As one last hurrah for 2022, Scotty and Elise hold your hand and help you navigate oven prioritisation, glazing hams and making gingerbread cookies to give you some Christmas tips and tricks to make Christmas less about stress and more about the Joy of eating delicious food.

They share some recipes on how to wow your ham, Masterchef your Christmas Pav and play a game of Entrée, Main and Dessert with mystery ingredients.

Scotty and Elise also share their fondest memories of Christmas traditions and what’s on their ultimate Christmas table this year as some inspiration for your Christmas cookery.

Freya Cox joins Cream, Eggs and Jam all the way from Scarborough UK to chat about her Great British Bake Off (GBBO) experience, how her life has transformed since entering the ultimate baking battle and what it was like writing her first cookbook, Simply Vegan Baking. Elise makes the case for Great British Bake Off being the best competitive cooking show out there and Scotty salivates over Freya's fluffy milk buns.

BOOKS:

To order Freya's book: https://www.booktopia.com.au/simply-vegan-baking-freya-cox/book/9781922616432.html

For more vegan recipes with flare, check out Jessica Prescott's books: https://www.hardiegrant.com/au/publishing/bookfinder/author/jessica-prescott

COOL FOOD STUFF:

To make Freya's milk buns: https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/recipes/all/freya-vegan-milk-bread/

It's episode 12 and time to celebrate! Scotty and Elise simultaneously pop corks with champagne specialist Amanda Reboul, one of the most well researched individuals in Australia when it comes to champagne. Her French language skills have been an asset to developing working relationships in Champagne since the 90’s. Her French husband and relatives in northern France have also been critical to tying her to the infamous region.

SPOILER ALERT - Scotty and Elise chat about the MasterChef AU season finale before their champagne tasting with Amanda. Stay tuned to the end of the episode for another fun segment of show and tell, and a hint of a possible BONUS Episode 13.

BOOKS:

The Widow Clicquot - The story of a Champagne empire and the woman who ruled it, by Tilar J Mazzeo

Essi Avellan’s Champagne - a guide for champagne and gourmet travellers, by Essa Avellan

The finest wines of Champagne - a guide to the best cuvees, houses and growers, by Michael Edwards

Christie’s world encyclopaedia of Champagne & sparkling wine, by Tom Stevenson and Essa Avellan

Champagne, a Tasting Journey, by Kaaren Palmer

The Art & Science of Foodpairing - 10,000 flavour matches that will transform the way you eat, by Peter Coucquyt, Bernard Lahousse, Johan Langenbick

Bourke Street Bakery – The Ultimate Baking Companion, by Paul Allam & David McGuinness

COOL FOOD STUFF:

Amanda hosts transportative champagne celebrations in Brisbane. You can be in touch with her via her website www.amandareboul.com where you can also download her ebook 'Level Up Your Champagne Game'

To learn more about Tsarine visit their website - https://www.tsarine.com/en/

To purchase a bottle of the champagne tasted in this episode - https://www.danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_91739/tsarine-champagne-cuv-e-premium-brut

The glasses used by Amanda in the tasting are designed by Philippe Jamesse for Lehmann Glass in France. Philippe Jamesse was World’s Best Sommelier in 2008 and worked with Lehmann Glass and the physics department of the University of Reims to develop the perfect champagne tasting flute.

These are available here: https://thetruffleman.com.au/collections/accessories

(The model shown was the Premium 28.5cl, which is the smaller version but the 41 and the 45cl are the ultimate tasting glasses.)

To learn more about Champagne, subscribe to Vine & Bubble Magazine which is Australia’s only magazine dedicated to champagne: https://vineandbubble.com/

Have you ever wondered how baby oysters grow? Have you been curious about the seasonality of seafood?

The Freycinet Marine Farm in Tasmania happens to be an old stomping ground of our favourite Tasmanian, and 2021 Masterchef finalist, Sabina Newton. Scotty and Elise want to know more about this must visit Tassie location. Sabina introduces marine farmer Giles Fisher to learn a little more about life as a marine farmer. From the process of growing an oyster to its prime eating potential, Giles tells all!

