SAD NEWS FOR SUPERLATIVE SERVICE Fire Sizzle & Sear: The Thrill of the American Grill An insight into the history of Feasts, Fasts, Famines and Fads! 8. Restaurants Cafes & Fast Food
SAD NEWS FOR SUPERLATIVE SERVICE
By Susanne Wilder
Quality and consistent culinary delivery may well be affected soon with history repeating itself in the next mining boom. Déjà vue of the dire straits Perth was in before with unavailable staff raises its horrid head from the shallow muddy pool of foodservice workers. In point of fact, now according to Chris Arrell of Hospitality Total Services there plain is no pool of properly trained staff to draw from. “We lack trained staff and we lie about wanting to train more and those we do train we don’t train enough so we and the government need to put more resource into training correctly and to suit the industry...” And of course, it’s the customer who suffers the poor service. So now that more will be revealed below one can perhaps be more patient.
Even in the global train wreck of greed slamming into economic collapse, Perth has fared well compared to other states and continents. Western Australia has long held up the other states with its mining and exports and to some the rape of Mother Earth. Weren’t we supposed to be the stewards of our planet?
"We must all become caretakers of the Earth."
---- Haida Gwaii Traditional Circle of Elders
Mother Earth is the source of all life. We should not only be concerned about the part of the Earth we live on, but we should be concerned about the parts of the Earth that other people live on. The Earth is one great whole. The trees in Brazil generate the air in the Untied States. If the trees are cut in Brazil, it affects the air that all people breathe. Every person needs to conscientiously think about how they respect the Earth. Do we dump our garbage out of the car? Do we poison the water? Do we poison the air? Am I taking on the responsibility of being a caretaker of the Earth?
Great Spirit, today, I will be aware of the Earth. I will be responsible.
However our cafe society has thrived in comparison to many cities in Oz and overseas.
There are over 20,000 workers needed in Hospitality over this next financial year and more than 50,000 already working in foodservice in Western Australia alone. Cooks especially have always been needed in the entire country. Our government has decided on an immigration change to lower the numbers of skilled migration hospitality workers. This will damage not only the food and service but our over-all International reputation.
An effective idea was put forward to allow 6-12 month working visas for short term hospitality staff. They could share their culinary culture and return home with added skills. The immigration minister rejected it out of hand with no reasons.
The newest great idea was just in the media a few weeks ago. “Send anyone under 30 and on the dole to the mines. Get them to work in the hospitality industry,” says Tony Abbot. Alrighty! Just what we need more unmotivated, untrained dole louts in our industry. Culinary courses at TAFE and other schools have plummeted to less than half. Many restaurants now have to close 1 or 2 days a week or only serve lunch or perhaps just dinner, so as not to burn out their staff.
On a positive note, gourmet foodie numbers are up at Upper Crust cooking school, over the entire range of cooking classes, according to owner, Gabriel Zahra. Even the kid’s summer camp for fledgling chef- ling’s is growing and popular. Of course these folks are not interested or ready to work 100 hours per week. One sad saying I’ve often heard is the fastest way to lose your passion for cooking is to become a chef.
Compass Group who has done no recruiting in the 2009 now needs 1000 more hospitality workers by July. Chefs have been poached in the past at Perth restaurants for the mines and oil rigs from our local restaurants. According to Bradley Woods, CEO of the Australian Hotels Association, “Chefs do remain the target of the mining and resources sector. Industry consistently reports staff losses due to being lured by the mining and resources industries. Things do remain tight and are predicted to get worse as the demand for staff continues.”
From a chefs point of view it could mean 20K more a year with a week off and back home, rather than working 6 days a week. However between the travel time and long hours each day producing basic volume foods, the hourly fee is considerably less. Then if the quality of living is considered it could be a life sentence rather than a life. Hello little donga! Alas, some uncultivated men return even more feral from living up there. Every chef and cook I queried over the last month, both male and female were not interested in leaving this superb life- style in Perth even for more of the ‘dosh.’
