The Cook and the Chef

Season 4

The Cook and the Chef was an Australian television series featuring cook Maggie Beer and chef Simon Bryant. The Cook and the Chef was screened on ABC1 and was filmed in the Barossa Valley, South Australia.

In July 2009, Maggie and Simon announced they had decided to end the series after four years. The Finale aired on 16 September 2009 with "Party" as the theme of the episode.

Where to Watch Season 4

32 Episodes

Australia Now
E1
Australia NowMaggie and Simon reflect upon their own experience of the evolution of Australian food. In the kitchen Maggie cooks a meat pie, but one with a difference: hers has rabbit. She follows it up with an iconic Aussie dish, the pavlova, throwing in some macadamias. Simon makes a delicious kangaroo salad, followed by some refreshing green tea.
The Italian Influence
E2
The Italian InfluenceIn this episode Maggie and Simon explore the huge influence of Italian migration on Australian cuisine. Maggie explains how her early childhood led to Italy and a cooking school in Tuscany. Simon recreates some classic Italian dishes and adds a twist and we visit Armando and Maria Matteucci, an Italian couple whose abundant garden and kitchen give us a taste of the Italian food culture that has helped to shape the way we eat today.
Fusion Food
E3
Fusion FoodThis Week Simon and Maggie marvel at the British success in putting their own stamp on a Pakistani curry and then celebrate the cross-cultural cuisine of Australia’s own "Father Of Fusion" Cheong Liew.
Vego's
E4
Vego'sThis Week Simon and Maggie go vegetarian, proving a meat free diet is far from bland and boring. While vegetarianism has always being part of Indian and Asian culture, it didn’t really kick off in the west until the mid nineteenth century, when a meat free diet became more accessible.
All the Tea and China
E5
All the Tea and ChinaDon’t be late for a very important date this week: Simon and Maggie are holding a tea party to celebrate the days when afternoon teas (complete with cakes and cucumber sandwiches of course!) were quite the done thing.
French Connection
E6
French ConnectionIf you fancy some fine French fare then join Maggie and Simon tonight as they reveal the significant contribution the French have made to the kitchen while tempting us with classics such as Bouillabaisse and Duck Liver Parfait.
Native Foods
E7
Native FoodsIn this episode Maggie and Simon cook with Australian Native Foods – ‘old’ or wild foods that have not been altered by breeding so they retain high levels of vitamins and antioxidants. These foods provided indigenous Australians with a varied and rich diet for over 40,000 years before European settlement. Maggie and Simon demonstrate how native foods can add unique flavours to everyday recipes, we visit the Spirit Festival for some traditional bush tucker and see how students at Renmark High School are cultivating a commercial crop of Kutjera or Desert Raisins.
Tetsuya part 1
E8
Tetsuya part 1This week on The Cook & the Chef Maggie and Simon celebrate the meteoric rise of Australian restaurant culture.
The 1970's
E9
The 1970'sMaggie and Simon revive some classic dishes from the 70s, with Maggie making a Chook Veronique - the first meal she ever served at a dinner party - while Simon cooks up his version of Duck a L'Orange, along with Dauphinoise potatoes. Food critic Leo Schofield reminisces about the bad old days of stodgy French provincial restaurants and to finish off, Maggie and Simon serve up a chocolate mousse and Apple Fool.
Vietnamese Food
E10
Vietnamese FoodMaggie ventures bravely into Simon’s world of South East Asian cuisine. The Vietnamese dishes Maggie and Simon produce, from soups to crispy fried quail, are clean and fresh and defined by a delicate balance of sweet, salt, acid and sour flavours.
Aussie Classics
E11
Aussie ClassicsJust the mention of Australian classics like butterfly cakes, sponges, jelly cakes and sausage rolls conjures up memories of childhood and a time when home baking was a big part of daily life.
The Art of Presentation
E12
The Art of PresentationThis week the Cook & the Chef take a close look at the art of food presentation.
The 1980's
E13
The 1980'sThis week the 1980s are making a comeback, as Simon and Maggie celebrate the time when Aussie food came of age and the work of three very special cooks: Gay Bilson, Tony Bilson and Janni Kyritsis. In the 1980s Maggie was busy running her famous restaurant The Pheasant Farm. Simon fondly remembers eating there as a teenager but he did think it all looked like organised chaos! Maggie realises that she wasn’t the only one working hard in the '80s though: it was an age of growing wealth but as disposable incomes expanded our spare time dwindled. To save precious time more people were going out to eat, so it was a great age for Australian restaurants as emerging chefs carved out a distinctive Aussie style.
The Greek Experience
E14
The Greek ExperienceTonight Maggie and Simon entice us outdoors into the late autumn sun to enjoy Greek inspired barbequed goat, souvlaki and baby octopus. Greek desserts are also on the menu so be prepared for some syrupy, sweet lusciousness.
Early Settlement
E15
