I had a closer look at the recipe and thought about the possibility of making it. I had a look at the Masterchef website forum and someone made a comment querying the cost of making it. Interesting thought. In true food nerdery, I went through the items and listed them in an Excel spreadsheet to work out the overall quantities of items and the cost.
First things first. Okay so we know it is a vanilla cake. According to my working out, there are eleven vanilla beans listed in the total ingredients!. At roughly $4 a bean (depending on the quality and where you buy them) that's $44 even before you've bought some couverture chocolate. There is a fair swag of ingredients that you can get from the supermarket, liquid glucose, almonds, flour, sugar, eggs etecera, so that's a manageable purchase.
The tricky items under the 'molecular gastronomy' banner are possibly going to be fiscally challenging. Locating the items is also a bit of a challenge.
The Melbourne Food Ingredient Depot has quite an extensive range of items available for purchase online, including fruit and vegetable powders (such as beetroot powder used in the Zumbo Masterchef macaron tower project). They also stock gelatin leaves which will set you back about $7.00. The gold strength gelatin leaves, well, I could only see titanium strength (maybe they are the same?) and only 1kg packs available at $88. That's a lot of jelly and mousse cakes! A 150g tub of gellen will set you back by about $110. To buy enough titaniaum dioxide for the recipe will cost about $24. Books For Cooks in Gertrude Street Fitzroy stock a few of their ingredients and I spoke to the owner and he said he may be able to order other items that they stock. He had gellen, strawberry powder and half a dozen other molecular gastronomy items instore the day I went.
Off topic, Books For Cooks is fantastic. They have a massive range of books. New and used, cook books for the home cook through to the professional chef, biographies of chefs and foodies.
Imports of France have a great range of imported items, and patissierie items. (I found this company in my search a few months back, for brik pastry or feuilles de brick - which they stock). They are out in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and the lady I spoke to advised people to call first about inquiring/purchasing items rather than just turn up. There are a couple of product lists on their webpage, go to the first list, it has items for V8. Unfortunately there are no prices.
They sell the miroir/mirror glaze but in 8kg quantities. The also have pailette feuillitine in 2.5kg quantities. They have a large range of other V8 cake items including nut pastes, acetate rolls and disposable piping bags.
With some items in large quantities, you could always find friends to split the items with!
I had entertained the thought of trying to make the V8 cake but after looking at the quantity and cost of the items it may be easier to order the cake and fly to Sydney to pick it up. Split between 6 or 8 people, it's not implausible.
I rang Zumbos and the cake is available after the 26th July, they require 3 days notice and it will cost $150.
Melbourne Food Ingredient Deport
508 Lygon Street, East Brunswick, Victoria 3057 Australia
Public Shop Hours: Thurs - Fri 10am till 5pm. Other times by appointment - please call to confirm
Trade Shop Hours: Mon - Wed by appointment
Ph 03 9386 3206
Fax 03 9386 1888
On their contact details page they have a link to a PDF product list
Imports of France
Unit 6 / 38 Thornton Crescent
Mitcham Victoria 3132
Ph 03 9872 3945
Fax 03 9874 0199
Visits to their office are by appointment only
Goods collection:
Monday to Friday 9.00am - 12.00pm or 2.00pm - 4.30pm
Books for cooks
233-235 Gertrude St
Fitzroy VIC 3065
Australia
Ph 03 8415 1415
Fax 03 8415 1418
Opening Hours
Mon-Sat 10-6
Sun 11-5
Open most public holidays 11-5
Adriano Zumbo
Pâtisserie 296 Darling Street
Balmain NSW 2040
Ph 02 9810 7318
Opening Hours
Monday to Saturday 8am – 6pm
Sunday 8am – 4pm
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