It’s been quite a while since the last time I updated this blog as I’ve been very hectic for the past 6 months or so in a new kitchen at Penny Garden in the Swan Valley in Perth.

Recently I’ve been getting inspired again to share some of my cooking adventures, as well as more recipes, cooking tips and maybe even some videos, after reading Matt Preston’s book, Cravat-A-Licious.  If you haven’t heard of Matt, he’s widely renowned as the world’s best food writer.  I haven’t looked into whether you can get the book online, so I don’t have any links I’m afraid, however I would highly recommend it as a great read if you love your food!

Pizza Experimentation Gone Horribly Wrong…

Wood-Fired Pizza Oven

So I decided to kick things back off again with a story of the most horrendous pizza creation I’ve made so far…

It was a cold Winter night in Melbourne at the Imperial Hotel on Bourke St.  More often than not this place was buzzing with activity, however on this particular night barely a soul could be found.  I think we did something ridiculous like only about 5 covers for the night, so the boredom led me towards experimentation.

You may be aware that recently I self-published a Pizzas And Parmas cookbook on Amazon, as I loved creating new toppings for both pizzas and chicken parmigianas, so on this night I decided to try combining my 2 loves in one meal.

I remember thinking about how it should work great, as the different elements of a traditional chicken parma, chicken, napoli sauce, ham and cheese, would all quite easily find a place on the pizza.

Boy, Was I Wrong!

Using plain chicken breast seemed too easy and boring, I wanted to know how an actual chicken schnitzel would go on my pizza.  I had the pizza base prepared and ready to go, with sauce, cheese and ham on top, all that was left to do was deep fry the schnitzel, cut it into pieces and add it on top.

Any time I decide to experiment, it usually draws a crowd of the staff, who had been standing around bored, so I now had an audience awaiting the results.  Funnily enough though no-one was brave enough to try the first piece, so I grabbed one and took a mouthful.

My first reaction was that it was ok, just a bit chewy, so this encouraged one or two others to pick up a slice and try it.  By the time I was ready to swallow though, it just didn’t seem to sit right with me in my mouth.  I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was wrong, so another mouthful was needed to confirm my feelings.

I don’t think I even managed to swallow this mouthful, and looking around to see the looks on the faces of the others that had tried it made us quickly decide that this pizza was only fit for the bin.

The Moral Of The Story…

I’ve had deep fried chips and gravy on a pizza, which turned out great, but my new rule of thumb is that deep frying meat and putting it on pizza will only leave you with disastrous results.  I reckon it might have something to do with effectively cooking it twice at high temperature, giving you a ‘tough as leather’ pizza.

Sadly, (or thankfully, depending on your point of view) there is no photographic evidence, as the pizza went into the bin pretty quickly.  We still had some time on our hands on this boring night however, so we washed down the terrible taste with some deep-fried Mars Bars.  I’ll save that story for next time…

Cooking involves the application of heat to foodstuffs. The basic object of cooking is to tenderize (or in the case of flour goods such as cake, to stabilize) food so that it will be easier to digest.

There are two other reasons for cooking food. One is related to taste and the physical aspects of eating and nourishment of the body; the other concerns social values related to the preparation and sharing of meals.

These are the foundations on which the attitude of the professional cook is built. Cookery, then, is not only concerned with tenderizing food but also with:

      Ø The creation of flavours through browning and combining different foods

      Ø The concentration of flavours by reduction through boiling or simmering

      Ø The absorption of flavours through long cooking or slow shallow-frying (sweating)

What marks out the professional cook is the ability to make food combinations into attractive, nourishing and appropriate meals for people, whether in hospitals, offices, motels or restaurants. Concern for cooking does not finish with the work at the stove, frier or steamer, but continues to the point where the meal is consumed. A cook must always be conscious of the expectations and needs of the patient, guest or customer.

By way of example, part of the cure for a patient in hospital is appropriate and well-prepared meals. Medicine is helpful, but people are considered only to be well when they do not need medicine and are eating a full diet.

In a restaurant, a customer may be celebrating an important occasion or hoping to impress a guest with the meal you have cooked. In hostels and institutions the meals represent home and the security that goes with it.

In a cafeteria, the plating of the meal and the recognition of the customer in the queue is just as important as the hours of work which have gone on beforehand.

The skill involved in cookery is not only concerned with recipes, but also with the ability to control the amount and intensity of heat applied to a wide range of foodstuffs. The teaching of professional cookery should emphasise this skill.

If the principles and methods of cookery can be mastered, any recipe can be prepared to an acceptable standard.