Catering in 24 hours

My first foray into catering took place at a friends exhibition titled The Future is Neon Bright.

Might give myself more than a day to prepare next time.

I could never have pulled it off without the help of MJ, Becki and Linda. Others deserving an appreciative beverage include Jessamy, Jordan and Croz.



Strawberries macerated in mint and lemon juice with a sweet balsamic cream





Persimmon wedge draped in brie and wrapped in prosciutto topped with honeyed crispy sage


















Rosemary roasted beetroot skewered with goats chevre resting on crushed walnut lines
















Ras el hanout spiced shredded chicken with currants, lemon and toasted almonds served on Turkish bread

Dutch carrots and parsnip spears roasted with maple syrup and served with Nigella-spiced Dukkah

Baby mushrooms filled with a roasted red pepper, white sherry vinegar pesto and thyme

Edible design – a palette of Milawa cheeses on canvas with fruit and nut accompaniments

Coconut lemon cupcakes iced with The Future is Neon Bright

Chocolate brownie cupcakes iced with Black + White

Stay tuned for the launch of a new high end catering operation. Perfect for the recession.

Master Chef Australia - The Poached Egg Guy

So - where was poached egg guy? http://www.masterchef.com.au/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=100440&tstart=30

He got knocked out because.....who knows - couldn't chop onions? Didn't have the personality for reality TV? Shame shame.

Anyway - i had my time in the sun, chopping more fingers than onions in the onion chopping challenge then creating a dish under the glare of the cameras with George telling me to 'clean up this mess, yeah?'

As requested, the recipe for the dish as I remember it.

Blackened corn topped with shredded chicken and a poached egg.

Ingredients
Chicken breast
Sweet corn
Egg
Currants
Garlic
Lemon
Spices (cumin, paprika cinnamon, salt, pepper)
Herbs (flat-leaf parsley, mint) Olive oil

For the chicken
Bring deep pan of water to a simmer with 3 cloves of garlic, a few stalks of parsley, salt and juice of half a lemon. Submerge chicken and poach for approx 10 minutes. Remove and rest on plate then begin shredding into strips using a fork. Place chicken shreds in a bowl and add lemon zest, handful of hydrated currants (place currants in cup of hot water for 30 min until plump), chopped parsley and mint (more parsley than mint), spices (more cumin than paprika and more paprika than cinnamon - maybe 1-2 tsp of cumin…and enough salt and pepper) and good olive oil - lots of the stuff. Go crazy on it and mix through until the chicken mixture becomes moist.

For the corn
Rub corn cob with oil and season with salt, pepper and cumin. Place in oven and grill for around 10-15 minutes until corn kernels begin to blacken.

For the poached egg
To poach the perfect egg, crack the egg onto a large spoon, such as a serving spoon, and gently lower into boiling water with a splash of vinegar if available. Immediately turn the heat down to a simmer and continue to hold the spoon while using another spoon to gently cover the egg (quinelle style) so the whites begin to whiten. Continue this process until the egg firms up and then allow it to slide off into the water to finish the cooking process - this final stage will only take 10-20 seconds.

To plate the dish
Shave the blackened corn off the cob and top with the shredded chicken. Carefully place the poached egg on top of the shredded chicken, dust with toasted cumin powder and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice. Garnish with shredded mint or parsley if you feel like it. Allow the yolk of the poached egg to 'dress the dish' as described by Matt Preston.

Enjoy with friends who don't wear cravats and forbid the use of the word 'yeah'

Lunch of Gods - Sardines

In the fading days of summer I promised a couple of CS gentlemen the highly revered beauty from the sea. The humble sardine. Raised to new heights and worshiped.

A run and swim in the salty waters of Port Phillip Bay was the perfect preparation for the feast. KR nailed the run, JB took on the sting rays while BM was too busy searching for the elusive red mullet.

The boys - KR doing his best tonta impression while BM soaks up the love.

First course - home grown watermelon (a horticultural success), mint, lemon juice and feta.

Next up - gazpacho (tomatoes, peppers, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, soaked toasted ciabata, sherry vinegar)

And of course - the sardines. Served on garlic rubbed toasted sourdough with aioli, rocket and lemon.

