Second Life

No, I'm not referring to the virtual world where anything is possible. This is a far more practical conversation.

I'm talking about those mountains of repurposed containers you used to cringe at in your grandmother's (or mother's) kitchen cupboard. From ice-cream containers and butter tubs to the plastic forks from previous takeaway meals. You swore you would never succumb to this horrid habit.

Alas, we find ourselves in the 21st century faced all manner of disasters looming on the horizon. Hundreds of homes are without water this week, a stark reminder of the socially conscious lives we should all be leading. Now, I'm not asking you to make a full on go at becoming a participant in the next episode of Hoarders, please don't. This endeavour needs to be taken on with pragmatism. Law and order needs to be maintained in the kitchen cupboard at all costs. Assess your habits and usage patterns and use these to determine how you plan on repurposing containers destined for the bin.

I cook a lot, so I use lots of spices. I'm a fan of whole spices, choosing to grind on demand, so glass containers are very useful to me. This is where things could potentially go horribly wrong. My approach is to ensure that all these glass containers are identical which was easy because we always bought a specific brand of coffee that was packaged in glass with airtight lids. Glass doesn't absorb odours or flavours so it's perfect for this. I do the same thing with larger glass containers for seeds and nuts. Personally, I cannot bring myself to collect plastic containers, I just have no use for them and rely on the recycle bin to ease my conscience. NO, I will not send my guests home with leftover food in one such container.

Those plastic forks and spoons do come in quite handy for kid's lunches as having them returned does not become the sole purpose of my being - you know the people I'm talking about.

I just discovered a new repurposable item. Chopsticks! I'm making koftas for dinner and was annoyed to find that we'd used all the skewers. Thank goodness someone felt the need to keep the disposable wooden chopsticks you get with your takeaway as these were perfect for the job.

Get your favourite meatball recipe and spice it up with some middle-eastern flavours and mould the mixture around the end of the chopstick (which you've soaked in water for about 15 minutes to avoid burning) making a sausage shape. Chill until you're ready to grill in the oven or outside on the braai.

In the spirit of saving the world, one plastic bag at a time, repurpose something today. I can't be sure that it will make a difference to whether El niño roasts us or drowns us but it will feel good and save you a penny in the long run; and that's got to make you feel better amid all the job losses and falling share prices.

Kitchen Gadgets

They look good when you buy them but you end up not using half of them and that says a lot for someone like me that spends a huge portion of my day in the kitchen cooking. I ease my conscience and use the more expensive purchases when I remember they exist or when they block the way to something I actually need in the cupboard.

The George Forman grill is one such gadget. In my defence, however, I did not buy this for myself. This is from that other place that can fill your kitchen with unnecessary gadgets, the golf day!! I pull the George Forman out at least once a year, usually around the time that I go through the linen cupboard - for it's annual charity purge - where is lives tucked neatly away on the very bottom shelf where we have no reason to go other than cleaning. I slap on a few steaks or chicken breasts and feel comforted that it is not a complete waste of space. Today, I will be trying whole pork fillets that have been bathing in a simple solution of olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.

In the spirit of experimentation I'm going to give today's @wwtaste spring onion pancake instagram recipe a go, just something different to the usual steamed, sauted or roast potatoes. These will go wonderfully with the roasted green beans and bacon and avocado chive dressing.

I used this opportunity to get a couple of gadgets out of the way, like the potato masher. I hardly ever use it but I keep it because it does an amazing job of mashing potatoes. The garlic crusher? Ok, I can't pretend or lie, I love this gadget and use it almost everyday. The  rice cooker? Now this is one kitchen appliance I've always scoffed at, like the egg boiler. But I received one as a christmas gift last year. It came with a steaming basket and I use it several times a week as I did today to steam the potatoes. 

"Heads up, steaming or baking potatoes is much better than boiling them for mashed potatoes. You eliminate the waterlogged situation that can make them gloopy and heavy instead of light and fluffy".

The aroma from the hot potatoes hitting the garlic and spring onion mixture is sublime!

The ice-cream scoop? I can't do without mine. Biscuit dough, muffin and cupcake batter portioning has never been easier. I used one for exact portions of the spring onion pancake mash mixture before flattening them into "pancakes".

The gadget once-over is complete, I know what I use and what needs to be relegated to the far recesses of the donation bag or bin.

