At the Appetite for Excellence Hunt & Gather Dinner I attended recently, one of the stars on the menu was Slow Roasted Pork Belly. The dish, served with baby fennel and chestnut and apple stuffing, was prepared by national finalist young chef, Sarah Knights, of Uccello in Sydney. Not only was it beautifully cooked, the pork itself was exceptionally good, described by a fellow diner as having 'just the right amount of fat and meat'. The pig was sourced specially for the event and shipped to Canberra by Pork Star and Australian Pork Limited.
Provenance is key to all good chefs, including Ms Knights, who says that 'developing knowledge of the produce you use, where it comes from, how it was farmed, right down to what soil it grew in or lived on, what grass it grazed on and what it was fed, is as important as cooking the produce.' This philosophy fits well with English chef and restaurateur, Johnnie Mountain, who has released a delicious new cookbook titled Pig: Cooking with a Passion for Pork. Mountain takes sourcing of his produce very seriously and makes this point clear in the introduction: 'With today's modern approach to pig farming, unfortunately there are still varying standards of animal welfare. Though I'm always pleased to discover that there are still a number of amazing farmers who believe in their product, and finding them is of utmost importance to me. I visit farms at least half a dozen times a year, checking on quality control and whether these wonderful omnivores are being looked after in the right way.' Further, he writes: 'My preference is for outdoor-reared pork, as this allows the pig to follow its natural instincts of foraging and burrowing for its own food. ... Outdoor rearing allows for socializing and this [makes] sure the animal is happy within its environment and itself. A calm pig is a happy pig, and a happy pig produces the most amazing meat!.' This is food for thought, particularly given the concerning rise in animal welfare issues highlighted by the media in recent times. So, to the book. Mountain explains the different breeds of pigs and cooking with various cuts of pork, demonstrating that pork is 'an incredibly versatile meat, with cuts to suit most tastes, budgets and occasions.' Pig is divided into four chapters: Home Favourites; Cured, Dried, Preserved and Smoked; Spicy & Aromatic; and Slow-Cooked. There is also an Accompaniments section. The recipes range from family favourites, such as roast pork, pork chops, pork pies and sweet and sour pork; to smoked pork tenderloin, home-cured bacon with maple and juniper; through to Vietnamese baguettes and pork salad, Korean-style fiery pork; and confit of pork, as well as the essential slow-roasted pork belly. The accompaniments include delights such as apple jam and goose fat potatoes. The recipes are detailed, well explained and easy to follow, and Mountain's passion for pork comes through on every page. As a bonus, there are also Quick Response (QR) codes scattered throughout the book, which link to 'Show Me How' videos. The codes work best on a smartphone or tablet with a 3MP camera. Interesting, fun and amazing! Incidentally, if you'd like to learn how to make Mountain's signature dish of 21-hour Slow Roasted Belly of Pork from his restaurant, The English Pig. Watch it here and learn from the master! Better still, buy the book. You'll love it. Pig: Cooking with a Passion for Pork by Johnnie Mountain $35.00 (Duncan Baird Publishers). With sincere thanks to Simon and Schuster and Duncan Baird Publishers for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
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We all live in busy times and some days getting a meal on the table can seem like a tedious chore, especially when we are constantly bombarded with constantly changing messages on food and diet.
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by nutritional information? What you should eat, when you should eat it, how you should cook it, what to eat it with… the advice is endless! Finally the answer to all of these questions and more is at our finger tips in Catherine Saxelby’s Complete Food and Nutrition Companion. As one of Australia’s most highly regarded nutritionists, Catherine has spent the past two years pouring her energy into compiling this 400 page book and she’s ready to bust all of those myths! I had the great pleasure of meeting Catherine early last year in Sydney and, having been an avid reader of her work for many years, I must say I was looking forward to reading the Complete Food and Nutrition Companion, Catherine's eleventh book, incidentally! We discussed the book recently and Catherine kindly answered some questions for me: First, what inspired you to become a nutritionist? 'It all started with my Science teacher! I loved the subject from Year 10 onwards. I was so fortunate as I know so many girls absolutely loathed Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Geology. I had the most wonderful and dedicated teacher – Sister Emmanuel, as I went to a Catholic girls school – for my final three years. She was a most accomplished teacher who built our knowledge gradually and sequentially over those three years. We really understood organic chemistry or the nitrogen cycle although I do admit that I did struggle a bit with Physics (all those scalors and vectors). Because I loved the subject, I took up a Science Degree at University but soon realised that there were only two job prospects – becoming a teacher which are not something I wanted (hey, I’d just finished 13 years of schooling) OR working in a smelly laboratory where chances were high that I’d singe my eyelashes regularly! Somehow I stumbled over the Graduate Diploma of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Sydney (these days, it’s a five-year Masters degree). It really resonated with me. Here I could discover everything about food and diets, yet put my love of chemistry and biochemistry into place. I would learn all the compounds that made up food, as well as researching different diets and eating strategies'. How long did the Complete Food and Nutrition Companion take to research and write? 