Superb Seafood at Sydney Fish Market

 So there we were, my sister and I, bright and early on a December Sydney morning, and about to tackle the Sydney Fish Market. (Which has a wonderful view - see below) It was Christmas eve and the Sydneysiders, or the Australians as a whole, I believe, like to have a prawn on the barbie, by way of traditional Christmas fare.

Well, it is certainly a bit on the warm side for all the English Traditional trimmings. Well we still had a turkey on Christmas eve, which is when we were celebrating.... but really who can pass up a chance at having a turkey - it only happens once a year!

None the less, we were at the market to buy an ocean trout for the following (Christmas day).

As a foodie, I definitely recommend that you go and check out the market. Unfortunately, one of our Christmas party is allergic to seafood so we didn't indulge in all the other wonderful things that were at our disposal to buy. But I took lots of pics to remind me of the inspiration I felt while I was there. The range and quality of seafood and fish that is available is phenomenal.

And the ocean trout that we had the following day was absolutely delicious and done to perfection - on the barbie, of course!

Interview with Justine Drake

Towards the end of last month I had the opportunity of interviewing Justine Drake for Leadership magazine.

I have to mention that it was one of the easiest interviews that I've ever had to do. Apart from the fact that I'm a huge foodie and Justine is somewhat a doyenne of South African food and food publishing, the commonality of food and what it stands for was overwhelmingly more important and part of her personality so that any awkwardness that may have arisen because of my being in awe of her, was immediately swept away by her warm and engaging personality.

And as we discussed food in all its forms and representations, this is what really came to the fore: food is more or less about personality. The very idea of putting food on the table, of being a provider, not only in bringing home the bacon (so to speak) but then preparing it with love and effort and presenting it to your family and friends, is what a true foodie is all about.

This is the approach that Justine has taken in her presentation and representation of food over the years and now more especially in Fresh Living Magazine which she is the editor of and which is Pick and Pay's consumer magazine.

In addition to her magazine work Justine has published five cookbooks and produced two tv series, Just   In Africa, which was aired internationally on the BBC.

Meeting Justine reminded me that while some of us choose to base ourselves in the kitchen, we are by no means stuck there and more importantly, that the task of providing a beautiful meal for our families is by no means a menial task but something that is all-embracing and life enhancing.

Monbonne at the Harfield Carnival 2012

For the first time this year I decided to hold a stall at the Harfield Street Carnival. Harfield Villiage is a quaint little place that is between Kenilworth and Claremont just over the railway tracks.

Despite the rather crazy weather ( rain, extreme heat, hail (!) and then more wind and cold between hot bouts) and the severe lack of sleep (remember confection is not my day job) I had a great time setting up my stall and meeting all sorts of wonderful people.

Funny how there are always some people who are jealous of others' industry and will put you down, despite the time and effort and financial layout that one puts into something. But on the whole people were extremely complimentary and enthusiastic about what I was presenting to them. And well, I have to say that I am a stickler for doing things the traditional way so that my petit fours are not, as one lady remarked about the quality of petit fours that you get elsewhere today, a blob of sponge cake that has been iced!

No indeed, these are the real thing. Almond paste and all!










The macarons and petit fours were a treat and sold well - I was especially surprised at how excited my 11-16 year old female clientele got about the them until someone told me that macarons had been a favourite of one of the characters on Gossip Girl . So thank you Gossip Girl for expanding my market to the teenage bracket.

Are we breeding a new age of Marie Antoinettes? If we are, I will happily supply them with all the macarons and petit fours that their hearts could desire! 

 

The Franschhoek Cap Classique Festival 2012

Sunday saw me at the Franschhoek Cap Classique Festival. Always bound to be a sparkling affair, most patrons showed up in high style.

As Cap Classique suggests, these are a compilation of traditionally French style produced sparkling wines that mimic Champagne in all but nomenclature. Combinations of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay abounded, with the odd addition of Pinot Mineur. I only tasted one sparkling wine that was made with Semillion.

However, as one learns by tasting, that there is something more intrinsic about  the taste that you are left with than the mere combination of base wines that make up the bubbly.  And there seemed to be two sides of the camps. Those that were more "French" tasting and those that were perhaps a bit more familiar to our palates.

 But champagne tasting is more of an experience than it is a mechanism and the style of champagne more a testimony to the fact that Cap Classique is method more than it is a result. And so while the resulting style of wine may seem to be something specific it is no more universal than two people are the same. 

Take the guys at GH and Ahrens, for example who in two years have completely reversed their blend of base wines. Their 2009 is a blend of 78% Pinot Noir and 22% Chardonnay, a complete reverse of their 2008 vintage, which if I remember correctly was something like 71% Chardonnay and 29% Pinot Noir. Now, I never actually tasted the 2008 vintage but I do believe the charming ex-lawyer in the beret (see pic below) when he said that it is not so much about the base wines as it is about the mousse and the finish that the sparkly produces. And I dare say that as much as there is a science to wine, like a work of art or a piece of music it is also a sensation. 

