This past weekend, for the first time ever, Sydney hosted The World Chef Showcase. When I first heard about this Chefapalooza I was excited to be invited to it and chose to attend Saturday’s World session featuring many of the world’s rock star chefs. I’m not simply using that as a trite term but some of them are into their music almost as much as their food. Case in point is the 18 guitar owning Spanish chef Sergi Arola, a disciple of Ferran Adria. He worked with Adria for 8 years in his kitchen and melds music with food with art. Just don’t mention the word “Tapas”…

There are three sessions on this Saturday, the first being Thailand/Vietnam, the second being China and the third being World which I am scheduled for. Each in a different room of Star City’s ballrooms and there is round table style seating with a stage at the front where there are two kitchen set-ups. Facing the stage, on the left is the Australian counterpart for the Overseas Chef. The first session today is with Sergi Arola of Gastro restaurant and Brent Savage of Bentley Bar. Matt Preston is at the microphone with his deep, husky voice booming a greeting to all. There are drinks on the table and mints and writing pads provided. The lighting is a little low (so please excuse the photographs).

Sergi’s Coca with Foie Gras and Capsicum

Sergi tells us of his impressions of Australia which start with his first encounter: The Church’s song “Almost With You” which he listened to for 3 days straight. He says that he learnt English through songs like this and interestingly enough, he even had a band called “Los Canguros” (the Kangaroos). He shows us some images from Gastro where the menu changes monthly and the food is strikingly beautiful. At the restaurant bread is made every day using organic flour and he explains the pictures of the Duck hams hanging in the cellar which drives his sommelier spare. There are photos of two kitchens – there are two, one for service and one for mise en place (where they prepare everything to cook). He then introduces us to Torsten his Swedish executive chef whom he says  hails from “The Swedish part of Spain” and whom he says is more Spanish than most Spanish.

Duck hams hanging in the wine cellar

Now his issue with tapas is related to how he feels about customers and eating. “The main part of the restaurant is the guest, not the chef or anyone else “My ego is big but that as (sic) big“. He tells us that the service is the thing that separates the good from exceptional restaurants. He also tells us that “tapas is a way of life” and for Spanish, it is what you have when you’re with friends. He starts to make his first dish, the Ajo Blanco with Cherry Caviar and Asparagus which is made with fresh almond milk cooked for 12-14 hours. He shows us how to make each item telling us his names for certain pieces of equipment like the siphon which he calls “Devil Machine“. He uses tweezers to place everything on the dish, a rather cheffy thing to do to get the right placement.

“I try and make things more simple. Life is so complicated” he says to much nodding among the audience. He is also involved with the Oceana charity and says that he doesn’t use or eat tuna in his restaurant along with shark or turtle. With the duck liver he uses, he says that he only uses a supplier that treats his animals with respect. He also declares that Spanish olive oil is the best olive oil in the world.

His version of Patatas Bravas

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Justine Schofield from Masterchef

After we thought that the Masterchef mania had died down, the new participants were announced last night for the new season of Celebrity Masterchef. But we all know the real stars were the original Masterchef contestants so when I was invited to the shiny LG kitchen at Customs House Forecourt to interview Justine Schofield I was excited to learn more about this Jimmy Choo shoe lover turned Masterchef. And read on for even more Masterchef after the interview!

Before the interview, Justine demonstrated two dishes, one with a breakfast theme as it was 10am which was a baked tomato stuffed with speck and vegetables and seared scallops with a remoulade. Justine’s tips were have a great oven (hehe the new LG Multifunction oven hint hint) and Ready, Steady Cook’s Alistair McLeod hosted with his characteristic witty banter and many from the audience were lucky enough to try her dishes. I tried the stuffed tomatoes which were fantastic (since when is anything with speck bad?). After that I sat down with Justine to talk French, food and the other Masterchef contestants…

B.M. (Before Masterchef)

What can you tell me about pre Masterchef Justine?

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Bill, Madonna, Cher. Yep Bill – that is Bill Granger – is know by a single moniker. I spoke to Bill on a cold Autumn morning where he had just stepped off a plane from London – something that would resoundingly reduce most of humankind to something akin to zombies. However Bill greets me with a sunny “Hello! It’s Bill Granger!” as if crossing multiple time zones doesn’t affect him at all. He laughs easily and is enthusiastic and chatty, an interviewer’s dream in fact. This is what he had to say.

NQN:  Your father was a butcher and your mother was a vegetarian. That must have made for some interesting dinner table debates!
Bill: (laughs) The strange thing was, we never really used to sit down and have meals the way we were brought up. We’d always eat separately and dad would always come home late and eat separately with mum so food was never a huge part of our family considering that it was our business as dad was a butcher.

NQN: I would have thought the opposite considering you have such a focus on family (and a lovely family at that).
Bill: You know I think that’s why I do it. I think it’s that thing of I didn’t have it enough. Dinner is such an important time to sit and relax and talk about your day. Especially when everyone has such disparate days with school and working, those moments of shared experience are great.

NQN:  Wait til they get to uni!
Bill: I know! I think one’s going to be a vegetarian. I know that’s going to happen just to annoy dad I’m sure (laughs). My wife was vegetarian until she met me and then she turned.

NQN: You’re originally from Melbourne but I always associate you with Sydney.
Bill: Everyone just thinks of me as so quintessentially Sydney but I’m actually from Melbourne. I was brought up down near Mentone then we moved  out to a place called Berwick which is near where Kath & Kim do the series. That was my first job – at Kmart Fountaingate!

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