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The latest news, views and ideas on food...   2008, Issue 36

Welcome

Welcome to our autumn edition of Appetito. With an early Easter this year we have been chasing our tails trying to keep up! We have been working behind the scenes with the launch of our exciting new catering brochure, new menu releases at all three locations and sourcing new products for you to enjoy. With Mother’s Day fast approaching we have the launch of two new tea ranges and beautiful new homewares to adorn your home. Be sure to indulge in our autumn cheese box and enjoy our recipe this month from guest chef, Sam Walters from Restaurant Rapide.

buon appettito! - Mark & Narelle Tognini { eat@togninis.com }

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Tognini’s new look catering menu is available in store or online at www.togninis.com. The menu is designed to take the hard work out of organising your next function, whether it is for an office breakfast or a 50th birthday party. Tognini’s will provide hassle free service with the delivery of quality food that will have your guests talking! You can choose food from the menu or go with the super easy option where everything [staff and equipment] comes to you with one easy call. The menu choices range from light to substantial making Tognini’s catering the perfect choice for that special birthday or cocktail party or end of year function. Here are a just a few of the menu items: mini bowl salt pepper calamari; seared scallop w chilli lime in the shell; salmon carpaccio w pear, caperberry + mustard cress on a spoon; tuna + salmon skewer; san choy bau on witlof leaf.

>Download the catering menu

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Enjoy coffee or lunch at Tognini’s when you visit the State Library’s latest event. Tognini’s Café at slq is open seven days a week for the same hours as the library. Coming with a group? We can cater to groups of 10 to 20 with a set menu to streamline your visit. Please call and speak with our friendly staff if you require a booking on 3840 7546. The café’s outside area is available outside of trading hours for private functions with provided catering. Talk to Narelle at eat@togninis.com or 3831 5300.

STUDIO: Australian painters photographed by R. Ian Lloyd – Showcasing 61 of Australia’s most acclaimed painters, providing a unique insight into their minds, moods and working methods. Artists include Margaret Olley, Rosella Namok, Pro Hart, William Robinson and Gloria Petyarre. Artists reveal working methods and sources of inspiration. Until 9 June. State Library of Queensland, Cultural Centre, Stanley Place, South Bank, Brisbane, 3840 7768

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It’s one Oprah’s favourite things and the latest twist on tea. From upscale shoppers at Harrod’s in London, to tea aficionados in Tokyo, to celebrities on retreat at the famed Canyon Ranch, Tea Forté has developed a strong following.

Their silken tea infusers contain tea, herbs and flowers and have a cute little leaf on the end. The tall, square pyramid design of the infuser follows the tradition of a tetrahedral Japanese design which permits loose tea to swell as it steeps. The three-dimensional design allows higher-quality ‘whole leaf’ teas to be used than is possible with traditional flat tea bags. There are around 26 varieties including black, green, white, oolong and herbal. Tea Forté silken Tea Infusers are available individually or in larger ribbon and event boxes. Accessories are designed to complement the unique infusers, and include infuser-sized tea trays, glass and ceramic teacups and ceramic teapots, a wooden presentation case and serving trays.

Tea Forté Inc. was founded in 2003 by Peter Hewitt, an American product designer and is inspired by the Japanese tea ceremony. Its goal is to elevate a cup of tea into an extraordinary experience for all of your senses.

New in the deli cabinet are some taste tempters that you’ll find hard to resist. How about Moroccan spiced olives, Tuscan rolls (proscuito wrapped in eggplant with mascarpone), marinated sardines and mascarpone filled apricots and figs – mmm!

Famous for their chocolate coated figs Willibrand, from South Australia, have several new products on our shelves. Look for fig + ginger jam, fig + almond jam and fig, fennel + chilli chutney. All team perfectly with cheese and meats.

Wildings hand made spice range will delight the senses. The flavours include Sesame + coriander dukka, Middle eastern za’atar and North African chermoula.The range also has a series of spreads that are brilliant in their simplicity. Try their Chilli, lime and pomegranate piquant or Fig and balsamic paste. For a special treat you can’t go past the handmade Chocolate drizzled honeycomb.

Here’s a blast from the past! The Boyland Bottleworks, from New Jersey, USA, has been run by the same family since 1891. Now their Vintage Soda Pop is exclusively imported and available to a few selected outlets in Australia. They are available at Tognini’s Spring Hill and Milton location for your enjoyment in the café or take home a four pack that can be mixed and matched, just like the old days. Choose from crisp, dry and refreshing Ginger Ale, hearty and flavourful Black Cherry, smooth like southern bourbon Crème soda, classic Cane Cola, bold and full-bodied Grape and classic summertime Orange Cream. For those who enjoy a spider – try the Black Cherry.

