5 Important Pieces of Kitchen Equipment

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This week we explore the 5 important pieces of kitchen equipment every cook needs. This list could go on forever but this is a list for beginners or start-up kits.

Let’s get into it…

#1 Knives
Knifes are the most essential item every chef needs. Without them you won’t be able to chop anything! You don’t need overly expensive knives, something with a sharp blade will work. When choosing knives make sure they fit your hand well and don’t weigh too much. For a beginner set of knives it is crucial to have a Chef’s Knife, a Bread Knife and a small paring knife. Other knives are great but not crucial to getting a job done. Most other knives are for specific things, like a filleting knife, turning knife, boning knife, even a meat cleaver. Whereas the three main knives are adaptable to all different foods and usually come in a set.

knives

#2 Tongs

Tongs aren’t just great for the barbie; they are used for all different things. In fact, in commercial kitchens, they are used more than a lot of other utensils. Tongs are very versatile, they’re great for flipping foods, stirring, grabbing hot trays, pulling foods out of the deep fryer and so much more Tongs can act as a second pair of hands when in a hot situation and you don’t have a tea towel. Getting equipped with a good set of tongs will benefit in the long run. I suggest finding what length tongs you prefer and how you prefer their tightness, whether you prefer to put more pressure on them or have flimsy tongs.

tongs

#3 Spoons

Spoon are crucial to all chefs. Spoons are or trying the food you cook, like soup spoons or standard spoons. In commercial kitchens we have Kitchen Spoons that are bigger, a lot of in house recipes are measured in kitchen spoons because small ones take to long and kitchen spoons are great for measuring big bathes of food. Kitchen spoons are also useful for stirring big pots of food. Don’t forget slotted spoons, these are great for poached eggs and removing ingredients from a soup, stock or even curry, allowing the liquids to drop and keeping the debris and waste to throw away.

spoons

#4 A Peeler

A peeler is a crucial part of any kit. Every Chef, Apprentice, home cook needs one. Besides peeling all types of veggies, peelers are great for shaving cheese, especially for Parmesan cheese. Peelers come in various shapes and sizes. The wider peeler is more versatile and thinner shaped peelers are good for mainly potatoes and carrots. Buying cheap plastic peelers are good for short uses however in the long run it is good to pick out a more expensive peeler made of stainless steel or a combination of both.

peelers

# 5 Scales

Scales are extremely useful and understated. Most recipes need exact measurements and if you don’t have measuring cups or spoons or even a measuring jug, scales are the way to go. Most electronic scales now measure in all different weight units such as Kgs, Pounds and Ounces. Besides weighing ingredients for recipes, scales are good for weighing portions of food and checking combined weights of foods.

scales

BONUS (Commercial Cooks):

Working in industry there a few key things you will need every shift. Each of these items are really important especially if your work place doesn’t supply them. Tea towels are pretty straight forward for use but remember to always carry one with you and its important to get into the habit of grabbing things with the tea towel in hand even when things aren’t hot, this will one day prevent a nasty burn when you forget that things are hot. Lighters are sometimes supplied but it is better to have your own so you know where it is at all times. Worst comes to worst you can light equipment with a skewer and another flame that already lit, but if all of your pilot lights are out, you’re stuck. Lastly textas and pens, these disappear constantly, so keep a stash on person and don’t tell anyone. Pens for changing dockets, writing notes and anything else and textas for labelling and dating stock items before storing them.

So, there are the 5 Important pieces of kitchen equipment, let me know what your favourite five are and if there’s something you just can’t work without! Thanks for reading, stay tuned for next time!

10 tips for basic food storage

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How do you store your foods? Everyone has to eat, which means everyone has to buy food at one stage or another. But once you have the food, where do you put it?

There’s all different types of foods and they have to be stored differently. The main three storage types of food are:

  • Dried goods (Flours, Pastas and Canned goods)
  • Refrigerated (Meats, Cheese and Veggies)
  • Frozen (Chips, Cheese and Ice-creams)

When foods are stored correctly you extend the shelf life of the food. So, to help those who haven’t quite mastered food storage, here are some basic tips to nail where you put your food.

