or the favourite of many, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe in which a woman beating husband is barbequed and served to a law enforcement officer who is looking for him. The secret is apparently all “in the sauce”. The very talented Johnny Depp turns up again, this time as the demon barber of Fleet Street in Sweeney Todd where his victims are baked in delicious looking pies.

Below are four of my favourite food films and a brief plot outline, be sure to check them out. Let me know what your favourite scenes are.

Til next time, Peace and Good Viewing. 

 

Chocolat (2001)
When a single mother, Vianne Rocher(Juliette Binoche) and her six-year-old daughter move to a conservative town in rural France and open a chocolate shop during Lent (with Sunday operating hours) – across the street from the local church, they are met with some hostility. As Vianne begins to work her magic and help those around her, the townspeople are soon won-over by her exuberance and her delicious chocolates – except for the mayor, who is determined to shut her down. When a group of river drifters led by Roux(Johnny Depp), visit the town, Vianne teaches the townspeople something about acceptance, and finds love for herself along the way. Meanwhile, she’s been helping Josephine out of her abusive marriage and her equally freethinking landlord, Amande Voisin(Judi Dench), get together with her grandson, Luc, whose mother doesn’t approve of Amande’s ways. The scenes of setting up the chocolate shop are great and a talent of Vianne’s for matching people’s personalities to their favourite chocolate is a interesting inclusion.

 

 

 

Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory (1971)
The world is astounded when Willy Wonka, for years a recluse in his factory, announces that five lucky people will be given a tour of the factory, shown all the secrets of his amazing candy, and one will win a lifetime supply of Wonka chocolate. Nobody wants the prize more than young Charlie, but as his family is so poor that buying even one bar of chocolate is a treat, buying enough bars to find one of the five golden tickets is unlikely. Of course Charlie finds one and along with four other children, gets the chance of a lifetime and a tour of the factory to be exposed to all of Wonka’s magical secrets, the latest rumoured to be that of the everlasting gobstopper, a candy that never gets smaller. But they will also be treated to an experience that some will hopefully learn from. And one will learn the real reason for Wonka providing access to the factory. One by one, the 5 kids start to disappear, until it is only Charlie that remains. The factory scenes are a chocolate lovers dream with my favourite, the three course meal in a gum.

 

 

 

Simply Irresistible (1999)
While shopping in a New York City food market, a young woman named Amanda (Sarah Michelle Gellar) meets a mysterious man who sells her crabs for her restaurant which is having trouble picking up business. The restaurant was owned by her mother, who died and now Amanda is not even sure she can cook. So Amanda accepts the offer, and when a crab gets away from her she chases after it and bumps into a man that goes by the name of Tom (Sean Patrick Flanery).
Amanda and Tom share a brief moment before Tom later brings his superficial girlfriend Chris (Amanda Peet) to Amanda’s restaurant. Amanda has trouble making their dishes one minute and then the next creates something worthy of any restaurant. Nolan (Larry Gilliard Jr.) her friend and co-worker was also amazed by the delicious looking food that she has made. But when the food was served Chris starts to freak out and throw plates around for an unknown reason and brake up with Tom. To pay her back for the damages, Tom tells Amanda that she can come by his store and he will pay to replace the plates. They soon begin to fall for each other; Tom also is falling for her food. But when one night they begin kissing, they float up to the ceiling of the restaurant and Tom begins thinking that Amanda is a witch. Amanda is heartbroken but winds up cooking for the opening of Tom’s restaurant only to infuse her dishes with her emotions.

 

 

Ratatouille (2007)
A rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great French chef despite his family’s wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. With a wonderful sense of smell and a hatred of garbage Remy risks death to enter a human kitchen where he discovers real food and the cooking of five-star chef, Anton Gusteau, author of “Anyone Can Cook.” On the day Remy learns his hero has died, he is evicted and ends up alone in Paris. By luck, he discovers Gusteau’s restaurant, down to three stars and run by a frozen-food-hawking chef. As Remy enters, so does Linguini, a clumsy youth hired as a garbage boy. To save the soup that Linguini accidentally ruins, Remy throws in a few ingredients; the soup is a success and Linguini’s career as a chef is born. Despite the apparent dangers of being an unlikely – and certainly unwanted – visitor in the kitchen of a fine French restaurant, Remy’s passion for cooking soon sets into motion a hilarious and exciting rat race that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down. The scene where Remy tries to educate his brother amount the wonders of food combining is a perfect nod to the industry.

