G'day everyone !

G'day

You would probably have guessed that salutation points to Down Under (Australia) as our likely abode.

Correct.

We (Mick and Jenny) look after a ski lodge in our Snowy Mountains. It is a small lodge of 32 beds and we do everything from cooking, cleaning to hauling all the supplies to and from the lodge on a push sled.

This is our 11th year here and were self taught in most of our culinary skills. Alyways loved food especially the adventure of new items and ingredients. Currently,we are delving into what we call "Bush Tucker" foods at the moment. These are native ingredients traditionally used by the indigenous peoples. There is a wealth of herbs, spices and ingredients that add to our menu.

We had no formal training or qualifications until last year. Because of the Olympics the government tried to encourage people into the hospitallity industry. They offered a course that would give people with lots of experience a chance to qualify as Chefs/Cooks. Not only was it free of cost but the assessment was carried out on the job at our workplace. That is a user friendly course !

We learnt a lot as we had no previous input of skills or education from outside. We worked alone in isolation from other cooks and kitchens. Though we were happy with our products and the guest feedback it was great to get some stimulation to learn new skills.

Now we are inspired to challenge our future a bit and go on a working holliday around our own vast country and/or overseas.

Asian influences our meals a lot as we love the flavours of the East. Before we started to work in cooking we were Adventure guides & worked in Nepal, India, Thailand, etc. That makes rice the favorite starch, the Wok the favorite utensil and spices a foundation of our flavour base.

A challenge we make, is to introduce people to Asian foods and the delightful flavours and aromas without much chilly. It scares many people from being adventurous. If good asian food is presented the chilly can be a side dish for those that like to adjust the temperature. Our Asian night is now the most looked forward to night in the week and it is satisfying to see even the kids enjoying the adventure.

We look forward to sharing many culinary adventures and good stories with you all.

Chao ! :]

[Kimmie]

Hello Ribbony,

What a wonderful addition to our boards.

Welcome to Cheftalk.

[momoreg]

There are so many facets to this business. I look forward to learning more about what you do! It must be cold down there this time of year!

[Isa]

Welcome to Chef Talk Mick & Jenny! Nice to meet you both.

[Mezzaluna]

Let me add my welcome to the others'! glad you're here, ribbony.

[Pastachef]

Hello Mick and Jenny. How wonderful it is to have you with us. We'll look forward to your posts

[Papa]

Hello Mick and Jenny!

Welcome to the Chef Talk Cafe!

You are such a wonderful addition to our membership! I cannot wait to read your future postings!

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome.

This forum does seem like a big family helping each other and sharing information and ideas.

The old notion "Knowledge should be shared, not hidden" has been forgotton in many areas of life as we compete for the business edge, jobs, material wealth and bound up with confidentiality agreements and secrecy.

Oh, it is so nice to be involved in "open" discussions.

The more we peruse the forums in the Cheftalk cafe the more impressed we are. We can see that if someone was trying to open a new business then they could gain a lot of experienced advice and supportive ideas from here.

Chao !

[DanniC]

Woohoo! We need more Aussies! Tell your friends because we Australians are extremely outnumbered. Just lucky all the Chef Talk folk are friendly and welcoming, hey!
This is a great place to be and look forward to hearing more from you.
Danni

[Linda Smith]

Welcome Mick, Jenny and Danni C. Good to have you here. We would all be interested in hearing more about cuisine and technique from your end of the globe. Fill us in. Maybe you could start an Aussi food thread?
Cheers
Linda