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Culinary legend closing famous restaurant

<p>Australian chef and TV presenter Kylie Kwong is closing the doors of her famous restaurant after three years. </p> <p>The Sydney-based chef has been in the culinary industry for 30 years and is known for her unique blend of Cantonese cuisine and native Australian ingredients.</p> <p>Her restaurant, Lucky Kwong in South Eveleigh, will close on June 26, a tough decision that she had to make amid the high costs of running a business. </p> <p>“Everyone is feeling it. I have never seen the restaurant industry in such tough times as it is right now,” she told the <em>Sydney Morning Herald</em>. </p> <p>Despite this, Kwong said she was lucky to have been in the hospitality industry and that she plans to "relax and reflect" during her break from the restaurant business. </p> <p>"For all the many challenges that come with being in the hospitality industry, I consider myself fortunate for I have had far more positive experiences than negative," she said.</p> <p>Kwong opened her restaurant in 2021, after she shut the doors on her previous Sydney venue, Billy Kwong in 2019.</p> <p>She said that she also planned to further her work with charities focused on First Nations and multicultural communities, as she looks for more opportunities to  “amplify other people’s stories”. </p> <p>“I’ll still be very much connected to the food industry, but just I’ll be doing it in a different way,”  she told the<em> ABC</em>. </p> <p>She also announced that she's "hanging up my restaurateur hat" on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C7KkTNgSXw9/?img_index=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>, and thanked everyone who has supported her throughout this journey. </p> <p>Celebrity chefs, Nigella Lawson and Darren Robertson shared their well-wishes on her post. </p> <p>“I feel a pang knowing that the next time I come back to Sydney there won’t be your restaurant to make a beeline for, but I’m so happy for you to have the time to do what’s right for you,” Lawson said.</p> <p>Robertson said he had massive respect for her contribution to Australian food and added: “Now try and get some bloody rest before your next adventures!" </p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Food & Wine

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"Shattered hearts": Culinary world mourns tragic death of Jock Zonfrillo

<p>Jock Zonfrillo, celebrity chef and host of <em>Masterchef Australia</em>, has passed away at 46. </p> <p>The entertainment and culinary industries are in mourning - and the fate of the hit cooking competition in question - as friends, family, and fans try to come to terms with their tragic loss. </p> <p>The news was broken - and confirmed - with a statement from Zonfrillo’s family, who wrote of their devastation and “shattered hearts” as they faced life without him. </p> <p>"With completely shattered hearts and without knowing how we can possibly move through life without him, we are devastated to share that Jock passed away yesterday," they wrote.</p> <p>"So many words can describe him, so many stories can be told, but at this time we're too overwhelmed to put them into words.</p> <p>"For those who crossed his path, became his mate, or were lucky enough to be his family, keep this proud Scot in your hearts when you have your next whisky.</p> <p>"We implore you to please let us grieve privately as we find a way to navigate through this and find space on the other side to celebrate our irreplaceable husband, father, brother, son and friend."</p> <p>Zonfrillo’s body was reportedly discovered by police after they were called to a Carlton address at around 2am for a welfare check.</p> <p>It has been said that Zonfrillo had flown home early from a trip to Europe with his wife, Lauren, and their two young children - two-year-old Isla and five-year-old Alfie - ahead of the season 15<em> Masterchef Australia </em>launch. </p> <p>Production on the series had wrapped a month prior, and while it was set to premiere on May 1, it was delayed out of respect for their late host. </p> <p>Zonfrillo’s co-star and fellow celebrity chef Jamie Oliver was one of the first to take to social media to share his grief with supporters, posting a picture of the smiling <em>Masterchef</em> judging panel alongside the caption, “I’m in total shock to wake up to the sudden death of chef Jock Zonfrillo. </p> <p>“We had the best time working together for this year’s master chef, I can’t tell how good it was to work with him! Jock was very generous to me with his time and spirit in the show and for that I was really grateful … Jock will be so very missed”.