La Motte, whose Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc I particularly enjoy, I was pleased to see, was also present with their MCC. And I often feel that if a house spends more time on making one very good cuveé that that is preferable to having several options that are not as well attended to.

However, one must allow for differences in taste and taking the market into account. And of course, there are some farms that cross a spectrum well: Labourie and Graham Beck being two such farms. Graham Beck's bubbly I know from reviewing their bubbly bar at Steenberg called, Gorgeous where you can also have a tasting of their variously tiered wines. The Cuveé Clive is worth a mention here.

One of the pities about the festival is that when you taste credits are taken off per glass rather than for tasting across a range of a few from a farm to compare. But let's be honest here, there was no spitoon in sight, so it is probably just as well.

Constantia Uitsig and Plesir de Merle are other such farms that only had one vintage present on the "French" side of the tent.


Simon Back, from Backsberg very kindly answered our somewhat demanding questions after a long day at the festival - but one can never talk too much of MCC.

I personally like a blanc de blanc cap classique with something that has been left on the lease for a long time (more than three years).

 But I'd have to say that I tasted several very excellent vintages and sometimes it is a pleasure to compare something that is crisp and apple-y to something that is buttery - and something that is pink and dry to something that is pink and sweet to something. Each has it's charm. And with unlimited combinations  - more than I got to taste - I think that I can comfortably say that in South Africa we produce a range of bubbles for every taste and occasion.

Colourful Italian Vegetable strudel

Italy and Inspiration:
After a recent trip to Italy, I was inspired to do an Italian-themed cooking demo. One of the things that you find in Bella Italia is that the Italians are very proud of their produce. Some of the best vegetables come from Piedemont where they especially have fantastic peppers. The Italians also love to layer vegetables in pies with crusts that are either buttery and flakey (think the richer and colder Northern Italian region) or made with pasta dough. Pasta pie anyone? Often these will be filled with various meats and eggs as well as vegetables.

However, I keep my cooking demonstrations vegetarian because well, one of my devoted attendees is vegetarian (It also cuts out the hassels of kosher / halaal requirements - we are a diverse crew indeed but happily bond over the food we create.)

This recipe then, is a layered inspiration which I constructed from my most recent experience in that wonderful land that celebrates food, colour and family. But most of all, Italian cooking respects the ancient ritual of seasonality.

This recipe is reminiscent not only of a time and place (late summer and a wonderful dash into the northern countryside sampling Montepulciano wines and a bit of prosecco). It also, very strongly, reminds me of something that mother may have presented to her guests at a 70's dinner party (and very presentable it is with it's braided pastry). The nostalgia of this dish goes deeper back in time to the Renaissance. Pies at the time were not only a display of wealth but they were also a way to use up the close of the season's produce. I would not be half annoyed should this appear at the Duke of Milan's table.

But before I get carried away down the annals of history of the humble pie, let me give you the recipe so that you can add it to your very own special occasion. This dish also looks great so you can deliver this show-stopper to the table.  And it looks equally fantastic as you cut it open.

Ingredients:
   
You can use any veg really, but for the colours and effect, I like to use:

• carrots,
• aubergine  
• zuchinni

(Cut all these lengthways about 3mm (1/2 inch) thick)

You can cut your carrots  at an angle so that they are long and thin, but not is strips. (see them in the pic above). Parboil them  because they are harder than the other veg and will not cook as quickly when they are in the pastry.

Then cut your aubergine and your marrows into the same thickness, lengthwise.

If you want to degorge your aubergine to make it less bitter, this is a good idea but then do that a couple of hours a head.

You'll also need:

• 2 red peppers
• half a bulb of garlic
• 250g ricotta cheese (about half a round)
• leaks
• A decent bunch of fresh basil
• A packet of puff pastry

So what you do, is you roast two large peppers with garlic so they get the garlic flavour but cut them in half and cover them with olive oil. Then put them skin side up with the garlic indeneath them - so that they are covering the garlic. Then pop them under the grill for 20 mins or so until their skins go black. Remove from oven and peel the skins off the peppers.

 Then, in a pan, sweat down some leaks with salt and pepper.

Assembling the strudel:

Lay out the puff pastry on the baking tin that has been lined with baking paper. (Once the strudel is assembled, it will be extremely difficult to move in it's raw state. So what you want is to be able to pop it directly into the oven whatever container it is on.)

I like to do this first, but it doesn't matter : Cut 4-5cm strips into the pastry with a sharp knife roughly a quarter of the way in then repeat, mirrored on the other side you should be left with about a 10 -12 cm strip in the middle this is where you are going to layer your veg.

 Start with the wilted leaks and then pop on peppers which you have torn into longish and thinnish (5cm) strips then pop on your aubergine, then your zucchini and then your carrots and crumble on a third of the ricotta. Grind salt and pepper over and drizzle with olive oil. Line with fresh basil leaves (be fairly generous). 
Then start again with the leaks and the peppers and carry on ending with a layer of basel and a final layer of peppers.

