Newsletter Archive

If Voodoo Moon’s Eternal Damnation habanero chilli sauce isn’t adventurous enough for you, give Scott at World Expeditions a call for their latest adventure travel brochure. World Expeditions are Australia’s oldest and most respected adventure travel company having organised and run journeys for adventurous Australians for close on 30-years.

They offer fantastic and exciting small group adventure holidays for all ages and all levels of fitness to all 7 continents of the globe. If trekking in Nepal; walking along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu; cycling through Vietnam; or camping amongst the wildlife in Africa sounds like fun then call and ask for their new free 150 page colour brochure. They also hold free “visual journey” information and presentation nights every week in Perth to help inspire and inform. Visit their website on www.worldexpeditions.com.au or contact Scott and Melody on 9221-8240.

BALLAJURA MASTERCLASS

Rhonda and the girls at the Ballajura Community College are doing a great job teaching young kids the basics of Commercial Cookery, and I had the opportunity to host a session with these enthusiastic and eager future chefs during May.

After showing them how to quickly whip up a few dips, it was time to let them flex their creative muscles and go to work making platters of finger food and canapés, with some impressive and artistic results.

Before leaving I gave each of the kids (and staff of course) a little jar of Plum & Vanilla Jam which I made for them during the session. There were more than a few empty jars before it was time to leave! Let’s hope they go home and impress their folks with their newly acquired canapé and jam-making skills!

Thanks to Rhonda and the kids for the lovely herb pot and wine. The wine is long gone, but the herbs are proving very helpful almost daily.

If you would like to know more about the Ballajura Community College’s Masterclass program, call the college on 9262-7777.

INTERESTED IN FOOD?

I LOVE to share my passion for cooking, so please ask me if you have any subjects or recipes you’d like more information, background history, or tips on. Email ANY cooking or food related questions to me at askchef@voodoomoon.com.au and I’ll get on the case immediately! I have an extensive collection of food related texts, and plenty of contacts to hopefully answer any question we can come up with – this is a great opportunity for us all to learn something new, and there’s a jar of my condiments up for grabs for the best question each month.

JULY SPECIAL ON CATERING

Trying to think of a special treat for your partner’s birthday or anniversary? What could be more romantic than dinner for two in the comfort and privacy of your own home, fully catered by your own personal chef, for around the same price as a night out at a chic restaurant?

Planning a big dinner party with special friends but a little shy about what to cook – or perhaps you can’t be bothered with the thought of all that preparation and cleaning up?

I specialise in creating unique menus to fit each customer’s individual budget, taste and occasion from intimate dinners for two, through sumptuous dinner parties, party buffets, cocktail party finger food, and more.

Call Shane straight away on 0419-937-351 or drop us an email for an obligation free quotation – you’ll be surprised how affordable it is, and all catering functions booked in July receive a 10% discount!

PINEAPPLE, MACADAMIA & BUSH PEPPER SALSA

Now with a slightly thicker consistency, Voodoo Moon’s Pineapple, Macadamia & Bush Pepper Salsa is a fruity, luscious, and smooth flavoured chutney.

Beaut on (or in) a curry, there’s a lot more to this tasty treat than just Indian food.

Serve as a fruity chutney with any curry

Stir into a curry for a delicious tang

Serve as a dip with Rice Crackers or poppadoms by itself or stirred through yoghurt or sour cream

Drizzle over grilled Barramundi or snapper and serve with a crisp salad and fries

Mix with cream cheese for a sandwich spread or funky dip

Pour over ice cream for a taste sensation

Dollop onto pancakes and serve with clotted cream

Great as a salsa with pork kebabs or a ham steak

LAMB TAGINE WITH VOODOO MOON’S PINEAPPLE SALSA (Serves 6)

1 kg lamb shoulder or leg, trimmed of excess fat and cubed
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 bunch coriander
1/2 tsp saffron threads (or 1/4 tsp imitation saffron)
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp cracked black pepper
1/2 jar Voodoo Moon’s Pineapple, Macadamia & Bush Pepper Salsa

Place onions, lamb and spices in a medium sized pot, just cover with water (or lamb stock if you prefer) and bring to a gentle simmer, tightly covered, for one hour. Stir through one half jar of Voodoo Moon’s Pineapple, Macadamia & Bush Pepper Salsa and check the seasoning. Return to the simmer and cook until the lamb is tender, fifteen to thirty minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with Moroccan cous-cous or rice.

