Cooking with Giannis Breads
s
y
a
w
12 ed a
e
f
o
tngry crew
hu
How to create
a feast in a flash
Billie Lusk film industry caterer shares her secrets
12 ways to feed a hungry crew • 1
Cooking with Giannis Breads
12 waeyds a
tongrfye crew
hu
Cooking with Giannis Breads
On set
with Billie
If you think your kitchen can be a
madhouse at times, spare a thought
for Billie Lusk in her mobile kitchen.
Billie is the owner and founder of
Billionaires Catering, one of only
a few specialist mobile catering
companies that fuels our highly
successful film industry. Billie’s exploits
include catering to the cast and crew
for most of the recent Wellywood
world-renowned blockbusters. The
Billionaires crew serve meals around
the clock, both on set and at numerous
locations around New Zealand, and
have become film industry stars.
2 • 12 ways to feed a hungry crew
“I never know exactly
who will turn up for
a meal, but we have
to be ready when
everyone breaks for
lunch", Billie says. "We
have to have a variety
of food to suit our
crew. Everyone has
different
appetites;
some actors
can be
worried
about
putting on
weight, while
the guys who
physically
carry around
lights and gear eat a
lot because they are
big energy burners.”
But if you thought
getting the menu and
the quantities right
was all there was to
worry about then
ponder this.
Many of the locations
are well away from
the local supermarket
so having the right
ingredients to hand
is another challenge.
“We need to know
what the weather
will do so that we can
tailor our menus
accordingly. My
pantry options
need to be very
versatile.”
unwind and relax with
food they enjoy. That
means something
different to look forward
to each day. I can’t just
serve up the the same
menu day after day.
They need variety
so I’m always
on the hunt for
new recipes, new
ideas – something
different.”
However, for all the
challenges Billie says
she wouldn’t do
anything else.
“I love it, film people
are a very creative and
passionate lot.
Film shoots
can be tough,
arduous affairs;
the days are
long and the
conditions on
location can be far
from ideal so meal
times are often the
highlight of the day.
“It’s the one time
of the day when
everyone can
the pressure
In spite of
e
n to have th
we are know
un.
odd bit of f
Lamb and Olive Burger
I have heard of some
who will ask who is
catering on the film
before they will sign
up. The fact that we get
asked back
time and time again to
cater to the blockbuster
sets means we must be
doing something right.”
So we put it to Billie give
us 12 ‘creative’ recipes
using Giannis bread that
we could whip up in our
own kitchens in a flash,
using ingredients we
might expect to have
close at hand. “Giannis
breads I love, so this
is going to be a fun
challenge”, says Billie.
“Expect the unexpected
and you will always
keep a hungry crew
coming back for more.
But most of all have fun
creating your food.”
12 ways to feed a hungry crew • 3
Cooking with Giannis Breads
Cooking with Giannis Breads
aragus
sh crisp asp
re
f
s
at
e
b
g
Nothin
daise
on the hollan
r
u
o
P
.
n
o
t.
in seas
star breakfas
lm
fi
a
e
av
h
and you
Lamb Feta and Olive Burgers
SERVES 4-6
Giannis Pita Breads, 1 packet
oast
Posh Eggs on T
SERVES 1
ead, 1 packet
Giannis Pita Br
immed and
gus spears, tr
ra
pa
as
h
es
fr
4
cut in half
n
ta or thin baco
2 slices pancet
1-2 eggs
es, herbs and
cherry tomato
Garnish with
desired
fresh chilli if
er to taste
Salt and pepp
ap them in a
asparagus, wr
of
s
le
nd
bu
Make
th a toothpick.
and secure wi
n
co
n
ba
of
e
ic
sl
in a frying pa
e grill, BBQ or
.
er
pp
pe
Cook under th
d
an
ason with salt
until crisp. Se
eggs and
ach or fry your
po
,
ne
do
ly
ar
When ne
and asparagus
Serve the eggs
.
ta
pi
ur
yo
t
toas
then garnish
p of the pita,
bundles on to
you like.
with whatever
20
This is a grea
t dish to fee
da
crowd. We h
ave made it f
or 400
people. Just
use whole c
hicken
breasts and s
lice to serve
.
