We are a 2015 Winner
12 New Menus for the rest of 2015
Dear Food Lovers,
Our Chefs have been very inspired this season and have come up with 12 great new classes to to add to the calendar from July 2015 onwards. Here are the new ones showing their first release date.
Enjoy and we hope to see you soon.
| Class name: | Exotic Vegetarian Cuisine |
| Class price: | $145 |
| Class date: | 29/08/15 |
| Class description: | The Indian or South Asian continent from Pakistan through to Sri Lanka and all points between is Nirvana for vegetarians with an amazing diversity of cooking styles. The fact that most of this regions population eat a predominantly vegetarian diet has ensured a wealth of delicious vegetable and non meat based dishes. Oothapam, these are large crumpet like rice and lentil pancakes topped with onion, tomato, coriander and green chili and served with Thengai Chutney made from grated fresh coconut.Dal Dhuaan a smoked mung bean dal from the central Holy city of Varanassi.Masale Bhaat a delicious aromatic vegetable and nut pilaf. Bhatti Paneer a spicy grilled cheese dish. Kerala Parotta the flakiest Paratha bread ever. Alleppey Style Mixed Vegetable Curry which is a far cry from the stodgy overcooked potato and lentil based vegetable stews that are usually served up. Chef Mark McNamara |
| Class name: | .2015 Japanese Banquet |
| Class price: | $145 |
| Class date: | 02/08/15 |
| Class description: | Japanese tasting plate (Marinated Atlantic Salmon sashimi. Natural oysters served with ponzu sauce and chilli radish. Grilled Japanese Hokkaido scallop served with sweet miso paste. Fish Escabeche.) Braised Pork belly with plum wine sauce. Kari kari yaki Chicken. (Twice cooked tenderised chicken. Marinated and pan-fried until crispy. Braised in sake and served with ginger soy sesame dressing.) Octopus and avocado salad served with citrus dressing. Agedashi Dofu (deepfried tofu with potato starch served with Tempura sauce, white radish and ginger with chilli powder). Chef Yukiko Anschutz- ex Chef from Shiki restaurant. |
| Class name: | . Thai Winners |
| Class price: | $145 |
| Class date: | 16/10/15 |
| Class description: | Ma ho -Pineapple with Caramelised pork, dark palm sugar and peanuts. The popular authentic starter. Kingfish Carpaccio- thinly sliced king fish served with green chilli, lime and coconut/basil dressing. (this may be changed to salmon depends on the availability of the fish on the day). Crispy Tamarind chicken- marinated chicken with aromatic spice paste and tamarind water- cooked until crispy and golden. Pepper garlic pork- marinated pork fillet pan fried with sweet soy, oyster sauce and pepper with garlic chips. Som Tum- Spicy green papaya salad with King prawns. Chef Yukiko Anschutz |
| Class name: | Mexican Feast |
| Class price: | $145 |
| Class date: | 05/09/15 |
| Class description: | A brand new cuisine for 2015 from our popular chef Brian Smith.This will be an exciting cooking journey. Pulled pork Sopecitos (little sopes) (Masa dough pasties topped with Shredded slow cooked pork shoulder, Black beans, salsa, grated ricotta). Snapper Vera Cruz. ( Snapper cooked in tomato caper and pickled Jalapeno Sauce From Veracruz on the pacific side of the Isthmus). Beer batter coated Stuffed chillis (Filled with Chorizo and goats cheese served with Avocado crema). Chicken with rich red Mole. ( Chicken thigh simmered in a rich spicy sauce thickened with sesame seeds and almonds from Oaxaca). Puffy tacos. (Handmade Masa tortillas fried to puffy crunchiness). |
| Class name: | .2015 Thai Feast For Friends |
| Class price: | $145 |
| Class date: | 22/08/15 |