Made that much better with cerveza and two fully sick men.

Until next time - once oceans have been replenished.

Master Chef - Mystery Box - The Review

J Ho

Ageless

Maker of all things salt. Most famously, the Salted Caramel Tart ™

Who would you trust more, someone with a crane or someone with a sharp knife?

Thanks for the review undercut – too kind of course.

The Review
Was it worth the battle?

The onion, the weather, the strange clucking animal with a disproportionately sized brain?

Well, luckily there were no onions involved and everything else was impressively creative, despite Joel asking for a harsh review. Oh, and the weather surprisingly didn’t throw me into oblivion, so, I might as well get to it.

First, the potato; presented as a rosti with rosemary oil and a white anchovy. There is a sign of someone who can cook (or possibly someone who can eat), and I believe that is someone who isn’t afraid to use salt. The rosti itself was a good platform for the anchovy and the oil, and despite what you usually get with rostis, not greasy. The only thing was that the rosti was too starchy and could have benefit from being rinsed in cold water after being grated.

The brussel sprouts were probably my favourite. Very simple and clean by being pan fried and served with crispy prosciutto, roasted hazelnuts and pan fried sage. The presentation of this became a little tricky, but negotiated in the end between a smash-pile and a bridge. The flavours themselves were very straightforward and, in lack of a better way to put it, ballsy. The saltiness of the prosciutto was cut by the freshness of the sprouts, which still held their crunch and mellowed by the nuts.

The next course I think was unconsciously presented. That sentence, though vague, can be explained. So, rocket, blackened corn, chicken which has been poached and shredded with raisins and a hard-boiled egg was presented as a nest; kind of fitting since, if you think about it, we were eating the mother and its unhatched spawn-ovum (not that this egg belonged to this particular bird). The chicken was a drier than Joel would have liked, but the corn and the egg hid that quite well. Quite a mild dish that followed such a gutsy second course, but its subtlety was appreciated.

By this stage, I was getting full, so I didn’t get to finish the dessert. Figs were cooked in a filo pastry with thyme, served next to salted-caramel walnuts and a goats cheese and vanilla icecream, presented in the skins of figs. A very impressively constructed dish, as pointed out, a play on a cheese board, so of course I liked it. The pastry was subtly sweet and ended with a savoury tone with the thyme, which went well with the salt from the walnuts and the goats cheese icecream. It seemed that no combination in this could go wrong, and had the textures and temperatures covered on all bases. The only thing is that the walnuts could have benefited from being toasted before covered in caramel, but that is only personal preference. Though, when I am full and keep going back, you know you have a gold star.

Oh, and I should probably mention this was all cooked on an electric stove and the oven broke. So, I say, thanks kid. I’ll come back when it is raining a second shower over me and blowing me sideways.

Master Chef - Mystery Box

E

Potato and lemon rosti served with white anchoy, rosemary oil dusted with paprika

S

Brussel sprouts pan fried in butter and sage lemon and served with crispy prosciutto and roasted hazelnuts

M
Poached chicken shredded with currants, roasted roasted almonds, flat leaf parsley, mint and a middle-eastern spice blend served with blackened sweet corn soft (hard...) egg and lemon rocket
















D
Fresh figs baked in filo with thyme and honey served with salted caramel walnuts and figs filled with goats cheese vanilla ice cream.

The review to follow...

Master Chef - Mystery Box

The mystery ingredients for the next Global Gobbler menu - Master Chef style...

E
Potato (Potato, a mans vegetable - as George Calombaris would say*)

S
Brussel sprouts (Brussel sprouts, from Brussels - GC)

M
Chicken (Cluck cluck - GC)

D
Figs (Figs worked for Adam right? - GC)

*When we were doing the challenge, GC introduced our mystery ingredients with a byline as i've done above. The apple introduction was a laugh, valid point though, apples are "yummy"...

What to create from these mystery ingredients...

I'll have the timer going, the cameras focused and the host smiling, I might even try chopping onions again, without the blood loss sustained in the Master Chef studio...

Will I make it through to the next round or have to tearfully face the cameras and go home with a big fail??

