He Cooks Magazine Edition 4

HE COOKS 2007 • BLONDE BEERS • BBQ DINNER PARTY• WA WINE TRAVEL • SRI LANKAN COOKING

• IS YOUR KITCHEN MAKING YOU SICK?

HE COOKSm a g a z i n e

AUSTRALIA SUMMER 07 EDITION FOUR

THE BBQC O O K I N G S C H O O LBBQ CLASSESNOT JUST FOR MEN

Our BBQ Classes are for anyone that wants toget the most out the BBQ.Now is a great time to get some professional tips on the classics andlearn some new recipes to amaze your friends and astound your familywhen you next fire up the barbie!

The classes are demonstration and hands on, held from September toMarch and all ingredients, salads and bread are included.

In our classes we assume no knowledge, but have found that the more astudent knows about BBQ cooking, the more they learn from ourexperienced chef presenters.

Each lesson is only $99 per person all-inclusive, and can betaken as a set in any order, or individually.

Lesson 1 – How To Get The Most Out Of Your BBQTips on BBQ Set up, Safety, and Maintenance so yourBBQ lasts as long as you do!

ON THE MENU: • Tasmanian Salmon Skewers With Stir Fried Snow Peas

And Baby Corn • Threaded Chicken Skewer With Preserved Lemon • Thai Beef Salad

Lesson 2 – Out Of The Kitchen, And Into The Fire!A close look at a range of BBQ accessories, and chef’s tips to getprofessional results quickly!

ON THE MENU:• BBQ Prawns With A Lemon And Lime Salsa • Grilled Lamb Cutlets With Rocket And Basil Salad• Grilled Red Capsicum, Red Onion And Pumpkin With Eggplant Dipping

Sauce

Lesson 3 – BBQ Dinner PartyGet the WOW! factor the next time you cook for friends and family!

ON THE MENU:• Chilli And Lime Salted Squid Hoods With Glass Noodles

And Coriander • Oregano, Garlic And Chilli Flattened Chicken (Portuguese Style) With

Crispy Potatoes And Coleslaw• Beef Skewers With Ranch Style Dressing• Strawberry And Chocolate Compote With Vanilla Cream

What A Great Gift!Course Folders are available prior to your lesson for an extra $10 (tocover post and packing), to make a really impressive gift!

Corporate and Private ClassesWe have great venues for your next team or corporateget together!

For more details or to enrol, please go to our website:www.thecookingschool.com.au, or call us onSydney (02) 9326 6222 Melbourne (03) 9606 2111Brisbane (07) 3102 3129 Perth (08) 9467 4002

Check out the great article on cooking a BBQ Dinner Partyon p18 of this issue!

Contents


four In this issue Ben Dalton

seven Gentlemen prefer blondes Andrew McKinnon

nine Western Australian wines Ben Dalton

eleven Sick kitchen? William Angliss College

thirteen Sri Lankan cooking Paul van Reyk

fifteen Summer cooking must haves Terje Andersen

sixteen Home interest rates Brendan Gallagher

eighteen BBQ dinner party Bruno Gentile

twenty two He Cooks classes 2007

7

9

11

13

16

Hello and welcome to the Summer Issue of

He Cooks Magazine for 2007!

Andrew McKinnon seeks an answer to the age oldquestion - not ‘What is the Meaning of Life?’, butsomething far more profound – ‘Do GentlemenPrefer Blonde(Beer)s’?

After conquering our thirst for all things beer, wethen explore the Margaret River Wine Region inWestern Australia. I have just returned from thisfantastic spot south of Perth, and can’t recommendit highly enough. Great wines, good food and one ofthe most beautiful places in Australia.

New He Cooks Chef Presenter Terje Andersen fromPerth introduces himself with an article about the‘must haves’ for Summertime Cooking that includesa solid stock pot, square pan and a good wok.

Paul van Reyk is another new face who will bepresenting our upcoming Sri Lankan CookingCourse in 2007. He whets your appetite with anoverview of just what makes Sri Lankan cuisine sospecial, and hints at some of the secrets that he willbe sharing with the guys next year in Sydney.

With an estimated 5 million cases of food poisoningeach year in Australia, William Angliss Institute ofTAFE (the hosts of our classes in Melbourne) haveprovided a ‘must read’ article on Kitchen Hygienewhich, if followed, will ensure you will serve upgreat food a whole lot more safely.

Brendan Gallagher continues with his series ofarticles on your financial health, this time asking“With Rates On The Rise, What Are Your HomeLoans Options?”

Just in time for the summer workout, our Brisbanebased chef Bruno Gentile fires up the barbie andprovides some great tips for you to prepare acomplete dinner party without downing the tongs!Bruno’s article includes recipes so you can put on agreat BBQ Dinner Party.

Class Dates for 2007 are included at the back ofthe magazine, as well as dates for the Beer CookingClasses for Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.

There are some great special offers for CalpahlonSets on p15, and some excellent Furi productson page 12.

So grab a cold one, saunter over to the hammockand let it all swing in the breeze as you slip intoSummer with He Cooks!

As always, thanks to all contributors for theirsensational efforts!

Get cooking!

Ben Dalton

Founder, He Cooks

For free e-versions of He Cooks Magazine backissues, please email [email protected].

Ben Dalton

Director andFounder of HeCooks CookingSchool for Men.

In This Issue

HE COOKS MAGAZINE SUMMER 20074

Editor-in-Chief/Publisher: Ben Dalton

Contributors: Andrew McKinnonBruno GentileBrendan GallagherClaire D. SpicerTerje AndersenPaul van Reyk

Production: Bite Communications02 9969 6633

Produced and published by He Cooks

Phone: 02 9326 6530Email: [email protected]: www.hecooks.com.auEnquiries to: PO Box 491 Randwick NSW 2031Dalton Corporation ACN 100 792 523

Veronica Dalton-

Correas

Big fan of the PestoPasta in Lesson 1!

TRADE PRACTICES ACT 1974

The above Act contains strict regulation on advertising. It is not possible for this company toensure that advertisements which are published in this magazine comply with the Act andthe responsibility must therefore be on the person, company or advertising agencysubmitting the advertisement for publication.

In case of doubt, consult your legal adviser.

