LAST FEW DAYS

With it being my second last day in the Cape all I wanted to do was spend it on the beach, but alas the good old wind ruined that so I decided to do a nice fish braai, ofcourse with fish from the SASSI green list, keeping things following the GREEN trend theses days is essentially for our enviroment to sustain its self for all our future generations.

So a fish braai it was, with some prawn kebabs, marinated tomato and pomegranate salad, homemade spring onion focaccia and a few glasses of Topiary Brut = a supper delicious lunch enjoyed by all.

I hope everyone is looking forward to and planning their menus for new year, i sure am and it will follow tomorrow.

AMAZING DAY

AMAZING DAY

Today was one of the best days I have had in the winelands, after staying the night in wellington we decided to take a drive around, we went for a river walk at Doolhof Wine Estate where I found some beautiful plums on the trees around, I picked a few but also used some from the garden where I was staying, they were so sweet and juicy.

On the way home after the walk I finally found the shop that is known for their buffalo mozzarella and bought some for a salad. Ofcourse being South African I couldnt help myself when i saw the shop called Biltong King along the side of the road so I stopped and bought some super delicious biltong.

When we got back to the house we were so hot and only felt like a light lunch so I decided to make a salad for everyone with all the ingredients I had purchased and with the rocket growing in the garden, so this is the lunch that developed.

RECIPE:

Fresh plum, buffalo mozzarella and biltong salad with a balsamic dressing

Ingredients:

250g fresh rocket from the garden

5 plums, sliced

2 buffalo mozzarella, sliced

50g biltong

45ml balsamic dressing - homemade

seasoning

Method:

Slice all the ingredients toss together with the rocket, drizzle over the dressing and season well.

The pictures are from http://www.stockfood.com/



ON THE WAT TO WELLINGTON

So I am on my way to Wellington and going to pass a few cheese shops and wineries, I was thinking about doing a stunning mixed South African cheese board with some crusty bread and maybe a few cured meats to go with a few glasses of wine for lunch today and then as a light dinner - ha ha a rich and creamy cheese fondue with some giant garlic croutons, some crispy chicken fillets and some more glasses of wine.

RECIPE:

Cheese Fondue

500g cheese - gruyere, emmenthaler
5ml mustard powder
100ml white wine
2.5ml salt
2.5ml white pepper
100ml cream

Method:

In a double boiler heat the wine and mustard powder, slowly start adding the grated cheese until it starts to melt, then add the cream and seasoning and leave over a low heat.

Make a platter with some garlic croutons, crispy chicken and whatever else you would like to dip in.

Serve with a nice glass of red wine.

In a double boiler heat the wine AND

FAMILY GONE

And so the family have gone home with their tummies full of crayfish, lamb, trifle and christmas cake as well as a protein filled breakfast for the long flight ahead.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE for yesterday, i hope it was a fanatstic day with friend, family, good wine and even better food, ha ha

The one day for lunch i made them a simple dish, i got some stunning fresh salmon, i grilled some vegetables and glazed them with a splash of balsamic vinegar, i pan seared the salmon quickly and drizled over a gremolata style dressing with a few drops of truffle oil, super yummy

RECIPE:

Gremolata style dressing with a hint of truffle

Ingredients:

2 lemons, zested

1 handfull parsley, finly chopped

3 cloves garlic,finly chopped

100ml olive oil

seasoning

a few drops of truffle oil

2x fresh portions salmon

Method:

• Mix all together and drizzle over the seared fish



CHRISTMAS PREPPING

Christmas prepping today!!!!!!!!!!!!! gona be a long one, the only thing to share today is hoping everyone has a very Merry christmas eve, hope lots of bottles of bubbles will be opened followed by some amazing food. ENJOY...................