| Class description: | A wonderful array of modern Thai cuisine with Guest Chef Kelly Lord from the Multi Award Winning Restaurant Spirit House in Queensland. Crispy wontons. filled w pork, prawns & coriander served w homemade sweet chilli sauce. Waterfall salad of beef. seared wagyu beef rump tossed w coriander, mint & kaffir lime finish w chilli lime dressing. Steamed prawns. king prawns steamed w ginger, shallots & dressed w soy, Chinese cooking wine & sesame. Handmade Curry paste. Southern Style chicken curry. slow cooked chicken in a fragrant coconut, turmeric curry sauce finished w tamarind. |
| Class name: | .2015 Taste of Thailand |
| Class price: | $145 |
| Class date: | 21/08/15 |
| Class description: | Prawn dumplings. poached prawn & coriander dumplings in a fragrant coconut, lemongrass & galangal broth. Duck salad. slow cooked duck w citrus caramel & star anise dressing. Chu chee curry paste. Chu chee curry of pan seared snapper finished with a aromatic chu chee curry w kaffir lime. Stir fried chicken. wok seared chicken finished w a spiced black bean ginger & black pepper sauce Spirit House Guest Chef Kelly Lord |
| Class name: | 2015 Essential Spanish |
| Class price: | $145 |
| Class date: | 16/08/15 |
| Class description: | Baked whiting in white wine, Jamon and parsley crust served on fried olive oil bread and with Mojo Verde (Perfect for little entrée or tapas) Twice cooked Patatas with spicy Bravas sauce. ( Crispy Spanish Potatoes with Paprika spiced Tomato Sauce) Warm salad of Cider grilled chorizo, Olive Oil savoury biscuits and smoked paprika and hazelnut dressing. Spiced chicken escabeche with Peas, Jamon, caramelised onions and Manchego (Chicken thigh browned then kept in a marinade of Olive Oil, sherry vinegar, honey, spices, green olives and parsley). Spanish Prawn & saffron fritters ( Tortillas de Camarones) with Sofrito and baked Calasparra rice (Arroz al Horno) Chef Gwen Le Chendadec |
| Class name: | 2015 Travelling Chef |
| Class price: | $145 |
| Class date: | 10/07/15 |
| Class description: | Dishes from all around SE Asia give this class an edge. Seared Scallops on green curry sauce (Thailand. This is a rich green Palace style curry sauce) BBQ Hanoi Chicken With herb salad (Vietnam-Marinated and grilled and served with the ubiquitous array of Vietnamese herbs) Braised then grilled beef ribs with pineapple Jaew (Laos-Slow cooked in aromatic stock then grilled to caramelize served with a Jaew with a twist) Coconut and Shallot rice. Kang Kong stir fried with roasted chilli jam and coconut cream (Cambodia) (Sweet spicy rich and satisfying) Tapioca with palm sugar caramel (Modern working of Southeast Asian flavors) Chef Brian Smith |
| Class name: | 2015 Indian Banquet |
| Class price: | $145 |
| Class date: | 01/08/15 |
| Class description: | Kathi roll with grilled chicken Handmade roti cooked with egg then wrapped around grilled chicken and Kachumber salad Pasanda of lamb Strips of tender lamb loin marinated with garam masala in an aromatic cardamom and yoghurt sauce Murgh Masalam (Punjabi Dahba Chicken curry) A Northern Indian “Dahba “roadside cafe version of this curry Aloo methi Potatoes cooked with green chilli whole cumin seed, Spinach and Fenugreek leaf Tarka dal Toor dal cooked with curry leaves cumin and tomato then smoked with charcoal and ghee Lemon rice Basmati rice cooked with Turmeric lemon and mustard seed and roasted Dals Chef Brian Smith |
| Class name: | . Spanish Tapas 2 |
| Class price: | $145 |
| Class date: | 18/07/15 |
| Class description: | Crispy Pork Belly with caramelised apples and cider. (A dish from the North Asturias- Morcilla chicharrones.) Grilled Quail caramelised onions, orange, manzanilla sherry and quince alioli. Air Dried Tuna (Mojama ) with roasted red capsicum, caper berries and rainbow chard ( a lovely starter or light lunch using the unusual Spanish ingredient Mojama). Traditional paella with chorizo, chicken, prawns and mussels served with saffron alioli. Walnut cake with brandy syrup another lovely traditional cake from the north of Spain. Chef Alice Nettleton |
| Class name: | 2015 Taste of Morocco |
| Class price: | $145 |
| Class date: | 04/07/15 |
