Simon says eat well
He held pots of herbs instead of a flute but Hilton chef Simon Bryant was like a children's foodie version of the Pied Piper yesterday. With tiny tots cradling their herbs and snuggling up to him, The Cook and the Chef star was at the the Adelaide Showground Farmers Market yesterday to launch a healthy growing and eating initiative for children. Clutching a coffee and admitting it was a tad early for him, Simon was still passionate about growing and eating good food—and starting young. “I was of the generation when home ec (economics) was starting to be phased out of schools,'' he says. “It wasn't cool—so there's a whole generation of people who don't know how to cook and eat real food and it's showing.” So the Kids' Club Greenlight Organic Edible Garden and SA Great's Buy SA programs are close to his heart. “I've got a courtyard and I grow enough food for two meals a week from it,” he says. The Advertiser, June 2.
Fallen timber town on the truffle trail
Truffles fetching up to $3000 a kilogram are bringing hope for economic revival in Western Australia's struggling timber town of Manjimup. Amid lush karri and jarrah forests in the state's southwest, hundreds of people with a taste for the expensive French delicacy descended on the town at the weekend to celebrate the start of the truffle season. Manjimup, 300km south of Perth, has become Australia's most prolific truffle-producing region with export contracts to nine countries, including France, where the truffle originates. At yesterday's season opening by The Wine and Truffle Co, guests were told the farm's eight working dogs would sniff out up to a tonne of Perigord black truffles from its Hazel Hill farm in coming months. After the ``first truffle'' of the season was presented to Perth's famed French chef Alain Fabregues, local business owners such as Richard Doust said they hoped truffles would bring prestige and prosperity to their town. The Australian, June 2.
Meet the author: Teri Louise Kelly: In hell's kitchen
Teri Louise Kelly has a knack for the catchy title. Not just titles, but entire books—three so far—seem to have flowed effortlessly from the former chef since she turned her hand to writing five years ago. It's no small achievement from someone who left school at 15 and was not even a reader until she began to write. “All I ever read was menus,” says Kelly, perched on a chair in the tiny, sunny courtyard of the townhouse she shares with her partner, Mel, in inner-city Adelaide. First off the presses is Sex, Knives and Bouillabaisse, Kelly's memoir of life as an apprentice chef in a big, posh hotel in Brighton, England. Wakefield Press will also publish the next two instalments. The second, The Last Bed on Earth— covering her time as manager of a backpackers' hostel in New Zealand—is due in time for Christmas. The third, The State I'm In, deals with her move to Australia, criss-crossing the country before finally settling in South Australia. The Advertiser, May 31.
CEO musters party pies from shop floor to supermarket
One Sunday last August Michele Allan was in Los Angeles on Amcor business when the phone rang. On the line was Peter Kempen, the chairman of Patties Foods. He was ringing his fellow director to let her know that the board had found a replacement for Richard Rijs, who had resigned unexpectedly after building Patties into one of the world's biggest pie makers. Allan—who had been on the Patties board as a non-executive director since June, 2006, five months before it went public—was surprised at how fast her board colleagues had filled the position. "Wow, that was quick, well done, congratulations," she told him. He then informed her that she was the board's choice. That came as some surprise to someone whose hat was not even in the ring. She was happy working for Amcor, looking after risk and sustainability. She was shocked and unable to sleep that night but deep down she knew she would be accepting the job. “It was the hardest decision I'd ever had to make to resign; it was traumatic," she says. It meant moving from a big company with perks such as world travel to running the Bairnsdale-based Patties, a relatively small company, albeit with such brands as Four'n Twenty, Herbert Adams, Nanna's and Chefs Pride. The Age (Melbourne), May 31.
Pizzas to fine dining
Cairns chef Mark Carrette, 35, has fed kings and queens, but now he wants to put some decent grub in front of the folk at home. “I'm very passionate about regional produce, it's the core,” says Carrette who has just opened his first restaurant as part of the Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort. “You have to believe in it. It boosts the local area, gives you a good rapport with your supplier.” An engineering student to begin with, Carrette's head for maths developed later in life, forcing him out of mechanical engineering and into the front of a pizza delivery van in Cairns. In his down time he would slip into the kitchen and help the chef with the baking. That led to a four-year apprenticeship as a chef, working through the stock of Cairns hotels and finishing at the Hilton where the then head chef, John Dolan, successfully entered him in Nestle's Golden Chef's Hat in the apprenticeship division. It was then time for the 19-year-old to seek his fortune overseas. The Courier Mail (Brisbane), May 31.