Share this:

Friday 10th June, 2011.

Hello everyone. This week my blog is split in two so be sure to read both parts. I am a huge movie fan, so much so that I will sit through almost any movie I have not previously seen right to the very end. I am a sucker for a good food film, even before I was a chef, there’s just something about them. This is how I came to watch the ‘film’ that is Julie & Julia. I have real issues with Meryl Streep and find her difficult to watch in anything. I bet you’re thinking this is where I say how surprised I was that this film didn’t suck, well you’re wrong, it did suck. I did, however find the concept fascinating – an ordinary woman in New York forty years after the first publication of a cookbook, working her way through every single recipe in it to find meaning in her own life… how exciting.

So this week I will attempt to do that which many blogs before mine have done and remind you of some of the best food, restaurant and cafe scenes in movies. This is not a ‘best of’ however and many of those films mentioned in other blogs do not find their way on to my list, most of the films are far from Oscar worthy or any other award…no, this is simply movies or scenes that have for one reason or another tickled my fancy.
Food is a part of every human beings life, so it only stands to reason that food would feature in human art of every medium and since its earliest days film has done just that. From black and white Charlie Chaplin films to the latest cinema releases in every genre there is, food has repulsed, entranced and titillated our big screen experiences. Many first dates are a dinner and a movie, later in life Thursday nights became pizza and DVD night and how can anyone actually go to the cinema without the inclusion of freshly popped popcorn and creamy choc-tops or a box of malteasers? So… where to start? As this is an Australian food blog featuring native ingredients perhaps we should start there. That would be:-

Crocodile Dundee -Michael J ‘Crocodile’ Dundee leads New Yorker Sue Charlton into the Outback and sitting near a billabong asks “How do ya like ya goanna?” with the charred lizard roasting over a fire. He also encourages her to try sugar ants and grubs before delivering the famous line “Well you could live on it, but it tastes like sh*t.” The sequel also shows a ‘bush tucker’ feast where an aboriginal man who is eating a charred bat is asked if he’s enjoying it, to which he simply responds “Nah, needs garlic”. The Aussie battler and bushman angles are played to the hilt in these two films for the boost it gave to Australian tourism.

Food has been used in comedy films since the days of ‘cream pie in the face’ silent masterpieces, but who remembers these scenes – Bill Murray in Groundhog Day after he realises he doesn’t have to worry about calories, eating a tableful of sweet pastries and Danishes. A whipped cream bikini on the very sexy Ali Larter in Varsity Blues, to only later be re-enacted by Chris Evans in Not Another Teen Movie (nowhere near as sexy) or the ‘little sizzling belly’ scene in Hot Shots that takes off 9 ½ Weeks where Charlie Sheen actually cooks a fried egg and some bacon on Valerie Golino‘s stomach. Not intended as a comedy but still funny was Johnny Depp explaining to Antonio Banderas that the Puerco pibil (recipe below) he is eating is so good that he will have to finish it and then go shoot the cook to maintain balance in the film Once Upon A Time In Mexico. Johnny Depp also appears in another food scene as Edward Scissorhands in Tim Burton’s cult masterpiece where Edward has several tries to get one pea in his mouth using his scissorhands and a later scene with shish kebabbed meat stuck to them. Of course there’s the deli scene from When Harry Met Sally where Meg Ryan fakes an orgasm and then continues to eat as if nothing has happened while one of the other diners delivers the line -”I’ll have what she’s having” when the waiter wants to take her order. Probably the best scene in a comedy though is the French restaurant scene in The Blues Brothers where Jake and Elwood run amuck in fine dining restaurant Chez Paul.

Here is the recipe for Puerco Pibil as it appears on the DVD special features of Once Upon A Time In Mexico.

Robert Rodriguez’s Puerco Pibil
Puerco Pibil is very versatile. You can have it with plain white rice, Spanish rice, wild rice or shredded in tortillas with some salsa and avocado, or as taco filling.
Ingredients:-
5 pounds pork butt, cut into 2 inch cubes
banana leaves
½ cup orange juice
½ cup vinegar
2 tablespoons salt (this is a lot of salt, try it with just 2 teaspoons)
juice of 5 lemons (limes work great too)
8 cloves garlic
2 habanero peppers, chopped (these are very Hot –use caution)
1 tablespoon tequila
Annatto paste:- in a coffee grinder finely grind 5 Tblsp annatto seeds, 2 tsp cumin, 1 Tblsp black peppercorns, 8 pieces allspice, and ½ tsp cloves
Method:- In a blender, blend annatto paste and the rest of the ingredients except banana leaves and pork. In a zip-lock bag mix pork and annatto mixture until pork is evenly coated(you can leave this to marinate overnight if you wish). Line a deep roasting pan with banana leaves, put the pork mixture in and cover with another layer of banana leaves. Cover tightly with tin foil and bake in a 163°C (325° F) oven for 4 hours.