Master Chef - top 50

A week in Sydney to battle for the title of Master Chef.

And what a week it was - quality food (cooked by us, not the catering company), quality people (with the odd exception) and great TV (Channel 10 editing has a bit of work to do...)

So top 35 for Global Gobbler. Questionable given my inability to chop onions...

A menu inspired by the "Mystery Box" challenge - without pork - will follow shortly.

Let's hope the guests are as honest as the judges...although all cravats will be banned...

Master Chef - Take 2

Three dishes for Messrs Preston, Calombaris and Mehigan at MasterChef audition - day 2.

White gazpacho served Martini style with a toothpick of grapes.

Cannelini beans flavoured with saffron, chorizo and thyme.

White witlof layered with aioli, marinated red peppers and white anchovies.

The food stood up apparently. The personality didn't. Advice from the judges: "More footy, less yoga."

No photos (cameras weren't allowed during filming) but MasterChef begins on Channel 10 in April/May and Global Gobbler may show up if the 'tossr' making spherical peas doesn't hog all the air time ; )

Master Chef - First Take

A success. Soft pappardelle. Pungent pesto. Sweet confit tomatoes. And creamy labna with toasted pine nuts.

Through to round 2 of MasterChef...

Master Chef - First Take

First and only course

Homemade pappardelle tossed with freshly made basil pesto and topped with confit Roma tomatoes and homemade labna (yogurt cheese) coated in roasted pine nuts and thyme.

Basil and tomatoes from the garden (c/o JB's Vegie Patch - installing vegie patches across Melbourne. For enquiries call Joel or Jesse on 0438 329 218 or 0407 712 921. Marketing plug ends.)

Pasta from my Marcato pasta machine.

Labna made from Greek yogurt.

Global Gobbler takes on the masses.

Pasta - 1st attempt - the review

Smiling happy people - review enough I think. A great group of people with many hidden talents.

-Jesse for pulling off the Don Burke beard.

-MJ for her photographer's eye.

-Jess for being most photogenic.

-Sarah for turning vinegar into wine.

-Jordan for his sense of justice.

-Annalise for seeing through Jordan's sense of justice.

These talents combined to produce an unforgettable game of Pictionary. The highlights being 'Pearl necklace', 'Pamela Anderson' and 'Psychiatrist'.

Pasta II is already taking shape...

Pasta - 1st attempt - post-mortem

Loved the prawns with sidekicks of crispy sage and hazelnut salt.

Sourdough with honey and balsamic feta was ok - bread needed a good soaking in oil though.

Anchovy, almond and orange zest 'arrangement' was interesting - in a bad way...

Nice way to kick off the night - a plate full of prawns would have broadened smiles around the table.


Home-made spaghetti. The taste is almost fruity rather than simply a plate of carbs. The walnut, tomato and roasted pepper sauce was luckily subtle and the buffalo mozzerella with basil lifted the whole dish.

Pomegranate, zucchini ribbon and parmesan was an experiement that worked. Sweet, creamy and sharp.

Almost a shame to put anything on the pasta - some extra virgin, garlic, salt and pepper. Love match.

A sharp, almost too sharp, lime curd - overdid the lime juice a little I think... And if you can't decide between sour cream, yogurt, mascaporne or cream - give quark a try. Whipped with vanilla bean and topped with lime zest.

The food was good, the people were better.

On the night I fell in love with my Marcato pasta machine.

Pasta - 1st attempt

A pasta machine lay waiting for some attention. The first weekend without plaster on my recently-broken arm presented the perfect opportunity to test it out on friends who would either enjoy the food, or drink enough that it would appear they enjoyed the food...

No real theme behind the menu - pasta was the star.

E

Rye sourdough topped with feta and crushed walnuts marinated in honey, olive oil, thyme and balsamic vinegar and topped with fresh sliced cherry tomatoes.

King prawns marinated in sauvignon blanc, lemon juice, sage and olive oil then pan fried and served on wild rocked and sprinkled with hazelnut salt and crispy sage.

M

Fresh spaghetti dressed in olive oil and served with a walnut, garlic, tomato and red pepper sauce and topped with buffalo mozzerella and shredded basil.