'This book was HUGE! I spent two years researching, writing then re-writing, checking research stats, finding analyses for food products, and updating older articles or posts from my website. In nutrition, almost everything changes. So things I’d written a few years needed to be checked and updated – for example, breads now must be baked with iodised salt; folate (a B vitamin) is now added to many cereals, breads and some juices; most cereals and crispbread are now being labelled with their percentage of whole grains. And so it goes on. Never a dull moment in the world of nutrition!' What is the inspiration behind the book? 'I wanted to create a one-stop shop – call it a guide, compendium, bible or companion – that allows the reader to dip in and out yet quickly look out the answers to those many niggly things in nutrition. Having been a freelance writer for magazines and websites for the past 20 years, I have heaps of material to draw from ranging from anti-ageing to diabetic diets. Plus I’ve researched, written, blogged or spoken about many a food and diet. I felt like I was pouring all those years of writing between the covers. And I think it’s come together nicely'. (I agree wholeheartedly, Catherine!). I also asked Catherine some questions about interesting snippets I'd read in the book: Why not dissolve antibacterial/active honey in tea or lemon juice? 'I too did wonder the same thing! But I found out that the honey MUST come into direct contact undiluted with the target area (the throat) to work. Similarly if you want honey to help heal wound, it must be applied directly to the skin. Dissolving it in tea only dilutes the active ingredients done and reduces its effectiveness, according to the research'. On the Hunger and Fullness Scale, most people simply eat because it’s time to do so. Why do you think this is? 'So agree – we eat by the clock, by habit, by work routines and by whom we’re with. We don’t listen to our stomachs so end up eating more than we need. I use this scale often, I’ve found it’s a great tool to help you figure when you’re stomach-full and when to stop eating. I suggest you try eating by 0 to 10 on a quiet weekend when you can concentrate on your own feelings'. On the Section on additives, what are your thoughts on food labelling, broadly speaking? 'I like the Australian system of food labelling. Having just been in the US, our basic requirement – from ingredient list to the nutrition panel to allergen listing – give you so much more than the US food label which is constrained and dumbed down so much as to be not very meaningful. Yes, our Aussie label is not perfect, but if you learn how to use it, you get a lot more detail about what’s in that packet or can. Lizzy, I strongly urge your readers to make it their business to learn the eight elements that must appear on a food label. Don’t just read the claims on the front. Check if they’re true by reading the back and checking the figures. Here’s the three things I always look for on a label:
Are we best to stick to totally natural foods? Meat, fish and fruit and vegetables? '"Stick to the basics" is something I say a lot these days. Given the incredible amount of packet and processed foods and the wide availability of junk food everywhere from service stations or sport complexes, basic foods like vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, nuts, bread and legumes hardly get a look in. I know it sounds old-fashioned but you can’t go wrong with the basic five (or six or seven) food groups that we used to used to teach nutrition with. Snacks, treats, drinks, packet and processed foods are the things that cause problems in nutrition not the humbler milk, bread, vegetables or meat'. Lizzy's verdict: As with all A to Z guides, you don’t need to read this book from cover to cover, just dip in or use the index to direct you to all the information that is relevant to your wants and needs. With more than 500 entries covering whole foods, processed foods, additives, nutrients, supplements and more, this is the ultimate family reference for good health and nutrition. Further, the book offers a range of helpful tables and guides such as knowing how many kilojoules a day you need, recommended intakes of vitamins and minerals and safe maximums for supplements. Catherine Saxelby's Complete Food and Nutrition Companion (Hardie Grant Books) $45.00. With many thanks to Catherine and Hardie Grant Books for giving me the opportunity to review this excellent, informative book. Visiting my cousin in Stockholm years ago, I was in awe of the quantity of smoked salmon he and his wife had stocked in their two door freezer. Later, I was to learn that he had not only caught the fish at their favourite lakeside camping ground, but had also smoked it himself.
With about 100,000 lakes, numerous major river systems and a u-shaped coastline that stretches 7,000 km east, south and west, fishing is hugely popular in Sweden and salmon is a regular catch. According to author, Paula Ahlsén Söder, salmon is Sweden's 'king of fish ... flavourful, adaptable and beautifully coloured ... once seen as an exclusive party food, now much more affordable as a delicious everyday supper'. Paula Ahlsén Söder has gathered a collection of her favourite recipes in a book titled simply Salmon Cookbook. She explains the health benefits of salmon; the difference between farmed and wild salmon (farmed being 'an orange colour while wild salmon is significantly paler ... farmed salmon is relatively high in fat, at about 20%'); and details the best cold storage methods. In terms of recipes, we have (of course) Gravalax, and the basics of curing, baking, poaching, grilling and barbecuing. And then Starters and Snacks (such as the salmon hors d'oeuvre shown below, salmon pinwheels, and blinis with salmon and caviar), Lunches and Salads (like salmon wraps, and green pea puree with smoked salmon), and Main Courses (including salmon with pomegranate, on the cover, and oven baked salmon with teriyaki sauce). The recipes are concise and uncomplicated, and there is a diverse selection to choose from. With Susanne Hallman's delicious accompanying photographs, Salmon Cookbook will ensure that salmon takes centre stage on the menu at your place. Salmon Cookbook by Paula Ahlsen Söder (New Holland, $29.95). Many thanks to New Holland for giving me the opportunity to review (and enjoy) this title. |
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