Putting an end to food waste

Foodies love food. How devastating that what we take so much pleasure in preparing, cooking and sharing is denied to one in ten people each night? OzHarvest works to right this wrong.  Founded in 2004, Ronni Kahn channelled her astonishment at the amount of food wastage there is in Australia and decided to put it into action.

OzHarvest rescues unwanted food from restaurants, cafes, hotels, retailers and food outlets and delivers it to those in need. Over the course of seven years this charity has saved over 4,400 tonnes of food from landfills and delivered over 15 million nourishing meals to 380 charities.

OzHarvest is about reducing food wastage and that applies not only on a commercial level but in domestic kitchens too. It has launched its first ever cookbook featuring recipes from 44 of the country’s most celebrated chefs focussing on just that; new ways to create a fabulous meal using leftovers already in the fridge.

This is just my thing, so I was delighted  to contribute recipes among other friends including Maggie Beer, Neil Perry, Matt Moran and Christine Manfield. One recipe I contributed is my Risotto Bianco (see below). A risotto is the perfect vehicle for almost any food and a great technique to master.  You are only limited by your imagination (and fridge) in terms of contents which can include anything from leftover roast meat, vegetables, fresh herbs to whatever you can muster!

For more fabulous mouth-watering recipes, this beautiful cookbook contains more than 120 recipes that will reduce your food wastage, save money in grocery bills and impress family and friends alike. What’s more, for every book purchased 60 meals will be delivered to those in need - doesn’t get much better than that!

For more information or to purchase the book, please visit www.ozharvest.org.
 

Risotto bianco with anything you like

Serves 4

Risotto bianco is the most basic of all risottos. Master the technique
and you can make any risotto you like. It’s the perfect vehicle for using
up leftover roast meat and vegetables or any of the variations below.•

1.25 litres (5 cups) chicken, beef or veal stock
3 tablespoons (1⁄4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
440g (2 cups) arborio or other risotto rice
125ml (1⁄2 cup) white wine
4 tablespoons (1⁄3 cup) chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil and sage 
100g (1 cup) freshly grated parmesan

Put the stock in a saucepan and heat to boiling. Reduce the heat and maintain at a simmer.

Heat the olive oil and half the butter in a large heavy-based frying pan over moderate heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion and fry for a minute or two without browning. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent. Add the rice and stir well to coat with the oil and butter (it will take on a glassy appearance). Add the wine and stir until it has evaporated.

Reduce the heat to low and add one ladleful of hot stock. Stir constantly until the liquid is completely absorbed. Keep adding the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring and waiting until it has been completely absorbed by the rice before adding the next ladle. Keep it cooking at a low simmer. After about 15 minutes taste a few grains of rice: it should be tender, not soft, yet still a little firm to the bite. It will probably take around 20–25 minutes to reach this point. When the risotto is ready it should still be a little liquid, not dry like fried rice.

Fold in the herbs, remaining butter and parmesan. If you have any leftover roast chicken or vegetables such as pumpkin, add them now. Even sliced cooked sausage is good. Taste for salt and pepper. Usually the stock and parmesan make the risotto salty enough and ground black pepper is better left to the individual. Spoon into warm bowls and serve at once.

Note  To make a mushroom risotto, use beef stock and replace the herbs with 500g mushrooms. Wipe the mushrooms clean with kitchen paper; never wash them. Leave button mushrooms whole and slice larger varieties. Saute in butter for a few minutes before adding to the risotto.

For asparagus risotto, use chicken stock and replace the herbs with cooked chopped asparagus.

Or use chicken or veal stock and replace the herbs with 250g chopped ham or cooked, crumbled bacon or pancetta and 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley.

2011 President’s Medal – competition and night like no other

Last year’s President’s Medal was held at Four Seasons Sydney. This year the celebration of six champion producers from the Sydney Royal Wine, Dairy and Fine Food shows moves to Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park in the historic Badgery Pavilion. Executive Chef Tim Browne is amazingly talented and, with his team, more than up to the task. He has relished the opportunity to develop a special menu and show the wider community what he can do with award winning produce.

Since its inception in 2006, the President’s Medal has been recognised as the pinnacle of producer awards. Over 5000 products are submitted across three shows, Champions are named; the best of the best judged by industry experts, ‘palates’, producers themselves and educators. The Chairs and Committees of Sydney Royal Wine, Cheese & Dairy and Fine Food shows then nominate two Champions each to vie for the President’s Medal. An in-depth judging process ensues which includes site visits and a triple bottom line evaluation.

The judging process is aptly managed by Simon Marnie, ABC 702 presenter and Scott Davenport, Chief Economist, NSW Department of Primary Industries in collaboration with celebrated chef Mark Best of Marque Restaurant in Sydney’s Surry Hills and Tony De Thomasis, Senior Business Manager, Woolworths. Mark Best has also designed the dessert course.

Not only is there world class food, but outstanding wines in a night hosted by 702 ABC Presenter, James Valentine, with roving reporter “Fast Ed” Halmagyi from Better Homes and Gardens. See behind-the-scenes videos from the finalists and be there to learn the outcome!