| Class description: | Briouats of Goat cheese dipped in Amlou (They are little triangle of Filo pastry stuffed with soft goat cheese, mint and poached figs. Amlou is a dip made of roasted almond, Argan oil and honey). Chermoula Chicken Tagine with lemon and olives served with Mograbiah (Giant Couscous), preserved lemon, pistachio, currants and a pomegranate molasses dressing. B’steeya of snapper with almond and aromatic rice.(a small round pie made of Brick pastry). Aubergine and lamb cakes served on top of light and fluffy couscous. (Sweetened with honey and spiced with cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon.) Chef Gwen Le Chenadec |
| Class name: | Spice Trail 3 |
| Class price: | $145 |
| Class date: | 11/07/15 |
| Class description: | This class celebrates food from seven distinct cultures tied by a common history. Peixinhos da Horta/ Ingen Tempura – Batter Fried Green Beans from Portugal and Japan. Char Sui Pau – Roast Pork Bun from Malacca. Balacoa –Prawn Pickle from Goa/Sri Lanka/Macau. Costelas de Porco Piri Piri – Grilled Pork Ribs from Portugal/Mozambique/Angola. and El Diablo – Devil Chicken Curry from Malacca. Arroz e feijão –Rice and Beans from Brazil. Seeni Sambola –Onion and Tamarind Sambal from Sri Lanka. Pastel de Nata /Daan Taat – Custard Tarts from Portugal/Macau. Chef Mark McNamara |
South Australia Combines Food, Wine and Adventure
Destination & Tourism | James Ruggia | May 20, 2015
To outsiders, South Australia is probably most famous for the nature and wildlife experiences that are enshrined at Kangaroo Island, but among Australians that state is probably more famous for its various wine regions, artisanal food producers and the restaurants of Adelaide. The state’s food and wine heritage is rooted in its history as a refuge for German immigrants in the 19th century. The wine regions, easily accessed from Adelaide, give visitors more than just a gourmet romp, but also an experience of beautiful scenery and cultural heritage.
Adelaide, the capital of South Australia and one of the New York Times Top 52 places to go in 2015, is a city of a million people surrounded by parks and packed with museums, cafes and restaurants. The Central Market, the largest covered market in the Southern Hemisphere, is an emblem of how seriously food and wine are taken there. And it should be; more than 60 percent of the wine that Australia exports comes from the state.
The South Australia Tourism Commission created the Epicurean Way, a self-drive journey that encompasses the state’s four wine regions: the Barossa Valley, the Clare Valley, the Adelaide Hills and the McLaren Vale. The drive goes from regional farming to coastal seafood harvests with hands-on cooking classes and immersive wine and craft beer tastings along the way. Travelers on the Epicurean Way can make their own wine blend at Penfolds or d’Arenberg; cycle from vineyard to vineyard along the “Riesling Trail” in Clare Valley or take cooking classes such as the Sticky Rice Cooking School in Adelaide Hills.
Sticky Rice shows guests how to create restaurant-quality dishes in Asian, Spanish and Moroccan cuisine. Sticky Rice has three villas, where visitors can extend their stay one or more nights. There are more than 50 cellar doors in the Adelaide Hills. Also in the Adelaide Hills, Udder Delights Cheese Maker, Sheree Sullivan, has been teaching home cheese making classes since 2007. Her Easy Cheesy Home Cheese Making Class teaches students two different styles of cheese making. The class includes an extensive cheese tasting, coffee, light lunch and wine.
The Food Luddite is run by Chef Mark McNamara in the Barossa Valley. The classes focus on where food comes from, how it grows and simple ways to prepare it. Conducted in small groups, classes are available year round at the Kitchen Studio, a bright creative space designed to make cooking and learning enjoyable.
