Rick Stein's Ultimate Australian Dish

Rick Stein is on the hunt for Perth's top food blogger who COOKS. There's a competition, which closes 9am 21 March 2011, to cook the ultimate Australian dish.

the dish is about ".... fresh local ingredients and seasonal cooking..."

the dish to cook "... a classic Aussie recipe, an old family favourite, or your own unique interpretation of Australian cooking. Main course, pudding, starter or snack..."

the winning dish "....words that make our mouths water, pictures that make our stomachs rumble, we want to almost smell it coming out from our computer screens..."

and the PRIZE

• Your blog post and recipe inserted in the program of your nearest city for Rick Stein's Food Odyssey Australian tour - a chance to have your words printed alongside one of the world's top chefs, and read by some of the country's biggest foodies! We'll also include the address of your blog – a great way to promote it and increase your readers.
• Two tickets to see Rick Stein's Food Odyssey on stage in the Australian city closest to you (airfare and accommodation not included)
• 1x Signed program
• Rick Stein cookery book
• Special sponsor gifts

VIP Reserve Tickets for Rick Stein's show at Burswood Theatre are on sale for $349 at Ticketek.

Behind the computer screen, the 2-minute Noodle Cook types away, while dreaming of winning and starring on centre stage with Jamie Oliver Rein Stein.

Noodle: Computer, give me a list of Perth food bloggers likely to cook Rick Stein's winning Ultimate Australian dish. Filter with What is Authentic Australian Food?

Computer: Location detected. Field statistically too small to compute with precision.

Noodle: Just give me the top one...

Computer: Karen Cheng's Fashion and Life

Noodle: What! How is that? Isn't that a fashion blog?? Please explain search result...

Computer:
Site Traffic - Alexa Traffic Rank 154,489.
Social Media - Facebook, Twitter
Tag matches - "Seafood", "Fish and Chips", "Italian", "Beach", "British", "Swimming"
Blog Post - Fish and Chips and Sharks

Noodle: Um, I think we better try again. List Perth blogs with "masterchef"

Computer: 3 blogs detected. Press enter to display.

Abstract Gourmet
A Very Foodly Diary
An Electronic Restaurant

Noodle: Hey, I've got a chance of winning with odd of 1 to 3! Hang on, what about those who WRITE about food, restaurant, cooking ....

Computer: Compilation in progress...eliminating blogs with no recent posts. Press enter to display.

Abstract Gourmet
An Electronic Restaurant
Alex Millier
A Very Foodly Diary
Beaufort St Bloggers
Beyond Beeton
Blue Apocalypse
Bon Viveur
Bowl of Honey
Breakfast in Perth
Bryton Taylor Gluten Free Cooking
Cafe Grendel
Chips in the Sky
Closet Domestic Bunny
Coffee Reviews Perth
Food, Drinks n' Sun
Foodie Cravings
Hold the Beef
I Love My Bakes
Jeff Ha
Juji Chews
Libertine Eats
Little Miss Bacon
Miss Fatty Foodie
More than Words
Morsels
My Hungry Tummy
Nyonya Passions
Our Breakfast Club
Palace Foods
Poached
Perth Breakfast Club
Perth Food Engineers
Perth Food Reviews
Pawonike
Raw and Vegan
Single White Female
Spiceblog
Sprinkling of Spice
Tannic Teeth
Tenina
The Aussie Oenophile
The Food Pornographer
The Foodographer
The Gluten Free Scallywag
The Recipe Binder
The Wandering Gourmet
Umeboss
Wannabe Gourmand
Wino-sapien

Noodle: Grrr... I thought the odds are too good to be true. Filter the above list with What is Authentic Australian Food?, site statistics, social media...

Computer: The Food Pornographer

Noodle: ... please explain

Computer:
Site Traffic - Alexa Traffic Rank 543,089
Social Media - Facebook, Twitter
Tag matches - "Fish and Chips", "Italy", "Australia", "Malaysia"
Blog Post - Fish and Chip Gelato

Noodle: The Food Pornographer statistically wins. Computer, advice me the dish I need to cook to impress Rick Stein...

