VICTOR Arguinzoniz is the said to be the best grill man ever. His restaurant, Etxebarri, is in a Basque farmhouse about 40 minutes from Bilbao in the village of Axpe. The seasonal use of local produce is reflected in the menus which are written daily. David Pynt, Terra Madre delegate from Perth is there for a 4 month work experience during which he will take time off to go to Terra Madre in October.
IN her comprehensive article about food additives journalist Joanne Brockfield of “The Age” explores the issues from the historical to the serious health problems surrounding this topic. Read the full article
THE argan tree Argania spinosa only prospers in the Arganeraie, a region covering about 800,000 hectares in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The Arganeraie is under threat from modern agricultural practices as well as being deforested to make way for building sites. In December 1998 this area was recognised as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. It is also a fine example of what the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity achieves. The berries from this tree provide an oil similar to olive oil but with a delicate almond flavour. The argan has always been a basic part of the cuisine of the Berbers, a nomadic people present in North Africa before Arab settlement. The full story of this achievement is recorded in a book, including 33 recipes using argan oil. A link to this book is included here. Tasting this Presidium product is not to be missed when visiting Slow Food’s biennial Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre.
RENE Redzepi owner and chef of the restaurant Noma in Copenhagen says that returning to traditional roots, rediscovering products used more than 100 years ago and preparing them in different ways is part of his philosophy at his restaurant in Copenhagen. “Alot of products that we put on the table today are part of our culinary history over recent centuries.” Noma was recently named ‘the world’s best restaurant” by the British magazine Restaurant. Follow this link to “In his own words” interview with Rene.
Local chef David Pynt and Terra Madre applicant has been working for a short while at Noma and describes some of the atmosphere. “Food is where the heart is and the heart here is huge”, the restaurant is so unprententious which allows people to relax and enjoy themselves, shrimp plate looked amazing and was exceeded by the flavours, the plate makes you feel like you are at the edge of a frozen fjord eating the dish, real flavours coming out, the beach herbs keep your mind and attention entertained after the main components have been sampled.
USING Blackwood Valley Beef, chef Luke Butler of the Bridgetown Hotel was the winning entry for ‘Best steak sandwich in Western Australia’. ‘The steak sandwich is an Australian icon that can define, not only an hotel, but an entire region when locally grown produce is used to create a culinary masterpiece,’ said Bradley Woods, chief executive of the Australian Hotels’ Association (WA).
ACCORDING to Jay Gottfried, a neuroscientist at Northwestern University who studies how the brain perceives smells, the senses of smell and taste evolved to evoke strong emotions”. In Harold MCGee’s Curious Cook latest article from the New York Times, Harold examines the curious nature of certain foods, such as coriander and how many people have a strong aversion to it. The word coriander according to the Oxford dictionary is derived from the Greek word meaning bedbug and the smell of the herb has been linked to the smell of bug infested bedclothes. Read further the article from the New York Times
MICHAEL Mckenzie reports on salt on Bush Telegraph’s Food on Friday. Michael interviews co author of a new book on salt “The salt book”, Fritz Gubler and highlights the many different types of salt around the world, salt and our health and how to use them. Listen to the interview on Bush Telegraph on Friday 26th March
Paul Levy in the Guardian “Word of Mouth” in August 2008 writes about the no one right answer when accounting for taste, in which he refers to the writings of David Hume, English Philosopher of the 18th century “On the standards of Taste”
IRANIAN emigre cook Farangeez Ahmadi will present a small workshop to discuss and taste Iranian food. Numbers limited. Date to be advised. Farangeez, who lives in Perth, presented a persian baklava workshop for Slow Food Perth in April 2007 and demonstrated Iranian cooking at the convivium’s Mundaring truffle festival marquee in August 2008. For information about this workshop email Slow Food Perth.
