GRAM Magazine Issue 77 // Spring 2020

FOOD CULTURE. COMPILED. GRAMMAGAZINE.COM.AU VICTORIA • ISSUE 77

Welcome to the Spring 2020 issue of GRAM

So, in the true spirit of Spring, this edition is dedicated to green shoots and rebirth as we take a look into what’s happening GRAM

futile pining had been channelled instead into scrutiny on how the city came to be in what seemed to be a

CONTENTS PUBLISHER

STORY 1

EDITOR

What Matt did next

Matt Mitchell

STORY 2 The Art of the Table

CONTRIBUTORS Because one day all this will be behind us and we will all be together again,

STORY 3

Holly Earl Mariana Klinke

The rise of ultra-processed foods and why they’re really bad for our health

See you in Summer, and hopefully in person, Steph Monteith Matt

STORY 4 A Modern problem: Meals that travel, meals that don’t

EDITORIAL COORDINATORS Anderson Freitas Katherine Lundgren

STORY 5 Spicy and Full Bodied

DESIGN

STORY 6 7 spots that prove Hume is Victoria’s Kebab Capital

Jorge Kuriki

STORY 7

ADVERTISING

Pho-king good

STORY 8 CONTACT

Brazilian empadas are what you need

WEB

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WHAT MATT DID NEXT

BY MATT MITCHELL

Melbourne’s favourite Yorkshireman’s 2020 kick-off turned into an early-year kicking with the forced closure of his Crofter Dining Room & Bar, but it takes a lot to keep the indomitable Matt Wilkinson down.

There can possibly be no stronger salve for an avid grower than digging your hands into the rich basalt soils of Mornington through planting, nurture and harvest acts like iron to blood, After being winded by a virtual uppercut to the gut in February in Brunswick East after the collapse of MAdE Establishment, oxygen With Spring came a new venture with Montalto for the pioneer and cookbook writer and a renewed opportunity to work with its three-

process from Montalto will be very much led by what’s growing

and the Montalto estate kitchen gardens a burst with produce,

With a new Summer approaching after the painful slog of the last, Wilkinson can’t contain his excitement, or the sense of

The Montalto move is the perfect marriage for Wilkinson whose passion for vegetable-led menus has long underpinned

Montalto Estate

“The hardest thing from that was it was something that you

move by both of them,” he said, while making it clear he did not For Wilkinson it was more than not being paid for months of hard work, it was the colleagues and contacts he brought onboard

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kind of danger that she couldn’t out-run so, instead, she decided

the decorative painting, to follow the idea of making the plates

ED SLOANE

experience brings all those associations of peace and resilience

NAVI’S CHARGRILLED OCTOPUS, BUNYA CREAM, AND CAPE GOOSEBERRIES.

colours of the ceramic can even have an effect on appetite

able to serve my food artfully on my plates, on tables made by local and Australian designers alongside hand-blown glasses,

a real resurgence in artisanal and small-run tableware at the Forming tableware and art with her hands, albeit further north in Milawa, artist Melanie Eliades, through her Clay Beehive Studio, is equally committed to creating handcrafted ceramics

“There are a lot of elements to my food and it is of utmost in our home: a mixture of beautiful plates my parents took with them from France when they emigrated to Australia, right

front of someone in a way that they are forced, or encouraged,

BY STEPH MONTEITH

While the spotlight is almost always on the food, should we also pay more attention to mise en scene through the setting of the table? Take the time to stage your meals like the divas and stars

ED SLOANE

THE ART OF THE TABLE

JULIAN HILLS AT THE POTTERY WHEEL.

