Behind the Scenes: Australian Good Taste Cover Shoot!

After having so much fun contributing to the Australian Good Taste Reader's issue the icing on the cake is being a guest at the cover shoot.   When I went to the editorial photo shoot I left with an idea of how painstakingly perfect each shot needs to be, how it needs to convey the look and feel of the issue and the magazine....

Well the cover shoot was like that, but on speed.

Miranda is preparing the food, today's stylist Saskia is busy preparing the props and Michelle, AGT's food editor is briefing the photographer, Brett and his assistant.   Michelle pops on her phone to speak to Brodee the Editor just to run a few things by her prop-wise and then the pre-shoot is set up and sent for approval.

Meanwhile Michelle steps into the kitchen and works on the detail of the recipe for the cover - the Mile High Guinness Pie.  Back in November ideas were workshopped and many options were made and tested before arriving at the decision in January this year was going to be the June cover recipe... takes longer than you think right?

The recipe is then tweaked, and tweaked again and Michelle sends a brief to the stylist to advise what sort of theme, inclusions and options she needs for the cover shot.

So in Michelle's test the five layers of pastry have turned out many times and are wonky - this is the effect we're after but we're using different ramekins, and a different oven, and it's just not going 'mile high'.  There is a nervous huddle around said oven.  It's a no-go.  So the recipe is tweaked and put back in the oven and bingo!  It works.

Over to the stylist and the shoot begins, re-positioning and a couple of options everyone is happy with and it's sent over for approval by the Editor.

We start moving onto the next cover (I know two in one day - crrazy!) and the word comes back - it needs something else, a bit of this and that and finally it's sent over and hurrah everyone's happy!

By then everyone who has tried the recipe 50 gadzillion times in the past few weeks is over it, and it's been heated, reheated, and heated again.  No one opts to eat it. We move on.

Then there's a phone call - did you get a photo of Liss with the pie?  Ummm problem.   Brodee wants a pic of me with the pie.  Where's my hair and makeup artist? Why didn't I wash and blowdry my hair this morning?  Oh my lordy-me.

Where's the pie?

It's in the bin.

So Michelle makes another.  We're laughing! Such is life of Food Magazines - but clearly the photo was not meant to be - it's not in the issue (Just between you and me - a bit relieved!)  The good news is,  I did eat that one, and it's delicious.

So what's inside the cover? Here's a few shots - but you really are going to have to get it yourself - my hubby thinks my profile shot looks like I'm naked - I assure you I AM NOT.  Not that day anyways.

Here's Michelle's recipe on the sky-high-guiness-pie.  YUM.

Here I am reviewing a few things....

And Tobie shares his gnudi recipe with everyone - I'm quoted on this one - it's delicious! I tasted it last time I visited the Australian Good Taste offices.

I attended the shoot of the Take 5 section - those behind the scenes shots here

So that's it!  I hope you've enjoyed the behind-the-scenes journey as much as I have! Pick it up at the shops from May 25th, or if you subscribe you should have your issue very soon - let me know what you think?!

The Insider: Behind the scenes - Finishing touches the Australian Good Taste Readers Issue with Tobie Puttock!

As the Australian Good Taste Team are putting the finishing touches on the June 2011 Issue 'The Reader Issue' they invited ten of the 'Reader Editor' team of 50 to come and have a sneak peak and meet the ambassador of the issue, Tobie Puttock.

We started back in the heat of Summer and I know many at that time struggled with getting their head around winter food - but this day, there was no issue.  The weather was well and truly showing us winter was on its way  and it was lovely to see the familiar faces - we were very excited about the day was going to bring.

First of all, Brodee showed us through some pages that had been put together and many were pointing saying 'that was my idea' and 'I went to that shoot'! There was one shoot that featured some mulled wine and Michelle Southan - AGT's food editor jokes: 'Oh I remember that shoot!  Don't remember getting home though'.  She WAS joking friends, promise!  But it does give you some idea of how friendly and warm the staff are (and not intoxicated either!)

It was wonderful seeing the ideas brainstormed come to life on the page.  Brodee confessed that there were so many brilliant ideas they couldn't fit them all in one issue so they may appear in some of the other winter issues.

As for the pages we looked at - they have that signature rich warm feel, and I'm going to tell you right now - it's totally lickable!!  We also saw the cover - I was present at this shoot and I'll be sharing more about that with you later but you're going to love it.

Then Tobie arrived, yes in his signature beanie.  But it was off in no time and he was sitting with us (in fact next to yours truly) chatting over tea and muffins. Oh well he would have had I not accidentally eaten his muffin, and left him mine. Whoops.

This is the lovely Sue (Baby-Mac Beth's Mum) on our video!

We had a look at the video we created on our first day to get Tobie up-to-speed about how the issue came about and all the people involved - I don't have access to it yet - but stay tuned!

We talked food endlessly obviously and it was a very free-flowing conversation.  There's a real air of 'normalcy' to Tobie - and as he stated straight up he's not into 'stuck up' food.  He takes us through his beginnings of getting into food and his deep love of Italian food.   He learned to speak Italian in the kitchen whilst working in Italy and then put this to good use in his job some time later the River Cafe (where he met Jamie Oliver) when he would translate real family recipes from some local Italian immigrants.  This is the food you can tell excites Tobie - the food that's from the heart.