For a quick, wholesome lunch on the go for office or school try the La Zuppa Soups range. Easy to have on hand in your cupboard, these are all natural, gluten free and 99 percent fat free – you can’t go wrong! Varieties include Tuscan bean, Pumpkin, Minestrone, Lentil + more.

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As the weather cools down, there’s no better time than to experiment a little with some fabulous winter cheeses and turn them as a simple meal or enjoy them with a glass or two of red wine with friends. We will have a good supply of European cheeses in the next month or so with the European Spring milk cheeses arriving on our shores. Try this simple tart recipe using deli ingredients available at both stores: fennel, walnut + blue cheese tart.

Another way to enjoy the Isney St Maire Camembert (from the cheese box) or Clarins is to leave the cheese in it’s protective wooden box, make a few incisions in the rind of the cheese and brush the top with about 50ml of white wine. Place a sprig of thyme in the cheese, cover with foil and lid back on and place in the oven for about 15–20 mins on 180˚. Serve with some crusty bread or some blanched broccoli for a treat – just delicious and oh so good for you! Of course, a flavoursome addition to your polenta this winter is the ever versatile tallegio – a great melting Italian washed rind cheese available all year around.

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Ever wondered why tea is defined by its stodgy English history rather than its seductive oriental heritage? So did the team behind Aja Tea House and that is why they have developed a beautifully balanced tea called Aja.
Beautifully balanced tea begins at the source. It is about finding the best tea from the best regions to ensure quality, packing at the location to seal in freshness and ethical sourcing to ensure everyone benefits. Ethical sourcing means all of Aja’s suppliers have provided an undertaking that employment is freely chosen, safe and hygienic working conditions are provided, no child labour is used, living wages are paid and employees do not receive harsh or inhumane treatment.
The range includes Premium Ceylon Black, Ceylon Breakfast (English Breakfast), Empress Grey (Earl Grey), Organic China Green, Camomile and Peppermint in string and tag, envelope and loose leaf tea.

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@Milton: Head down to Togninis at Milton to try some of the new breakfast offerings that are almost guaranteed to get you through to lunch – Home made baked beans w poached egg on Turkish toast, savoury mince w poached eggs, grilled tomato on Turkish toast, scrambled eggs w smoked salmon + hollandaise – yum! Still hungry? Come back for lunch and try the four cheese (parmesan, ricotta, taleggio + gorgonzola) pizza, potato gnocchi + saffron cream w crispy pancetta or a chermoula chick pea burger w salad, hummus + chips.

@Spring Hill: Closer to Spring Hill? How about braised capsicums + chorizo w poached eggs on garlic toast or zucchini + feta fritters w spicy tomato relish + creme friache. For lunch indulge yourself with oxtail pie w truffle mash + pea puree or grilled quail + stilton w baby beets. When you really need a food fix the wagyu beef mince burger w beetroot, cheese + beer battered chips will hit the spot.

@The Library: Book lovers top five –
1. Buttermilk pancakes w fresh strawberry + vanilla mascarpone
2. Chorizo w roasted capsicum + green olive tapenade pizza
3. Warm lamb w bean, potato + watercress w lemon yoghurt dressing
4. House smoked chicken breast w serengeti pumpkin salad + caper mayo
5. Bruschetta of oven roasted mushroom w taleggio + balsamic glaze.

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Our favourite local restaurant is Restaurant Rapide. We visit regularly and are always impressed with Sam Walters’s innovative cooking. Try this fabulous dessert recipe using Careme Chocolate pastry available from the freezer section in the deli: rhubarb, ricotta + chocolate crumble tart w green apple sauce. Just sensational! It’s definitely worth a visit. Restaurant Rapide: 4 Martha Street, Camp Hill; Ph 07 3843 5755

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Every time you have a cup of Lavazza coffee at Tognini’s you can take heart in Lavazza’s Tierra! project. It supports communities of small-scale producers in Honduras, Colombia and Peru to enhance the quality of their coffee making them more competitive on the market and also improving their living conditions while safeguarding the environment. Social responsibility is not new to Lavazza. As early as the 1930’s Luigi Lavazza, a man ahead of his time, expressed his idea that the production of coffee should not disrupt either the territory or the local populations’ lifestyles. Lavazza’s Tierra! is one hundred percent arabica sustainable coffee in 250 gram reusable tin. Proceeds from all Lavazza products contribute to the funding of the Tierra! project.

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