Close up the strudel:

Starting at the one end, take the first strip of puff pastry from the top left and pull it across to the right

then take one from the top right and pull it over and across to the left. Repeat until you get to the end.

Tuck the last bit under the bottom of the pie when you get to the end of the plaiting and then wash with a beaten egg.

Cook for a good 30 - 40 mins on about 180 degrees Celsius, making sure that the pastry doesn't get burned but it shouldn't

you only really need to check on it in the last ten mins.

Make sure the veg are quite soft by popping a knife through it. The pastry will be crispy at the bottom and flakey and golden on top,

Cut and server at table in two and a 3cm thick slices.

Wine suggestion: I would drink a nice viognier, a crisp chenin or with a nice chianti style wine.

Beuno Appetito

Winter-warmer chili con carne

I have a confession to make. This morning when I woke up it was cold and grey, and quite frankly, I wasn't feeling great. So I took a personal day. This doesn't happen often but sometimes it is necessary. Weekends are busy and the week is manic. Sometimes it is not so much that one is incapacitated but the day can be used to get all those things we neglect and put off because you can't do them in the week if you are working from 8:30 until 6:30 pm, done. Other times it is merely to take much-needed time for one's self.

My sister and I have a joke that the first is called a personal hygiene day, you know: get your hair cut, your nails done, that kind of thing that you would otherwise wait three months of weekends before the beauty therapist can fit you in for. The aforementioned, we call a sanity day. Which can be spent in a very similar way but is dedicated to soothing the soul so that the next day you can greet your colleagues with a smile and a wave and do your job without the accompanying feeling of a breakdown - aren't all of our jobs stressful?

It would come as no surprise then, that on my day off I like to cook. (There was a lingering coffee at a cafeteria while reading the paper, much reading- some of it to expand my knowledge that would assist in my job - so I'm really helping the company, am I not by taking this well-timed day off - and then there was plenty of napping, helping me to catch up on that much-needed and restorative sleep.)



So it being that kind of day, there is nothing nicer to make than something heartwarming and body warming: a nice pot of chili. I started early in the morning and let the chili sit the whole day which allows the flavours to develop. It is even better if you decide to make this a night or two before and let it sit in the fridge. Flavour-wise there is nothing to beat sitting time for those notes of deliciousness to infuse. If you are vegetarian, simply increase the amount of red kidney beans. Also, this is not a traditional-traditional chili, I like to add the odd bit of veg: pour quoi non? But the important thing is that the spicing is correct for chili ( which will distinguish it from a curry (Thai / madras / North Indian or otherwise).

A note on the beans. If you are using dried beans, let them sit one or two nights in water which will soften them and then bring them to the boil on the stove. Then let them simmer for about an hour and a half.

So without further ado, except to mention that this is best made with love and best intentions, here is my recipe:

Ingredients
300g lean beef mince
1 1/2 cups red kidney beans or a tin of red kidney beans
1 onion ( medium sized and chopped into small cubes)
1 large clove of garlic (crushed)
1 medium sized red chili (dried and crushed)
1 tsp of coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 fresh chopped tomatoes
1 can tomato puree
2 grated zucchini or a grated carrot
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1tspn ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste

To serve:
Fresh lettuce
brown rice / taco / tortilla
sour cream or plain yogurt
fresh corriander
fresh tomato and onion salsa
a pinch of grated cheddar, if you're really feeling indulgent

To make:
Lightly sweat the onions and the garlic along with the coriander and cumin seeds, the chili and oregano. Do not let this burn. Then add the tomatoes. Add the mince and the beans and turn up the heat and allow the mince to brown.

Add the veg, if you wish, and then add the can of tomato puree along with the remaining spices.

Mix well and lower the heat and allow to simmer for an hour or two.

Serve with brown rice or in a taco. Add freshly chopped iceburg lettuce, a dollop of sour cream (or plain yogurt) some fresh coriander and tomato salsa.  For the salsa  use a chopped fresh tomato that has been salt-and peppered, mixed with a finely cut shallot or half an onion and had a little vinegar added to it.

Recipe For Love by Katie Fforde

I'm reading a delightful book at the moment: Recipe for Love, by Katie Fforde. The book revolves around Zoe, a contestant in a Masterchef-type competition and one of the gorgeous judges, Gideon.

The contestants all stay on site at Somerby, an old country estate owned by Fanella and Rupert in the English countryside. A lovely couple who are in the midsts of renovating. And Fenella is very pregnant.  Zoe, the first to arrive quickly makes friends with Fen and Rupert and when there is a disaster with the wedding cake that Somerby hosts, Zoe steps in and rescues it with cupcakes!

At the same time her association with the owners of the old house gives her refuge from her sabotaging roommate and fellow contestant Cher. Since Gideon stays in the house this also gives her plenty of time  to fall properly in love with him.

But Zoe has her doubts about Gideon, however much she likes him. And of course there are several twists and turns before a happy ending.

Great summer reading that's as light and fluffy as a souffle. Also a good book to curl up with under the covers and a cuppa tea. And, of course there is plenty of food in there to keep you turning the pages.