Campion & Curtis Newsletter - March -April 2007
Welcome to the latest Campion and Curtis newsletter and the start of autumn 2007. Yes it seems the east coast of Australia has finally left the humidity and heat of
summer behind, a change most will welcome. Autumn is also a terrific time of harvest for many ingredients and a great time for cooks to get back into the kitchen.
The selection of ingredients coming onto the market in March, April and May will be amazing, so don't miss it. The frequency of this newsletter is changing with
it now coming out every two months, rather than monthly. This time of year is an incredibly packed one with book deadlines looming and lots of demonstrations,
cooking classes and food tours on the go. We trust you'll stay tuned for the latest foodie news nonetheless. Enjoy!
Visit the Campion and Curtis home page
Autumn produce
This traditional harvest time is a beauty for food lovers. We currently have the last of summer produce to enjoy - juicy peaches, nectarines and apricots are all still
terrific - but don't leave it too much longer. Even mangoes are still widely available and tasting great. Many autumn ingredients are also appearing on market
stalls - grapes have all started out well with glistening bunches of sultana and waltham cross varieties available, gala apples also make great eating at present.
Plums will be coming into their own in coming weeks too, as will pomegranates, almonds, chestnuts, walnuts and pears. For more savoury tastes there's much to enjoy
with tomatoes, eggplants, leeks, zucchini, peas, sweet potato and pumpkins to cook with.
Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2007
Melbourne is about to be taken over by food and wine lovers (yes, even more than normal) with the imminent start of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. After a fairly limited offer in 2006 because of the Commonwealth Games the festival is back with a vengeance. Masses of events have been announced with old favourites like the worlds longest lunch joined by restaurant express (restaurant week) joined by a full weekend of activities centered around Federation Square, The Arts Centre and Southgate on March 24th and 25th. This will see events like cellar door, the international flour festival, and wicked Sunday on for the public to enjoy.
There are also masses of diners and events in city and regional centers. Masterclass returns too with presenters like renowned food author Jill Dupleix, Sam & Sam
Clark from Moro in London, Rose Gray from River Cafe, plus a host of other Australian and international presenters. Slow Food also has a program of
events including a terrific sounding Seasonal Banquet Picnic at Abbotsford Convent on the 24th March. We will be presenting a cooking demonstration at The "River
Terrace Stage" hosted by The Age Cheap Eats from 1.15 pm - 1.45 pm on Sunday 25th March at Federation Square. We look forward to seeing you there!
Full festival details and booking information is available on the MF&WF website.
Young Gourmet - Farm to Table Challenge
The Le Cordon Bleu Farm To Table Challenge is on again - and asks schools to grow, produce, package, market and sell “regional food” using traditional or
artisan growing or production methods. The competition made the headlines in 2005 when Daylesford Secondary College decided to
raise a pig to produce bullboar sausages - which resulted in protests from various animal liberation groups who caused a media storm.
The students carried on - and ended up coming second place!
There are a number of required tasks within the competition, and full details are available on the website link below.
Some points do include:
Students be "hands-on" growing or farming one of the raw ingredients
Students be “hands-on” using the artisan methods employed
Students engage in direct marketing, promotion and sales
Students take the pictures and write or film the reports
This competition is a terrific way to get children involved and thinking about the food we consume. Full details are available on
YG farm to table challenge
Food Blogs
A good food blog is a terrific find, however finding these gems can take a lot of time and sifting through the duds. At a recent City Library talk I met a blogger
who has taken on a terrific task and decided to record his journey. It's called the Ezard Challenge and
our writer has decided to work his way through Teage Ezards first cook book - and to record his results in words and images. This follows his search for specialist ingredients, work in the kitchen and the results of course.
Well worth a look, and perhaps an idea
which could be taken up by others!
Also of interest is a blog dedicated to freely available online historic cookbooks - there are over 400 of them, with many from the 19th century.
The list is available online here.
An amazing piece of research and worth a look for those
who have an interest in this specialist subject. The list has sent onto us by a great food blogger who has been mentioned here before - Janet from The Old Foodie.
Bits and pieces
Have been getting out and about in regional Victoria recently to visit old favourites and look at new places as we start work on the Foodies Guide 2008.