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrsMZQislgH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrsMZQislgH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jamie Oliver (@jamieoliver)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Gordon Ramsay also turned to social media to pay tribute to his friend, writing of how he was “saddened by the devastating news of Jock Zonfrillo's passing … sending all my love to Lauren and the family in this difficult time”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Saddened by the devastating news of Jock Zonfrillo's passing. I truly enjoyed the time we spent together on MasterChef in Australia. Sending all my love to Lauren and the family in this difficult time Gx</p> <p>— Gordon Ramsay (@GordonRamsay) <a href="https://twitter.com/GordonRamsay/status/1652913279684190208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>Network 10 and Endemol Shine Australia also posted a heartfelt tribute on<em> Masterchef Australia</em>’s social media, writing that they were “deeply shocked and saddened at the sudden loss of Jock Zonfrillo, a beloved member of the <em>MasterChef </em>family.</p> <p>"Jock was known to Australians as a chef, best-selling author, philanthropist and <em>MasterChef</em> judge but he will be best remembered as a loving father, husband, brother and son.</p> <p>“Determined and talented and with plenty of grit, Jock was born in Glasgow to an Italian father and a Scottish mother, which meant his formative years were heavily influenced by two strong cultures and it was his obsession with food and desire for a new pushbike that at just 12 years old fuelled Jock to knock on kitchen doors looking for a job.</p> <p>“Jock’s love and passion for food saw him become one of the youngest culinary students to do an apprenticeship at The Turnberry Hotel at just 15 years of age.</p> <p>“From that point onwards there was no holding him back and by 17 he was working alongside Marco Pierre White at his eponymous Restaurant Marco Pierre White.</p> <p>“Throughout his career he worked with world famous chefs and in restaurants all over the world.</p> <p>“His talent saw him shine in the world’s most formidable kitchens and he opened Bistro Blackwood and Restaurant Orana in Adelaide after moving to Australia.</p> <p>“Jock’s charisma, wicked sense of humour, generosity, passion and love for food and his family cannot be measured. He will be greatly missed.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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10 cooking tricks that are only taught in culinary schools

<p><strong>How to get the perfect steak</strong></p> <p><span>If you’re one of the many people who takes a piece of meat out of the refrigerator or freezer and throws it directly on the barbecue, it’s time to learn the error of your ways. For the best-tasting steak, you’re much better off taking it out of the cold and letting it sit for an hour or two before bringing the heat. If you start cooking the steak when it’s already at room temperature, it will cook much more evenly. Yes, it’ll take longer, but the difference is worth it!</span></p> <p><strong>How to get delicious juicy meat</strong></p> <p><span>How are restaurant chefs able to get their chicken and pork chops to have that perfect delicious amount of juiciness? The answer is (fairly) simple: they brine it. Nope, brining’s not just for turkeys! Soaking the meat in cold salt water infuses it with rich flavour and a juicy texture even before you cook it. Brining also helps keep your chicken or pork from drying out and provides a safeguard against overcooking.</span></p> <p><strong>Don't be scared of salt</strong></p> <p>C<span>ulinary students learn pretty quickly not to be stingy with the salt. “For the first several months of school, I kept getting docked for serving under-seasoned food,” Culinary Institute of America graduate Jesse Szewczyk told BuzzFeed. If your food tastes bland, there’s a good chance it just needs more salt. If you’re hesitant to ramp up your salt addition, use this trick to avoid over-salting: garnish your creation with salt continuously as you cook, rather than salting it heavily at the beginning and/or the end. Sprinkle the salt from up high so that it will be evenly distributed throughout your dish.</span></p> <p><strong>Sugar makes a great seasoning</strong></p> <p><span>It’s not just for baked goods anymore. If you add a pinch (or three) of sugar to a recipe that uses tomatoes, you’ll notice a delicious difference. The sugar counteracts the natural sour taste of the tomatoes to create a rich, pleasant flavour. Szewczyk even noticed that adding a bit of sugar to a dish he was making with slightly out-of-season tomatoes made it “taste like it was made with perfectly ripe ones.”</span></p> <p><strong>How to produce a perfectly-shaped burger patty</strong></p> <p><span>This super-simple tip will help you step up your hamburger game – and it takes less than ten seconds. First, toss the patty down hard on your cutting board to force out the air bubbles. Then, press an indent into the center of the patty. These two simple actions prevent the patty from puffing up in the middle and create a nice, even burger. They also keep the burger from bubbling while you cook it.