Sushi For Beginners

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Jason Ford

Picture of sushiMy love affair with Sushi began in the mid 90s when I worked as a Pastry Chef in a large hotel. One of the hotels restaurants was a Japanese Teppanyaki style dining room.

I would smuggle the Japanese Sushi Chef’s desserts as a trade for their sushi and tempura. I became hopelessly addicted.

Eventually, my obsession became so overwhelming, I convinced the Sushi Chefs to show me how they were made, so I could make them myself at home. I quickly discovered that with practice I could make all kinds of varieties..

And, although I love the raw seafood variety, you can really put anything you desire on, or in sushi. Cooked chicken, tuna, seafood sticks, avocado, vegetables, noodles… anything!

Japanese cuisine has become very popular in today’s western culture, though it is often adapted to more western tastes. Sushi used to be the exclusive delicacy of powerful Japanese Emperors, now you can find it sold on any street corner, pub, club, in most shopping mall food courts and airport cafes.

However, like me, many sushi addicts are not just content to go out for their sushi fix; their craving is driving them to manufacture it in their own homes.

There’s also dozens of books on the subject, I once went to a local bookstore to buy a book on sushi, and left with five (cookbooks are my other addiction).

So, if you’ve never eaten sushi, give it a try, it doesn’t have to contain raw seafood. I’m sure there are flavours out there that you would love. You may also get hooked.

What types of sushi are there?

Finger sushi – a delicate layer of raw or cooked seafood, smeared with Japanese horseradish (wasabi) and resting on a pillow of rice

Box sushi – a bed of rice, a smear of wasabi and a seafood topping is pressed in a wooden box and then cut into bite-sized pieces

Rolled sushi – the most simple, Japanese rice and various fillings rolled up in a sheet of seaweed.

Hand rolled – rice and various fillings of meat, seafood and vegetables rolled in seaweed sheets shaped like an ice-cream cone

Sushi goes great with dry, sharp citrus white wines, sake or Japanese style green tea.

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Little Red Beauties

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Jason Ford

Picture of strawberriesAlthough strawberries appear to be at their best and cheapest in summer, they are available all year round.

The colour, size and flavour can vary dramatically according to the variety.

Some of the varieties readily available in Australia include Redlands Joy, Kabarla, Selva, Chandler, Jewel, Sundew, Camerosa and Cartuno.

Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium and dietary fibre. They contain some niacin, iron, folic acid and phosphorus.

These little red beauties are a versatile ingredient for toppings, in desserts, cakes and cocktails.

When selecting strawberries, look for a clean, bright red colour. The flesh should not look whitish, bruised, blemished, crushed or moist. The green caps on top should be firmly attached.

To store, keep strawberries cold and humid in the fridge and only keep for a short time.

Strawberry Crumble To Die For

  • 40g butter
  • 180g caster sugar
  • ½ lemon (juiced)
  • 100ml white wine
  • 1 kg strawberry (hulled and halved)
  • 1 cinnamon quill
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 125g  butter
  • 125g brown sugar
  • 65g almond meal
  • 65g rolled oats
  • 125g plain flour
  1.  Place the butter, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan and cook until the sugar starts to caramelise.
  2. Add the wine to the saucepan.
  3. Add the strawberries, cinnamon quill and vanilla essence to the saucepan; simmer the strawberries until three-quarters cooked (about 5 minutes).
  4. Remove from the heat, spoon into an ovenproof dish and allow to cool slightly.
  5. To make topping, place the butter, sugar, almond meal, rolled oats and flour in a bowl and rub together until the mixture forms crumbly consistency.
  6. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the strawberry filling and bake at 190oC until the top is golden. Serve with hot custard or ice-cream.
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The Culinary Quiet Acheiver

Posted on October 13, 2013 by Jason Ford

Picture of onionsIt’s one of the most humble and least glamorous vegetables on Earth; however most cuisines would be unrecognisable without them.

Onions have a long and colourful past, and are probably one of oldest culinary ingredients in human history.

