ADONIS THE CHEF
wine & cheese
H
Comfort food to you is… Tacos!
A DARK INDULGENCE Chocolate Pots De Creme (Serves six) Ingredients: 1 and 2/3 cups heavy cream 1 and 1/4 cups whole milk 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 8 ounces Valrhona semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 6 large egg yolks
Method: • Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 250°F. • Whisk the cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla in a medium heavy saucepan to blend and bring to a boil over medium heat. • Add the chocolate and whisk until all the chocolate has melted. • Remove from the heat. • Using a whisk, stir the egg yolks in a large bowl to blend. • Then, in a slow, steady stream, add the chocolate-cream mixture, whisking until smooth. • Divide the mixture among six ramekins or small custard cups (each about 5 and 1/2 ounces), and place them in a large high-sided baking dish or baking pan. • Carefully transfer the pan to the centre rack in the oven. • Add enough cold water to the baking dish so that it comes evenly halfway up the sides of the ramekins or custard bowls. • Bake for about one hour, or until the custards jiggle slightly in the center when gently shaken (the custards will thicken as they chill). • Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until cold. • Serve cool.
Whose cooking do you enjoy the most at home? I have this incredible veggie garden at my home, and in Los Angeles, we are fortunate to have amazing weather. Therefore, we have a growing season that lasts 12 months. So most nights, I like to pick something from the garden and let Mother Nature do the cooking. What are your favourite cuisines? Where do you enjoy eating out? I love to eat out. In LA, one of my favorite spots is Sushi Park, which has this incredibly fresh and creative sushi. In New York, I love eating at NoMadand Torrisi. Both restaurants have this beautiful laid-back elegance to their food. There isn’t a cuisine I don’t love. My fiancée is Korean American, so lately I’ve become obsessed with Korean food. What is your magic ingredient? Truffles! They can make even the simplest pasta dish extraordinary. Tell us a few kitchen cupboard picks that can give a new, radical dimension to everyday recipes? There’s so much radical cooking these days, which is exciting. But my philosophy is to let Mother Nature shine. That means, get your hands on good quality ingredients and treat them simply. You’ll have amazing, fuss-free meals night after night. I always make sure I’ve got plenty of seasonal veggies in the fridge, as well as a quality olive oil, some finishing salt and cracked pepper on hand. And no cupboard is complete without dark chocolate (70 per cent cacao). It turns into an amazing dessert and deepens the flavour of savoury sauces. •
atelier
Australian heartthrob, celebrity chef, author and TV personality Curtis Stone has been charming the world on and off screen. Maleeka Kashyap discovers the factors that make the man tick and gets a delicious treat on the side.
How has the experience been so far? Amazing. After culinary school, I moved to London, where I worked for the legendary Michelin-Star genius Marco Pierre White at Cafe Royal, Mirabelle and Quo Vadis for eight years before being spotted by a TV producer in Australia, which opened up a whole new world of cooking for me.
Tell us about an interesting, unusual Australian delicacy. Most people across the world don’t get vegemite, which is a dark brown yeast paste. But to an Aussie, vegemite spread on buttered toast is heaven.
l
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THE CHEF ADONIS
How did you begin your journey into everything food? When I was young I used to love to eat (not much has changed there), so I used to hang around the kitchen a lot. My mum was a great baker and I loved making desserts with her. Helping my Granny make her fudge meant that I got to lick the bowl! Food in my house wasn’t super fancy, but it was homemade and there was always plenty to share. Food brought us together whether we were having roasted chicken on Sunday, building our own burgers on a Friday night or helping my mother spoon her famous lemon curd into small gift jars for Christmas.
What sort of emotions does food evoke in you? Food is life; it encompasses every emotion. I head to my kitchen in any mood. Whether I’m happy or mad, it’s the place I want to be. If I’m angry, I’ll smash some pots and pans and listen to the Sex Pistols. If I’m feeling good, it’s dancing around in high spirits to Jack Johnson.
2013 l january
atelier l january l 2013
unky and supremely good-looking, Australian celebrity chef, author and TV personality Curtis Stone’s easygoing onscreen personality and fresh wholesome approaches to holistic cooking have captured the attention of audiences across the world. Stone, 37, was born in Melbourne and his mother and grandmother gave shape to the beginning of his culinary journey at the age of five. Diverting from business studies in college, Stone decided to pursue a full-time career in the culinary arts and started at the age of 18 in Australia’s Savoy Hotel. He went on to to work in London under Marco Pierre White at the Café Royal and Mirabelle, and later as head chef at White’s Quo Vadis. In television, he has previously hosted three seasons of Surfing the Menu and then the series Take Home Chef, which was broadcasted in more than 70 countries. Now Stone returns as host of Top Chef Masters for the fourth season, and will also headline a show called Around the World in 80 Plates. Stone’s philosophy about cooking is simple and his dishes are influenced a great deal by nature. He presently resides with his fiancée Lindsay Price and their son Hudson.
