Happy Holidays at Taste Gourmet

Hello,
Happy New Year to all of our friends and customers. It's been a great year here for us, winning Central Coast Café of the Year, and introducing live music on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons.
We’ve also continued to have the support of you, our loyal customers, and we’ve continued to gain new customers and friends. We have also been joined by some truly awesome staff and we feel very grateful to be part of this wonderful community.
To celebrate the New Year, we have a free gift for every customer in our always fun No Peeking promotion. (have you got your free gift yet?) See below for more!
To celebrate the holidays we have our holiday seafood special menu available, just perfect for holiday indulgence.
We are having a stocktake sale from now to 14 January. Discounts will range from 20%-50% on selected items.Enjoy the holidays and drop by and see us!
We are closed New years Day then normal trading resumes, and we’ll have live music every Sunday afternoon and Friday night too!
We thank you all for your support and look forward to serving you throughout 2009.
We wish you all a safe and happy holiday and a prosperous and happy New Year.

Michele and Brian

What's Happening at Taste:

Now to 14 January
New Year Stocktake Sale
We still have a few goodies left from Christmas and we are having a stocktake sale on these and other goodies from now to 14 January.

Now to 14 February
Your Free Gift - No Peeking
We really appreciate your support throughout the year and we have a special gift for you! We are running our very popular NO PEEKING Promotion again right now.

6 to 26 January
Summer Holiday Seafood Menu
To celebrate the long summer days, join us to enjoy our Holiday Seafood Specials Menu (we will have our usual Menu as well). We will feature great fresh seafood, with our seafood platter, prawn and salmon stack, seafood salad and surf & turf gourmet pie!.

Now to 26 January
Buy Central Coast’s Own Gourmet Tastings
Want to take home some of our own locally made Central Coast gourmet food? Check out our tasting table for Taste Gourmet’s own hand made Central Coast Gourmet food - free tastings daily!

23 to 26 January
Australia Day Long Weekend
On the Australia day long weekend, (22-26 January) we will have five days of Aussie food tasting, recipes and Australia Day menu specials.

IT'S ALL ABOUT CHRISTMAS!

Hello,
Christmas is almost here and we got our present early with a win in the Central Coast Business Achiever Awards for Best Café. We were thrilled to win again (it’s the 2nd time in 3 years) and very excited. We want to thank our awesome staff - definitely the best on the Coast - and all of you who support us and voted for us!
We’ve got a special reward for you, we’ve voted YOU the Best Customers on the Central Coast so drop in a collect your Best Customer reward.
And we also excited because Christmas is almost here and we have everything you need for a great Christmas - great food, great gourmet gifts and a great place to shop and relax.
SPECIAL CHRISTMAS MENU
We have a great special Christmas menu featuring your favorite Christmas seafood - come in a try oour delicious generous ocean Tasting Platter, our Christmas tasting Plate with turkey ham and prawns and our special new Prawn, Smoked Salmon & Avocado Stack. Mmmmm!
OPEN TIL 9PM FRIDAY NIGHTS
To make it easier, we are open for dinner, coffee, takeaway and late night shopping on Friday nights. And we have live music with Sam Bannerman from 5pm Fridays.
ALL YOU NEED FOR CHRISTMAS
Whether you are planning a big family get together, a casual or small intimate Christmas, Taste Gourmet Grocer will have all your Christmas food right up until Christmas Day!
MAKING CHRISTMAS EASIER
And once again this year, we've written our Taste Gourmet Essential Christmas Food and Gift Guide. The Guide is FREE and has all our great Christmas food, gift suggestions, hampers, recipes and essential tips to make your Christmas fabulous and hassle free!
CHRISTMAS FOOD NOW HERE
Now available in store is our Christmas range - Christmas cakes, traditional puddings, panforte, shortbread, mince pies, rum balls, hand made White Christmas, Gingerbread, Turkish Delight, Shortbread and much more.
CHRISTMAS HAMPERS
We’re creating a range of hampers in store and you can also select from our shelves and we’ll make yours on them spot for you. And we can deliver them anywhere in Australia!
OPEN TIL 5 SATURDAY & SUNDAY
To give you more time and eat and shop, we’ve responded to your requests and we’ll now be open until 5pm on Saturday and Sundays. And we have live music Sunday afternoon from 12.30.
We’re also open almost every day over the holidays (just closed for the public holidays).
From all of us to all of you, we wish you all a safe and happy Christmas and a sparkling New Year.

COMING IN OVER THE HOLIDAYS? WE'LL BE HERE:

Now to Christmas Eve:
Monday - Thursday 8.30am - 6pm
Friday 8.30am - 9pm (open for dinner, shopping, coffee & takeaway)

Christmas Eve - Thursday 24 December 8am - 5pm

Christmas Day - closed
Boxing Day - closed

Sunday 27 December 9am - 5.00pm
Monday 28 December 9.30am - 3.30pm Tuesday 29 December 9am - 4pm Wednesday 30 December 9am - 4pm New Year's Eve - Thursday 31 December 9am - 3pm

New Years Day - Closed

Saturday 2 January 8am - 5pm
Sunday 3 January 8.30am - 5pm

Normal Trading resumes
Monday 4 January 8.30am - 6pm

Taste Gourmet’s Holiday Essentials Kitchen Planning Guide

To make the season a bit brighter and a little easier, we've collected some of our favourite all-purpose tips to help you better enjoy your time in the kitchen this holiday season.