Dukkah-Crust
Salad with Pited Chicken
a Croutons
SERVES 2
Giannis Pita Po
ckets, 2 only
1 chicken brea
st
2-3 tbsp Dukk
ah
Yoghurt Dressi
ng
Natural yoghur
t
Lemon juice
Sweet chilli sa
uce
Salt and pepp
er to taste
Cut or tear pi
ta pockets into
pieces and
toast in oven
to make crouto
ns for the
salad.
Cut the chicke
n breast leng
thways into 4strips, depend
5
ing on the size
. Roll each
piece in dukk
ah and pan-fr
y until cooked
You may need
.
to finish cook
ing it in the
oven if the du
kkah browns to
o quickly.
Make a fresh ga
rden salad to
serve the
dukkah chicke
n on. Drizzle
with a yoghur
dressing.
t
When we go on location
we get to see just how
spectacular our country really is.
Some of the film shoots are in very
remote and beautiful places.
4 • 12 ways to feed a hungry crew
400g minced lamb
1 red onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
½ cup black olives, chopped roughly
200g block feta cheese, cubed
1 egg, to bind if necessary
,
Chopped herbs of your choice – mint
ley
pars
or
coriander
Burgers are hunger
busters but they
can also be exotic
and very tasty with
a little imagination.
Spicy Black B
ea
and Feta Dip w ns, Tomato
ith Garlic Pit
a
Dippers
SERVES 8-10
Giannis Garlic
Pita Bread, 1
packet
cut into 8s, to
asted
and
Mix all ingredients gently together
size of a
the
ies
patt
er
burg
into
form
then
l in the
small wholemeal pita bread. Chil
fridge to set.
time,
Pan fry or BBQ to cook. In the mean
like
half
in
t
spli
then
ds,
brea
pita
heat the
with
ers
a burger bun and build your burg
n,
lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onio
.
ziki
tzat
urt
hummus or yogh
30
food
I know you won’t find finger
sh
on a film set but if friends cra
s
in keep a bottle of red and thi
dipper recipe handy.
1 red onion, th
inly sliced
½ red pepper,
small dice
2 fresh red ch
illies, finely
chopped
2 garlic cloves
, crushed
1 tbsp oil
2 tsp ground cu
min
1 tsp ground co
riander
400g can whol
e peeled tomato
es, mashed
1 can black/tu
rtle beans
200g feta chee
se
Salt and pepp
er to taste
Sauté the onio
n, pepper, chil
lies and garlic
for five minute
s until soft. Th
en add the
cumin, corian
der and tomato
es. Reduce
heat and simm
er for about 10
minutes until
almost all th
e liquid has ev
aporated.
Add the black
beans and warm
through.
Place into a se
rving bowl an
d crumble over
the feta cheese
. Serve immedi
ately
with toasted pi
ta dippers.
25
To make the dr
essing, combin
e natural
yoghurt mixe
d with a squeez
e of lemon juic
and a splash of
e
sweet chilli sa
uce.
20
12 ways to feed a hungry crew • 5
Cooking with Giannis Breads
Kids’ Beans on
Cooking with Giannis Breads
Toast
Reuben’s Open Sandwich
serves 1
ead, 1 packet
Giannis Pita Br
urter
age or frankf
1 hotdog saus
Baked beans
Mexican Fish
Tortilla with
Green Salsa
serves 4
Cheese
2 cloves
s by dressing
eat their bean
Make the kids
g. Cut the
octopus hot do
an
th
wi
up
them
y down into
irds of the wa
sausage two-th
d into boiling
s. When plunge
eight tentacle
t and cook to
acles spread ou
water, the tent
e two cloves
th
rt
topus. Inse
oc
an
ke
li
ok
lo
as eyes.
toasted
warm beans on
Serve on top of
eese.
rinkle with ch
pita bread. Sp
10
For Halloween, make a whole pile
of octopuses to scare the kids.