OCEAN VIEW

Everyday im so blessed to come to work and over look the most amazing view of llandudno, so i needed a bit of inspiration for dinner tonight so i took a little walk on the beach and this is the menu that evolved

Crab salad with a citrus mayonnaise and crusty bread
Pan fried prawns with coriander and chilli dressing
Braaied crayfish with a mango salsa
Sauteed green vegetables
Garlic, ginger and chilli rubbed fish stuffed with fennel and grilled with a garlic oil

And i think just to get the night rolling some mojitos as they arrive back from their shopping expedition

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

Did the entire christmas shop today for my festive christmas menu, so for christmas i will be serving

Garlic prawns
Grilled crayfish
Avocado, mozzarella and tomato salad

Roast turkey with a spiced stuffing
Mustard glazed beef fillet
Rosemary infused leg of lamb
Whole baked fish with gremolata dressing
Buttered vegetables
Crispy roast potatoes

Christmas pudding with anglaise
Trifle with fresh berries and vanilla mascapone
Petit Chocolate cupcakes

AND lots of Champagne...

SOUTH AFRICAN INFLUENCE

And so after an extremely hot day in the winelands the family is coming home to a requested South African influenced dinner.

Tomato breadie with steamed bread
Cumin crusted yellowtail
Balsamic roasted vegetables
Baby corn, feta and sugar snap pea salad
Grilled ostrich fillet
AND homemade chili which they LOVE they have finished a entire jar already and onto the 2nd one.

with Tokara Pinotage 2008

Christmas yule log - spongy layers of cake filled with a butter cream and coated in couveture chocolate

Chili paste recipe:

1kg fresh red chillies
200g roasted garlic
150g ginger
50g salt
300ml oil
a few drops of truffle oil

DINNER TONIGHT

Tonights dinner was...

Lamb curry with basmati rice
avo, tomato, feta and articoke salad
homemade bread rolls
summer vegetables
tomato, ginger and garlic stuffed whole yellow tail
Dark chocolate brownie, with vanilla bean ice cream and fresh raspberries in a tarragon syrup

The wine that was served tonight with the curry was a caberbet franc and Eagles Nest Viognier with the fish.
For dessert they had a glass of Boplaas Port

START OF THE PRIVATE CHEFFING

START OF THE PRIVATE CHEFFING

Today my family of 15 fly into Cape Town for there weeks breaks at a beautiful villa in llandudno,over looking the ocean with the most unforgetable sunsets you have ever seen.

As welcome canapes with champagne i am making...

Deep fried prawn and leek wontons
Parma ham, marinated articoke and brie on croute
Caprese skewers with basil oil

For their dinner tonight i thought i would welcome them with a South African Braai, we have beef fillet, pork and beef sausages, lamb cutlets and chicken.

With a selection of homemade fococcia and ciabatta.
Roasted butternut, feta and chickpea salad.
Marinated tomato, peppers and articoke salad

Apple raisin and cinnamon mille feuille with vanilla mascapone and drunken fresh cherries

LEMONS

LEMONS

Aside from salt and pepper, lemons are the next most important ingredient for a chef, well for me personally anyway.

Lemons just bring a dish alive, a little squeeze of lemon juice and a few zestings of rind, will just round off most dishes perfectly.

Known mostly for their juice, it’s becoming more and more common to add the rind as well, and adds a more intense flavor.

The origins of lemons have stayed a mystery throughout history but it was thought that they first grew in India and China.

As most things lemons were used for medicinal use as well, they were used as an antiseptic and an antidote for certain poisons.

Lemon juice and zest is great to put into marinades as it flavors well, kills bacteria and acts as a tenderizer to meat.

I wouldn’t suggest putting lemon into a fish marinade until the last minute or rather squeeze over as the fish has just been cooked because the flesh is so tender it will part cook the fish .

The flavor marriage with lemon is defiantly fish and shellfish as well as chocolate and almonds.

JACKFRUIT PICTURES

The pictures in the previous blog about jack fruit is from http://www.rarefruit.org/

JACKFRUIT

JACKFRUIT

JACKFRUIT is a species of tree in the mulberry family, its native to the southern and southeast parts of Asia. It has one of the largest fruits that grow from it with some weighing up to 36kg.

