BPA in Plastics – Keep Yourself Clear

Since the early 1960s many of our plastic containers, drinks bottles and even baby cups have contained the industrial chemical bisphenol A – which is not something we should celebrate, since it’s been known to seep into food and drink (and even our bodies if we handle certain plastics). And it’s not only pure plastics we should look out for, according to some health campaigners as the chemical is even found in plastic coated aluminium drinks cans and bottles.

Groups of scientists have warned for years about possible negative effects the chemical can have on the brain and behaviour of humans, particularly babies and young children. Alarmingly, a newer study – published this year by the New York University School of Medicine – warns of increased ill effects on the heart and kidneys of youngsters. It’s also been tentatively linked to certain hormone-related cancers in adults. As a result there have been calls to reduce exposure to the chemical and look for alternatives with BPA Free plastic production.

For those concerned about the possible effects of BPA they’ll be glad to hear there are already alternatives on the market. BPA Free Water Bottles such as the Bobble range with its filtered single serve portable water bottles and BPA Free Containers such as the OXO Pop Containers – a stackable range of airtight plastic boxes with a push-button mechanism. Both manufacturers have labelled their goods BPA-free.

In the meantime certain governments – such as Canada – have gone ahead and banned the chemical altogether from baby feeding bottles while the US Food and Drink Administration have also issued a general ban. The European Food Safety Authority have discussed tightening its policy on the use of BPA in plastics production, especially when it comes to labelling to inform consumers they may be at risk of exposure.

Ways you yourself can avoid coming in to contact with BPA on a daily basis is to hand wash plastic containers rather than put them in a dishwasher with harsh detergents, and to avoid microwaving food in plastic containers (choose glass, porcelain or BPA-free plastics instead).

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Cast Iron Cookware Production

Cast Iron Cookware – Every Chef’s Safely-Guarded Secret

Enter any chef or seasoned cook’s kitchen today and you’re more or less guaranteed to find at least one piece of traditional cast iron cookware. And they’ve probably had it for years – it may even be a family heirloom, such is cast iron’s durability.

Not only is cast iron cookware superb at retaining heat (which makes it the dish of choice for slow cooking) but it’s also able to withstand extremely high temperatures so that recipes can start off searing on the cooker top then finish off baked in the oven, without the food having to be transferred to another pot mid-way.

The majority of good quality cast iron cookware you’ll find for sale these days is produced from a single sand mold to ensure an even distribution of heat. A layer of seasoning on the iron protects the pan from rust and forms an invaluable non-stick surface.

You’ll get the same result from an enamel-coated iron pan, without having to re-season the pot (some chefs advocate re-seasoning on a yearly basis). The downside is that these pots are more expensive and can’t withstand the same high temperatures as a seasoned iron pot. The popular stoneware range of iron pots have a hard-wearing and heat-resistant glaze that also prevents the cookware being scratched or easily damaged.

When it comes to cleaning cast iron pots there are various schools of thought involved. Some cooks recommend wiping the pots or dipping them in hot water and rubbing with a brush for instance, while others will use a mild detergent then rub with oil afterwards. Yet others opt for coarse sea salt and a clean cloth.

Probably the most famous iron pots around are those of the French company Le Creuset which been producing cookware since the 1920s and is now a household name in more than 60 countries worldwide. It continues to produce the cookware using hand-crafted techniques and the original process of forging and casting – although today you’ll find the pots not just in traditional orange but more or less every colour under the sun.

Le Creuset Cookware is available on sale from Kitchenware Superstore – view the range.

Le Creuset Production

Le Creuset History

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Series 5 is heating up for MasterChef Australia with a contentious theme: girls vs. boys. In the series trailer, women in pink aprons prance with baked goods and triumph their tastes, while men in blue, steadily grill meats and claim they are the “best” in cheffing. With an equal amount of male and female victors from the past four seasons, it’s anybody’s guess which side will come out on top of MasterChef season 5.

MasterChef Australia is the most watched television show in Australia. Various dubbed versions aire in 37 different countries across 5 continents. MasterChef’s second season was the 3rd “most watched television show in Australian television history.” The final episode of season 2 being the most watched television non-sporting event ever in Australia, with over 3.5 million viewers.
The show is hosted by food critic Matt Preston, chef and restaurateur’s Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris and has spawned multiple spin-off series. It’s success across the country has seen a heightened interest in many aspects of Australia’s cheffing industry, from a spike in applications to culinary schools to supermarket customers requesting unusual ingredients like quail and squab.
The elimination-style rounds of cook-offs are an exciting, enjoyable competitive event drawing on the untapped skills of contestants who have never cooked professionally before. Winning MasterChef is a launching pad for blasting off into the professional cooking world. Here’s a quick recap of previous MasterChef winners so you can see where their success has taken them:

Australia’s first MasterChef Julie Goodwin, a congenial former I.T. office worker, has gone on to be a regular contributor to Australia Women’s Weekly and have a feature spot on the popular morning television show Today.