They are a scream.
Try this super American toasted sandwich
deli classic
ServeS 4
Giannis Pita Pockets, 4
Giannis Tortil
la
8 slices swiss cheese
4 slices pastrami
4 gherkins, sliced longways
½ cup sauerkraut
400g snapper
Russian dressing
1 tbsp Worcester sauce
2 tbsp tomato sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
2 cloves minced garlic or 1 tbsp finely
chopped onion
1 tbsp horseradish cream (optional)
Mix all the dressing ingredients in a small
bowl to a spicy pink and set aside.
Spread the pita pockets with the Russian
dressing. Top each with drained sauerkraut,
pastrami, gherkins and swiss cheese.
Grill until the cheese melts and the
pita is heated through. Serve.
Greek salad quesadilla
serves 4
15
Giannis Tortillas, 1 packet
Oil to fry the quesadillas in
Filling
Black and/or green olives, chopped
, halved
Tomatoes, diced; or cherry tomatoes
finely
ped
chop
ns,
onio
ng
spri
or
ns
Red onio
Capsicum, sliced
Cubed feta cheese
one
A sprinkle of dried oregano for each
se
chee
la
arel
mozz
or
y
Colb
ed
Grat
omly on
Place the filling ingredients rand
and
salt
with
each half tortilla, sprinkle
other
the
over
Fold
se.
chee
pepper and grated
.
ette
omel
an
ng
maki
were
you
half, as if
Press gently.
to a medium
Heat a large cast iron frying pan
place
and
oil
of
heat. Add a small amount
tortillas in pan.
fully
When nicely brown on one side, care
brown
l
unti
side
r
othe
cook
and
turn over
and the cheese has melted.
Cut into wedges to serve, with sour
cream or salsa on the side.
local suppliers but that
We have to source food from
these mushrooms.
isn’t all bad, catch the size of
6 • 12 ways to feed a hungry crew
s, 1 packet
fillets, cubed
2 tsp ground cu
min
½ tsp ground ch
illi
2 tsp ground pa
prika
1 tsp ground su
mac
Sea salt and fr
eshly ground
black pepper
1 tbsp olive oi
l
Green Salsa
1 green chilli
, seeded and fi
nely chopped
1 green capsic
um, seeded and
finely choppe
1 onion, finely
d
chopped
½ cucumber, pe
eled, seeded an
d diced
2 sticks celery
, finely choppe
d
½ lime, juiced
, reserve the
rest for garnis
Salt and pepp
h
er to taste
Place the cumi
n, chilli, papr
ika, sumac,
salt and pepper
in a bowl and
mix to combin
Heat oil in a no
e.
n-stick frying
pan over high
heat. Sprinkle
the fish pieces
with the spice
mixture. Add
the spiced fish
to the pan and
cook for 1-2 mi
nutes.
Warm the tort
illas in the ov
en, top
with fish, gree
n salsa and ga
rnish
with lime wedg
es.
30
15
A great easy sna
ck is to put a
processed chee
se slice inside
a pita
bread and toast
until cheese m
elts.
12 ways to feed a hungry crew • 7
Cajun Chicken
,
Onion and Avo Caramelised
cado Salsa
Pizza
Cooking with Giannis Breads
Serve 4-6 and Lemon
Lemon Chicken
ap
Aioli Salad Wr
Serves 6
cket
yle Wraps, 1 pa
Giannis Kiwi St
, whole
chicken thighs
700g boneless
d
pe
op
ch
, finely
3 cloves garlic
arters
qu
to
in
t
cu
and
1 lemon, zested
oil
1 tbsp of olive
to taste
er
Salt and pepp
Mexican Tortilla Soup
Giannis Mexican Style
Tortillas, 1 packet
2 onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushe
d
100g polenta
1 tbsp freshly chopped
chillies, or chipotle
sauce (from a jar or can
)
2 x 400g cans chopped
tomatoes
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
1.5 litres chicken or veg
e stock
(fresh or from a stock
cube)
Heat a tablespoon of oil
in a pot, sauté onion
briefly until wilted the
n add garlic. Cook
for a couple more minute
s, then add all other
ingredients.