#1 Check the packaging

Most foods have on the packet how they need to be stored and how long they will last. It also helps to take notice at the shops when you buy the food as to where the food is stored. Fruits and veggies can be stored in fridges, on ice or just on shelves in stacks for you to grab. Meats are in fridges, bread on racks. Most items will say refrigerate between 1-4C up to X days. Or dried goods will be labelled, store in a cool dry place. Which brings me to my next tip

#2 Optimum temperatures

As stated above, meats are kept in fridges at 1-4C. Dairy items and other refrigerated items like sauces and some veggies have to be refrigerated and can need storage at exact temps. Dried goods are best kept at roughly 23- 25C, cool and dry. Now this is easy for homes, just chuck that box of food in the pantry and forget about it, but commercial kitchens it can be a lot harder. The kitchens are so hot that if there isn’t a decent distance between the two, you run risk at lowering the life of the foods. Most foods that are stored dried last for long period regardless. Lastly Frozen goods. These have to be stored at -18 to -24C, if not the goods will lose their frozen state and it will impact ice-creams and snap frozen goods first, making them extremely perishable.

#3 Check Specific requirements

If you can’t find the storage requirements on the packet of the produce or the product doesn’t come in packaging it is best to take to the web to find the ultimate solution. Fruits and veggies when stored in the wrong places, risk their shelf life dropping dramatically.

For example; Fruits and Veggies are usually kept in the fridge. On contrary to what many think, not all fruits and veggies belong there, here is a list of a few fruits and veggies that don’t have to be stored in the fridge, that might just surprise you

  • Potatoes are best kept in the dark
  • Bananas, tomatoes, lemons and limes are best in a cool dry area
  • Mushrooms- In a paper bag stored either in the fridge or a dry place.
  • Apples, Carrots and Berries in the crisper drawer
  • Herbs in plastic bags in the fridge or on a window sill, planted
  • Berries and Stone fruits are good frozen as well as fresh

That’s just a few examples of where Fruits and Veggies can be stored.

#4 Store similar products together.

As mentioned above Fruits and Veggies are stored in the crisper together. It makes more sense when looking for things or sorting through old products if everything is in the same area. Put all your dairy products together, all cereals, canned, meats and even breads. This will make shopping and getting rid of products so much easier.

#5 Expiry dates and Rotation

Checking expiry dates can be a lengthy process, this is all made easier when products are in in order. Using the FIFO method can help a lot. FIFO is First In First Out. So how it works is when storing multiple of the same product you put them in lines. The oldest at the front or whichever is easier to grab and then newer products follow behind making it easy to use everything and makes less wastage.

#6 Where and how you store your goods

Just as much as FIFO matters, so does looking after your health. In terms of health I mean both, getting sick from food or from lifting or being squashed by goods. Firstly, NEVER put raw foods above cooked foods or near them for that matter especially meats, chicken and fish. Raw foods can contain Salmonella which can make you very sick if it comes in contact with ready to eat foods. Lastly, DO NOT put heavy items above shoulder height, if you do, use a step ladder or chair to get the goods down. Don’t risk getting squashed!!! It also helps to put the most common consumed items in reach and then more un common (depending on weight and size) items, on higher shelves or on the bottom.

#7 Close the packet or wrap it!

Don’t you hate it when you wanna eat a bag of chips but someone left the packet open and now there all stale. Make sure there are systems in place to wrap a product if not being consumed, as well as checking cereal boxes to close the inside bags up. Another solution is to store products in airtight containers, allowing no nasties to get to the food and prolong shelf life.

#8 Organisation

Storing everything where you can see it and having it physically organised helps at a quick glance but also when preparing for the week. Labelled jars or containers are a huge need and avoids having hidden baggies in the back of cupboards or empty bottles or buckets of sauces that you thought were full. Just being more organised helps but can also add an extra appeal to your kitchen appearance.