You can see the clip of Robert Rodriguez making this dish on You Tube.

Til next time, Peace and Good Viewing.

Share this:

Saturday 4th June, 2011.

Hello everyone. One of my favourite native ingredients, and probably the most common and most versatile is Lemon Myrtle. You’ve probably all seen Lemon Myrtle soap, hand cream or shampoo and no doubt you’ve smelt it in air fresheners and perfumes. It’s used in a lot of fragrances due to the very high level of citral, an essential oil. It also contains citronellal which can be used as an insect repellent, so you may have Lemon Myrtle in your home and not realise it. We have it growing in our backyard and in summertime I love to pull off fresh leaves, the smell of which never fails to amaze me, and blend them with ice, pineapple juice and ginger beer for a really refreshing drink. You may also have seen Lemon Myrtle tea which is now (mixed with ginger) being served to vocal performers all over the world to maintain the health of their most precious gift.

Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) scientifically named by botanist, Ferdinand von Mueller, with the genus named after his friend and fellow botanist, James Backhouse. It is a citrus-fragranced spice that is native to coastal regions. It has been described as “more lemon than lemon” and also referred to as “The Queen of the lemon herbs”, however in a published interview I did I referred to it as “the Father of Native Ingredients” for the simple fact that of all the native ingredients now on the market Lemon Myrtle seems to be the ‘flagship’ if you will, of the marketing in place for the industry and it has been my experience that most people are willing to give Lemon Myrtle flavoured food a go and it is therefore leading the charge in Native Ingredient inspired cuisine. Lemon myrtle has been growing wild in the coastal areas of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia for many thousands of years. The aroma of lemon myrtle is similar to a blend of lemon verbena, lemongrass and kaffir lime with a slight eucalyptus background. The flavour is distinctly lemony and tangy, with lime zest notes and a pleasantly lingering, slightly numbing camphor aftertaste. Powdered lemon myrtle leaf is coarse, pale green and when fresh releases all of these aroma and taste attributes. Because the flavour of lemon myrtle resembles that of the citrus fruit so closely but lacks the fruit’s acidity, it is especially useful in recipes that are milk or cream-based. It imparts a strong lemony flavour and won’t cause dairy products to curdle. On the other hand, it is unsuitable for extended cooking times, as the lemon flavour begins to dissipate and a strong eucalyptus flavour can begin to emerge. For this reason, lemon myrtle is more successfully used to flavour cookies, ice creams and sorbets, pasta, stir-fries, fish, and grilled meats than foods requiring longer cooking times, such as roasts and dense cakes. Lemon myrtle is an excellent substitute for lemongrass and complements Asian stir-fry dishes, especially those with chicken, seafood and vegetables. I use Lemon Myrtle in a flour mix to coat squid before frying, in a native spice and nut dukkah and in an infused macadamia oil. It works particularly well with other flavours or in a spice blend. Indigenous Australians have used Lemon Myrtle as a food and for its healing properties for many centuries.

It is available from most good food suppliers, but start with The Essential Ingredient. Have fun and experiment.

Til next time, Peace and Good Eating.

Share this:

Sunday 29^th May, 2011.

Hello everyone. Continuing the profile with something most people will have tasted – Honey, only native Australian honey is just a little bit different.  I’ve featured honey on the last couple of menus in the café, we infuse it with a few Native herbs and have been serving it with Blueberry Pancakes to rave reviews. I’ve also served in straight from the honeycomb with a seasonal fruit platter. Lavender honey also with pancakes is very tasty.