Egyptian hieroglyphics and artwork tell the story of how onions where purchased at great expense to feed the slave workforce and keep them physically healthy and motivated while building the pyramids.

Countless religious writings, scriptures and historical documents from all over the world make references to onions.

There is a myriad of varieties grown for culinary, medicinal and ornamental uses, but only a dozen or so common varieties are found in regular grocery stores.

Brown onions would possibly be the mainstay in most kitchens, because of their savoury full bodies flavour.

White onions are a little more earthy and pungent, while red onions are quite sweet and are well suited to eating raw in salads.

There are the smaller shallot onions that have a complex balance of sweet and pungent, and are popular in French cuisine.

Pearl onions are small and crisp and are exceptional for pickling.

There are also many fresh green stalk-like species such as Spring Onions and Leeks that are delicate, sweet and subtle in flavour.

Onions are often the quiet achiever of the kitchen, yet it’s all but impossible to imagine a world without them.

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Artichokes 101

Posted on October 11, 2013 by Jason Ford

Picture of artichokesThere are three varieties of artichoke – the Globe, the Jerusalem and the Chinese artichoke.

The most common of which is the ‘Globe’.

The globe artichoke is in fact, an unopened flower bud of a perennial of the thistle group of the sunflower family and is believed to be a native of the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands.

If the bud is allowed to open, it blossoms as a brilliant violet-blue flower about 7 inches in diameter.

Artichokes are available all year round, but peek in spring and autumn.

The artichoke resembles a large green ball of scales (petals) that get smaller and tenderer toward the vegetables centre.

Although I’ve regularly seen artichokes in many grocery stores, most Australians would be unfamiliar with their preparation – whereas most Europeans cook them regularly.

Whole Globe Artichokes are prepared for cooking by removing all but 5-10mm of the stem, and cutting away the top third of the artichoke.

Any tough or pointy outer leaves can be pulled off. You should also squeeze some lemon juice on the artichoke as it can turn brown quickly after being cut.

Then, the artichoke is boiled in salted water until tender, which takes approximately 30 minutes.

I once knew a farmer who was selling the immature baby artichokes. I sautéed them in butter for just a few minutes, and they turned out a lot like broccoli.

Baby globe artichokes could also be dressed with vinaigrette and eaten raw in salads.

Artichokes go beautifully with tomato, parmesan cheese, and eggs.

However, they’re a little hard to match with wine, as they contain a bitter chemical called ‘cynarin’. Everything you eat or drink afterwards tastes sweet.

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Stalking Season

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Jason Ford

Picture of asparagus bundle and forkAsparagus stalks are the young spear-shaped shoots obtained from a perennial plant native to both Europe and Western Asia.

It is a member of the lily family and thousands of years has been eaten as a vegetable.

The most common variety is harvested when it is above ground and exposed to photosynthesis.

White asparagus is obtained by cutting the shoots before they break the surface of the ground or they are grown in darkness; therefore they lack the deep chlorophyll green (they just need a suntan).

There is a purple variety available, although it turns greener when it is cooked.

Very young, thin asparagus spears are called ‘sprue’.

Interestingly, fresh export asparagus is packed into boxes approximately 2/3 full, as the spears continue to grow and fill up the box during its days in transit.

How to cook fresh asparagus

The base of asparagus spear is generally tough and woody. The ends can be cut, snapped or peeled off and discarded.

Asparagus should be laid on their side and cooked in shallow simmering water. A little salt can be added to the water.

There is also a commercially produced upright asparagus steamer available.

Most importantly asparagus should not roll around as it simmers because it can break-up.

Asparagus is best eaten just tender (but still firm); the Italians refer to this as ‘al dente’. If you prefer your asparagus a little more cooked, it should bend when picked up with a fork (but not droopy and soft like tinned asparagus).

Try slices of creamy Camembert cheese slightly melted over hot cooked asparagus, drizzled with lemon juice and freshly milled black pepper.