He Cooks magazine is published by Dalton Corporation Pty Ltd and is complimentary.Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without Dalton Corporation’s prior permission.Liability howsoever as a result of use or reliance on advice, representation, statement,opinion or conclusion expressed in He Cooks Magazine is expressly disclaimed by DaltonCorporation Pty Ltd and all persons involved in the preparation of this publication.


He Cooks Home Cooking School conducts

cooking classes for all sorts of men of all ages,

from 17 to 71 and beyond. The cornerstone of

what we do is the six-week course, designed to

meet the specific needs of men who want more

confidence in the domestic kitchen. In our

classes we assume no knowledge, but have

found that the more a student knows about

cooking, the more they learn from our

experienced chef presenters.

We have had over 2000 people enrol in our classes,and the two things they say they get out of it arethat they find it relaxing, and it builds theirconfidence. This is everything that I wanted toachieve when I started the school three years ago.

In February 2007 we will be starting classes inBrisbane and Perth, as we expand beyond ourclasses held at Glebe and Gordon in Sydney, and inMelbourne’s CBD.

If you would like more details of course dates,menus, presenters and locations please visit ourwebsite: www.hecooks.com.au, or call:(02) 9326 6530 for Sydney, (03) 9606 2111 forMelbourne, (07) 3102 3129 for Brisbane and(08) 9467 4002 Perth.

We have great retail offers on the equipment thatwe use and recommend in our classes, includingthe fantastic Calphalon One Range. The He Cooksrange of equipment has been tested and built upover years. It represents that best quality and valuethat we can find and our professional chefs canrecommend with confidence.

The Beer Cooking Classes continue in 2007 wherewe talk about beer, cook with beer, eat what wecook and drink the beer, so if you like cookingand/or beer, this might be of interest!

Details of these classes are on the back insidecover, and also on the website.

There are two major projects for 2007 at He Cooksthat go hand-in-hand. We want the He Cooksmessage of healthy home cooking that saves timeand money and build’s men’s confidence to reach allof Australia. Thus we are developing ways that menwill be able to access our material no matter wherethey are.

In addition we want men to be aware of the triplethreats of Obesity, Heart Disease and Diabetes totheir future. In the next three issues of He Cookswe will detail how we feel men can tackle thesethreats themselves, for not just for their benefit, butfor the benefit of their families and our community.

I’ll take this opportunity to thank all of the He Cookspresenters and staff for the amazing results wehave got thus far. I thank all of the He Cooksstudents for their enthusiasm and feedback, as thisis where all the many improvements at He Cookshave come from. Finally, I welcome any newstudents that will be coming to cook up a stormin 2007!

Ben Dalton

He Cooks Update

HE COOKS MAGAZINE SUMMER 2007 5

"Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a

thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for

your soul." - Marilyn Monroe.

So my friends, summer in definitely on the horizonnow and a man’s thoughts very naturally turn tobabes and beverages. Given I now write from thevery respectable ‘family sedan’ of my middle yearsrather than the ‘sports coupé’ of my youth, therelies an opportunity to combine the two concepts ofblondes and beer into a synergistic summer festivalof bachanalian proportions.

Blonde beer (or blond beer) is a fairly generic termused to cover a number of brewing styles;essentially blonde beers are ales that can be a palestraw in colour through to a deeper gold.Commercially, the distinction simply seems to bewhat the brewer decides to call the brew!

Whatever the case, blondes are definitely the go forsummer! They tend to be moderately hopped witha subtle/subdued malt, noted for citrus, spice andeven banana notes, add to that a good level ofcarbonation and you have a quenching beer that stillhas flavour until the last drop!

PURE BLONDE

Carlton & United Beverages have released PureBlonde in response to more women wanting toenjoy the beer experience whilst not packing on thekilos commensurate with it. According to all reportsthe Pure Blonde has been a very popular product.

I tried the product extremely cold and was wellrewarded. It was very refreshing in the first instancebut I wondered whether it could sustain me over asession.

The Pure Blonde is clean and crisp when served icycold but otherwise undistinguished.

Food match: Go with fish and chips sitting on abeach somewhere!

LEFFE BLONDE

Leffe Blonde is brewed to the traditional recipecreated in 1240 at the Abbey de Leffe in Dinant,Belgium The blonde is a bottle conditioned ale witha fairly high ABV of 6.6%. Highly hopped andaromatic the Leffe Blonde gives off lots of fruit,

cherries, kiwifruit, cloves and nutmeg on the nose.The colour is a deep gold colour and mouth feel isfull and textured. An excellent choice for a hot day(but in moderation!).

Food match: I would recommend cheese or even adessert like a lemon/lime tart.

BONDI BLONDE NATURAL ALE

Bondi Blonde is a blonde ale with a bright goldenstraw coloured ale. The Bondi Blonde claims tocontain only natural ingredients, with no addedsugars and no preservatives.

Bondi Blonde is brewed using a blend of twodistinct barleys, and one type of wheat. The wheatgives it a strong, healthy head, a smooth, naturalbeer with a mild after taste.

Food match: Try seared scallops, cauliflower puréeand herb salad with roast tomato oil (I have!).

UPCOMING HE COOKS BEER

DEGUSTATION EVENTS

As part of the He Cooks program for beer and selfimprovement, a number of beer degustation nightswill be held in late 2006 and early 2007. Theypromise to be both sensational and informativeevenings if the the trial events are anything to goby. The events will feature exceptional cooking inform of several courses matched up with premiumimported beers. These nights are not about force-fitting beer with food but careful matching andbalancing of flavours when preparing the menu. Any would-be beer and food fanatic or beersommelier would be well advised to attend these nights.

For further information about the He Cooks beerdegustation events please send an email [email protected].

Slainté mhath!(That’s Scots Gaelic for cheers!)

Andrew McKinnon

is a committed beeraficionado and has apassion for fineboutique craftedbrew. He has writtenfor number ofpublications and is agreat supporter of thebrewers’ craft.Andrew has travelledthe world in hissearch for the perfectbeer. As timeprogresses its oftenobserved his head hasbecome more‘schooner-like’.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes


Dates for Monteiths Beer and Food Classes areat back of this issue. For more details checkout our website - www.hecooks.com.au

Chalice Bridge Wineswww.chalicebridge.com.au

Is there more to Western Australian wines than

Margaret River? If you have ever needed an

excuse to visit Western Australia, wine as

always provides the answer.

