date2015-07-24time12-31-27date2015-07-24time11-30-37Gourmet_July_(SINGLE)

THE TIMESAUSTRALIA ®

Gourmet

Vol. 3 No. 7 July 2015



Feature

08

Eire Artisan Pies

GOURMET

19

Memories
of Penang

(English and
Chinese)

34 60

Chocolette Two Sides To Every
Patisserie Story - The Source

Editor's GOURMET
Note
WHAT’S INSIDE?
HappySecond Birthdayto TheAustralia Times and
next month to Gourmet Magazine. We have come Editor's Note 05
leaps and bounds since we first begun and I'm excited
to present to you this fantastic issue to showcase what Eire Artisan Pies 08
we have become.
Memories of Penang
With a great mix of feature articles, interviews,
recipes, pictorials and events, I love when the (English and Chinese) 19
articles all start rolling in at deadline and I get to
read the fantastic work which our writers come Chocolette Patisserie 34
up with.
Guest Recipe Contributor:
This month also sees the end of the Two Sides
to Every Story series. A year of delicious food Colette Liu from Chocolette Patisserie 46
shared with a good friend, I've been very lucky.
TAT Gourmet wishes Siahna all the best as she How To Make an Authentic
moves to London, we can't wait to read about
some British adventures in the near future. Roman Carbonara 48

Be sure to check out Emily's story in both Branching Out 50
English and Chinese about her rich heritage
and be sure to try the delicious recipe she has Southgate Moveable Feasts 54
included as well.
Two Sides To Every Story - The Source 60
Learn how to make the traditional cabonara,
bake some delectable macarons, get caught up Melbourne's New Cocktail Fun:
in the imagery from The Melbourne Good Food
and Wine Show, Darwin Festival, Dark Mofo Waterslide Bar 72
Winter Feast and more.
Magic Mountain Saloon 76
I said it was a big issue!! Enjoy :)
The Good Food and Wine Show:
Kristie
Melbourne Style 78
Deputy
Editor Quick Review:

Connie Lambeth Millstone Patisserie, Melbourne 88

Darwin Festival 90

Dark Mofo Winter Feast 96

What’s been happening on

Instagram this month? 106

Food Lovers Calendar 109

CONTRIBUTORS: Kristie Giblin
Siahna Forward
David Frenkiel Amy Foyster
Luise Vindahl Liz Young
Katie Gwynne-Hannagan Maureen Clifford
Kerrie Howell
Connie Lambeth

COVER IMAGE:
By Siahna Forward

The GOURMET magazine is all about celebrating food
in all its glory. From where produce comes from, to
swish restaurants, delicious recipes and general food
musings, we plan to cover it all.

We aim to create a discussion about the role food
plays in our lives. Whether it be sharing a meal with
friends, to sitting down watching a cooking show with
your family or dining out on a special occasion- food

is a big part of our culture.

We want this online space to be somewhere where
everyone can share their thoughts, tips and tricks and

ideas about food and cooking. You will find recipes,
restaurant reviews, food ideas and information about
new ingredients and food programs that you may never

have heard of before! It is all very exciting.
We welcome all sorts of feedback and suggestions
and if you'd like to get involved and share your foodie
knowledge with Australia, please get in touch with us.

Thanks and happy eating!

We offer both veteran and undiscovered writers the opportunity to get published.

Have something to communicate, or an opinion to state, we are your voice!
Want to join a like-minded community in a great project?







Exhibitor at
Foodservice
Australia 2015

Connie Lambeth

Images kindly supplied by Eire Artisan Pies/
Zoi Kokoti & Stephen Lowrey

The popularity of of a Melbourne winter.
pies rarely wanes, Though snugger than a
as bakers, cooks marshmallow wallowing in
and chefs around hot chocolate, parka-clad
the country cater to the fans sporting their team
assorted demands of pie- beanies never quite got
lovers. There is nothing into the game, no matter
quite like the harmonious how good the scoreboard
match of a well crafted was shaping up. However
pastry with a juicy cracker footy fan passion soon
of a filling, especially of the accelerated once the Four’N
savoury variety. Twenty pie man dished
out his bags of steaming
Some of us are old enough pastry. "Carn the Pies”
to remember packing the quickly became the catch
footy oval on a Saturday cry around the stands!
afternoon, in the damp chill



