Cooking (and eating) with Miele...hard job but someone has to do it

Those who know me, and/or have followed me here or on Instagram for a while, will know of my deep and serious love for food; some eat to live, I live to eat...

I recently had the pleasure of attending a 'Miele Kitchen Experience' complimentary pre-purchase class at Miele's Experience Centre, and boy, was it an eye-opener! Literally! My eyes were seriously as wide as teacups throughout the entire 90 minute cooking demonstration, as my mind was being blown away by how innovative their kitchen technology was! I am a long-time fan of Miele appliances myself, having previously bought a dishwasher (which is sadly now in my old house - I miss it dearly), and have just recently purchased their washing machine and dryer, which I both love. But...I never knew that kitchen appliances could be so amazing and technologically advanced.  Every Miele kitchen appliance and accessory (e.g. their pans, probes, etc.) has been to designed to help make things easier for the home cook: easier to use, easier to cook, easier to clean.

The 'Miele KitchenExperience Class' is primarily intended for those who are considering investing in a Miele kitchen or appliance, so they can see firsthand these innovative appliances in action, watching delicious dishes being cooked right in front of their eyes with said appliances.  I was one of 6 attending this class, which was both a relaxed and enjoyable experience.  The other 5 attendees were either renovating their kitchen or building a house, wanting to find out which appliances would best suit their needs.  Just like when you buy a car and take it for a test drive, when investing in kitchen appliances, it's important to experience what you will use everyday for most of your life.  This is an ingenious way of witnessing these appliances in action, rather than simply reading through brochures and listening to Sales Assistants (as helpful as they may be, nothing beats seeing things in action, right?).  The Miele Experience Centre also offers post-purchase (owner) demonstrations for when you have already purchased your appliance, and want to learn how to best use your shiny new toy.  This is something I promptly informed my mother-in-law, who recently refurbished her kitchen with Miele appliances, but was not aware of these demonstrations.

But onto my 'Miele Kitchen Experience':

Miele's Wall of Fame (sorry, I just coined that), but Miele's incredible range of built-in appliances, which includes a Steam Combination Oven with Moisture Plus (an oven that can burst steam onto whatever you are cooking, without having to open the door oven while it cooks!), a Speed Oven, a Pressure Cooker, Sous vide, and this Vacuum Sealing Drawer:

Miele's Vaccum Sealing drawer for their Sous vide appliance.

 Turning simple ingredients into something spectacular...

'Miele Home Economists' Daniel and Clare in action - have both previously worked in commercial kitchens and work full-time at Miele to share their expertise (even if not during a demonstration).

The best part of the cooking demonstration? Eating the food after it is cooked! Although this heirloom tomato salad may look relatively simple, the flavours were other-worldly, thanks to the Basil sugar syrup that was vacuum sealed in Miele's Vacuum Sealing Drawer and Sous Vide in Miele's Oven on Sous-vide setting, which was later vacuum sealed in Miele's Vacuum Sealing Drawer once more, this time with the green tomatoes, for maximum flavour.  The Sous vide method ensured he basil remained vibrant in colour and flavours are intensified into each little piece of green tomato.



Chive Japanese milk bread - cooked in the Steam Combination Oven with Moisture Plus function, with one burst of steam released during baking period without the oven having to be opened.

 The steam helps conduct the heat, giving it that beautifully golden brown crust...

The best thing about Miele oOvens is that they mostly don't even require pre-heating, as the ovens reach and maintain the required temperature very quickly, which is absolutely brilliant (I personally hate waiting for the oven to pre-heat)!

Shio koji chicken in the making - these amazing Miele Ovens not only have a touch screen, but can also save several settings for each favourite recipe you may have! It gives you instructions of each required step (e.g. insert wireless probe, etc.), and does all the controlling for you, amazing!

Shio koji chicken with summer vegetables cooked in Miele's Steam CombinationOven to perfection with the greens coming out a vibrant green, due to the air being expelled when the door closes before steaming...amazing! The chicken was cooked in a Steam Combination mode, which allows you to control the moisture (70% for this chicken), core temperature (70 degrees - with a wireless probe!) - yes, my jaw dropped with this one.