Officially, Western Australia has nine wine makingareas or appellations - Perth Hills, Perth's SwanValley, The Blackwood Valley, Geographe, GreatSouthern, Manjimup, Margaret River, Peel andPemberton.

Wines have been produced in WA since 1829,beginning in the Swan Valley, just outside of Perth.As this can be quite a hot area, it typically producedsome rustic reds and strong fortifieds.

However, as seen in just about every wineproducing area in Australia, it was in the late 1960’sand early 70’s that there was a significant expansionof the modern style table wines. In WesternAustralia, Margaret River led the way with quite afew boutique producers established such as VasseFelix and Cullens.

From the outset, these pioneers concentrated onmaking high quality, not high volume wines. Thishas been the cornerstone for the region’s success,with Margaret River already recognized worldwideas one of Australia’s premium appellations.

Margaret River is about 4hrs easy drive south ofPerth is more or less on the same latitude as theHunter Valley in NSW. However it is much coolerthan the Hunter as it is surrounded on three sidesby ocean. This means that the wines produced havefull rich ripe varietal flavours, but retain elegantacids that gives the wine (when balanced) zip,structure and longevity.

One style that Margaret River does so well is therefreshing, unoaked blend of Semillon, SauvignonBlanc and Chardonnay. This zesty and approachablestyle has been a signature of the region right fromthe outset, producing a wonderful aromatic andfruity (but not sweet) style that has a lovelysmoothness sometimes due to a touch ofmalolactic fermentation (MLF).

The Reds are also typically smooth, round, ripe yetlayered structure and are very popular as the acids,fruit, oak, tannins and alcohol are more often thannot in balance, which is the key to good wine.

Established producers such as Leeuwin Estate andCape Mentelle have expanded to well beyond theboutique size, but have not lost any status as theirwines are consistently in the best of the categoriesthey compete in. The Cabernet Tasting run eachyear by Cape Mentelle pits the finest AustralianCabernets of a selected year against the best in theworld. This is well worth attending.

Another great producer is Devils Lair, with theMargaret River Red and the Chardonnay always (inmy opinion) in the top ten that Australia produceseach year, punching well above their retail priceweight.

Established in 1981 with its own label wines beingproduced from 1990, the wines soon established areputation for outstanding quality under winemakerJanice MacDonald (now at Stella Bella but alsofounding brewer at Little Creatures and foundingwinemaker at Chalice Bridge).

In the early years, the Devil’s Lair Pinot Noir (nowgrafted to Cabernet) developed a cult status as


Is there more to WA winesthan Margaret River?

Moss Brothers Cellar Door – Wilyabrup WA.


desperate punters mortgaged the soul of theirfirst born to get some of the extremely limitedstocks. Similarly, the Fifth Leg White and Redalso developed a ‘must have’ frenzy.

Nowadays, the Fifth Leg Range is just as good asever, is available all year round, and at half theprice they used to be. There is now also a greatMerlot /Cabernet Rose that is perfect for theapproaching long lunches of summer!

An up and coming winery to keep an eye on isChalice Bridge. Established as a large familyvineyard in 1998, the vineyards are further to thesouth, and a bit more inland than most. Thismeans that the fruit takes longer to ripen, andthus retain a higher degree of cool climatecharacters and a fresh vitality.

The Chalice Bridge Whites can be described ashaving an aromatic, fresh fruit driven style andthe Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc and Un-OakedChardonnay are nothing if not refreshing.

The Reds have rich ripe black fruit character, butretain the hint of menthol and eucalypt that is adistinctive trait of the best of the Margaret RiverRegion.

Chalice Bridge makes wines that are undeniablyMargaret River, at an accessible price withoutsacrificing quality.

But there is more to WA than just MargaretRiver. Other areas such as Frankland River havebeen producing outstanding Riesling for over 20years, and newer regions such as Pemberton andGreat Southern are already getting some notice,from both winemakers for components in blends,but also as great wines in their own right.

If you can, set aside a week to explore thesewines areas in the south-western corner belowMargaret River around to Albany. Not only willyou get to try some amazing wines, you will alsobe in one of the most beautiful parts of Australia.

As always, a decent beer after all this winetasting is a god-send. We visited the BootlegBrewery for lunch on the way back to Perth andit was great! As there is a range of styles, not allthe beers may be to your taste, but there will be

at least one that will revive your palate andrefresh your senses!

If you do make the highly recommended trip toWA, try to drop in to Capel Vale and Killerby onthe way back to Perth. Both wineries are to thenorth of Busselton, but before Bunbury. This isthe Geographe Region, and the climate is muchwarmer than that of Margaret River only a shortdistance to the South. The climate here is morelike the Swan Valley, thus the fruit gets riperquicker and picking is quite a bit earlier. Thewines tend to be correspondingly bigger andstronger in style.

If you can’t get to WA, the Houghton’s RegionalRange is a great way to explore these otherregions from the comfort of your living room ordining table, as the wines come from Pemberton,Dunsborough and Frankland River amongst otherareas.

The best way to check out all the WA wineregions have to offer is to see for yourself bytaking a week to taste them in their nativehabitat.

Devils Lair – www.devilslair.com.au

DECISIONS, DECISIONS - WHICH WINERY TO VISIT?To try the Devil’s Lair andChalice Bridge wines, visit:

The Margaret RiverWine Centre9 Bussell Hwy, Cowaramup Ph: 08 9755 5501

Amberley Estate Thornton Rd, YallingupPh: 08 9750 111www.amberleyestate.com.au

Cape Mentelle Wallcliffe Road, Margaret RiverPh: 08 9757 0888www.capementelle.com.au

Capel Vale Mallokup Road, CapelPh: 08 9702 1012www.capelvale.com

Cullen Wines Caves Rd, CowaramupPh: 08 9755 5656www.cullenwines.com.au

Juniper Estate Harman’s Rd South,Cowaramup Ph: 08 9755 9000www.juniperestate.com.au

Killerby Vineyards 12kms south of Bunbury,and Margaret RiverPh: 1800 655 722www.killerby.com.au

Leeuwin Estate Stevens Rd, Margaret River Ph: 08 9759 0000www.leeuwineestate.com.au

Moss Brothers 341 Caves Rd, Wilyabrup Ph: 08 9755 6270www.mossbrothers.com.au

Bootleg Brewery “An oasis of beer in adesert of wine”Cnr Pusey & Johnsons Rds,Willyabrup Ph: 08 9755 6300www.bootlegbrewery.com.au

Killerby Vineyards - Geographe Region, WA.