Promoting Eire Artisan
Pies in Supermarkets

©Eire Artisan Pies

The humble pie has its
origins in ancient Egyptian,
Greek and Roman history
and was a fare well-loved,
similar to a few of the
reasons it remains popular
today, including taste,
nutrition and versatility.
Plus pies were reliable as
a food source and could
be easily transported.
We’ve come a long way
in our desire for more
gourmet tastes these days,
ditching the stodgy, spice-
less modes of cooking of
our past and embracing
a rich, multicultural
contemporary cuisine, that
is music to the bellies of
foodies across the nation.
Fortunately there are chefs
ramping up the quality
of pies, creating a variety
of gourmet fillings in line
with our 'quest for the best'
in all matters pertaining
to food. Here we look at a
top Chef turning pie crusts
and fillings literally on
their heads, creating new
taste sensations exciting
Adelaide pie fans big time!





THE TIMESAUSTRALIA®

An excursion to Stephen Lowery
& Zoi Kokoti
Foodservice Australia 2015, at Eire Cafe
in Melbourne's Exhibition Adelaide

Buildings a few weeks

ago, unearthed a magical

discovery for a pie devotee

who thought the best pies

were already well and truly

discovered. So begins the

story of Eire Artisan Pies…

”hand-made Australian
Artisan pies with French
finesse and an Irish heart
and soul…”

Eire co-owner Stephen Stephen’s talents as no uncertain terms that:
Lowrey grew up in Executive Chef of Eire “unlesss savoury meat
Cafe, along with co-owner pies were put back on the
Ireland and qualified Zoi pouring her skills and menu, his new business
effort into the marketing, was sure to fail”. Stephen
as a professional chef, PR and administration side appeased the situation by
of the business, soon saw suggesting he “come back
specialising in French their cafe flourish. Well this time tomorrow and I’ll
perhaps not initially, as one have a pie made especially
cuisine, all the while disgruntled customer was for you”. Reports are that
so unimpressed that Eire’s this is exactly what this
dreaming of “far menu was ‘pie-less’, that customer did, returning
away places that offer Stephen said he stated in many times since!
opportunity for those who
are brave and willing to
toil”. Toil he did, gaining
experience in ‘Galways

finest hotels’, while

competing in National

Cooking Competitions,

before rising to Head Chef

in his early twenties. In due

course Stephen followed

his dream, working in

restaurants and hotels in

Melbourne, before meeting

his partner Zoi Kokoti.

Eventually they relocated to

Adelaide for family reasons,

wondering how they were

going to ‘make a crust’. From

such thoughts, Eire Cafe
was born.

14 Independent Media Inspiring Minds

GOURMET

Telstra Business
Awards 2014/Best
Start Up Business

Award S.A

“Stephen drew on pies as”made by hand, Sweet Rhubarb Pies
his chef training from the pastry casing
and natural flair to the sauce, and real, Eire Artisan Pies are not
for comfort food hearty ingredients that the only winners in this
and made a pie fill them”. Nevertheless story. Eire Cafe won the
by hand, the likes the couple were thrilled 2014 Telstra Best Start-
his pie loving with the outcome, Up Business Award S.A.
customer had especially as it was their (Both Zoi and Stephen are
never seen or first year entering such a Directors) .
tasted before”. competition. “Coming home
from the trade show with Congratulations
Eire Pies were recently medals was a great thrill, Zoi and Stephen…
judged as some of the particularly given that sounds like a win-
best Artisan pies in the our pies were up against win situation!
country. There were more so many other gourmet
than six hundred entries pies from all around the
in “Australia’s Best Pie” country”, Stephen said.
Competition, at Foodservice
Australia. This success is Their winning pies?
no surprise considering
the high bar that Stephen • The Eire Vegan Chickpea Footnote: Rumours of the
and Zoi set for their & Lentil Pie won a Silver author heading back for
products, describing their Medal (the highest a second helping of the
award given in this flavour-packed Vegan
category) Chickpea and Lentil Pie

• The Eire Steak & Potato are true!
won a Bronze Medal

Independent Media Inspiring Minds 15

Eire Artisan Pies
www.eirepies.com

Eire Cafe
www.eirecafe.com

Foodservice Australia
foodserviceaustralia.com.au

Footnote: Eire pies are available in
the cafe, as well as selected Foodland
stores in Adelaide’s metropolitan
area. Eire Cafe is located in the
gourmet Adelaide suburb of
Clapham and turns out a variety of
sensational dishes celebrating “fresh,
quality, seasonal, Australian produce
with a unique French/Mediterranean
influence”. Lucky Adelaide!

