G’Day USA

Every year across the United States, Australian business, innovation and culture are honored in a series of events spanning three weeks. Sequoia Productions has been a part of these celebrations for nine consecutive years in Los Angeles and three consecutive years  in New York. The G’Day USA Black Tie Gala in Los Angeles is a star-studded event, filled with Australian entertainment and food. This month, Celebrate! gives you an inside look at the G’Day USA Black Tie Gala events, everything we love about Australians and the amazing country they come from. For more information about G’Day USA please go to http://www.australia-week.com.

 

Marina Libia

With over 20 years experience, Marina Libia has established herself as an expert in the Tasting Australia food and wine promotion business. Together with David Evans and Ian Parmenter she started the successful ABC Television food-show “Consuming Passions” in 1992, and worked as the production manager throughout its 10 years and 450 episodes of production.

Among many other notable achievements, Marina has been the Event Manager for Tasting Australia (an international food and wine event in Adelaide, South Australia) since 1996 and has been responsible for sourcing and coordinating the Australian chefs and produce for the G’Day USA event since 2003.

 

We couldn’t resist asking Marina for her favorite dinner menu recipes! Enjoy!

Appetizer: Italian Style Zucchini and Parmesan Soup

Entree: Spice Pork Braised with Prunes and Apricots

Dessert: Pear and Almond Flan

 

 

Spiced Pork Braised with Prunes and Apricots

Spiced Pork

yield: (makes about 4 servings)

Ingredients

  • Pork shoulder (a little over 2 lbs)
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground fennel
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 brown onion, cut into 2 cm dice
  • 1/2 cup port
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 8 prunes, pitted
  • 8 dried apricots
  • grated zest of 1 orange
  • 2 fresh or dried bay leaves
  • 2 cups veal stock
  • freshly ground pepper

Directions

  1. About 1 hour before cooking, cut pork into 2 cm dice. Mix the spices and sea salt together. Rub over pork pieces. Cover and leave to marinate.
  2. In a large, heavy-based saucepan, heat extra virgin olive oil. Add half the pork and fry until evenly brown. Repeat with remaining pork. Set aside.
  3. Add the onion to the pan and a little more salt. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat until softened.
  4. Add port and reduce by half.
  5. Add red wine and boil for 5 minutes to burn off the alcohol.
  6. Return pork to pan. Add prunes, apricots, orange zest, bay leaves and stock. Bring to a boil.
  7. Rude heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
  8. Remove lid and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until pork is tender.
  9. Remove pan from heat and take out bay leaves.

Italian-Stye Zucchini and Parmesan Soup

Pear and Almond Flan

Back to Marina Libia 

Pear and Almond Flan

Flan

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp soft brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup butter
  • 2/3 cup caster sugar
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2/3 cup almond meal
  • 2 Tbsp self-raising flour
  • 3-4 pears, skin on
  • 2 Tbsp blanched almonds

Directions

  1. Line a circular flan dish (or 23cm cake tin) with non-stick baking paper.
  2. Sprinkle soft brown sugar over the baking paper.
  3. In a bowl, cream together the butter and caster sugar to create a smooth, creamy mixture. Make sure all the sugar is disolved.
  4. Lightly beat the eggs and add them to the creamed mixture.
  5. Add the almond meal and flour. Mix well.
  6. Cut the pears vertically, leaving on the skin and stalk. Place pear pieces decoratively in the dish, flat sides down.
  7. Fill gaps with blanched almonds.
  8. Pour the cake mixture over the pears and almonds and press down.
  9. Bake in preheated over at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until the cake mixture feels firm at the center.
  10. Allow to cool.
  11. Ease the flan away from the edge of the dish with a knife, place a large serving plate on top and turn it over.

Italian-Stye Zucchini and Parmesan Soup

Spiced Pork Braised with Prunes and Apricots

Back to Marina Libia 

Italian-Stye Zucchini and Parmesan Soup

Zucchini and Parmesan Soup

yield: (makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

  • Green zucchini (1 lb 10 oz), cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3 handfuls basil, chopped
  • Sea salt
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
  • Freshly ground pepper

Directions

  1. In a heavy-based saucepan, heat a little extra virgin olive oil.
  2. Add zucchini, garlic, basil and a good pinch of sea salt.
  3. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 9 minutes.
  5. Pulse the soup in a blender until well pureed, but not completely smooth.
  6. Return soup to pan and stir in cream and Parmesan.

G’Day USA Entertainment

The G’Day USA Black Tie Galas in Los Angeles and New York are celebrations of Australian culture, entertainment, food, wine and traditions. Over the last nine years the events have showcased Australian talent which has included The Qantas Choir, Inxs, Keith Urban, Guy Sebastian, Olivia Newton John and Delta Goodrem, to name a few. Enjoy a taste of what G’Day USA guests will experience this month, and be sure to check our blog throughout January for more on the G’Day USA celebrations!

Mark Hill’s Travel Tip: Qantas Airbus A380

My partner Gary and I are not the type of people who can suffer a bad plane ride in order to reach a relaxing destination since we consider the plane ride as much a part of our vacation as the destination itself. If you know who Michael Oher is then you would pretty much have a sense of my size – built like a defensive football player and large enough that no coach seat is going to be comfortable for me (or for Gary as my shoulder usually finds its way into his space). I don’t consider business class a luxury; I consider it a necessity unless I want to begin my vacation with a sore back or with a sore husband! Our expectations for business class changed after taking the Qantas Airbus A380 on a nonstop flight from Los Angeles to Sydney.