Start with a Clean Slate
Before bringing home your holiday groceries, it's best to de-clutter your kitchen, pantry, freezer and refrigerator. Finishing off leftovers and discarding past-its-prime produce will leave room for all of your fresh holiday favorites. Cleaning your kitchen counters to ensure plenty of work space is helpful too.
Checking It Twice
Review your recipes and check your pantry carefully to help create an extensive shopping list.
The more items you pick up on your first few visits means fewer added trips later on when the shops are really busy.
The Right Tools for the Job
Cooking for more than your household this holiday? Additional guests equal more food, meaning larger pots may be needed along with extra dishes and utensils. Take stock of your supply and pick up or borrow any needed tools before you start cooking.
Make Ahead
Cooking ahead could mean the difference between harmony and havoc. You can start your holiday meal a week in advance, giving you more time to enjoy family and friends and less last minute stress. Desserts are often perfect for making ahead and roasted vegetables, casseroles and stuffing can all be fully or partially prepared ahead of time as well.
Think Big
Sometimes you may be using the same ingredients in various recipes - onion in the stuffing as well as in your favorite casserole, for example. Review your recipes and prepare all of the onion, garlic, cranberries, nuts, etc. at the same time.
Everybody Does Their Share
Cleaning up is easiest when you have help and when you keep up with it as you cook. Try taking a clean-up break every 30 or 45 minutes. Enlist a family member to help (cookie bribes might be necessary) and tackle the job together. Remember that added guests can mean added garbage too. Have clearly labeled recycle containers available and place multiple garbage receptacles strategically around the dining and kitchen areas.
Maximizing Oven Space
Dishes competing for oven space can be tricky. Here are a few tips:
Adjust cooking temperature and time for dishes such as root vegetables and stuffing to find an appropriate common temperature. In general, foods in glass and ceramic baking dishes can be cooked at 15-20 degrees lower than what a recipe calls for. When cooking a lot of dishes in the oven at the same time, make sure to leave enough space between dishes for hot air to circulate.
While the turkey, ham, roast or other meat is resting before carving, warm prepared casserole dishes, vegetables and rolls in the hot oven. Try roasting potatoes, warming casseroles or even roasting the turkey on your barbeque.
Thank Goodness for Leftovers
One of the joys of being the holiday host is having delicious leftovers available for subsequent meals. Here are a few tips to help make sure all of your wonderful food goes to good use. Clear the table and put the leftovers away as soon as you finish eating. Prepared food shouldn't remain out longer than two hours to ensure food safety.
Share the wealth. Have disposable containers available to easily pack leftovers to send home with your guests. If you stuff your turkey, be sure to remove the stuffing before storing the turkey leftovers. In general, refrigerated leftovers should be used within four days. Too much for that time frame?
Freezing is a perfect solution. Frozen leftovers will have the best quality if used within two to four months.
Be sure to properly seal leftovers in airtight containers before freezing in order to avoid freezer burn. Consider storing leftovers in portion-size containers to ease reheating. Take your leftovers and make new, exciting dishes from them

For first-timers or seasoned pros, putting an elaborate holiday meal on the table for family and friends can be daunting, to say the least.
Not to worry, we’ve included some of our favorite tips for Meal Planning for serving a wonderful meal while staying calm, cool and collected.

MEAL PLANNING

• Make Lists: Santa's not the only one who makes lists. It can be challenging to keep all the details of your holiday meal in your head, so we suggest that you get into the habit of creating lists and checking them twice. Write your lists at least two weeks ahead of time, allowing you to add more items as they pop up. Here are a few quick suggestions:

• Guest List: Write down your guest list so you have an accurate idea of how many servings you need to prepare - then add a few extra servings for last-minute guests and leftovers. As you select your recipes, review for serving size and double or triple the recipes as needed.

• Menu: One of the most fun lists to create! Write down all of your traditional favorites and any new twists you want to try. After the meal, you can come back and write notes to yourself about what worked and what you would change for next year.

• Shopping List: With menu and recipes in hand, making up your shopping list is a breeze. Remember to check your spice drawer for any holiday favorites you need such as sage, thyme, cinnamon and nutmeg. Dried spices lose their potency and freshness within six months to a year from the date they are first opened, so spices you used last year may need to be replaced.

• To-Do List: This one should include items such as "create a centerpiece" and "polish the silver" and "vacuum the house." Write this one up in time to get a couple of things crossed off every day for the week or two leading up to the big day.

• Cooking Plan: Looking at your menu, put together a two or three day cooking plan. What items can be prepared ahead without a loss of quality? Cooking a turkey? Make sure to plan time for thawing. Also, plan ahead for Christmas Eve dinner so you can focus all of your cooking energy on preparing holiday dishes.

• Accept Help:There seems to be a false perception that if you host the big meal, you have to prepare everything yourself. Not so. Big holiday dinners are all about sharing good food with family and friends and the stress of constant cooking need not be a side effect!

• Practice Makes Perfect:This adage couldn't ring truer than when it comes to planning a big holiday meal. If you are planning to prepare new dishes, a practice run may be in order.
  

SOME OF MY FAVORITE RECIPES TO HELP!

Three Citrus and Mustard Glazed Whole Ham
Serving size: Serves 12 with lots of left overs
Preparation Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 mins

• INGREDIENTS

• 6-8 kg Simply the Best Leg Ham on the Bone
• 1.5 cup Taste Gourmet’s Three Citrus Lime Lemon and Orange Christmas Marmalade
• 4 teaspoons Simon Johnson Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoon water

• (Ingredients in bold available at Taste Gourmet)

• WHAT TO DO:

• Preheat the oven to moderate (180 degrees C). Cut through the rind about 10cm from the shank end of the ham in a decorative pattern.
• To remove the rind, run thumb around the edge of the rind just under the skin. Start pulling the rind from the widest edge of ham, continue to pull the rind carefully away from the fat up to the decorative pattern. Remove the rind completely. (Reserved rind can be used to cover the cut surface of the ham to keep it moist during storage.) Combine the marmalade, mustard and water in a small saucepan, stir over a medium heat until melted.
• Place the ham on a wire rack in a large baking dish; pour a little water into the dish. Brush the ham with the marmalade glaze. Cover the shank end with foil. Bake in a moderate oven for about 1 hour 30 minutes or until browned all over, brushing occasionally with the glaze during cooking.

Christmas Roast Turkey with Cranberry & Macadamia Stuffing with Gravy
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 220 minutes

• INGREDIENTS

• 30g good quality butter
• 4 bacon rashers, rind removed, finely chopped
• 1 brown onion, halved, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 140g (2 cups) fresh breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread)
• 55g (1/2 cup) macadamia nut halves, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries, rehydrated,
• 1 Taste Gourmet Free Range Egg, lightly whisked
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 6kg (size 60) fresh or thawed frozen turkey, neck removed
• 50g good butter, extra, melted
• 2 tbs plain flour
• 250ml (1 cup) dry white wine
• 250ml (1 cup) Chicken Stock
• (Ingredients in bold available at Taste Gourmet)

• WHAT TO DO:

• Melt 20g of the butter in a frying pan until foaming. Add bacon, onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion softens.
• Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, macadamias, cranberries and egg and stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towel. Fill the cavity with breadcrumb mixture.
• Tie the legs together with string. Tuck the wings under. Place turkey, breast-side up, in a roasting pan.
• Brush with extra butter and cover with foil. Roast in oven, basting every 30 minutes, for 3 1/2 hours or until juices run clear when thigh is pierced with a skewer.
• Transfer turkey to a platter. Remove string. Cover with foil and set aside for 15 minutes to rest. Strain the pan juices into a heatproof jug.
• Melt the remaining butter in the roasting pan until foaming. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until mixture bubbles. Gradually add the pan juices, wine and stock and cook, scraping the pan with a flat-edged wooden spoon to dislodge any bits that have cooked onto the base, for 5-6 minutes or until gravy boils and thickens. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Strain into a heatproof serving jug.
• Place the turkey on a large serving platter and serve with gravy.