BOOKS:

Tasmania’s Table – A food lover’s guide to Tasmania’s fine food, drink and restaurants by Paul County and Nick Osborne

COOL FOOD STUFF:

To find out more about the Freycinet Marine Farm: https://www.freycinetmarinefarm.com

To book Sabina to cater your next feast celebrating Tasmanian produce, contact her via Instagram @sabinanewton or check out her profile on Gather: https://www.gathar.com.au/cook/5176?utm_campaign=urban-list-ppl

In episode 10, Scotty and Elise discuss how to combat winter via delicious ramen broths and bergamot tea! They lament over Aldo's elimination from Masterchef season 14 and consider the utility of a cucumber.

Jess joins the conversation and shares what she's been up to. From travelling around Australia in a vintage caravan to hosting her very first pop up restaurant, Jess has been very busy navigating how to realise her food dream post Masterchef.

Scotty and Elise are joined by Jaclyn Crupi, a Melbourne based bookseller, editor and author who credits her passion for cooking and growing her own food to her Italian heritage. We chat about punishing rosemary, generous thyme and managing pesky possums.

Jaclyn is an inspiration when it comes to reducing the need to "buy stuff". Fruit and veg prices have skyrocketed and we are here for Jaclyn's wealth of frugal tips.

This episode is full of valuable information for maximising the potential of your home gardening endeavours, finding nutritional value in weeds and reducing the strain on your hip pocket via gardening the Italian way.

REFERENCES:

BOOKS:

To buy either of Jaclyn books, visit:

https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/jaclyn-crupi/

COOL FOOD STUFF:

To follow Jaclyn on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/Jaclyncrupi

For amazing truffles visit:

https://thetruffleman.com.au/

For cool Circular solutions with lasting impact using coffee waste visit:

https://www.reground.com.au/

In episode 8, Scotty and Elise talk to a couple of fun guys about fungi!

Scotty gets to chat to his favorite chef and restaurateur about a 19 course mushroom degustation. The inimitable Nathan Dunnell, executive chef and owner of Elska explains there’s not mushroom for error in the culinary world when you take advantage of seasonality. Nathan is a champion preserver and says to buy as much as you need of an ingredient when it is at its best, use it fresh and also consider how to store it for use later in the year.

Thomas Zdravko, mushroom nerd and identification expert, discusses how the process of fungi identification continues to be scary - even for someone of his extraordinary expertise and deep understanding of fungi biodiversity. He introduces Scott and Elise to the app 'iNaturalist' while further encouraging relationships with mushroom experts via his Facebook fungi group.

Stay tuned to the end of the episode for a seriously delicious show and tell, featuring a grief stricken chicken and an umami rich custard.

REFERENCES:

BOOKS:

For The Truffle Cookbook by Rodney Dunn https://tasmaniangourmetonline.com.au/products/the-truffle-cookbook-by-rodney-dunn

For Annie’s Farmhouse Kitchen:

https://www.hardiegrant.com/au/publishing/bookfinder/book/annie_s-farmhouse-kitchen-by-annie-smithers/9781743792643

COOL FOOD STUFF:

To visit Elska: https://www.elska.com.au/reservations

To join Thomas' Facebook fungi group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1462936457145846/

Agrarian Kitchen's Cooking with truffles: https://www.theagrariankitchen.com/The_Agrarian_Kitchen/cooking_with_truffles.html

To follow Nathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathandunnell/

To follow Thomas on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomushed/

To follow Martin Martini on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellyoftheworldmushrooms/

To download the app iNaturalist - https://www.inaturalist.org/

In episode 7, Scotty and Elise discuss grate cheese! They ask, why does cheese provoke happiness? What are a cheesemonger's platter picks? And why is raw milk cheese so misunderstood by policy makers?

