Hi Everyone, sorry I have not been on the blog lately!! I have been down in Melbourne since the 15th. I spent a day at the Essential Ingredient doing a master class followed by four nights at the Westin Hotel running the Kitchen at the Allegro Restaurant. We put on a three course 4,4 and 4 menu plus a dego of 6 courses on Saturday night. I had the chance to catch up with my old mate Curtis on Saturday night which was a blast and left me with a nice headache Sunday!! Things with the restaurant are moving along and we have finalized our plans and should start building soon. Hopefully ready to open in late feb/march? Wewill start looking for staff in the late part of this year and early next so if you have the passion send in your CV, I am looking for front of house staff as well as kitchen staff!! Keep cooking! ben

1 Comment
Listed in 02. TV

Hi all, just on my way be to Brisbane after a mad morning doing the 9am show with Larry and Kylie (looking great after DWTS) cooked up a storm doing the Bug and Fig skewers from my book. Speaking of which if your looking for a great gift for dad, Pop or a mate then the book might be just the ticket!! I am doing a promotion with Mission Australia raising much needed funds so that they can keep doing the great work they do looking after the needy and homeless.

Go to http://www.missionpromotion.com/communityfundraising/cookbook/ and purchase a copy and all proceeds go to MS and you enrty the draw for a chance to win an Australian day BBQ cooked by me at your home on a new bbq and two cases of wine from Penfolds!! Please help make someones life a little better!!

Ben

3 Comments
Listed in 02. TV

Hi all! sorry I have not been on line of late!! there has been loads happening. Designing house renovations, Planning the New restaurant (South Bank Surf Club) the we finally decided on the name and I must say I can believe it took us so long to relize it was the best fit! Variety of Chefs charity function, Cooking dinner parties and yesterday We launch a initiative with Mission Australia! Its a competition which involves selling my book through Mission Australia. The proceeds go directly to MA. The book purchase then enables you to enter a draw to have me cook a barbecue at your house on Australia Day on your “New” Barbecue plus two cases of wine from Penfolds. We are hoping to raise loads of money for them. They do an amazing job looking after the homeless and in need. If you have the book then by it for a friend and maybe you might win!!

I am also due to take over the restaurant at the Westin Hotel in Melbourne from the 18th to the 21st of November so start clearing your diary!!

Ben

No Comments
Listed in 02. TV

Hi all! I had a great weekend and The Queensland weather really turned it on! I was at the Brisbane writers festival over the weekend cooking a BBQ Breakfast and a panel event with Rebecca Huntley. It went really well, people enjoyed the food and the discussion was great. I was a bit nervous as being just a food/chef writer I felt a little out of my depth but it all went swimmingly.  I am off to Thailand tonight with my family for a holiday and a few days work in Bangkok and Phuket which we are all looking forward too. Plans for the restaurant are progressing and we have some firm kitchen details. I am however looking for a Head chef so if anyone is in the market for a early December job email me your CV.

1 Comment
Listed in 02. TV

Hi All, some great news as I have found a site and signed the lease on a place on the south Bank in Brisbane. Its an awesome sight looking straight over the beach pool. Probably a few months of opening hopefully around the end of November early December! We had been toying with the name “South Bank surf club” but not convinced so I thought I would put it out to tender see if you guys could come up with something? I am all ears!!

15 Comments
Listed in 02. TV

Great News was received on Friday! We won the tender for a restaurant and bar on the South Bank in Brisbane! Signing the Lease on Tuesday, its got a great view and an awesome location, should be a great Family experience. I am really excited! We all got stuck into it on Friday in celebration, Feeling a little green today especially because we backed it up again last night with a boozy dinner at friend!

2 Comments
Listed in 02. TV

Hi all, Hope things are well! I am in Melbourne for the week appearing on the 9am Show with Kym and David. Did the first show this morning with Hale and Pace, what a laugh those guts are great. I cooked a classic steamed golden syrup pudding which is great for this cold weather in Melbourne.