JACKFRUIT is the national fruit of Bangladesh.

It can be eaten just as is when very ripe and is then sweet. When it is still green it is used for curries and more savory dishes.

JACKFRUIT has huge seeds inside, we bought one the other day and when cut it open to find the size of the seeds were about the size of acorns. We played around with them, we boiled them then layed them in the sun to dry out peeled them and ate them and they are like peanuts ADDICTIVE…

I then had a dinner party and wanted to try something different so I cooked them in cream and garlic, seasoned well and then blended to form a puree, it was delicious. I served it with honeyed pork, butternut fondant and wilted greens.

A BREAKFAST FEAST

While cooking bacon on quite a number of occasions i have realised that most are just terrible, they either throw out a lot of water, or get that whitish substance if they are slightly over cooked, some are heavily smoked and some are pretty much tasteless. There is one that stands out consistantly and which i have only used for a while now and that is the streaky and shoulder bacon from the Food Lovers Market (fruit and veg) at Fourways Mall.

Its beautifully smoked and always consistent, never over salty, and always has an intense flavour to it no matter what you use it in.
It almost comes across as something you would find in an organic market, made with love and care.

Try it for breakfast, with some eggs and a crusty baguette and dont forget the glass of bubbles. ENJOY

DINNER EXPERIMENT

EXPERIMENTAL DINNER TURNED OUT FAB LAST NIGHT

I couldn’t think what to make for dinner last night so I went on a hunt in my cupboards and fridge to search for ingredients.

I decided to make porcini, bacon and feta macaroni cheese with roasted garlicky butternut topped with crispy bacon and a green salad. It turned out absolutely divine and my husband Sommelier Miguel Chan paired it with De Wetshof Estate Bon Vallon Robertsons Chardonnay 2009.

RECIPE:

 Porcini, bacon and feta macaroni cheese

De Wetshof Estate Bon Vallon Robertsons Chardonnay 2009

Ingredients:

80g dried porcini, soaked, then the liquid reduced

100g bacon

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ onion finely chopped

2 cakes feta

250g macaroni

500ml béchamel sauce

Small bunch garlic chives

Method:

·         Soak the porcini until soft.

·         In a pot fry the onions, garlic, and bacon until lightly golden then add the drained off porcini mushrooms, cook for a few more minutes then add the porcini water and reduce until almost a glaze. Place the mixture into a bowl.

·         In the same pot without washing bring water to the boil, add the macaroni and cook until al dente.

·         Make a béchamel sauce and flavor with garlic chives. In a oven proof dish mix the macaroni with the bacon mixture, crumble over the feta then pour over the white sauce, bake at 180’C for 15 minutes then gratinate.

·         Serve with roasted garlicky butternut and crispy bacon, green salad.

The pictures are from http://www.stockfood.com/

SASSI

SASSI

With the trend in South Africa and all around the world being GREEN at the moment, many Chef and people are following the SASSI list when deciding on cooking and preparing fish.

The trend is to follow more natural, sustainable food, follow what’s in season and rather use those ingredients in the kitchen.

SASSI – the Southern Africa Sustainable Seafood Initiative is aiding us in the prevention of over fishing our oceans, it’s a list with a green, orange and red column. Green being the best choice of fish to choose while the orange and red columns have rare fish and fish that are not for sale.

It is really important to follow these rules for the future of our oceans, for our children and their children to still be able to eat and enjoy a whole variety of fish species.

It is important when buying fish to ask yourself 3 questions.

What is it?

Where is it from?

How was it caught?

Some of the best fish to buy at the moment are Hake, Angelfish, Gurnard, John dory, Snoek and White stump nose.

For more information on the SASSI list or to get a copy of the pocket guide go to www.org.za/sassi

Keeping with the whole “Local is Lekker” Green theme the recipe today is Braaied Snoek glazed with apricot jam.

RECIPE:

Braaied Snoek glazed with apricot jam

Ingredients:

1 whole Snoek

1 tin apricot jam

Seasoning

Method:

·         Scale and gut the snoek then place on the braai.