“The pace of modern life has taken a lot of the ceremony out

The colours of the ceramic can even have an effect on appetite

use dinnerware and decorations only when you have people over for dinner, let us show you how the meals we share on a

“By its nature tableware has always been mass produced to a degree, the first pottery wheel mechanised production as of production, and therefore the expendability of utilitarian “Fundamentally, though, the pottery that we eat and drink from

destinations, where diners are invited to approach his dishes can also be beautiful and add a touch of elegance to the table delivering your aesthetic: romantic, Provençal, rustic, vintage or into the stratosphere and leave your guests in awe of more than

every day is one of the closest relationships we have to design illustrious history and really holds a mirror up to us as human

“With the rise of the celebrity chefs, the industry started to

For Tomlinson, inspiration for creation can come from what’s around her, from the core of her heart and from the axis on

But how to set up the perfect table? Think beyond the rules how the community saw all craft as art and every person combination of tasty food with a beautiful composition of dishes the other – all masters in their field: the chef, the woodworker,

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was worrying a bit about the whole 2020 situation, told me about

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pieces of each pattern and make the combinations according to

The days when it was necessary to have a complete set of dinnerware, with all the pieces combining to set a beautiful table, colours, prints and shapes has become a way of expressing creativity Consider the different textures of earthenware and stoneware;

After all, when it comes down to it, your food is the soprano

CLAYBEEHIVE STUDIO’S, MELANIE ELIADES.

alongside some pottery mum bought from a few local potters,

More information Navi Nicole Tomlinson,

textures are directly inspired by seed pods and the amazing

Melanie Eliades,

NATURE, INCLUDING BUSHFIRES, SERVE AS THE INSPIRATION FOR ELIADES’ WORK.

in the centre of the table and each person being able to help food intolerances/allergies so everyone can safely eat knowing offer lots of little bowls for sauces/condiments for each guest Eliades said the first steps to introducing occasion to the

something like a large serving cake plate that can also double as a

Tomlinson agreed: “The addition of small bowls containing different elements or seasonings, or vessels containing sauces can make the

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THE RISE OF ULTRAPROCESSED FOODS AND WHY THEY’RE REALLY BAD FOR OUR HEALTH

AND YET, WE’RE EATING MORE AND MORE OF THEM

Where supermarkets don’t exist, other distribution strategies are

Sales are highest in rich countries like Australia, the United policymakers, making political donations, funding favourable countries like China, South Africa and Brazil, which are highly

HERE’S HOW THINGS CAN CHANGE ‘BIG FOOD’ IS DRIVING CONSUMPTION We also asked : what explains the global rise in ultra-processed food

The evidence that ultra-processed foods are harming our health

laws and regulations, for example by using taxation, marketing We cannot rely on industry-preferred responses such as product

However, it’s also clear “Big Food” corporations are driving ultra-processed food consumption globally — think Coca-Cola, Sales growth is lower in countries where such corporations

We’ve heard of processed foods and their impact on our overall health. But what about ultraprocessed foods? Well, there’s now more than

Further, simply telling individuals to “ be more responsible ” is unlikely to work, when Big Food spends billions every year Should dietary guidelines now strongly advise people to avoid ultra-processed foods? Brazil and other Latin American countries And for us as individuals the advice is simple — avoid ultra-

what they mean for your health; it’s potentially deadly.

As Big Food globalises, their advertising and promotion

of personal data online , companies can even target their

BY DEAKIN UNIVERSITY’S DR PHILLIP BAKER ,PROFESSOR MARK LAWRENCE AND DR PRISCILLA MACHADO.

Humans (and our ancestors) have been processing food for

First published in The Conversation.

Supermarkets are now spreading throughout the developing

ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS ARE HARMING OUR HEALTH

helped our ancestors to colonise diverse habitats, and then Many traditional foods used in cooking today are processed

ultra-processed foods in the diet associates with higher risks of obesity, heart disease and stroke, type-2 diabetes, cancer, frailty, These harms can be caused by the foods’ poor nutritional

Only much more recently has a different type of food processing emerged: one that is more extensive, and uses new chemical

Also, if you tend to eat more ultra-processed foods, it means you

certain food additives can disrupt our gut bacteria and trigger To make these foods, cheap ingredients such as starches, vegetable oils and sugars, are combined with cosmetic additives confectionery, mass-produced breads, snack foods, sweetened

we’re eating more of them than ever before, partially because of

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Certain features of ultra-processed foods also promote over-

food packaging generates much of the plastic waste that enters

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A MODERN PROBLEM: MEALS THAT TRAVEL, MEALS THAT DON’T

BY HOLLY EARL

LUCY LIU’S JENNA NORTH

at the table for an additional dinner companion and note how

Does fried chicken travel? Can sous vide suckling pig reach the super crispy stage from your own oven as you perform the vanilla stroke of completing the dish at home?

