Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melboure: Behind the Scenes part one
Can't believe we're already through my latest TV show, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne - have you been able to catch it yet?
Thanks to the fantastic team at SBS, and the awfully talented Kelly Gardner, I've been able to get my hands on some behind the scenes footage from the series. Thought it would be nice to give you all a little taster of what I got up to whilst filming over in Australia.
The series kicked off with Tony Tan guiding me around the southern hemisphere's largest Chinatown, before we sampled the delights at his restaurant Yum Cha Café. Really enjoyed getting lost in Melbourne's famously vibrant laneways, home to so many thriving bars, cafes and restaurants.
Head chef Ingo Meissner, showed me around the kitchen of The Grain Store, a sustainable restaurant that uses a wonderful selection of locally grown seasonal ingredients... before I tucked in to a delicious breakfast of black pudding, chorizo and cheese croquettes - yum! I was then given a tour of a popup rooftop vegetable garden by founder Matt Pember, an initiative from The Little Veggie Patch Co.
This local milk bar is a real neighbourhood place - a place for all ages to catch up, grab a coffee and get a good breakfast. After I'd had my fill of milk I cooked up a delicious contemporary coronation chicken with Kate Gibbs, granddaughter of the legendary Margaret Fulton.
Bit of time out, flicking through the famous Margaret Fulton Cookbook.
Here's Kate Reid of Lune Croissanterie - home to some of the tastiest croissants I've ever tasted outside of Paris. Kate actually trained at Du Pain et Des Idées my favourite bakery in Paris. A cycle across St Kilda beach kills two birds with one stone - gets me to my next destination, and helps me work off those croissants!
Lovely afternoon exploring Merri Creek Garden Market with Matt Wilkinson, owner of Pope Joan - a fantastic restaurant producing deliciously simple, seasonal food with a fine dining edge.
Took a road trip to the Bellarine Peninsula and prepared some gorgeous goats cheese croquettes with Julie in the Elkhorn Road House restaurant kitchen. Then nipped over to Drysdale Cheeses, to meet Corrine who showed me how to make ricotta.
Met her very friendly herd of goats, and even had a go at milking one. Not as easy as it looks guys! Just about managed to milk enough for a babycino... Fortunately Corrine was more skilled in this area.
If you like what you see and would like to see more, make sure you tune into SBS on Thursdays at 8pm to catch the rest of the series. And don't forget, you can catch up a couple of the episodes you've missed online at SBS Play.
