Living with bees

It's strange to think that winter is almost here. I'm secretly still hoping for summer to wake me up one morning and take me by surprise. Locked away in a sweaty restaurant kitchen, I think I somehow let the entire season pass by without realising and already we're nearing the end of another chilly Sydney autumn. Rust-coloured leaves are collecting underfoot and bees are getting ready to hunker down in their hives until spring.

I can't wait for spring. This year could be the one to welcome bees into the backyard! I finally made it to the natural beekeeping course run by Milkwood Permaculture in Alexandria, Sydney over a weekend with Tim Malfroy. Backyard beekeeping looks like a challenge but one that I think I'm ready for!

For Primary Production I had to choose an Australian agricultural industry and write a report about current issues and how it relates to the larger industry on a global scale. Having read a few articles about Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) leading to mysterious disappearances and endemic rate of bee deaths worldwide, my topic of choice was an almost instantaneous decision.

Imagine a world without bees. 80 percent of all flowering plants rely on insect pollination of which bees play an integral role. One book that I read (I think it may have been written by Eva Crane) identified 177 different crops of which rely on insect pollination for harvest, and another 60 or so that rely on insect pollination to produce seed and reproduce.

It's really scary to think that small and sometimes innocuous actions by us can have vast and far-reaching consequences, some of which we're probably not even aware of yet. Spraying plants with chemicals is a huge no-no that has somehow managed to become normalised over the last 50 years or so.

It's just amazing to think that people used to cover candy with vibrant lead paint. They had no idea of the health consequences because science at the time was not developed enough to detect every ill effect. We scorn the idiocy of mankind in its primitive state and yet we do the very same thing today. We douse our food, the soil and insects that we need for plants to continue thriving with all sorts of toxic concoctions without completely understanding what the hell we're doing to ourselves.

Imidacloprid is just one example of the latest variety of insecticide made available in Australia. The insecticide has been banned in four European countries since 2005 but we've seem to become so blase about chemical usage that we just don't give a shit. The systemic pesticide leaches into the soil where it stays for up to 3 years after a single spray application. It enters plants through the roots and travels to every part making leaves, stems, petals, seeds, pollen and nectar toxic. It kills bees on contact and it has been said that bees have died after drinking rainwater droplets on the leaf of an affected plant.

Neonicotinoids like imidacloprid cause nervous system disorders in people, disorientation or death in bees, paralysis in birds (perhaps this explains the mysterious phenomenon of birds falling from the sky in huge numbers), liver dysfunction in dogs and a hoard of other complications. Strange then that we're spraying the stuff on everything from stone fruit to vegetables, ornamental plants and turf.

We're quite lucky in the fact that CCD has not affected Australia with the same level of destruction as seen in Europe and the United States. This could possibly be due to the lack of varroa mite (a deadly blood-sucking insect that can transfer disease and weaken bees) in Australia so far but most beekeepers fear that it is only a matter of time before it catches up with us.

If we want to give our bees the best chance at survival now and far into the future, we need to think about the effects that our everyday actions have on the nation's primary pollinators. There are so many different pest control methods that don't require synthetic chemicals at all like beer snail-catchers, soap mite sprays and simple water+molasses concoctions that wipe out caterpillars by altering their osmosis gradient through sugar and water.

When spring comes around I'll be introducing a hive of bees into my backyard (fingers crossed). They'll help pollinate your fruit, flowers, vegetables and hopefully make lots of delicious, natural honey that I can share with you, my friends; so I ask that you help me to keep them healthy and safe. The next time you're outside in the garden and you pick up that spray.. Please think about the bees.

 see more photos of natural beekeeping here..

Bloggers & beef assiettes

It never ceases to amaze me how lucky we are in Australia. Despite the continent being one of the driest in the world, facing a constant uphill battle with wildly unpredictable weather; we still somehow manage to produce beef that is so damn good that there's enormous demand for it in over 100 countries worldwide.

We're the second largest exporter of beef after Brazil where cattle feed on GM soybeans and are linked to a myriad of issues stemming from deforestation of the Amazon and deformities caused by heavy pesticide use. In contrast, our industry is so heavily regulated that every single animal bred for the dinner table can be traced back to its grassroots, which for us means integrity and quality of produce. Strict quarantine measures also ensure that Aussie beef is free from scary derivatives of spongiform encephalopathies like 'mad cow' disease.

Before this beef dego I had absolutely no idea what it is that Meat & Livestock Australia does aside from publishing 'Chef's Special' and facilitating intercollegial meat judging with uni kids. As I've since discovered, they actually fund a lot of research and development projects geared towards improving grazing methods, animal welfare and sustainability. During dinner I also learned that grain-fed cattle eat loads of legume 'grains' like field peas and fava beans which all assist in nitrogen fixation, improving the soil without chemical fertilisers. A lot of the C4 grasses with increased efficiency for carbon sequestration like maize and sorghum which I mentioned in my last post, funnily enough, also come under 'grains' so although I still prefer grass-fed beef in terms of energy input and overall sustainability, I don't feel quite as guilty about eating Australian grain-fed beef anymore.  

