Im going to make your tastebuds an offer they can’t refuse – New Class Dates

2014 Cooking and Baking Classes

2014 Cooking a Culture – Greece

Learn how to put together the perfect combination of vegetables, meat, fresh and dry herbs to make the most delicious Greek cuisine. At the end of class its time for “DINER” so get comfortable and enjoy everything you have made.

History, Culture and Cuisine of Real Greek Food from Asia Minor

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A: Cooking a Culture – Greece

Next Class:  (Code A)  February, Sunday, 16th from 3.00pm till 7.00pm

Next Class: (Code B) March, Sunday 30th from 3.00pm – 7.00pm

Next Class: (Code C) April, Sunday 27th from 9.30am – 3.30pm

Only 8 places available per class.

At: LG Kitchen, Shop 90, Cecil Street, South Melbourne Market

$180 per person

A: In this class you will learn to make:

*Meze (starter)

*Classic Greek Main

*Salads

*Dessert

*Please note that appropriate clothing must be worn at all times, including closed-toe footwear, preferably no loose garments or extra jewellery.

*Please do not make travel arrangements until your class has been confirmed. We do not offer refunds for classes once your payment has been processed.

*Please note participants must be 18 years of age or over.

*Class outline may be subject to change. 

2014 Celebrate with Cake I – Chocolate

2014 Baking Class will sure put a smile on any chocoholics face with these gorgeous cakes. WOW your friends and family make your special event a delicious celebration.

Make, Bake, Decorate and at the end of class “Take Home” a wonderful sample selection of everything you have made.

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D: Celebrate with Cake I – Chocolate

Next Class: (Code D)  May, Saturday the 3rd 9.30am – 3.30pm

Only 8 places available per class.

At: LG Kitchen, Shop 90, Cecil Street, South Melbourne Market

$180 per person

A: In this class you will learn to make:

*Chocolate Sacher Swiss Roll

*Chocolate Mud Cake

*Chocolate Caramel Brownies

*Chocolate Decorations, Frosting, Filling, Fresh Fruit decorating

*Please note that appropriate clothing must be worn at all times, including closed-toe footwear, preferably no loose garments or extra jewellery.

*Please do not make travel arrangements until your class has been confirmed. We do not offer refunds for classes once your payment has been processed.

*Please note participants must be 18 years of age or over.

*Class outline may be subject to change.

2014 Celebrate with Cake II – Party

2014 Baking Class will sure put a smile on everyones face with these gorgeous desserts. Learn to make layered cakes to wow your friends and family, make every special event a delicious delight to celebrate.

Make, Bake, Decorate and at the end of class “Take Home” a wonderful sample selection of everything you have made.

BOOK NOW!

E: Celebrate with Cake II – Party

Next Class: (Code E)  May, Sunday, 25th from 3.00pm till 7.00pm

Only 8 places available per class.

At: LG Kitchen, Shop 90, Cecil Street, South Melbourne Market

$180 per person

E: In this class you will learn to make:

*Layered Red Velvet Cake

*Chocolate Orange Checkerboard Cake

*French Lemon Drizzle Loaf with candied citrus

*Frosting, Fillings, Candied Citrus, Fresh Fruit decorating

*Please note that appropriate clothing must be worn at all times, including closed-toe footwear, preferably no loose garments or extra jewellery.

*Please do not make travel arrangements until your class has been confirmed. We do not offer refunds for classes once your payment has been processed.

*Please note participants must be 18 years of age or over.

*Class outline may be subject to change.

 2014 Baking with Passion – Bread

 

The smell of freshly baked bread, the crunch of crust and texture, it’s no wonder some countries consider it to be their cutlery and a meal without bread would be unheard of. Learn to make a variety of breads in your very own domestic oven.

Make, Bake and Enjoy. At the end of class “Take Home” a wonderful sample selection of everything you have made.

BOOK NOW!