Blueberry and pecan galette baked in the oven with the 'Intensive Bake' setting for the ultimate pastry crust...

Served with crème fraîche whipped up by Miele's Culinary Experts by using the Steam Combination Oven! Is there anything they cannot do in this kitchen?

Miele collaborate with professional chefs like Shannon Bennett and Maggie Beer to create recipes, exclusive to Miele, and have over 1000 recipes on their website.  They even have cookbooks with recipes created especially for Miele appliances.   In his role as Miele ambassador, Shannon has trained a team of Miele Culinary Experts, sharing his cooking techniques, recipe suggestions and passion for quality. And it is this knowledge that is than shared with us attending the Miele Experience classes.

Thank you Miele for the eye-opening experience and for feeding me (thank you Daniel and Clare!).

This post is written in collaboration with Miele, thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

All images by me.


Twitter + Facebook + Peut-être magazine (Fashion Writer and Editor) + Instagram + Bloglovin' + Shop my Wardrobe

It's all in the stars...The Health Star Rating, that is.

I don't know about you, but I am one of those annoying people who stand in the aisle studiously staring at the Nutritional Information Panel on a shelf item before placing it into my shopping trolley.   Being in charge of the grocery shopping in my household means I am very conscious of what I buy to feed Mr Brigs and my two little ones, to ensure I am contributing to their health and nutrition whenever possible with choices that help contribute to a balanced diet.

In recent years the Health Star Rating (HSR) system has been introduced, which has greatly helped me when choosing a product in the supermarket aisle.  The Health Star Rating is a voluntary front-of-pack food labelling system which provides an at-a-glance comparison using stars, from half a star to five, between similar packaged and processed food. 

The Health Star Rating of each product is based on the amount of saturated fat, sugar and sodium it contains per 100g or 100ml, as well as its total energy (kilojoules).  High amounts of saturated fat, sugars, sodium (salt) and energy (kilojoules) are considered negative factors, as they are linked to an increased risk of obesity and diet-related chronic disease, such as cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes, if consumed in excess of dietary guidelines.   Products may score extra points and potentially higher ratings depending on the proportion of positive ingredients they contain such as fibre, fruit, nut, legume, vegetables and protein.

Essentially, the more stars on the front of pack, the healthier the choice.

This HSR system provides an easy way for me to quickly compare similar packaged products (rather than studying each product for as long as I used to), to choose the healthier option.  Not all stars are created equal though, the 1 star on the 'cheese + crackers' is not to be compared with the stars on the sardines, for example. The system is used to compare between similar products.  I can compare breakfast cereals with breakfast cereals or muesli bars with muesli bars for example, but not between vastly different products, such as yoghurt and frozen lasagne.  The system makes it easier for us to identify the healthier option, enabling us to compare products in the same section of the supermarket and help us think more about nutrition when buying food.

Currently more than 5,500 products from at least 115 companies, carry the Health Star Rating. The system has also influenced manufacturers to reformulate their products to improve their nutrient profile, resulting in improved health star ratings, a win win for all. 

A few items in my pantry and fridge:

At the supermarket:
 



and how I quickly throw just a few simple ingredients for a healthy breakfast and/or snack of chia seed pudding (below):

The HSR system has even been helpful when shopping for the little ones as they ask for those sugary cereals, and I point out the low-star rating, so we chose a higher star-rated cereal instead.  It helps stir their interest in choosing the right foods, and discuss nutrition, which extends the information they already gaining at Kindy and Primary School.  In fact, even my littlest one always asks me: "Mummy, is this one healthy?"

 

We all know balanced lunchbox should contain a variety of nutritious foods from each of the five food groups – grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy and protein.  If you include packaged snacks in lunchboxes (or just as a snack at the desk) in addition to fresh fruit and vegetables, the Health Star Rating can be a helpful tool to help choose between similar packaged and processed products (for example, a well-advertised and popular lunchbox 'snack bar' only had 1 star, so I opted for the 4 star bar below, and similarly the 1 star cheese and cracker pack, as opposed to the half-star pack that was sitting next to it on the refrigerated shelf:

If you want to find out more about the HSR, the FAQs on the HSR official website are very helpful to answer some questions.

