The West Australian, April 2010

Kids in the Kitchen

It all started with Play School. Presenters would bake gingerbread men and serve up plates of rubbery spaghetti for Big Ted and Jemima, and children from all over Australia would turn to their parents and say "Can we make that?"
Nowadays, there is a plethora of children's cooking courses, television shows and child-sized kitchen gadgetry.
(Follow link to article)

Fresh, The West Australian, April 2010

The West Australian, April 2010

Restaurant Review: Il Cibo

A four-month-young cafe in the hub of Fremantle, Il Cibo seems to be enjoying brisk trade thanks largely, I'd imagine, to the nous of its matriarch Donatella Niedda.

No stranger to the industry, Donatella was formerly at the helm of Beaches Cafe, Toscanini's and Capodonna before hanging up her apron a few years back. Now she's come out of retirement to run the Market Street corner eatery with her daughter, Jessica Thomas. It's a big, warehouse-style space filled with an eclectic, very Freo mix of retro furniture. The outdoor dining area sprawls out onto the pavement while the interior of the cafe, made up of three different rooms, includes a play corner for the kids while Mum and Dad enjoy their lattes.

On the day we visited, the breakfast crowd was just trickling out as we made our way in for an early lunch. Rumour has it there are plans to segue into dinner down the track because of high demand.

Meaning 'the food' in Italian, Il Cibo has a surfeit of healthy, organic fare on offer from behind two massive display cabinets. All of the dishes (bar the bikkies) are made in-house and the lunch menu features cafe classics such as quiches, frittatas and salads, as well as a steak sandwich ($17.50) and chicken and continental paninis ($11.50) coming from the semi-closed kitchen.

We decided on three of the more interesting-looking dishes from behind the glass, which went into the middle of the table to be shared among the group.

A continental 'frizza' ($12.50), a hybrid of pizza and frittata, had a smooth omelette base of herbs, Parmesan, cream and egg with a topping of sliced sausage, olives and shredded spinach. It was a good, solid dish that would have gone down just as well for brekky.

A tasting platter for one ($25) arrived in a fabulous black paella pan. The offerings - which apparently change frequently according to the whims of the kitchen - comprised generous chunks of chorizo, grilled mushrooms, spinach quiche, marinated octopus and a more-ish tomato passata that was begging for some chunks of crusty bread. There was also a wild rice salad with an odd mix of coriander and red currants that didn't quite seem to work.

Spinach and ricotta crepes ($9.50 or $17.50 with salad) were big and hearty and ticked all the boxes, although, like all the dishes we shared, the serving side was on the small side.

Which of course meant more room for dessert. We stuck with the sharing theme and ordered two desserts for the table. Flourless chocolate cake ($6) came up trumps, with a wicked chocolate crust housing a moist, soft centre and served with light-as-cloud whipped cream. Rolled berry pavlova ($6) was good, though the presentation could have been better - it look more like Eton mess on a plate.

The wine list had gone astray so we went with the recommendation of a Flametree sauvignon blanc semillon 2009 ($32), which was a nice crisp drop for a lunchtime date.

A good, healthy way to welcome in the weekend.

13/20

The Westn Australian, April 2010

Insider's Guide to authentic Asian

Love Asian cooking but lost in translation when it comes to all those exotic ingredients? To help you separate the shao hsing from the tom yum, we've demystified some of the unusual items in the Asian pantry.

Mirin

A Japanese rice wine best known as one of the main ingredients used to make sushi rice. It is very sweet in flavour and is used for cooking only. It can be added to seafood to mask 'fishy' aromas.
USE IT: Mix with soy sauce, sugar, garlic and ginger for a delicious teriyaki sauce.

Palm Sugar

A sugar made from the sweet sap of palm trees (most commonly date and palymra palms), palm sugar has a molasses-like texture and is widely used in cooking throughout South-Est Asia. It is largely unprocessed and therefore has a coarser, grainier consistency than other sugars.
USE IT: For a sweeter, more syrupy flavour, add it to a rice pudding made with coconut milk.