#9 Check items Regularly

This goes back to tip #5. Check your products regularly to minimise waste and to clear out waste if there is anything. It is hard to tell when certain products are about to go off. Some will be fine one day and off the next. It is best that items that are damaged or are off are removed as quickly as possible otherwise they will create more off products due to contamination. Food such as Meats, Chicken and Fish all have funny smells or weird appearances when they go off. Keeping that in mind, if in doubt throw it out. The last thing you want is anyone sick with food poisoning.

#10 Deep Clean and inventory.

After everything is at optimum level, it is good to clean every area deeply making sure to get the back of the cupboards and the crisper in the fridge and the icetray in the freezer. This just sets you up. This is best done when cupboards and fridges are at their emptiest point, making it easier to count your goods before going shopping and keeps them stored correctly for the highest amount of time possible.

Thanks for reading my 10 tips for basic food storage.

Hopefully now you can get the best storage outta all your goods. Let me know one food you found hard to store?

5 Trends in the Foodie world for 2019

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In 2019 Trends are emerging everywhere. With a click of button something can go viral in minutes, more specifically trends in food can come and go quicker and impact more dramatically. As the world evolves, we can see a focus on sustainability and simplicity and also health.

Speaking of which here’s trend #1.

Trend #1 Diets.

Over the last few years diets have progressed and become quite popular. Especially the good old Vegan train. The push for Vegan diets is still high as people are establishing a firm connection between food and animal farming. Some choose to eat this way for a ‘healthier’ option, ridding themselves of all animal products. In 2019 there is a trend diet called Peganism, which in short is Veganism mixed with a Paleo diet. People who consume a Pegan diet only consume plant-based foods with the exception of a few things. They can consume meats, nuts, fish and eggs but must stay away from dairy, processed foods, grains and sugars. So, in short, the Pegan diet is a vegan who loves meat or a strict healthy person who won’t miss carbs.

Good House Keeping wrote a great article if you want to know more about the Pegan Diet.

Trend #2 Healthy Foods.

I know what your thinking we already spoke about diets, but seriously this is different. Following on from diets, the consumption and desire for healthy foods has risen. The world is becoming more aware of where their food is coming from, how it is being sourced and what impact it has on the body. For instance, there is a big push for more gut health foods such as Kombucha and Dairy- Free alternatives like nut milks. People are also opting to eat foods with high Omega-3 levels which means more fish and nuts. People are also crazed by Collagen Enhanced foods, smoothies and Acai Bowls, makes it easy when you see it on your gram feed, am I right?

Trend #3 Zero- Waste

This one comes from a global range. As the world is more conscious of the impact we have on the environment and people share the lifestyles that cut a lot of waste and renew items that aren’t used to their potential. People are looking at their food now and what it is packaged in. I know myself the last time I went shopping I emptied all the old packets of food from the cupboards and when walking the aisle at the stores., everything is covered or packaged in some sort of plastic. A lot of packaging isn’t clear in how to dispose or recycle it either. I Bought two different packets of meat from two different stores both packaged in similar plastic packaging containing a plastic tray and a film on top. One of the packages was recyclable, the other had to be put into waste. Its no wonder people throw out so much and are too lazy or not knowledge in these things. Some packaging can actually be taken back to the store you bought it from and they will recycle it for you. In industry and in stores there is a big push to get products packaged in a more efficient way and to cut down if not eliminate takeaway containers and disposable one-use items such as straws and cutlery, which is already underway.

Trend #4 Local Produce and Local Business

People are now swarming to markets and sourcing organic foods this is good for local traders who miss out on valued business, taken by corporate food giants. There’s is also a rise of interest towards local business in the countries or hills, such as: Cheesemakers, wineries, butchers, farms and breweries. People are preferring to shop local and source from local smaller business and learn about the products and process that goes into what they consume.