·         In a pot heat the jam with a little seasoning and once melted brush the snoek every so often until a nice glaze has formed and the fish is cooked.

The pictures are from http://www.stockfood.com/

PARSLEY AND CHERVIL

PARSLEY AND CHERVIL

Although most people think parsley is a boring, tasteless herb, it is actually the most widely used herb for professionals and non-professionals.

Parsley adds a fresh almost savory flavor to dishes, and if it is not being used fresh should only be added to a cooked dish right at the end of cooking to retain its color and freshness.

CHERVIL is also widely used when available in South Africa; it’s used a lot as a garnish herb but has a slight anise flavor to it, and should also be added at the end of the cooking process.

There are quite a few different species of parsley mainly curly and flat leaf parsley. Curly is unfortunately often used as a garnish but should defiantly not, it can be used for finely chopped parsley or in a mire poix and soups. Flat leaf parsley should be used more for garnishes and to bring a dish alive with fresh herbs.

Parsley pairs well with chicken, mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes and lentils.

Chervil pairs well with fish, carrots, chicken, eggs and tomatoes.

Today’s recipe is Gremolata which is traditionally served with Osso Bucco which is veal shin cooked in a tomato sauce and dressed with gremolata after.

RECIPE:

Gremolata

Ingredients:

100g flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 lemon, zested

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Seasoning

Olive oil

Method:

·         Combine all the ingredients together, allow to infuse then serve with the Osso Bucco.

The pictures used are from a website called www.stockfood.com

CORIANDER

CORIANDER

CORIANDER also known as cilantro in America and as Chinese parsley is used widely in Mexican, Chinese, Indian and Mediterranean cuisine.

All parts of the plant are edible with the leaves and seeds being the most commonly used parts.

The seeds are very traditional in boerewors and droe wors and are rather a common taste for South Africans, and yet the leaves are not so commonly used as in Chinese and Indian cuisine.

People have referred to the taste as “stink bug” and it almost adds a citrusy taste to dishes, you either love t or you don’t.

Coriander is often found in sambals, salsas and guacamole as just ass parsley used be chopped and added at the last moment of cooking, but is best eaten fresh.

Coriander pairs extremely well with curry, lentils, tomatoes and fish.

Coriander is very high in antioxidants so it prevents the spoilage of food that has been marinated with it. The leaves are found to be higher in antioxidants as appose to the seeds.

RECIPE:

Coriander and red onion guacamole

Ingredients:

1 avocado, roughly chopped

1 handful coriander, chopped

½ red onion, finely sliced

1 lemon, juiced

Seasoning

Drizzle of olive oil

Method:

·         Combine all the ingredients together, making sure you gently fold together, it should still be chunky.

The pictures used are from www.stockfood.com

MINT

MINT

MINT is another extremely versatile herb with a very aromatic menthol flavor with a cooling after taste.

It’s a fantastic herb to use in savory, sweet and spicy dishes and is so powerful in flavor it will cut through all foods and you will always catch a hint of it as an after taste. It’s used a lot in Mexican cuisine.

There are many different species of mint, peppermint, spearmint, cat mint all are divine to add to dishes.

You can use it dried or fresh, to infuse or as a whole leaf as garnish and it pairs exceptionally well with black beans, lentils, aubergine, tomatoes, yoghurt dressing, chocolate and fruit.

Mint was traditionally used to aid stomach aches and chest pains, and is also used widely as breath fresheners as well as used by campers to repel mosquitoes.

RECIPE:

Lentil, mint and tomato salad

Ingredients:

100g lentils

500ml chicken stock

1 onion, finely chopped

1 big bunch mint

3 tomatoes, concassed

Method:

·         Soak the lentils overnight, then bring to the boil in the chicken stock and simmer until soft. Drain

·         Sauté the onions until lightly golden and add to the lentils.

·         Concasse the tomatoes and add to the lentils, roughly chop the mint, combine all together, drizzle with olive oil and season well.