Adam Liaw, a former lawyer and the very popular season 2 MasterChef winner is star-hosting the  new television show  “Destination Flavour” on channel SBS one. He’s written a well-reviewed cookbook called Two Asian Kitchens that explores both the new and old-world approaches to Asian cuisine. Liaw has mentioned further plans to open a casual izakaya (Japanese-style tapas restaurant) in Sydney.

Kate Bracks, former school teacher and season 3 MasterChef winner, has written The Sweet Life, a cookbook about desserts and is in the midst of creating her own bed and breakfast. While it is yet to see what will happen with former electrician Andy Allen of season 4, one imagines he is brewing up some delicious dreams for expanding Australia’s food future.

Well, we’ve got a good picture of who’s come out on top in the past, now it’s anybody’s guess who is going to take the MasterChef title in season 5, battle of the sexes. What are your thoughts?

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Now you’re not going to like the statistics we’re about to present you with. We didn’t like them! The amount of food wasted here in Australia – either because we’re not sure how to use up left overs or we never get round to eating the food in the first place before it rots – really is sobering reading.

Government and charity statistics for instance show the average Australian household throws out $1036 of food every year! That’s equivalent to chucking away one out of every five bags of groceries. In fact it would pay half your annual electricity bill! See, we said it was going to make you sit up.

But food wastage isn’t only bad in monetary terms. There’s also the question of methane gas which is created when food in landfill starts to rot. The damage to the ozone layer caused my methane is huge – 25 times more harmful to the atmosphere than car exhaust fumes. Now considering the statistics show 40 per cent of our bins are filled with food, we’d suggest it’s definitely time to be a bit more food thrifty.

One person we really admire on this score is Ronni Kahn who created the charity OzHarvest to make sure leftover food was used wisely. Ever wondered what happens to all those scrummy meals made on Masterchef once the programmes recorded? We thought the camera crew got them. But no, Ronni and her team nip in to the studio and cart them off to homeless centres. She does the same with fancy restaurants in Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle, Canberra and Adelaide.

Meanwhile there’s plenty of fab websites and apps about there with ingenious ways to recycle food leftovers. Food Wise is a national campaign to reduce the environmental impact of wasting food. Their mission is to educate Australians about the food they eat, and how to reduce wastage – they want us to be FoodWise! They have a fantastic recipe collection from leading celebrities and chefs, you can select your left over ingredients, bring up a range of great meals you can create. www.foodwise.com.au/recipe-finder

Did you know – did you know you could save leftover milk for up to three months by pouring it into a zip lock bag or plastic container and popping it in the freezer? Cheese too can be cut into small chunks and frozen until needed. Now isn’t that clever?!

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An ice cream, smoothie and soup blender, cake mixer, coffee maker, nut grinder, ice crusher and general all-purpose and powerful mechanical kitchen assistant which can freeze as well as heat – the Vitamix may just live up to its claim of being a Total Nutrition Centre after all.

Its special laser style cutting system breaks down the cell walls of vegetables and fruit allowing more nutrition into your meals. For instance, it means you can add nuts direct to soups and keep the peel on fruit for smoothies.

It’s not exactly an inexpensive piece of kit but then nothing of quality ever is. And it does come with a seven year guarantee. Actually you’ll be rest assured by the noise of the 1200W motor throttling away and it’s obvious it’s a sturdy little number (it weighs around 5kg).

Nice design extras include the spill-proof vented lid and wear-resistant base while it comes with a handy DVD so you don’t have puzzle over how any of it works, and there’s even an inspiring DVD and cookbook as part of the package.

Interiors obsessives who just have to have everything matching or co-ordinating (and er yes, we’re one of those ourselves) can buy the Vitamix with red trim, in the standard black or white base, or in powdered steel.

We particularly like the self-cleaning mechanism in the Vitamix. That’s because we bought it for speed in the first place and anything that saves our family time gets a big cheer from this household. And on that note if you’re in a hurry at breakfast just crank up the speed control and your morning smoothie will be ready in minutes.

Its 2 litre bowl capacity makes it good for family meals while individuals can cook for the freezer at the same time they’re making that night’s meal, saving themselves both time and money in the long run.

The Vitamix is available online from Kitchenware Superstore on sale for $799

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Did you know that Wusthof Australia offers free lifetime sharpening on your knives?

With frequent use any knives will lose that crisp sharp edge. Using a Sharpening Steel realigns and keeps the edge sharp. Even with regular Honing, knives will require professional sharpening. Thats where the Free Sharpening service from Wusthof is so valuable  Wusthof recommend that you professionally sharpen your knives no more than once a year.

To take advantage of this free service, simply call Wusthof Australia on 1800 099 012. You will be given a reply paid address, along with directions for returning the knives. It really is as simple as that.

View our range of Wusthof Knives on Sale Today

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After 8 weeks of coma and over a year of recovery, Golinski has returned to the kitchen to not only reclaim his place in the public eye but his happiness as well. “When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m not happy,” he told the Courier Mail recently. He is warmly welcomed by his peers and the public.

While Golinski awaits several surgeries that still prevent his full-time return to cooking, he is committed %100 to cheffing. His current mission is to write a long-contemplated cookbook while advocating research on treating severe burns. He is adamant that, “so much needs to be done regarding prevention, treatment and research” for burn victims.

