Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Taking Blue Ribbon to the Outback

Adelaide chef Abbas Ibrahim is on the road this week, cooking for participants in the amazing Variety Club Bash, which raises money for charity. Abbas has had the gig for the past 10 years, with his curry nights a very popular feature for the bash crew. But last night he tried something a little different - serving up a recipe from The Blue Ribbon Cookbook for dessert. Jean Evans's popular apple square recipe, from Uraidla, in the Adelaide Hills, was made for about 450 people attending a special dinner at The Painted Desert, about 90 kilometres north of Coober Pedy. Abbas had help from fellow chef, Chris, at Woodbake in Stirling, who made the squares. When he isnt cooking for the bash, Abbas runs two take-away Indian food businesses under the name indis, at Crafers and Glenside.

Monday, August 10, 2009

And from London to Texas... and barbecue


Life is nothing if not diverse for Liz. Apart from being an author, she also works as a journalist and communicator within the rural sector in Australia, and represents the country on the executive of the International Federation for Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) which brings together the world's rural press clubs and professional guilds for media and communicators who specialise in food and agriculture. The IFAJ has just held its annual congress in Texas, where Liz got to try barbecue - Texas style. The cook responsible was Sam, who actually works as a cowboy on a nearby ranch. The barbecue beef was a treat, served with a rich potato salad made with mustard and real home-made beans in a smokey barbecue sauce.