Is Your KitchenMaking You Sick?

CLEAN UP YOUR ACT

With summer finally here and hot days and balmyevenings approaching us, correct food safety isparamount. Food poisoning bacteria, commonlypathogenic micro organisms, begin their ‘sickening’journey to you in a number of ways. The bacteriacan be present in the food brought into the house ormay exist on the hands of those who are preparingand eating the food. The bacteria can also bepresent on the work surfaces of the kitchen and anyequipment used in food handling. Naturally, anypests that enter the kitchen and tread over storageareas or work surfaces can also bring the bacteria.

Bacteria are living organisms; therefore they needfood, water and the correct environment to multiply.In fact, the Salmonella bacterium is only one of thespecies of such bacteria; however the bacteria needto be present in large quantities, to cause foodpoisoning. High risk foods, such as moist animalfoods for example milk, cream, eggs, meat, fish andpoultry; and cooked moist rice and pasta, arefavourite playgrounds for food poisoning bacteria.The Bacillus Cereus, one specific food poisoningbacteria, enjoys growing on starchy foods.

DANGER ZONES

The temperature danger zone, 5°C to 60°C, is anessential fact for all men to know. Food poisoningbacteria can multiply very quickly on a high risk fooditem in this temperature zone, although mostbacterium are happy growing in the middle of thetemperature range at approximately 20°C to 40°C.Disgustingly, 1 bacterium can multiple to more than16 million in 8 hours.

Unfortunately, pathogenic bacteria can betransferred, via cross contamination, to other people, work surfaces, sinks, tea towels and dishcloths, cooking equipment and eating utensils andnaturally to the food being prepared and thenconsumed. It must be noted that you are not tryingto exterminate all micro organisms, that would beimpossible as they surround us and are necessaryand useful to our lives. You should focus on reducing the pathogenic bacteria that cause theillness and disease.

SIX FOOD SAFETY RULES

Six ways to reduce the risk of food poisoning arelisted in the following food safety rules:

1.Food must be purchased from reputable, cleanand fresh smelling shops.

2.Store your food correctly. Fresh foods and highrisk foods must be kept out of the temperaturedanger zones. Ensure your fridge is workingproperly and the temperature inside is no greaterthan 5°C.

3.Wash your hands. Washing hands before, duringand after food preparation reduces crosscontamination. Correct hand washing must betaught to each member of the household. Thismeans using warm water and soap, andimportantly drying hands completely afterwards.Surprising to many, having wet hands helps you topick up bacteria and transfer it to items andpeople, in fact, 10 times quicker than dry hands.

4.Pet food and human food must be kept separate.This includes the equipment used in handling suchfoods. Have individual and clearly marked pet foodstorage containers, bowls and utensils.Additionally, wash pet items separately fromhuman items, washing your hands thoroughlybefore touching your own food.

5.Food preparation tools should be well cared for.This includes washing them, rinsing them with hotwater before leaving them stacked to air dry. Airdrying is more hygienic than using damp teatowels which are one of the worst breadinggrounds for pathogenic bacteria. Dish cloths andsponges left on the side of sinks and stored incupboards encourage bacterial growth. Try to drycloths after use and ensure they are launderedregularly. Using a dishwasher to wash and rinseitems used for food preparation is beneficial,however you must keep them clean and aired.

6.Keep kitchen work surfaces clean and tidy. Foodand crumbs should not be left around at night as itinvites pests to enter and feast.

To improve your kitchen’s hygiene and save $$$, see the FURI knife block and colour coded choppingboards on p12.

Authored by Claire D.Spicer on behalf ofWilliam AnglissInstitute of TAFE.

William AnglissInstitute of TAFEstrives to providespecialist education,training andassociated services tothe Hospitality,Tourism and CulinaryArts Industries.

For more information, visit:http://shortcourses.angliss.vic.edu.au orph: 03 9606 2111.

TOP CHEFS RECOMMEND FÜRI® FX KNIVES

reasons why FÜRI® FX knives are recommended bytop chefs 5asonaso

X kniX kncomomp chp ch

Designed in Australia by engineers and chefs, the Füri® FX knife range solves the common problems found with most traditional knives. Füri® FX knives are revolutionary because only Füri® combines the following superior advantages.GRIPWedge shape handle resist slip towards the blade even with wet or oily hands, making the Füri® FX a very safe and secure knife to use.DURABILITYNo rivets or handle pieces to fall apart or melt due to its one piece seamless construction, and a lifetime warranty for manufacturing or material defects.HYGIENEOne-piece seamless stainless steel alloy construction means no handle gaps or seams for food or germs tohide. Füri® FX is very easy to keep clean and hygienic.COMFORTUnique ergonomic handle shape fits the hand naturally. Chefs with arthritis helped design the most-comfortable and usable handle ever.SHARPENING EASEMade from the finest German CrMoV alloy for supreme edge retention and corrosion resistance,so it requires less sharpening. Every Füri® FX knife comes standard with an extreme-sharp edge created bythe Füri® Tech Edge Sharpening System.

www.füritechnics.com

H E C O O K S

THE FÜRI TECH EDGE PROSHARPENING SYSTEM

Perfect Edges: Quickly.

Easily. Professionally.

The Füri Tech Edge ProSharpening System wasdeveloped by the engineersand chefs at FüritechnicsAustralia after years ofresearch into cutting edges.

The Tech Edge system is a big leap forward in knifesharpening technology, and is much faster, easier andmore accurate than the traditional sharpening and honingtools it replaces, and far more professional than gadgets. Its fast, easy, accurate and great value!

Product Code: FU001 RRP: $139.95

HE COOKS SPECIAL $99 – SAVE $40!

THE FÜRI PRO MAX SET

The Füri Pro MaxSet is the idealintroduction to a world of realprofessional knives. Füri Pro kniveswere developed by engineers andchefs to perform for real workingchefs. Based on years of researchand practical experience, Füri ProKnives are designed to perform likeno other. Home gourmet cookshave increasingly demanded thesame Füri Pro knives as chefs, sowe put six of our most popularknives and our carving fork into the

hygienic Füri Clean Store 2 knife block, to create theMaxSet. We also added our revolutionary Tech Honesharpener, and left space for adding other Füri Pro knivesof your choice.

