Alinea, the book, is so modestly priced for the quality of the publication, and whilst it is superb it is not the design that is the most appealing. One hundred recipes written with the minutest detail and the most incredible generosity Achatz and his team open their recipes to other chefs and the general public to use as their own. True the food of Alinea might be beyond many home–cooks, but we know a number of obsessed home cooks who not only have the required equipment, but take great delight in executing dishes professionals might struggle with.
One of the difficulties with elements of molecular gastronomy has been that flavour has been sacrificed for appearance and curiosity but after having read Alinea with a fairly succinct knowledge of flavour profiles and cooking techniques it seems that taste overrides everything in their cooking. Mark McClusky p15 “Simply put, the great cooking at Alinea isn’t about the technology used to create it, no matter how formidable that technology is. It’s how these ingredients, techniques and equipment are used to intensify flavour. “The overriding aim at Alinea is purity of flavour” says Grant, “we like explosive tastes. We don’t dilute flavours period.” ” There are many things throughout the book that reinforce this belief. There is less sous–vide in the cooking at Alinea and it has to be appreciated that because of this they maintain better flavour profiles. Whilst we use sous–vide in many ways, we have come to believe that excessive sous–vide is often to the detriment of flavour and food temperature. In this book there are hundreds of things to appreciate, but the listing of the post–modern pantry, service ware and ingredients is an act of the most enormous openness and of course challenge to the reader and executor of their recipes. When everything is so painstakingly explained what excuse is left for not achieving a similar standard, there is simply no one left to blame.
Some of the combinations are vaguely 80s but since the rest of the world didn’t
live through the 80s in Australia when some chefs first took on ingredients from
Asia and used them in peculiar ways, a glance at current menus from the best
restaurants of America and France exhibit a degree of flavour profile experimentation
hitherto unseen on those menus. The idea of using eucalyptus oil (we have seen
it on many menus) sounds repulsive but of course until we’ve tried it for
ourselves we reserve judgemental as we doubt that Alinea would serve a dish that
didn’t work. We certainly hope to see a version of their Truffle Explosion
p20 on a menu somewhere in the coming month of the Italian truffle season in
Australia.
This wonderful book is not just for the food obsessed, it is for the art obsessed, the passionate and the imaginative, but most of all it is a celebration of the next generation of chefs and restaurateurs with a determination to be the best at their craft. It also poses the question what next for this brilliant, so young chef and his team?
Unbelievable generosity, absolutely brilliant, the most inspiring original food I have ever seen and we confidently predict that Achatz and Alinea will scoop the world’s best chef and restaurant for 2009.
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Community
December 1 — 6.00 pm till 7.30 pm
6th Annual Champagne tasting at The
Apothecary 1878
In alphabetical order Ashton Hills, Ayala, Billecart–Salmon, Bollinger, Bridgewater Mill, Clover Hill, Croser, Domaine Pichot, Dominique Portet, Gosset, Guerrieri Rizzardi, Hollick, Kreglinger, Louis Roederer, Nautilus Estate, Ninth Island, Padthaway Estate, Pizzini, Pol Roger, Stefano Lubiana, Taltarni, Taittinger, Ulithorne and Vallformosa
The tiny price of $58 AUD makes their annual tasting very well attended. download the booking form by clicking here
December 8, 7.00 pm
The second of Chloe’s Restaurant Chloe’s
Club dinners, Monday December 8, 7.00 pm $140 AUD per person food and especially
matched wines from their amazing cellar
click here to down load the menu and wines and booking form
We are happy to list special dinners in our newsletter, but reserve the
right to refuse unsuitable events. AO
Toying with opening a business in Shanghai or Beijing
If you are looking to establish a business in the food and wine
industry in Shanghai or Beijing you need to connect to established
businesses, with Chinese language and a relationship with people
on the ground, people with a long–term on the ground experience,
a massive contact base and a respected position. We know and
trust these people to deliver their promise and all have essential
market knowledge and between them cover all aspects.
Campbell Thompson, The Wine Republic
David Laris, Laris Creates
Simon Tan, The Wine Centre
Walter Zahner, walternative
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Marco Martinelli, alias Adelaide’s Mushroom Man has had some very
good Italian late Autumn white truffles and we are looking forward
to the first of winter truffles at the beginning of December.
South Australians wanting to pre–order a truffle for your Christmas
Turkey click here.
restaurant wholesale enquiries call 0400 189 303 (Australia)
We support our suppliers for their integrity. We need them to care as
much as we do, it makes the food we cook better. When you buy
your ham this Christmas support your local producers and, where
ever you are buy local
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