Judgment day for desert food

Jonathan Howard

19Sep08

Renowned chef Stephanie Alexander is in Alice Springs to judge the Bush Foods Wild Foods competition. Picture: PIETER NAESSENS

NATIVE cooking ingredients will be put to the test this week, as renowed restaurateur and master chef Stephanie Alexander judges entries in an Alice Springs cooking competition.

Ms Alexander - who arrived in town yesterday - will use her expertise to judge the talent in the Alice Desert Festival's Bush Foods Wild Foods competition.

Six local restaurants took part in the Culinary Challenge, which was decided through a public vote.

Ms Alexander will visit each of the six restaurants, sample their delicacies and give a special award to the dish of her choice.

Lasseters Hotel Casino took part in this year's challenge with their camel carpaccio.

Executive sous chef Umesh Chand said: ``I'm confident about the camel carpaccio.

``We have won two awards for this particular dish, and a lot of happy customers.''

Ms Alexander will also judge the 12 finalists for the Recipe Challenge, where individuals create a dish of their own choice.

This year's competitors will be required to create a dish which incorporates both creative flair and the innovative use of desert foods.

Ms Alexander said: ``The food will obviously have to taste good, but I'm also looking for something creative and unusual.''

Ms Alexander has 40 years of experience as a chef, and has published more than 10 books.

She said: ``It was nice to be invited to Alice for the Bush Foods competition. I often get invited to attend competitions and I don't always accept.''

While Ms Alexander has incorporated many different desert foods into her own cooking, she is interested to see what local chefs do with the native wattle seed.

She said: ``I've used wattle in a batter for a salmon dish before. It has a very unusual flavour and I'm curious to see how locals will use it.''

The Bush Foods Wild Foods Gala Awards dinner will take place this Sunday at the Olive Pink Botanic Garden, and will also close this year's Alice Desert Festival.