Unless you've been living under a metaphorical rock, you will know that red meat is good for the body's iron levels. Haem iron to be exact - the little cells that improve oxygen transportation through the blood. It really makes me wonder about the level of improvement when I'm tramping through dense undergrowth in the Hawkesbury after consuming nine courses of beef and there are six humongous killer leeches swinging from my ankles. We'll not mention the part about me screaming like a sissy, but anyway.. Aussie beef is not only healthy but it is an incredibly versatile ingredient too! The MLA degustation really highlighted different cooking methods and a wide array of matching flavour combinations that I never would have thought of.

To get the most tender result when using different cuts of beef, it's important to remember how collagen and elastin (the silvery sinew) react with heat. With long and slow braising, collagen breaks down into delicious gelatinous stuff (my favourite bits!) whereas any heat makes sinew become tough so it should be removed first.

Recipes can be found at corresponding blogs and more. Hopefully you'll be inspired to try creating some of these mouthwatering dishes at home!

First up from Sarah of Taste was a rich and comforting 'Beef and ale pie'. Crisp and buttery puff pastry concealed slow-braised beef shin, celery and caramelised carrot, melded for hours with the rich and malty, full-bodied virtues of Guinness.. I could go another one right now..
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Anna's (Morsels and Musings) 'Achiote and tequila cured beef knuckle with pozole rojo' was cured for 24 hours in sugar and tequila then poached for 30 minutes at 100ºC. It reminded me of the corned beef sandwiches of my childhood but in this case with pointedly Mexican flair. Avocado, corn, tomato and baby coriander were laden over the cured beef, dotted with pozole and a wistful hint of smokiness.



'Seared sirloin, buttered roots, horseradish and wakame' by Aficionado (that's me!). The sirloin was cooked sous-vide (vacuum sealed and poached in a water bath), seared and served alongside baby beets poached in butter and dashi, pickled radish and celery, enoki mushrooms, daikon jelly, wakame seaweed, horseradish and fried lotus. Simple, clean, seasonal flavours, a flirtatious integration of textures and totally fantastic (being completely objective of course).

Warren's contribution of 'Thai beef salad with mint, peanuts and chilli dressing' made use of the flat meats coupled with cucumber 'spaghetti', tomato, chilli, peanut caramel (made with roasted peanuts and palm sugar) and tiny cubes of intense lemongrass jelly. A very robust, deconstructed adaptation of the traditional.

Ellie of Almost Bourdain created a hawker dish of 'Beef satay with spicy peanut sauce, rice cake and herb salad', unlike any satay I've ever had. Ridiculously tender marinated rump was served with compressed rice rolled in toasted coconut alongside a surprisingly irresistible salad of betel leaf and was a real eye-opener to the world of Asian cuisine that I've still yet to experience. I have no idea what betel leaf is but I've since decided that I'm going to find a way to grow it so I can have it every single day of the week.

From Fouad came 'Scotch fillet with moghrabiyeh', seared first then cooked sous-vide. Moghrabiyeh I learned, is a type of Lebanese couscous which was paired with chickpeas, carrot puree, pickled carrot, saffron-poached onion, beurre blanc, cumin, cardamom and caraway. Rich, smooth and creamy countered with just a hint of acidity for balance.

Trina the Gourmet Forager had a hand in creating this 'Pulled beef and pine mushroom cannelloni'. The chuck was wet-roasted for three to four hours with red wine, beef stock and dried mushrooms for intensity of flavour before being pulled apart and rolled in delicate sheets of pasta. Speck was added to the reduction to impart an element of smokiness and pine mushrooms roasted with garlic butter and oregano. Reminiscing about this dish, I can almost imagine the perfect setting by the edge of a woodland forest - a chequered picnic blanket spread amongst a sea of wildflowers, sipping on a lusty red and licking mushroom cream from my fingers under falling light..

Ex-chef and experienced foodie Rebecca of Inside Cuisine incorporated 'Braised beef in coffee with brandied cumquats and onion milk'. The blade was cooked for eighteen hours at 63ºC and wet-roasted to create a coffee 'crust', wrapped in a croustillant of brik pastry and shoestring potatoes for a juxtaposing textural crunch, and dished up with tantalisingly sweet and nutmeg-y onion soubise.