As for FourN' Twenty...this is a
company that kicked off in the late
1940's! (now owned by Patties)





PenangMemories of
(English and Chinese)
Emily Cheng Khim Yong

Sydney writer,
Emily Cheng
Khim Yong,
shares her
rich heritage
centred around
memories of
food and life in
Penang

Tourist Spot Penang

GOURMET

Memories of Penang

Emily Cheng Khim Yong

All images by Emily CK Yong

I have very fond memories growing up as the youngest in the family.
Unlike most kids today, I grew up in a home with very few toys for
entertainment. It sounds pitiful, but when I looked back at my childhood
time, I felt grateful that I did not have Barbie dolls or even Lego toys that
my own kids have today. With less opportunity to play with all kind of
toys, I considered myself fortunate that my mother generously passed
me her old cooking utensils – there I went with my treasured ‘toys’;
pretend play with pots and pans, dried leaves, soil and sand. I was
having fun, though sometimes a slight nuisance to my mother, playing
‘pretend cook’ using our house’s mail box! Occasionally if I was lucky
enough, I would find earthworms, pretending to fry all the ingredients
in the letter box, mimicking my mother in the kitchen. When it was
raining, my mother would find her letters all soaked in mud with bits
of leaves, sticks and ‘still alive wiggling worms’! That was my cue to
keep a low profile the whole day to avoid a good scolding.

I grew up in Penang, also known as ‘The Pearl of the Orient’, a small island
located on the northwest coast of Peninsula Malaysia. I recalled those
golden days as a nine year old, when my father brought me to cleanse
my feet with sea water in Gurney Drive, after having our Bah Kut Teh
on most Sunday mornings. This was a heavy breakfast of rice and a rich
soup cooked with aromatic Chinese herbs and soft pork bones. Pork is
used a lot in traditional cooking, including kidneys and stomach, which
are considered to be important ingredients in some dishes.

A teapot of free refill hot Chinese tea, especially Tie Guan Yin, is the
most common Chinese tea served in Penang. I’m not sure whether
Penang kids learned to drink Chinese tea during Bah Kut Teh dine
out, however for me, I did. For younger kids without much interest in
the soup and mixed ingredients, they still enjoy the food, especially

Independent Media Inspiring Minds 21

THE TIMESAUSTRALIA®

the fried shallots in oil, with yam and rice. During the 80’s, Gurney
Drive in Penang was famous for this morning breakfast, with Bah Kut
Teh our so called ‘Sunday Family Day’ back in the golden days. During
weekdays, as most Bah Kut Teh eateries had spacious seatings, they
were meeting points for most Chinese business owners, known as Tau
Keh, meaning ‘boss’, in the local dialect. Chinese Tau Keh enjoyed chit-
chatting over a warm hearty breakfast, together with the free flow of
Chinese tea. Then off they went to start their fresh day. Most Chinese
bosses ran different kind of wholesale businesses in Penang back in
the old days. They had a very good relationship with most Bah Kut Teh
owners too. Now most of these kinds of eateries along Gurney Drive
have turned into other types of food stores, with most Bah Kut Teh
stores losing their identity.

A hawker’s style trumpet-like horn, made with a hollow rubber
attached at one end, was the most common tool/horn that was used
by portable hawkers in Penang…when the hollow rubber pressed, the
horn produced the ‘choo-choo’ sound. I remember there was an Indian
old hawker who travelled around in his four-wheeled rickshaw, (also
known as portable hawker), selling sweet delicacies in Malaysia. He
also sold the most famous fish broth noodle soup, called Penang Laksa,
using his own secret recipes. He started his business back when the
residential area in my home town was first developed, and was a hawker
for many years. Rewinding my childhood memories, most kids in the
housing area remembered this hawker as very kind and approachable.

