January 28th, 2010 nola
El Bulli, the Spanish restaurant repeatedly crowned the world’s best, will temporarily close in 2012 and 2013, its famed avant-garde chef Ferran Adria announced on Tuesday.
“No meals will be served in El Bulli in 2012 and 2013,” he told a news conference at Madrid Fusion, the annual international culinary conference focussing on the cutting-edge in haute cuisine.
“But El Bulli is not closing down. These are not two years on sabbatical. I need time to decide how 2014 is going to be… I know that when I return it will not be the same,” said the father of so-called molecular gastronomy.
El Bulli, on Spain’s northeastern Catalan coast, was last year named the world’s best for the fourth year in a row by Britain’s Restaurant magazine. Other publications have similarly raved about Adria and his food.
But Adria said he found working 15 hours a day “difficult.”
“It’s like telling (British designer) John Galliano to go work in a factory,” he said.
Adria and Heston Blumenthal in England have since the late 1990s rocked world cuisine by using science to “deconstruct” and rebuild food.
Taste-bud treats on the menu of Adria’s three-star restaurant have included oyster meringue, hot ice cream, frothy truffle cappuccino and liquid ravioli, while vegetables are turned into lollipops or whipped foams.
He has had to respond to critics who say the chemicals used in his “molecular gastronomy” make it unhealthy.
“Homemade ice-creams, those which are excellent, must have a stabilising substance to avoid crystallisation. Sugar goes through a chemical and physical transformation. Chocolate contains lecithin. Agar is a thick substance that has been used in Japan for centuries,” he said once in response to criticism from another top Spanish chef, Santi Santamaria.
“The tomato also has a chemical composition,” he said.
Source: The Guardian
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January 27th, 2010 nola
Australian Traveller Magazine is seeking nominations to put before its panel of experts for the upcoming special issue “100 Greatest Australian Gourmet Experiences”.
Our Panel of Judges includes Maggie Beer, James Halliday, Simon Johnson, Matt Moran, Jacques Reymond, Michael Ryan, Alla Wolf-Tasker and Peter Russell-Clarke, and at this point all quality Australian foodie experiences will be considered for the nomination process.
Along with top-shelf experiences of the “Dining at Tetsuya’s” variety, we would also like to hear about plenty of local, homegrown and obscure material — real experiental stuff along the lines of “shucking oysters on Constitution Dock as the Sydney to Hobart yachts rolls in”, or “scoffing a fresh scallop pie at the bakery in Ross”, or even “eating a pie and sauce using only one hand at the Boxing Day Test at the MCG”.
Nomination Forms can be downloaded at www.australiantraveller.com/100gourmetnominationsor email lisap@australiantraveller.com
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January 14th, 2010 nola
Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
21st - 23rd March 2010
Fine Food Queensland is the largest food industry event in northern Australia. It’s a showcase of the best food and drink ideas from around the world and regional areas.
It runs alongside Hospitality Queensland, featuring the latest kitchen and accommodation equipment.
For more information: http://www.foodqueensland.com.au
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January 13th, 2010 nola
Rub shoulders with the tastiest celebrities
29 April - 6 May 2010
As the premier festival of its kind in the country, Tasting Australia attracts world-renowned chefs, winemakers, sommeliers, brewers and restaurateurs. This is a great opportunity to enjoy some 40 different events including demonstrations, tastings and classes. International stars such as the legendary Antonio Carluccio, Antony Worrall Thompson, Richard Fox, Neil Morrissey, Paul Rankin, Rosemary Shrager are coming.
Shannon Bennett, Maeve O’Meara, Ben O’Donoghue, Pete Evans and Simon Bryant are just some of the big Australian names on the menu at Tasting Australia.
For more information: http://www.tasting-australia.com.au/home
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January 13th, 2010 nola
Hilton Brisbane
Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th July 2010
Since 1995 the Hilton Brisbane Masterclass has brought together a fabulous line-up of chefs and winemakers from around the world – Antonio Carluccio, Gordon Ramsay, Michel Richard, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Michel Roux and many more.
Join us in 2010 to taste, learn, laugh and sip your way through each day. With twenty sessions a day there’s plenty of choice from a range of talented International and Australian presenters looking at - shiraz, chocolate, champagne, spice and matching food and wine.
For more details http://www.qldmasterclass.com
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January 13th, 2010 nola
Queensland Government
Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation
Media Release
13 January 2010
Mallory, Anouk and Elodie are three French students studying food science at DEEDI’s Hamilton Research Station
You’d expect a long itinerary for young adventurers to Australia, but three French students have their sights set on attractions beyond the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Mallory Le Boulanger, Elodie Le Roux and Anouk Besson are on industry placements at the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation’s (DEEDI) Hamilton Research Station, hoping to help uncover the health benefits of selected fruits, vegetables and nuts.
DEEDI biochemist Dr Kent Fanning said the students had been working on interesting projects to enrich their knowledge of ‘functional foods’.
“Mallory is working as part of a team to analyse carotenoids in Queensland vegetables, fruits and nuts,” he said.
“Carotenoids are a class of naturally occurring pigments that may increase the health benefits gained from the foods in which they are contained.
