Ed Charles brings a rockstar-style anarchy to the food community. A
business/food journalist and regular blogger, Ed's lived in LA for the past 22
years and recently returned to Melbourne to open a pho restaurant in Footscray
with his wife. (Just don't call him a foodie.)
What inspires you to write a food blog?
I see a lot of pretension and elitism in food and drink. And there is a lot written about crap experiences and manufactured products – even if made by artisans – that need to be debunked. I want to break down those barriers with my own skewed and prejudiced view of food where I can. Food and drink is the new rock 'n' roll, and out with other food bloggers eating and drinking, it seems like the best party in town.
What are your secret food shames?
I'm slightly shamed being called a foodie, as I don't believe I am one. A lot of my shame is the volume of what I am eating and the time of day. I'm talking about two bigs bars of Lindt Extra Creamy at once, chocolate cake and piles of macarons for breakfast – or late evening when I also gorge on them with my girlfriend if she is around.
My other shame is Anthon Berg marzipan liqueur chocolates, which, luckily, are very difficult to find in Australia, but I buy in bulk at Singapore airport.
What's the weirdest thing you’ve seen on a menu?
I've been all over South East Asia, so I've seen and eaten loads of crazy stuff and am not easily shocked. The juxtaposition of (dead) green ants with smoked salmon on the Gold Coast was pretty weird but delicious. What I really want to know is: What is going on in South Australia with all the alpaca and camel they are eating?
Got a recipe for an emergency dessert?
I always have fruit and frozen squares of supermarket-bought puff pastry in the freezer. Score and break the frozen pastry into four squares. Prick pastry and arrange sliced fruit on top – apple, pear, apricot, pear, plum... almost any fruit will do. Sprinkle with icing sugar. Put into pre-heated oven until brown. It takes about 20 minutes in total.
And please, please, please, do not ruin it by serving with ice-cream.