</span></p> <p><strong>How to prepare a clear broth</strong></p> <p><span>The trick to making the clearest – and tastiest – chicken broth involves lots of chicken and lots of patience. Take your chicken meat – and bones, if you’re using them – and cook them in a small amount of water (just enough to cover them) for at least three hours. Cook on a low heat, and make sure to skim off any suds that float to the top. This will make the stock clearer and tastier. Don’t add your vegetables right away, wait to add them after about an hour and a half to two hours. For the clearest broth possible, strain the liquid through cheesecloth.</span></p> <p><strong>A little olive oil goes a long way</strong></p> <p><span>What do pasta dishes, pizzas, fish dishes and meat dishes all have in common? Well, aside from being super delicious, they can all be enhanced with a dollop of olive oil. Many professional chefs, including culinary instructor Sydney Willcox, top off nearly all of their dishes with a sprinkling of this liquid gold. Make sure you’re using a good quality extra virgin olive oil, which will add a flavourful kick and “make for a silky finish,” Willcox promised StyleCaster.</span></p> <p><strong>How to cook a perfectly crusted fish</strong></p> <p><span>One word: heat. You can’t produce a perfectly seared piece of fish without a piping hot pan. “If you are looking for a sear, you need to bring on high levels of heat,” says Willcox. Willcox also warns against overcrowding the pan while searing; that could seriously diminish the heat and prevent your fish from developing that succulent brown crust. Keeping the pan nice and hot also prevents bits of the fish from sticking to the pan when you flip it over; when cold, the proteins in the fish are more likely to adhere to the metal.</span></p> <p><strong>The only reason to use non-stick pans</strong></p> <p><span>They sound good in theory, but non-stick pans really aren’t going to produce the best dishes. If you’re cooking anything that you want to develop some kind of crust – think meat or fish – avoid using your non-stick pan. “It’s a different kind of heat, with non-stick pans,” chef Amanda Cohen told BuzzFeed. “It’s not quite as hot, it doesn’t get things as crispy since it’s really protecting things from the heat underneath.” The non-stick coating acts as a barrier between the heat and your food, which can prevent it from developing that rich, crispy texture. Don’t toss your non-stick pan altogether, though – it’s still great for eggs, pancakes and French toast.</span></p> <p><strong>How to cook the tastiest pasta</strong></p> <p><span>Want restaurant-quality, flavourful pasta no matter what sauce you’re tossing it in? Before your pasta is fully cooked, transfer it into the sauce for the last few minutes of cooking. Doing this will help the pasta absorb the flavour and help the sauce cling to them better. If the sauce comes out too thick, add a little bit of the leftover pasta water until it reaches the texture you want.</span></p> <p><em>Written by <span>Meghan Jones</span>. This article first appeared in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/kitchen-tips/10-cooking-tricks-that-are-only-taught-in-culinary-schools" target="_blank">Reader’s Digest</a>. Find more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a rel="noopener" href="https://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA93V" target="_blank">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Tasmania — the gourmet island

<p>While food is always an important part of travel, in Tasmania it’s an integral enhancement of the visitor experience. People want to visit (or move to) Tasmania because it’s such a pristine environment with clean air and no overpopulation.</p> <p>Indeed, no matter where – or when – you go, any trip to Tassie will provide some great meals and lots of fresh local produce.</p> <p>In Hobart, the renowned Salamanca Markets that are held each Saturday is a good place to start your culinary adventure.</p> <p>Here you’ll find excellent fruits and vegetables that sadly aren’t the most suitable purchases for a visitor without a kitchen and a fridge. However, you’ll also find the famous Tasmanian leatherwood honey with its distinctive flavour.</p> <p>Go sightseeing and take in the remarkable recreation of Mawson’s Antarctica hut that stands just off the waterfront. Reading of Mawson’s privations (at one stage of his solo trek the soles of his feet fell off) may bring on the need for a strong drink.</p> <p>Fortunately, the Lark Distillery stands just next door. Tasmania is producing some of the world’s best whiskies and this is a good place to see which best suits your taste.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp5mIYLAt_E/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp5mIYLAt_E/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Lark Distillery (@larkdistillery)</a> on Nov 7, 2018 at 4:53pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>In Salamanca Square you’ll find the Tassal shop and here you can buy some Tasmanian farmed salmon packaged for travel. Smolt restaurant next door gives you a good sampling of Tasmania’s great new culinary scene.</p> <p>While in Hobart you may wish to head out to the beautiful old Cascade Brewery at the base of Mt Wellington. There’s a whole craft brewery scene in Tasmania too – and you could use the search for the perfect brew as the basis for a Tasmanian holiday.