One thing I love about coffee, other than the fact that there are so many ways of drinking it and so many names to call it, is that it somehow seems to magically go well with anything. Like, who would have thought that the secret to making good Lamb Rosti was a touch of java? Or that traces of coffee in a good piece of steak adds an incredible depth of flavor?
I recently attended the MLA (Meat and Livestock Australia) Blackbox Culinary Challenge held at the Rockwell Tent (Apparently, it’s called that because competing teams are given a black box containing secret ingredients). It was a battle among the city’s ‘gourmet meccas’ like reigning Blackbox champs Lolo Dad’s. Being the coffee junkie I am, I was just thrilled to be there and sample the best coffee-inspired dishes for one entire day.
A coffee lover’s dream: Row after delicious row of coffee-infused creations
Vittoria Coffee was the official coffee that the competing teams had to use in their dishes. It’s that Australian brand being served at popular restos like Purple Feet, Apartment 1B, Sala and People's Palace. It has that really rich taste I look for in coffee because it’s made from pure Arabica (unlike most of the coffee blends we know which uses a mix).
Vittoria Coffee was the official coffee that the competing teams had to use in their dishes. It’s that Australian brand being served at popular restos like Purple Feet, Apartment 1B, Sala and People's Palace. It has that really rich taste I look for in coffee because it’s made from pure Arabica (unlike most of the coffee blends we know which uses a mix).
Blending with the best of the best: Vittoria Espresso is sheer heaven in a pack
For the appetizer round, it was a Coffee Spiced, Cream Cheese-Studded Lamb Carpaccio on Crispy Vegetable Salad with Citrus Nectarine Vinaigrette for Enderun College. The College of the Holy Spirit made Lamb Rosti with a unique twist adding not only coffee but also chocolate into their recipe (and we all know the simple formula to happiness = chocolate+coffee).
For the appetizer round, it was a Coffee Spiced, Cream Cheese-Studded Lamb Carpaccio on Crispy Vegetable Salad with Citrus Nectarine Vinaigrette for Enderun College. The College of the Holy Spirit made Lamb Rosti with a unique twist adding not only coffee but also chocolate into their recipe (and we all know the simple formula to happiness = chocolate+coffee).
Holy Spirit's Lamb Choco Coffee Rosti
The young yet very creative guys at Ninyo Cuisine made a mouth-watering masterpiece for their main course using Vittoria in its Miso and Coffee Braised Melbourne Prime Rump Set on Open Scalloped Potato and Leeks. Yummm!
Ninyo’s coffee-braised succulent prime rump steak
At the Purple Feet station, the chefs used Vittoria coffee for my favorite part of any meal – dessert. Their Coffee Cake, Blueberry Panna Cota and Chocolate Mousse creation was melt-in-your-mouth unforgettable. All the textures and flavors really came together in this one.
At the Purple Feet station, the chefs used Vittoria coffee for my favorite part of any meal – dessert. Their Coffee Cake, Blueberry Panna Cota and Chocolate Mousse creation was melt-in-your-mouth unforgettable. All the textures and flavors really came together in this one.
Purple Feet's Chef Jimson plates his Dessert Trilogy
The finished product in all its coffee glory
MLA Judge Chefs dig in at the Purple Feet Station
By the end of the night, after the awards were given and all teams were acknowledged, the coffee fix left me intoxicated (in a good way). I just remember this sudden urge to grab myself a pack of aromatic beans and see what else it goes with in our kitchen. I left with a newfound appreciation for coffee and the many ways it lends itself not only to food but to my experience of it.