Trend #5 Simplicity

In 2019 simplicity is the key for food. Gone are the days of over complicated meals with one billion ingredients on the plate. People are finding simple to be better. I believe this allows the consumer to see the star of the dish close up and focus on the flavour and texture of that one element. In industry I know the pain of having to serve up meal after meal and the more ingredients on that plate the harder it is to time, prepare and get to that customer. So, hell yeah to cutting down ingredients. If you order a steak, your getting the steak with a small side, not mash potato with a side of steak. Bringing this simplicity also means that smaller courses may rise in demand as will anything in the degustation menu, even though degustation meals can have many enteric items on the plate, it usually has a star element with few accompanists.

 

Well that is 5 trends in the Foodie World. Let me know what’s trending in your city and tell me what trend your following.

Thanks for reading and see you next time!!

Ten Quick Tips for Beginners in Commercial Cookery

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  1. Learn your menu and ingredients

When entering a new kitchen, no matter what position you are in you will want to learn the menu. Learning the menu makes it easier reading dockets, handling food during service and prepping food for the next service. Learning what ingredients make what dish, how much goes into it and which section cooks what is a big help too. Even if you are only a kitchen hand or dishy it is good to learn all the menu items, because you never know when you will need to step in for a cook or if you have to get something from the coolroom or drystore. Apprentices and new cooks should always work out what meals they are responsible for and what preparation for those meals needs to done and then go from there, learning in detail every menu item.

  1. Learn where everything is and I mean everything!

A kitchen can be big or small, either way there is usually a lot packed into one. Numerous areas, sections and rooms can make up one kitchen. Every kitchen runs differently and stores equipment and goods differently so it is important on your first shifts to take a deep look around and if your not sure where something is or belongs, ask straight away. Kitchens are usually very busy and there is minimal time to be spent looking for things. Overtime you will notice a system or pattern in place in most kitchens, especially in the coolrooms and freezers. When entering a coolroom for example you will see the meats section, cooked items high and uncooked items low, there will be a fruits and veggies section then dairy and sauces and usually a miscellaneous section filled with desserts, breads, special prep and other goods. Learning where everything is in the coolroom is extremely important as there can be hundreds of items and you only have seconds to find the one the chef needs.

  1. Learn the language and don’t talk too much!

The first thing you will notice in most kitchen especially during service is the head chef or person in charge will be the only one allowed to talk and call for orders. Most chef language is complicated to begin with but once learnt is a piece of cake. Prepare however for a lot of swearing and sometimes foul attitudes. Words like ‘Behind’ and ‘Corner’ are very important because if you move, you are not only endangering yourself but the other person calling it. You may also here ‘hot’ a lot, used for many different things but usually telling you they have a hot item that they don’t want anyone to touch, so ‘hot pot’ ‘hot tray or pan in sink’ and sometimes they wont even say hot. Most chefs have an unspoken language or code, they will shorten everything. It is not ‘Chef do you have that Spaghetti Bolognese on Table 34’ its more like ‘Chef go on Spag on 34’ or ‘34’s Spag Chef’. Every kitchen is different and kitchens are evolving, so the language might change.

  1. Stay in your section or die!

This goes for people working in small kitchens or people with little to no knowledge about more than one section or just really any chef. If you are on fryers, you stay by the fryers, unless you really have to go get something, but don’t you dare leave when it is busy. If you leave your section you tell someone in short where your going and pick your timing right. This also goes for going into another chefs section, if you are on fryers, you don’t go into the pans section unless asked. Going into another persons section could cause more harm then good, you can stuff up a chef’s entire flow by touching one thing, so best of leaving it until called upon.

  1. You got time to lean you got time to clean.

This fits with the last one, if every other section is busy, don’t get in the way but don’t stand there either! Clean you section, at least the bench tops. The cleaner you are the better prepared you are for when it is busy. You will know if you need to top up stock levels and if you need to prepare anything. If you really have nothing to do, do some deep cleaning, the other chef’s might just appreciate it. Just don’t stand there and stare, keep busy!