Christians see red on blue TV
Television shows such as Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and Underbelly may be harming the psychological development of children, a Senate committee has been warned. Christian and family groups have used submissions to an inquiry into broadcasting standards to criticise the use of foul language by British chef Gordon Ramsay in his prime-time show on Channel 9. In a submission to the inquiry, the Australian Family Association hit out at Ramsay's frequent use of the F-word. “Such language may have once, during Anglo-Saxon times, been fairly matter-of-fact nouns for intercourse or a female sexual organ,'' the association said. “But over time such language gathered additional and new meanings increasingly incompatible with respect for women and girls and incompatible with healthy psychosexual development in children or young teenagers.” The Senate inquiry was established after Liberal senator Cori Bernardi complained about the language used on Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. Herald Sun, May 31.
Brewers' hopes rest on boutique brands
Soaring fuel and food costs coupled with higher interest rates have pushed consumer confidence to 15-year lows, worrying retailers providing anything but basic needs. Major brewers Foster's and Lion Nathan are betting, however, that tighter household budgets will do nothing to stop the trend to switch to premium products that has led many drinkers to abandon mainstream beers for more expensive brews that deliver higher profit margins. Figures from ACNeilsen show that packaged sales of premium beer grew by 7.7 per cent over the 12 months to the end of February, against an overall static beer market. Lion last month reported a 7 per cent increase in underlying net profit for the first half of the financial year despite beer sales volumes rising by just 0.3 per cent, thanks to a surge in sales of higher-priced brands such as Tooheys Extra Dry, which recorded a stunning 33 per cent increase in revenue. Lion chief executive Rob Murray said the trend appeared to be ``non-cyclical and therefore sustainable''. The Australian, June 2.
Why chardy's not cool
They might be fictional characters, but Bridget Jones and Kath and Kim are being blamed for the death of chardonnay. Once the fashionable tipple of politicians and society doyennes, wine industry observers say “cardonnay” is now more likely to be associated with Australia's favourite suburban housewives and the Brit singleton famed for her enormous knickers. Leading UK wine writer Oz Clarke blames the decline in British chardonnay sales (with 7.5 million fewer buys in the past 12 months compared to the previous year) on the chardonnay-swilling Jones. “Everyone appreciated it—until Bridget Jones,” Mr Clarke said. “She goes out on the pull, fails, goes back to her miserable bedsit, sits down, pours herself an enormous glass of chardonnay, sits with mascara running down her cheeks saying, `Dear diary, I've failed again, I've poured an enormous glass of chardonnay and I'm going to put my head in the oven.' Great marketing aid.” Glenn James, Foster's Group White Winemaker, said association with daggy characters like Bridget and Kath Day-Knight has not helped the wine's profile. “I hear the expression `anything but chardonnay' often because the variety is out of fashion,'' Mr James said. “Crisp dry white wine is in vogue right now, but chardonnay is still our most significant white grape.” Sunday Telegraph, June 1.
Toast to our wine —Free glass at lunch to promote local labels
Queenslanders will be enticed to try local wines, with the offer of a free glass of wine as part of a renewed effort to expand the state's industry. The initiative, which begins tomorrow, is a joint venture between the State Government, Hotels Association and Wine Industry Association to draw attention to the state's growing list of award-winning wines. “We need Queenslanders to get behind this growing industry,'' Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry Desley Boyle said. Under the program, hotel restaurant patrons will receive a complimentary glass of Queensland wine when buying lunch from tomorrow to June 9. Other promotional activities will continue for three months, including winemaker dinners, tastings in some bottle shops, and a competition to win a trip for two on Queensland Rail's Traveltrain to Cairns. Nineteen hotels across southeast Queensland will take part, including the Alexandra Hills Hotel, Commercial Hotel at Kingaroy, Criterion Hotel at Dalby, Paddington Tavern, Regatta Hotel at Toowong, the Royal Hotel at Toowoomba and the Landsborough Hotel. Each will be teamed with several wineries, including Ballandean Estate, Clovely Estate, Jimbour Station, Sirromet, Golden Grove, Robert Channon, Ambar Hill, Pyramid Hill and Romavilla. The Sunday Mail (Brisbane), June 1.
Caffeine hits now guilt-free
There’s no need to feel guilty about that double espresso—scientific research suggests coffee has some surprising health benefits. Drinking large amounts of coffee may help to ward off high blood pressure, age-related memory decline, skin cancer and type 2 diabetes. Plus, Spanish research published in the Journal Of Nutrition Review found coffee has as many cancer-fighting antioxidants as tea and red wine. The benefits of caffeine are more apparent in women than men but scientists are unsure why. French researchers say drinking more than three cups of coffee a day helps protect older women against some age-related memory decline. The French National Institute of Medical Research followed 7000 men and women and found women who drank more than three cups a day had a 30 per cent less chance of having a decline in verbal memory and 18 per cent less chance of visual and spatial declines, compared with women who drank one cup a day. The study's lead author Dr Karen Ritchie says she is not sure why only women benefited. "Our best guess is that women don't metabolise coffee in the same way as men," she says. The Sun Herald (Sydney), June 1.