Minted chocolate fondue with fruit

Ingredients:

300g couveture chocolate

150ml cream

2 big bunches mint

100g sugar

Assorted fruits, to dip in

Method:

·         Heat the cream then add the chocolate and mint and allow melting down, adding the sugar once all completely dissolved, and the mint has infused, removing the sprigs and keeping the chocolate on a low heat. Dip in the fruit and indulge……..

These pictures are from http://www.stockfoods.com/

ROCKET

ROCKET

ROCKET also known as Arugula in America and Roquette in French is a great herb to have growing in your garden, its easy to maintain and even better when picked straight from the garden and tossed into a salad.

Rocket is known for its pungent peppery flavor which will add an element to any dish, fresh and or wilted it goes fabulously with rich, creamy foods as it cuts straight through. It can be used as a salad leaf on its own or as a mixture of salad leaves.

Rocket pairs particularly well avocado, lemon, parmesan cheese, pears, Carpaccio and a variety of nuts.

Besides from being a great salad and garnish herb it’s also fantastic to use as a pesto, blitz up with parmesan, pine nuts and olive oil its flavor pairings its fantastic to serve with fish, drizzled over a pizza or with a springbok Carpaccio.

Rocket also aids in the prevention and aiding of stomach ulcers.

I love the name Rocket so much I even named my puppy after the herb.

RECIPE:

Rocket Pesto with pan fried linefish on a bed of lentils

Ingredients:

100g rocket

30g parmesan, grated

2 cloves garlic

30g pine nuts

200ml olive oil

½ lemon, juiced

Seasoning

1 portion line fish

50g lentils, cooked

Method:

·         In a blender blitz together the rocket, parmesan, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice and seasoning the slowly start adding the olive oil.

·         In a hot pan place the fish skin side down until it’s crispy then flip over and cook through.

·         Mix the lentils with a little pesto, place the fish on top and drizzle over some of the pesto.

The picture is from http://www.stockfoods.com/

ROSEMARY

ROSEMARY

ROSEMARY is a very powerful herb in both smell and flavor therefore people tend to shy away from this herb but used in the right dishes and right amounts rosemary can make a dish come alive.

It’s a fragrant perennial evergreen herb that is actually part of the mint family and used widely in Mediterranean cuisine. It gets its name from the Latin meaning “dew of the sea” because in some areas the only source of water the rosemary gets is the humidity carried by the sea breeze.

As its widely known rosemary pairs well with lamb but it also pairs exceptionally well with beans, chicken, oil fish, pork potatoes and mushrooms.

Rosemary is rich in iron, calcium and vitamin B6, it also gives off a smoky mustard flavor when burned so it often place on the braai to flavor food.

Rosemary had a reputation in the old days for improving memory and has since been used as a symbol of remembrance. People often used to throw a sprig of rosemary into the grave as a way of telling the dead that they will always be remembered.

Another very sweet story linked with rosemary is that in the middle ages the bride and groom used to wear a crown of rosemary with all the guests wearing a sprig on their clothes. Once the couple are married they then plants baby rosemary to symbolize their unity and it has since become a symbol of love.

RECIPE:

Rosemary and caramelized onion focaccia

Ingredients:

1kg flour

10g dry yeast

5ml salt

5ml sugar

2 sprigs rosemary

2 onions, finely sliced

50g butter

Method:

·         In a bowl combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt, add enough tepid water to form dough and knead for 10 minutes. Place into a greased bowl, cover and allow the dough to rise for an hour.

·         In a pan melt the butter, add the onions and on a really low heat allow them to cook until their natural sugars are released and they are golden in colour.

·         Knock back the dough and spread out on a greased baking tray, sprinkle with olive oil then place the rosemary and caramelized onion all over, finish with a sprinkle of course sea salt and bake at 180’C until golden.

The picture used is from www.stockfoods.com

TARRAGON

TARRAGON

TARRAGON otherwise known as Dragon’s wort is a perennial herb and is one of the four “fine “herbs.