Honey is an amazing substance and one of my all time favourite ingredients to work with. It is believed that honey history dates as far back as 10 to 20 million years ago and the practice of beekeeping to produce honey, apiculture, dates back to at least 700 BC. It has long been associated with the Egyptians, with Alexander the Great, is of course used to make mead and is mentioned 61!!! times in the Bible. Archaeologists have opened 2000 year old tombs and found jars of edible honey inside. In its pure unprocessed form honey is the only food that does not go bad. It is free of fat and cholesterol and has been used in many cultures throughout the world for its antiseptic, medicinal properties. We are just starting to see the benefits of Manuka Honey which has been well proven to have anti-bacterial properties to assist in wound healing as well as nutritional and immune system stimulatory properties and which the Maori people have been using for generations and now a company in New Zealand called J. Friend and Co. is selling single-origin honey that you can track the history of an individual jar on their website with information about the area and beekeepers who gather it. In Australia much of our honey is produced by European Honeybees and there are a number of reasons, the main one being supply. Native bees simply don’t produce enough. The difference with the honey produced by European bees here in Australia as opposed to say, England is that the bees pollinate Native trees, shrubs and flowers giving an earthy, bush-like taste not available elsewhere in the world. The bees usually also only pollinate one particular tree or flower at any given time meaning you get to taste the essence of that plant. It’s a bit like wine tasting with particular grapes. A lot of foreign honey is blended to give a consistent product year round however it may have come from as many as a dozen sources. Tasmanian Leatherwood honey is world renowned with a company known as Bluehills winning numerous awards and just picking up another one back in August last year – the top award at the Organic Expo & Green Show.

Australia has over 1,500 species of native bee. Ten of the species, the social native bees Trigona and Austroplebeia have no sting. Of the remaining species, which live solitary lives, none are aggressive and most cannot actually use their sting on humans because they are too small to do so. Larger species of Australian native bee are capable of stinging if handled or squashed. The stings of most Australian native species of bee will cause relatively minor discomfort to most people. Social species of Australian native bees do produce honey, but not much, as they are relatively primitive bee species. In cool-climate areas of Australia, all the honey the bees produce is needed by the swarm to live through winter. Collecting honey from Australian native bee nests can cause many of the bees to drown in spilt honey. The honey is tangy in comparison with commercial honey taken from the European Honey bee and is known as sugarbag – it is very hard to get, with only a handful of companies selling it. Native bees store their flavoursome honey in clusters of small resin pots near the extremities of the nest. The resin adds a wide variety of tangy flavours to the honey, such as lemon or eucalyptus. Vic Cherikoff describes it as ‘like a blend of quality honey and mellow port’. Each hive may only produce about 1 kg of honey per year. The different species of Australian native bee have different habits and preferences in gathering pollen, so different species are better pollinators of a given plant than other species. Research is currently underway into use of Amegilla (“blue-banded bees”) for use in pollinating hydroponic tomatoes. If you don’t already include honey in your diet get out and try the many varieties until you find one you like, your body will thank you.

Til next time, Peace and Good Eating.

Share this:

Sunday 29^th May, 2011.

Hello everyone.  I thought I’d put together some ingredient profiles on some of the native ingredients I use and link them on a separate page for easy reference. I’ll start with the one people are probably most familiar with. The story of the Macadamia – It’s a long one because they are so fascinating and have been part of European Australians’ history for almost two hundred years. I’ve visited several Macadamia farms including one in Hawaii and the amount of products derived from this one tree is amazing, it is similar to the coconut in many ways because it’s used for beauty products, clothing, food and gardening. In our house alone we have roasted macadamias, macadamia honey, macadamia oil, macadamia skin butter and after sun macadamia lotion.

The Macadamia is a genus of nine species of flowering plants in the family Proteaceae, with seven of the nine species native to eastern Australia, the other two in New Caledonia (M. neurophylla) and Sulawesi in Indonesia (M. hildebrandii). The fact that the Macadamia nut had its origins in Australia is not widely known. Our ‘Australian Bush Nut’ was first discovered by Allan Cunningham in 1828. In the 1850′s these trees were noticed by a British botanist Ferdinand Von Mueller and Walter Hill, the Director of the Botanical Gardens of Brisbane. The two men were struck with the majestic beauty of the specimens found growing in the rainforests of Queensland. A distinction was made between Macadamia integrifolia (smooth shelled) and Macadamia tetraphylla (rough shelled) which also produces a nut that is edible, although not as good for roasting as Macadamia integrifolia. The genus Macadamia was named after a prominent scientist of that time, Dr John MacAdam. Indigenous Australian names for the nut include gyndl, jindilli, and boombera. There were at least twelve aboriginal tribes in the region where the trees grew and they were used as an item of trade with other tribes. With the arrival of white settlers nuts were bartered, often with native honey, for rum and tobacco. The high oil content of these nuts was a coveted addition to the indigenous diet. However, they were difficult to harvest in great quantities so probably were not a major staple food. The fallen nuts were collected in dilly bags and taken to feasting grounds. Some coastal aboriginal middens contain large quantities of bush nut shells along with sea shells, often 15 – 20kms from the nearest trees. Nuts were eaten raw or roasted in hot coals. Many processing stones have been found in eastern rainforests, consisting of a large stone with a delicate incision for holding the nuts and sometimes a smaller, flat stone sits on top which is then struck by a larger hammer stone.

