Sophia Lindop - A Unique Food Experience

My Cape Malay Crème Brûlée

 

I come up with new slants on traditional Cape cuisine all the time - not because everyone visiting from abroad doesn't want bobotie, malva pudding, smoorsnoek, etc. (they l-o-v-e it!), but because I have to stay on my toes and keep from falling over with boredom.  And so this Cape Malay Crème Brûlée was born.  Here's what I did...

Serves 8
Difficulty - easy!
Preparation time - 20 minutes
Cooking time - 20 minutes

Please note: this dessert can be prepared the day before and kept in the refrigerator with success!

Ingredients
375ml cream
125ml milk
5 egg yolks
1 whole egg
125g castor sugar
Naartjie peel, of about half of one naartjie
Cinnamon sticks, 1 large or a few small ones
Star anise, one
White sugar for the top

Method
1.  Preheat the oven to 130°C.
2.  Heat the cream and milk in a saucepan with the naartjie peel, cinnamon sticks and star anise.
3.  Beat the yolks, the whole egg and the castor sugar in a bowl until light yellow.
4.  Pour the hot cream and milk mixture over the egg mixture, stirring all the time.
5.  Return to the pan and cook over a low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
6.  Divide the mixture between 8 small, shallow ovenproof dishes and bake them in a bain marie in the oven for about 20 minutes.
7.  Allow to cool and set.  Then cover with cling film and place in the refrigerator.
8.  Before serving, sprinkle the top with white sugar and glaze using a blowtorch.
9.  Allow a few moments for the sugar to set - needs to be hard.

When preparing crème brûlée, I like to use the real crème brûlée dishes as they are shallow, and hold just enough to end a meal with.  The wider, shallower dish also allows for more of the glazed sugar, which adds to the amazing mouth-feel.

And just in case you are not sure what the term bain marie means, here's the definition:

"A large pan containing hot water in which smaller pans may be set to cook food slowly or to keep food warm." - French, from Medieval Latin 'balneum Mariae', or 'bath of Maria' (not sure who she was...).

The water distributes the heat slowly and evenly, so your crème brûlée will never burn.  A quick tip: be careful not to fill the dish with too much water, because when you place the smaller dishes inside, the water should not spill over into your mixture.

And, lastly, in case you are unsure of what it means to "cook mixture until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon" - this is what it should look like... 

For the purists out there who believe that there is one way to do something, and that is the 'right' way, this recipe is not for you.  But, for those of you who are happy to play and experiment, try this one - you'll love it!

This is me signing off on this Monday morning...  Chat again soon.

Let's do it!

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.

Sweet Potato Bake

I finally  came up with a way to get Paddy to enjoy sweet potatoes!  Mostly he says that people add too much sugar (that's why I like them!), and to top it all, he does not like the texture.  It's like trying to feed a two year old a blob of steamed spinach!

Anyway, this recipe was inspired by something I read on a Jungle Oats box, and it was the reason that my husband asked earlier, "When are you making those sweet potatoes again?"

Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish
Difficulty - so easy!
Preparation time - about 20 minutes
Cooking time - 15 minutes

Ingredients
500 - 800g sweet potatoes
Juice of one large orange or two smaller ones
Rind of one orange
For the crust:
50ml butter
25ml honey
125ml Jungle Oats
125ml crushed ginger biscuits

Method
1.  Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2.  Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into chunks.
3.  Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt and roast them in a little grapeseed oil until tender.
3.  Allow to cool slightly.
4.  In the meanwhile, finely grate the rind of the orange into the bottom of a pie dish.
5.  Then squeeze the juice of that orange into the bottom of the dish.
6.  Make the crust by melting the honey and butter together.
7.  Mix the Jungle oats and crushed ginger biscuits together, then add the honey and butter mixture.
8.  Arrange the sweet potatoes in the bottom of the pie dish and spoon the crust over evenly.
9.  Bake for around 15 minutes until golden brown on top.

...good enough to convert non-sweet-potato-eaters!

Rosemary...

Rosemary - my favourite herb, and in my opinion, the most versatile of all!  Most people know that it goes well with lamb, but there is more depth to this herb than meets the eye...  So, I will call this post: "An Ode to Rosemary..."

Shall I compare thee to just any herb? 
No, thou art more lovely and useful than all!

Did you know?  Rosemary is part of the mint family.  The name has nothing to do with a 'rose' or with the name 'Mary' - rather, it refers to the Latin name rosmarinus which literally means 'dew of the sea'.  Hmmm...probably because this plant is said to grow best in coastal regions, and is native to the Mediterranean region.