Christmas has arrived at Taste Gourmet

Hello,
Christmas!! Already?? There’s been a lot going on in the world, but Christmas is now only a few weeks away, and it really is time to start getting organized.
OPEN TIL 9PM FRIDAY NIGHTS
To make it easier, we are open for dinner, coffee, takeaway and late night shopping on Friday nights.
ALL YOU NEED FOR CHRISTMAS
Whether you are planning a big family get together, a casual or small intimate Christmas, Taste Gourmet Grocer will have all your Christmas food.
MAKING CHRISTMAS EASIER
And once again this year, we've written our Taste Gourmet Essential Christmas Food and Gift Guide. The Guide is FREE and has all our great Christmas food, gift suggestions, hampers, recipes and essential tips to make your Christmas fabulous and hassle free!
CHRISTMAS FOOD NOW HERE
Now available in store is our Christmas range - Christmas cakes, traditional puddings, panforte, shortbread, mince pies, rum balls, and much more.
We also have Christmas chocolates and biscuits, special pudding sauces, brandy sauce and brandy butter made with real brandy.
Treat your family to a Christmas with all the trimmings, and try our hand made White Christmas, Gingerbread, Turkish Delight, Shortbread and much more.
CHRISTMAS HAMPERS
We’re creating a range of hampers in store and you can also select from our shelves and we’ll make yours on them spot for you. And we can deliver them anywhere in Australia!
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING & TASTING NIGHTS
We will be having a two massive Christmas Tastings, Shopping & Dining Nights on Friday 27 November and Friday 4 December.
And we’ll be open for dinner and takeaway so you can shop and eat at the same time, in a relaxed and easy atmosphere.
OPEN TIL 5 SATURDAY & SUNDAY
To give you more time and eat and shop, we’ve responded to your requests and we’ll now be open until 5pm on Saturday and Sundays. And we’ll have live music Friday night and Sunday afternoon.
We have literally dozens of new products on the shelves and there will be more and more every day as we get closer to Christmas.
For Christmas we have a delicious range of hand made Christmas cakes from Baylies of Strathalbyn - the cakes come in four sizes and are beautifully wrapped for gift giving.
Also from Baylies comes our traditional Christmas Puddings, rum balls, and three varieties of hand made shortbread.
On the shelves this week will be a delicious range of traditional boiled lollies and rock candy from Eventful Foods. And from West Gosford's own Limar Nougat, we have a gorgeous selection of French style Nougat in three flavors. We have gourmet mince pies, some gift packed and some in take home packs. For celebrating, we have some great suggestions. How about Nicholson Fine Foods Essence of Wild Hibiscus, or Kurrajong Foods Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup.
Fancy a Christmas cocktail, try our new range of Kicks Cocktail Mixes - just add water, alcohol and freeze! In the fridge we have our Gourmet Marinated Olives and Gourmet Antipasto Mix.
Also just out of our own kitchen is: Chilli Tomato Chutney, Classic Red Tomato Relish, Summer Berries & Cointreau Dessert Sauce, Blueberry Vodka Dessert Sauce, Rum & Raspberry Dessert Sauce, Raspberries & Vanilla Bean Dessert Sauce, Mandarin & Cointreau Dessert Sauce, and just in time for Christmas, our Spiced Brandy Pudding Sauce.
And there are more products soon to hit the shelf! From Fuchs Hunter Valley Olive Oil we have Caramelized Balsamic which is really, really good! And their great range of extra virgin infused oils, including Garlic, Mandarin, Chilli and Lime.
New chutneys are now available in the very popular Hanks range specially for Christmas: Cranberry & Orange Jelly for Turkey, Cherry, Seeded Mustard & Ginger for Ham, Apple & Rosemary Mint for Lamb and Onion Marmalade for BBQ.
We have always stocked the fabulous James Road chocolate dipped oranges, strawberries and apricots, and their fabulous Chocolate Fudge Cookies. Now try their old fashioned Boiled Fruitcake. From Emmaline’s Country Kitchen there is Rocky Road and Dark Chocolate Prunes and Rocky Road, as well as Milk Chocolate Ginger. We also have a new selection of the famous Paddington Chocolates and gift boxed chocolates from Dolci Doro.
We also have a lovely range of gift boxed biscuits including from Baylies of Strathalbyn.
We now have the full range of hand made jams from Alpine Berry Farm - there are more than a dozen flavours including marmalades. We also have a great range of chutneys and relishes from Beerenberg and Goan Cuisine. Plus there’s heaps more so drop in soon!
PICK UP OUR CHRISTMAS GOURMET FOOD & RECIPE GUIDE IN STORE FOR ALL THE DETAILS

Summer stunner! Serendipity Ice Cream & Sorbet!

Here at Taste Gourmet, we’ve been a big fan of Sydney based Serendipity Ice Cream since we opened our doors. We feature their ice creams and sorbets on our café menu and we sell them (and take them home to enjoy as well!).

Now that the weather is warming up, we thought it was the perfect time to taste ..no I meant learn about Serendipity.

Reading their list of exotic ice-cream and gelato combinations is enough to make you lick your lips with delight. And know that they come our with even more flavors each year is even better.

We caught up with CEO (and daughter of the founder of Serendipity) Sarah Mandelson and asked her about what must be one of the world’s great jobs, running a gourmet ice-cream business!

Who is behind Serendipity Ice Cream?
Serendipity Ice Cream is headed by me, Sarah Mandelson as CEO. I’m the daughter of founder Alix Mandelson. Richard Single, my husband, is Sales and Logistics Manager. We have a dedicated team of 15 to produce and deliver our award-winning products right around Australia.
We’re on Enmore Road, in Marrickville, an inner west suburb of Sydney. All our products are made on site here.

Why did you start making these products?
Serendipity was started in 1966 by my mother Alix Mandelson, a former US diplomat. Alix started making gourmet ice creams at home because the most exotic ice cream available in Sydney at the time was Neapolitan. Allergic to chocolate, Alix found the lack of choice unacceptable and set out to change the situation at least for herself and her dinner guests. Once her guests tasted the fruits of her labour, Alix soon found herself in unexpectedly business – hence the name, Serendipity, meaning: happy discoveries by accident.

Tell us about your ice-creams and sorbets?
We make a huge range of super premium ice creams, sorbets, frozen desserts and dessert sauces. Over 100 flavours are in stock at any given time, and we are constantly developing new ones.
Serendipity’s super premium ice creams are made with fresh milk and cream (not reconstituted dairy products) resulting in better flavour and smoother texture. We blend ingredients carefully to create our own unique recipes using finest natural ingredients sourced locally (where possible) and from around the world. Our super premium sorbets are made with a very high fruit content which gives these products the lusciously rich taste and texture they possess with zero fat - in other words, they don’t taste thin and icy like most sorbets. Richard & I still make our products in small batches and use the best natural ingredients. We are constantly re-inventing the wheel in terms of flavours, but always with exacting standards in mind. Our products are generally denser than most commercial brands, and are lower in sugar, but the main criterion is taste.