Last week was great, I spent the first few days recovering from Splendor in The Grass where we saw some fantastic bands, The Specials and Happy Mondays were a stand out as were You Am I. I cooked break fast for a band from the UK called the Friendly Fires. It was filmed for the V channel. I made them some Damper from my cook book OUTDOOR and served it with Vegemite. Then we had sweet hot cakes with caramelized bananas followed by deep fried eggs with prawns bacon, chili and oyster sauce with was the bomb!! washed down with my recipe for Bloody Mary.
Hopefully this week I will find out about a tender for a bar & restaurant site we submitted this week, Fingers crossed.

Keep a look out for the brand new series of The Best in Australia out on lifestyle food this month!!

I am up in Palm Cove next week for two days of cooking doing some delicious demos etc and then down to Melbourne the week after I will be doing four nights at the Westin Hotel in Melbourne.

Busy Busy Busy

No Comments
Listed in 02. TV

Well Big night on telly last night! congratulation to Julie for being the best cook on the night. Great to see her family and I wish her the best of luck.

I had a Busy weekend. I was in Orange for a charity function cooking for 300 people to raise money for a Ronald MacDonald House which is a very worthy cause. I am now in Sydney for a quick photo shoot and a day of promos for our new series of the Best in Australia on lifestyle food. Looking forward to the weekend as Dee and I are of to Splendor in the Grass. Ye – ha

1 Comment
Listed in 02. TV

Hi People! having just spent the weekend at North Straddie (what a beautiful place) its back to reality this week. I am down in Sydney for a DVD shoot for Barbecues Galore, Demonstrating some easy and delicious recipes using BBQG’s great hard ware and accessories. Thursday sees me on set for the final show of Master chef with all the chefs that have been on over the last three months. Good news is my old partner in crime Curtis is in town so i am hoping to catch up with during the week!! Then its the Good Food And Wine Show this weekend where I will be on the ground demonstrating more fantastic recipes on the Barbecues Galore’s stand where i will be also signing books and having a chat with all the punters. So if your in the the Hood drop on by!

2 Comments
Listed in 02. TV

Well talk about the weekend that was!! I flew down to Melbourne on Thursday night and spent Friday shopping for food and other bits and bobs for my demonstrations on the Barbecues Galore stand at the Good Food and Wine show. Friday night started with drinks at “Hell upstairs” in the city, then  i had a great meal at Richmond Hill cafe and larder followed by a few beverages with friends at verge on Swan street then a few cheeky rumbo’s at a bar on Flinders lane. Saturday started with a bang!! 9am start at the GFWS. It was feral, we started cooking ricotta hotcakes on the BBQ with banana and maple syrup. As soon as they were made they were sucked back by enthusiastic punters. Next I cab of the rank was Pizza’s! the best pizza’s you will ever taste. Pepole could not get enough!! needles to say the pizza stones we were selling flew out the window. If you love pizza and have a bbq buy a pizza stone for it they rock!! you dont need a pizza oven for great pizza at home. The main event of the day was the roasted 8 bone veal rib rack. Absolutley awsome, my mouth is salervating just thinking about it, smothered in butter with thyme and rosemary loosely wrapped in smokey bacon, mmmmm! The we blew the roof off the shed with hot smoked Salmon cooked on Cedar planks, a little unconventional but spectacular flavour!! Day pone done.

Saturday night was a blow out!!! too many drinks with Peter Evans left me with a hangover the size of Hong Kong!! struggled through Sunday, lost my voice from the day and Night before  but still managed to pull of some great things on the BBQ.

Had a good nights sleep on Sunday and charged into the last day of the Good Food Show. I managed to survive the event, the hangover and avoided the swine flu so the weekend was a success!! I met some great people and really enjoyed speaking to fans and foodies about Barbecuing and the shows that I have done and loads more.

It was also good to catchup with fellow chefs and people i have worked with over past shows. Gordon Ramsey was his usual self!! I think it would have been nice to see a few more of our Aussie chef on the big stage but  hey!

So Now we turn our sites to Sydney! I think we need a bigger stage for the Barbecue demos all in favour say Yeh!

Oh and I am on master chef tonight, fingers crossed!!

5 Comments
Listed in 02. TV