Zucchini ribbon salad with mint, pomegranate seeds, shaved parmesan, olive oil and lime juice.

D

Baked lime curd topped with vanilla bean infused quark, topped with caramelised lime wedge, lime zest and fresh raspberries.

Global Gobbler guest #15 - A cast of 4

L to R: (Princess Jasmine, Mt Everest, JennaAlyce © and a random, malnourished skinhead)

A night in Chad was enjoyed by a full-time fairy, a Casanova, a fashionista and sailor who survives on cod and cereal.

An eclectic group who survived a journey to the heart of Africa

And the stellar review can be viewed below although I am not sure if the meal deserved such generosity - particularly my failed attempt to cook a soft-boiled egg!

Until next time. Stay Global and keep Gobbling.

(click to enlarge)

RIP Chomping on Chad - 18 October 2008

E
A great way to start the feast on a cold Melbourne night. Piping hot shards of crunchy bread matched the curry butter and the honey and mint balanced the spicy flavour. Making the bread a little softer would have allowed the butter mix to soak through the bread and given the teeth a break.



















S
Are soups just a ‘course filler’? The flavour was interesting – three was a crowd though – needed to match peanuts with either tomato or sweet corn. And definitely overdid the garnishing – the squash gave the dish a sweetness but the cashews were a mistake and nigella seeds were simply wrong. Maybe I don’t like soups because you lose the individual flavours?
















M
Easily my favourite for the night. The subtle flavour of millet combined perfectly with the mix of spices, fresh sage and sweet currants. Salty silverbeet drenched in olive oil was the perfect base and lemon yogurt gave the palate a break from the mild heat. Onto the egg…not too hard to cook a soft-boiled egg right? Sadly yes, two minutes too long yielded a tasty, yet decidedly firm egg….tail firmly between the legs.

















D
Never quite worked this out in my head. Would it be a cold/hot/creamy/crunchy dessert? And the lack of clarity showed – the pistachio, clove and honey slice had an intense flavour and would work somewhere else – but not with the pear and mint and definitely not with frozen mandarin yogurt (which was ok alone). Joel + dessert in Chad = FAIL. No good having components that work if they don’t sing together.




A great crew was on hand for some traditional Chadian cuisine – as always, the company made up for gaps in taste. I promise to make it to Chad one day to test out the melting egg idea with the locals.



What next for Global Gobbler? Perhaps another journey to the Mediterranean… stay tuned. GG

Chomping on Chad

E
Shards of millet, poppy and sesame seed sour bread served with curry and date butter, torn mint and drizzled honey.

S

Tomato, peanut, sweet corn and coriander soup served with floating grilled squash, circled with nigella seeds, roasted cashews and chives.

M
Castle of millet with sage, currants, sage, ras-el-hanout inspired spices filled with a melting yogurt egg and served on salted silverbeet and lashings of olive oil.

D
Grilled pistachio, pecan, walnut, clove and honey slice served with stewed brown pear, mint and lemon zest and frozen mandarin yogurt.

Time to hit the great continent of Africa up for some inspiration. And a chance for millet to make an authentic appearance at the table. I have heard good things about Chad - maybe a stop over next trip overseas. And I was best friends with a Chad in high school.

Global Gobbler guests #14 - Josh, Meryn and Annie

L to R: (Josh, Meryn, Annie)

A vet and a couple of auditors - awesome guests and plenty of passion for lycra and fairways.

Thanks for review - improvement opportunities a plenty and plenty of positive reinforcement - that's what you pay consultants for...

RIP China - Year of the Rat - 30 August 2008

Shot of lychee blended with vodka, lime, mint and sugar syrup.

Chef Notes
Not too sure about this one. Sadly not in lychee season - teach me for not following the 100 mile rule – and it was too early for shot glasses anyway. Vodka, lime juice, mint, sugar syrup and pureed lychees – mix with crushed ice and soda water once lychee season is here.



Rice vermicelli, shaved daikon, broccolini, garlic shoots, red peppers, shitake mushrooms, coconut omlette, red onion and black sesame seeds with a sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, chilli and lime dressing.