What is your favourite product?
My personal favourite is our Belgian White Chocolate ice cream, teamed with Passionfruit & Chili sorbet. This combination has everything: the rich smoothness of white chocolate ice cream, the tangy fragrant flavour of fresh ripe passionfruit, and just a little kick from chili.

What’s the best thing about being an ice cream maker?
The best thing about making our fabulous ice creams is the pleasure such a product brings to the people who eat them. I love watching people drift off in a daydream eating our Death by Chocolate ice cream, or regressing to a second childhood eating Hokey Pokey ice cream.
We have won over 300 medals and now 20 trophies for our range of products. All of our products are made using 100% green energy, reducing our carbon emissions to zero for electricity, and Serendipity is committed to being a sustainable business.

IN STORE NOW!
Spring 2009 flavours which Taste Gourmet has in store now are:

ICE CREAM
Caramel Fudge
Dark Rum & Raisin
Death by Chocolate
Espresso
Hokey Pokey
Mangoes & Cream
Vanilla Bean

SORBET
Blood Orange
Fresh Lime
Lemon
Passionfruit
Wild Berry

And, on the menu we have:
Raspberry Sorbet & Cointreau Ice-cream Pyramid
Fig Honey & Pistachio Ice-cream Pyramid
Coconut & Kaffir Lime Sorbet

DID YOU KNOW?
MOST SERENDIPITY PRODUCTS ARE GLUTEN FREE!
Serendipity ice creams and sorbets are gluten free (Super Fudge Brownie & Tiramisu excepted, both of which have bakery products containing wheat flour). The sorbets are suitable for vegans, and are fat-free, egg-free, dairy-free, soy & nut-free!

SARAH’S SUGGESTIONS FOR SERVING SERENDIPITY ICE-CREAM
“In my view, ice cream is best served on its own or accompanying another dessert – especially hot desserts in winter. So, a simple tarte tatin is transformed into a wonderfully rounded dessert with the addition of either our classic Vanilla Bean ice cream or nutty Macadamia ice cream. In summer, I like serving a scoop of sorbet (like Blood Orange) in a martini glass with a splash of Champagne or a dash of vodka.”

We're a Finalist in the Central Coast Business Achiever Awards

Wow, fabulous news. It's just been announced that Taste Gourmet Grocer & Cafe is a Finalist in the Central Coast Business Achiever Awards for Best Cafe /Casual Dining!

Thank you so much to everyone who voted for us - we really appreciate it!

It's the third year in a row we've been a finalist and we won Best Cafe in 2007. Our much loved Administration Manager Sharon Thacker also won the Employee Excellence Award in 2007.

This is Sharon and Brian celebrating in 2007!

We were also a Finalist in 2008 in the Deli & Gourmet Food Category.



AND THE AWARD NOMINATIONS KEEP ON COMING.

We've also been nominated in the Anthill Magazine "Cool Company" Awards, which recognise Australia's coolest companies! How cool is that!

And Michele has been nominated in the Central Coast Business Women's Awards.

It's been quite a week!

Good Food Month at Taste Gourmet

Australian Good Food Month at Taste Gourmet! Taste the best!

Over the coming weeks, we'll be celebrating the achievemnets of Australia’s leading gourmet food makers, the people and the products created with passion and a love of good food.
These products are mainly hand made, with premium ingredients, often sourced from nearby farms and producers.
Most of all, our Australian Regional Food Month is about raising the profile of our farmers and food handlers, the growers who battle the rain, hail or heat to harvest their crops or grow their stock, or the wonderful cooks and chefs that spin their magic, creating tasty delicacies of outstanding quality.
These products are available year round on our shelves and every month we search the country for new and innovative products to bring you. Find them on the shelves and for tasting throughout September & October.
We’ve also interviewed some of our favourite producers so you can get to know them a little better, hear about their products and enjoy their passion!
Over the coming weeks, we'll be featuring profiles on:

Alpine Berry Farms Jams and Marmalades - Mittagong, NSW. Established in 2002 and now winners of 42 awards, the family that grows the berries makes this stunning range of full fruit jams and marmalades.
Hog Bay Apairies, Kangaroo Island, SA. We believe these are the best honeys in Australia; we’ve loved them for years. A range of five gourmet seasonal pure honeys, including creamed honey. This is unique organic honey from the Ligurian bee, only from Kangaroo Island, South Australia.
Doodles Creek Dressings, Bowral, NSW. From the Southern Highlands comes Sarah Ross’s much sought after range of dressings, mayonnaise, and aiolis. Doodles Creek products are French in style and less sweet than Australian mayonnaises, naturally thickened with egg yolks.
Nicholson Fine Foods - Yamba, NSW. From the foothills of Yamba comes these Australian chef made native food products and their signature range of Essence of Hibiscus, glorious hibiscus flowers in syrup. SEE MORE INSIDE
Pastabilities Pasta - Marrackville, NSW. Producing the best fresh pasta in Australia, this passionate Marrickville family supply our fresh fettuccine and spaghetti, and a range of gourmet frozen ravioli and includes filling such as duck, prawns, veal and caramelised beef.
AC Butchery - Leichhardt, NSW. This Leichhardt based butchery specialises in gourmet sausages and you’ll find their most popular varieties, in our freezer. Made with the best premium ingredients, sausage will never taste the same again. They also have their own range of verjuice, which we now have in stock!
Simply the Best Small Goods - Gladesville, NSW. The name says it all, these multi award winning producers supply our ham, pastrami, prosciutto, pancetta, and more. Simply the Best maximise the use of natural ingredients to produce the best quality products. Best of all is the ham on the bone, an award winner. Made from the finest Australian pork, it has a lasting smoky flavour with a gorgeous light, moist texture. Hand carved by us!
Serendipity Ice-creams & Sorbets, Marrickville, NSW
An another award winning gourmet producer, creating glorious rich ice-creams and silky smooth sorbets hand made in dozens of flavours. SEE MORE INSIDE
Bellata Gold Pasta - Tamworth, NSW. This farm family grows the durum wheat, mills the flour and makes the pasta - they call in from paddock to plate and it is the best dried pasta in Australian today. In a stunning range of flavours, an essential for the pantry.
There are many other regional foods on the shelves, and we will feature these over coming months. In the meantime, look out for
Maggie Beer Pastes, Preserved Lemon and Verjuice - South Australia
Joseph Olive Oil - South Australia
Gwydir Grove Infused Olive Oils - Port Macquarie
Lotus & Ming Yum Cha, Sydney,
Goan Cuisine Curries, Pickles, Chutneys and Pastes - Perth WA

We'll be featuringing Gourmet Food Producer profiles in this blog over the coming weeks!