Product Code: FU003 RRP: $349.95

HE COOKS SPECIAL: $299.00 – SAVE $50!

WHY THE CLEAN CUTHYGIENIC CUTTING BOARDSYSTEM IS SO IMPORTANT

Poor hygiene and food handling practices are a primecause of food related illnesses .Cross-contamination is aserious food handling issue, including cuttinginappropriate foods on the same cutting board. Theserisks are easily reduced by properly using the Clean Cuthygienic board system. When the cutting mats becomeextensively worn and scored from use as to makecleaning difficult they should be replaced.

Clean Cut Product Code FU002 Price: $89.95

Replacement Mat Product Code: FU004 Price: $49.95

(set of six). See article p11 about why the clean cutsystem is so important.

To order, call 02 9326 6530 or go to our website

www.hecooks.com.au

WHAT IS SRI LANKAN CUISINE?

Sit down to a Sri Lankan meal, and you sit down to2000 years of fusion cooking. It began with theearliest settlers, Tamils from the South of India andBengalis from the Gangetic plain of North EasternIndia. Then, as seafaring technology advanced,came traders riding the monsoonal winds from theMediterranean and Arab worlds on the one hand,and China and South East Asia on the other. Thefoundations of this trade were spices, and whenPortugal and the Netherlands took to the seas toseize control of the trade, they also naturallyestablished trading posts in Sri Lanka. With theincorporation of the island into the British Empire,the transformation of the cuisines of these variousnations into modern Sri Lankan cuisine wascomplete. Rice and curry form the basic menu, butit’s extended, turned on its head, and completelyabandoned at times.

So today Dutch slow cooked pot roastingtechniques and indigenous lime pickle meet inSmoor. Arab steamed egg puddings aretransformed into the palm sugar based desert,wattalappam. The Portuguese brought chilli and inreturn had their cakes enriched with coconut.Mulligatawny, the British Raj version of Indianpepper water, gets even more developed withspecifically Sri Lankan touches. Chinese spring rollsfuse into roti rolls. Even the classic French omelettegets a re-working with eschalots and green chilli.

But under all the fusion, there are some consistentregional ingredients that make the food distinctly SriLankan. There’s coconut; grated coconut inparticular. It’s used fresh in the classic pol samboland in mallungs, lightly sautéed and spiced mixes ofshredded green vegetables. It’s also soaked andsqueezed out to make coconut milk, the main liquidused to cook curries. Coconut oil is also extractedfrom it and used in some fried dishes, and it canalso be turned into coconut vinegar. Versatile orwhat! By the way, the jury is still out on whetherthe fat in coconut is bad for you or not; but then, it’snot as if you are going to be eating Sri Lankan everynight of the week either!

Spice wise, you’ll find cinnamon flavouring virtuallyevery curry. That’s no surprise. True cinnamon isnative to Sri Lanka and that’s the spice thateveryone’s wanted to get control of throughout the

country’s history. The basic curry spices arecoriander, cumin, fennel seed and turmeric, afoursome that is either ground and roasted for meatcurries, or simply ground in fish, vegetable and eggcurries. Then there’s a trio of spicy leaves that’s alsoa staple in many dishes – rampe (pandanus leaf),sera (lemongrass) and curry leaves, each addingdegrees of pungency.

Like South East Asian cuisines, Sri Lankan cuisineoften balances sweet and sour, and spikes up theflavour with salty fishiness. The sweet often comesfrom cinnamon but in some dishes also comes fromsugar. The sour comes from any one or combinationof lime, tomato (first brought to Sri Lanka by thePortuguese), tamarind, and goroka. This last one isvery particularly Sri Lankan, a fruit that’s driedwhose use is virtually restricted to some fish andpork curries. For the fishiness, Sri Lankans don’tuse fish sauce, but instead use Maldive fish, driedand smoked skipjack tuna, made in a way whoseonly near equivalent is apparently practiced in asmall area of Japan. Go figure!

Out of these basic flavourings, and drawing on ahuge range of fruit, vegetables, seafood and a morelimited range of meats, a cuisine has developed oftremendous variety and subtlety that’s well worthexploring.


Rasa Cama:Not just rice and curry

Paul van Reyk

Paul wants to turnAustralians on to therichness of thecuisine of his nativecountry. Paul hastaught at the SeafoodCooking School andAccoutrement, runsa catering company(Buth Kuddeh),reviews South Asianrestaurants (check outhis recommendationsin Sydney Eats) andruns foodie tours toSri Lanka. Paul will berunning a series ofclasses in Sri Lankancooking in 2007 forHe Cooks.

Check out his websitewww.paulvanreyk.com.au and hit theFood tab for recipes,reviews, and info onhis tours.

Dates for Paul’sclasses with HeCooks in 2007 are onp22 of this issue.

13

Terje Andersen

Terje Andersen hasworked in manyrestaurants in assortedExecutive Chef rolesand Chef Managerpositions. Terje alsohad a couple of'out of Perth'experiences in a small town calledMoore north of Perth,and The Ningaloo ReefCafe in Coral Bay.More recently, is yetagain his own bossrunning a little cafe inthe city called TheChambers Cafe inHoward St Perth. Terje is looking forward sharing hisvast experience andprofessionalknowledge with themen of Perth in 2007.


For sensational summertime cooking, here are

three items that will enable you to cook just

about anything from the He Cooks Course.

In addition, you will get professional results by usingtop quality equipment.

1. Get a large (over 6ltr) stockpot with a pasta insert

2. A Wok (flat bottomed, esp if you are cooking onelectric)

3. A good, heavy square grill pan

The large stockpot will come in handy if you need tocook pasta for 6 people or more. I often hear ofpeople cooking 500g of pasta in a pot not muchbigger, and then wonder why the pasta would sticktogether, or not be fully cooked. As it (usually) sayson the packet, you need a litre of water for every100gms of pasta, so give the pasta some room! Bysticking to the instructions (and the Italians take theirpasta very seriously), you’ll get a much better result!

We go through some of the ‘mythconceptions’about pasta in Lesson 4 of the He Cooks Course. Asan example, people often think that they have to adda little olive oil or butter to the water before boilingpasta. This is true if the pasta is fresh, but not if thepasta is dried!