Another famous sweet delicacy in Malaysia, called kaya, is a kind of
Malaysian jam made with eggs, coconut and sugar. Kaya means ‘rich’ in
the Malay language. Although kaya is a Malay term, this deliciously rich
coconut egg jam is very popular among Chinese and Indian ethnics in
Malaysia. Indians used to make buns known as roti. It is a bit confusing
using the term roti, as we used to do in Malaysia, along with the term roti
that we have in Australia. Roti as we know it in Australia, is the buttery
crisp version that has gone through the manual processes of flattening,
squashing and patting. However the term roti in Malaysia refers to
different kinds of bread loaves, such as breads with thick skin on the

22 Independent Media Inspiring Minds

GOURMET
Wet Market

Modern Retail Food Store located
in Pulau Tikus, Penang. Stocked
with dried core ingredients for
Asian cooking. Also supply hotels
and restaurants.

Independent Media Inspiring Minds 23

THE TIMESAUSTRALIA®

top, or, buns that are very popular spread with kaya. Indian kaya looks
rather orange in colour and is a very velvety smooth jam, tasting more
like sweet potato jam:

Whereas kaya that is popular among the Chinese ethnic population,
in Malaysia or even in Singapore, have a variety of cooking methods.
Toast spread with kaya and butter, and eaten with half-boiled eggs
along with coffee, has become very popular in Singapore, where there
are many franchise outlets. In Penang, kaya toast can be found in local
eateries that we call Kopitiam. The two most popular kaya among
Malaysian Chinese, are one that is slightly greenish in colour and the
other that is more of a brown colour. The green kaya does not have
caramelised sugar added at the last part of the process. It stays with
its pandan leaves juice colour. For commercial kaya off the shelves,
some green colouring is added.

Fast forward my memories. I had the opportunity to help in the kitchen
when my father passed away. Being a stay-at-home mum with five
kids, my mother used to be very busy with house chores including food
preparation, therefore hardly had the chance to teach us special cooking
skills in the kitchen . However she never stopped us from standing
beside her or involved in any cleaning, washing or cooking activities.
I was lucky to be able to learn some simple methods of cleaning pig
stomach, chopping soy duck, soy chicken and roasted pork. With my
interest to be involved in kitchen work, I had the chance to de-scale
fish and carve pineapples since I was as young as thirteen.

During our old good times, my mother used to cook her own traditional
dishes. In Malaysia, most Malaysian-Chinese cooking was influenced by
Malay or Indian food, with the occasional addition of Malay or Indian spices
to our home dishes. Therefore our tastes broadened and we considered
ourselves very lucky in having the opportunity to enjoy a variety of
authentic food in Malaysia. My family members were influenced by our
father’s food preference, which is Teochew, one of the ethnic groups
originally from China.
Growing up in a food business family, we used to discuss food taste,

24 Independent Media Inspiring Minds

GOURMET

texture or ways of food creations, especially during Chinese New Year
time. Our conversation on the first three days of Chinese New Year is
usually flourished with food terms; meanwhile mum’s kitchen is full
of good food smells that I could not resist myself from imagining, even
though I am now far away from my hometown.

My interest in handling food started when I became a teen, and my
cooking passion grew after I married my husband, who has little interest
in food. The most challenging part in my food creations comes from
cooking for my two young kids. My daughter ‘indulges’ herself in my food,
on the other hand my son has little interest as yet. My daughter builds
my confidence, while my son challenges me to be a creative home-cook
mum! My ‘cooking-genre’ has been tremendously influenced by different
cultures since I first came to Australia in 1997, to pursue my university
degree in Computer Science at Monash University.

I used to think that cooking is actually an artistic endeavour, which
included lots of technique, skills, feeling, and most importantly, passion.
I used to feel that creating food and composing music are similar,
inter-relational in ideas, with the layering of taste just as good as the
layering of musical sound, yet mutually-exclusive.

During my food writing journey I aim to share my food discoveries
and creations with like-minded people who are looking for a healthy
lifestyle through a balanced diet, as well as exploring the endless
possibility of preparing meals from ingredients available from the
shelves of Australian supermarkets. I would also like to share my food
prep ideas with busy parents, as well as beginners who are looking for
‘easy-to-follow’ ideas in preparing food.

Follow me on my food journey as there’s so much we
can learn together!

