Dear Food Adventurers,What a month it’s been. The food “World” is bigger then ever. Our launch into team building has happened. Jobs are coming in and clients are very happy – check out our latest testimonials. Thank you all for sending our website along to your corporate friends – every little bit helps. We’ve got 2 great offers on this month for team building events, so let your friends know. I hope you can join me for Kiss Me I’m Italian or Let’s Cook Duck this month – there are a couple of spots still left. Our “Bring a Friend” offer is still on through the end of September for our eNews subscribers, so book in now, pay for 1 spot and bring a friend for free. There is so much more to tell you, but I need to keep this short. We have two events coming up as part of the Sydney International Food Festival (SIFF, formerly Good Food Month) in October, new sponsors and new recipes always… If you’d like to stay in touch, take “a little bite of the world”: jump onto my blog or join my Facebook Fan page and get our updates as they happen. And please comment on anything there – we love to hear from you. Oh, and I will be showcasing All-Clad products at the Restaurant & Catering Show on 10-11 August in Sydney. Drop by the stand and say “Hi”. Meanwhile rug up, have some of that stash of red from the cellar before the winter ends. Cheers, Victor Life is either a daring adventure
or nothing at all.
– Helen Keller |
 Team BuildingTry the MasterChef Challenge  My new friend Michelle Darlington was one of the final 20 on the Master Chef TV series, so now I really know how it works. Whip your team into a frenzy of fun and food with our MasterChef Challenge team building. This is for competitive teams looking for loads of fun with action plus! Your team still work together, getting all the benefits of team building, but only 1 group can be MasterChefs. Let your corporate buddies know about our specials to the end of this month. Who knows, maybe we will have some new Corporate MasterChefs for the next series. |
| Market Tours EQ Village Markets  We’re back in action at EQ Village Markets at the Entertainment Quarter, Sydney, where we will sponsor a food festival on Saturday 10 October as part of the Sydney International Food Festival (SIFF, formerly Good Food Month). Come join us for market tours, food demonstrations by celebrity chefs (including me – surprise!) and panel discussions with local growers. I will also MC the event and Tawnya Bahr will lead the market tours so come and have fun with us. It’s all free so how could you refuse such a deal? Stay in touch for more information. |
| Food Tours Hungry For The South Coast (NSW)  Start planning now as the Sydney International Food Festival (SIFF, formerly Good Food Month) hits town this October. Join us for “Hungry for the South Coast”, 31 Oct-1 Nov. Give yourself a weekend to remember and come along as it will incorporate the freshest oysters you ever tasted (see my blog…), an amazing “100 mile” Slow Food lunch and much more. Stay in touch for more information. |
| Gift Certificates Give Your Husband New Life Skills  Everyone loves getting pressies, so give someone a cooking class gift voucher to set their inner chef on fire! Maybe your ‘wannabe’ chef husband. VictorsFood cooking classes are memorable, fun and teach essential life skills. You can order straight off our website, or contact us now for more information.
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Cooking Classes
“Bring A Friend” Special  I love to teach. So I just love doing our cooking classes. You learn many dishes, get personal attention as classes are small, and enjoy the feast you’ve prepared with new found friends. Special Offer: Food is always better when shared with friends, so we are giving you the chance to “Bring a friend” for free! Pay full price for 1 and 1 comes free to the same class! Offer good for classes to 30 Septemer 2009. Maybe you’ll listen to one of my regulars, Nicky Bell (pictured right), “ Love the experience of the lesson and love my Victors cook book I am developing. After each class I lovingly place my new recipes in my white folder … so when I want a slice of Victor Heaven I know where to look.” Our winter classes are up on the website, so take a peek and sign up using our online enquiry form with Promotion Code “Bring A Friend”. For something new, try “Kiss Me! I’m Italian”, or on 5 Sep I am doing a special “Learn To Be A Chef” class where you can learn the basics of proper technique with a low carb/high protein focus to show how easy healthy eating can be. Sat Aug 8 – Kiss Me I’m ItalianSat Aug 22 – Let’s Cook Duck Sat Sep 5 – Learn to Be A Chef Sat Sep 19 – Modern Mexican Sat Oct 3 – Malaysian Hawker Style Sat Oct 17 – Perfect Paella & Tempting Tapas
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Taste of South America TourBook Now and Save $500  Check out the amazing itinerary to Brazil and Argentina. It’s our second tour and it’s delicious, amazing and soulful. Learn the samba, eat exotic foods and dance with the natives as we delve into the cultures of both countries on this 15 day tour. “It was the holiday that everyone wants to have” – Carol Milburn (2008)