The nuts are a valuable food crop. Only the two, Macadamia integrifolia and Macadamia tetraphylla, are used commercially, the remainder of the genus possess poisonous and/or inedible nuts, such as M. whelanii and M. ternifolia; the toxicity is due to the presence of gynogenic glycosides. These glycosides can be removed by prolonged leaching, a practice carried out by some Indigenous Australian people in order to use these species as well. The two species of edible macadamia readily hybridize, and M. tetraphylla is threatened in the wild due to this. One of the locations where wild nut trees were originally found was at Mount Bauple near Maryborough in southeast Queensland. Locals in this area still refer to them as ‘Bauple nuts’. The macadamia nut is the only plant food native to Australia that is produced and exported in any significant quantity (So far). The first commercial orchard of macadamia trees was planted in the early 1880s by Charles Staff at Rous Mill, 12 km southeast of Lismore, New South Wales, consisting of M. Tetraphylla. Besides the development of a small boutique industry in Australia during the late 19th and early 20th century, macadamia was extensively planted as a commercial crop in Hawaii from the 1920s. Macadamia seeds were first imported into Hawaii in 1882 by William H. Purvis. He was the young manager of the Pacific Sugar Mill, at Kukuihaele, on the Big Island and planted seed nuts that year at Kapulena. The Hawaiian-produced macadamia established the nut internationally. Many Americans still refer to the nut as the Hawaiian nut. In 2006, macadamia production began to fall in Hawaii, due to lower prices from an over-supply.

Outside of Hawaii and Australia, the macadamia is also commercially produced in South Africa, Brazil, California, Costa Rica, Israel, Kenya, Bolivia, New Zealand, Colombia and Malawi. It wasn’t until the 1960′s that Australians realized the potential of this indigenous tree nut and began serious local cultivation. Trees were planted on the rolling hills of north eastern New South Wales and south eastern Queensland where over one third of the world’s production is now grown. Australia is now the world’s largest commercial producer – at approximately 40,000 tonnes of nut in shell per year, with a total global production of 100,000 tonnes. It is estimated the Australian industry is now worth over $100million annually to the national economy. In New South Wales alone there are some 468 registered macadamia orchards. Australian macadamias have developed a world-wide reputation for the finest quality, flavour and texture. The industry has finally come of age so that today we can all enjoy the best nut in the world.

Compared to other common edible nuts like almonds and cashews, macadamias are high in fat and low in protein. They have the highest amount of beneficial monounsaturated fats of any known nut. They also contain 9% protein, 9% carbohydrate, 2% dietary fibre, as well as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, selenium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. They may reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The macadamia tree is usually propagated by grafting, and does not begin to produce commercial quantities of nuts until it is 7–10 years old, but once established, may continue bearing for over 100 years. The macadamia nut has an extremely hard shell, but can be cracked using a blunt instrument, such as a hammer or rock applied with some force to the nut sitting in a concave surface, or a custom made macadamia nutcracker can be used.

Macadamias are toxic to dogs. Ingestion may result in macadamia nut toxicoses, which is marked by weakness with the inability to stand within 12 hours of ingestion. Recovery is usually within 24 hours. Macadamia nuts are also often used by law enforcement to simulate crack cocaine in drug stings. When chopped, the nuts resemble crack cocaine in colour. Macadamia nuts are often fed to Hyacinth Macaws in captivity. These large parrots are one of the few animals, aside from humans, capable of cracking and shelling the nut. The trees are also grown as ornamental plants in subtropical regions for their glossy foliage and attractive flowers.

Put Macadamias in your morning muesli or in ice-c ream or biscuit dough. They just love pumpkin soup and are great crushed with breadcrumbs for a coating on fish, lamb or chicken. Throw them through salads or use instead of pine-nuts in pesto. They also make a great alternative to peanut butter.