“Significant consumption of carotenoids has been associated with reduced incidence of a variety of cancers, heart disease and certain eye conditions.”
Elodie is part of a team developing methods for the extraction of a particular phytochemical (naturally occurring compound in plants), Camptothecin, from plant material.
Camptothecin is already registered for clinical use in the treatment of a range of cancers.
Anouk is working on a project to separate bioactive (extra-nutritional) compounds from tropical juices, such as plum, to incorporate them into value-added, premium-quality health drinks, food supplements and nutraceuticals.
Dr Fanning said the students were all undertaking degrees in food processing at the Institut National Superieur de Formation Agroalimentaire in Rennes, France.
“This training is a requirement of their course where a laboratory research project has to be undertaken in an organisation abroad to improve English language skills and to learn about project organisation,” Dr Fanning said.
“They have been with us since September last year and will finish up with us here this month.”
Mallory said she was intrigued by DEEDI’s Innovative Food Technologies unit because of the potential to learn more about food’s ability to balance health.
“I am interested in working in the area of health and dietary intake, and I feel the projects on vegetables’ properties against obesity, or zeaxanthin from corn to protect age-related macula degeneration, can teach me a lot,” she said.
“Moreover, it is a safe structure for me to do my practice here. Training abroad for foreign students is not always easy.
“Most of the time, units accept you but don’t give you responsibility. Here, I feel they want to teach me something. I have a real project and some results to achieve. I have an aim to motivate me.
“Previous students in my school have been working at Primary Industries and Fisheries and that made us want to come here.
“They spoke about projects that were interesting, and the staff created a good working atmosphere.
“Thus, I could associate my two aims: doing an attractive training course whilst discovering an unknown country.”
For more information on DEEDI’s research into the potential health benefits of functional foods visit http://www.deedi.qld.gov.au
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January 11th, 2010 nola
Due to the popularity of the recent Chef’s Tour of the Tablelands, , another tour will be conducted on the 2nd February 2010.
This tour will take in the southern coastal wet tropics corridor and visiting a bio-dynamic poultry farm, exotic fruit farm, vanilla plantation, tea plantation, pepper & spice farm, fruit winery, pasta producer, eco-banana plantation and meet the chilli man at the historic Garradunga Pub.
Any chef interested in participating can contact Nola at info@australiantropicalfoods.com
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January 11th, 2010 nola
Monday, 4 January 2010
Commercialisation Australia – the Rudd Government’s $196 million radical new support initiative for home-grown innovation – is now open to receive applications.
“I call on all innovators wishing to bring their product to the marketplace to apply for tailored, hands-on assistance from Commercialisation Australia” said Senator Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.
“The first step for potential applicants is to visit the new Commercialisation Australia website and fill-in a pre-application checklist.
“Commercialisation Australia is a merit-based, competitive assistance program and will support applications with the strongest commercial potential.
“It has a broad national reach with case managers based in states and territories across Australia offering tailored advice to successful applicants.
“There is no deadline for submitting an application to Commercialisation Australia. Innovators can now access assistance when they need it.
“Bridging the gap between research and successful commercial reality can be difficult.
“From today, Commercialisation Australia will work to facilitate this critical process and support high-wage, high-skill local jobs.”
Commercialisation Australia will assist researchers, entrepreneurs and innovative firms to commercialise their ideas, offering grants on a co-contribution basis including:
- Up to $50,000 to pay for specialist advice and services;
- Up to $200,000 over two years to engage experienced executives;
- Proof of Concept grants up to $250,000 to test the commercial viability of a new product, process or service; and
- Early Stage Commercialisation repayable grants up to $2 million to develop a new product, process or service to the stage where it can be taken to market.
The pre-application checklist, details on eligibility and merit criteria can be found at www.commercialisationaustralia.gov.au or by calling the Commercialisation Australia Hotline on 13 22 56.
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January 11th, 2010 nola
As part of the Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation’s Gourmet Food Project, the current Queensland Chef, David Pugh, is blogging to showcase the best of Queensland produce including tropical foods. The blog includes information and recipes on key, seasonal ingredients.
The role of the Queensland Chef is to work with Primary Industries and Fisheries to profile Queensland produce, industries and primary producers. This blog is aimed at consumers, especially those more innovative food followers, however, on a broader level the Gourmet Food Project has opportunities for chefs, growers and producers to network and get involved in promoting quality regional produce to a wider market.
For more information, contact:
Kaye Nunan
Principal Food Industry Development Officer
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation
Telephone: 07 3239 3254 Facsimile: 07 3239 3504
Email: kaye.nunan@deedi.qld.gov.au
Website: www.dpi.qld.gov.au Information Centre: 13 25 23
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January 11th, 2010 nola
Location: Cairns
Two part-time positions – 2 days per week
The Network for Sustainable and Diversified Agriculture is looking for two (2) self motivated people to help manage and promote the Farmgate local produce market held at the Pier every Saturday morning.
The successful candidates would need to have their own vehicle and appropriate licence.
For details on the two jobs contact:
Anthony Fermo at biochicken@bigpond.com
Job Descriptions ….
job-description-for-farmgate-marketeer-final
job-description-for-farmgate-manager-final
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