Simmer for another 10
minutes, then blitz in
a food processor until
the soup is smooth.
Season and leave over
a low heat until
you serve.
Garnish with any or all
of the following:
Deep fried tortilla str
ips – these are an
essential element to the
dish. Made by
frying briefly in shallo
w oil until golden
and puffed up.
Cubed ripe avocado.
Feta cheese or sour cre
am.
Freshly chopped corian
der.
Shredded cooked chicke
n, if desired.
This is a delicious dis
h and a must-try!
25
Lemon Aioli
d garlic
Cheesy roaste
pizza bread
l Pizza Bases
or Traditiona
Giannis Crispy
eshly crushed
butter using fr
ic
rl
ga
a
ke
Ma
s to taste,
ted garlic bulb
garlic and roas
lla, freshly
lby or mozere
some grated Co
pepper.
y and salt and
chopped parsle
s and bake
ispy pizza base
Spread over cr
d cheese is
an
n
golden brow
l
ti
un
C
0˚
20
at
bubbling.
immediately
zza and serve
Slice like a pi
soup.
with pasta or
on its own, or
10
Sorry folks but
I am a Mexicana
addict and just
love food with
attitude.
1 egg yolk
ice
1 tbsp lemon ju
oil
la
no
ca
of
¼ cup
ard
st
1 tsp dijon mu
finely chopped
,
ic
rl
3 cloves ga
, to taste
Salt and pepper
leaves/
picked spinach
Baby spinach/
watercress
ss chicken
en to 165°C. To
Preheat the ov
mon quarters,
, lemon zest, le
thighs, garlic
er and roast
asoning togeth
olive oil and se
ed.
ok
nutes until co
for 12 to 15 mi
l
e together unti
and lemon juic
lk
yo
g
eg
d
ur
en
Bl
slowly po
lour and then
it is pale in co
in the dijon
d
en
bl
d,
mixe
in the oil. Once
Set aside.
g.
and seasonin
mustard, garlic
l chunks and
icken into smal
Chop cooled ch
cooked lemon
e
th
wl. Squeeze
place into a bo
n. Add leftover
e diced chicke
wedges over th
and half a cup
roasting dish
juice from the
of lemon aioli.
watercress
ken salad and
Place the chic
roll.
d
an
the wrap
30
in the middle of
Cover shot
Giannis Crispy
or Traditiona
l
Pi
zza Bases,
1 packet
Cajun chicken
700g boneless
chicken thighs
, cut into
bite-sized piec
es
4 tbsp cajun sp
ice
2 tbsp olive oi
l
Salt and Pepp
er
½ cup carameli
sed onion
Avocado Salsa
2 avocado, ston
ed and finely
cubed
¼ red onion, fi
nely diced
1 tomato, seed
ed and finely
cubed
½ tbsp lemon ju
ice
1 tbsp olive oi
l
Salt and pepp
er to taste
Rocket to garn
ish
Preheat the ov
en to 170 °C. To
ss cajun
spice, olive oi
l, chicken and
seasoning
together and
roast 10 to 12
minutes until
cooked.
Toss avocado,
red onion, toma
to, lemon
juice, olive oi
l, salt and pepp
er in a bowl.
Set aside.
Spoon carame
lised onion on
to pizza
bases and spre
ad, top evenly
with cajun
chicken pieces
. Place pizza in
the oven
for 10 minute
s. Serve topped
with
avocado salsa
and rocket.
20
Aioli is so
easy to m
ake with
a handheld
stick blen
der.