Casa Carboni, in the Barossa, teaches a blend of Italian and South Australian flavors. The Carboni family, who moved from Parma, offers a cooking school for intimate groups to learn to make pasta and other Italian fare in a class using Barossa Farmers Market’s seasonal produce. Jacob’s Creek Cooking Classes are held in the outdoor kitchen at the historic Jacob’s Estate Cottages in the Barossa. The four-hour experience is led by Executive Chef, Genevieve Harris.
If you’re worried about all of that drinking and driving, you can hire a service such as Vineyard Safaris, which tours the vineyards in a limousine with Master of Wine Tim Wildman leading the way from one cellar door to the next. The tours depart from Adelaide and are offered from November to April and accommodate up to four people.
While food and wine are a focus in South Australia there’s also plenty in the way of soft
adventure activities such as hiking, diving and mountain biking. You can even swim with sharks on the Eyre Peninsula or catch a sea-lion colony on Kangaroo Island.
Adventure Bay Charters’ Shark Warrior ship uses a six-seat Aqua Sub to offer a new way to view great white sharks in their natural habitat without the need to be fitted in wetsuits and oxygen equipment. The boat operates out of Port Lincoln and takes travelers to the shark-infested waters of Neptune Islands, two and a half hours off the coast of the Eyre Peninsula, where the pod is lowered into the ocean and passengers can climb down into the glass-enclosed viewing area that provides 360-degree underwater views, almost like a reverse aquarium. The Shark Warrior departs from Port Lincoln, with both “Aqua Sub” passengers and traditional shark cage divers on board.
South Australia is also home to Coober Pedy, the world’s opal mining capital. Willie Hutchison stumbled on the first opal near Coober Pedy around a century ago. Shortly after, the miners began pouring in. The town is about 500 miles north of Adelaide. Avoid it during the Australian summer when it gets well over 100°.
Adelaide will open a 32-story 250-room Sofitel hotel in 2018, and it will be the first internationally branded five-star hotel opening in the capital in nearly 30 years. In the past year, The Mayfair, The Watson, and the Ibis have also opened.
For something much smaller, the Art Series Hotel Group opened The Watson in September, a boutique hotel and residences that celebrate the creative genius of the hotel’s name-sake indigenous Australian artist, Tommy Watson. The 140-suite hotel offers art tours and features original artwork by Watson in each suite and throughout the hotel. The hotel is located in Walkerville, an Adelaide suburb about a 10 minute drive from the down town.
The hills are alive – five great ways to holiday in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia
May 6th, 2015
LOOKING for somewhere to sweep your loved one of his or her feet? Then head for the Hills. Adelaide Hills, to be precise, just a 20-minute drive from Adelaide’s CBD in South Australia.
It’s a land of the long lunch, with nature’s eye candy at every turn, delicious locally grown food and wine, and accommodation to match the country’s best when it comes to small luxury.
Here are five ways to enjoy your time in this little gem of a region tucked away in South Australia.
No.1: Sticky Rice Villas and Cooking School.
Now here’s a place you can get really messy … in the kitchen! The Sticky Rice Cooking School is where some of the best chefs on the planet, including Ty Bellingham, Mark McNamara, David Thompson and Katrina Ryan take a small class and guide them through creating a culinary feast fit for kings and queens.
The dining room setting is beautifully oriental with warm, soft colours, chunky cook books from around the globe lining shelves, a world of spices on tables and cooking tid-bits in nooks and crannies, and an adjoining industrial kitchen where all the action takes place for small groups from Friday to Sunday.
Ours was The Asian Adventure, as Japanese masterchef Yukiko “Yuki” Anschutz assembled her team of loyal helpers (us) and set about not only creating sumptuous goodies like Malay-beef stays with peanut sauce, Thai Red curry of chicken, lemongrass pork, and Cambodian char grilled calamari, but also little pearls of cookery wisdom along the way. After plenty of peeling, chopping, stir-frying, baking, laughing, learning and the occasional near miss, we celebrated our gastronomical achievements and new-found cooking skills over a four course dinner and wine (two sittings throughout the evening).