</p> <p>Even David Walsh’s challenging Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) was originally part of the Moorilla Winery, a pioneer in Tasmanian winemaking.</p> <p>Heading across to Strahan on the West Coast you’re really heading into the beguiling Tasmanian wilderness. Strahan is a small Tasmanian fishing community that resembles communities that existed elsewhere in Australia, before they were modernised and gentrified. Here the main street has a dock on one side, with fishing boats and tourist boats bobbing alongside, and Hamers Hotel on the other. I recommend you head over the hill to nearby Letts Bay where you’ll find what must be Australia’s most perfectly preserved fishing village. It’s a confusion of tiny shacks clustered along the coast with not a fence to be seen.</p> <p>Going north from there you can visit the beautiful alpine area of Cradle Mountain. The whole 161,000-hectare park is within the grand Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, but you don’t have to cover it all.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bssgxm1BZWi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bssgxm1BZWi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Stefan Bader (@schtiviesnaps)</a> on Jan 16, 2019 at 4:30am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The two best day walks is the circuit of Dove Lake, a two-hour circuit of alpine exploration under the spires of Cradle Mountain, or the hike up to the summit of Cradle Mountain, a good solid day of clambering over large rocks to a spectacular viewpoint.</p> <p>There are several excellent short walks, too. The walk through the rainforest to a waterfall from the visitor centre is wheelchair accessible. If you have less than an hour, take the Enchanted Walk – the boardwalk follows a stream, there’s a pretty waterfall and you have a chance of seeing wallabies and maybe a wombat. A slightly longer walk leads to beautiful Knyvet Falls.</p> <p>On the way from Cradle Mountain to Launceston you may wish to stop in at Hellyers Road Distillery near Burnie for a tasting of another great single malt whisky.</p> <p>Next you might like to visit Ashgrove Cheese at Elizabeth Town. A few years ago I developed a serious addiction to its wild wasabi cheese. The wasabi is grown locally and the leaves rather than the root are used so there’s a flavour of wasabi but not the heat. Seek it out.</p> <p>For something really special, seek out the products of Shima Wasabi that started near Launceston and now supplies the best restaurants across Australia.</p> <p>Likewise, Tasmania has a thriving truffle industry in the winter months. One of those who supplies Australia-wide is Perigord Truffles at Grove, south of Hobart.</p> <p>You might wish to save some space for a Boag’s beer in Launceston. The Tamar Valley north of Launceston has many vineyards supplying some of the best cold-climate wines in Australia.</p> <p>Bridestowe Lavender has been operating in Nabowla since 1922. Here you will have one of Tasmania’s – perhaps Australia’s – most unusual taste experiences. Choose between the lavender milkshake or the lavender ice-cream.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BspguHcAUOp/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BspguHcAUOp/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Sandy陳鎂 (@hurt_sandy)</a> on Jan 15, 2019 at 12:32am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>It’s often said that you should experience some countries, from Italy, India and France – even Ireland – through their cuisines. You can do that much closer to home by simply travelling across Bass Strait.</p> <p>What’s your favourite culinary highlight in Tasmania?</p> <p class="p1"><em>Written by David McGonigal. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/travel/tasmania-the-gourmet-island.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

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A look at Scotland's culinary history

<p>"We fry in bronze deodorised beef dripping," reads a laminated sign behind the counter at the Carron Fish Bar in Stonehaven on Scotland's east coast.</p> <p>It's unclear whether this is supposed to deter or encourage more custom, but on a bright Tuesday afternoon, the place could not be busier. About half of the people in there are tourists, tall Germanic types mostly, all of whom order the same thing. An almost perfectly spherical woman behind the till knows what they want before they've asked for it.</p> <p>Another laminated page – closer to the door, less grease-spattered – details the reason the Carron is never entirely quiet; in various fonts, at various sizes, it tells the tale of one of the most unfortunate moments in Scottish history.</p> <p>The story goes that in 1992 two schoolboys, daring each other to do something stupid, bet one another that they wouldn't eat something disgusting. In a moment of vile inspiration, one suggested a battered chocolate bar. The wager was accepted, the owners of the nearest chippie agreed to aid in the idiocy, and that was that – a new dish was born.