Similarly, you only rinse the pasta after cooking it ifyou are part pre-cooking a whole bunch. In mostrestaurants, we cook the pasta 3/4 of the way, rinse itand refrigerate it until the order comes through. Wethen finish cooking the pasta as we need it withwhatever sauce is required.

One last thing, don’t add the salt to the water in thestockpot until it is boiling, stir then add the pasta.This way the salt will dissolve quickly and notcorrode your lovely new pot!

The Wok is perfect for cooking the Thai Squid Saladfrom He Cooks Lesson 6 – Seafood. The key is toget the surface nice and hot, and if the wok is welldesigned and of high quality, the heat will be evenlydistributed along most of the surface. Add a little oilof your choice, and add a little of the ingredients at atime, and remove as soon as its cooked. By notadding too much at once, you’ll keep thetemperature high, and you’ll get that lovely crisplyseared affect.

Finally, the square grill is a fantastic tool if you are(for example) one of more than 1.6 millionAustralians that live in a flat or apartment and thusmay need an indoor BBQ.

This means you get all the effects of a barbie,without having to go outside, scrape down thebarbie, or go to the petrol station to get a refill cosyou keep forgetting to turn off the gas at the bottleas well as the bbq!

It’s always handy to have a nice heavy pan forlasagnas and other slow cooking dishes as well.

This article is an extension of Casimir Ross’ articleabout “The Evolution of Pots and Pans” in the lastissue of He Cooks magazine. (Please go to the He Cooks website to request afree e-version of the mag – www.hecooks.com.au).

Three Must Have Items forSensational Summer Cooking

HE COOKS CALPHALON ONE SPECIALSWell it just happens that we have all these items on special! These premium quality tools are just

fantastic, and if cared for, will last for years, making them an excellent buy. We especially recommend

the sets supplied by Calphalon, as they mean great value. WHILE STOCKS LAST!

SAVE33%!

CALPHALON 6.1LTR

STOCKPOT WITH

PASTA INSERTSuggested RetailPrice $279

He Cooks

Special $189 SAVE33%!

HE COOKSSPECIAL $299Suggested Retail Price for the Set is $44830cm Wok with lid as separate item RRP is $329, 28cm Square Grill as separate item RRP is $179

FIXED OR VARIABLE OR BOTH?

With the Reserve Bank already raising interest ratesthree times this year, most people with home loansare probably wondering what they can do to helpease the pressure.

If you currently have a home loan, or areconsidering purchasing a property, taking some orall of your debt as a “fixed rate” loan is one way toreduce your stress levels. This simply means thatfor a specific period (anywhere between 1 and 10years), your interest rate won’t change.

At the moment borrowers are able to obtain fixedrate loans at very close to the cheapest variable rateloans. In other words, the traditional “penalty”attached to fixed rates (i.e. a higher interest rate),doesn’t apply at the moment. For example, at timeof writing, one major lender has a 5 year fixed rateloan of 6.99%, which is cheaper than any variablerate loan from any of the major lenders.

The downside (there’s always a downside), is thatfixed rate loans normally:

• Only allow limited additional repayments on top ofthe required repayments. Not helpful if you are ina position where you are able to pay off your loanmore quickly thanks to change of income,bonuses, windfalls etc.

• Any extra repayments are normally not able to beaccessed by you until the end of the fixed rateperiod (although some lenders now do offer aredraw on fixed rate loans).

• If you break a fixed rate loan early, you can be upfor substantial exit fees.

A common solution is to split your loan, part fixed,part variable, and essentially hedge your bets. Atypical $400,000 home loan might be split asfollows:

• Split 1: $50,000 variable• Split 2: $350,000 fixed for 3 years.

The variable loan will allow additional repayments,redraw, and may even be linked to an offsetaccount, and the fixed rate will give the protectionagainst rate rises for the majority of the loan for thenext three years.

OTHER WAYS TO REDUCE THE PAIN

Correct loan selection is very important. You don’twant to be paying for features you don’t use, oralternatively, you don’t want to be missing out offeatures that would save you money.

In reviewing clients' loans we often find there areareas where savings can be achieved. For exampleclients:

• May not need all the features of their currentloan, and could easily switch to a cheaper basicloan either with the same lender or elsewhere;

• May not be utilising possible features such as anoffset account or a line of credit where they candeposit wages and other income to effectivelyreduce their interest costs;

• Are simply not aware of the competitive loanpackages available, and have previouslyconsidered the whole refinance idea too daunting.

• Have money sitting in other accounts which couldbe better utilised sitting in their home loanreducing their interest costs;

• May need to consolidate their loans;

• May benefit from a shift to an interest only loan,particularly if you have a mix of non-deductibleand deductible debt.

• May need a review of their loan and investmentstructures to ensure they have an optimalconfiguration;

So review your loan arrangements to ensure you're not paying more interest than you need to.

If you need help evaluating your current loans orseeking out a more cost effective solution give us a call.


Brendan Gallagher

is a principal ofFinancial Keys –financial advisers.Financial Keysprovides advice onover $120 million ofclients investments.Brendan has broadfinancial planningexperience andadvises clients fromAustralia and abroad.Brendan specialisesin personal financialplanning andcorporatesuperannuation.

Financial Keys

Suite 803, 37 Bligh StreetSYDNEY NSW 2000Tel: 02 9233 3888www.financialkeys.com.au

Rates on the rise, what areyour home loan options?

Summer is here, so lets venture over to the

barbeque, whether it is tucked away in the shed

or sitting all alone on the deck, remove the

cover and the cob webs and bring the barbeque

back to life.

SO WHERE DO WE START?

While all care should be taken to clean thebarbeque straight after using it, I think we are allguilty of leaving the cleaning to “Ron” (later on). Soit’s out with the hot soapy water and plenty ofelbow grease and away we go.

• Firstly scrape of any residual food off the hotplate and grill plates. I find using a piece of alfoilcrumbled up to form a ball, as a scourer, to scrapedown the grill and hot plate is a helpful tool.

• Using a can of cooking oil spray, spray the topsand bottoms of the plates and then turn thebarbeque on. When the plates begin to smoke,turn the burners to low and leave the burners for10-15 minutes depending on how badly dirty thebarbeque plates are.

• Turn the burners off and allow the plates to cooldown completely.

• Give the plates another good clean with hot soapywater using the alfoil ball.

• Another quick spray with the cooking oil and youare ready to start cooking.

THE NEXT STEP - WHAT DO WE COOK?