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Things I’ve Burnt

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Jason Ford

Picture of toaster with burnt toastCooking is a process of applying heat to a food item to increase palatability, to enhance flavour, tenderise, caramalise and even kill off bacteria.

Unfortunately this simple process can rapidly and dramatically turn into a disaster of Titanic proportions.

As experienced as I may be in the kitchen, I’m still capable of destroying food. And the most common disaster I have is getting distracted and burning things.

But it doesn’t just stop at burning the food. I have burnt myself too many times to count – I’ve even burnt other people (only a couple of times).

I once pulled a roasting tray out from the top shelf of an oven. The 8kg pork leg shifted in the tray and over balanced. Searing hot fat from the tray ran down my arm and into the boot of a kitchen hand standing behind me.

We both screamed, he jumped into the washing up sink and I followed him by showering us with the washing up hose – pity it had just been used for hot water, because our first few seconds of water came out scolding hot.

Lucky for me, the kitchen hand didn’t knock my block off, as there is a rule in the kitchen that you must always announce when you ‘re standing directly behind someone (which he neglected to do).

On another occasion I was removing a 40 Lt pot of sauce from a gas stove. Unbeknown to me, the tea towel I was using to hold the hot handles had touched the flame and set on fire.

Halfway across the kitchen I felt a painful sensation accompanied by the pungent smell of burning arm hair.

An apprentice said, “You’re on fire dude!” To which I said “Thanks for letting me know Einstein”!

I wasn’t prepared to drop the pot with my precious sauce and ran to a bench under excruciating pain.

The only problem was I had picked up so much momentum that the pot slid across the bench and fell off the other side.

The genius apprentice turned to me and said, “Why didn’t you just stop and put the pot on the ground”.  And I said, “Shut up and do your work”!

I was doing a chocolate making demonstration for some of Brisbane’s most acclaimed Pastry Chefs.

While stirring hot caramel, my wooden spoon broke and my hand plunged into the pot.

My pride wouldn’t allow the audience to know my fingers had just descended into the pits of Hell. I just said, “Gee-whiz, that was close”!

No-one was any-the-wiser as a blister the size of a hot air balloon inflated on my knuckles. The show must go on!

I’ve also burnt food on  a TV show once. Thank goodness for the editing room.

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Yeast At Least

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Jason Ford

Picture of bread with croissant

As I write this article, I’ve got a batch of fresh bread dough on-the-prove.

Which means the yeast in the dough is having a great time eating up sugars and starch and converting them into alcohol and bubbles of carbon dioxide.

These little gas bubbles get trapped in the sticky bread dough and cause the bread to expand like a balloon.

In brief technical terms, yeast is a single-celled living organism. It is classified as a fungus.

Yeast is a wonderful friend to all people who love baking. However, if you don’t treat it right, it can be a very unforgiving enemy.

I’ve spent a lot of my cooking career in pastry kitchens and have used a lot of yeast.

I’ve also had a couple of disasters, most of which could be attributed to the yeast feeling mistreated, disrespected and unappreciated. In return, the yeast punished me by not doing it’s job and producing flat heavy cow pats instead of light crusty bread.

There are three main types of yeast:

  • Fresh compressed yeast (which is my favourite) is the most active and alive. Its sold in blocks wrapped in wax paper and is a light tan colour. It smells very yeasty and needs to be refrigerated as it will die a horrible death if left out in the open. It has a storage life of about two weeks. Fresh compressed yeast is ready to use and just has be thrown into the bread dough with the other ingredients.
  • There is dried inactive yeast that has been dehydrated and in effect has sent the yeast to a sleepy dormant state. Once the yeast is re-hydrated with warm water it comes back to life.
  • There is also instant granulated dried yeast that can be thrown straight into a bread recipe with being reconstituted.

The general rule is that dried yeast does get a little damaged in the dehydrating process and doesn’t really work as good as fresh, but it is a very convenient product because it has a very long shelf life and doesn’t need refrigerating.

You only have to use approximately half the quantity of fresh yeast as you would dry (dried yeast is more concentrated).