Next Class: (Code F)  June, Sunday, 22nd from 9.30pm till 3.30pm

Next Class: (Code G)  June, Sunday, 29th from 9.30pm till 3.30pm

F: Baking with Passion – Bread I : Savoury

F: In this class you will learn to make:

*Free form loaf, Pizza Basses, Variety of Dinner Rolls, Filled Lattice Loaf

*Shape Dough

*Baking techniques

*Use commercial yeast and fresh yeast

*Use a variety of bread flour, seeds to enrich the dough

G: Baking with Passion – Bread II:  Sweet

G: In this class you will learn to make:

*Enriched Dough

*Sweet Yeast Braids

*Scrolls, Rosetts, Brioche

Only 8 places available per class.

At: LG Kitchen, Shop 90, Cecil Street, South Melbourne Market

$180 per person

*Please note that appropriate clothing must be worn at all times, including closed-toe footwear, preferably no loose garments or extra jewellery.

*Please do not make travel arrangements until your class has been confirmed. We do not offer refunds for classes once your payment has been processed.

*Please note participants must be 18 years of age or over.

*Class outline may be subject to change.

 Please email your preference for:

Class  A  Cooking a Culture – Greece on Sunday 16th of February 3.00pm – 7.00pm

Class  B  Cooking a Culture – Greece on Sunday 30th of March 3.00pm – 7.00pm

Class  C  Cooking a Culture – Greece on Sunday 27th of April 9.30am – 3.30pm

Class  D Celebrate with Cake I – Chocolate on Saturday the 3rd of May 9.30am – 3.30pm

Class  E Celebrate with Cake II – Party  on Sunday 25th of May 9.30am – 3.30pm

Class F Baking with Passion – Bread I – Savoury on Sunday 22nd of June 9.30am – 3.30pm

Class G Baking with Passion – Bread II – Sweet on Sunday 29th of June 9.30am – 3.30pm

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Thats a fine “Salad” you got me into!

Grilled Fish with Hummus and Bulgur Wheat Salad

Melbourne’s unpredictable weather or should I say seasons is a challenge at the best of times and thinking of what to cook can ultimately feel like a chore. This relatively simple salad has been my saving grace on numerous occasions from BBQ to simple lunches and informal dinners. Originally I made this salad as instructed by a friend with couscous and the best way to describe – Quick, Delicious and Versatile.

Now I can tell you have just looked at the list of ingredients and thought she has left out the couscous but my version of this salad has fine cracked bulgur wheat but if you would prefer couscous then that lovely too. What I love most about this salad, you can serve it with fish as you see in the pictures attached or chicken or red meat you can roll it up in a pitta/mountain bread add a few things like your favourite grated cheese and it makes a perfect vegetarian meal. I think the point Im making here is don’t hold back mix it up make it your own.

I have grilled some fish, made some home made hummus smeared it onto the grilled fish and topped it all with the salad, its a great combination a lovely mixture of flavours and textures.

Salad

Ingredients:

1 Brown Onion (finely diced)

1 Red Capsicum (Medium Dice)

1 Yellow Capsicum (Medium Dice)

1 cup Fine Bugler Wheat

1 cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock (Optional)

2 Tablespoons Toasted Pine Nuts

2 Tablespoons Parsley (finely sliced)

Salt and White Pepper

Method:

1: Place the stock in a pot and bring it to the boil. Place the fine bulgur wheat in a heat proof bowl and pour the hot stock over it. Cover the bowl with a lid and set aside. Check after 10 minutes and using a fork lift the grains to air out or fluff up! Taste the bulgur wheat it should be light not crunchy.  If it is crunchy still add 1/4 cup more boiling water and leave covered for a few more minutes to absorb the water.

2: Dry toast the pine nuts – just toss them into a dry frypan on medium heat and move them around till they have a little colour put them in a bowl and set aside.

3: Add a little butter to a frypan with the diced onion (medium to low heat). Add  the capsicum and saute them for a further 5 minutes till they have softened slightly.