What about you, have you used the HSR to help you choose your shopped items?

  

This post is in collaboration with Health Star Rating.

All images by me. 

Twitter + Facebook + Peut-être magazine (Fashion Writer and Editor) + Instagram + Bloglovin' + Shop my Wardrobe

My memorable moment in my hometown: Radelaide

Having called Adelaide home for the last 22 years, I often take any opportunity I get to showcase what an amazing city it is to anyone who will listen.  Sure, in my younger days I'd bemoan that it was not as exciting as say, Sydney or Melbourne, but my, how this city has changed in the last decade or so!  It is a vibrant city with a lot to offer besides the well known surrounding wine regions and beaches (all of which I love), including an energetic arts scene — with festivals like the Adelaide Festival, WOMADelaide, SALA and the biennial Adelaide Film Festival, as well as a robust dining scene, with exciting cool bars and cafes popping up at a rate I just can't keep up with these days.  It is little wonder that The New York Times named Adelaide as one the 52 places to go to in 2015 (the only Australian city to make the list, might I add - and they also wrote another piece on what to do in 36 hours in Adelaide later that year).

Despite all the new exciting developments Adelaide has received, the classic establishments and regions are still what I love most about Adelaide, and I was lucky to recently have had a chance to experience a lovely 'staycation' in lovely company in this city of mine.

MOUNT LOFTY HOUSE

Starting with the historic Mount Lofty House, which overlooks the Piccadilly Valley in the Adelaide Hills Wine Region, yet is just a short 15 minute drive from the Adelaide CBD.  Situated amongst five acres of gardens with stunning views across the Piccadilly valley and Adelaide Hills wine region, this historic boutique hotel features 33 beautiful rooms that exude old charm and a first class restaurant; and is the premier destination for luxury and romantic escapes (my sister recently spent a relaxing weekend there, and insisted I do the same), overnight accommodation, fine dining, boutique day spa experiences, conference retreats and weddings.  Like Hotel St Moritz (which I recently blogged about), Mount Lofty House is part of Accor Hotel's M Gallery by Sofitel group, and has its own 'Memorable Moment'.  I mentioned in my previous post that Memorable Moments at MGallery by Sofitel reflect each hotel's character, local landscape and culture, and take many forms, from whiskey and chocolate tasting at Brisbane’s New Inchcolm Hotel and Suites; candlelit rooftop dinners with a string quartet at the Harbour Rocks Hotel overlooking Sydney Harbour; or helicopter ride to “The Ledge” of Cecil Peak with a magical picnic on an incredible Alpine Plateau in Queenstown, New Zealand.  Shortly after arriving at Mount Lofty House, we (Melanie Liu, Shellie Froidevaux, Yan Dong, Emma Kate and Angela Liu) were quickly whisked away to The Lane to fly over the magnificent Adelaide Hills in a helicopter (my first ever!) and explore the produce and wine of the region:

A short video of my amazing stay at Mount Lofty House






Woo hoo! First ever helicopter ride!

 Incredible view of the Adelaide Hills region


 May I say, the 'soundtrack' to our helicopter ride was pretty brilliant!
Wine Tasting at The Lane

Followed by a delicious lunch

 

   The Pork Belly (pictured right) was all kinds of amazing!


  The Lane is one of my favourite spots for lunch in the Adelaide Hills, and I often bring friends and family here, as the food is always delicious!

Following our delicious lunch at The Lane, we were chaffeur driven in a Vintage limousine to some of the regions iconic wineries to enjoy private tastings, including a favourite of mine, Shaw and Smith:

Photo at Shaw and Smith (taken by Shellie Froidevaux)

 One of my favourite things about wine tasting at Shaw + Smith is the delicious cheese platter accompanying their beautiful wines (the M3 Chardonnay and Shiraz are my faves!)
After Shaw and Smith, we left for another favourite winery: Hahndorf Hill Winery
Chocolate tasting! We were treated to not only a wine tasting, but a matched chocolate tasting with a beautiful view of Hahndorf Hill's vineyards.