Dried yeast is readily available in grocery stores, but you may have to go to your local bakery to purchase fresh yeast.

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Why Peel A Tomato?

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Jason Ford

Picture of copper pot and tomatoNow you may ask, “Why would you want to peel a tomato”?

The short answer is that tomato skin is often leathery. And, it’s my job as a chef to make the customers dining experience a pleasurable one.

 So, for certain dishes (such as pasta sauce) the tomato skin just has to go. Hasta la vista, baby!

  1. Get a pot of water to a rolling boil.
  2. Cut a cross into the bottom of the ripe tomato, just through the skin. This will give the skin a place to start coming off later on.
  3. This is where I give one of those ‘Please take care’ warnings. You need to cut the eye out from the top of the tomato in a wedge shape. I kid you not, in all my years as a chef and cookery teacher, I’ve seen more bloodshed at this stage of the process than a hospital emergency ward. If you are not very confident with a knife, do this on the chopping board. Always cut away from yourself.
  4. Carefully lower the tomato into the pot of boiling water, don’t drop it or it will splash you (Ouch!). Only leave it in for 5 – 10 seconds. If the tomato is a little under ripe and stubborn, you can leave it in the pot for 15 seconds at the most. Any longer and the flesh of the tomato starts to go mushy.
  5. Remove the tomato from the pot and place in iced water until completely cool. This process stops the cooking process instantly.
  6. The skin should now peel off easily by hand.

At this stage you can also cut the tomato in half and remove the water seeds if required. This method can be used on most varieties of tomato, provided they are ripe.

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Perilous Prawns

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Jason Ford
I’ve discovered over the years there are just as many people claiming to be allergic to prawns, as those who can’t eat enough of them. The allergic effect ranges from mild skin irritation, to claims of instant death at the mere sight of a prawn. Most cases of seafood allergy would be quite legitimate, and in some cases rather dangerous. Even my wife has had allergic reactions to them. Although, recently she’s discovered that after incorporating prawns into a meal and thorough cooking, she can enjoy them without any discomfort.
Her doctor suggested it could even be a reaction to the iodine sometimes found on fresh seafood.
If you discovered your allergy as a child and have never eaten them since, it might be worthwhile consulting your doctor.
Prawns are a crustacean, and are found all over the world.
In countries such as America they are referred to as ‘shrimp’.
Australia has a diverse range of prawns available, such as Banana, Bay, Endeavour, King, School and Tiger.
All have their own unique taste, flavour, colour and texture.Of all the varieties, King prawns would be the most popular.
And, for all the people that can’t eat prawns, you have my condolences.

Quick Garlic Prawns

  1. In 50mL of extra virgin olive oil gently cook 40g of finely chopped onions and 3 cloves of crushed garlic.
  2. Add 24 peeled and de-veined green prawns and fry until bright orange on both sides.
  3. Pour in 100mL of white wine and 250ml of cream.
  4. Reduce sauce by half and season with salt, pepper and a dash of lemon.
  5. Serve on a bed of steamed rice and garnish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

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English Style Pickled Onions

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Jason Ford

Picture of pickled onions with chilli

As promised in my last blog, here is a basic pickled onion recipe.

1kg small pickling onions, peeled
50g salt
1Lt white vinegar
10 black peppercorns
10 small red chillies
5 bay leaves
200g white sugar

  1. Place the onions and salt in a bowl and stir until onions are thoroughly coated.
  2. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
  3. Wash the salt off the onions and dry with paper towel.
  4. In a saucepan, heat the vinegar, spices and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved, no need to boil.
  5. Tightly pack sterilized jars to the top with onions and pour over the vinegar and spice mixture until jars are almost full. Seal with sterilized lids and allow to cool.
  6. Let the pickles stand for 3-4 weeks before opening.

Note: The longer the onions sit with the salt, the softer they get. You can use whatever spices you prefer, such as juniper berries or mustard seeds. Brown vinegar and brown sugar can also be used.

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