For a little taste, check out some of the pictures and testimonials now posted on our website. The sample itinerary is also available for download. We are now accepting bookings for next year, April 3-16, 2010. Book and pay your deposit before 31 October to save $500 off the tour price. |
| Business Bites People often say that I collect friends. I am lucky to know some wonderful people, and I want to share them all with you. So, in this column, I will tell you about some of my friends in business I think you will enjoy too. Ian Hemphill – Herbie’s Spices
www.herbies.com.au We have some great new sponsors lining up. One of the latest is Herbie’s Spices, run by spice guru Ian Hemphill. Herbie’s Spices are premium products that have flavour and freshness like no other spices on the market. Check out their website, and if you have the time lash out in the store in Rozelle. Ian does an amazing trip to India also which you can find out about on his website. Aligning VictorsFood with Herbie’s Spices has to do with Ian’s passion and commitment to putting out a highly reputable product. His knowledge on the subject of spices is immense as per his books written and as I have a strong passion for big bold flavours this alignment fits well with VictorsFood. He loves chilli too! 745 Darling St
Rozelle NSW 2039
02 9555 6035 |
| Small Bites Ashcroft’s How great it is to rug up and step into a pleasure dome of food where local ingredients excel with proven chef technique to produce a wonderful restaurant. Ashcrofts is an award-winning and beautiful restaurant with excellent front of house service by Mary-Jane, and Corinne in the kitchen putting out the masterpieces. Our entrees included smoked eel canapés, tartar of sea scallops and wakame, and organic tofu 3 ways. Mains ranged from New Zealand white rabbit fricassee, beef cheeks with stilton Yorkshire pudding (massive yum!), and gypsy pork pockets with Hungarian paprika sauce. While we would have appreciated more paprika, all of these dishes hit their mark. This restaurant is as much about art as food. Aside from the art on the walls, and the gallery upstairs, the dessert was the “Wow” dish, featuring a spun sugar “drag queen hairdo”. I love this restaurant. Perfectly set in a charming mountain town, suffused with warmth, generous hospitality and delicious food. It’s worth the trip.
www.ashcrofts.com
18 Govetts Leap Rd
Blackheath NSW 2785
(02) 4787 8297 |
< Recipe of the Month
Kangaroo Loin with Spicy Black Grape Sauce  Finally what to cook for August – this is a beautiful winter dish which plays off the sweetness of the kangaroo with the tartness of grape and pomegranate. Kangaroo is underrated, but exceptionally lean and flavoursome, so it’s worth learning how to cook. I particularly enjoy loin fillets for their tenderness. Only cook to med-rare or it will be tough.
Ingredients 2 x 200-220g kangaroo loin fillets
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper Spicy Black Grape Sauce
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
3 cloves garlic, roasted, finely chopped
1 tsp jalapeno chilli, minced
½ cup port
½ cup red wine
1 cup chicken, beef or veal stock
½ cup fresh grape juice, bottled
½ cup pomegranate molasses
½ cup seedless black grapes
salt and freshly ground white pepper
Method - Coat the kangaroo in the olive oil and black pepper and let sit for 30 minutes.
- For the grape sauce in a medium saucepan over med-high heat, melt the butter and sweat the onions, garlic, and jalapeno for about 5 minutes. Raise the heat to high, add the port, and reduce 10 minutes or more until you have about 2 tablespoons.
- Add the red wine and reduce another 10 minutes to 2 tablespoons. Add the stock, grape juice and pomegranate molasses and reduce till thick.
- Strain the sauce through a fine sieve, return to the saucepan, and reduce the heat to low. Add the grapes, cook for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Note: The sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, covered. Reheat before serving.
- Makes: about 1 cup
- Heat a heavy sauté pan until hot. Cook fillets over high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until the meat springs back when squeezed with tongs. If cooking to medium, reduce the heat, cook until kangaroo feels a bit firmer.
- Remove onto a plate and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Cut Kangaroo fillet across the grain into 4-6 slices. Spoon sweet potato polenta onto plates, lay kangaroo fillet slices on top, and drizzle with grape sauce. Alternatively, serve over your favourite mash.
Yield: 4 serves |
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More Soon!That’s all for now. Remember to eat your greens! I hope to see your smiling faces soon. Hasta luego,
Victor
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