QantasFirst, there is no way to describe what it is like to see for the first time the A380 being pulled up to its gate. It is a beast – a shiny white building – with an enormous wingspan.  Given the number of people that an A380 can hold it was a feat in and of itself to get the plane fully loaded with passengers. The business class on the Qantas A380 is broken into sections. There was one large primary section and one secondary section behind it containing 12 additional seats. We were in the secondary section which consisted of two rows of seats sequestered in 2 seat increments. Gary and I were seated next to each other in two seats off to the right in the first row. The business class seats aren’t really seats – they are more appropriately called cocoons. Every seat is designed and shaped to provide maximum privacy if desired. The seat within the cocoon becomes a flat bed when moved down with electronic controls. Once flat, the top of the “bed” remains inside the confines of the cocoon shell decreasing noise and light disturbances should you wish to sleep. And sleep I did, only the second time I have done so on a plane.

By the time we departed our little section had filled up with 12 passengers. Given the amount of space between seats and rows the other passengers were barely noticeable and being in the secondary section of business class was like being in a very private section with almost no foot traffic in it. It was the most isolated I ever felt on a plane. The inflight entertainment options were excellent with many more movies, television shows and music options then anyway could possibly get through even during a fourteen hour flight. While I slept Gary spent the whole flight watching movies.

The food was uncharacteristically excellent for a plane ride. Qantas hired renowned Chef Neil Perry to create the meals on the A380.  It was the first time I had a meal on a plane that I raved about after the fact to anyone who would listen.  It consisted of poached sea bass on a bed of potato mash with asparagus. The sea bass was moist and delicious, the potatoes were succulent and the asparagus was piping hot with a slight crunch at the end of each bite. And the food just kept coming with food available to us at every moment of the flight. The flight crew was extremely generous and accommodating, helpful at every moment and extremely polite and considerate throughout the flight. They provided us with pajamas to change into for the flight and gently woke us up at pre-designated times with coffee and a full scale breakfast.

And perhaps the most unusual part of the experience – a full size bathroom in which I was able to stand up straight, turn around without touching the sides and change my clothes with ease.

Business class is not without its costs, but the Qantas A380 is an experience that I would recommend everyone try at least once.

Tasmania by Guest Blogger Mark Hill

TASMANIA

When planning a recent trip to Australia, my partner Gary and I heeded the advice of some dear Australian friends and included in our trip down under a four day stay on the island of Tasmania – a somewhat isolated island with sprawling farm lands, beautiful ports, and very friendly locals.  By the end of the four days in Tasmania I told Gary that I had found our retirement destination.

We booked ourselves a room at the Henry Jones Art Hotel, which is located on Hobart’s waterfront and is Australia’s first dedicated art hotel.  Henry JonesThe Hotel is a former jam factory that was transformed by architects Morris-Nunn & Associates into a unique property where the original bones of the factory were merged with modern building and design elements.  Modern amenities built with glass, wood and metals juxtapose against the original stone of the jam factory all while providing the unique ambience of the fishing port in which it resides at the very heart of Tasmania’s capital of Hobart.

Tasmania has some of the most magnificent sprawling farmlands in the world and produces amazing food products.  At the heart of their farming, Tasmania has very strict food control rules, tight farming regulations and anti-cruelty laws.  Tasmania exports its beef around the world to those looking for flavorful meat that comes from animals that have been allowed to eat plentiful grasses, who are not injected with chemicals, and whose life and death are treated with dignity and care.  The food itself was so flavorful and distinctive in texture and flavor to the region.  The hotel, knowing that Gary and I were foodies, made sure to send us to local restaurants where tourists seldom ventured.  I would say the best food we ate on our entire vacation came from our trip to Tasmania.  One restaurant in particular, situated inside an old Victorian house turned into a restaurant by a husband and wife (the husband the chef), was the tops.  Gary had the most succulent lamb chops, while I super indulged in a bouillabaisse (the best and hottest temperature wise) I have ever had, along with a pappardelle with veal ragu (yes – even veal is free range).

How do you top an amazing hotel and some great food experiences?  For us, it was our decision to travel to a local animal zoo / rehabilitation center on a dreary mid-week day.  AnimalsWe both love animals and prefer to give money to organizations that create environments that benefit the animals and the community at large. Tasmania’s zoo is just that place.  We were beyond fortunate to be the only guests at the zoos opening given the clouds, cold and drizzle, but in turn we received a private guided tour and found ourselves surrounded by hundreds of kangaroos and wallabies that we sat on the ground and played with for hours.  We gently caressed Koala bears (which leave your hands oily and smelling of sweet eucalyptus), got to feed Tasmanian devils (which are ferociously cute), and hold exotic birds given a second chance at life despite being unable to fly.  Despite the great hotel, food and nature drives, even walks along the infamous bridges in the sky (walking bridges built in the tree tops of a national park); this was our favorite part of the trip.  I will take cuddling up to a soft warm wallaby holding onto my hand to lick it over most anything else in this world.

TasmaniaIf you are looking to slow down a bit, enjoy the sights and sounds around you, and revel in a place where industrialization has not fully enveloped the lands and people, Tasmania should be a must visit destination for you.

Now I just count how many more years of working until we can retire!