Friday, May 6, 2011

Tools of the Trade.





Easter came and went ...how quick was that.
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter and got your year full of chocolate in. I recieved 2 huge Milk chocolate Lindt bunnines  ..so as a true fan to the chocolate I had to eat it. But to be honest I only ate the ears which are the best as they are so thick...yum. However  I found a "Humpty Dumpty" Chocolate egg (below ) you can judge by the photo what happened to it.









Other than the chocolate I inspired some people to "bake" their own hot cross buns which was fantastic. One lady said to me "Yeast always scares me, as soon as I read 'yeast' and 'prove' in a recipe I don't bother". So with an easy recipe from me she made the yummiest Hot cross buns. Well Done !





I even make these  buns with  diffrent spices and add chocolate, currants and cranberries and have these for a winter treat. Check out the full recipe on the Laughing Chef facebook page -If you are not a member just go the Laughingchef page in Facebook and "like" it to view recipes  -





https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=574142573&ref=ts#!/topic.php?uid=114932292338&topic=15058















So as promised I advised I would be writing about Cookery Knives...Now before I start there are so many knives to choose from ..brands, price,size, and the type of knife you are after. I will set out a few brands I have come across and the knives that MUST be in your kitchen.









The first brand I would recommend is GLOBAL knives.
Compared to conventional European knives such as J. A. Henckels or Wusthof, Global knives are made from a significantly harder alloy of steel and are ground to a narrower angle. This produces an extremely sharp knife which keeps its edge longer and allows for more accurate work, but takes longer to sharpen when it becomes dull. Because of this, the manufacturer recommends using whetstones and ceramic sharpening rods as opposed to the European sharpening steel. In addition, Global knives are renowned for their surprisingly light weight and even balance, a trait achieved by hollowing out the handle during production.















The next brand is WÜSTHOF Trident , precision forged knives are goods of only the highest quality. Painstakingly manufactured these knives are pure fun to work with and will turn even the preparation of a dish into a culinary pleasure.

Each one of the WÜSTHOF knife series has a different ergonomic handle design which offers a comfortable feeling for all different likings.





My very first knife was a Mundial Knife however after using a Trident Cooks knife I didn't look back. I went out and purchased my own 26 cm Cooks knife; which I used for all food preparation and used every day as a Chef. I purchased the Trident Cooks knife when I was a 2nd year apprenticeship and didn't look back. This cooks knife travelled throughout my cookery apprenticehship and I still have it today (my baby).













Some of the knives that I believe MUST be in your kitchen to make your cookery tasks easier are below.




* Cooks Knife - Used for all food prepartion * Pairing Knife- A paring knife has a short blade (2 to 4 inches) and a tip that can be either straight or that curves up to the point. This knife is good for peeling apples and other fruits or vegetables, mincing small items like shallots and garlic, or trimming herbs and scallions .









* Boning Knife - A boning knife is a type of kitchen knife with a sharp point and narrow blade. It is used in food preparation for removing the bones of poultry, meat, and fish.





* Bread Knife - Serrated knives are able to cut soft bread without crushing it; but can be used for cutting other items that are fragile or to be left in their original form. Such as slicing through tomatoes, meringue, nougat.





Well that's my  MUST have knife list for you and you can purchase these knives online or at Cookery speciality stores. I have listed some stores below.





http://www.kingofknives.com/

http://chefshat.shopau.info/catalog/





With Mother's day upon us I hope you are all cooking a treat for the special ladies in your life ...I have thought a special treat would be "Laughing Chefs Lemon Melting Moments ". So easy to make and trust me the mother in your life will adore these melthing in your mouth treats.

LEMON MELTING MOMENTS

Ingredients


•  125g unsalted butter
•  1/2 cup caster sugar
•  2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
•  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  1/4 cup custard powder
• 3/4 cup plain flour
•  1/2 cup self-raising flour
•  filling (see Step 3)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Line base of a baking tray with baking paper. In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add yolks and vanilla. Mix well.
2. Sift together custard powder and flours and add to butter mixture. Combine well. Shape tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place on tray and lightly flatten with a fork. Bake 12 min, or until lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Sandwich together biscuits with a small amount of filling. Dust with icing sugar, to serve.
3. To make filling, place 40g softened butter into a bowl. Add 1/2 cup icing sugar and 1 teaspoon lemon zest and juice of one whole lemon  and mix well, adding extra icing sugar, if needed if mixture is too runny.





HOSPITALITY NEWS
 
St Katherine's
26 Cotham Road, Kew

Tel +61 (3) 9207 7477 +61 (3) 9207 7477






Shane Delia and George Calombaris are thrilled to be working together on a new restaurant, St Katherine's, which is scheduled to open in Kew in early 2011.

St Katherine's will be a bustling and varied venue; with a mezze and wine bar downstairs, slick cocktail lounge and an upstairs restaurant where Shane and George will come together to share all their favourite family style dishes.

Diners will note that while the cuisine and style differs, the hospitality is the same. Guests are welcomed into our venues with a feeling of warmth and excitement, by knowledgeable staff and will be treated to some of the best food in Melbourne.

St Katherine’s will embrace a contemporary sharing style menu, with a melding of Modern Greek, Turkish and Middle Eastern cultures and food. Defined by its custom made Turkish grill and a wood fired oven, St Katherine’s guarantees a dining experience that is fresh, healthy and filled with flavoursome and affordable food that leaves you craving more.

Set to open in May 2011, there are front of house and chef positions now available check out SEEK for positions.

BIRTHDAY NEWS




Laughing Chef would like to send a HUGE Happy 1st Birthday to Sofia Cabrera...seems like only yesterday you were born. Happy Birthday gorgeous.









The Mother's day Classic is on again this Sunday for a great cause ... So donate or even better get your shoes on and support a great cause http://mothersdayclassic.com.au/




Next blog I will meeting up with fellow Chef/ foodie lover and owner of 'Toby's Estate' in Brunswick , Richard Pavlov. I will be talking to him about his new venture and all things Middle Eastern. So stay tuned for that.




Until next time.. Happy Mother's Day.... Keep on cooking !