</p> <p>"Ordered by John Twaddle, cooked by Evelyn Balgowan and eaten by Brian McDonald," reads the epitaph inside the Carron. "That is the true story of the deep-fried Mars bar."</p> <p>The national newspapers picked it up in 1995, before the internet had really taken hold, but something about the detail struck a major chord and the story became what we'd now call viral.</p> <p>Since then, the deep-fried Mars bar has become an unfortunate emblem of Scotland, a byword for unhealthy living and a rod with which to beat the entire nation. But the truth is, the deep-fried Mars was never that popular, and outside of the Carron, you'd be hard pushed to find it in many places today (even if molten chocolate and caramel with a salty exterior does sounds like something you might find on a fancy menu in a fancy restaurant).</p> <p>But nonetheless, it's what the  bar represents that's hard to justify and defend – especially when so many top chefs seem to be queuing up to praise Scottish produce.</p> <p>Take celebrated American chef Anthony Bourdain: "Scotland is, and deserves to be, a premiere site for enlightened tourism. It's beautiful. The food – particularly the game, the seafood and the cheese – is superb."</p> <p>He's not alone in that kind of praise. Television chef Michel Roux, years ago, was similarly effusive about Scottish produce, insisting that he used produce from Scotland whenever possible at his establishments in London. But he felt that Scottish chefs were let down by what they chose to do with those ingredients.</p> <p>"Perhaps Michel was trying to be a bit diplomatic but, while Scotland has always had amazing, world-class ingredients, we just didn't have enough good chefs," says Andrew Fairlie in his eponymous restaurant in Gleneagles Hotel in central Scotland. "But in the time since, the standard of cooking within Scotland has changed beyond all recognition.</p> <p>"You go to Edinburgh, and there are some fantastic restaurants at the top end, and now in the middle, too. Exciting things are happening in Glasgow as well."</p> <p>You could argue that more than anyone else in the country, Fairlie knows what he's talking about. As the only holder of two Michelin stars in Scotland (there are no restaurants with three) he is the nation's most decorated chef. Eat at his place and it's easy to believe that those are the best bites on offer anywhere in Old Caledonia.</p> <p>These days he has a 1.2-hectare walled garden with four full-time gardeners to grow as much as possible, not just locally, but on-site. Of course, there are still occasions when elements of dishes have to be imported – good luck growing the mango which pops up midway through the degustation menu anywhere in Scotland – but most ingredients are from within his country's borders.</p> <p>"I know that Tom makes a big thing of home-grown ingredients – from nature to plate – and that's been a great strapline for him, but without being cynical about it, I think that chefs should be doing that anyway, especially chefs in Scotland," says Fairlie. "There's no real excuse for going elsewhere."</p> <p>The Tom he's referring to is fellow Scottish chef and Michelin-star holder Tom Kitchin, whose hugely successful Edinburgh restaurants have seen him become the face of the nation's fare. While he tries not to let his television work get in the way of his restaurant – he appears regularly on BBC shows such as MasterChef and Saturday Kitchen – his profile has undoubtedly risen in the nine years since he opened his restaurant in the Leith area.</p> <p>Today it is a beacon for the best of Scottish produce and the meals are presented with a little map of Scotland showing from which part of the country each ingredient hails.</p> <p>"I'm very proud to be Scottish, but as a young chef I went away to learn from the masters," says Kitchin. "From travelling and working in France for many years, I came back and used the produce here, but my cooking techniques are heaped in traditional French gastronomy."</p> <p>Perhaps it's better not to look at Scotland as a finished dish, but as an enormous larder, one which more and more people are looking to raid. Ayrshire is renowned for its ham, Loch Fyne for its oysters, far-flung Stornoway for its black pudding. The salmon industry is the largest in Europe, worth more than $1.2 billion; the whisky industry is worth seven times that. Now, finally, punters and chefs alike are realising that it doesn't take an intergalactic leap of imagination to think beyond Mars.</p> <p>Written by John Golder. First appeared on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><em><strong>Stuff.co.nz.</strong></em></a></span></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/01/10-most-amazing-man-made-structures/">10 most amazing man-made structures</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/02/most-beautiful-churches-in-the-world/">10 beautiful churches you must see in person</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/01/strange-street-foods-from-around-the-world/">9 strange street foods from around the world</a></strong></span></em></p>

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