As for dinner, yummy meal overall!! George Forman did not excite me in the moist department, which I was expecting as I watched all the juices drain from the device with trepidation, it was a fatless fillet after all. In hindsight, I may need a little practice using it.

Foodie Greats

I know everyone hates the term "foodie". Frankly, I don't know why. It has the word food in it and it's an adjective. It describes "he who loves food". Anyway.....

The EatOut Mercedes Benz Awards are coming up in about a month's time and beside the fact that we're celebrating chefs and the amazing restaurants they've created or perfected, we're celebrating foodies. People who love food so much that they've made feeding other people their careers. These are brave soles if nothing else. I love food and I've said it a million times before; I love cooking it as much as I love eating it. But....... it's always so much pressure to prepare it for other people not knowing what they'll think. Whether they'll love it or hate.

Restauranteurs and chefs are the warriors of the food industry, putting their innermost feelings and capabilities on a plate, baring their soles as it were. So win or lose, I have nothing but admiration for these people.

If you're as interested as I am in seeing whether your local favourite has made it, keep a lookout for the results or follow the competition on www.eatout.co.za, this includes your everyday eateries which have already been announced for Gauteng, KZN and Mpumalanga.

Having said all of that, I'm a bit of a groupie. This, you think, may be reserved for rockstars but it depends on exactly that.... what rocks your boat. As mine is food, rockstars are those culinary heroes who have made a name for themselves and piqued our interest. I'm off to meet with one of the Top 10 Restaurant nominees tomorrow morning, Martinus Ferreira of DW Eleven -13. His restaurant has been nominated and won four times since opening in 2009 and has made the list of 20 nominees again this year, one of three Gauteng restaurants. Beside the awards and all the drama attached, I'm really keen on getting to know Mr Ferreira and what makes him tick. He has an amazing background which I hope I'll get some insight on. This, to me, is the equivalent of my high school art teacher describing her relationship with Picasso. He might not be to everyone's taste but is unique in his own right. An adventurous sole who does things just a little bit differently to everyone else, nothing wrong with that! And... I like it!

Social Media & The Cape Town Meat Merchant!

In this wonderful world of social media (yes, I said wonderful) we meet all kinds of amazing, weird and wacky people. I know social media is not everyone's cup of tea, my husband for instance has absolutely no social presence. He has accounts, never used and destined to the far recesses of the web, but this does not bother him. All he needs is access to a variety of news, written by good old fashioned financial journalists and others equally qualified in their field of expertise. Me, on the other hand; I love to see what everyone is up to, what they're discovering, what they wish to share with the world. I understand his lack of interest though as he's a firm believer in everyone minding their own business, frowning upon the almost stalker nature that social media seems to behold.

Like I said, there are all kinds. Some use social media to get validation from the world, some just love sharing their special moments in life like their children's milestones or amazing holidays. I hear the critics, lambasting the sharers of exotic holidays for their blatant display of sheer braggery (no, that's not a real word but you get it, right?). Get over it, I say, but then I'm a glass half full kinda girl. They are the "travel agents" you know and trust, travelling to places you haven't been and telling you what to expect. And if you're not able to travel, you've just had a little journey right there.

Then there are my favourites, I call them the public service users. They share their skills and knowledge for free and for nothing because they're just so passionate about what they do. My favourite at the moment is Andy Fenner from Franky Fenner Meat Merchants in Cape Town with his #100daychallenge #grassfed #nosetotail philosophy. Everyone who eats meat has got to follow this guy on Instagram. He has a daily cut of meat, lovingly described with the added "how to cook" in there too.

I'm a selfish social media user that way. I like to follow people that educate me, inspire me, encourage me and preferably free of charge. I want to get something out of it. I follow National Geographic on instagram because the photographs are beautiful, thoughtful and sometimes sad with a matching tale. Bakeries and restaurant owners because they inspire me to do better in the kitchen and try new things. Friends and family because we're just too busy on social media to meet each other in person and how else are we then going to know if they're well and doing alright. LOL

Go to:

www.ffmm.co.za

@andyfenner

P.S. I think I'm about to embark on a really cool journey, using Andy Fenner's meat guide...... watch this space!!!

Feeling a bit blue....? Or Green?

2ltr water

1 large piece of fresh ginger, sliced

A few cardomon pods, lightly crushed 

A few cloves (not garlic, the whole spice)

1 cinnamon stick, lightly cracked

3 rooibos teabags

Lemon slices

Honey (non radurised)

Bring all ingredients, beside lemon and honey, to the boil and allow to steep for about 10 minutes. Pour into a cup and add lemon and honey to taste.