Celebrating our Central Coast & Region Gourmet Food Producers!

These are the best of the best - our selections as the leading local Central Coast and Hunter producers. Supporting our local producers is very important. It helps the local economy, supports local jobs, supports local farmers and helps create jobs for us and our kids. It also gives us a chance to show what we can do here on the Coast.
And it helps the environment - the less kilometres our food has to travel to get to us, the less greenhouse gas are produced in transporting it to us. (Did you know that on average, most of our food travels 1500km to get to us?)
Taste Gourmet, East Gosford, NSW- This is our own Taste Gourmet hand made range of gourmet jams, marmalades, mustards, sauces, desserts, chutneys, relishes, pickles and more, all made in small batches with fresh and natural ingredients. There are more than 200 quality products, each made with love and are to a traditional recipe. Amongst our most popular products are the Roasted Red Capsicum & Chilli Jam, Blood Orange and Cointreau Marmalade, Classic Red Tomato Relish & Caramelised Onion Jam
Binnorie Fairy Cheeses, Pokolbin, NSW - From Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley, we stock two of our most popular cheeses. Created by award winning cheese maker Simon Gough, the Binnorie Dairy makes Labna, a Mediterranean yoghurt-based cheese that has been infused with chilli and rosemary and the "Gold Medal" Marinated Fetta, with distinctive characters unavailable outside the region.
Sweet As (Chocolates), Central Coast, NSW- Wendy Sue Mitchell is the chocoholic behind Sweet As, a collection of the best hand made Coverture chocolates and now available in store. Wendy Sue also creates our mouth watering Gourmet Rocky Road. We currently feature about six flavours of hand made truffles and great shortbread.
Fuchs Estate, Cessnock, NSW - Heading further afield in the region, the Hunter Valley's Fuchs Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oils are amongst Australia’s best. Created by chef John McGain, we stock the Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oils, as well as flavoured extra virgin oils - Garlic, Lime, Lemon, Chilli, Pepper, & Mandarin. We also have Fuch’s Caramelised Balsamic.

We feature all these producers products in our Gourmet Grocer selection, at our food store and cafe in East Gosford, NSW Australia.

The Good Oil - Olive Oil

Olive Oil, the world’s most commonly eaten mono-unsaturated oil, has been enjoyed for many thousands of years around the Mediterranean. Not only does it taste good, but there is a mass of evidence that a diet based on olive oil can promote longer life and may prevent some of the diseases associated with our usual western eating pattern.

In recent years, medical researchers have turned their attention to the virtues of the Mediterranean style of eating and to olive oil. On closer inspection, this ancient oil has proved to be more than just a source of monounsaturated fat. It is also a rich source of antioxidants - substances now attracting great scientific attention.

What is the difference between extra virgin olive & ‘pure’ olive oil?
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is very simply the best you can buy, with an acidity level of less than 1%.
Extra virgin olive oil is essentially the naturally extracted juice from fresh olives. The olives are crushed into a paste, and the oil is physically extracted from this paste without the use of chemicals or excessive heat.

Extra virgin olive oil has a distinctive olive fruity aroma and flavour and it contains natural antioxidants. The aroma and flavour, of olive oil adds complementary flavours to a wide variety of dishes.

‘Pure’ and ‘light’ olive oils are olive oils that have been refined and they lack the aroma, flavour and the natural antioxidant content of extra virgin olive oils. In fact the word “light” refers to their light colour, aroma and flavour.

Which Olive Oil do I choose?
Extra virgin olive oils can be intensely flavoured and can also be strongly bitter and pungent. Many ‘early harvest’ styles fit in this category. Others can be very fruity with only hints of bitterness and pepper, while ‘late harvest’ styles are typically mild with very ripe fruity flavours.
As a general rule, oils with a strong flavour suit strongly flavoured dishes, and mild oils are used in dishes that are delicately flavoured.

Is Olive Oil good for me?
The incidence of heart diseases and some forms of cancer are much less in countries with a high consumption of olive oil.

Olive oil has NO CHOLESTEROL, it reduces the IDI (low density lipoproteins) which is bad cholesterol, and it increases the HDL (high density lipoproteins) which is the good cholesterol.

Which is good for the heart?
Olive oil has 14 grams of fat, or 120 calories per tablespoon. This is true for all oils.

Can I use extra virgin olive oils for frying?
Yes, but to be honest, refined olive oils (that is those labeled as ‘Pure’ or ‘Light’) are probably a more cost effective alternative. Furthermore, refined oils begin to smoke at a higher temperature than most extra virgin olive oils, making them more suited to deep-frying. However, extra virgin olive oils are a better alternative when shallow frying.

NOW IN STORE!
Taste Gourmet Grocer carries a wide range of oils, including extra virgin olive oils, and flavoured and infused oils including truffle oils from Colavita, Simon Johnson, Fuchs, Joseph, Padthaways and more. We also have the best Australian Olive Oils, Joseph and Dangaran Estate.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

DIPPING BREAD
Choose your favourite bread (we have a great woodfired sourdough or a crusty Italian pane de casa both baked fresh daily) and roughly tear, slice or chop into bite size pieces. Onto a platter, place one or more small bowls. Choose your favourite oils & vinegars to either mix or serve separately in each bowl. Surround bowls with bread pieces and serve. Try heating the bread pieces for an even more sumptuous experience.

ROASTED KUMARA (SWEET POTATO) & FETA CHEESE SALAD
Lightly brush some bite size chunks of Kumara with EVOO of kumara in a moderate oven until golden brown. Spread baby English spinach over a wide bowl or platter. Spread roasted kumara evenly over spinach, followed by crumbled feta cheese and toasted pine nuts. Drizzle caramelized balsamic vinegar (we carry four different varieties) over salad before serving.

Getting in touch with your inner chef! Essentials for your pantry!

Every cook needs a good selection of flavour-packed staples that can be combined with fresh fruit, vegetables and meat to create fast, fuss-free dishes. Add these must-haves to your pantry:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Two good quality aged vinegars: for example, a balsamic and a varietal, such as chardonnay or cabernet
• Anchovies and capers
• A good-quality, tomato-based pasta sauce
• Whole peeled tomatoes
• Your favourite pasta variety
• A crusty Italian bread, such as our Pane di Casa or Soft House Loaf.
• A versatile hard cheese, like Grana Padano (traditional Italian parmesan).