One of Melbourne’s most-loved chefs, Frank Camorra (Executive before, 2020 has provided simpler access for consumers to learn

that 2020 has seen the unveiling of exclusive high-end ingredients

HELP KEEP THE LIGHTS ON MOVIDA’S PAELLA CAN TAKE YOU ANYWHERE

GEELONG’S THE HOT CHICKEN PROJECT’S MEALS TRAVEL WELL… REALLY WELL.

People are craving what they are not able to get because the

standing, privileged relationships restaurants have with suppliers and producers to access the likes of Sher Wagyu Beef, Hiramasa Let professional kitchens do the hard work, Camorra suggested, “the idea is that then you complete it at home so you get some sort of resemblance of the food that you might have at the

delivery services are working, but love needs to be felt across

so it seals immediately and the chicken is actually steaming on

MOVIDA’S FRANK CAMORRA

now delivers burritos and quenching cocktails via Deliveroo,

out cuts that can be slow-cooked and those meals that you can

Hot meal delivery qualifies up until the point it leaves the restaurant kitchen, then the responsibility is on the delivery

TAKE ADVANTAGE Access to marinated premium meat cuts, restaurant-quality salads, at-home meals that feature ingredients such as saltbush

instructions so that once it reaches your kitchen, you can make an average mashed potato *ducks* – but when purchased

Avoid pasta (gluggy), hamburgers (go cold), cooked meat cuts (fancy a mouth coated with fat, anyone?), and dumplings

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crockery, and restaurant soundtrack? Dim the lights, light the

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BAKED KINKAWOOKA POT READY MUSSELS FROM EYRE PENINSULA SEAFOODS Ingredients 2 cups of water

3 tbsp grated parmesan

Salt and pepper

Instructions 1.

2 3. Heat up the pot with the water, when the water is boiling add the mussels, cover with a lid, and steam them for a couple 4.

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5. Mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper 6. Any mussels which have not opened prise open with a knife 7. When the mussels have cooled, remove one side of the shell, and 8. Spoon and press some of the breadcrumb mixture on top of

9. Bake the mussels for approx 5-7 minutes until gently golden on top and serve warm

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SPICY AND FULL BODIED

BY GWEN LUSCOMBE

Koerner, Blue Pyrenees Estate creates excellence from their

Dogrock winery has been recognised by James Halliday with

small batch, sustainably-produced, premium riesling, chardonnay, shiraz, grenache, tempranillo and cabernet sauvignon mostly

As a micro-climate region producing seriously bold wines, here’s shiraz made here for three generations, but for the added bonus of the onsite boutique distillery, Mrs Baker’s Still House located Peninsula for your next wine getaway, but fans of spicy reds in

Here the microclimate weather patterns of winter and early spring rain, paired with dry, hot summers result in a reduced risk of fungal

particular would be selling themselves short by overlooking the

During the colder months, their mulled wines, made with their own Smoking Bishop Syrup and with packed fresh spices, then

of into a small regioni including growers producing some of the best Lovers of a brawny, ripe Shiraz or crisp, fresh Sauvignon Blanc,

shiraz, cabernet, sangiovese, grenache, malbec, chardonnay and There’s also cycling trails and accommodation onsite for two

with the famous and equally rugged wine region between France you’re visiting in spring, you’ll be wowed by the bursting yellow For a small region, the Pyrenees produces some heavy-hitting wines with far more cellar doors and wineries than you might