This bitter, slightly astringent tasting herb is also packed with iron, calcium and vitamin B6.  Not only good looking, but healthy too!

Next time you attend a house warming party, buy one of these plants as a gift.  Why?  Well, it is long known as the herb of remembrance and symbolizes loyalty and friendship.

I will be sharing recipes involving rosemary in this month's newsletter (that is still in the making), and promise to post a link here...  But, in the meanwhile, try using it with aubergine (brinjal), tomato based sauces, lamb (as you know), chicken (it works splendidly), and fish (yes, fish!)  It also goes well in vegetarian dishes, works like a bomb with apple and pineapple, and basically, my garden and it's many rosemary plants can't keep up with this chef's demand!

So long as chefs can breathe and make a wish -
So long live you, dear Rosemary, that gives life to every dish!

Minted Brinjal and Tomato

 

Aren't these just the sexiest brinjals (aubergines) you've ever seen?!  On a recent visit to my dad's farm, I was given 6 of these (two of which are featured above) as a gift.  Needless to say, we ate brinjals for breakfast, lunch and supper!

I found this recipe in a magazine a week or so ago - and although my friend, Trish, has tried it, I haven't had a chance yet.  It looks super yummy though.  Here goes:

Ingredients
2 medium-sized brinjals (about 300g)
150g small Rosa, Roma or cocktail tomatoes
4 to 6 spring onions, finely sliced
Small bunch of mint, roughly chopped (be careful as mint can be quite over powering)
2T white wine vinegar
2T honey
1T light soy sauce
1t fish sauce
Juice if half a lemon
Olive oil or grapeseed oil
Salt and pepper to season

Method
1.  Brush the brinjals with olive oil or grapeseed oil and grill in a hot ridged pan until tender.
2.  Arrange on a platter and season with salt and pepper.
3.  Toss the tomatoes into a bowl with the spring onions and mint.  
4.  Mix together the vinegar, honey, soy sauce, fish sauce and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.
5.  Pour over the tomatoes and mix everything together well.
6.  Spoon onto the brinjals.
7.  You can serve immediately or better still, an hour or two later when the flavours have had a chance to merge together.

Serve with lamb on the braai.

Did you know that the brinjal is botanically classified as a berry?  This is because of the many soft seeds that are edible.  Furthermore it is closely related to...(wait for it...)tobacco!  And, no, you can't smoke it!

Happy cooking.

Tomato...The Apple of Love!

(Above is a picture I took of a restaurant window, beckoning patrons to come in and enjoy something delectable...)  On our visit to Firenze last year (Florence), I bought a few packets of tomato seeds to 'smuggle' back to South Africa.  Paddy, my by-the-book husband, almost turned me in at customs, but with some coaching from me he managed to walk by the officials without spilling the beans, and the seeds and I made it home safely.  I have since planted some, and here are my first Italian homegrown tomatoes...

 

I have never seen a tomato worshipped as it is in Italy!  So much so that I have decided to follow in the footsteps of the Italians and start a little shrine of my own...I am going to be planting a few varieties of tomatoes to use at my cookery school!  Organic, fresh, homegrown - the good stuff!  I promise to share what I learn about growing tomatoes as I go along.  But in the meanwhile, here's a recipe...

Try slow roasting tomatoes that have been cut in half (the Italian tomatoes) by drizzling them with grapeseed oil and also balsamic vinegar, and sprinkling them with Maldon sea salt - pop in a preheated oven (150°C) and roast until soft.  Serve with fresh pasta, freshly grated pecorino and fresh origanum.  Oh, and don't forget the freshly ground black pepper!  Quick.  Easy.  And delectable!

The common fig...

Although this delicacy is referred to as "common", there is nothing common about a fig!  In fact, I would just about do anything for one of these juicy, sweet babies!

While visiting Barcelona last August, I made sure I had my daily fill of figs, that were plentiful at the time!  Figs are my favourite of all fruits by far!

Here's the quickest, easiest dessert idea ever!  Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

 

Ingredients
Fresh figs - 2 to 3 per person
Ripe Camembert
Honey
Almond flakes, roasted

Method
1.  Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2.  Cut the bottom off of each fig so that it will stand on a dish.
3.  Now cut a cross into each fig and place a slice of Camembert inside.
4.  Place the figs on an oven tray and place in the hot oven only until the Camembert starts to melt.
5.  Place 2 to 3 figs into a bowl, drizzle with honey, and sprinkle with roasted almond flakes.

Option: 
Omit the Camembert, and serve the hot figs with cinnamon ice cream. 

Enjoy!  Yummmmyyyy!!