We believe that a cook’s secret weapon lies not with a favourite recipe book or kitchen implement, but in imagination and a well-stocked pantry. Fill the pantry cleverly and you're on the way to not only more efficient cooking but more money in your pocket.
In the time it takes to grab a takeaway you can make a meal from scratch that not only costs less but tastes better and is probably better for you.
A well-stocked pantry also means that you always have something on hand for last-minute meals. The combination of a well-stocked pantry, fresh food in the fridge and freezer means you can cook a great variety of interesting meals – for everyday meals, special occasions and also for those unexpected guests. You just need to add some inspiration.
Pasta and noodles are two of our top pantry ingredients and we suggest having a good variety of different shapes and sizes for all occasions. By using a good quality packet pasta, making an easy tomato sauce and adding a variety of pantry stables such as chilli or tinned tuna or from the fridge perhaps some ham, mushroom or chorizo you can have a gourmet meal in minutes. It's best to have a selection of short pasta such as macaroni or penne with longer ones like fettuccini and spaghetti.
Canned tomatoes are another essential in the pantry. Tinned tomatoes are so versatile. We recommend both whole and crushed. Use the crushed ones for sauces, and the whole ones in things like casseroles that you like to have a bit more texture.
Different flours are a must too for baking and, if you're so inclined, bread making. Not only do you get to experience the joys of freshly baked bread but making your own is also good for the budget.
Coconut milk is also a valuable pantry addition. Use it in curries and you can also cook rice in it for a delicious coconut rice, but also use it with a sweetener and make a rice pudding, use it in place of cream in desserts or with a laksa paste for a quick delicious meal.
Stock, the basis of soup and risotto or to add flavour to casseroles, is another pantry must-have. We suggest you have chicken, beef and vegetable stock and powders.
Asian condiments and rice are also cheap but essential friends in the pantry. Fairly new to our pantry, but fast becoming essentials are the Asian flavours of soy, fish sauce and sweet chilli sauce. Sweet chilli sauce is so versatile, you can use it for dips as it is for fried nibbles, or in other dishes to lift them like adding a bit to scrambled eggs.
Also essential are spice and curry pastes, but whether Indian, Asian or Thai it does well to have at least a couple that, added to beef or chicken, can easily make a simple curry or stirfry. Essentials are Laksa paste, Rogan josh, Thai green and butter chicken. Keep some pappadums and chutney in the pantry and you're sure to impress
Other condiments such as grain mustard, when mixed with olive oil and lemon juice or oil and balsamic vinegar are handy to make salad dressing.
While it's OK to save on some pantry items, there are some staples like olive oil that you should spend more on. Good quality olives that can be served on an antipasto plate are a case in point.
Tuna is also a good thing to keep on hand; it's great with a simple pasta, a salad or a tuna bake.

• To minimise waste it's important to keep an eye on what needs restocking and to creatively use up the ingredients you may have too much of before their expiry date.
  Make sure your pantry is regularly refilled with those ingredients used all the time.
• Keep a shopping list going to help remember those staples which need to be replaced.
• Follow the FIFO principle of stocking pantries – first in first out – make sure you organise the pantry so you know the use-by dates of your purchases.
• Place the newer purchased behind the older ones.
  Some pantry staples can be kept for longer or bought in larger amounts to save money, such as flour.
• Others, like spices, should be bought in smaller amounts as they tend to lose their flavour after six months.
• Store them in really good airtight jars - don't let them sit open while you're using them and keep them dry.

As to which spices, it depends on the pantry owner, but we nominate coriander seeds, cumin and chilli flakes, oregano, cardamom, cinnamon and basil. My pantry also always has pink salt flakes and whole peppercorns.
Pulses such as chickpeas, (perfect for whipping up hummus), white beans and lentils are also good fallbacks. Couscous, cooked with the addition of boiling water then fluffing up with a fork, is the ultimate fast food. Served cold in a salad, or hot as a bed for lamb or a Moroccan-style meat casserole. Polenta, too, is no more than a few dollars, but can be used in infinite ways – use it instead of crumbs on chicken, cook it with a little parmesan for an alternative to potatoes.
Here’s our essential list!

• Flour: Plain and self-raising for baking and pasta making, cornflour for sauces
• Sugar: Caster, icing and brown sugar. Palm sugar for Thai or Vietnamese
• Pasta: A variety of shapes and sizes
• Noodles: Rice and wheat in different sizes and shapes
• Rice: Basmati and jasmine for curries, medium grain for everyday and arborio for risottos and rice puddings
• Grains: Couscous, lentils and polenta
• Fish: Tuna, salmon, anchovies for salads, bakes and pasta dishes
• Vegetables: Semi-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, roasted capsicum and olives
• Tinned Vegetables: Tomatoes, chickpeas, kidney beans, cannelloni beans & sweet corn
• Dried Vegetables: Mushrooms. Chinese and (budget permitting) porcini
• Oils and vinegars: Extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, vegetable oil, balsamic vinegar, white wine and red wine vinegars
• Herbs and spices, seeds and nuts: Sea salt, black peppercorns, chilli, cinnamon, coriander seeds, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, basil, sesame seeds, vanilla beans or extract
• Jams/Preserves/Spreads: Marmalade, (great for glazing white meat), raspberry for desserts or biscuits, preserved lemons
• Nuts: Almonds, pine and walnuts
• Condiments: Dijon mustard and hot English; soy and sweet chilli, fish and oyster sauce; chutneys - mango and tomato and lime pickles
• Curry pastes: Thai green, Laksa and Indian Rogan Josh, Butter Chicken and Tandoori
• Milks: Tinned coconut milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk
• Stock: Vegetable, beef and chicken

What's what in gourmet food! Helping you unleash your inner chef!

There are lots of great products available that you will see used in magazine and cook book recipes and by celebrity chef on television. But some of these products can be hard to find, can cost more than usual pantry staples, and although you might have one recipe you use them in, you may not know what else to do with them.
We’ve put together a simple guide for some of the most popular, but slightly obscure, gourmet products, so you’ll know what they are, and what to do with them. We've choosen some Italian inspired favourites to begin!

Verjuice
Made from the juice of unfermented grapes, use it as a gentle acidulant wherever you might find lemon juice or vinegar too tart - which means whenever you want the gentlest bite of flavour.
Maggie Beer Verjuice - Maggie was the first in the world to produce Verjuice commercially. Use in salad dressings, deglazing the pan when cooking fish and chicken or poaching dried fruit to serve with a glossy dollop of mascarpone.
Maggie Beer Sangiovese Verjuice is a slightly sweeter version of the classic and is the perfect companion to desserts. Use to poach dried fruit for a compote, splash across fresh mango cheeks or reduce into a syrup with a little sugar and pour over a favourite cake or use as a cordial. It is just superb with a Gin and Tonic!