French tarragon is the best for the culinary world and with its intense anise flavor it is bound to awaken all your senses. It’s so fantastic because it can be used in both savory and sweet dishes.

Tarragon pairs well with artichokes, chicken, lobster, all white meats and salmon. Pick the fine leaves and soak in vinegars to produce wonderful intense flavored tarragon vinegar which is commonly used to make sauce Béarnaise.

Because of its scent it to acts as an insect repellent, so many people plant it in- between other plants to protect them.

When I was in second year at Silwood we all had to help with the third year exams, my first exam I helped at was for a Turkish student called Umit. I will never forget his palate cleanser; it was an explosion of flavor in my mouth. He made a blueberry sorbet with tarragon syrup, so that is my recipe for the day, Thanks Umit.

RECIPE:

Blueberry sorbet with chilled tarragon syrup

Ingredients:

500g blueberries

200g castor sugar

15ml glucose

500ml water

200g granulated syrup

50g fresh tarragon

200ml water

Method:

·         Place the blueberries, castor sugar, glucose and water into a pot, allow to simmer for 20 minutes, place into a blender and blend until smooth. Pass through a fine chinoise and chill. One chilled place into a sorbet machine and churn until set.

·         Place the granulated sugar and water into a pot and allow all the sugar to dissolve before allowing the mixture to simmer, brush down the sides of the pot with water to prevent crystals from forming, once simmering add the tarragon and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside and allow infusing, straining and serving with the sorbet.

The picture used is from http://www.stockfoods.com/

CHIVES

The picture of chives in my last blog is from a website called edible gardens

CHIVES

CHIVES

CHIVES are another one of my favorite herbs; these tiny little shoots create a flavor explosion to any dish.

Paired practically well with eggs, fish, and potatoes and as garnishes in soup this herb can be used in pretty much any recipe.

It is the smallest species of the onion family hence the subtle savory onion, slightly garlicky flavors it adds to a dish.

As always herbs have medicinal and other uses, for example chives are used as an insect repellent in gardens.

Chives are part of the “fine” herb family which includes other herbs such as tarragon, parsley and chervil.

The purple flowers of the chives are edible and beautiful in salads and as garnishes to savoury dishes.

RECIPE:

Chive tied pancake filled with smoked salmon and chive crème friache

Ingredients:

1 chive, blanched and refreshed

1 pancake

50g smoked salmon

15ml crème fraiche

5ml chives, finely chopped

Method:

·         Mix together the salmon, crème friache and chives, season with salt, pepper and a splash of lemon.

·         Place in the middle of the pancake, fold up the sides to form a little parcel and tie closed with the blanched chive.

·         Cut the top so it looks neat.

SAGE

SAGE
Sage is one of my favorite herbs but sadly not often used by most in cooking. Is has a wonderful slightly peppery flavor and is so versatile, it can be used dried, freshly chopped and as garnish and added texture when deep-fried.

When talking about flavor marriages the first thing that comes to mind is sage and butternut or sage and chicken. The best way to serve sage is in a Beurre Noisette(which means nut browned butter) drizzled over a succulent roasted chicken or  butternut fondant.

Besides from its amazing culinary uses it also has very healing medicinal uses, in the ancient times it was though to ward off the plague and also aid in womens fertility.

RECIPE FOR THE DAY:

Roasted butternut soup drizzled with a sage buerre noisette

Ingredients:

1 onion, finely chopped

1celery stick, finely chopped

1 leek, finely chopped

30ml oil

1kg butternut, peeled and chopped

1L vegetable stock

Seasoning

100g butter

5 sage leaves

Method:

·         Fry the onions, celery and leek until lightly golden, add the butternut and stock and allow simmering gently until all is cooked.

·         Season then blend until smooth.

·         In a frying pan melt the butter until it starts to turn a nut golden color, add the sage and allow for the flavors to infuse.

·         Pour the soup into a bowl drizzle over the sage butter and add a few of the crispy sage leaves as garnish