2014 GC Int'l Marine Expo - Club Marine’s Bart Beek shares the secret

by Emma Milne on 13 Oct 2014 2014 Gold Coast International Marine Expo - When Club Marine’s Bart Beek talks about food he doesn’t just talk about cooking … he talks about 'creating'. And simplicity is his number one ingredient.

'It’s really no big secret – there’s no need to overcomplicate things,' said the Club Marine Magazine resident chef ahead of his guest cooking demonstrations at the Gold Coast International Marine Expo from 17-19 October.

'Use the best ingredients, use them well … and you will get a great dish – one that will become part of your repertoire and make your family and friends go: WOW!.'

Bart’s mantra has always been to ‘cook with passion’ – and he has fashioned his own innovative style. He is best known for his multi-award winning establishment, ‘Essence Food Studio’ in Melbourne.

This master culinary craftsman has also contributed recipes and food articles for many Australian magazines, producing the popular ‘Gourmet’ section of Club Marine Magazine – Australia’s leading marine lifestyle magazine. Club Marine Magazine is published by Club Marine, Australia’s largest provider of recreational boat insurance and also a proud sponsor of the Expo.

Recently Club Marine published a cookbook, Gourmet Delights, which is a combination of Bart’s magazine recipes, along with numerous new taste treats for foodies. Gourmet Delights will be on sale for just $10 at the Club Marine Expo stand.

Bart will be presenting six fun and informative demonstrations each day of the Expo on behalf of Club Marine.

'I will be mixing it up for each of the shows, so each demonstration will be different,' he says. 'I love creating and cooking … it’s a way to make people very happy – in fact, I still go to bed excited when I’m about to try something new.'

One of the new and creative dishes Bart will share at the Expo will be a hand-written recipe hand-delivered to him at Mandurah Boat Show in Western Australia 12 months ago.

'This lovely couple came to me after a demonstration and said: ‘Try my recipe’ – and it struck me because it was beautiful seafood, done simply. I shared it through Club Marine and over 100,000 people read it – it’s Swordfish in Butter Sauce with Salsa … and really does have that WOW factor.'

With his trademark energy, humour and enthusiasm … and, of course, a wealth of experience, Bart will also share his tips and tricks to preparing a Sea Scallops with chives and saffron aioli, as well as his specially selected ‘Surf n Turf’ recipes, which he describes as a ‘beautiful mix of seafood and meat, mixed with the sharpness of tomatoes.

'People are very savvy these days,' he says. 'They see the TV shows – they look, learn and experiment to their own tastes,' he said. 'I think that in itself is important – that people try a new dish and then make it their own, and then share it with their friends and families … their kids and their grandkids.

'Food really does bring people together.'

Bart, the father of three boys and, with his wife Alaine owns and operates Essence Food Studio in Melbourne, shares with this scribe that it’s important to teach your kids to cook well.

'We should try to instil in our kids the love of fine dining – try to ensure they have a few great recipes to take with them when they leave home,' he says.

'It’s one of those things that we take for granted – people often say to me: ‘But I can’t cook’, and I say: ‘that’s okay, it’s not your fault’ … it’s never too late to learn to love creating a really great meal.'

Also on the menu at Expo will be vegetarian dishes and the recipe we share here: Beetroot Carpaccio with Goat’s Curd, Rocket and Walnuts … one which Bart says is ‘a little beauty!’

But his favourite? 'It has got to be the Cone Bay Barramundi,' he says. 'The fish is from north of Broome and is grown in large floating pens in the pristine ocean. We combine it with an orange cardamom glaze and a large pearl couscous salad.

'Everything will be available for people to taste and I really look forward to seeing their faces when they taste it … and to getting their feedback,' he said.

The Gold Coast International Marine Expo is a massive showcase of ‘all things aquatic – from super yachts to kayaks, jet skis to fishing equipment … and everything in between’.

To be held from 17-19 October at the Gold Coast Marine Precinct at Coomera, the not-for-profit Expo includes a huge range of new-product releases, some to be seen for the first time in Queensland, some for the first time in Australia, and some for the first time in the World.

Australia’s only ‘Working Boat Show’, the Expo also features factory tours, live entertainment and demonstrations every 15 minutes across an expanded three kilometer event circuit. The huge array of gourmet and international food on offer includes everything from vegetarian, Venezuelan and Malaysian dishes to healthy burgers, wood-fired pizza, curries, teppanyaki, salads and Pancakes. The Riviera Yacht Club, Waterlife Restaurant and Marine Café will also be open and offering everything from fresh-cooked seafood to gourmet sandwiches.

The Gold Coast International Marine Expo offers free parking and tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for seniors with children under 15 admitted free when in the company of an adult. Avoid the queues and buy them online and be in with a chance of winning a Sirocco Air Hull inflatable boat.