The Malaysian Insider :: Food

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 09:17 PM PST

Teepees set up on Smiths Beach for the launch party.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 — Ask any chef what inspires him/her and nine out of 10 will very likely say, "The ingredients!" And so it was at the inaugural Margaret River Gourmet Escape — a four-day food and wine festival — in Perth where the talk among the celebrity chefs present was mostly about the amazing produce of Western Australia.

Rene Redzepi of Noma in Denmark, well-known for his food foraging expeditions and absolutely inventive menus, went out on an excursion with the Aborigines before the launch party and had the time of his life. Rene took the heart of a tree they found and cooked it. Delicious!

Serving up Tempura Shark Bay Whiting Fillets (right) and Green Pea and Pecorino Tartlets.

New York's David Chang of Momofuku could not get enough of marrons, a kind of crayfish found in Western Australia. "I think it's the pinnacle of all crustaceans, it's so sweet. The shellfish and fish here are second to none," he said.

Tony Howell, executive chef of Cape Lodge in Margaret River, couldn't agree more. "If there's one ingredient to cook, it's the marron. It's sensational!"

The Margaret River Gourmet Escape was chockablock with the biggest names in the culinary world. The starry line-up included Alex Atala from D.O.M. Restaurante in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Tetsuya Wakuda of Tetsuya's in Sydney; Alvin Leung of Hong Kong's Bo Innovation; Sat Bains of Sat Bains in Nottingham; Andre Chiang of Singapore's Restaurant Andre; Matt Stone from Perth's very own Greenhouse; Matt Moran (you will recognise him from "MasterChef Australia"); Peter Gilmore of Quay in Sydney; Neil Perry from Sydney's Rockpool;, Kylie Kwong of TV fame; and George Calombaris of "MasterChef Australia". A.A. Gill, "the fiercest food critic in the world", master of wine Lisa Perrotti-Brown, and wine writers Ch'ng Poh Tiong and Nick Stock were also in attendance.

The headliner of the festival was to be Heston Blumenthal of the Fat Duck in Bray, UK (many of the big-name chefs from far-away Europe and the United States were there because Blumenthal asked!) but a few days before the festival, two of his chefs died in a traffic accident in Hong Kong.

Still, Heston's presence was very much felt at the festival; a toast was made at the launch of the festival to him and the two chefs who died, and then of course there was the formal dinner, where his fellow chefs paid tribute to him.

Rottnest Scallops with Bumbu Satay of Jarrahdene Pork at the launch party... absolutely delicious.

The launch itself was held at the stunning Smiths Beach in Margaret River where teepees were set up, a band played and everybody feasted on oysters, tempura Shark Bay whiting fillets, Rottnest scallops with a Bambu satay of Jarrahdene pork, Pepper & Salt 7 spiced Butterfield beef ribs and South-West fish sashimi, Asian omelette and sushi rice. Wines from Ashbrook, Stella Bella, Woodlands, Fraser Gallop and Trevelen Farm accompanied the fabulous feast.

Even a freezing wind did not dampen the joie de vivre of the evening, with the affable Western Australian Tourism and Health Minister Kim Hames, who launched the event, going round greeting everyone.

At the press conference the next day at Cape Lodge in Margaret River, Rene spoke about how excited he was to cook the abalones from Western Australia. "Cape to cape, coast to coast, the climate, weather, ingredients here are different. I have already discovered jewfish," he said, laughing about the politically incorrect name of the fish. The jewfish is a kind of grouper. He was also happy to have discovered the monitor lizard, called goanna, in Australia. "The green fat is delicious!"

Peter Gilmore, the award-winning executive chef of the Quay in Sydney, spoke about the six seasons of the year in aboriginal culture that affects migration of animals and fishes spawning.

David Chang and Rene Redzepi lamented that the Australian dining public didn't want kangaroo on their plates. "You should get the meat on a regulated basis. Kangaroo tail is delicious," said Chang. "Kangaroo meat is banned in New South Wales," said Gilmore. "Also, the supply chain is not guaranteed."

Hot chefs: Front row (from left): Matt Wilkinson (in shorts), Adam D'Sylva (with beard), Peter Kuruvita (head down), Rene Redzepi, Kylie Kwong, Tetsuya Wakuda, George Calombaris, Tony Howell, Matt Stone. Back row (from left): Justin North, Sat Bains, Alvin Leung (in black), Alex Atala, Peter Gilmore, Jock Zonfrillo, A.A. Gill, Matt Moran, Andre Chiang, David Chang.

Redzepi who had tasted emu meat said, "It's mind blowing. I love a good steak, but this is so good to eat. Travelling anywhere you would want to eat something distilled from the place you are in. I wouldn't travel to Singapore and have a French meal. Back in Scandinavia we are exploring seasons and cultures to better understand the future. Delicious things are happening where it's cold five months of the year.

"French food is astonishing but it's about cooking delicious food and contributing to your culture. Indigenous tribes teach us and put it in the culture we are in so that it becomes richer."

As Gilmore said, "The world is large and we should embrace everything."

George Calombaris, Australian chef, restaurateur and judge on "Masterchef Australia" and "Junior Masterchef", talked about how the past five years have been absolutely amazing for him.

"Sixteen years ago I was peeling shallots. It's moments like these that I cherish, the ability to exchange ideas and taking them to my chefs. They are on Cloud 9! I just spent time in India where I saw poverty and know how lucky I am."

The festival was a fabulous chance to get to know the chefs, what they are thinking, and what makes them tick.

Food viruses can be spread by kitchen knives, scientists find

Posted: 10 Dec 2012 05:55 PM PST

PARIS, Dec 11 — People preparing food are advised to wash their hands to prevent the spread of disease, yet an unseen threat may well lie on their kitchen knife, a study says.

Researchers at the Centre for Food Safety at the University of Georgia used new knives and graters on six types of fruit and vegetables that had been smeared with minute doses of hepatitis A virus and a "vomiting" bug called norovirus.

More than half of the utensils became contaminated by this contact — and in turn often handed on virus to non-contaminated produce.

The experiment was conducted on cucumbers, strawberries, tomatoes, carrots and cantaloupe and honeydew melons.

The type of knife, whether serrated, sharp or dull, did not matter, according to the paper, published in the latest issue of the journal Food and Environmental Virology.

Co-author Marilyn Erickson told AFP the findings could be important for people with a weak immune system.

As for recommending what to do, she acknowledged that it could be impractical to wash a knife or grater between each vegetable.

However, "it would be wise to wash (the knife) carefully between meals rather than leaving it on the counter, thinking it's not that dirty", using a dishwasher or at dishwater-type temperature, she said.

Previous research into contamination of kitchen utensils and surfaces has focused on bacteria, not viruses.

A 2011 study found that the norovirus is the leading cause of food-borne illnesses in the United States. Ingesting as few as between one and 100 norovirus particles can cause vomiting or diarrhoea. — AFP/Relaxnews

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Isnin, 10 Disember 2012

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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