4:  Add the pine nuts, sauteed onion and capsicum, parsley to the bulgur wheat mix well taste and season with salt and white pepper to taste.

I hope you all enjoy this salad as much as we do. Let me know if you have a magic salad combination of your own.

Cheers Maria 🙂

 

 

Good Bye 2013…..Hello 2014

It would be difficult not to look back at all the events of 2013 and wonder…..WOW how did all that happen?

Though the filming of “The Great Australian bake Off” was over a year ago now, 2013 truly was an amazing year, but it all started in 2012. No sooner did the new year begin when I received notification to be part of a taste test team for the “Australian Good Taste Magazine” in January, March and April. Not having ever entered any type of competition before June and July “Cook The Issue” was advertised, now I was cooking with gusto, writing up my take on recipes and taking photos of the food I had cooked. Posting photos on line and reading the amazing comments and meeting extraordinary home cooks along the way. I loved every minute of it. I was home cooking in my own kitchen over two months and 90 recipes later also equated to many cold dinners because unfortunately as I attempted to take the all important picture just before serving diner every time. I began a new facebook page and then my blog “Food from Home Blog” social media was all around me twitter was next.

The day of the cooking competition finals held in Sydney, I received a phone call. An invitation to my application to audition for “The Great Australian Bake Off”. I have to tell you all that I applied to be on the show as a favour to my dear cousin in law Patricia and now Im so glad I took her advice. After two auditions and a nervous wait filming began in November 2012. I feel like Ive entered the twilight zone Im going backwards just to go forwards….Hmmmm! After waiting almost seven months the show finally went to air in 2013, my phone went into meltdown as I didn’t tell any family or friends what I had been up to and the first commercial, which went to air on my birthday, caught everyone by surprise (and me) which I admit was fun listening and reading text of their reactions. With my nearest and dearest we all gathered at a local pub/restaurant to watch the first episode. The owners of the premisses had no idea why a large group of people were cheering and clapping while all gathered around watching a Baking Show! Now football they could understand, but this was cupcakes. Oh the confusion it must have caused. I even received messages that my home town in country South Australia was watching the show with fingers crossed.

As the weeks went by, I watched the person on TV, the other me! I felt the heartbreak and the joy all over again along with a few little anomalies which as time goes by you understand as “Some things make for good TV” little moments that Im sure never happened or did they? I was and always will be proud of every moment end every recipe I baked on the show. My three goals were met firstly 1: Don’t burn down he kitchen 2: Beat the clock and always have something lovely to present to the judges and 3: Get to the final three.  Getting into the final three was the pinnacle moment I could have walked away at that moment because I was happy. To everyone that wished I had won all I can say is thank you from the depth of my heart. I have always vowed not to over use this word but it has been a “JOURNEY” and I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people.

During 2013 I have judged at competitions, given talks, and answered your wonderful questions. I have demonstrated some of my slightly unorthodox baking methods and drawn amazing crowds at the Royal Melbourne Show and Cake Expos. Meeting Julie Goodwin, Marion Grasby and Anna- Maria from Planet Cakes and filming with Paul Mercurio and listened to their very valuable advice, were a few of the highlights, but the best is still yet to come. I was asked to make cakes for special charity events like “Red Cake Day” and support kids with cancer “Camp Quality”. I have even managed to enter a cake decorating competition and my prize is a meet and greet with one of Melbourne’s best pastry chefs Pierrick Bower at “Le Petit Gateau”.  I am teaching my very own baking classes, and baking at the local Cafe and loving every minute of it. Im on a quest with the “Band of Bakers Australia” to rediscover recipes and uncover flavour sensations from amazing home bakers, bringing together the baking community in the city and the country. Promoting the benefits of home economics taught as a subject at schools not just an elective a valuable life lesson not to be underestimated. Im looking forward to 2014 and looking forward to catching up with you all again. Cheers and Happy New Year to all the Home Bakers, Cooks and household restaurants Chefs everywhere. 🙂

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