Independent Media Inspiring Minds 25

THE TIMESAUSTRALIA®

Penang Food/Some
Dishes I Cooked

26 Independent Media Inspiring Minds





Penang Food/Some
Dishes I Cooked

Entrance to Wet Market (very
popular in 80's)
Penang Asam Laksa from
Equatorial Hotel Buffet, Penang

My dish of Roast Pork

'Lor Mee' - a very popular hawker
food in Penang - Braised Pork
and Chinese 5 Spices etc cooked
in special aromatic soup gravy







The Good Food
&

Wine Show

Connie Lambeth
Images courtesy of Chocolate Patisserie and The Good Food & Wine Show

The Good Food & Wine Show provides an excellent platform
for a fledgling business. At the Melbourne show in May, we
were thrilled to discover Colette Liu’s Chocolate Patisserie stall,
lured by the decadent offerings and fresh rose displays. A brief
conversation amidst the throng, alerted us as to how important
such expos are for business, and by far the best way to connect
with customers and remain ‘on-trend’.

Sugar Art Work Macaron

THE TIMESAUSTRALIA®

“Food Events are fun, challenging and The macaron had a humble start in life,
great exposure for my business. Meeting originally created by an Italian chef
lovely people, including both customers cooking for the noble set, before wowing
and people in the industry, has always *French royals. Macarons soon excited the
been a highlight. Best of all, Chocolate Parisians, with fillings becoming ever more
Patisserie’s presence at Expos and Markets extravagant, and of course contemporary
is keeping my business moving forward versions of these little gems are now
and up to date”. universally favoured. Colette’s start-up
was modest, commencing her first market
Colette launched her patisserie venture with six flavours, gradually increasing
two and a half years ago, the tag a to the current offering of sixteen unique
word play on her name. She set about taste sensations, including Durian for
creating Madeleines, tartlets, cupcakes, the courageous! Unsurprisingly, Salted
novelty cakes and macarons, with the Caramel is a best seller, while Colette’s
popularity of the macaron quickly taking personal ‘palate-pleaser’ is Peanut Butter
hold. ‘Macaron’ comes from the Italian and Jelly. In her early baking days, she
word ‘macaroni’, meaning ‘fine dough’ produced around three hundred macarons
and is basically created from just three in eight hours, with her current record
ingredients - egg whites, sugar and sitting at around seven hundred!
almond meal.

Colette and Friends at Expo

©Chocolette Patisserie

36 Independent Media Inspiring Minds

©The Good Food & Wine Show 7/6/15

With such an exotic range of flavours, can, seeking various herbs and fruits to
ever changing and under constant use in her baking, and tells us that her
experimentation, it is no surprise to find cultural background growing up in Asia
out that this bright and energetic young has influenced not only her love of quality,
woman has a food science degree. Such fresh produce, but set her up with a solid
training means she can afford to be highly work ethic.
creative and know the result will prove a
success. Colette explains that the science
of baking with the three macronutrients:
Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat, means

that “I can make by feel and
touch and can easily adjust
the ratio from the mistakes
I’ve made. Therefore I am
very comfortable making
my macarons with real
fruit and nuts”. She loves to

swoop on her parents garden when she

Wedding Bombonniere

©Chocolette Patisserie

Macarons Tower

“As an overactive, second eldest child in “This is the foodie environment I grew up
a family of eight, I always managed to in, always getting to learn new things from
wake up at 5am and go fresh fruit and different people, and especially from my
veg shopping with my grandma and my grandma”.
parents when I was a kid”.
Colette’s family background has played
She also adds that she helped in the kitchen a significant role in who she is today,
a lot, which included her fair share of as well as influencing the flavours used
dishes! Colette remembers her parents in her baking. “I was brought up as a
inviting friends over on weekends. Family vegetarian, hence all the ingredients I
friends were usually called ‘Aunty’ and use are vegetarian, friendly - no gelatin
‘Uncle’, even though they were not blood used. Secondly, growing up with an Asian
related, and loved showing her how to background, we never like anything overly
prepare their signature dish! Meanwhile sweet. Therefore my macaron shells have
her mother and grandmother created large 15% less sugar than the usual macarons. I
quantities of food on the day, therefore would love to cut out more sugar, but due
weekends evolved into ‘big feasts’! to the science of macaron baking, 15% less
is still within the acceptable range”. She
particularly loves to use Asian ingredients
not commonly used in Australian bakery
items, such as “Assam Black Tea from
Malaysia, Pandan Leaves (Asian Vanilla),
Kaya (Coconut Jam), also some ingredients
that I learnt from travels around Asia,
such as Japanese Green Tea from Kyoto”.
Chocolate Patisserie’s inclusion of several
Asian flavours, as well as the use of quality
food colourings from France and natural
food colours from America (for custom
orders), ensures a range of ‘superior,
highly individualised flavours’.