Computer: "I won't be able to answer it but I'll have a jolly good try." Answer indeterminate.

Noodle: Fish and chips, shrimp on the barbie, meat pies, lamb on mash?

The 2-minute Noodle Cook heads behind the scene, to rummage in a nearly empty pantry with disparate ingredients to dream about cook the winning dish. Will a bush tucker dish wow Rick Stein, or will it be one of villain John's favourite classic dishes like lamb shank, osso bucco...?

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Local Produce - 200 km around Perth

The banner to this blog mentions "fresh local produce", a term intended as "tough in cheek" over reality TV cooking shows featuring local produce, often with brand names that command high prices. Unlike reality TV, the "local produce" at this restaurant comes from the fridge and pantry!

So when food bloggers, originating from the USA, decide to get together to eat only local produce from within 100 miles (about 160 km), it seems a great opportunity to check out the source of local produce. The aim is to encourage a "green", environmentally sustainable approach to meals. In the home kitchen, economics often dictate the source of local produce. Otherwise with such a close proximity to the Swan Valley and Peel Region vineyards, it would be wine, cheese and chocolates!

The challenge of finding locally grown produce becomes harder when it becomes apparent there is no easy means of figuring out whether fresh produce, from the nearby shops, food factories, and commercial markets, is grown within 100 miles, imported overseas or from interstate! Also many locally made products such as chocolates contain imported ingredients.

After many hours of research, the following is a list of local Perth produce which in many instances can be found in supermarkets like IGA, department stores and the commercial markets at Canning Vale (open to the public on Saturday for clearance).

West Australian Grocers
The Herdsman
The Grocer of Nedlands
Margaret Riviera - shop front for Margaret River produce
The Mezz at Mt Hawthorne - Shopping centre with gourmet shops
Licorice Gourmet Foods - Carine Glades Shopping Centre

Beef
Harvey Beef - 140 km South West Perth CBD
Dandaragan Organic Beef - 180 km North Perth CBD

Chicken and Poultry
Mt Barker Chicken (Organic) - 350 km South West Perth CBD
Inghams (Halal) - local poultry farms
Mahogany Creek Poultry, Game and Bushtucker (WA distributor)

Pork
Linley Valley Fresh - Albany free range producer

Seafood
Kailis Bros Fish Market and Cafe, 101 Oxford Street Leederville WA 6007
Western Rock Lobsters, from off Dongara, North of Perth
Cambinata Yabbies
Catalano Seafoods

Snails
Scargol - Perth grown snails. (08) 9228 2000 or (08) 9279 4187

Dairy
Swan Valley Cheese Factory Company, using Busselton milk, 640 Great Northern Highway, Herne Hill, WA 6056
Mundella Foods Pty Ltd, soft cheese & yoghurt (including Kosher range) , 46 km South of Perth, 46 Randell Road, Mundijong WA 6123
Blue Cow Cheese Company, importer& distributor of Aust. cheeses, including ricotta & bocconcini from the Darling Range in Perth, and Cloverdene Dairy Ewes milk products, PO Box 952 Cloverdale WA 6985
Casa Dairy Products Pty Ltd, distributor, 27 Carrington Street, Nedlands, Western Australia, 6009
Margaret River Cheese Company, 250 km CBD, PO Box 8, Cowaramup, Western Australia 6284 Borrello, Italian style cheeses, 20 km South of Perth, 59 Rice Rd, Oakford Western Australia 6121
Harvey Cheese , mediterranean cheese, 140 km South of Perth, Lot 36 South Western Hwy, Wokalup, Western Australia 6221
Kervella Goat Cheeses, Gidgegannup, Western Australia 6555, 50 km east in the Perth Hills, "Darling Scarp"
Kytren Goats Cheese, Gidgegannup
Cambray Sheep Cheese, Vasse Highway, Nannup
Ringwould Goat Cheese, Albany