In talking with a few owners of my favourite cafes poaching or poor service was not an issue. Both White Salt and Spinnaker’s Cafe operate on many of the same principles. They take care of their employees, pay staff more than the award rate, have regular team and training meetings, treat them like family and keep their same staff for years. Both their food is reasonably priced, 90% made in-house with fresh local ingredients and their location couldn’t be better if you love the beach. White Salt has won many customer service awards. Owner, Claire Leech says, “We hire likeable people-person staff for the front of the house. This is an innate talent and a natural charm.”
Customer service can be done and to a stellar level from both back and front of the house, cooks to servers. Quinlan’s gives hospitality students practice in a real environment in Fremantle. Now they will have the ‘industry’ experience and sustainability is a core cultural value that is linked to training practices and technology. This is a cutting edge new program.
Finally, on a great adventure, Chris Arrell shares a success story. “We recently stayed at a Kimberley Coastal Camp in the Kimberley’s Australia. We were served from when we woke up until we went to bed breakfast, morning tea on the boat, lunch, afternoon tea on the boat or bushwalking for rock art, dinner, after dinner there were 9 guests and 3 staff (not including the 2 fishing guides). This story must be told as it proves that service can be achieved and the outcome was ecstasy to say the least. The staff served, cooked, laughed, sang and served again. Australia, go have a look and learn how to get back to the basic principals of hospitality.
WELCOME – FUN – ADVENTURE - PRODUCT – AMBIENCE & MOST OF ALL –
SERVICE -- all achieved in the Kimberley’s. Okay, now I want to go too!
BIOGRAPHY
Susanne E. Wilder, CFE is a Home Economist (Washington State University), Reformed Cordon Bleu chef, nutrition consultant, food stylist for print and film, writer, author of 7 cookbooks, culinary consultant in the food industry, and instructor with three decades of experience in the foodservice and consumer food segments.
Avocationally, Susanne is also a masseuse and Hatha Yoga instructor, as well as a roller-blading, biking, kayaking, and fishing bon vivant! Currently she is working on new formulas and PR for various organic and healthy Australian food clients as well as a play and murder food mystery series.
www.fstnfrsh.com 0407 649 437 08 9446 1794
52 Bates Road Innaloo WA Au 6018 fstnfrsh@gmail.com Fire Sizzle & Sear: The Thrill of the American Grill
Summer may be over by the calendar but here in Perth one can barbecue nearly all year around. Fall may be even better with the cooler evenings and less flies to enjoy al fresco dining. The aroma of a true charcoal grill or wood fired oven enhances both the flavours and experience.
I was rather aghast at the quality – or lack thereof of “the great Aussie BBQ.” A flat electric grill with meats braising in their own juices (read fat) without the sear and sizzle seemed slightly revolting. The idea of parks having free or low cost flat grills to picnic from is a nice idea but some of the emanating aromas repelled this roller skating bon vivant. Never had I tasted such a low-grade fatty sausage as the one served at Bunning’s. I thought I should try just part of one as a new citizen but I felt nauseous after one bite.
The separation of the genders at most backyard barbecues also seemed faintly archaic. I soon found “bringing a plate” meant not my own cutlery and dinner plate but a ‘covered dish’ which is a silly non-explanatory name too. A proper Weber was my answer and charcoal or heat beads as I learned the new terminology. Adding oak or grape vine cuttings for further aromatic essences didn’t seem to be done either. As a 1/16 Lummi Lummi Indian, we use to have potlatches in the great Northwest (Seattle) with salmon being barbecued or planked right on the alder wood. It was served on it as well for a rustic tasty finish.
Many less expensive cuts of meats may be used with a zippy marinade, sauce or glaze to tenderize and enhance the end result. Flat meats such as hanger steak, skirt steak or short ribs or bone in chicken or even turkey legs make for a lower cost alternative. The marinade should use an acid component, such as lemon, lime, vinegar and/or soy to break down the connective and collagenous tissues. The meats should marinate no less than an hour or no more than a day. Especially if you are marinating fish you may end up with ceviche if it goes for too long! You all know what that is, right?