Colette has worked earnestly to promote “Yesterday is history,
her business, starting out at suburban tomorrow is a mystery,
markets and now including the Federation and today is a gift…that’s
Square Designers Market, and Food Fairs why they call it present” is a
and Exhibitions such as The Good Food
and Wine Show, The Melbourne Cake Expo, favourite quote of Colette’s…
The Fine Food Fair, and Finders Keepers.
Macarons are her main focus, as she “I feel really blessed with the ‘present’ I
realised there was a gap in the market have today. Since my business started two
a few years ago. Although the market and a half years ago, I never imagined
is now a lot more competitive, very few how far I could go and how I would do it.
rank in her ‘gourmet’ category. A former However I’ve learnt to enjoy and live every
pastry chef, Colette eventually tired of moment, sweat, tears or joy. I believe the
gruelling eighty hour weeks and headed mindset attracts the right people coming
for a three month break in Malaysia a few along to support and guide me, to inspire
years back. It was during this sojourn that me to do better”.
she formulated her ideas for setting up a
patisserie business, and has been hard at Colette Liu is one savvy, delightful and
it ever since, with regular exposure slowly industrious young woman, and we look
growing her bank of customers. forward to following her sweet sweet
journey with Chocolate Patisserie.

GOURMET

Macarons Cake

©Chocolette Patisserie

Independent Media Inspiring Minds 41

Custom Macarons

Chocolate Patisserie’s Macaron Flavours:

Vanilla & Rose & Raspberry Banana Choc Pandan Kaya
Raspberry Jelly Lychee Salted Caramel Pistachio

Mocha & Red Bean Passionfruit Choc

Milk Choc Freckles Peanut Butter & Jam Choc Mint Strawberry
Jaffa Ferrero Rocher
Blueberry Bittersweet Choc
Cheesecake

*There are also some limited edition flavours such as Durian, known as the “king of
fruits” by many in southeast Asia and known for its powerful odour…at least until
Colette bakes it into something quite special! Then there’s Teh-Terik, created with a
filling made of Assam Tea, Caramelised White Chocolate and Condensed Milk.

GOURMET

Independent Media Inspiring Minds 43

Dessert Table

©Chocolette Patisserie

For Information & Direct Orders Chocolette Patisserie has a custom order
service for parties and celebrations,
Colette Liu at Chocolette Patisserie: corporate and special events, wedding
Phone: 0411 619 938 bombonnieres, and also supplies wholesale
Email: [email protected] orders. Colette Liu’s full range of macarons
Website: www.chocolette.com.au is now stocked at Black Flat Coffee
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ Brewers in Glen Waverley.
ChocolettePatisserie

History Lesson:

The Italian Chef in question, cooked
macarons for the Italian-born French
Queen and Regent, Catherine de Medici,
who was married to to King Henry 11 in
France. She had 10 kids, so macarons
may well have helped get her through
the day!

The Perfect Macaron:

A light, crunchy shell, yet light and
chewy inside

Macaron Filling:

Usually a flavoured ganache or jam

Storage:

Colette’s tip is that if macarons are stored
correctly they can last for up to a month
in the freezer, without compromising
texture or flavour

Check out the Chocololette Patisserie Author's Note:
exhibit at:
Fine Food Australia We have chosen to use the word
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition 'Bombonniere', which is the
Centre Italian spelling, rather than the
20th -23rd September inclusive French 'Bomboniere'. This is in
keeping with the version used by
Chocolette Patisserie’s full range of Chocolette Patisserie
Macarons are stocked at:

Black Flat Coffee Brewers
Shop 6/39 Kingsway
Glen Waverley Vic 3150

Ferrero
Rocher
Ganache

(Filling for Macarons)

Guest Recipe Contributor: EE 70% dark chocolate
600g
Colette Liu
from Chocolette Patisserie EE 35% fat fresh cream
600g

EE 100% Hazelnut paste
120g (see recipe 2)