Sip all day to keep your misery at bay!

OR

Replace the water and teabags with ginger ale, steep and pour into a cup. Add a shot of whiskey and you have my version of a hot toddy to have before bed.

Al Dente!

I don't know anyone who doesn't love a bowl of saucy pasta and with most of us living low carb, this is even more of a treat than ever before. Where we all differ, however, is on the doneness of our pasta. Call me a philistine if you must, but I really do not enjoy my pasta al dente. I can hear the gasps of horror already. I don't like it overcooked and mushy, just slight beyond al dente at the point where it holds it's shape and doesn't quite have a bite to it. This point, for me, is when pasta can hold the luscious, glistening sauce because it's edges are just ever so slightly ruffled. 

A warm bowl of pasta delivers just the right amount of comfort on a cold day. Add some earthy mushrooms and luxurious cream and you've got a winner.

This recipe uses quite a bit of garlic but mushrooms just blossom when cooked in the combination of butter of garlic. The aromas themselves are absolutely wonderful.

Ingredients

500g flat/broad pasta (tagliatelle, pappardelle)

Sauce

2 shallots, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic
2tbsp of olive oil
1tsp of butter
1 large punnet of mushrooms, cut into large chunks (I love the meatiness of large brown or portobello mushrooms but this recipe works exceptionally with a combination of mushrooms)
Few sprigs of fresh thyme
60ml brandy or sherry (optional)
250ml stock (chicken or vegetable)
175ml double cream (I've used mascarpone before, amazing!!)
Salt & pepper to taste
Big handful of flat leaf parsley
Black truffle oil (optional)

Method

Sauté the shallots, thyme leaves and garlic in the olive oil until translucent, do this at a low temperature so the sweetness of the shallots is enhanced. Increase the temperature, add the butter and mushrooms and allow to brown slightly (mushrooms on low heat tend to boil and you don't want that). Add the liquor and flambé or just allow it to burn off if you're not feeling brave. Once the flames have died down add the stock to the pan and allow to reduce by half after which you can pour the cream into the pan, adjust the season and turn off after about 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and plate. If you're using it, sprinkle several drops of the truffle oil onto the pasta and ........

Enjoy!

Al dente - cooking a pasta or grain to the point where it still has a bite

Crumpets & Cappuccinos

Smothered in berries, filled with chocolate chips or just plain drizzled with maple syrup, crumpets make me think of family holidays and lazy weekends. My personal favourite is covered in strawberries, maple syrup with a dollop of marscapone with a good cappuccino on the side.

I've use many recipes before, including my own, but I have come to love the version in Recipes from the Royal Kitchen. A truly useful collection of recipes which was a free gift in a magazine a couple of years ago. It's a no-fuss selection of traditional, everyday, unpretentious recipes that no kitchen should be without, the kind you receive from your grandmother.

These crumpets are perfect every time with just the right amount of rise and a perfectly light texture, non of that stick-to-your-palate gloopyness.I do, however, add buttermilk to mine on occasion which gives it just that extra bit of fluffiness.

So, with the mercury dipping into single digits, I know we're all craving a little bit of comfort. Get your favourite recipes out and........

Enjoy!

Banana Yoghurt Loaf from The Royal Kitchen baked in mine!

Recipes from the ROYAL KITCHEN by Heilie Pienaar

Just Eat It!!!

Sometimes you've got to throw caution to the wind, live on wild side and eat what your heart desires. When you're exhausted from making your way through banting, gluten free, wheat free, dairy free and all the other, sometimes very necessary but mostly just trendy food fads take some time out to eat something that you really feel for.

Today, we're really going for it. I'm blessed to have a family that doesn't have any food intolerances or severe allergies but I do try to feed them well and teach them the basic principals of healthy eating. Enough of that though, today we're just satisfying our tastebuds and a deep yearning.

Gooey melted cheesy goodness!

Quesadillas

8 flour tortillas

2 cups of grated cheddar cheese (make it organic, you'll feel better)

3 spring onions, sliced

1 red bird's eye chilli

grinding of pepper

Sandwich a handful of the cheese mixture between two tortillas and toast in a dry pan until lightly browned and the cheese is melted, cut into four.

Guacamole

Combine

2 ripe avocados, diced

1 tomato, chopped

1 red bird's eye chilli

1 garlic clove

handful of coriander, chopped

salt & pepper

juice of half a lemon

Dietary Warning!!!