Sauces for the barbeque are hotly competitive from each part of the country just like chilli contests. Some are sweeter but not as much as the sweet chilli sauce here that overwhelms and turns a perfectly nice dish into candied tooth-hurting food. Kansas City is famous for their barbeques but then so is Texas, New Orleans, New England, then too California and Florida, especially for their seafood. Each region uses their particular local and seasonal ingredients for a signature sauce.
For a low cal and fat option the rubs make for a party in your mouth. I even tried a chilli dukkah on lamb and chicken and it was tasty as. Wet rubs are also used for flavour enhancement with usually an acid base liquid to tenderize and easily cover.
Finally, glazes on meats caramelise and finish the barbeque with both colour and flavour. A few of each of these options are listed below. Further not all of these need be used on meats alone. Grilled pineapple with a tequila glaze and other fruits may be barbequed. Tofu and seitan may indeed benefit by a sauce or glaze for the vegetarians.
The grill itself should be four inches from the heat and fish cooked in any manner should take ten minutes an inch, of thickness. You’ll have to be the one, this time, to change to centimetres.
Chili Maple Glaze
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1-2 Tbsp chipotle or red chilli flakes
Mix together in a small bowl.
Mango Mint Sauce
2 1/2kilo ripe mangos, peeled and seeded
2 cups fresh mint leaves\4 green onions, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Serrano or red chiles, halved and seeded
Blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Transfer to small bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and chill. Can be made a day ahead.
Beer and Molasses Barbecue Sauce
1 ¼ cups bottled chilli sauce
3/4 cup mild molasses
¾ cup Little Creatures beer
2 Tbsp Dijon or seeded mustard
1-2 Tbsp chipotle chilli flakes or chilli powder
2 tsp Dr. Braggs, tamari or Shoyu sauce
2 tsp smoky devil sauce
Mix all ingredients in heavy bottomed medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, simmer until sauce thickens and is reduced to cups, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Cool completely before using. Can be made 1 week ahead, Cover and chill.
Dr. Myrna Tonkinson of the School of Social and Cultural Studies at the University of Western Australia parted the curtains (I was going to write “kimono”) on the rich and varied aspects of foods in a historical perspective. Major points of the history of food production, storage and distribution from the hunter-gather past to the domestication of plants and animals and exploration with colonial expansion were covered in the first session. This wasn’t delivered in turgid academia but charming illustrations, quotes, photos and personal anecdotes woven into the culinary fabric.
Some excellent sources were listed such as Michael Pollan’s (2006) The Omnivore’s Dilemma. The cultural imperatives and politics of foods creating choice and over-choice causes a psychological stress on just what to eat anymore! Isn’t this sadly true with the fad diets and fasting (when not over-feasting on fast foods) on one side of the planet and famines on most of the other? Food is our friend not the enemy. And what happened to conviviality at the table of food traditions, etiquette and dining?
These questions were covered in the second session along with defining the edible, food taboos, excesses and restraints. Pictures of foods around the world provided amusement and horror at what is one or another’s pleasure or poison. Slurping food in Japan is a compliment but disdained in America—well, parts of it.
Francine du Plessix Grey has a wonderful quote on all this. “The act of nutrition is not purely a physiological event...the family meal is a formality that cultivates in us...a capacity for sharing, generosity, thoughtfulness a talent for civilized conversation.” Serial eating of fast foods gulped down by feral teens affects the transmission of values or lack thereof. What happened to leisurely dining a reverence for eating well and thanking the farmers first?
The third session covered famines past and present the inequality of producers and consumers, child labour and then food fads to trends. All ended on a positive note of a return to farmer’s markets, regional seasonal foods grown in community garden’s and organically. When the food purchased is grown less than 100 miles away the customer is a “locavore”. Slow Food was brought forward as a shining example of a better awareness of all aspects culinary and cultured dining. When we eat ethically with an awareness of Fair Trade, Global impact and Animal rights the buzz word is “Ethicurean” (rather than Epicurean).
As a pragmatic chef, writer, teacher, culinarian this course inspired me to get back to growing and assisting in community and school gardens to kitchens to carry on with the message of healthy cooking, fast and Fresh but leisurely dining. In point of fact I created the quote in my sixth cookbook: “Beasts feed, man eats; only the person of aesthetics and intellect knows, how to dine with all his (her) senses.” This was after too many dates of guys gulping their food as my guest when writing restaurant reviews in Southern California.