Venues curfew to be put to the test
The 2am nightclub lockout will be put to the test this week, with the State Government forced to back up its controversial three-month clampdown. One in 10 of the venues affected by the trial, which starts on Tuesday, were granted an exemption on Friday provided they improve security, among other things. More venues are expected to argue for a similar exemption tomorrow. But the more important legal battle is a review, requested by the venues, of the Government's decision to impose the trial. This will be heard by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The director of Liquor Licensing, Sue Maclellan, must provide proof of a problem with alcohol and violence on the streets, and explain how a 2am lock-out would improve things. Bar and nightclub owners believe they have been unfairly targeted, that the broad availability of alcohol from liquor stores is an issue, that there are not enough police on the streets, and that a 2am lock-out will only make things worse. The Minister for Consumer Affairs, Tony Robinson, told The Sunday Age yesterday that the Government would support Ms Maclellan's efforts. Sunday Age (Melbourne), June 1.
Loving a good night in
Rising living costs are forcing Australians to tighten their purse strings. Luxury items such as outside entertainment, holidays, non-essential shopping and excessive fuel use are among the first expenses to be cut. But grocery bills and outlay for home entertainment units are likely to soar as people choose to stay at home instead. An Australian National Retailers Association survey reveals people have taken economic warnings to heart and have cut back on some of their biggest costs. Almost three-quarters of 1000 householders surveyed planned to trim their budgets. Any windfalls such as bonuses or extra payments from the recent federal Budget will help meet mortgage payments or clear existing debts. ANRA chief executive Margy Osmond said the changing spending habits would mean leaner times for retailers and a slowing of inflation. ``People are cocooning, cutting back on holidays and nights out. They are spending more time at home and want to be entertained there,'' Ms Osmond said. Herald Sun (Melbourne), May 31.
Med diet eats into diabetes
Paris: The Mediterranean diet, which is famously beneficial for the cardiovascular system, also helps protect against diabetes, researchers have found. The mainstays of the Mediterranean diet are olive oil, fish, grains, fruit, nuts and vegetables, usually supplemented by a modest amount of red wine. Meat and dairy products have only a minor role. Researchers at the University of Navarra in northern Spain recruited 13,753 people between December 1999 and last November who had no history of diabetes. Their health and dietary habits were then tracked in detail. During the follow-up period—an average of 4.4 years over the range of participants—103 people were diagnosed with Type2 diabetes and there was a large preponderance of cases among those who did not follow the basics of the Med diet. Those who adhered to the diet most strictly enjoyed a relative reduction of 83per cent in the risk of diabetes, according to the research, published yesterday by the British Medical Journal. Many people in this group also had the biggest accumulation of risk factors for the disease—they were older, fatter, had a family history of diabetes and a more sedentary lifestyle or were former smokers. Weekend Australian, May 31.
New rules for organic
Organic products will soon have to meet strict rules and undergo rigorous inspection before they can be labelled organic. Standards Australia has begun working on a system to help consumers know what they're buying is authentic and not just cashing in on the green marketing wave. The Organic Biodynamic Products committee is establishing a standard to protect consumers from misleading and unsubstantiated product claims, and to protect producers against misinterpretation of other agricultural produce as organic. The committee includes representatives from industry, consumer and government bodies. Standards Australia spokeswoman Kate Evans said the national standard is expected to be finalised this year. The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service organic standard now used for export will be the base for the new domestic standard, that will cover fresh produce as well as non-food products like cosmetics and fabrics. Organic Federation of Australia chair Andre Leu said the Australian organic sector was worth more than an estimated $500m annually and consumption is rising by as much as 40 per cent. Sunday Telegraph (Sydney), June 1.
Ord, Gascoyne have a part to play in global food shortage
A summit starting in Rome tomorrow will address what is increasingly being acknowledged as the worst food shortage in history, so widespread that its effects will be felt even in wealthy countries such as Australia. The meeting, to be attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith, has been called by the United Nations and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which predicts that world food prices will stay at record levels for at least the next decade. The OECD has identified 22 countries, mostly in Africa, already at severe risk from record food and fuel costs. In an indication of what may lie ahead there have been food riots in Kenya, Cameroon, Egypt, Niger, Haiti and the Philippines. The rise in food prices is a result of a confluence of factors including a steep increase in oil prices, drought in Australia and Canada, competition from an expanding biofuel industry and a huge increase in demand from the burgeoning economies of China and India where the newly affluent are consuming more meat, with a consequent increase in the amount of grain needed to feed cattle. The West Australian (Perth), June 2.