His latest book 'How to cook like an Italian' is very much centred on that and was the product of a trip he did with his wife.

The book, along with Tobie's glasses and the remains of his muffin (that I ate...whoops)

All the non-food photos are actually happy snaps by them. It's gorgeous.  

We are lucky enough to have lunch cooked from this book:  Gnudi (which honestly are amazing) - ricotta gnocchi - think cheesy gnocchi - a bit firm on the outer and oozy in the centre.

Also rolled pork neck stuffed with figs, pistachio, fennel seeds and all kinds of yummy things.

Needless to say, it was absolutely-drop-dead-delicous and I got home that night, hopped online and bought myself a copy.

We also got to see Tobie have his 'ambassador shots' get taken - love seeing the photographers and stylists at work!

After Tobie jetted back to Melbourne to work at the The Kitchen Cat - his new restaurant, I got back to work and that meant hanging out with the new Art Director at Australian Good Taste, Dan.

Dan used to work at Good Living supplement with the Sydney Morning Herald, and although he didn't do the art direction for the photo-shoots in the June 2011 issue, he's still put his stamp on it by putting it all together - imagine that the puzzle pieces have been made by someone but you need to put the jigsaw together.

Dan took me through a layman's guide to Art direction which is basically to:

• Work on concept/look/feel of each issue with the Editor
• Work with Food Editor on recipes
• Work with Editor and sub-editors on other content
• Assign photographers and stylists, schedule shoots and engage the relevant home economist
• Be responsible for the art direction budget which includes paying all the photographers/stylists/studios/printing - the list goes on!
• Put together and distribute the design brief and follow up everyone's availability.

The booking of photoshoots and resources is done about 4-5 months in advance to lock in the right resources.  For example some photographers have better skills at covers or particular looks.  Stylists certainly have their own distinctive 'looks' and home-economists have their unique skill sets - i.e. they may be amazing at cakes, but not so great at pastry or fish.

Interesting isn't it?

So friends, one more update to come, and that's on the cover photo-shoot - I shall be revealing to you the day before it's out (May 25, mark your calendar) - so you'll get a sneaky peak first!

So friends are you looking forward to the issue and are you going to buy it?

What would you ask Tobie Puttock if you had the chance?

The insider: Behind the scenes as Coles bakes its hot cross buns

It was 6am and still dark when I arrived at my local Coles 'scratch' bakery for a look at behind the scenes of those delicious hot cross buns we can't stop buying (I can't seem to keep up with my hubby's addiction!).

My eyes are weary and when I arrive it is apparent I'm the Johnny come lately.  Ranko the head baker of the day has been there since 2am and the assistant baker, Dean has been here since 4am.   I'm joined shortly after by Josh the bakery manager.   I'm in good hands today - all three are qualified bakers and between them have 73 years of baking experience.  This is no factory folks.  This is the real deal. Coles employs 570 qualified trade bakers and more than 5000 bakery team members Australia wide.
 
I've arrived just in time to see the hot cross buns process start.  Ranko pours into the dough mixer the 31kg flour/sugar mix, the fresh yeast and water and the dough hook gets to work.  A few minutes later it's beautiful and silky and we remove some mixture that will become the chocolate hot cross buns.

Cinnamon is then added and mixed through, and another exact amount is weighed out and removed for the fruitless hot cross buns.   Then 12 kg of sultanas are added and this dough that's the final bit of dough to be removed from the initial lot will make up the regular and mini hot cross buns.

The first bit of dough that was removed to be the chocolate lot, is added back to the machine and the cocoa and chocolate chips are added.   Finally all the dough is kneaded and starts to rest... then comes the time to make them into real buns.

There's another machine that gives the uniform shape, and each exactly weighed lot is put on a grooved paddle.  This is then put into a press-type machine which is pulled down and then voila!  We have perfect rolls.

These are then placed on greased and lined baking trays (they are huge!) and lined up on the tiered baking trays.

They look beautiful don't they?

From here they go into the proving chamber - I ask Ranko if they get their kit off and have a coldie in there at the end of the shift (like a sauna..right?) and he looks at me like I'm being serious.. Dean and Josh laugh, it's a friendly place.

After 15 minutes the fruitless buns are removed first as fruit inhibits rising time (each fruit bun has 30% fruit content).  They are 'crossed'.  Then the rest come out of the proving chamber and then crossed, back on the baking trays ready for the big (not bad) oven.  We've got 528 hot cross buns in there today, and they expect to sell them out - it's a 'slow day' being a Wednesday, it's busier on the weekends...

Did you know there are minimum of 100 choc-chips in every coles hot cross bun?  I think that's why they are my hubby's favourite.  He's a true chocoholic.

Easter Thursday is the biggest day of the year when they expect to bake at least 15-20 times that amount.  Last year Coles sold 28 million hot cross buns here in Australia - and about 7.6 packets of buns per second on that Easter Thursday! I think these bakers would have hot cross bun burn-out by Easter Saturday which is when the last lot are baked for the year.

Once the buns are out of the oven they are glazed with sugar/water glaze by spray bottle (cool idea!)

and then left to cool ...

before the lovely packer Mary-Jane will then pack and label each pack and then it's moved on out to the store about 9am....

 ready for a few customers who are already waiting for their long awaited fresh hot cross buns.

So friends - what is your favourite type of hot cross bun?  With fruit? Without? Chocolate chip? Mocha?