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!