The accommodation opened in March this year with three architectural gems tucked away privately out the back. Each is inspired by the best villas from Thailand, Japan and Bali and offer plenty of space in two-roomed 70m2 of indoor living area, a private walled outdoor courtyard with beautiful gardens. Floor to ceiling glass surrounds in each villa allows plenty of light and views, and there’s the added bonus of under floor heating, designer furnishings and Jag kitchens with an array of magazines for superiors. So far so good!
www.stickricecookingschool.com.au
No.2: Hahndorf Hill Winery (pictured) and Shaw & Smith
A little trip to the Hills can’t go without a little tipple or two. For something completely different, head to Hahndorf Hill Winery, not just a boutique vineyard where its Germanic and Austrian varieties take centre stage (Gruner Veltliner is dubbed the world’s most food friendly wine), but you can also keep your sweetheart sweet with the unusual yet sublime ChocVino experience. Some of the finest drops unearthed from the vineyard are matched with chocolates from throughout the world.
It’s subtle, elegant and brings a whole new sweet dynamic to food and wine pairing.
Up the road is Shaw & Smith for a contrast in winery experiences. Cousins Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith realized a dream and produce some of the world’s best with their SB’s, chards, cool climate Shiraz and Pinot. It’s a great opportunity to taste some quality vino in a comprehensive winery operation in elegant surrounds.
www.hahndorfhillwinery.com.au and www.shawandsmith.com
No.3: Bridgewater Mill Restaurant
With an historic giant waterwheel in full swing in a converted flour mill in the Petaluma winery, you’ll be making your own splash with your partner while whispering sweet nothings and feasting on sweet somethings at Bridgewater Mill Restaurant. It’s a quintessential statement in fine food created from mostly local produce, a winner wine list matched with the dishes, and five star service in a lovely setting.
The tasting menu option is outstanding for lovebirds: think venison chorizo, seared scallops, poached chicken with cucumber, woodear mushroom and sesame, squid balls with radish, peas and wasabi, a melt-in-your-mouth Wagyu beef number before finishing it off with a braised pineapple, coconut caramel and black sesame ice cream. Now that’s superior bliss! We didn’t just call a taxi to be taken back to our hotel – we called one to carry us out of there.
No.4: Go for a walk or drive and explore the hamlets.
You probably would have noticed by now all this indulgence surely requires a bit of physical activity at some point to burn it all off. Hit the hills and either enjoy a bike ride or walk in the freshest of air, or go for a drive exploring some of nature’s finest countryside with sweeping valley views, rustic and well maintained rolling vineyards, and spend the best part of a day in a hamlet like Hahndorf which retains its strong German heritage. It’s a village like no other with Fachwerk buildings, old world ice creamery and lolly shops, chic cafes and restaurants such as The White House, Menz FruChocks Shop, the highly addictive Udder Delights Cheese Cellar, arts, crafts and pubs aplenty.
www.southaustralia.com/regions/adelaide-hills.aspx
No.5: Mount Lofty House
Save the best for last and check in at one of the finest luxury accommodation venues in Australia. This gloriously restored 1850s country estate is set among English style gardens – great for a stroll – and is overflowing with antiques and fine art throughout, but, really, it’s all about the views while relaxing. Piccadilly Restaurant is a must and take time kicking back in the Chesterfields in the library or have a play in the billiards room. It’s posh, but that’s what makes it special.
SCOTT PODMORE
Our Luxury Accommodation featured in Voyeur Travel Guide
Kids Cooking Class- July School Holidays
Our next cooking class for kids is on July 8th 2015.
This is our brand new school holiday class for kids aged 10+. The class covers a broad range of cooking techniques. All equipment, ingredients, tuition and lunch is included. This class may not be suitable for dietary requirements and allergies. Please check with us before booking. 10am-12.30pm. The Menu is- Thai steamed Chicken Cakes with Sweet chilli sauce using a Handmade Thai Red Curry Paste. Vegetable Rostis. Baked Risottto balls with Bacon and Cheese. Coconut Lacy Pancakes with Chocolate Genache. Winter Cordial.