Susanne E. Wilder CFE
Fast & Fresh Living
www.fstnfrsh.com
(08) 9446 1794
0407 649 437
Those who underestimate the feminine sex where culinary matters are concerned forget their high level of achievement which has earned them the accolade of Cordon-Bleu. It is impossible to bring more skill and delicacy, more taste and
intelligence to the choice and preparation of dishes than women have brought.
Eugene Briffault (1799-1854) 8. Restaurants Cafes & Fast Food
Food, Ambience and…
Customer Service (or lack thereof)
Fast food and obesity just trailing behind
Good regional and fine city fare
My first forays into fine and fast food were rather disconcerting if not disheartening. As a restaurant reviewer for several years on both coasts of America, I was eagerly looking forward to new culinary experiences. Living on the border of Rosalie and Paddington in Brisbane, with an un-renovated squalor kitchen in a big Queenslander, gave me other choices within a good walk.
Rather like London, the Indian food is authentic and delicious. A mom and pop shop had the tandoori oven putting out the tasty flavoured nans and tandoori chicken. The raita had fresh mint and there were many varied chutneys and sauces with friendly staff and reasonable take-away prices.
Like many cities there are a handful of “celebrity chefs” with trendy chic and quite expensive restaurants; the oversized plate, the small portion the great egos. On the other hand, many of the young and talented chefs are taking off and seeing success overseas because they’re not stymied by hide-bound tradition. Each large city in Australia does have a few stellar if expensive restaurants; Mondo Organics in Brisbane, Wildfire in Sydney, Star Anise in Perth etc making the occasional fine dining experience a fully faceted extravagance.
One waiter insisted their olive oil was light and low-fat, another assured me the coconut cream sauce on the curry was light. It actually was overwhelming the dish with a greasy motor oil mouth feel.
Other servers might say there was no alcohol in a dish that was laden with it, never mind that for some it might be deathly allergic. Once a chef followed me into the grocery store yelling at me because I returned an inedible, incorrectly described dish and the staff wouldn’t substitute another. Methinks the Aussies don’t take exception or take a stand as the English reticence still kicks in.
Unfortunately, one un-named local Brissie café had a huge case display of magnificent over-sized desserts. There was seating out side, nice jazz playing but their wait staff were sauntering re: “swanning” about with surly attitudes.
I ordered a carrot cake and cappuccino and was under whelmed. The cake was dry and crumbly, worse the frosting was tasteless with phony cheap ingredients. I use fresh pineapple, toasted walnut for textural crunch and cream cheese with lemon, orange and lime zest for bits of colour and a symphony of flavours beyond the shredded carrots. The only cacophony in my mouth was a chemical mine field of preservatives and additives and too much powdered (okay-icing) sugar. All this for $6.95!
After living in Seattle for years as well as a full member of California café society I am a hound (ok an aficionado) for a good strong cappuccino. This was a cup of insipid froth, over-heated milk, weak espresso and a huge dump of chocolate sprinkles when I asked to leave it off -- an over-all travesty.
That I dared ask them to make it again garnered me a snarl, and a sniff. “This is how we make them here”, I was told in a gruff huff. I reminded this gay gourmet and with the sweetest smile I could muster, that I asked for no chocolate on top as I am one of the few who like the cappuccino purist plain. He was profoundly unimpressed in any event and set the next one down in the middle of the table with a resounding thump and sashayed off before I could ask for more water. Rarely has a waiter ever checked back to ask if everything was alright. Even rarer is to scan the tables noting refills needed etc and doing the right thing without asking.
I don’t know anymore about now, but when I was taught as a wait staff personage, we were meant to put the cup gently near the right side of the guest with the handle turned 2/3rds down to make it easy to reach. For every time I have ordered “cuppas” with friends or solo and anywhere in Australia, 8 times out of ten the cups are slammed in the middle of the table with the guests left to figure out which is theirs.