Whew!! I guess you can tell I rrrreally love Macadamias. Here’s a great recipe for you to try using these awesome nuts.

Macadamia-crusted Rack of Roast Lamb with Bush Tomato seasoned Potatoes and Warm Truss Tomatoes (serves 2).

Ingredients

• 3 thick slices sourdough bread
• 7 g finely chopped Flat-leaf parsley
• 1 Lemon -finely grated zest only
• 100g roasted, crushed Macadamias
• 60 ml Olive Oil
• sea salt
•  Mountain pepper leaf
• Ground Bush Tomato
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Manuka Honey
• 2 x 5 point French-trimmed lamb racks
• Olive Oil extra for rubbing and sealing Lamb
• 2 large whole Potatoes
• 2 strips of baby truss Tomatoes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place the bread on a baking tray and toast for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden.
3. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
4. Crumble the toasted bread with your hands or process in a food processor until coarse breadcrumbs form.
5. Place the breadcrumbs with the parsley, zest, olive oil and macadamias into a bowl and stir to combine.
6. Rub a little of the extra olive oil over the lamb racks.
7. Season the lamb liberally with sea salt and mountain pepper.
8. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat for 2 minutes.
9. Place the racks, fat-side down, in the pan and cook for a minute on all sides.
10. Remove to a baking tray.
11. Spread the top of the lamb racks with mustard and honey, then press on the macadamia mixture.
12. Season thickly sliced potatoes with ground Bush tomato, salt, pepper and a little olive oil and add to baking tray.
13. Cook Lamb for 25 to 30 minutes, depending on how pink you like your lamb and the size of the rack.
14. Remove the lamb from the oven and leave to rest on a tray loosely covered with foil for 5 minutes.
15. Add truss tomatoes to baking tray still in the oven with the potatoes to warm through whilst Lamb is resting.
16. Cut each rack into a two and three point piece then serve with accompaniments.

Give it a try and let me know how you went. Hope you enjoy.

Til next time, Peace and Good Eating.

Share this:

Tuesday 24th May, 2011.

Hello everyone. I have often been asked “what makes up Australian cuisine?”. Whenever Australia Day is looming or ANZAC Day or any other day of National Pride, publications all over the country start printing similar articles donned with pictures of Lamingtons, Vegemite and Meat pies. Australia Day always causes debate as well it should and many people in the culinary world have plenty to say about celebrating what is Australian and what should be our national cuisine. Our top high profile chefs are famous for a type of fusion cuisine as it is known on the world stage, melding French classic techniques with Asian, Italian, Greek or Indian. There are as many cuisines in Australia as there are cultures. This is amazing from a choice of produce point of view and for the consumer. Different cultures have been coming here and bringing their cuisine since The First Fleet arrived. The history of Australia runs parallel with the development of an Australian cuisine. Major events throughout our history have brought more cultures and cuisines. The Snowy Mountains Scheme, The Gold Rush, World War I and II. But what should our national cuisine be?

A certain bald-headed high profile Sydney chef when asked about kangaroo and Native ingredients back in 2008, in an interview printed in Food Companion International had this to say. “It gives a false perception of what Australian cuisine is all about. Kangaroo is not something of quality to me. Unless it’s raw, it is absolutely useless because it’s like cardboard, it’s dry and horrible.”

I can only say that like any chef, you can’t be an expert in every technique, or in the use of every ingredient. Maybe he was over cooking it but I think Kangaroo can be amazing and my thoughts on Native herbs are well known.

 The February issue of delicious magazine, had several articles on Australian flavours and cuisine. I was very pleased to see a national magazine printing recipes with kangaroo prosciutto, barramundi, lemon myrtle and macadamia nuts as well as a bush tomato soup with beer damper.  Perhaps people’s perceptions of Native Ingredients is slowly changing.

I was asked what I think our National dish is at the moment. In over a decade of cooking, the most popular dish, the one I get asked to prepare for weddings, birthdays, Christmas functions  is an Eye Fillet with either fondant, roast or mashed potatoes, another type of veg and a red wine or port jus. This and variations of this dish have been circulating for years, it’s the restaurant equivalent of meat and three veg. So if we’re going by most prepared dish I’d have to say that. However, I would really love it to be something like a Macadamia crusted fillet of Barramundi with tender crisp stir-fried vegetables and a Lemon Aspen and Mango sauce served with grilled Lime. Hmmm that sounds good.

Til next time, Peace and Good Eating.