When word of Golinski’s tragedy first spread across Australia last year, aide for his recovery poured in from all sides. Awakening from a medically-induced coma to the horror of a lost wife and children, Golinski was in shock and awe to learn of all the public support. “It was the thing that got me through,” he said.

What Golinski discovered was the incredible success of “Plates for Mates.” A fundraising initiative set-up by 6 fellow celebrity chefs: George Calombaris, Manu Feildel, Alastair McLeod, Janelle Bloom, Gary Mehigan and Damian Heads. The initiative took off, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last year. Now, Golinski himself is now involved with Plates for Mates while a sister fundraising initiative, Cruises for Mates (hosted by the same 6 chefs), is ready to set sail.

This April found Golinski making his first public cooking appearance since the incident and running a cape to cape 10K marathon. Next up, he is coming to the Hampton Food & Arts Festival to host a sell-out guided farm tour and long table banquet.

Having survived such great loss, many wonder how Golinski continues to press-on. He continually returns to the strength and support he’s gained from his friends, family and the country. “I have the love of the nation behind me,” he says and that “is what keeps me going.”  With over 30,000 likes on his Facebook tribute page, there is no question that he’s captured the hearts of many: from those battling cancer to others who just can’t imagine how they’d ever recover from such hardship.

If you would like to donate to Plates for Mates, please visit platesformates.com.au

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Dinner parties have been ruined over it, marriages threatened and female friendships put on ice. Chances are we’ve all done it at some point – argued over the correct way to stack a dishwasher.

And what if – horror of horrors – your other half turns out to be a ‘shadower’? Then you’re really done for in dishwasher stacking terms!

And actually, according to research by Australian consumer champion magazine CHOICE, you’re far more likely to be living with a shadower here in Australia than in Europe or America (shadowing involves stacking bowls in such a way the covered items don’t get cleaned properly). That’s because we do a lot of Asian cooking which, of course, means using lots of little bowls.

Another big dishwasher stacking misdemeanour is rinsing the dishes beforehand. This is one which gets the eco-brigade every time. Pre-rinsing means using twice as much water (the machine will rinse them anyway!). Instead of wasting water environmentalists say we should adopt their dishwasher ‘scrape and go’ policy instead.

Always put cutlery in handles first to ensure they’re washed properly (unless it’s a big jaggy knife that’ll rip your hands to shreds the minute you stick it in there).

Other no-no’s when it comes to stacking a dishwasher include packing in large ovenware casserole dishes and other space-hogging containers. And mixing crockery with plastic items isn’t a great idea either as both dry at different rates (plastic takes far longer).

Incidentally the Choice study recommended using dishwasher powder in preference to tablets as the former were less expensive and both proved equally as effective.

And finally * whisper* for all you male readers out there we may finally have found the perfect excuse for you NOT to have to stack the dishwasher. For according to researchers at the Juan March Institute in Madrid men who do more traditional female housework chores are less likely enjoy marital relations.

The study, based on couples in the US states showed that men who participated in more manly chores such as wood cutting etc were far better off in the bedroom…

For those who don’t, wont or cannot use a dishwasher, put the marigolds on, fill the sink with bubbles, and get yourself a Zeal Dish Brush!

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If you could customize your Kitchen aid what would you do?

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When you’re deciding to invest in good quality cookware the pros and cons of non-stick are usually one of the most important things you will be weighing up before you purchase.

There are many technical terms for non-stick pans and some controversial theories on weather they are safe to cook with. Most studies conclude that modern quality non-stick surfaces are safe to cook on as long as they are not left to get to a extremely high temperature at which the product starts to break down. You cannot get poisoning from a scratched or damaged non-stick pan.

Below are kitchenware superstores top 3 t tips to help you protect your non stick cookware.

1 Turn the heat down.

This may seem a strange thing to say. We know your cookware is designed for cooking, but heat is the single biggest reason for non-stick pans becoming deformed and the nonstick coating deteriorating, some times instantly. Presuming you have a good quality non-stick surface you should never need to cook your food on anything other than medium or low heat. You may be surprised how good your food tastes when cooked on low to medium Heat. Warning if you cook on high heat you will damage the pan and this will void the warranty of your cookware. For cookware experts it’s easy to spot a non stick fry pan or saucepan that is damaged.

2.Stay away from the dishwasher

Some manufactures have designed cookware safe for dishwasher use but we think that the best way to wash your cookware is to use warm water with a mild dishwasher detergent. Remember your nonstick coating is invisible and will be damaged by scouring pads or rough surfaces. Never use cold water on a boiling hot pan. This can cause the pan to misshape. Dragging the base of your pan across your hob will also scratch the bottom of your pan.

3.Metal is the non stick enemy

Metal is good for making cars and bad for cooking utensils. Keep all metal cooking utensils away from your non-stick pans. Modern nylon, silicon or wood will keep your pans looking and working great for years to come. The Nylon and silicon products are tested to very high heat and wont melt in your pan. But don’t leave them in.

Using these simple tips will help you keep your non stick in tip top shape. Do you have any Non stick stories or mishaps?

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