Sophia Lindop - A Unique Food Experience

Our first wine and food evening, courtesy Michael Olivier and me...

 

Our first wine and food course kicked off with a bang last night!  Michael Olivier and I played hosts, and it was a huge success!  His latest book, Crush, is available at bookstores now, and there is a new book that will be launched very soon.  Michael is my friend, my mentor, my teacher, and a five star human being!  He brings an energy and an elegance to the occasion that contributed greatly to the success of our evening!  He chose the theme "Classic Cultivars" and we tasted the following...

Krone Borealis Cuvèe Brut 2005 to get the evening going...

Whites
Nederburg Rhine Riesling 2008
Groot Constantia Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Simonsig Chenin Blanc 2009
Eikendal Chardonnay 2008 (matured for 7 months in French oak)

Reds
Overgaauw Merlot 2006
Grangehurst Pinotage 2001
Morgenhof Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Cloof's The Very Sexy Shiraz 2006

We ended with a Cape Tawny Port from De Krans.  A masterly choice!

And, to further whet your appetite, here's what I produced from my kitchen...

Starter
Chicory Cheesecake served with Parmesan shavings

Main Course
Mediterranean Lamb Stew served with couscous
Chicken Breasts stuffed with herbed Chevin and served on a bed of wilted spinach with roasted tomatoes
Roasted Root Vegetables

Dessert
Decadent Flourless Chocolate Torte and coffee...

So, if you want in on this fun, e-mail me immediately...the next evening's in September!

Bits and pieces...

We promised Nan and Trish that they would be the first to enjoy a pizza with us from our very own, brand-spanking new, pizza oven.  They were the chosen ones for a few reasons...one, they were with us from the inception of this idea, and they were encouraging all the way; two, they are the best and most forgiving friends we have, and we knew that a total mishap would be greeted with a raucous laugh!  So, it was Trish's birthday on Sunday, and we elected to try our hand at pizza making for the first time on Saturday evening.  Boy, did we not have a clue...!

But what we lacked in skill, we made up for in fun and courage.  Our first pizza, proudly featured below, ended up in pieces on the floor of the pizza oven.  Being greedy enough, we scraped it off and tested it.  Paddy's words?  "Hmm, slightly rare, my love."  (Very raw, in real language.)  As the evening went on, and we had had a bit more wine, we however, became pro's, and the evening ended with all of us having had a wonderful time!  Other than the time I knocked over all the wine glasses behind me with one elegant sweep of the paddle, soaking our little table in red wine, there were no other casualties, that is if laughing oneself to death doesn't count!  Here's looking forward to becoming an old hand at pizza making soon...!

F SH...

Thought I had to let you in on a Cape Town secret...it's a new restaurant called F SH and you will find it in the picturesque Kalk Bay. 

The menu is great.  You go to a fresh fish counter, you select what you want to eat, they prepare it in a masterly fashion, and you enjoy!  The waiters are well-informed and really good, and they have a great wine list!  On a good day, sitting outside is a real treat.

This has become one of Paddy and my favourites!  It is truly habit-forming!  Hope you too will find this a gem, and become regulars like we are!  See you there...

Before and after...

So there you were thinking I was doing very little for the first few days of June...wrong!  We have been busy with the most exciting renovations to my kitchen facilities in order to enhance my cookery courses.  Although I have sand, dust, paint and metal screws strewn everywhere, my kitchen is a stunner!  Soon it will all be done, and the first courses have been booked! 

 

We also created an Italian kitchen on the side, and what started out as a scary hole in the wall (above), is now a voluptuous pizza oven (below)!

 

So, today the cupboards are being painted, the extractor fan and the hob are going in, and the light fittings are being installed - and soon the house will be clean, neat and tidy again, and I can't wait to welcome many cookery school participants into our new space in the very near future!

Chat again soon...

The Decanter World Wine Awards...hats off to SA!