The medal will be presented on Thursday 7 July at a celebration dinner. Click here for more information or to book tickets. The menu will feature produce from the six producers vying for this prestigious award.

Cobram Estate, for their Fresh & Fruity Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Country Valley, for their Organic Milk
Fonterra Australia – Spreyton, for their Duck River Premium Butter
Jelm Pastoral Company, for their Jelm MSA Lamb - Grass Fed 20 - 23kg
Phillip Shaw Wines, for their The Idiot by Philip Shaw 2009
The Yalumba Wine Company, for their Yalumba FSW8B Botrytis Viognier (2009)

Wenonians’ Women of Spirit

I was invited as a guest speaker to the recent Wenonians Inc Women of Spirit breakfast at Rydges Hotel, North Sydney. As an old girl and mother of an old girl, I was delighted to speak to one hundred Wenonians and their friends about my career and the food/wine/travel/adventure television series I shot with my late son, Blair, Lyndey & Blair’s Taste of Greece, now showing on SBS One at 8pm on Thursdays.  The fifth episode will air this Thursday, 23 June, the sixth on 30 June and the final on 7 July. If you missed the first few episodes you can download them here.

Various auctions were held, including a ticket to my next class at the Sydney Seafood School. The winning bidder was Marcelle Perko, who I look forward to seeing on 10 August. It was gratifying that, in their 125th year, over $4,000 was raised for Wenona education scholarships. 

Marcelle Perko with me and Trish O’Brien, Executive Director, Wenona Foundation

In honour of Blair’s memory, guests were asked to support the Leukaemia Foundation. A total of $750 was donated with more expected to follow. It was very gratifying to be able to help this organisation.

Diary date: Week of Tastes (14-24 October)

Week of Tastes, a fantastic food related initiative targeted at 8 and 9 year old children, runs from 14-24 October. I’m delighted to be involved this year. It’s always great to go somewhere you have a connection and my great nephews attend the infants department of Willoughby Public School, so that’s where I’m headed to give a lesson.

I have long believed on exposing kids to different flavours and cuisines and engendering a love of new foods. When my kids were at pre-school I went and taught pasta making to 4 year olds – and how positively they responded! Therefore I’m committed to educating everyone, especially children, on making good and informed food choices, the enjoyment of cooking and the hospitality of the table.

A little bit of history … Week of Tastes is based on a French program that has been running across Europe and the US for 20 years. There are two elements: the teacher delivers an introductory lesson covering food appreciation and good health through a series of experiential exercises and cooks or chefs follow up with further, more specific education about the world of taste, food and cooking.

Briefly Week of Tastes aims to:

* Develop children’s relationship with food and address some habits that might contribute to obesity.
* Create positive associations with the process of food creation, taste and the act of making good food choices.

The lesson plan delivered by the teacher contains some lessons for us all:

* An understanding of how the senses affect both taste and appreciation of food
* Expanding your food vocabulary
* Developing positive attitudes towards trying new foods
* The link between food and good health

How are these for comments from children, teachers and chefs:

"I also learned that even though something doesn’t look good, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t taste good. It was an adventure for my taste buds." Zak, grade 4 student, Hunters Hill Primary

"We feel the multi-sensory learning experiences were so successful that we plan to extend the program in 2010." Debbie Campbell, teacher at Redlands College

"The teacher was provided with lesson plans that integrated the health strand of PDHPE with Science and English. A highlight of the week was a visit from a French pastry chef. He talked about different types of pastry and methods of preparation. He also brought samples for the students to try! The children presented an assembly item at the conclusion of this week. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive from the students, the teacher and the parents. If you have the opportunity to participate in this program I strongly encourage you to do so." Amanda Donlan, principal at Northbridge Primary


"Programs like the Week of Tastes help to instil in growing children the importance of good health and understanding of where our food comes from. I think taste education programs are so important. Food appreciation started young will result in healthy happy kids." Pete Evans, chef, My Kitchen Rules

Look at these pictures from Week of Tastes 2009

Chef Peter Evans at Bondi Primary

Chef Kylie Kwong at St Francis Paddington

If you are a teacher, chef or child and want to be involved visit www.weekoftastes.com.au.

Or maybe I’ll see you at Willoughby Primary on Friday 22 October at 10am!

ArtyBra® is doing it for the girls

“Do you want to help raise money for Blue Mountains Cancer Help by letting your imagination run wild and creating or decorating a bra?”, asked my persuasive friend Pam Seaborn, co-ordinator of the ArtyBra project.

I loved the concept “doing it for the girls”. Said “yes” straight away as I do to any worthy charity, especially this one because I am an Ambassador for the Breast Cancer Network Australia too. Moreover I liked the fun aspect involved. I struggled for awhile with the idea of decorating a bra – not really my thing and not so foody. Then I thought about how I could do it to convey who I am and what I do. Off I went to Chinatown and Vinnies to buy some cutlery and the like.

Then I enlisted my good friend and wonderful artist Bruno Grasswill  to execute my idea.

My creation – love the watermelon wooden spoon!