Bread
New Norcia Bakery, 132 km North of Perth

Wine
Lamonts, Swan District, WA, 85 Bisdee Road, Millendon 6056

Olive Oil
York Olive Oil
Kailis Organic Olive Oil
New Norcia Olives (Benedictine monks care for the groves of over 100 years old)
NJoi Australian Olive Oil (Several olive producing regions around Australia)
Eagle Bay Olives - Dunsborough
Olio Bello - Margaret River
Vasse Virgin - Margaret River
Fini Olives - Gingin
3 Drops - Mt Barker

Chocolate
The Margaret River Chocolate Company, 25 mins from CBD in Swan Valley, 5123 West Swan Road,West Swan. Also at Margaret River, at Cnr Harman's Mill Road and Harman's South Road
Willyabrup

Truffle
Wine and Truffle Company, at Munjimup, 293 km South of Perth

Honey
The House of Honey, Swan Valley

Nuts
MacNuts, Baldivis

Fruit & Vegetable
Perth Markets, distribution centre for overseas, interstate and local produce from market gardens or orchards on the northern, hills, and southeastern outskirts of Perth.
Apple and Pears, Perth Hills & Donnybrook/Manjimup
Swan Valley Strawberry Farms
Wanneroo Strawberry Farms

Read more...

Local Produce - Growers' Markets in Perth

Fresh from the West is Best IF you can find the farmers' markets. Due to the temporary nature of growers' markets, please check before showing up at the locations given below. Also, check this list of produce in season.

CENTRAL

City Farm Organic Growers’ Market (East Perth)
Where: 1 City Farm Place, Corner of Lime and Brown Streets, East Perth
When: Every Saturday 8am - 12pm

Mt Claremont Farmers’ Market
Where: Mt Claremont Primary School, Near the Perth Royal Show Grounds Corner of Alfred Road and Montgomery Drive, Mt Claremont
When: Every Saturday 8:30-12:30pm

Subiaco Station Street Markets
Where: 52 Station Street, Subiaco (near train station)
When: Friday, Saturday & Sunday 9am – 5:30pm (and public holidays)

Subiaco Farmers’ Market
Subiaco Primary School, 271 Bagot Road, Subiaco WA 6008
Open every Saturday 8am – noon
Review: Libertine Eats

NORTH

Poynter Farmers’ Market
Where: Poynter Primary School, Poynter Dr, Duncraig WA 6023
When: Open Saturdays, fortnightly from 5/2/2011 (check website for dates)
Review: Libertine Eats

Springfield Farmers Market
Where: Springfield Primary School, 31 Bridgewater Drive, Kallaroo WA
When: Every 2nd and 4th Saturday, 9:30am – 12:30pm

Hillarys Markets
Where: Hillarys Boat Harbour, West Coast Highway
When: Every Saturday from May to September, 9am-6pm

Malaga Markets
100 plus stalls packed with fresh produce and quality products.
Where: Corner of Beach and Alexander Drives, Malaga
When: Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 9am to 9pm

Wanneroo Markets
Features: WA’s largest market offers fresh produce and other arts & crafts.
Where: 33 Prindiville Drive, Wanneroo
When: Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 9am to 9pm

Midland Farmers’ Market
Where: Old Great Northern Hwy, Behind the Town Hall Clock, The Crescent, Midland
When: Every Sunday between 7am – 3pm
Review: Libertine Eats

SOUTH

Manning Clontarf Farmers’ Market
Clontarf Aboriginal College (opposite Curtin University) Manning Road, Manning WA 6102
When: Open every Saturday 8am – 1pm
Review: Libertine Eats

Cannington Fresh Markets
Where: 1493 Albany Highway, Cannington, WA 6107
When: Everyday 7am to 7pm

Perth Commercial Clearance Market
Where: 280 Bannister Road, Canning Vale WA 6155
When: Saturday, 7.30am-9.30am

Perth Fish Market
Where: 280 Bannister Road, Canning Vale WA 6155
When: Saturday, 6am-10am

Canning Vale Weekend Market
Where: 280 Bannister Road, Canning Vale WA 6155
When: Sunday, 7am-1pm

Gosnells Railway Markets
Where: Corner of Albany Highway and Fremantle Rd, Gosnells
When: Thursday to Sunday 9am – 5:30pm including public holidays

WEST

Fremantle Markets
Features: 150 stalls, with a wide selection of fresh produce brought fresh to the market every week.
Where: Corner of Henderson St and South Tce, Fremantle
When: Friday 9am to 8pm, Saturday 9am to 6pm, Sundays & Public Holidays 10am to 6pm.