  1. You will get injured, be prepared.

Every chef ever has been injured at some point in their career. Gordon Ramsay, Manu Feildel and even god damn Betty White. Fact is you will be working with flames, sharp knives, hot well- everything and a lot of other things that literally are there to hurt you. There are very minimal ways to not get hurt other than carry a tea towel for hot things and take extra care when handling knives. If you do hurt yourself, you will have to understand (like I did) that no one will really care, especially during a busy service. If you cut yourself, depending on how severe it is, you will often have to band aid your own fingers and get back to work, the same goes for burns. You won’t really have time to out your burnt skin under water, so try burn aid and prepare for pain. Honestly though I hope the industry changes their stance on injuries because although myself have been pretty lucky, I do remember having my fair share of burns and cuts that I still have marked on my arms and fingers and having to treat my own wounds when they happened. Another thing you can do is create your own medical kit and keep it hidden, last thing you want is a bloody finger and no band aids or tape because some doosh forgot to refill the cupboard.

  1. Bring your own equipment as much as possible.

When entering a new kitchen, take a look at what is communal equipment and what are personal items. I will have a full Chef equipment list up soon to cover this in detail but basically you will want at least, a set of knives, a black texta, a lighter and depending which section your on a few other essentials. Kitchens should have enough equipment like tongs to go around but these can also be handy to have in your kit. If you have attended culinary school of any form you should have a basic kit together and even if you don’t use it all straight away, you never know when you might need it.

  1. What happens in the kitchen stays in the kitchen

This is mainly for kitchens where a lot of stories are shared but also applies to certain chefs that run the kitchens. Most Chefs will not appreciate you talking about anything that happens in their kitchen. Especially the way staff are treated. There is a very fine line for kitchen staff and an even finer line for how kitchen staff work with any other staff in the business. Observe your kitchen and learn who are allies, it will be important later down the track.

  1. Get in early and expect to leave late

This one is pretty simple. Turn up early to work, if you get in on time your late. Most Chefs appreciate at least 10 mins of preparation before service or prep time starts. The earlier could be the better but as Chefs already work long days and lots of days at that, my advice is stick to a minimal 10 minute window. I say this because burnout is very common when you give up extra time. If you get rewarded or can learn something in that time then by all means by don’t be used and abused just because someone else cant be bothered paying you or doing their job in those hours. As for leaving. You will always leave late to some degree, if you are a dishy or kitchenhand you will be there the longest until everything is clean.

  1. Learn from everyone.

This is the finale. The topper and the most important.

Learn from EVERYONE!!! No matter who you are you can learn from anyone. Learn from the dishy, the waitress, the barman, the cleaners, the gaming staff, head chef, pastry chef, whoever and most importantly the customer. The customer is who decides ultimately if you make money, so you will want to do good by them. But really everyone has something to teach you and even if you don’t think its important at the time, you might click one day and remember it and realise how important it is after all.

 

I really hope these 10 tips help you, pass them on to someone you know if going to work in the scary world of commercial cookery. May it be filled with pirates, miscreants and misfits. They are some of the most, caring, funny, loyal and interesting people out there.

Goodluck my fellow friends and let me know your experience in the comments below.

Hello Harry

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In the City of Adelaide it is always busy and there are so many options for where to eat and what to eat.

I was in town to see the new Lion King with some friends and before the screening we decided to grab a bite to eat.

We chose Hello Harry. Hello Harry is a cool little burger joint that recently replaced Burger Theory.

Hello Harry has a diner appeal, with big glass windows and booths. The interior is decorated with Graffiti art and very retro décor but with modern flair. The waiting staff were very nice and attentive, even the chef came to check on the quality of meals. Hello Harry is a franchised business with multiple stores in Queensland, two in South Australia and one in both New South Wales and Victoria.

The menu had a selection of burgers, sides, drinks and a speciality dessert. The main focus is definitely about burgers as they serve burgers with Beef, Chicken, Pork, Lamb, Fish and Veggie or Vegan options. As you can see below this is the current menu found on their website: http://www.helloharry.com.au/#locations

harrysmenu

We tried a selection of burgers and sides, I had a Nutella milkshake while the others had iced tea. My favourite would have to be the gooey mozzarella sticks, crumbed and cooked to perfection.