Contains dairy, gluten, wheat, salt but made with tons of love!!

Enjoy!

Pep Up Your Popcorn!

We enjoyed an amazing birthday party for my daughter this past Saturday night. All planning and preparation seemed to be on time and going well. I was a bit anxious, as is to be expected, but mostly relaxed. Well, that was until I realised that I had not yet mixed the three welcome drinks or made the popcorn packets for the welcome table. Fast forward 30 minutes and guests were starting to arrive. The popcorn would be served plain with only salt, much to my dismay. All the flavours I had planned just could not happen.

So today, I've made a delicious batch of popcorn just to let myself know that I can.

Truffle, chilli and Butter Popcorn

Pop your popcorn as per the instructions on the packet. While that's popping, in a separate saucepan, melt a tablespoon of butter to which you add a tablespoon of chilli flakes (or whatever you can handle) and a few generous drops of truffle oil.. When popcorn is popped, drizzle with the melted butter mixture and salt to taste.

This popcorn can be enjoyed with a simple coke or would stand up just perfectly to a glass of good bubbly!

Enjoy!

The Cocktail a.k.a "The Pink Drink"?

What is it about the cocktail that makes you believe that you're far away on holiday? No responsibilities and not a care in the world. I suspect the answer lies somewhere between their exotic mien and their overly intoxicating nature. They are deliciously alcoholic and often very fruity if not just sweet.

However, in deciding upon a welcome drink for our daughter's upcoming 21st birthday dinner, I have come to realise that they're not very masculine. When I say masculine, I mean the typically mans man kind that makes you think of oil rigs and civil engineering feats of the most dramatic kind like a Carling Black Label advert with men glistening with sweat after a hard day's work who's thirst can only be quenched by, you guessed it, a Carling Black Label. In fact, most cocktails are, I dare say, quite "girly"! Pink, umbrellas, stylish glassware and fruity. So when my daughter asked me what type of cocktail we'd be serving for the men, I was left befuddled. Steelworks! We both declared, enthusiastically, that surely counts as a cocktail and it's really manly. The name says it all. But..... this would leave all the ladies decidedly weak in the knees and the men feeling, well, manly. A Steelworks has a couple of drops of bitters, whilst your average Cosmopolitan/Watermelon Cooler/Mojito/Sangria is a true cocktail brimming with flowery, fruity notes laced with lashings of alcohol.

So, while contemplating this and ranting to you, I quietly sit listening to the birds and sipping my own cocktail concoction/sudo white sangria!

Ingredients (whatever I could find in the kitchen)

750ml Zonnebloem Chardonnay

50ml Sky Vodka

1 cinnamon stick

5 strawberries (pulverised with an immersion blender)

1 Mandarin (sliced)

1 apple (sliced and cut into stars)

1 handful of mint leaves (slightly bruised by rolling between my two hands)

100ml simple syrup (100ml water + 100ml xylitol)

Loads of ice

Combine and .....

Enjoy!!

P.S. I've googled several recipes, nothing is exciting me yet or screaming "I'm a Man"! I'll have to play in the kitchen, do lots of sampling and will get back to you with a result!

Good Old Desserts!

Sometimes you've just got to stick to the tried and tested to keep everyone happy. This fridge cheesecake is a recipe I received from my amazing Aunty Debbie who has always been an inspiration to me. She shares this recipe freely so I have no doubt she won't have a problem with me doing the same.

Aunty Debbie's Cheesecake!

Ingredients

100g packet of tennis biscuits
40g butter (melted)

1 can condensed milk
Juice of 1 lemon (rind too if you wish)
2 x 250g tubs cream cheese
6 x gelatine leaves or 12,5ml gelatine powder
50ml water
1 x 250ml fresh cream (whipped)

Method

1. Crush tennis biscuits and combine with melted butter. Press into a springform baking tin and refrigerate until needed.
2. Mix condensed milk and lemon juice until thickened. Whisk in cheese. Use gelatine leaves as per package instructions or dissolve gelatine powder in 50ml of water over a pot of simmering water, cool slightly and add to cheese mixture. Fold in whipped cream and spoon into the prepared baking pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Topping!

You choose! Mixed berries, a layer of fresh cream, macerated strawberries (pictured above), granadilla/passionfruit pulp...... anything goes!!!

Enjoy!