The Wonderful Dinners of Oz

Get ready to explore A Taste of Australia!

A can of Foster’s and a Vegemite sandwich? Australian cuisine is so much more than that.

Chef Ben Hernandez says that the land Down Under is filled with interesting, quirky tastes, and he’s looking forward to exploring them in his latest demonstration course, “A Taste of Australia.”

“I’m a big fan of Australian food,” he says. “It like to experience all the different types of protein they have.”

While he’s still planning the final slate of recipes, he says that lamb and seafood will likely have prime spots on the evening’s menu.

What about kangaroo? Ben laughs.

“I would like to use kangaroo,” he says, “but it might be a little on the pricey side.”

It’s also a special-order meat that’s not commonly available, something he tries to avoid in courses that are geared towards introducing people to new things that they can then try for themselves.

“I like to do something simple, that you can do at home,” he says. “So that you don’t have to go out, make a special trip to Winnipeg.”

Like the other “Taste of…” courses that Ben has run (he’s in his third year of hosting them through ACC), the “Taste of Australia” course will feature a full meal that he prepares and serves in front of students.

While Ben says that he does do some prep work ahead of time, especially for dishes that take a longer amount of time to cook, or are more tedious to assemble, he’ll go through all the steps needed to take the raw ingredients and turn them into a finished dish.

Students in the class also get a recipe packet to take home so that they can recreate the meal themselves.

That, of course, goes along with the live demonstration of everything that Ben is making, as he makes it, along with running commentary that can teach students some of the techniques used by a professional chef.

And once the food is made, it’s served, fresh from the kitchen to your plate. Yes, students get to eat the classwork.

Ben says he likes to do about four courses to the meal, generally soup, salad, a main course and dessert.

There are also wine pairings through the evening, although Ben says that there’s one aspect of Australian culture that might prompt a change to the normal wine pairings,

“The beer thing is really big!” he says. “Beer could be one of the pairings.”

Along with beer, lamb and seafood (maybe throw a shrimp on the barbie?), Ben says he’s looking at a coconut component, possibly for dessert.

“I like food,” he says, “and I think Australia, a lot of people haven’t had.”

Sign up now!

A Taste of Australia is scheduled for Wednesday night, Oct. 14, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. at the Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts.

Among the spacious grounds and historic buildings of the ACC North Hill campus in Brandon, the course will be taught in the Manitoba Canola Growers Culinary Theatre — which features sloped seating so that everyone can see what Chef Ben Hernandez is doing.

As a demonstration course, you’ll watch as Ben shows off all the steps to prepare Aussie cuisine right in front of you. Then, as he plates each dish, you’ll get to sample every creation.

Of course, what meal would be complete without a wine pairing?

Ben says that Australia is rightly known for its vinyards.

“There’s so much wine from Australia, it will definitely help the tenor of the dinner.”

A special treat

Chef Ben Herandez says he loves teaching the “Taste of…” courses so much that he’ll pay you to take them!

Well, not quite.

But he is throwing in a $20 gift certificate to Remington’s Seafood & Steakhouse for every person who takes “Taste of Australia” this fall.

“It’s to show my appreciation,” he says.

Looking for something else?

We have several other upcoming cooking courses that may be more your flavour. How about one of these?

The Cajun Experience

From deep in the bayou come plenty of delicious dishes. Our chef will share his secrets with you, helping you prepare mouth-watering meals. In the tradition of Cajun and Creole cuisine, local ingredients and simple preparation make for aromatic, satisfying eats. You'll find there is often spice, but flavour is always first.

This demonstration course runs Oct. 15 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts. You can register online.

Fright Night

Boo! You can't just serve candy at a Halloween party, and bobbing for apples will ruin your monster makeup. But don't be scared, come learn a few fun ways to dress up food for All Hallow's Eve. This demonstration course will fill you up with ideas as well as fun food. Costumes not required.

This demonstration course runs Oct. 29 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts. You can register online.

Perogie Making

Perogi, pyrogy, perogie, perogy, pirohi, piroghi, pirogi, pirogen, pierogy, pirohy, pyrogie, pyrohy - there are almost as many ways to spell it as there are delicious fillings to put in it. And just like the spelling, everyone will have a favourite filling they say is the best, no the ONLY, way to make it. These classic dough dumplings are a Manitoba favourite, but fewer and fewer people know how to make them from scratch. Learn the classic techniques from our instructor. She'll share all the tricks from her family recipe, and you'll never be reduced to store-bought again.

This HANDS-ON course runs Nov. 12 from 6-9 p.m. at the Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts. You can register online.