While most people consider the barbeque as adevice for cooking mostly meat and some seafood,I am going to show you how to execute a threecourse dinner party using the barbeque as the onlycooking device. Best of all, you are going to be thestar of the night and the envy of your friends, whenthey see the “Hidden Chef” within you.

The menu for the night is a simple 3 course dinner,featuring an entrée, a main and a dessert. Yes that’sright, a dessert cooked on the barbeque. Most ofthe preparation for the recipes can be completed acouple of hours before the Barbeque dinner partystarts, so that (most importantly) even you canenjoy yourself as well.

THE ENTRÉE: PRAWNS WITH TOMATO

AND CAPER SALSA Serves 4

Ingredients:

16 Whole medium green prawns 1 tblspn Extra virgin olive oil 1 Garlic clove 1/2 cup Salted capers 250g Cherry tomatoes1 cup Parsley leaves 150g Baby rocket 1 x tblspn Lemon rind 2 x tblspn Extra virgin olive oil 2 x tblspn Lemon juice

Sea saltCracked black pepper

Equipment:

BBQ Chopping board Chef knife Tongs Strainer Pastry brush Mixing bowls

Method:

1. Heat a BBQ or grill over medium heat

2. Peel the prawns and leave intact.

3. Crush the garlic

4. Rinse and drain the capers

5. Halve the cherry tomatoes

6. Wash the rocket

7. Brush the prawns with olive oil, add the garlic,salt and pepper and toss to coat

8. Cook prawns 1-2 minutes each side or untilcooked through

9. Place in mixing bowl the capers, cherrytomatoes, rocket, olive oil and lemon juice andtoss to coat.

10. Divide the salsa into small bowls

11. Top the salsa with the prawns and serve


Bruno Gentile

Bruno is a multi awardwinning, classicallytrained chef who willbe presenting ourclasses in Brisbanefrom Feb 2007.

Currently ExecutiveChef at Wilson’sBoathouse SeafoodRestaurant, Bruno hasextensive experiencerunning his ownrestaurants, as well asteaching thecommercial chefs ofthe future.

The He Cooksstudents 2007 inBrisbane can lookforward to getting alot of professional tipsthat will improve theirskills and increasetheir knowledge,delivered in Bruno’srelaxed yetprofessional manner.

BBQ Dinner Party

THE BARBEQUE DINNER PARTY MENU

Entree:

Char Grilled Queensland Prawns With A

Cherry Tomato And Caper Salsa

On A Sea Of Wild Baby Rocket.

Main:

Oregano, Garlic And Chilli Flattened

Chicken With Coleslaw Salad

Dessert:

Strawberry And Chocolate Compote

With Vanilla Cream

CHEF’S TIPS FOR BUYING SEAFOOD

• Always buy seafood from a reputable andreliable fish monger

• Look for fish that looks shiny, smells of the sea(not fishy) and has flawless flesh

• When buying fresh whole fish look for shinybright eyes, firm and intact scales that have notlifted from the skin. Also check the gills on thefish to ensure that the area is a red-pink colour.

THE MAIN: OREGANO, GARLIC AND

CHILLI FLATTENED CHICKEN WITH

COLESLAW SALAD

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 x 1.5 kg chicken

Marinade:

1/4 cup Oregano Leaves, Chopped 3 Garlic Cloves, Crushed 1/4 cup Lemon Juice 3 Small Red Chillies, Chopped 1/2 cup Olive Oil 1/4 cup Brown Sugar

Sea Salt Cracked Black Pepper

Salad

2 Iceberg Lettuces, Quartered 1/2 cup Flat Leaf Parsley Leaves 1/4 cup Chopped Chives 3 Spring Onions, Chopped

Dressing

1/2 cup Whole Egg Mayonnaise 1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar

Equipment:

BBQ Mixing BowlsKitchen Scissors TongsPastry BrushWooden Spoon Chopping BoardChef’s Knife

Method:

1. Heat BBQ to low-medium

2. Use kitchen scissors to cut the backbone of thechicken

3. Trim off any excess fat and clean chicken.

4. Place the oregano, garlic, lemon juice, chillies,olive oil, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a smallbowl and mix to combine.

5. Brush the chicken with half the marinade

6. To make the dressing place the mayonnaise,vinegar, salt and pepper into a small bowl andmix to combine.

7. Place the chicken skin side down on the BBQand cook for 30-40 minutes, turning and bastingevery 10 minutes.

8. Remove the chicken from the barbeque and cutinto portions.

9. To make the salad place the lettuce, parsley,chives, green onions and dressing in a bowl andtoss to coat


Chef’s hints on the

entrée course

Steps 2-7 can all beprepared beforehand.

To make lemonzest easier, line thefine side of acheese grater withbaking paper andrub the lemon overthe paper toremove the zest.The paper will trapall the zest of thelemon while youare grating and willalso make cleaningthe grater easier.Remove the bakingpaper and carefullyscrape the zestfrom the paper.

CHEF’S HINTS FOR COOKING MEAT

Buy yourself a good quality cooking thermometer,which are readily available at most cooking shops.You can use this thermometer to probe your meatand ensure that the meat is cooked perfectly. Thebest way to use the thermometer is to insert theprobe end into the thickest part of the meat thatyou are cooking. The probe will sense the internaltemperature of the meat and give you an indicationof how far the meat is cooked.

As a general rule meat is cooked when the internaltemperature is at:

Beef rare 60°C

Beef medium 71°C

Beef well done 82°C

Poultry 85°C

Lamb 85°C

Veal and pork 77°C

When cooking meat try to avoid turning andhandling the meat too many times. Try brushingwith a little oil, marinades or basting during thecooking process, to add more flavour andpreventing drying out of the meat. Remember toalways season your food with salt and pepper,as these spices bring out the flavours of youringredients, Chefs call this 'bringing out the flavour.'

Once the cooking process has completed allow themeat to rest. The best way to rest the meat is touse a baking tray with a cooling rack inside it. Placethe meat on the rack, cover the baking tray withalfoil and let the meat rest for approx 5-10 minutes,the bigger the cut of meat, the longer the restingtime. The reason we allow the meat to rest aftercooking is that the resting period prevents muscleshrinkage and/or tightness and minimal moistureloss. The meat fibres will relax and the moistureand juices inside the meat will become evenlydistributed which allows for a succulent and tender meat.