Hakim from Ripe shares his story as a cheesemonger who left a corporate life to pursue a meaningful celebration of Australian Dairy via his cheese shop at the Queen Victoria Market.

Burke of Prom Country Cheese elucidates on his experience as a cheese maker in Victoria's South Gippsland for the past 20 years. He shares why his family farm was well placed to challenge regulations around the making of raw milk cheese in Victoria.

REFERENCES:

BOOKS:

Fondue Cookery by Alison Burt

https://www.booksforcooks.com.au/pages/books/0727100335-01/alison-burt/fondue-cookery

How To Be A Domestic Goddess - Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking by Nigella Lawson

https://www.nigella.com/books/how-to-be-a-domestic-goddess

COOL FOOD STUFF:

To find Burke's cheeses: https://www.promcountrycheese.com.au

To shop at Ripe: https://www.ripecheese.com.au

To pig out on fondue at Milk the Cow: https://milkthecow.com.au

In this quali-tea podcast, Scotty and Elise get the par-tea started with a quick overview of Sunday night’s Masterchef AU elimination challenge of epic anxi-tea.

Ashok Dias of Tea Drop joins the conversation to table what its like to be a tea merchant. Of Sri Lankan heritage, Ash talks about his migration journey, his determination to grow a tea business and the principals of quality that drives his pursuit for totally perfect tea.

Do you know an obsessive tea drinker? English teacher Jordyn Annetta is certainly a person who loves her cuppa very matcha! Jordyn talks tea-rrific brews, drinking vessels and what makes a brew-tea-ful sipping moment for her.

For show and tell, Scotty shares a manual to hosting a vintage tea party, old English style. Elise chais to shed light on the cultural importance of tea to cultures around the world, she shines a spotlight on the environmental impact of monoculture tea plantations and proposes the idea of the ul-tea-mate tea party!

BOOKS:

To peruse The Vintage Tea Party book: https://www.amazon.com.au/Vintage-Tea-Party-Book/dp/1851496874

COOL FOOD STUFF:

-To try Tea Drop: https://www.teadrop.com.au/?gclid=CjwKCAjwv-GUBhAzEiwASUMm4nDH5igGxnzEEr0O6T0sPIJVOTquX6Ne8ywCl8LAJm-mFHCVkRL-MxoCq8sQAvD_BwE

-To find Jordyn: https://www.instagram.com/jordynlightyear

-To engage with the artist of Elise's Tibby tea pot: https://www.instagram.com/steph_draws_stuff

-Or for other tea’s discussed in this episode https://www.ttotalertea.com/ and https://www.t2tea.com/en/au/home

Scotty and Elise jam pack this episode with a recount of Scotty’s recent expeditions in Melbourne before diving into an examination of what constitutes ‘modern cuisine’.

Alvin Quah, of Masterchef AU Season 14, joins the conversation to discuss the controversies surrounding the word ‘fusion’ and alludes to a future career as a pub reviewer!

Elise proposes a successful fusion of Italian and Sri Lankan cuisines and Scotty’s special share makes a case for how weird can be done well…

REFERENCES:

Matt Preston 2016, Why I love fusion (it's not daggy!), Delicious, viewed 26 May 2022,

https://www.delicious.com.au/food-files/article/praise-fusion-not-daggy/fdf0d8d2-670d-45d9-8ce2-26e61448e56f

Raj Rao 2015, Fusion Cuisine - The 'F' Word, Luxury Facts, https://www.luxuryfacts.com/index.php/sections/article/Fusion-Cuisine---The-F-Word

BOOKS:

Hiakai by Monique Fiso

https://www.penguin.com.au/books/hiakai-9780143772606

Season by Nik Sharma

https://abrowntable.com/seasoncookbook

Momofuku by David Chang and Peter Meehan

https://www.booktopia.com.au/momofuku-david-chang/book/9781906650353.html

COOL FOOD STUFF:

Organic Chocolate Marker - https://www.solkiki.co.uk/

The Bitters Lab -: https://www.thebitterslab.com.au/

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