The Internet Chef - Bridget's 'Slow braised brisket with cauliflower cream and Pedro Ximenez muscatels' drew immediate parallels with a dish of braised beef cheek with unbelievably smooth and creamy cauliflower puree that I tried at Movida last year. Braised, pressed and glazed, it wasn't quite as soft and gelatinous as Frank Camorra's, but undulating bursts of sweetness and acidity from plump PX-soaked raisins countered with a crunchy dissection of pickled cauliflower elevated Bridget's dish to another level. If I wasn't in full-view I'd have no qualms about licking my plate squeaky clean.

This was the most disappointing dish of the night: Soren's 'Citrus terrine with yoghurt sorbet and poached rhubarb'. Yes it was tasty, refreshing, super delicious, palate-cleansing, tasty, did I mention it was damn tasty? But I was left with a gaping question.

Where's the bloody beef?

Many thanks to Meat & Livestock Australia, Hausmann Communications, Alison McIntosh, Anthony Puharich, Warren Turnbull and the awesome team at Assiette for making this event happen! :)

 see more photos of the night here..

Grilling the producer

A few weeks ago, I was invited (along with 7 other food bloggers) to participate in designing a dish to showcase Australian beef in a degustation dinner at Warren Turnbull's restaurant Assiette. I'll admit to feeling apprehensive at first. I was excited, a little shocked, and I wasn't sure what to expect or whether I'd be able to juggle yet another commitment. In the end I agreed of course. Who in their right mind would turn down an opportunity to coordinate a dish with one of Sydney's top chefs?

The concept of the dinner sponsored by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), is from 'paddock to plate' and the recipe that I spent last weekend tinkering with was a very simple, unadulterated one. Seared sirloin with butter-poached veg, pickled celery, horseradish and dashi.

I'm no master chef so it'll be interesting to see how Warren transforms my idea into something restaurant-worthy. If I could fish my hat out of the washing machine, I'd put it on and take it off to him. I have no idea how he designs such visually aesthetic dishes at his restaurant. As a chef, I find working with the components and constraints of someone else's recipe much easier. When let loose with no limitations how does one decide which direction to go in? I only spent a week in the library, poring over ancient cookery books and pulling my hair out, searching for some form of inspiration, yet this is something that Warren does on a regular, seasonal basis!

This upcoming event is both exciting and nerve-wracking. The guestlist includes Alison McIntosh, championed cattle producer; Anthony Puharich of Vic's Meat (leading national supplier) and Victor Churchill (possibly the best butcher shop in the entire Southern Hemisphere); and of course, a handful of wonderful people from MLA and Hausmann.

Having worked for Kylie Kwong who is a firm advocate of organic and biodynamic produce, I'm familiar with the ways in which chefs and suppliers approach the issue of food sustainability. Sydney Fish Market, for example, will not facilitate the sale of unsustainable seafood such as bluefin tuna, which has been overfished to such an extent that it is now classified as an endangered species.

Warren says: "Chefs are, and have always been, very resourceful in using every single last bit of produce they bring to the kitchen," which in isolation may not seem like much, but is in fact incredibly important. I visited a dairy farm this morning and learned that to feed the 2,000 resident Jersey cows, it takes over 20,000 acres of land. Imagine if everyone in Australia only ate steaks. Now imagine the waste it would create. Farmers would have to keep up with demand by increasing productivity through more intensive farming practices.

There are a few debates centred around beef - free-range versus non-grazing, grass-fed versus grain, etc. Interestingly, 3% of plants worldwide exhibit C4 photosynthesis which in layman's terms, means that they transpire less water and are more effective than other plants in carbon sequestration. Roughly half are grasses (including maize, millet, and sorghum) and contribute to 20-25% of primary production. So in a sense, by choosing locally produced grass-fed beef (over grain-fed), we're encouraging farmers to maintain agricultural carbon sinks in Australia.

I don't know much about the beef industry so I shot Alison a few questions to find out more:


1. What is your view of food sustainability in Australia - Is sustainable agriculture something that we should be concerned with?

Yes, we definitely need to be concerned with food sustainability and food security, which is, of course, directly related to sustainable agriculture. As an Australian farming family, our livelihood and our future depends on the sustainability of our farm. For us, sustainable agriculture means that we are able to produce good quality wholesome food for which we are paid a fair price, which in turn enables us to invest in improving the health of the environment on and around our farm. With sustainable agriculture, we will be able to have food sustainability and provide food security for Australians, and overseas markets. The Australian beef industry exports around two thirds of all beef produced - our markets want a safe, healthy product that has been produced in a healthy environment. With issues of climate change we need to be continually looking for more efficient systems of farming.

2. Have your views influenced the way your business operates?

Yes, we are certainly concerned with land sustainability and how we farm, this has evolved into the way we produce our cattle, and practices on farm have certainly changed a lot from the time my grandfather and great grandfather farmed here. For us, it's all about producing the highest quality beef that we can, naturally and sustainably, while maintaining and looking after our land. We also try to remain very much in touch with what our consumers and the market are wanting - and that is healthy food!!!