Tom Yum Paste

Tom yum paste is best known for its distinctive hot and sour flavours. Most frequently used in Thailand and Laos, its ingredient base includes lemongrass, kaffir lime, galangal, fish sauce and chilli, which are all either crushed in a mortar and pestle or pureed in a food processor to form a paste.
USE IT: Give chicken or prawn soup that authentic Thai flavour by adding tom yum paste to your stock and sprinkling with coriander leaves.

Panch Phora

An Indian version of five-spice, panch phora is a spice mixture made up of various seeds - mustard, nigella, cumin, fennel and fenugreek - which can either be used as is or pounded down into a powder. Oil can also be added to make a paste.
USE IT: Add a teaspoonful or two to a meat or vegetable curry dish to give it some extra zing.

Pomegranate Molasses

A thick, syrupy condiment that has its origins in the Middle East. The result is a highly acidic syrup which can be tempered with olive oil or honey. It can be used to add extra tang to sauces, soups and other savoury dishes.
USE IT: Add a dollop to vinaigrettes to give vegetables and salads some punch.

Shao Hsing (or Shaoxing)

A Chinese rice wine that is known to be one of the finest of its ilk, shao hsing is full of flavour and extremely dry, with a flavour not unlike sherry. It is made with fermented rice that has been steeped in the lake waters of Shao Hsing province in eastern China.
USE IT: Add a splash to the wok next time you're cooking up a Chinese stir-fry.

Wasabi

Not just that fiery green dollop that comes with your sushi, wasabi is a potent Japanese condiment similar to the horseradish root. It comes in many forms including dried, powdered and as a paste.
USE IT: Mix wit soy sauce, sugar and rice wine vinegar for a salad dressing with bite.

Rice Bran Oil

Similar to vegetable oil, rice bran oil - made by extracting oil from the germ and husk of a rice grain - is known to be one of the healthiest edible oils around. It has a mild flavour and a high tolerance to heat, making it perfect for deep-frying.
USE IT: Add a glug to your next stir-fry to add a delicate flavour and lower your cholesterol.

Scoop Magazine, Summer 2010

image: Jenny Susanto-Lee

Farmer's Markets

While visiting a local farmers’ market for the first time recently, it occurred to me that I might have slipped into another dimension by accident. Stallholders and customers were deep in conversation. People were stopping for a chat and a laugh with one another. Supermarket trolleys had made way for recycling bags. Welcome to the wonderful world of the farmers’ market.

Farmers’ markets are, quite literally, just that. They sell market produce that is often hours - not weeks – old, delivered fresh from the farm. In order to run a stall, vendors generally must grow, catch, bake or preserve all their own wares. Prices are normally cheaper, as the middle-man is cut out and the customer is essentially buying wholesale. Much of the produce is organic, seasonal, local and in as natural a state as possible. In other words, the way it used to be.

If ever there was a sign that we want to slow down and eat better, then surely the surge in popularity of farmers’ markets is it. In the US, the number of farmers’ markets grew exponentially from 1,755 in 1994 to 5,274 in 2009 as the country grappled with its need to reduce its junk food intake. In the UK, their popularity has never really waned thanks to a strong village culture. The benefits of buying fresh, local produce are nothing new to developing countries however, who have been doing it for eons. Happily, it’s our turn and, thanks to the trend of embracing all things community, we’ve jumped on the hay wagon with gusto.

Here is a round-up of local markets with the freshest food around.

Fremantle Markets

The Fremantle Markets have been around for over one hundred years and draw an eclectic crowd, from tourists to tie-dye devotees. Already attracting 40,000 visitors per week to its 150 stalls, the markets are in the middle of an overhaul.

“Over the past year, our markets have been on a push to alter everything,” says its business development manager and ‘Food Hour’ radio presenter Ann Meyer.

“Our main emphasis is to get rid of the middle-man, concentrate on the local producer and make sure everything’s grown direct.

“We’ve got Abhis Bakery making fresh bread on the premises with local organic flours to make the Yard as organic bio-dynamic as possible. We’ve also just secured one of WA’s best organic farmers, Shuan Lamb. You can’t get his produce anywhere else, it will just be at the Fremantle Markets.”

