FB: How would you rate yourself as a cook?
JB: I like food. I’m an OK cook. I love to entertain. I don’t want to say yes, I’m an amazing, amazing cook, but I do love my food and I do love my wine.
FB: What is your signature dish?
JB: Caramelised carrot soup. I know that sounds a bit weird off the bat. It’s done in a pressure cooker and the carrots get all caramelised and it makes this most amazing soup.
FB: What is your favourite food?
JB: If I had to narrow it down … I love seafood, I love meat, I love desserts … I love everything. But cheese … it’s the thing where I go “I absolutely have to eat that right now.” Oysters as well!
FB: What is your favourite drink?
JB: I have been known to say that I only drink water or wine. I think my favourite would have to be champagne. I don’t have tea. I don’t have coffee. I don’t have any hot drinks. I don’t have soft drinks. I don’t have cordial.
FB: If you could only have one more meal, what would it be?
JB: If I had to pick my last meal on the planet, it would be really hard to just say one food. My favourite way of eating is a planned degustation that has matching wines as well.
FB: Which five people would you most like to invite to dinner?
JB: If I’m cooking, then just close friends, because then there’s no pressure. If I don’t have to worry about being under pressure … Rene Redzepi (Danish chef), Morgan Freeman (just for the voice alone – how would you not want to have that at your dinner table?), Anthony Bourdain (for what values he could bring to the table), Nigella Lawson (because she’s awesome) and Reese Witherspoon (because I love her!)
FB: What is your favourite TV food show and who is your favourite TV food person?
JB: I’m a massive fan of Top Chef. And I love Curtis Stone. At the races last year, I met him and thought “This is really, really cool.”
FB: Do you have a kitchen tip for us?
JB: Slow cooked egg in the sous vide machine. The traditional recipe for that takes an hour. Quite frankly, who has an hour to wait in the morning? There is a faster way. You set your (water temperature) to 75 degrees. You put the egg in whole for fourteen minutes. Run it under cold water and crack it open. It is the yummiest egg you could possibly imagine.
CHEESE PLEASE
It’s quite remarkable the number of Food Bytes guests who (just like Jane Bunn) list cheese as one of their all time favourite foods, and would much prefer to pick at a good cheese platter than order a dessert. But have you ever thought of making your own? There’s nothing quite as satisfying as handing around a mouth-watering selection of blue vein, havarti, feta or mozzarella and being able to say “I made that!”
Cheeselinks at Lara offers all the equipment you need to create delicious cheese and yoghurt in your own home.
Or if you’re after a fun family activity, Cheeselinks also hosts workshops, providing expert advice and guidance on how to make your own cheese. Get in touch with Janet at www.cheeselinks.com.au
As always, if you have any recipes, tips or other info you’d like to share, email me at sarah@howdypartnersmedia.com.au
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Cooking is one failure after another, and that’s how you finally learn” – Julia Child.