The best tool to use when cooking meats is a pairof tongs. Forks are unadvisable as they tend topierce the meat and allow juices to run out,whereas tongs are gentler on the meat.

THE DESSERT: STRAWBERRY AND

CHOCOLATE COMPOTE WITH

VANILLA CREAM

Serves 4

Ingredients:

250g Strawberries 200g Dark Cooking Chocolate 1 x cup Double Cream 1 x tspn Vanilla Extract

Equipment:

BBQ Aluminum foil Mixing bowl Spoon Whisk

Method:

1. Heat a BBQ to low heat

2. Wash strawberries and hull

3. Break cooking chocolate in small pieces

4. Wrap strawberries and chocolate tightly in foil

5. Cook for 4-5 minutes each side or untilchocolate is melted

6. Place cream and vanilla in a bowl and gentlywhisk to combine.

7. Carefully remove strawberries and chocolatefrom foil

8. Place on plates and top with vanilla cream.

So there you have it! A three course dinner partycooked and prepared by you for your guests, andwhere you can sit back enjoy the day as well. They will be totally surprised by your efficientand effortless work and how relaxed you havebeen all day.

The food presentation is delightful, the fragrantaromas coming from the barbeque have beensensual and the CHEF in you has emerged!

Check out the details of our BBQ classes onthe inside front cover of this issue!


Chef’s hints on the

main course

Steps 2, 3, 5 and 6,can all be preparedbefore hand.

If you are notconfident inremoving thebackbone from thechicken, you can askyour butcher to doso or you can buythe chicken alreadycut into portions. Ifyou are using pre-portioned chicken,bear in mind that thecooking time will bereduced to approx10-15 minutes andthe smaller pieces ofchicken will cookfaster than thebigger pieces ofchicken.

If you have a hood/lid for your barbequeyou can close the lidand your cookingtime will be reduce,as the closed hoodtraps more heat in,this will create anoven effect for yourfood. Check yourfood more oftenwhen using the hooduntil you gain moreexperience incooking with thehood closed.


SydneyHe Cooks Glebe Campus – Sydney Secondary

College Blackwattle Bay

All classes are from 6.30pm - 9.30pm

Lesson 1 – Introduction to He Cooks(all students to complete this class)

INGL0107 - Monday 5th February

INGL0207 - Monday 19th February

Intro Course ICGL107

Lesson 2 - Tuesday 20th Feb

Lesson 3 - Tuesday 27th Feb

Lesson 4 - Tuesday 6th March



INGL0307 - Monday 16th April

INGL0407 - Monday 30th April

Intro Course ICGL207

Lesson 2 - Tuesday 8th May


Lesson 4 - Tuesday 22nd May


Lesson 6 - Tuesday 5th June

INGL0507 - Monday 25th June

SRI LANKAN COOKING COURSE

These hands on and demo classes can be taken asa course, or separately.

All classes 11.30am – 2.30pm at Glebe

SUGL0107 - Saturday 3rd February

SUGL0207 - Saturday 3rd March

SUGL0307 - Saturday 14th April

SUGL0407 - Saturday 5th May

He Cooks Gordon Campus – Ravenswood

School for Girls

All classes are from 6.30pm - 9.30pm

Lesson 1 – Introduction to He Cooks(all students to complete this class)

INRA107 - Monday 12th February

INRA207 - Monday 26th February

Intro Course ICRA107

Lesson 2 - Monday 5th March




Lesson 6 - Monday 2nd April

INRA307 - Monday 18th June

WHAT A GREAT GIFT!

You can purchase He Cooks classes now, for ourcourses in February 2007!

Gift vouchers are available so he can select thedates that suit him, or you can go to our website toget confirmed dates for 2007:www.hecooks.com.au

H E C O O K S

COURSE OUTLINE

Lesson One

Intro

Lesson 2

Eggs & Dairy

Lesson 3

Fruit & Vegetables

Lesson 4

Rice & Pasta

Lesson 5

Meat, Game & Poultry

Lesson 6

Seafood

Details of class menus,dates and locationscan be found on ourwebsite:www.hecooks.com.au

He Cooks Classes 2007


He Cooks Classes held here!

TEAM – BUILDING AND CORPORATE

CLASSES

We have specialized, fun classes designed to getyour team and/or clients working together in a taskthat’s good enough to eat!

We have provided some great classes for clientssuch as Microsoft, Telstra, Macquarie Bank,Horticulture Australia and Millers Storage.

Email [email protected] to enquire aboutwhat we can do to make your next team buildingexercise memorable, fun and effective!

(NB: Private, Team Building and Corporate Classesare not just for guys).

BEER COOKING COURSE

We talk about beer, we cook with beer, we eatwhat we cook, and we drink the beer! Theseclasses can be taken as a course, or separately. All classes 11.30am – 2.30pm

Summer

Monteith’s Summer Ale Tempura Trout with Salad

Dual Handmade Ravioli (Pumpkin, and Spinach andRicotta) with Sage and Pinenut Cream Sauce –matched with Monteith’s Golden Lager

Sydney: Saturday 17th FebruaryMelbourne: Saturday 24th FebruaryBrisbane: Saturday 3rd MarchPerth: Saturday 10th March

Autumn

Black Mussel Risotto with Monteith’s Pilsner

Monteith’s Celtic Braised Duck with Spiced RedCabbage and Bread Dumplings

Sydney: Saturday 17th MarchMelbourne: Saturday 24th MarchBrisbane: Saturday 14th AprilPerth: Saturday 21st April

Melbourne William Angliss Institute of TAFE - 555 La Trobe

St Melbourne CBD

Classes in Melbourne are from 6.00pm - 9.00pm

Lesson 1 – Introduction to He Cooks (all students to complete this class)

WA05111 - Monday 22nd January

WA05111 - Monday 29th January

WA05112 - Intro Course

Lesson 2 - Monday 5th February





Brisbane & PerthPlease go to our website: www.hecooks.com.au orcall numbers below for class details.

To book or purchase classes as a gift, please go to our website: www.hecooks.com.au, email [email protected] or call:

HE COOKS:

PERTH (08) 9467 4002

BRISBANE (07) 3102 3129

MELBOURNE (03) 9606 2111

SYDNEY (02) 9326 6530

He Cooks Magazine Edition 4

Documents

Transcript of He Cooks Magazine Edition 4