Here are our Top five Eats:

  • Fried Zucchini Sticks served with Seeded Mustard
  • Mozzarella Sticks
  • Bacon and Avo Burger
  • Pork Belly Burger
  • Maple Bacon Burger

We also tried some onion rings and loaded fries both missing that oomph, to make it on the top five.

The meals came out promptly, fresh and hot. As you can see pricing is very affordable, costing the same as a pub meal or even fast food stores.

Harry’s is great for a small catch up or quick bite before hitting the town, only thing they’re missing is old school sundaes!

 

What’s your favourite burger place, lemme know in the comments below! Also if you’ve been to Harry’s whats your favourite memory?!

The D’Arenberg Cube Restaurant

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DArenbergCube.jpg

Beautiful D’ Arenberg Cube Restaurant in McLaren Vale, South Australia

In the beautiful vineyards of McLaren Vale lies the magnificent D’Arenberg Cube restaurant. The cube is home to beautiful degustation courses, tasting experiences and art exhibitions. From the outside this five-tiered Rubix cube look-alike building looks small compared to the surrounding vineyards but once inside it has much to offer.

I visited the cube to celebrate my partner’s birthday so I had us booked in for the Eleven course degustation lunch, dining over roughly a 1 ½ hour period.

Upon arrival after being greeted at door we took a self-guided tour through the quirky interactive maze called the Alternate Realities Museum on the ground floor. It is a gallery full of wonderful pieces of art and puzzling displays, worth a visit even if just passing through.

After our tour we headed up to the fourth floor which is the wonderful Tasting Room. We were introduced to the Maître D at the bar and were given the opportunity to try as many wines as we liked from their selection as we waited for our time session. The price is included in your dining experience and if you’re not a fan or unsure of wines- like us- they offer alternatives and give suggestions.

When they were ready the attentive staff took us down to the third floor to the dining room where we were greeted by several waiting staff.  They took our coats, seated us formally and put a napkin on our laps. They then offered us beverages, introduced themselves and the experience and then proceeded to bring out a variety of ‘snacks’ to get started.

The snacks blew our minds, although they sounded simple, they were decadent well throughout pieces that take you on a magical journey.

Following the snacks were a variety of savoury courses, containing seafood dishes, savoury Waffles with Chicken Butter, Alpaca tartare and Lamb Tartare (Not like the sauce served with fish by the way). A dish completely made out of different Chicken components, one of which they named the Chicken Sandwich completely made of Chicken and let’s not forget the Wagu Beef steak that is brought in from Japan that is level nine graded, the best of the best they claimed. All of this and so much more as each dish has many components and detailed descriptions. The dishes were delicately served and presented differently every time, you can tell a lot of thought has gone into not only the food but the presentation and experience of the food.

After the Savoury courses it was time for dessert. First was a deceiving ‘Cheesecake’ Which was made out of lots of little things but had a huge flavour impact. Next they brought out a ‘Deconstructed Lemon Meringue’ which was served with a flat hexagonal shaped 3D printed piece made out of Meringue. The 3D printer is the only one in SA, so having that piece was marvellous.

Finally, we had some Petite Fours or as they are named in the menu you receive at the end of your dining experience, The Final Fuckeliana. The first of three was a puzzling dish where they served a small glass tube of Goji Berry Popping Candy Sherbet on a wooden board with a mirror piece installed served with a house printed 100 dollar note, with the advice of ‘please don’t snort the popping candy but do eat it from the glass or suck it up of the board’.  Next was a trio of house made jellies made from wines served in a glass jar filled with lollies. Lastly was a house made ‘Ferrero Rocher’ which was decadent, but needed more crunchy bits.

All this being said the experience and food were sensational. The staff were knowledgeable and attentive. The dining room was quirky and fun but sophisticated. The travel and price were well worth it. When you visit make sure to ‘visit’ the bathrooms on the first floor to see their wacky décor and quirky presentation too.

Overall thankyou D’Arenberg team for a memorable experience. We will be returning in the Summer or Spring for another enjoyable menu.

If you visit the Cube please do tell me about you experience and most favourite dish.