EShed Markets (Fremantle)
Where: EShed Markets, Victoria Quay, Fremantle
When: Every Friday, Saturday & Sunday 9am to 5:30pm (and public holidays)

Growers’ Green Market (Fremantle)
Where: South Fremantle Senior High School, Lefroy Road, Beaconsfield WA
When: Open every Sunday 8am – 12 noon
Review: Libertine Eats

City Beach Farmers Market
Where: Kapinara Primary School, 2 Catesby Street, CITY BEACH WA 6015
When: Every Saturday morning, coming soon, autumn 2011

Western Farmers’ Market (Fremantle)
Where: Palmyra Primary School, 60 McKimmie Street, Palmyra WA 6157
When: Every Sunday 8am – 12pm
Review: Libertine Eats

EAST

Armadale Producers Market
Where: Council Car Park Adjacent to Minnawarra Park. Corner of Jull Street and Church Avenue, Armadale
When: Every Sunday 8:30am - 12:30pm

Foothills Farmers Market
Where: Kelmscott Senior High School Agricultural Faculty, Cnr Railway Ave and Cammillo Rd Kelmscott WA 6111
When: Open every 3rd Sunday of each month 8am – noon
Review: Libertine Eats

Mundaring Craft Markets
Features a great variety of stalls including fresh produce and home-made food stuffs.
Where: Nichol St, Mundaring
When: Every second Sunday of the month, 9am to 3pm

Kalamunda Village Market (Rotary)
Features: a great variety of stalls including fresh produce and home-made food stuffs.
Where: Town Square, Kalamunda
When: First Saturday of every month 8.30am to 3pm

Kalamunda Farmers’ Market
Where: Central Mall, Kalamunda WA 6076
When: Open every Sunday 8am – 1pm

OUT OF PERTH

Gingin Markets
Sells fresh produce from around the local region as well as organic fruit and vegetables.
Where: Granville Centre, Gingin
When: Every Sunday 8am to 11am

Mandurah Peel Farmers’ Market
Where: Peel Education & Training Campus, Education Drv (off Gordon Rd) Greenfields, Mandurah
When: Open every Sunday 9am – 1pm

Peel Farmers’ Market (Pinjarra)
Where: On the Ross McLarty Oval, Roe Ave, Pinjarra (off Pinjarra Road)
When: Every Saturday from 8am to 12 noon

York Markets
Feature: wide-range of local produce.
Where: Peace Park, York
When: Second Saturday of every month 8am to 1pm.

Albany Farmers Market
Where: Collie Street, Albany WA
When: Every Saturday, 8am – 12pm

Boyanup Farmers Market
Where: Boyanup Memorial Park, South Western Highway WA
When: Every 4th Sunday, 8am – 12pm

Donnybrook Station Market
Where: Old Donnybrook Railway Station
When: Every 3rd Sunday, 9am-1pm

Eaton Farmers Market
Where: Eaton Fair Shopping Centre, Recreation Drive, Eaton WA
When: Every Sunday, 9am – 1pm

Gascoyne Growers Market
Where: Town Centre, Carnarvon WA
When: Every Saturday (May to October), 8am – 12pm

Geraldton Greenough Farmers Market
Where: Maitland Park, Cathedral Avenue, Geraldton WA
When: Every Saturday, 8am – 12pm

Manjimup Farmers Market
Where: Coronation Park, Manjimup WA
When: Every 3rd Saturday, 8am – 12pm

Margaret River Farmers Market
Where: The Old Hospital, Corner of Tunbridge & Farrelly Streets, Margaret River WA
When: Every 2nd and 4th Saturday 8am – 12pm


References:
Women's Health Services, February 2009
Libertine Farmers' Market
Buy Organic
Australian Farmers' Market Association
Tourist Radio WA Farmers Markets

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Cookbook Launch - Penang Authentic Nyonya Cuisine

Bee Lee Tan launched her latest cookbook "Penang Authentic Nyonya Cuisine" in Perth on 6 November 2010, in grand style true to her Nyonya heritage with all guests dressed in kebayas and sarongs. The lavish textiles on display at the venue, Paz Cafe (West Perth), added to the opulent Nyonya atmosphere.