Breakfast burrito
las, 1 packet
Giannis Mexican Style Tortil
cooked with
This is simply scrambled egg
d.
han
on
e
hav
anything you may
potatoes, fried
For example, leftover diced
spring onions
or
es,
ato
tom
on,
chorizo, bac
r egg is cooked,
Stir in some cheese when you
and wrap it up.
la
til
pile into your flour tor
sour cream
sa,
sal
h
wit
ly
Serve immediate
.
side
the
on
o
or avocad
20
8 • 12 ways to feed a hungry crew
12 ways to feed a hungry crew • 9
Cooking with Giannis Breads
Cooking with Giannis Breads
New Zealand’s most celebrated flat bread range
BQ Chicken
Supermarket B
Taquitos
las, 1 packet
Giannis is a nationwide favourite. As more and more New Zealanders discover a new world of
classic breads, our range is expanding to meet the growing demand. Become part of the Giannis
family and always have a pack of everyone’s favourite on hand for every meal. Make it with Giannis
and surprise your crew.
n Style Tortil
Giannis Mexica
illas.
lled fried tort
Taquitos are ro
ng
sily by grabbi
these very ea
d
an
t
ke
You can make
ar
perm
ems from the su
ready made it
work at home.
doing a little
n, a packet of
a cooked chicke
You just need
y salsa.
an
las, a jar of
Giannis tortil
n, some cheese
ado, a red onio
oc
av
y.
an
e
yb
Ma
fridge alread
ve any in the
e
th
n
ee
if you don’t ha
tw
be
ken and divide
Shred the chic
onion and
d
pe
op
ch
me
so
th
tortillas, add
tly, secure wi
. Roll up tigh
grated cheese
a toothpick.
medium
both sides over
Shallow fry on
and cheese
own and crispy
heat until br
has melted.
o and
lsa and avocad
Serve with sa
30
.
a wedge of lime
Mediterranean Flatbreads
Imagine having
this great
crew on set
at mealtimes.
Very theatrical.
e Salad
Guacamol
ds
arlic Brea
Kiwi Flatbreads
Italian Flatbreads
Indian Flatbreads
Mexican Flatbreads
yle G
is Kiwi St
acamole.
antial gu
st
b
su
or
e
r
o
st a m
ual plate
This is ju
n individ
a
n
nts
o
ie
d
a
ed
l
gr
r sa
g the in
n
si
Build you
u
g,
in
for shar
a platter
acamole
use for gu
ld
you wou
sliced
alved and
avocado, h
ed
lv
a
matoes, h
cherry to
ed
ic
sl
, thinly
red onion
n
, tor
coriander
ttuce.
le
f
a
o
ed
ab
ime juice,
ueeze of l
sq
r
a
o
h
i
l
it
w
s
h chil
Then dres
some fres
olive oil,
f
o
.
er
sh
p
a
l
ep
p
sp
nd
kes, salt a
the side.
chilli fla
ic pita on
rl
ga
ed
st
led
h toa
Serve wit
s with gril
e deliciou
b
ld
u
o
w
This
10
chicken.
prawns or
Giann
Greek Flatbreads
The Giannis family of breads is available nationwide at your local supermarket.
10 • 12 ways to feed a hungry crew
10 • 12 ways to feed a hungry crew
Cooking with Giannis Breads
Authentic
Giannis Michaelides set sail
from Cyprus in 1966. He arrived
in Christchurch with only the
clothes he stood in, a wonderful
smile and a healthy appetite for
leavened bread his mother had
taught him to bake.
And Giannis brought with him
more than just his love of pita
bread, he introduced to our
pantries other wholesome,
ethnic flatbreads from exotic
lands and earlier times.
Forty-five years on we celebrate
by introducing to New Zealand’s
supermarkets the largest ever
range of authentic pita breads.
As the world rediscovers
the delicious simplicity of
flatbreads, Giannis brings you
oven freshness captured in the
convenience of ‘long-life’ take
home packs.
This is the taste of oven bread as
it used to be. In Giannis words
“Kali oreksi”, “Enjoy” and let
everyone celebrate.
(Pronounced Ya-nee)
Lahmajou Company Ltd, Cnr Durham & Sandyford Sts, PO Box 7222 Christchurch 8240, New Zealand
12 • 12 ways to feed a hungry crew
www.giannis.co.nz
/GiannisPitaBread
/billionairescatering