Vino Cotto
Made from the must of grapes, Vino Cotto was inspired by Mediterranean cuisine as the perfect way to further maximize Maggie and Colin’s grape harvest. Its unique sweet/sour flavour, known as ‘agrodolce’, works in any situation where you might use balsamic vinegar, i.e. the classic strawberries and balsamic combination is taken to a whole new level with vino cotto.
Colavita Vino Cotto - Try sautéing diced eggplant with onion in a little olive oil and use the vino cotto to deglaze the pan. Roast baby beetroot in olive oil until just tender and splash with vino cotto before serving as a beautiful salad on its own or spruced up with rocket and walnuts. Use vino cotto to deglaze the pan after searing beef fillets and you will have a beautiful syrupy sauce to drizzle over the meat.
Colavita Fig Vino Cotto is a sweet, highly aromatic, velvety syrup, thick with figs made the traditional way in Italy. It has the perfect balance of acidity, or as the Italians would say 'agrodolce'. Fig Vino Cotto can be used in baking, sauces, roasting vegetables, vinaigrettes and desserts. Drizzle over panna cotta or poached fruit or use as a sauce for duck breast or kangaroo.

Fruit Pastes
Maggie Beer Quince Paste - Maggie’s love for the quince came from the beauty of the tree in flower, so after reading prolifically about it she trialled her first ‘membrillo’ or quince paste. Perfect with a traditional French brie, a mature cheddar or parmesan cheese. Use it as a sweetmeat, rolled in cinnamon sugar, to serve with coffee or try it as an accompaniment to cold meats.

Truffle Oil
Truffle oil, available in all seasons and steady in price, is popular with chefs (and diners) because it is significantly less expensive than actual truffles, while possessing some of the same flavours and aroma.
Simon Johnson Black Truffle Oil is made from specially selected black truffles from the Pyrenees, these have been infused into
100% early harvest extra virgin olive oil from Arbequina olives creating an oil that is exquisitely aromatic and is perfect with omelettes, poached, fried or scrambled eggs, foie gras and all kind of meat, especially lamb.
Simon Johnson White Truffle Oil is made from 100% Arbequina Olives, infused with specially selected white truffles. Delicious drizzled into soups, scrambled eggs, or over a porcini risotto, try mixed through mashed potatoes.

Exotic Salts
All the celebrity chefs have their favourites: Jamie’s is Maldon salt (from his beloved Essex); Nigella seems to go for Maldon or other sea salt too; Stefano di Pieri has tied his gondola to Murray River salt; Maeve O’Meara and her Food Lover’s Guide say Australian sea salt is “as good as you can get”; Neil Perry favours sea salt too, but despite their surfing theme, Ben and Curtis mostly go with plain old salt. So what’s with exotic salts?
The slight differences in looks and taste depend on the minute traces of various minerals and on how the different salts are made.
Maldon Sea Salt comes from Essex in England, and has large, flaky crystals. It’s made from seawater using only traditional natural methods and is a completely natural product, retaining valuable seawater trace elements such as magnesium and calcium.
Horizon Crystal Salt Flakes is another Australian product, also from an underground source of saline water (in northern Victoria). It has a full-bodied natural flavour that leaves no aftertaste or bitterness.
Rock salt comes from underground salt deposits. It’s usually been refined and can be used in salt mills as well as for decoration (e.g. holding oyster shells in place).
Murray River Gourmet Pink Salt Flakes are harvested from pure underground saline waters in Australia's Murray/Darling River region. The naturally occurring minerals create a high quality salt with a unique flavour and appearance. Murray River Salt is tapped from pure underground saline waters that have been present for thousands of years in Australia's Murray Darling River region.
Sea salts can be used as a garnish. Place in a small finger bowl and crumble over food. Australian Murray River salt crystals are light & delicate peach colored flakes. They have a wonderfully mild flavor. The texture is ideal for use as a finishing salt. The crystals melt quickly and evenly making Murray River flake salt ideal for finishing, roasting, and baking.

Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
This most essential of all vinegars is made from cooked grape must, matured by a long and slow process, through natural fermentation, followed by progressive concentration by aging in a series of casks made from different types of wood and without the addition of any other spices or flavourings.
The colour is dark brown but full of warm light. It has a fluid and syrup-like consistency and a distinct, complex, sharp and unmistakably but pleasantly acid fragrance. It is the perfect proportion of sweet and sour. It will offer your taste buds a full and rich flavour with a variety of shadings. Balsamic vinegar is used in salad dressings, dips, marinades, reductions and sauces. Mix with a quality extra virgin olive oil for a great yet easy dressing.
Try serving in drops on top of chunks of Parmigiano Reggiano and Mortadella as an antipasto. You may also use it sparingly to enhance steaks, eggs or grilled fish, as well as on fresh fruit such as strawberries and pears.

Scrambled Eggs with Chives, Smoked Salmon and Truffle Oil

Here's one of my favorite recipes for Truffle Oil, simple yet very delicious.
Ingredients
8 Port Stephens Free range Eggs
1/2 cup pouring cream
2 tbsp chives (chopped)
Murray River Pink Salt and cracked black pepper
Slice of Taste Gourmet Tasmanian Smoked Salmon
Simon Johnson Truffle Oil
Sourdough Bread
(products in bold available at Taste Gourmet)
Method
Use a wire whisk to lightly beat 8 eggs and 1/2 cup pouring cream in a large bowl.
Melt 30g butter in a large heavy-based saucepan over low heat. Pour in eggs.
Stir slowly, lifting mixture from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon so eggs cook evenly. Stir in 2 tbsp chives (chopped) and season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
When eggs are just set but still creamy, remove from pan.
To serve
Serve topped with a slice of smoked salmon and drizzled with a little truffle oil, and accompanied by thick-cut sourdough toast.

My thanks to many of our producers and suppliers for product information, descriptions and information.