The Cape Times reported on Monday May 18th 2009 that South Africa wines won 34 gold medals at The Decanter World Wine Awards that were announced at the London International Wine Fair the week before.  Hats off to our winemakers!!!  And to think that not too long ago, we were producing wine in a country that was spurned by the rest of the world! 

The Decanter Awards is one of the largest wine competitions in the world, with 10 285 entries this year from 2240 wineries internationally.

Here are some of the results:
    Tokara - 2 gold medals and 5 silver medals
    Cederberg - 3 golds and 1 silver 
    Fairview - 2 golds and 2 silvers
    Kanonkop - 2 golds and a silver
    Kaapzicht - 2 golds

And the great news is that Pinotage, the only truly South African cultivar, fared extremely well in spite of the fact that it has always been criticised by the international wine press.  Kaapzicht Estate Steytler Vision 2006 Pinotage won the South African Red Single Varietal in the more expensive category, and Kanonkop's Pinotage 2005 also won a gold medal!

Congratulations to all the winners!

Kalinka in Oudtshoorn - a shrine of gastronomy!

 

Meet Olga...  My new friend and chef at Kalinka in Oudtshoorn.  Olga is from Russia, and started this restaurant a few years ago in this Karoo village.  A few years ago Paddy and I were driving through Oudtshoorn on our way to Prince Albert when we stumbled upon this shrine of gastronomy.  What was supposed to be a quick bite ended 3 hours, a bottle of wine, and 3 courses of beautifully executed cuisine later!  We also had the best service we had ever had from a waiter there!! 

So, en route from Prince Albert to Knysna last Friday, we called Kalinka only to listen to an answering machine that shared the sad news that Olga was only open or dinners...  Paddy missed part of the message so he called back, and Olga happened to answer.  She was in the kitchen preparing dinner.  When she heard it was us, she invited us to come for lunch, telling us that she would prepare something especially for us.  What a privilege!  She prepared 'our table' on the veranda of the beautiful Oudtshoorn home and we sat back and enjoyed whatever she brought from her kitchen...we're such suckers!

We cruised in there and left again 2 hours later, only 'cause we had to get to Knysna!  Olga's style is fresh and uncomplicated, and she produces the most amazing flavours!  Her wine list is exceptional - we enjoyed a 2005 Haute Espoir Reserve Chardonnay, with a rich golden colour!

When asked about the amazing service, Olga laughed and said, "It's my mom.  She 'owns' the waiters!"  Her mom trains the waiters and accepts nothing but the best!

I invite you to visit her website, but more than that, I urge you to visit her restaurant!  It carries my stamp of approval!

Chocolate Easter Bunnies

As you can guess, Lindt makes my favourite little bunny.  But, although this one is very modern, it's predecessors have come a long way. 

The following answered my question, namely "How come a rabbit brings eggs and not a hen or a rooster?"  Well, the egg idea was first mentioned in German writings in the 1600's, and the idea of an egg-laying rabbit went to America in the 1700's through immigrants arriving from Germany.  Vielen dank! 

The first edible Easter Bunnies were made in Germany during the early 1800's and were made of pastry and sugar.  Personally I like the more recent versions better. 

And, did you know that at least 76% of the world's population, when given a chocolate bunny, will eat the ears first? 

Enjoy your weekend, and hope the egg-laying bunny (yeah, right!) brings you loads of chocolate eggs!

We're off to the Karoo farm...  Ciao!

Are your eyes hungry?

Is the way to a man's heart really through his stomach?  Want my opinion?  No, it isn't!  Food that looks goods tastes better, so, our eyes must 'eat' first! 

I was cooking for Alex and Geselien from Holland last night - I was out at Waterhof Estate and really enjoyed my afternoon cooking on the farm while everyone was out.  Geselien had no idea what Alex had planned for her birthday, and other than being an amazing couple (and they had their friends with them whom I had met before), it was such a beautiful and positive experience sharing this time with them. 