57
H
Comfort food to you is… Tacos!
A DARK INDULGENCE Chocolate Pots De Creme (Serves six) Ingredients: 1 and 2/3 cups heavy cream 1 and 1/4 cups whole milk 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 8 ounces Valrhona semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 6 large egg yolks
Method: • Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 250°F. • Whisk the cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla in a medium heavy saucepan to blend and bring to a boil over medium heat. • Add the chocolate and whisk until all the chocolate has melted. • Remove from the heat. • Using a whisk, stir the egg yolks in a large bowl to blend. • Then, in a slow, steady stream, add the chocolate-cream mixture, whisking until smooth. • Divide the mixture among six ramekins or small custard cups (each about 5 and 1/2 ounces), and place them in a large high-sided baking dish or baking pan. • Carefully transfer the pan to the centre rack in the oven. • Add enough cold water to the baking dish so that it comes evenly halfway up the sides of the ramekins or custard bowls. • Bake for about one hour, or until the custards jiggle slightly in the center when gently shaken (the custards will thicken as they chill). • Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until cold. • Serve cool.
Whose cooking do you enjoy the most at home? I have this incredible veggie garden at my home, and in Los Angeles, we are fortunate to have amazing weather. Therefore, we have a growing season that lasts 12 months. So most nights, I like to pick something from the garden and let Mother Nature do the cooking. What are your favourite cuisines? Where do you enjoy eating out? I love to eat out. In LA, one of my favorite spots is Sushi Park, which has this incredibly fresh and creative sushi. In New York, I love eating at NoMadand Torrisi. Both restaurants have this beautiful laid-back elegance to their food. There isn’t a cuisine I don’t love. My fiancée is Korean American, so lately I’ve become obsessed with Korean food. What is your magic ingredient? Truffles! They can make even the simplest pasta dish extraordinary. Tell us a few kitchen cupboard picks that can give a new, radical dimension to everyday recipes? There’s so much radical cooking these days, which is exciting. But my philosophy is to let Mother Nature shine. That means, get your hands on good quality ingredients and treat them simply. You’ll have amazing, fuss-free meals night after night. I always make sure I’ve got plenty of seasonal veggies in the fridge, as well as a quality olive oil, some finishing salt and cracked pepper on hand. And no cupboard is complete without dark chocolate (70 per cent cacao). It turns into an amazing dessert and deepens the flavour of savoury sauces. •
atelier
Australian heartthrob, celebrity chef, author and TV personality Curtis Stone has been charming the world on and off screen. Maleeka Kashyap discovers the factors that make the man tick and gets a delicious treat on the side.
How has the experience been so far? Amazing. After culinary school, I moved to London, where I worked for the legendary Michelin-Star genius Marco Pierre White at Cafe Royal, Mirabelle and Quo Vadis for eight years before being spotted by a TV producer in Australia, which opened up a whole new world of cooking for me.
Tell us about an interesting, unusual Australian delicacy. Most people across the world don’t get vegemite, which is a dark brown yeast paste. But to an Aussie, vegemite spread on buttered toast is heaven.
l
56
THE CHEF ADONIS
How did you begin your journey into everything food? When I was young I used to love to eat (not much has changed there), so I used to hang around the kitchen a lot. My mum was a great baker and I loved making desserts with her. Helping my Granny make her fudge meant that I got to lick the bowl! Food in my house wasn’t super fancy, but it was homemade and there was always plenty to share. Food brought us together whether we were having roasted chicken on Sunday, building our own burgers on a Friday night or helping my mother spoon her famous lemon curd into small gift jars for Christmas.
What sort of emotions does food evoke in you? Food is life; it encompasses every emotion. I head to my kitchen in any mood. Whether I’m happy or mad, it’s the place I want to be. If I’m angry, I’ll smash some pots and pans and listen to the Sex Pistols. If I’m feeling good, it’s dancing around in high spirits to Jack Johnson.
2013 l january
atelier l january l 2013
unky and supremely good-looking, Australian celebrity chef, author and TV personality Curtis Stone’s easygoing onscreen personality and fresh wholesome approaches to holistic cooking have captured the attention of audiences across the world. Stone, 37, was born in Melbourne and his mother and grandmother gave shape to the beginning of his culinary journey at the age of five. Diverting from business studies in college, Stone decided to pursue a full-time career in the culinary arts and started at the age of 18 in Australia’s Savoy Hotel. He went on to to work in London under Marco Pierre White at the Café Royal and Mirabelle, and later as head chef at White’s Quo Vadis. In television, he has previously hosted three seasons of Surfing the Menu and then the series Take Home Chef, which was broadcasted in more than 70 countries. Now Stone returns as host of Top Chef Masters for the fourth season, and will also headline a show called Around the World in 80 Plates. Stone’s philosophy about cooking is simple and his dishes are influenced a great deal by nature. He presently resides with his fiancée Lindsay Price and their son Hudson.
57