Buying local - when $1 equals $14 for our community

Watching the Central Coast's own Julie win MasterChef this week, I've been struck by the huge amount of support our local community is giving here।
We've been running a competition in store to guess the winner of the Masterchef competition, and the response has been phenomenal।
Even when there were six finalists to choose from, about 90% of our customers are voting for Julie, because she's local!
I think all this local support is great and helps bring together the local community.
We've been struck by the tremendous support we have always received since we opened in East Gosford three years ago.
This is the same week when the supermarkets started a petrol discount war and declared they were bringing grocery prices down! Supermarkets are the opposite of local - they usually sell not local products and support no local producers. They are rarely able to take action that supports local causes or local events.
I've been a passionate advocate of supporting local business, local suppliers and local producers for a long time now. Clearly as a local Central Coast owned family business - store and cafe - and a producer of our own label of locally made gourmet foods, it's in my interests - but I also believe that it is good for the community.
We are also genuinely grateful for the support we get from our local loyal customers.
We have always envisaged our business as being a champion of local producers, a supporter and buyer of local products, and a passionate supporter of the vibrant local community.
I'm not advocating a radical form of localism where you only use things made within 100km - for example, I love my coffee too much and there's not grown here on the Coast. But there are local businesses supplying coffee and that's the kind of practical support I mean.
As well, in these uncertain times, it feels really nice to support local things! No matter what happen, the people and places that are close and familiar are always going to be there for you.
And, there is some fascinating research starting to to surface which says that supporting your local businesses and producers is not only a good idea for them but it's good for you, your family and your local community.
I came across a study which was headed When $1 equals $14: Reasons to Buy (and Refer) Local. The study which was based on retail and buying patterns demonstrated that locally owned businesses generate 3.5 times the local economic activity as chains.
So, when does $1 equal $14? When you spend it with a locally owned business. That dollar is usually spent 6 to 15 times before it leaves the community.
The research also showed that independent small businesses are also more likely to:

• spend money with other local businesses
• make decisions locally with customers first and foremost in mind
• place importance on community service and promoting goodwill
• have a commitment to a clean safe community

Need more reasons to buy local: here's five more!

1. Support your family - studies show that when you buy from a locally owned business up to three times more of your dollars are re-circulated in the local economy compared to a big national business or a chain. At Taste Gourmet Grocer and Cafe, we buy as much as possible from small, locally owned independent suppliers (like us).
2. Support your community. Local non profit organizations receive 250% more support from locally owned businesses. At Taste Gourmet, we've been supporting local community organisations since we opened: local schools, service clubs, pre-schools, sporting teams and cultural organisations.
3. Create more local jobs. Locally owned businesses spend on average 28% of revenue on labour, compared with 23% for the chains, providing the most jobs to local residents. At Taste, we value our staff, we employ and train local people who are also proud to be part of our local community.
4. Get better service. Locally owned businesses often hire people better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers. At Taste, our staff are committed to giving you the best customer service, they'll get to know you and look after you!
5. Buy what you want, not what they want to sell you. As a small business, we select products based not on a national sales plan, but on the needs of our local customers. At Taste Gourmet, we present our customers with the best value for their money, and the products you want and need. We also make our own local products and stock and promote other local gourmet food producers.

Remember, you hold the key to the economic stimulus!
These days as we get more and more concerned about how we spend our hard earned dollars. Next time you shop, consider the benefits of choosing a locally owned business. And when referring friends and colleagues, refer a reputable local business and keep their dollars local too.
After all, it's you money and your community! Make it count! KEEP IT LOCAL!

Getting in Touch with Your Inner Chef

Hi there, well, we've been talking about it for a while but we have finally made it happen - our new blog will be weekly and will mostly be all about great food and coffee.
There's so much great stuff happening in the food world right now it's hard to know where to start.
But the topic on the lips of all of my customers, family and friends is Master Chef. Everyone has their favorite, and their least favorite, everyone has fancied themselves at cooking one of the contestant's dishes, everyone has a favorite judge and a story to tell.
Master Chef has really grabbed our imagination. Channel 10 used it to replace it's long running Big Brother franchise and the show has really delivered - in rating and in taking it's place in the local food culture. And there has been not too much cringing as some of the country's leading chefs line up to feature them or their kitchens in front of the cameras.
While the show differs in format from the US and UK versions and has adopted a few "reality" show stunts such as peer elimination and bringing back ousted contestants, there is no doubting the impact it is having on all kinds of food lovers.
In our store and cafe, customers are choosing the food from the menu that is similar to that cooked on Master Chef - after Justine cooked lamb shanks for the sailors of HMAS Kanimbla, we served more lamb shanks in a day than we normally do in the week.
When the judges ran their Master Class for the contestants and used Persian Fairy Floss to garnish a dessert, our stocks of Pariya Persian Fairy Floss - all flavours - sold out. Just for the record - we have new supplies in stock - Chocolate, Saffron, Pistachio, Vanilla and Rose. (This a a glorious product, definitely for the grown ups, not for the kids though.)

This fabulous product is made by Sydney based Pariya Foods and is part of a huge range of traditional Middle Eastern confectionery and sweet meats which they made by hand to traditional recipes. The Fairy Floss is a perfect garnish for many desserts and can elevate a simple home cooked dessert to looking and tasting very special. It's not necessarily a cheap product, but it's wow factor makes it a very worthwhile investment for the pantry. .. Anyway, I digress.
Customers have also been demanding really good quality extra virgin olive oil (of which we have a good selection) and a wide variety of spices. I also saw Sydney based reports of utensils such as pasta makers and piping bags selling out of quite large kitchen supply stores.
It led me to finally doing something I had been talking about for a while; we've started a regular bi-monthly publication - called Get in Touch With Your Inner Chef - Taste Gourmet's Food and Recipe Guide. First one focuses on winter and contains some great information on the basic products you need to have in your pantry to get you cooking each night of the week.
We also look at some of the common but misunderstood gourmet food products such as Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Verjuice, Salt Flakes, Vinocotto and Balsamic Vinegars. And we have heaps of recipes suing these products. Our first edition also features many of our Italian products and even shows how to cook your pasta the Italian way. The Guide is free and we will be publishing new editions each two months, the next one will feature Spring recipes and in December we will focus on the festive season with Christmas recipes, tips and information.
So far, for the first edition, we have printed over 800 copies and they are proving very popular.
But there is also a much bigger picture here. Worldwide, since the start of the Global Financial Crisis, there has been a massive increase in people cooking at home, taking cooking classes, buying cooking and kitchen utensils and in buying cook books and subscribing to food magazines. The national supermarket chains have also reported increased sales and have begun publishing recipes for "budget" meals in their weekly specials catalogues.
Foodweek.com.au reports that research by Mintel shows that the recession is definitely driving up food and drink sales and that we are indeed cooking more. Mintel Senior Analyst Bill Patterson says over the past year we have seen people trying to save money on food by either dining out less or cutting supermarket bills or both..more people cook at home more..
The Global Financial Crisis is helping us find a way back to the kitchen, and better still not only are we cooking more, we are interesting in cooking well, in creating high quality semi-restaurant quality meals, in using great quality fresh products and ingredients, and in experimenting with new tastes, flavours, tastes and techniques. It's nice that something good came out of the GFC.
And it helps to partially explain why we are sitting addicted to Master Chef SIX nights a week in prime time.
But is does beg the question - what will we do each evening when it finishes in a couple of weeks time? Maybe our inner chefs will drag us back to kitchen to start practicing what we have been watching..