Open all day Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Cnr Henderson St & South Terrace, Fremantle.


Mt Claremont Farmers Market

After their humble beginnings in 2007 with eight stalls, this market now boasts over 50 stall holders and attracts nearly 3,000 customers a week. It is a community-based project that sells all manner of things, from organic cheeses, yoghurts and produce to gourmet chorizo sausages, hand-made chocolate, fresh coffee and French pastries. Just make sure you get there early.

“Our lettuce truck is what really sets us apart,” laughs Natasha Atkinson, the market’s manager.

“It pulls in, the side opens and there are crates of lettuce that people queue for. And I’m talking 30 to 40 people in a queue. At our recent night market, we had a queue from one end of the basketball court to the other. It’s super fresh - they pick the lettuce that morning. I did the ten day fresh test, and it lasted the full ten days in the fridge.”

Bring your dog, grab a coffee and buy the paper while you’re there.

Saturdays, 7:30am-11:30am.
Mt Claremont Primary School, 103 Alfred Road, Mt Claremont.


Perth City Farm Organic Growers’ Market

For the past six years, a small green sanctuary has been blooming in the heart of Perth’s concrete jungle. These markets are a little different to the others around town in that every vendor is a bona-fide certified organic grower.

“What we wanted to do was to educate the public on how necessary it is to support organic and bio-dynamic farmers,” explains director Rosanne Scott.

“All the products that people trade in our market building have to be certified organic bio-dynamic. People can’t just go and buy from someone else and sell here. The only retailer at our market is ourselves, City Farm, and everything we use is certified organic.”

As would be expected, the stallholders also represent the environment.

“We have Environment House who sell environmentally-friendly products, books and worm farms,” says Rosanne.

“And there’s chooks, ducks, geese, guinea pigs and rabbits for the kids to enjoy. People can get an organic coffee, where not only the coffee is certified organic but the milk and sugar as well. We try really hard to keep that ethical line and be vigilant.”

Saturdays, 8am-12pm.
1 City Place, East Perth.


Subiaco Farmers Market

Having just unfurled their banner recently, new-kid-on-the block Subiaco Market has already attracted a strong following, despite the heat.

“We started with 37 stalls, and we opened when it was 37 degrees,” recalls founder Sally Lewis.

“We’ve had great support from the community since then. There’s a really nice village atmosphere going on, where friends can gather and have a coffee while the kids have a play.

As a trained nutritionist, it was only natural that quality would be a priority.

“My focus is on getting top quality produce, with minimal spray, that is picked as close to market day as possible”, says Sally

“For example, our flowers are picked at 5am that morning. Our lettuce, spinach and greens are all picked on the Friday. Same with our fruit, such raspberries, cherries and apples. It was really important to me to sell produce that actually lasts.”

Autumn is also set to be a bumper crop, with home-made stock on the menu and a new stall that makes its own pasta.

“A lady from Vergones’ Fresh Produce has ordered a 200kg pasta machine from Italy and will be making gorgeous home-made pasta,” says Sally.

Open Sat 8am-12pm.
Subiaco Primary School, 271 Bagot Road, Subiaco


Other farmers markets to check out:

SATURDAY MORNINGS
· Albany – Collie Street
· Gascoyne – Carnarvon Civic Centre
· Geraldton – cnr Maitland Street and Cathedral Avenue
· Manjimup – The Shed, Rose Street (every 3rd Sat)
· Manning – Clontarf Aboriginal College, Manning Road
· Margaret River – Community Centre, Tunbridge Street (every 4th Sat)
· Mondo’s - 824 Beaufort Street, Inglewood
· Peel – Pinjarra Civic Centre, Pinjarra
· York – 83 Avon Terrace

SUNDAY MORNINGS
· Armadale – Council carpark, Jull Street
· Boyanup Memorial Park, South-Western Hwy (every 4th Sun)
· Eaton (near Bunbury) – Recreation Drive
· Kalamunda – Central Mall
· Mandurah Peel – Western Foreshore
· Midland – the Crescent
· Western – cnr High & Montreal Streets, Fremantle