This is a hands-on class for the children and they will learn all the skills needed to produce this carefully crafted menu. The children will enjoy their results at a sit down meal while we do the washing up for them! Please note the recipes are nut free, however Kids with severe nut allergies may not be able to attend since there are traces of nuts in the cooking school kitchen.
Breville, Heston and Sticky Rice Cooking School
We love cooking with Breville and are great fans of these easy to use appliances.
Heston is Breville’s Global Brand Ambassador, and he contributes to all things Breville. Starting in Australia where all the design and new product development begins .
Traveller review
Sticky Rice Cooking School, Stirling accommodation review: Weekend away
Mark Chipperfield Nov 12 2014 at 8:56 AM
Sticky Rice Cooking School, Stirling, SA.
Our rating
5 out of 5
TripAdvisor Traveller rating
38 reviews
The location
In the early days of European settlement, the Adelaide Hills offered a welcome respite from South Australia’s summer heat and the colony’s wealthiest citizens built fine gabled houses up here and laid out English-style gardens. Many still survive. After a short-lived gold rush in the early 19th century, the people of the hills have devoted themselves to small-scale farming and fruit growing. In more recent years, cool-climate wineries have added to the agricultural mix. There are now more than 50 cellar doors scattered throughout the hills, including Shaw + Smith, The Lane, Bird in Hand, and K1 By Geoff Hardy. Apart from the faux Bavarian charms of Hahndorf, visitors will find many other delightful things in the hills, including challenging hiking trails, historic gardens, wildlife parks and a profusion of cheese makers, craft brewers, olive growers, chocolatiers and other artisan food producers.
The place
Surrounded by native scrub, Sticky Rice Cooking School is a five-minute drive from the township of Stirling. The small complex includes the cooking school itself, complete with demonstration kitchen, dining room and shop, plus three Asian-inspired garden villas. Each villa – named Yoko, Bali and Zen respectively – is immaculately designed, furnished and equipped. We stayed in Zen, which comes with its own professional-standard kitchen, a glamorous almond-shaped bath and a sunny courtyard. The suite is boldly decorated with huge pendant lights, black leather couches, flamboyant drapes and dark-wood veneers. The fridge was packed with all kinds of gourmet goodies, including a cheese platter and a bottle of white wine. The breakfast provisions were equally generous.
See Also
The experience
Food is at the core of the Sticky Rice experience. The cooking school runs a packed program throughout the year, with classes in Thai, Singaporean, Vietnamese, Indian and Sri Lankan cuisines. Launched in 2013, the school has already earned a national reputation for excellence – previous guest chefs include Tetsuya Wakuda, Luke Nguyen and Poh Ling Yeow. Our teacher was Japanese-born Yukiki Auschutz, who guided us through the subtleties of preparing Thai food. These three-hour sessions are not for gastronomic wimps: we prepared five separate courses, including steamed prawn and pork dumplings and pad thai, and learnt vital new skills, such as how to stop noodles sticking together in the wok. The reward was being able to sit down afterwards and enjoy the fruits of our labour with a glass of wine. Staying on site in a villa is a real treat – unlike our classmates, home was a two-minute walk away.
Don’t miss
Adelaide Hills is a friendly, community-orientated place. Rub shoulders with the locals at the Stirling Market, held on the fourth Sunday of every month. You’ll find plenty of edible goodies here, plus jewellery, native plants and hippie threads. Horticultural types should visit some of the famous Victorian-era gardens. Best-known is the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden, which has 97 hectares of magnolias, camellias, roses, ferns and native plants; guided walks are available on Thursdays during spring and autumn. Nearby you’ll find The Cedars, the former home of the great Australian artist Hans Heysen. On display are 200 paintings from Heysen’s private collection.
Need to know
Cost: Weekend Cook and Stay packages from $485 a night (minimum two nights).
Distance: 20 minutes’ drive (20km) south-east of Adelaide.
Children: Yes, in Zen and Yoko. An additional charge of $100 a night applies.
96 Old Mount Barker Road, Stirling, South Australia
PHONE: (08) 8339 1314
