FOOD WITH MIGUEL MEASTRE $100 DINNER PARTY Dining out can hurt the hip pocket but dinner parties at home are expensive to throw. To find out how to cook a three-course meal for four including a cocktail for under $100, Miguel goes back in time. Will his 70’s dinner win over his guests or will his Bombe Alaska bomb out? 1970’s FAST FACTS • It’s estimated that 55 percent of Australia lived through the 70’s. • The average weekly earnings for a single income family in 1975 was $175.40 per compared $1356.70 today. • A 700g loaf of bread, which costs an average of $4.00 today would have cost $0.08 cents in the 70’s. • In 1970 a ‘Basket of Goods’ (everyday products such as food, clothing, furniture and financial services) valued at $20 would cost $211.76 today. • Australian television was converted to colour in 1975. • The 70’s was a decade for inventions that would change the way we communicate forever, with the creation of the mobile phone, email and the floppy disk. • The first VCR’s where invented in the 70’s. • Popular food fads in the 1970’s include mini everything on toothpicks like, cocktail onions, meatballs, watermelon balls. • Casseroles, Chillie Con Carne and Macaroni Cheese where popular main dishes in the 1970’s. • Brandied Oranges, Jelly Moulds and Pavlova were popular 70’s desserts. Source: http://www.classic70s.com/facts-of-the-1970s.html http://televisionau.com/timeline/1970-1979 http://www.abs.gov.au http://www.rba.gov.au/calculator/annualDecimal.html http://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/content.php?pid=14258&sid=95525 GRETEL KILLEEN Miguel invited a special selection of guests to his 70’s inspired dinner party including Australian TV personality Gretel Killeen, along with our own Amanda Keller and Barry du Bois. An established television presenter, Gretel’s career started accidently in comedy when she read a profound and serious poem that her audience laughed at. A recognised writer, Gretel has published more than twenty books and a number have become best sellers, winning her a Mo Award. Gretel has performed comedy on both radio and TV, hosted Logie Award winning television and has been one of Australia’s top voice over artists for the past 17 years. In 2001 Gretel hosted the first Series of Big Brother and performed in The Rocky Horror Picture Show as the Narrator. Gretel recently directed her own documentary about AIDs orphans in Zambia, has carried out work for UNICEF as a Goodwill Ambassador in Ache, Bangladesh and Laos. JOHN PAUL YOUNG Living the life as a famous pop star during the 70’s made our next guest John Paul Yong the perfect dinner party guest. John Paul is an Australian pop singer who had a worldwide hit with ‘Love Is In The Air’. From 1975 to 1980 John was one of the most popular male performers in Australia. John’s other hits include Yesterday’s Hero, The Love Game and I Hate the Music, I Wanna Do It With You and Standing In The Rain. In 1992 Love Is In The Air was chosen as the theme song for director Baz Luhrmann’s internationally acclaimed feature film ‘Strictly Ballroom’ helping a whole new generation fall in love with his music and bringing John back from retirement. John Paul Young received an OAM on his 40th Anniversary year in June 2012 for services to the music industry and services to charity. John performed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and in 2008 was nominated for a Helpmann Award for best supporting artist in “Shout” The Johnny O'Keefe Musical. His singing career began after being discovered during a production of Jesus Christ Superstar, which lead to the success of his solo career known today. RECIPES DEVILS ON HORSEBACK Try Miguel’s modern day spin on this 70’s classic. INGREDIENTS: 14 slices of thin pancetta, not rolled 20 large fresh dates, pipped and opened in half A small wedge of creamy blue cheese (Castello style) 1 handful of chopped salted almonds 1 bunch of chives, finely chopped Freshly cracked pepper and salt, to season Balsamic glaze for garnish Total Cost $41.10 METHOD: Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of your chopping board and lay the pancetta down on top. Place the dates on top and flatten using a non-stick paper so dates don’t stick to your hands. Mix blue cheese, almonds and chives into a bowl, mash with a back of fork and season with salt and pepper. Add mixture to pancetta and dates, placing in the centre and roll into a cylinder leaving the cheese as the centre. Tie both ends of the plastic wrap until a nice and tight. Leave in the fridge to set for 30 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, cook on non- stick fry pan until pancetta is golden brown and crispy. Cut in portions and serve with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. MIGUELS TURKEY WELLINGTON You’ve tried Beef Wellington, but this version has a healthy spin and a great taste. INGREDIENTS: 1 large turkey breast, skin on free range 250g button mushrooms 6 large leaves of kale or cavalo nero leaves, stalks removed 3 tbsp cranberry sauce 2 tbsp English mustard 1 sheet puff pastry frozen 2 egg yolks Total Cost $24.80 METHOD: Blanch kale in boiling water for 10 seconds. Drain and put on top of tea towel. Set over a layer of plastic wrap, making sure you don’t leave any gaps. Flatten with your hands to make it nice and flat. For the second layer put mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped. Cook off water in mushroom in a non-stick pan with no oil. Season, spread and flatten on top of the kale. To stuff the turkey, cut a little pocket on the thickest side of breast and stuff with cranberry sauce. With a splash of olive oil, seal turkey breast in fry pan until golden brown. Remove from pan and brush with English mustard then set in middle of spinach and mushrooms and wrap with plastic wrap very tightly into a cylinder and tie at both ends. Set in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest. Meanwhile dust the bench with a little bit of flour, stretch puff pastry sheet with a rolling pin to make it slightly bigger and thinner. Brush with egg yolk. Remove turkey breast from fridge. Set in middle of puff pastry and wrap. Brush pastry with egg yolk, season and score. Bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees. MIGUEL’S BOMBE ALASKA It’s a sweet 70’s influence as Miguel adds his modern day touch to the Bombe Alaska. INGREDIENTS: 1 Madeira cake 1 tub salted ice cream 6 Ferrero Roche Chocolate 185g caster sugar 200ml water 3 egg whites Squeeze lemon 6 tbsp Nutella Total Cost $24.40 METHOD: Cut Madeira cake into thin slices and using the top of a glass, cut 6 circles. In a silicon mould (6cm diameter) add salted caramel ice cream with Ferrero Roche in the middle and put in the freezer to set for at least another 2 hours. Meanwhile add sugar and water to a saucepan and cook for 10 minutes until big bubbles start appearing in the surface. Remove from heat. Using a electric mixer with whisk attachment, whisk 4 egg whites until soft peaks form, add a squeeze of lemon to keep egg whites white. Add sugar syrup slowly while still hot and whisk until medium peaks form. A great way to test if it’s ready is to put bowl upside down and if mixture doesn’t fall out the meringue is ready. To assemble, put a tablespoon of Nutella in the middle of the plate, followed by Madeira cake circle followed by the ice cream (remove from silicon) then 2 or 3 tbsp on meringue on top – spread to cover ice cream completely. Using a blowtorch caramelise meringue and serve straight away. MIGUEL’S GRASSHOPPER COCKTAIL It’s not a dinner party without a cocktail and Miguel adds a twist to a 70’s favourite. INGREDIENTS: 1 lime leaf 1 slice jalapeño chilli 4 mint leaves 5 ice cubes 15ml Crème de Menthe 15ml Crème de Cacao 1 slice cucumber, garnish Total Cost $7.50 per nip METHOD: Add lime leaf, chilli, mint and ice to a cocktail mixer and muddle together. Add crème de menthe and crème de cacao and shake with energy. Serve in martini glass and garnish with cucumber. Total Meal Cost for 4 people = $97.80 WEBLINKS .