WHERE TO SIP The region offers more than 20 cellar doors located within farm

More information Blue Pyrenees Estate

Book in for a weekend stay in nearby Avoca or Moonambel, about Dogrock Winery is that visitors to the Pyrenees are most often served by the winemakers and growers personally, as many of the popular

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right, the region’s Unearthed Wine and Food Festival each April

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Wimmera Hills Winery

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your pide-and-platter delivered, the grill-masters at One Stop Kebab are happy to oblige, with lamb cutlets, chicken shish

kebabs inside a Turkish pide - thicker than a Lebanese-style

meets-West, try Aitken Kebab and Cafe in Craigieburn (Sunday

meat is grilled on a skewer, wrapped in lavosh, and served with

or lamb tikka skewers are cooked fresh to order, all served with While you’re out grabbing a kebab-to-go, it’s still important to observe physical distancing, hand-sanitising and contact tracing measures taken by local traders for the wellbeing of staff and

7 SPOTS THAT PROVE HUME IS VICTORIA’S KEBAB CAPITAL

Searching for Victoria’s ultimate kebab? Something beyond that lacklustre CBD grease-fest to soak up your Saturday night out?

Katik

Aitken Kebab and Café Craigieburn

Kebab is, at a basic level, skewered meat that is roasted, usually

Reis’s Place

to the rotating doner and shawarma meats of your friendly HSP, on a platter than in a wrap - but many spots in Hume do both,

Coolaroo

One Stop Kebab style Adana kebab: spiced, sausage-shaped minced meat (usually lamb) grilled on a skewer, served with sides such as dips, salads owned spot takes pride in preparing everything fresh in-house,

BY STEPH MONTEITH

Sehzade Kebab and Bakehouse

Coolaroo

Al Tanoor Iraqi Restaurant

Roxy kebabs Coolaroo

doner, shish and kofte (like Adana, but more meatball than

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read other cookbooks, that they’re often missing the story about

KHANH’S KLADDAKA Ingredients 2 large eggs

he drew on nostalgia from his much-loved family and their experiences and recipes but, when he shifted into opening up “The chapters on sustainable dating were the most challenging

made me realise that it’s not always about cooking for a partner, it’s about cooking what you want to eat for how you feel at that

plus extra for dusting pinch of sea salt

for dusting (optional) thick cream, to serve blackberries, to serve

The phone cuts out twice in the space of a 20-minute call

Masterchef

PHO-KING GOOD

One of his most popular dishes on the series also plays a lead role sticky Swedish chocolate cake, is like hot Swedish royalty sliding

Method

When it came to including his recipe for beef pho in the book, “Um, the beef pho recipe was controversial and almost didn’t make it in because so many people have different views about

BY MATT MITCHELL

But make it in it did, along with 70 recipes from Vegemite dumplings to tamarind crab and designed in a style akin to his some pace going, both in step and mind, as he answers questions Food’ not only curates some of Khanh’s much-loved recipes, but

by inserting a wooden skewer into the centre and seeing if comes out with little

an interview and punch in an exercise hour at the same time?

Khanh’s the type who crams the max into his day and even more

Masterchef favourite who has

A Gay Guy’s Guide to Life, Love, Food

by Khanh Ong $34.99 (paperback) When you are ready to serve, lift the cake from the base of the springform

Plum/Pan Macmillan Australia

that not only curates some of his much-loved recipes, but also

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BRAZILIAN EMPADAS ARE WHAT YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW

BY MATT MITCHELL

We’re very family-focused so, when times get tough, we help Forget the soggy pastry casing and dubious filling of a servo A good pie holds its form as you tear through it, but a fabulous marriage of sauce and chunk and it should be diligently encased

before we learn about empadas, and where you can get them in Melbourne, we need to learn some background about Melbourne’s Empada Queen: chef from São Paulo, has reverted to the comfort of creating

“A couple of weeks before the pandemic reached Australia,

So help an amiga out and smash down an empada, or three, by ordering through @missfeelingspastry or email alessandrayou3@gmail.com Delivery is on Saturdays for a

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