The launch was attended by the Consular General of Malaysia, Hamidah. Unlike an Australian head of state, the Consular General of Malaysia was called by first name!!

Guests enjoyed afternoon tea with Nyonya cakes from Bee Lee's cookbooks.



Bee Lee signed her new cookbook.



Bee Lee talked about her Nyonya cooking passion.



Consular General Hamidah gave a speech.



On display were colourful and intriguing Nyonya cakes, flavoured with coconut, palm sugar and pandanus leaves.



The Nyonya name for these cakes are "kueh" or "kuih".



These blue ones were topped with coconut custard.



Shown here are the ingredients which give Nyonya cuisine its strong aroma. Typically, fresh aromatics are blended into a spice paste and fried in oil to draw out the flavour. The technique of cooking this spice paste is an art form handed down through generations. Bee Lee conducts classes on Nyonya cooking in Perth, and internationally.

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Tomato Tart

French tarte paysanne or tomato tart turns vine ripened tomatoes into a beautiful summer treat. Luscious roasted tomatoes on a zingy yoghurt and mustard filling baked in a rich shortcrust. Richly flavoured with thyme and extra virgin olive oil.

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New Year BBQ

Happy New Year!

"Shrimp on the barbie" is too old fashion.... modern Australians call BBQ satays! Just look at the prawns and sausages on skewers.

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Chocolate Brownie

Delicious and simple. A rich chocolate brownie made by the kids for Christmas. Crunchy on the surface, spongy on the inside. The "secret" recipe comes from Best Recipes.

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Post Christmas Cleanup Army

What to do with Christmas leftovers? You need the lean, mean eating machines from the Army!

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Christmas 2010

Christmas Day 2010 was memorable....

.... it was the first Christmas that was completely stuffed from the beginning to end.




Well, it started with the stuffing preparation on Christmas Eve. It took 2 hours to wash, chop and mince. The 2-minute Noodle Cook doesn't stuff around when it comes to meals as important as Christmas lunch: nothing instant here, it's fresh or it's in the bin. When the turkey was pulled out from the fridge, it was already stuffed by the butcher!

Villain John the executive chef wasn't going to miss the chance of putting his name down as the cook who roasted the turkey. So he peeled back the turkey skin and rubbed herb butter (that he didn't slave 2 hrs to make), and in 2 minutes flat, he did it! Just let the oven do the rest of the work.

..... the guests were going to come early to help with the cooking and help themselves to nibbles until the turkey was ready, so as not to be stuffed before then.



... the first arrivals were 2 hours late and that was early by Zambian time. The friends they were bringing didn't show up. All that foooood sat on the table looking pretty. It looked like a case of dialing "000" to call the "ARMY" in to demolish the food.

While John celebrated his first roast turkey in over 10 years with the boys, Noodle Cook drove 2 hours to arrive late to the family lunch, just after all the turkey was gone. Just a bit of leftover pork roast with apple sauce for a Christmas lunch that wasn't meant to be. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, John called to complain that he couldn't stand up from eating ALL the turkey, which he cooked to perfection.



... after all the heavy going, next came the dessert. It was a breeze since the kids did all the work the week before after learning everything off TV Junior Masterchef, from how to zest a lemon to folding batter.



... unfortunately everyone was too stuffed after the mains to do a Matt Preston critique on the kids effort. While everyone enjoyed their Christmas lunches, Noodle Cook remained hungry....



... so there you have it, Christmas 2010.

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Carrot Surprise Cake

From Jamie's Kitchen came this delicious moist carrot and polenta cake, delicately spiced with ginger, nutmeg, caraway, cinnamon and clove. The original recipe uses cooked mash beetroot.

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