The Orange X-files
The Age
Tuesday May 16, 2000
So you've got the Dualit toaster. And the Kitchenaid mixer. You're a fan of
'60s American industrial design and your appreciation of its robust, functional aesthetic is exceeded only by your capacity to pay for it. Good luck to you. So now we have another "must have" for the domestic kitchen that thinks it's commercial: the OrangeX Citrus Juicer. It meets all the criteria: it is beautifully made, built like a fortress of superb metals, does its intended duty with astonishing efficiency and costs plenty. Is there a better way to juice an orange? We doubt it. The OrangeX presses citrus flesh through a filter cone, rather than grating or grinding it. So the result is juice of almost pure standard, no pulp or pith, and the action means no oils are forced from the rind. Because of the astonishing purchase afforded by the lever's action, virtually no pressure is required to extract the juice and the yield per fruit is terrific. Quite amazing. The price? Like a Rolls-Royce, if you need to ask, you probably can't afford it. In case you can, it's $449 from stores such as The Vital Ingredient and Hospitality Dinnerware. Trade inquiries, phone (0411) 770 188. -- John Lethlean
Calling all kids' recipes
Feeding kids is one of the great challenges. Every parent knows it. We're talking about those difficult years from
5-10 when you can get a child interested in food, but just as easily lose them too, for no particularly good reason. How many times have we all heard those words:
"I don't like it!"
But just about every parent has a failsafe recipe, a work-every-time dish that kids love, is good for them, and doesn't take all day to create.
We want it.
Epicure is devoting an issue to the best children's recipes in Victoria and we have a wonderful prize for the winner: lunch for a family of up to five at De Bortoli's Yarra Valley vineyard restaurant, a place happy to serve (well-behaved) children.
So share your all-time secret weapon with Epicure readers and you'll be in the running for our prize, to be judged by a panel of hungry kids and caterer-Epicure contributor (and mother) Miranda Sharp.
Send a letter with your recipe to All-Time Great Children's Recipes, The Age Epicure, 250 Spencer Street, Melbourne 3000.
Or better still, email to epicure@theage.fairfax.com.au
All recipes are to be received by May 31. Good luck.
Calling all vegetarian menus
Epicure is keen to hear from restaurants that are proud of their vegetarian menus. More and more smart restaurants are recognising the importance of a separate vegetarian list, and we would like to compile an up-to-date list of such places. If you are in this category, please send a copy of your menu to Vegetarian Menus, The Age Epicure, 250 Spencer Street, Melbourne 3000; or email to epicure@theage.fairfax.com.au
Under $10
Khao Greibon at Sukhumvit, $7
There's a lot to like about the royal Thai cuisine at Sukhumvit's Malvern and Ivanhoe operations, but among the delicious buttery curry puffs, duck and lychee red curry and the blue pea flour dumplings it is the Khao Greibon that stand out. Four perfect little purses of elastic, rice-flour dough arrive with pleated tops. Inside is a simple peanut, palm sugar and mince-pork mixture. The crunch of the nuts and the crackle of the palm sugar are texturally exciting against the smooth casing, and each mouthful exhibits boisterous, confident and modern flavors.
Place: Sukhumvit, 1258 Malvern Road, Malvern. Phone: 9824 7099. Open: Daily 6-10pm. Cards: AE BC MC V. BYO. Smoking restricted. -- Matt Preston
5 THINGS TO DO WITH ? CHEAP CHARDONNAY
1. Export it. The world loves Aussie chardonnay, it's so consistent.
2. Drink it - in large quantities. We've got to, really, there's going to be such a glut of the stuff.
3. Give it away; the next option. Keep a standby case and use it as a gift for an overlooked birthday.
4. Cook with it; quickly marinating fish with chillies or extinguishing flaming barbecues. It all depends on the quality of the wine.
5. Worry over it. One of the biggest challenges facing Australian producers of cheap chardonnay is cheap imports: much-improved South American examples might sell here for as little as $6 a bottle, and what might they do to our export markets? Maintaining sales in Britain, which accounts for about 47 per cent of our exports, is the biggest problem our cheap chardy faces.
According to ? Paul English, Fine Wine Manager and cheap chardy aficionado, Philip Murphy, Toorak. -- Ben Canaider
ONtheBOX
Huey's Cooking Adventures: Channel 10, 11am, Mon-Fri.
The Food Lover's Guide to Australia: Northern-style Chinese shallot pancakes are prepared at the Royal Kitchen restaurant in Bexley, New South Wales, by Xu Bin and his mother.
SBS, 8pm, Friday May 19.
Five Star Cooking: Philippe Mouchel from Langton's cooks cured and oil-marinated salmon accompanied by potato blinis and lime cream; farmed rabbit legs with kipfler potatoes, zucchini and almonds; and warm mango chiboust with pineapple coulis and blackcurrant sorbet.
Foxtel Lifestyle Channel, 9pm, Tuesday May 23.
Delia's How to Cook II: Delia demonstrates favorite meat recipes including roast lamb, cottage pie and steak and kidney pie.
ABC, 8pm, Wednesday May 17.
Taste with Jancis Robinson: While touring the British countryside, Jancis meets Bob Baxter, who makes Morecambe bay potted shrimps, and visits a bakery. Foxtel Lifestyle Channel, 9pm, Thursday May 18. -- Claire Gazis
Wildly organic
The greening of Melbourne continues apace. No, we're not talking trees, but the flourishing of interest in all that's organic, pesticide-free and environmentally sound. One of the newest additions to the wholefood scene is Wild Rice on Chapel, a coolly modern cafe, bar and takeaway foodstore - although "takeaway" doesn't seem an adequate term for the animal-fat-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, macrobiotic dishes carefully prepared and presented here. Wild Rice is the younger sibling of the 11-year-old store of the same name in
St Kilda, but the style is very different. The new cafe is a hippie-free zone, with a stark design by architect Chris Connell, an open kitchen and mesmite eucalyptus furniture. Owner Robyn McLeod's green philosophy is strongly evident in the short, wholly organic wine list and the short, brave seasonal menus. Why brave? Well, any breakfast menu that doesn't have eggs or croissants, but does have miso broth with tofu, and raisin toast with tofu-miso spread, is a pretty bold statement. Bold but not fanatical: yes, there is coffee (Jasper organic) with cows' milk. Lunch and dinner menus look to Japan for inspiration.
Wild Rice on Chapel, 159 Chapel Street, Prahran. Open 8am-10pm, Mon-Sat. Phone 9533 8655. -- Necia Hall
Diary
Thursday, May 18-Saturday, May 27: Food Glorious Food. Finalists in Gourmet Traveller's Jaguar Awards for Excellence give cooking demonstrations at David Jones' food halls, along with celebrity chefs including Jeremy Strode from pomme at the Chadstone store and Andrew Blake of Blake's at the city store. Phone 9643 2443.
Saturday, June 10: Regional food and wine lunch at Stonier Winery. Authors and chefs Alan Campion and Michele Curtis present a seasonal luncheon. $75 including wines. 1pm. 362 Frankston-Flinders Road, Merricks. Phone 5989 8300.
Saturday, July 15-Sunday, July 16: Queensland Masterclass Weekend. Controversial British chef Gordon Ramsay heads a cast of nearly 50 overseas and Australian presenters. Others include Antoine Roland Billecart of Billecart-Salmon Champagne, wine man Len Evans, food writer Jill Dupleix, Stephanie Alexander and Melbourne chefs Donovan Cooke and Philippa Sibley-Cooke. $245 (one day), $440 (two days), with accommodation packages available. Brisbane Hilton. Phone (07) 3231 3231.
© 2000 The Age