Have been very impressed with many places which have appeared on the scene in recent times including Otway Estate who have recently opened
a cellar dooor with food, wine and their own beer. Well worth a visit if you're heading through the Otway forest at 10-30 Hoveys Road, Barongarook 03 5233 8400.
A couple of favourites around Daylesford are also in top form including Sweet Decadence with beautiful decorated easter eggs on display at present. Sweet Decadence at Lopcantro
are located at 87 Vincent Street, tel 03 5348 3202.
Had a terrific breakfast at Cliffy's too, the eggs baked on beans will keep even the hungriest foodie going for hours.
Cliffy's Emporium is at 30 Raglan Street tel 5348 3279.
Have been loving the recent growth in specialist breweries and beers and was recently recommended the releases from Knappstein Winery.
It's called Knappstein Reserve Lager and is available as a 330ml single serve bottle. Pulled the cap on a few bottles last week to go with some very nice antipasto.
Considering how quickly they were devoured I think it could be assumed this was a terrific beer. It has a unique tropical, almost lychee aroma and a clean crisp
finish with a neat white foam. A great addition to the specialist beer scene.
Guy Grossi has recently opened his new Mirka at Tolarno in St Kilda - and the media interest has been amazing on the subject of the landlords spat with Iain Hewitson.
We'll ignore all of that here and instead concentrate on the work which has been done on the site. The main dining room has had the murals revamped by the artist
Mirka Mora, plus beautiful new work created on sliding window blinds which are outstanding. The bar has been completely remodeled and a beautiful private dining
room situated in the old gallery space. Modern artworks are still displayed here with changing exhibitions organised by ACCA.
A new kitchen completes the project. Even to walk through the space is a wonder for anyone with a sense of history for the Melbourne food scene and lovers of
Mirka Moras art. Mirka at Tolarno 42 Fitzroy St, St Kilda 3182 (03) 9525 3088.
Foodies' Tours of Melbourne
Melbourne Food Tours are going from strength to strength, including the new Foodies' Bus Tour of Melbourne.
They are available for the public and are increasingly being used by corporate groups for staff days out and team building activities.
This is a 5 hour tour and is conducted in a mini bus at a cost of $125.00 per person. It could be the perfect gift for the food-lover in your life!
A Foodies' Bus Tour has now been locked in for Saturday 26th May 2007.
A website dedicated to Melbourne food Tours has now been launched. It provides detailed information an all of the walking and bus tours plus a booking facility.
Please visit Melbourne Food Tours website here.
Foodies' places in FNQ
Over Easter there will be a visit to Cairns and surrounds - primarily as a holiday, but also interested in local food naturally enough.
So if anyone knows of a terrifric restaurant, market, food tour or other similar expereince that is really fantastic, I'd love to hear about it.
Send an email to this address Allan Campion.
Autumn recipes
Having run a BBQ Masterclass this week it was interesting to explore a few autumn style recipes for the barbie with the ongoing beautiful weather.
This time of year is perfect for adding spice blends and marinades to food, as well as adding beautiful flavours with sauces like Spanish inspired romesco sauce.
Don't forget to make a few salads too!
Classic beef kebabs
500 g (1 lb) tender beef, such as rump
2 tsp mustard
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp red wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 skewers
Cut the beef into 2 cm (3/4 in) chunks.
Mix the mustard, rosemary, olive oil, red wine, salt and pepper together and marinate the beef.
Drain excess marinade from the beef then thread the beef onto the skewers.
Place kebabs on a hot barbecue grill and cook for 12 minutes, turning 3-4 times.
Makes 10 kebabs.
Chilli crabs
Amazingly crabs can be cooked on the barbecue, and this is a terrific way to try it for the first time.
4 blue swimmer crabs, approx 200-300g (7-10 oz) each
2 red chillies, finely diced
80ml (2½ fl oz) chilli jam or sweet chilli sauce
40ml (1¼ fl oz) soy sauce
50g (1¾ oz) brown sugar
If using live crabs, freeze for 1 hour to put them to sleep.
Cut into quarters and rinse to remove innards.
Mix chillies, chilli jam, soy sauce and sugar together.
Toss crabs with sauce.
Place crabs in kettle barbecue or onto a barbecue flat plate.
Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Serves 4
Romesco sauce
This classic Spanish sauce is absolutely amazing served over barbecued chicken, seafood and lamb. Try it even once and it's sure to become a favourite.
It's sort of like a Spanish pesto, but even nicer. When this recipe has been included previously there have been a few correspondents who argue this is not a
'traditional' recipe. Perhaps, but it's possible to make it at home easily and it tastes fantastic.
1 red capsicum, seeds removed
1 small red chilli, seeds removed
1 tomato, cut in half
4 garlic cloves, peeled
Olive oil
75 g (½ cup) blanched almonds
75 g (½ cup) hazelnuts
2 tbsp smoky paprika
Large pinch of saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp boiling water
1 thick slice of bread, toasted and diced
1 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 180 C.
Place the capsicum, chilli, tomato and garlic onto a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil.
Place into the preheated oven and cook until all ingredients are tender.
The chilli will take 10 minutes, the tomato and garlic about 15 minutes and the capsicum may take up to 30 minutes.
Place the almonds and hazelnuts on a separate baking tray and place in preheated oven.
Cook for approximately 15 minutes, until golden. Place the hazelnuts in a clean tea towel and rub to remove the skins.
Peel the capsicum and tomato.
Add to food processor along with chilli, garlic, almonds, hazelnuts, paprika, saffron, bread, parsley, vinegar and salt and pepper.
Whiz the ingredients into a coarse paste.
Spoon the mix into a bowl, stir well and add olive oil to make a thick paste-like consistency.
Season with extra vinegar, salt and pepper as needed. The sauce should have a smoky, rich full-flavoured taste.
Keep in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Makes 500 ml (2 cups).
Lamb kofta burgers
This is a great way to spice up lamb mince and make it very appealing. Serve a couple of these in some Turkish pide bread with a few spoonfuls of
tomato and fresh herb salsa and you'll have a barbecue to remember.
1 kg (2 lb) lamb mince
1 onion, finely chopped
3 tsp ground coriander
4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
2 tsp oregano leaves, chopped
2 tsp harissa or chilli paste
1 tsp salt
90 g (3 oz) burghul
Place lamb, onion, ground spices, oregano, harissa and salt in a large bowl.
Knead well by hand for five minutes. Refrigerate for 1 hour so flavours can develop.
Soak burghul in plenty of cold water for 20 minutes. Drain well.
Divide mixture into 10 equal pieces and shape into burgers. Scatter burghul onto a plate and roll burgers in it until coated.
Place burgers onto a hot barbecue and cook for 6-7 minutes, rotating once.
Turn over and cook for a further 5-6 minutes, rotating once.
Makes 10 burgers.
Barbecued whole fish
Cooking a whole fish is made a whole lot easier if you wrap it in banana leaves first.
This helps to hold it together and will also produce a moister fish, as it will steam while it cooks.
1 whole fish, such as snapper, approx 1 kg, cleaned
2 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp kecap mains
2 tbsp coconut milk
Zest from 1 lime
20 ml lime juice
2 small red chilli, de-seeded and diced
Banana leaves or aluminium foil
String as needed
Slash sides of fish diagonally 3-4 times.
Place remaining fresh ingredients into a food processor and process until it forms a smooth paste.
Place fish in the centre of the banana leaf and rub the paste inside and all over the fish.
Wrap fish tightly in the banana leaves or foil and tie it tightly with string to hold it together.
Place wrapped fish onto a medium-hot barbecue. Cover fish with a lid and cook for 20 minutes, rotating as required.
Turn fish over and re-cover with the lid. Cook for a further 15 minutes, rotating as required.
Middle-Eastern carrot salad (for Tracey)
A salad made with grated carrots and oranges is a refreshing side dish to serve with barbecued dishes.
3 carrots, coarsely grated
1 orange, thinly sliced and cut into small pieces
90g (½ cup) sultanas
2 tbsp pine nuts
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sweet paprika
½ cup coriander leaves
Stir together carrot, oranges, sultanas and pine nuts.
Mix lemon juice, oil, cumin and sweet paprika together and stir into the carrot mix.
Spoon into a serving dish and sprinkle the coriander over the top.
Serves 6.