Newsletter, February 2010

Its been a busy time since Christmas. After opening The Palace gastropub in South Melbourne, I went cruising on the Pacific Jewel cruise ship which has one of my restaurants, Salt Grill on it. Then off to Tokyo to promote Tassie tourism; my first cooking class with an interpreter, does that mean I have watch what I say more these days?

I’m off to Los Angeles next month to launch my new book, At Home and In the Mood and then Moscow to promote Aussie food and wine to the Russians. I probably need to find out if they have an interpreter for that one too I think…

Cheers,

Luke

the palace hotel opens in melbourne

My dream was to open a gastropub in my hometown that would showcase great meat and seafood from around Australia. An old workers pub in South Melbourne turned out to be the perfect place, so after an extensive reno, we opened The Palace by Luke Mangan late last year. You can come in for drinks and a bite at the bar or in the sunny courtyard; or try the full restaurant menu (which Chef MJ and I have just expanded). Oh and we’ve gotten some great press already so we hope you’ll come and visit us soon.

appetite for excellence

Applications for Australia’s ultimate national competition for young hospitality professionals, the Electrolux Appetite for Excellence Awards, opened on February 1st. This year, Brett Graham, executive chef at London’s 2 Michelin starred restaurant, The Ledbury, will be guest of honour. He joins me and other chefs and industry insiders like Tetsuya Wakuda, Andrew McConnell and Peter Doyle, to find emerging chefs, waiters and restaurateurs from around Australia. Click here for a full list of judges and application details.

winemaker dinner at glass brasserie

Master of Wine, Michael Hill Smith will host a wine dinner on Tuesday March 9th at 6.30pm at Glass Brasserie in Sydney. Taste these superb wines from the Adelaide Hills with a 5 course degustation menu I designed to show them off. $160 per person. Check out the menu. Call (02) 9265 6068 or use our booking form to reserve your spot.



recipe – luke’s spiced burgers (serves 4)

  • 500 grams fresh ground beef (topside or rump – ensure it has some fat)
  • 1 large onion, chopped and sauteéd and cooled
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 4 teaspoons olive oil

Luke’s Beef BBQ Spice Recipe (or buy online or at select fine food shops)

  • 5gr ground black pepper
  • 5gr ground cinnamon
  • 5gr ground cumin
  • 5gr ground coriander
  • 5gr Paprika
  • Good pinch cayenne pepper

Mix the beef with olive oil, water & spices, and let sit at least 6 hours.

For each burger shape about 1/4 cup mixture into a 2cm -thick round.

Heat heavy large nonstick pan or BBQ over medium-high heat. Add burgers to pan and cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Serve with plenty of fresh salad, tomatoes and crusty bread.