And this segues nicely into customer service, not so nice in hospitality or anywhere actually when dealing with staff. It perhaps comes from the earlier convict mentality and dislike for authority coupled with an aversion to being of service in the service industry. The ongoing joke is that Aussies are well-balanced; they have a chip on each shoulder.
I once took a great Irish friend, Andy Vaughn, another foodservice consultant to lunch in the West End of Brissie. He had me laughing off my chair with his incisive perceptions of staff, hygiene and plate presentations. The first question he wanted to ask the server was if he or she (we weren’t sure) had sanitized their body rings that morning. Sitting at the table we were right at eye level to the navel ring and low slung dirty apron.
From the dirty fingernails to the chewing gum we wondered if we could slink out but most of the other cafes were similar in the West End. Girding our loins we ordered a simple sandwich each.
My BLT came on Kleenex bread with too much mayonnaise, the thinnest end bits of a sliced under ripe tomato, a tiny sprinkling of shredded lettuce and the soggiest of uncooked bacon. Can anyone cook bacon crisp in this country? All this for $13.95! I have to remember they don’t get tips here thus the higher prices and the truculent table hoppers with any added incentive to be civilized. Andy was equally profoundly unimpressed with his order and asked me not to ask him out to lunch here again. At least we laughed about it then and after.
Now as for the fast food market I was and am appalled at how the insidious American fast food chains have crept through both city and country towns. As a food writer interviewing myself for a Simply Light article, I formally apologised for them sending over their horrific fast food outlets. Unfortunately again that very fine publication went under!
The chips that Aussies eat are remarkable! Even the trendy churches have rancid oil wafting over the congregation as they sing hymns or rock and roll for Jesus songs. Afterwards there is a mad rush for the chips (not fries please) and horrid little meat pies and pasties. Yes, the meat pies are still somehow alive in Oz served with tomato sauce (not ketchup) and a great part of Blokey bloke cuisine….another chapter. Hmm, so much for treating our temple with respect. And if we don’t take care of our body where are we going to live?
Between the fast food and chips, lollies and chewies, Tim Tams and choccies obesity is fast catching up with America, especially in children.
Peter Dingle a famed nutritional and environmental toxicologist, environmentalist and International speaker based in Perth says it succinctly, “We are killing our kids!” He has a philosophy and book entitled Dingle’s Deal: Diet Environment Attitude and Life style.
We started a Kid’s Alliance to remove soft drinks and lollies from schools but the changes are challenging.
As a longtime proponent of this message of healthy living I am bringing a program this year to a dozen Perth schools. Finally the government is scratching the surface with a $1500.00 grant for Healthy Eating. Canteens and boarding school foodservice needs to rid themselves of all junk foods so the choice is simply not there. It directly affects learning behaviours as well as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and propensity to cancer even in young children now.
At least I can point to my home state of California where Arnie baby has signed a bill to remove all soft drinks and candy from both primary and secondary schools. Of course, Jamie Oliver and movements in the U.K. are returning to local live foods too, lower on the food chain, natural and unprocessed, hopefully organic.
Okay to end this chapter on a positive note, I found the bush foods, fishing, local stone fruits and bananas the best! It was great to learn all about the new (for me) fish to catch and test recipes with; spangled and red emperor, sweet lip, Taylor, whiting, flounder, pink snapper and of course barramundi. The nomenclature in either country has never been standardized so it’s often a confusing but colourful and flavourful array of warmer water fish.
My research into the native bush foods uncovered lemon myrtle and paper bark trees, bush tomatoes, native plums, finger limes and other fine tropical and tasty stone fruits. It was a fine thing to take my foiled fish formula and wrap a fresh fillet with paper bark after topping it with fresh fruit chutney. The juices of the poaching fish mingled with the fruit create a self-made sauce.
However, if I created a new recipe I had to change all my measurements to metric and learn the local names for cilantro—coriander, capsicum for peppers and chile spelled incorrectly. And what is with the sweet chili sauce on so many foods? Candied fish, mussels, dressings, appetizers all with way too high of a brix level overwhelming the natural good flavours of whatever it is dumped on! My sparkling roasted red pepper puree just doesn’t sound as good with the word capsicum. Another nice alliteration bites the Pindan dust.