VOODOO MOON’s PINEAPPLE CHEESECAKE

500g cream cheese (mascarpone or neufechtal is best, and philly is fine too)
1 tin condensed milk
1 jar Voodoo Moon’s Pineapple, Macadamia & Bush Pepper Salsa
7 leaves gelatine (or 10g gelatine powder)

Beat the cheese and condensed milk together well, then add the cream slowly, while beating, until it is well combined and starting to stiffen. Pour in the jar of Voodoo Moon’s Pineapple, Macadamia & Bush Pepper Salsa and combine well.

Dissolve the gelatine and mix through quickly and thoroughly. Pour the mix into a prepared biscuit base and refridgerate for a couple of hours until set. Serve with chantilly cream and a few slices of lime and enjoy!

Congratulations to Toni Phillips of Redcliffe, who won May’s competition, and has received a complimentary jar of Voodoo Moon’s Bush Tomato Kasaundi.

This month, to win a jar of our featured Pineapple, Macadamia & Bush Pepper Salsa, just send an email to shane@voodoomoon.com.au, with the answer to this easy question:

“Name the three main ingredients in Voodoo Moon’s PINEAPPLE, MACADAMIA & BUSH PEPPER SALSA”

SLOW DOWN!

It’s winter, and in today’s frenetic world, where people don’t write letters to stay in touch, they ‘forward’ emails; where fast food is the favoured norm, in all it’s artificial and unhealthy glory; and where we stay in touch via post it notes and SMS messages rather than over a long languorous meal, maybe it’s prudent that we spend some time thinking about SLOW FOOD.

Summer is perfect for salads, stir fries, and quick grills, but winter screams out for slow braises, hearty and fortifying soups, aromatic and succulent roasts, and rich healthy stews.

In many regions of southern France, the onset of winter is signalled by a Beef Daube, slowly braised in the oven for four or five hours with bacon and vegetables. The Moroccans favour the lamb tagine (see the recipe above) which usually add some preserved or dried fruit, again for health reasons. And then there’s the divine Italian osso bucco, which stews pieces of veal shank in a rich sauce.

There are so many advantages to cooking these great, traditional dishes: this is comfort food, designed to bolster the immune system during the cold months, and is dynamically restorative and healthy. As an added bonus, the cuts of meat are usually considerably cheaper than those we would cook quickly.

And perhaps best of all, this is the sort of food which you can turn into a real occasion – glorious in it’s simplicity! If we take the time out – even just once every week or two - not only will baking, roasting, and stewing fill your kitchen and home with divinely rich and hearty aromas, but you can involve your partner, kids, and friends and make it into a real family activity.

Have the kids peel the potatoes and carrots while you cut the meat. This isn’t a chore to be forced onto them, this is about allowing them to feel involved in such a simple and organic process as cooking – about the magic of hands-on transformation. As a rough, dirty potato turns into a creamy mash, a chicken into the best restorative soup you’ve ever tasted, or a lamb leg into a the Moroccan flavoured tagine I wrote about earlier, it’s about getting back in touch with the earth, which generously provides us with so much great produce, and growing closer together as a family.

While these great dishes are slowly cooking, you have the time to relax with a glass of wine, play a board game, or do a crossword together.

Food should be a way of life, never an inconvenience.

FANTASTIC CUISINE

Voodoo Moon are proud to announce a new generation of gourmet home catered meals. We now offer restaurant quality meals, professionally prepared by our chef, for home delivery weekly. This is perfect for the busy and fast paced lifestyle, and I will delight in creating dishes to each customer’s personal taste.

Meals we have produced to date include Tangy Malay Pumpkin & Coconut soup; Shane’s Winter Warmer Cure-All Chicken Soup; Bush Beef Bourguignonne; Mild Beef Jalfrezi Curry; Coq au Vin; Medallions of Pork Fillet in Masala sauce with stoemp & steamed vegetables; Barbecue Roasted Leg of Lamb with Raspberry glaze, roasted parsnips, pumpkin, merlot braised red cabbage; Apricot & Macadamia rolled chicken thighs, on sweet potato & green onion mash and lemon roasted mushrooms.

All meals are served with appropriate vegetable accompaniments and are priced from $5 - $8 for soups, and $9.50 - $14 for the generously portioned main courses. Feel free to request your favourite meals, and please note that any dish can be made to your personal dietary or taste requirements – call us now for more information on 0419-937-351.

Have a great month and be excellent to each other!

Shane Pinnegar

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please email me at shane@voodoomoon.com.au.

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All text, artwork and recipes © Voodoo Moon 2002-03

HONE UP YOUR BARBIE SKILLS IN TIME FOR SUMMER

SLOW DOWN!