Early SettlementIn this episode Maggie and Simon travel back around 150 years to a time in Australia’s history when rations were doled out to workers and meat became not just a symbol of Australia’s prosperity, but a major part of the Australian diet. With the challenge of using meat, flour, sugar, tea and salt Maggie starts simply, but can’t resist going upmarket while Simon cooks some real bush favourites, making sure to use a good measure of rum! To top it off, we visit a hard-working shearer’s cook to see if mutton still plays a big part in the shearing crew’s diet.
Modern Chef
E16
Modern ChefIn this episode our Cook & Chef pay homage to the one of the young chefs making a name for himself in Australia today. With his restaurant named as one of the top fifty in the world, Melbourne based chef Shannon Bennett is pushing the boundaries of modern French Cuisine and fine dining. Inspired by Shannon’s unique style and technique Maggie & Simon cook four irresistible dishes, Steak Tartare and Slow Cooked Lamb, followed by Chocolate Mousse and Quince and Prune Croustillant.
Recipe Books + Charmaine Solomon
E17
Recipe Books + Charmaine SolomonMaggie and Simon both love cookbooks so this week Maggie shows off her collection and admits that acquiring cookbooks is a bit of an addiction! Simon still loves and uses one of the first cookbooks he ever bought: Charmaine Solomon’s famous guide to Asian cooking, a book which helped to change forever the way Australians shopped, cooked and ate.
Stephanie Alexander
E18
Stephanie AlexanderIn any who’s who of Australian cuisine Stephanie Alexander features as a cook who has influenced not only the way we dine but the way we think about food.
Margaret Fulton
E19
Margaret FultonMargaret Fulton has been called the Isabella Beeton of Australian cookery and with over 4 million cookery book sales she has influenced the way Australians have entertained and eaten for over fifty years.
The Restaurant + Mietta
E20
The Restaurant + MiettaThe 1970's & 80's heralded a renaissance in Australian restaurant culture, heavily influenced by French 'Haute or Grand cuisine' which was as much about the atmosphere and service, as it was food and wine.
Modern Chinese
E21
Modern ChineseMaggie and Simon pay tribute to chef Kylie Kwong, attempting some of her famous recipes from one of her cookbooks. Simon first prepares a simple but delicious dish centered on a classic Chinese ingredient, fresh silken tofu while Maggie tries her hand at Sung Choi Bao. Later on, Simon shows off his take on Kylie's Chinese fried eggs while Maggie reproduces Kylie's oxtail.
Talking Thai
E22
Talking ThaiTonight Simon revels in his favourite Thai food, and encourages heat- avoiding Maggie to “dip a toe” into this chilli laden cuisine. The resulting savoury and sweet dishes are delicate, exquisitely complex and beautifully balanced in flavour, and surprisingly Maggie friendly!
Andrew Fielke
E23
Andrew FielkeThis program has a real Australian flavour. Lemon Aspen, Anise Myrtle, Davidson Plum and yabbies are just some of the fantastic Australian native foods Maggie and Simon experiment with this week. In fact, they reckon that if we all planted native bushfoods in our gardens and used them in our cooking, a unique Australian cuisine would evolve that’s jam packed with bold flavours and nutrition and perfectly suited to our climate.
Fast Food
E24
Fast FoodThis week on the Cook and the Chef Maggie and Simon show us some home cooked alternatives to the mass produced 'convenience' foods that dominate our supermarket shelves today.
Celebrity Chefs
E25
Celebrity ChefsAustralia has a long and proud history of celebrity cooks and chefs, entertaining food enthusiasts who’ve shared their secrets and helped raise our culinary standards.
Lebanese Food
E26
Lebanese FoodTonight Maggie and Simon tip their hats to the magical Mediterranean flavours of Lebanese cuisine. Pomegranate, lemon juice, pine nuts, olives and walnuts are just some of the fresh ingredients employed to embrace the food and the shared style of dining typical of Lebanese culture.
The Barossa
E27
The BarossaMaggie and Simon pay homage to the regional food culture of the Barossa Valley. Graham Linke provides an insight into the centuries old method of smoking meats before Maggie cooks a dish from her first days in the valley, and after teasing some secrets from numerous bakers and butchers, Simon valiantly attempts some old German specialities.
Old Foods
E28
Old FoodsMaggie and Simon cook up some ancient grains and take a good look at the 'Slow Food' movement, just what's needed to rustle up a warm and comforting Winter menu.
Pub Foods
E29
Pub FoodsWhen the British first arrived here they brought the idea of public hotels - or 'pubs' - with them, and they've been a prominent feature of the Australian landscape ever since.
Eat Local
E30
Eat LocalOne thing Maggie and Simon are unanimous on is that there is nothing quite like the satisfaction of cooking with something you have grown in your own garden.
Australia Again
E31
Australia AgainMaggie and Simon look at the past, the present and the future of food in Australia. They create recipes using their favourite foods that are grown sustainably and locally sourced.
A Party
E32
A PartyAs they say, all good things have to come to an end and sadly tonight’s program is the very last of the Cook and the Chef, but to go out with a bang and to celebrate four fabulous years, Maggie & Simon are cooking for a party, to thank everyone who has helped make the show a success.