In her beautiful home near Mullumbimby, caterer and Open Table owner, Ronit Robbaz-Franco, brings the world to her kitchen, writes Candida Baker.
Even as I get out of my car, I can smell something – the delicate scent of spices and herbs are being carried towards me on the breeze, and it’s delicious.
I’ve just arrived at the home and workplace of Ronit Robbaz-Franco, the owner and chef of one of Byron Shire’s favourite catering companies – Open Table Catering, and there’s definitely something cooking.
Ronit’s husband, the landscape gardener Rick Franco, bought their beautiful six-acre property a few kilometres out of Mullumbimby 18 years ago. Gradually the couple have created the perfect set-up for a home-based chef/catering service, including a massive veggie patch, the light and airy kitchen with its own verandah, and the most recent addition, a wooden covered deck in the garden for events.
Ronit Robbaz-Franco: “I love to feed people.”
“Welcome,” says Ronit, as I head towards the studio, “I’m making us an early lunch – Roasted eggplant herbs goat’s cheese filo pastry . Come and talk to me while I work.”
It’s hard to imagine now but when Ronit first arrived in the Shire in 1997, beyond those who had already embraced the idea of sustainable living there wasn’t much awareness of the food chain. “We didn’t have anything like the number of farmer’s markets back then,” she says. “The idea of food miles, or organic food, or cooking with seasonal food were still really in their infancy here, and it was one of the reasons why I was really attracted to the idea of opening a catering company here, because I wanted to bring some of the influences I’d grown up with into the area.”
In Ronit’s case those influences were not only numerous but exotic. Born in the Israel to parents with Moroccan heritage, Ronit’s mother was a chef who specialised in pastry, instilling in her daughter a love of cooking and fresh ingredients. “I remember our meal times so vividly,” she says. “Lots of fresh produce and lots of colour – a riot of colour sometimes. I learned early on about people coming together and celebrating over food, and that’s had a huge influence on me over the years.”
Part of a Moroccan feast designed to tempt the palate.
When Ronit turned 20, after she’d finished her compulsory military service, she decided to go travelling and with what, I’m quickly learning, is her ‘embrace the experience of life’ attitude, she travelled extensively and lived between India in the foothills of the Himalayas and Brazil growing her own vegetables, farming the land around her and using only the local produce for food.
“It was a huge lesson in how to live with cycles of nature,” she says. “I became truly connected to the earth, and I learned lessons about food and cooking that have stayed with me forever. I milked cows, made butter and yoghurt and labneh, and learned how to cook in a tandoor oven.”
The beautiful spiral roll Ronit is making is almost complete: “Organic roasted egglplant and goat feta spiral filo pie with Dukkah,” she tells me, and pops it in the oven, and we continue the conversation on the verandah with a glass of Moroccan mint tea served with local honey on the side.
“I think what living in India and Asia did was to really reinforce the idea of absorbing different cultures into your life through food,” she says. “I guess almost without realizing it I was being prepared for a life in food – and then while I was in India I would often go to South America for work, and of course that introduced me to another set of flavours and style of food.” Over the years what Ronit has perfected is an authentically unique cuisine, one that incorporates her Israeli/Hebrew and Moroccan background, and uses elements of that cooking in most of her dishes.
Pariticpants in the Mediterranean Fusion workshop enjoy the fruits of their labour.
Watching Ronit move around her kitchen, it seems to me that she is as exotic as the cuisine she prepares, and the grace with which she walks gives away her background, not just as a chef but also as a yoga student and dancer. “I’ve always loved movement and music as well,” she says. “I believe that true wellness comes from an integration of the mind, body and spirit, and movement is essential to us as human beings.” For Robazz, the dance she loves the most is flamenco. “I’ve been learning flamenco for many years,” she says. “It’s a wonderful combination of passion and technique.” It strikes me that the definition would suit her cooking just as well – passion and technique as well as an individual authenticity.
Ronit’s increasing fascination with cooking delicious but also healthy food, has led to the creation of the Open Table workshops, at which participants learn everything from how to create an authentic Moroccan banquet, fusion Mediterranean feasts, diverse Indian cuisine and also how to prepare vegetarian, vegan and raw feasts. For the very latest in food/health science, she is now running a Ketogenic workshop – a high fat, moderate protein, very low-carb diet, with all dishes using organic meat and fish and baked without sugar or gluten. “I love creating different styles for the workshops,” she says. “A lot of people come back over and over again because they know they are going to learn something very different each time. For me this connection with people through food is so vital – I love feeding people, whether it’s our family or friends, or at an event, for me it’s all the same energy, and a deep pleasure to partake of food with people.”
After a feast, what could be nicer than sweet treats and tea?
And talking of partaking of food, the sweet, spicy smell emanating from the kitchen is enough for her to know that her beautiful roll is cooked, and that it’s time for lunch. We’re joined by Aurelia who works with Robazz helping her to promote Open Table, and also by her husband Rick Franco, who has come home for lunch.
Ronit leans forward towards me conspiratorially. “Don’t tell him there’s eggplant in it,” she says. “He says he hates eggplant, but if I don’t tell him, then he eats it.”
Rick looks at the beautiful golden spiral roll suspiciously. “Does it have eggplant in it?” he asks.
“No,” says Ronit, cheerfully, giving me a wink across the table, and serving him a huge slice.
Even Open Table chefs have their secrets, it seems.
For more information on Ronit Robbaz-Franco and Open Table Catering go to: opentable
on Facebook: Open Table Byron Bay facebook.com/Open-Table-Byron-Bay
A NEW cooking workshop at Open Table
Ketogenic Cooking Workshop
A Ketogenic diet is a high in fat, moderate (adequate) protein, very low-carbohydrate diet. The diet can help with clear mental functioning, energy levels, to regulate depression and incredible weight loss.
We will introduce the different types of dishes and desserts which will include (all organic) meat and fish and baking without sugar or gluten.
Moroccan Cooking Workshop New Dates:
Sunday 7th June and Sunday 5th July
We journey through the creation of an authentic Moroccan banquet, learning how to approach this wonderful geography of cuisine. The banquet will include dishes for daily use and also for special occasions.
The Exotic Vegetarian Feast Workshop
Saturday 27th of June
Vegetarian food has never been so sexy!
Spice up your mid-winter at
Tantalise your taste buds as we explore a delicious array of plant-based dishes. Travel on a gypsy journey of the senses as we gain inspiration from dishes from all over the world- by the end of the day we will have explored a whole global carnival of vegetarian and vegan food.
Indian feast – ‘Curry favour with your flavour’
Saturday 4th of July
It has been said that spice is the heart of Indian cooking.
Allow your heart to be warmed and your appetite to be seduced with this afternoon of classical dishes, enhanced with Ronit’s experience of India, and unique flair for flavour and presentation.