Not a bad way to spend an afternoon!



We returned to Mount Lofty House for a little rest before meeting for dinner at Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant, Mount Lofty House’s new premier restaurant with beautiful views of the Piccadilly Valley, for an elegant and intimate five course degustation dinner with paired wines, the perfect setting and location to view the Supermoon from, and in fine company too!  Executive Chef Girard Ramsay, and hatted head chef Wayne Brow personally selects local produce to create a culinary experience like no other, capturing the true essence of good food usinglocally sourced produce, and the finest internationally sourced ingredients (and state-of-the art kitchen equipment, which we later had a sticky beak at, when touring the kitchen after dinner.

Milk fed veal tartare

Beautiful food with beautiful views

 The next morning we enjoyed an amazing breakfast again, with beautiful views of Mount Lofty Hotel's gardens, and the Picadilly Valley...

You can select from the bountiful buffet or order a la carte...as always, we did a bit of both...How I love my breakfasts! Those pancakes were delicious, by the way...

Breakfast with a view

One can also enjoy breakfast in bed by ordering room-service...

I also enjoyed some lovely time outside on the verandah outside my beautiful room

At lunch time we enjoyed a beautiful picnic spread on the hotel grounds amongst their beautiful gardens...

 Enjoying the local produce

THE PLAYFORD HOTEL

After our lovely picnic we headed to the heart of Adelaide, to the Playford Hotel, our second 'staycation' destination. Centrally located on North Terrace, opposite Adelaide's Convention Centre and close to the super exciting 'West Side' (where some of my favourite restaurants and bars are found), this boutique hotel offers the perfect blend of classical style and contemporary luxury.  Each room is unique and beautifully appointed in an Art Noveau style that is brimming with charm.

Checkout this video of the girls and I enjoying our memorable moment at The Playford.

The rooms are spacious and beautifully decorated, full of character and luxurious touches

 After some down time in my room, we were whisked away to South Australia’s Restaurant of the Year (and a restaurant I have been countless times), Windy Point restaurant, to enjoy a seven course degustation dinner overlooking the spectacular panoramic views of Spencer Gulf through to the Adelaide Hillssweeping from St Vincent’s Gulf to the Adelaide Hills enjoyed through full length 180° windows. 

The cuisine is Modern Australian combined with old-school silver service and generous locally sourced dishes, making this a memorable dining experience, which is fitting, as this is The Playford's 'Memorable Moment'

 Huon Ocean Trout Carpaccio with squid ink aioli, citrus crisps and sweet paprika oil, one of my favourite dishes of the evening
 This cute amuse-bouche was also so delicious (and too cute not to photograph)
 The view made even more spectacular with this magnificent sunset

 Cheers-ing with fellow Adelaidean (now Melbourne-based) Emma Kate
Photo by Angela Liu

Breakfast outdoors at The Playford restaurant

 If one can enjoy breakfast in bed, surely dessert in bed is also acceptable?

This dessert is actually a breakfast dish at The Playford's restaurant, an incredible house made ricotta that is an absolute delight to all the senses!

 The food on offer at The Playford (buffet included) is definitely one of the best I've ever experienced, it even had coconut water!  Some of you may know of my obsession with coconut water...

I may have to come back just so I can have breakfast here again, luckily I only live a 15 minute drive away!

Thank you Accor Hotels and Maddy G for this lovely 'staycation', and for the other memorable moments this year!

Mount Lofty House, MGallery by Sofitel
74 Mount Lofty Summit Rd, Crafers, South Australia 5152
Telephone: (08) 8339 6777
Website: mtloftyhouse.com.au

The Playford, MGallery by Sofitel
120 North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000
Telephone: (08) 8213 8888
Website: theplayford.com.au

Twitter + Facebook + Peut-être magazine (Fashion Writer and Editor) + Instagram + Bloglovin' + Shop my Wardrobe