The food was delicious, but I was reminded once again, of the importance of presenting food beautifully.  I call it "Painting on a Plate."

Don't get me wrong - this 'painting' can go horribly wrong as well!  Over-the-top is as bad as nothing at all, in my opinion.  Simple and elegant is where it's at.  Colour and textures need to be taken into account, keeping in mind that flavours will soon have to work together to cause an explosion in people's mouths, so they must work together.  

The actual canvas is equally important!  I bought amazing plates from Banks the other day - they are so versatile and I have used them for any and everything. 

Next time you eat, sit and look at your food first - you will see the impact your eyes have on your stomach!

If you live in Cape Town, and you find this subject daunting, click here now and enquire about my next cookery course - presentation is my speciality!

My day of rest...

It's Sunday, and after the week I had, I am feeling positively drained and tired.  I just want to crawl back into bed...  But we have Paddy's aunt's 90th birthday tea to attend this afternoon, and I must get ready for tomorrow when I have a magazine shoot here at home and I have to prepare 4 different dishes.  Quite exciting.

This past week was very busy - one function after the other, but I am lucky to have great help, and the team did not let me down.  With very little sleep, tired feet and sleepy heads, we whizzed through our functions with much fun and laughter.  Every one of them was a great success!

As a 'non-mother' I decided to come up with a lion birthday cake for the business whose 10th-year birthday celebration we cooked for on Friday.  Why a lion?  Well, the name of the business is Taudata (tau = lion), and they are an amazing recruitment company specialising in IT and top managerial positions - they have a five-star track record, so if you are looking for a job, click here...  Anyway, before I sign off, I will leave you with a pic of my 'tau' cake.  Who knows, it might act as inspiration for the next birthday party...?  Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Verjuice

Dodie wrote from the US asking about Verjuice, so here goes... 

The word verjuice derives from the French ‘vert jus’ or ‘verjus’ and literally means, “green juice”.  It is the unfermented juice of semi-ripe grapes from the green-harvested thinnings of premium red and white noble grape varieties.  (The bunches are thinned out to encourage maximum quality and size - of both the bunch and the berry - for those left on the vine.)  These trimmings are high in acid and low in sugar and can often account for up to 50% of the total crop which is usually discarded.  In other words, it is the juice that comes from pressing unripe grapes.  This zesty juice then gets a life of its own and is enjoyed as an elegant, delicate culinary condiment for a range of dishes as wide as the inventive chef’s imagination.

Verjuice is a Medieval condiment, called husroum in Arabic, that is still used extensively in Syrian cuisine.  In the Middle Agesit was widely used all over Western Europe as an ingredient in sauces, as a condiment, or to deglaze preparations. The art of producing and using verjuice was lost during the Middle Ages when the Crusades introduced lemons to France and other Mediterranean fruit and wine producing countries. 

Today verjuice is the acidulant in Dijon mustard, in fact, it has been since 1856!  It resulted in a mustard that was less acidic.  This delicate acidic liquid can also be used in place of vinegar or lemon juice, and can be used in larger quantities. Verjuice heightens flavours of fish, chicken, game, red meat, vegetables and fruits, and can be used in vinaigrettes, dressings, sauces, and even gravies.  Because it shares the same acid base as wine, verjuice will not distort the essence of wine, the way vinegar or lemon juice would.   It combines particularly well with walnut and hazelnut oils and emulsifies superbly with olive oil.  What's more, it is also delicious as a healthy cordial, diluted with still or sparkling water, neat as an aperitif sloshed over crushed ice or, as a mixer for cocktails and sours.

After opening, verjuice must be refrigerated and will keep for up to three months depending on fridge temperature.

References:
Larousse Gastronomique
The Verjuice Company in South Africa
Wikipedia

And now, click here to read my latest newsletter - it contains a yummy salad dressing recipe containing verjuice...

I hope this answers your questions, Dodie! 

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