GOURMET

Method: Recipe 2 - consistency – roughly 10
 Place the dark chocolate – 15 minutes. You can add
and hazelnut paste in a Hazelnut paste teeny weeny bit of canola
bowl oil (almost odourless) or
EE Desired amount of peanut oil to make the
 Bring the cream to boil, hazelnuts blending process easier.
and pour into chocolate-nut Vitamix, Thermomix,
mixture EE Sea salt to taste Breville Cafe Series and
Cuisine Art blenders are
 Let the hot cream sit for Method: the machines I’ve tried
at least 30 – 40 seconds,  Pre-heat oven to 130 previously and they all
then whisk the ganache degree celsius (fan-forced work magically.
gently until it comes oven)
together smoothly b) Slow press juicer
 Line a tray with baking – using the mincing
please note: the high oil paper, spread hazelnuts attachment, pass hazelnuts
content from the nut may evenly over tray and roast through and repeat this
cause the ganache to split for 20 minutes. The heat process until your desired
if the ganache is mixed too will cause the brown skin consistency is reached –
vigorously to shrink and loosen- this will take longer than
remove from oven and cool a processor or blender. I
slightly prefer this method, as the
result is a lot finer texture.
 Place hazelnuts in a You might find the oil is
clean cloth, gather up the separating from the nut,
sides of the cloth to create but that’s ok, just mix well
a sack and clasp with one with spatula before use.
hand. Rub the hazelnuts
against each other with (TIPS: you can make more
the other free hand You’ll nut butter than you need,
find some of the skin will as lasts about 1 month in
still be attached, but that’s the fridge)
okay. Pick up the hazelnuts
carefully, leave the loose Melbourne Victoria, 0411
skin behind. 619 938,

There are a few options Chocolette Patisserie ABN
here to achieve smooth
hazelnut paste with 62258978860
different machines:
[email protected]
a) Food processor or
blender – whizz until
you’ve reached a butter

Independent Media Inspiring Minds 47

THE TIMESAUSTRALIA®

How To Make an notoriously, the use of cream,
which was how I had become
CarbonaraAuthentic Roman accustomed to eating it.
Katie Gwynne-Hannagan
In Italy, each and every plate
I’ve been an avid fan of pasta for Italian coal miners and of carbonara I tasted was rich,
carbonara since I was a little charcoal workers. flavoursome and incredibly
girl, but after returning from moreish, but there was no cream
a trip to Rome last year where A traditional carbonara to be seen.
I experienced what a true should contain just four basic
carbonara should be, I’ll never ingredients - eggs, parmesan, When carbonara is prepared
look at it the same way again. some variety of cured pork the way the Romans intended,
(usually guanciale), and plenty of the addition of cream becomes
The word carbonara is derived black pepper. redundant and actually changes
from carbonaro, the Italian the whole dish, diluting its true
word for charcoal burner, and However, English and US flavour and making it much
the dish is believed to have adaptations have resulted heavier than it needs to be.
originated in Rome where in several alterations to the
it became a popular meal original intended recipe, most Even though there are only
four ingredients involved, each

48 Independent Media Inspiring Minds

Serves 4

Ingredients:

EE 300g spaghetti, fettuccine or any type of pasta
you prefer

EE 3 free-range eggs
EE Five thick slices of guanciale, pancetta or similar

cured pork, cut into small cubes
EE One cup of grated parmesan cheese
EE One tbsp. Olive oil
EE Freshly ground black pepper
EE Sea salt

plays an integral part in crafting Method:
the perfect carbonara. The
guanciale adds saltiness and 1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add a
a smoky flavour, the pepper pinch of salt.
adds bite, and the eggs and
parmesan cook ever so slightly 2. While the water is boiling, fry the guanciale in
when combined with the hot a tablespoon of olive oil until crispy and golden.
pasta, transforming into a rich, Leave it to cool in the frying pan.
creamy, silky sauce.
Give this carbonara a whirl 3. Add your pasta to the boiling water and cook
at home - I bet you’ll be until al dente.
surprised how these four simple
ingredients can produce such a 4. Meanwhile, whisk up your eggs in a bowl, add
flavoursome dish. in 3/4 cup of grated parmesan and a generous
amount of black pepper.
I like to use fresh, homemade
egg pasta when time permits, 5. Strain the pasta once cooked, add straight into
but the good quality dried stuff your pan of guanciale and toss together so it’s
works too. well combined and coated in the cooking juices.

6. Let the pasta cool for a couple of minutes, then
stir through the egg mixture. It’s important to let
it cool slightly otherwise the egg will scramble
- the residual heat from the pasta will cook the
eggs just enough.

7. Serve immediately with lashings of black pepper
and the rest of your parmesan.

Branching Out
Tis the season….
by Kerrie Howell