Chef Notes
Lack of experience with rice vermicelli shone through – don’t think I hit it with enough heat, marinade, and chilli (for my tastebuds anyway). Serving the vermicelli and stir-fry separately didn’t work – what happened to a steaming ‘out-of-the-wok’ experience I had in mind… Less palm sugar, more lime and bok choy - and a rethink on the coconut omlette.

San Choy Bao of black rice star anise, lime, cinnamon, ginger, soy and honey and encased in wombok wrappers and steamed and served on crushed roasted peanuts.

Chef Notes
Star anise and black rice – competing for flavour rather than complementing - should have gone with barley as initially planned. It wasn’t delicate but it did challenge the palate. Presentation worked after the swift insertion of rice paper rolls. I think more lime, honey and soy and less star anise will make this dish – roasted peanuts gave it a crunch but could have played a bigger role. Wombok was the star.


Crispy fried spring rolls filled with caramelised oyster mushrooms, roasted cashews, chilli, toasted sweet corn, water chestnuts, spring onion, and red peppers and served with a soy sauce, Chinese chive and sesame oil dipping sauce.

Chef Notes
Spring rolls fried in coconut oil – made for a fresher result than the deep fried version. The filling was a hit – toasted corn, cashews and creamy oyster mushrooms worked together and the tangy soy, lime and sesame dressing provided the required salt. Perhaps lacking the addition of an animal…

Dumplings of sweet potato, red bean paste and Chinese five-spice rolled in coconut and served with coconut custard.

Chef Notes
Another first time experience – red bean paste…surely food science can create something a little less bland? Chinese spices lifted the overall result but the sweet indistinct red bean flavour remained. Coconut custard made with egg yolk and agar-agar wasn’t quite right – possibly firmer and definitely warmer. Flavour also needed a boost – Vanilla? Dates? Alcohol?! As noted by one of the astute guests – “Could have done with some salt.”



Thanks Annie, Meryn and Josh! I know I was a week late for the closing ceremony...

Heading into the depths of Africa next - Sudan, Nepal, Mali or the powerhouse that is Chad?? African menu will be unveiled shortly - if you want to score a corruption-free invitation, email globalgobbler@gmail.com for details. GG

China - Year of the Rat

E
Rice vermicelli, shaved cucumber, daikon radish, bitter melon, broccolini, shaved mushrooms, sweet omlette and black sesame seeds with a sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and lime dressing and served with lotus root broth.

S
Crispy fried spring rolls filled with caramelised oyster mushrooms, celery, roasted cashews, chilli, water chestnuts, spring onion, bamboo shoots and roasted yellow peppers and served with a palm sugar, soy sauce, Chinese chive and sesame oil dipping sauce.

M
San Choy Bao of barley, shitake mushrooms and peanuts slow cooked in a star anise, citrus, ginger, soy and honey glaze and served in steamed wombok wrappers

D
Dumplings of sweet potato, red bean paste and Chinese five-spice served with coconut and cardamom custard and fresh lime.


China has been a while in the making - I think the Games of the XXIX Olympiad provided the inspiration. I expect the review to contain some reference to Juan Anotonio Samaranch, maybe "the best meal ever"...? Any feedback on the menu or to recieve an invite to the dinner - globalgobbler@gmail.com

同一个世界 同一个梦想

Global Gobbler guests #13 - Grace, Meg and Amy

L to R: (Amy, Grace and Meg)

20-something trend hunters coming to a mobile near you soon.

Style to burn and ideas a-plenty.

A love for the flavours of Asia. Indian butter chicken, Vietnamese spring rolls, Japanese sushi. How would these distinct and delicate tastes go up against the untested and potentially over-bearning flavours of Argentina?

The Review
Setting a new benchmark for reviews - I was in awe after watching this. Wouldn't it be great if this formed part of a series designed for a mobile platform...?!

Check out the video above for the 'review' (doesn't do it justice!)

Thanks Amy and Meg and Grace for coming along. Glad you liked the food and hope to see you around some day.

And news just in - Chinese menu is on the verge of completion - stay tuned. GG