3. Are there any aspects that could be improved upon for the industry in general to become more sustainable? What are the obstacles?

Yes, our agricultural industries certainly have challenges ahead, and scientists and industry are continually working on these issues, but we certainly need to look at climate change, water efficiency and the like. Farmers are managers of Australia's land and we are producers of world food - it's a big job and a big responsibility - and we certainly need to be continually improving. There are so many variables and unknowns we face working in agriculture and these will always be our biggest challenges - climate, seasons, consumer demands, competition from other products, economy, cost of production and a whole lot more.

4. What can the average consumer do to support positive change in the industry?

The average consumer can be more aware of the food products they are buying, and can support Australian produce, by buying local produce. With this support farmers will be in a better position to continue to adopt change and meet the needs of the market. Just by understanding and educating themselves about Australian agriculture and food production I think consumers are better able to relate and understand how farmers produce food.

I think more should be taught in schools so that Australian children grow up knowing 'where their food comes from' and more about the systems that are used to produce it. Urban children particularly I think are unaware of agricultural systems and food production - they need to know that beef doesn't come from a pack.......!!

5. What is your favourite way(s) to enjoy beef?

For me, I don't think you can beat a good sirloin steak, cooked just to medium on the BBQ, with a little mustard and a good green leaf salad!

All eight blogger dishes will be revealed at dinner this coming Monday night so stay tuned to find out more. For the moment, Alison's words provide us with a concept that we could all do well by mulling over for a while. To propagate change we need to invest in what we believe, and support those who are the backbone of the movement towards a better future.

Hello Hawkesbury

G'day from the outback!

I'm just kidding.. I did see a kangaroo at the train station last week but the Hawkesbury campus isn't that far.. Five weeks into the first semester and things are going swimmingly well. Despite 'Biology A' being perhaps more than just a little overwhelming (there are so many goddamn words and concepts to remember), I'm enjoying my course. I've met some very interesting and passionate people, teachers and students alike.

'Primary Production' practicals make Fridays the days that I look forward to the most. I've traded in my chef knife for a grafting knife and (fingers crossed) when Spring comes around, I'll be posting photos of finger lime buds shooting out of lemon rootstock! Aside from grafting, we've been learning about planting mediums, various methods of propagation, the importance of soil structure, etc. which we then get to apply out in the field.

Our plot (our = Roi + I) no. 11 contains bok choy, choy sum, pak choi, kohl rabi, basil, onion, chives; and also beetroot, silverbeet and celeriac (although I'm wondering if/when these will sprout). I couldn't help myself and interplanted the entire bed with snake beans, which we built a trellis for last week. When faced with a big box of open seed packets, I can't resist filling any extra space in our plot with as many bizarre plants as I can find. Roi is lovely for putting up with me! :b

Unfortunately I can't quite seem to work up the same excitement over canteen food. A caesar salad contains 38 grams of fat. Salad can make you fat. In comparison, McDonalds really is a healthy choice. Who would have thought. No wonder we're facing a bloody obesity epidemic.

Last night I discovered a packet of chickpeas that I'd launched into the darkest corner of the pantry oh.. probably 6 months ago. Anyway I thought it was about time that I cooked them so I tipped some into a bowl and left them soaking overnight. During a very boring lecture, I found a random recipe online for chickpea patties containing peanut butter and whole bunch of other terrifyingly fattening things which I omitted since I now have this grand idea of eating healthy. Or at least healthier.

No more fat salads for me thank you.


Chickpea & Pumpkin Patties

425 g cooked chickpeas, drained well
22 g parsley leaves
75 g breadcrumbs
1 egg
250 g pumpkin, diced
2 garlic cloves
120 g onion, finely diced
10 g olive oil
6 g sweet paprika
5 g ground cumin
115 g greek yoghurt
4 g lemon juice
1/2 cup plain flour for dusting

Bring pumpkin and garlic to the boil in a pan with water.
Simmer until cooked through.
Strain and cool.
Heat olive oil in a pan.
Add diced onion and a pinch of salt.
Sweat over medium heat (the onion, not you) until cooked through.
Add paprika and cumin.
Toast spices for a minute until fragrant.
Remove from heat and cool.
Throw the chickpeas, parsley, breadcrumbs, egg and garlic into a food processor and pulse until it binds together (a few whole chickpeas here and there doesn't matter).
Gently stir through pumpkin and onion.
Form into as many patties as you like, keeping them about 2.5 cm thick. (The thinner you make your patties, the more you increase the likelihood of them falling to bits before they reach the pan. You could even shape them into balls and then flatten them in the pan afterwards, although the sides won't be nearly as neat.)
Dredge both sides in flour.
Pan fry over medium heat (give them a gentle press with a spatula to maximise surface contact) with a little oil for 3 mins each side.

Stir together the yoghurt and lemon juice.

Season and serve.