![]() Merry Christmas every one, would just like to thank everyone whose supported me this year, and hope to have your support going on to 2014! Next year promises to be full of new experiences and excitement, with loads more I'll be sharing. Hope you all have a fabulous Christmas and a Prosperous New Years! See you all again in 2014! Happy Holidays!
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![]() This coming week will be dedicated to building up my Ingredients list on my website, starting with all the different types of rice. And if you think you know your rice, then think again! This list of different types of rice will "BLOW" your mind! Don't believe me? Just wait and see. These are but a few of the many different rice strains you can get! So keep an eye out for that, and brush up on your rice knowledge! Edited by: Monique Boaventura ![]() This recipe I'm posting today is a traditional one, with no fancy extra ingredients that will win you the "Checkers Boerewors of the Year". But feel free to start off with this as a foundation and play around with it, make it your own. Every weekend in South Africa, hundreds and thousands of families partake in what we call the "Braai", to others it is known as the BBQ. This is a good time for us as it's a time where families and friends get to relax with a ice cold beer, my favourite's being Black label and Castle Light, and enjoy good food as well a big screen in the outdoor lapa or stoep (veranda) watching a good rugby game. The gentlemen would stand around the braai where every single one of them will check the meat (they can't help it) and the ladies would be busy in the kitchen making potato salad, beetroot salad and mielie pap. Once all the food is cooked and ready to be eaten, its all laid out on a big table where everyone can help themselves. It's when everyone all comes together and talks about anything and everything. And by this time they have had a few and the conversation is flowing and everyone's just having a great time! Braai is a really big thing here in South Africa, we have a national Braai Day as well as a song just for Braai Day, I'll place a link at the bottom for the song. Recipe
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Edited by: Monique Boaventura ![]() Here it is, my rusks recipe I promised you earlier today. I'm going to give you two different variations today, one is a very popular flavour amongst South Africans and the other one is more of a personal preference. The first recipe is a Buttermilk Rusk recipe and the second one is a Walnut and Dried Fig recipe. If I were to have the buttermilk rusk I would go with coffee instead of tea and visa versa with the walnut and fig rusk. You can make these rusks look rustic just for you and your family or you could make them nice and edgy for a High Tea party on a Sunday Afternoon. Buttermilk Rusks: (this is for a large batch, they are easily stored in an air tight container or glass jar.) Ingredients
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Walnut and Dried Fig Ingredients
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Edited by: Monique Boaventura ![]() This is similar to rusks, which is also a favourite accompaniment with a hot beverage like coffee or tea. They are easy to make and you can make them a healthy snack if you a bit of a health conscious person. It's also easily stored, so making them in bulk and placing in big glass jars work great for adding something to your kitchen. There can be enjoyed fresh out of the oven or double bake to dry them out like rusks. Ingredients
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![]() Cape Malay people have blessed South Africa with this wonderful dish I'm about to give you the recipe for today. But before I do that I'm going to tell you a bit about these wonderful people. The Cape Malay people were fist brought to the South African shores back in the early 16th century to be used as slaves for Dutch Master. They were settled in the souther point of South Africa, as this was the VOC (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie) trading point where the Dutch East Indian Company ships would pass by either on the way to Asia or back home. The Cape Malay community is a divers collective of people ranging from Western Africa all the way to Malaysia. They were exiled from their countries by the Dutch Masters for resisting the change the Dutch brought to their country. Then shipped off to the Cape of Good Hope and used as slaves here in the plantations to produce enough supplies for the ships when they passed by. Due to the vast cultural diversity between the "Cape Malay" people, they where able to create their very on style of cooking. Marring the deep rich flavours of Western African with the Aromatic flavours of East Asia together to give us a unique flavour profile you can only fine in South Africa. This unique flavour can still be found in Cape Town where the Cape Malay people are still living, giving us the opportunity to experience something unique. For more history on the Cape Malay people simply click on the buttons below. When you make this dish it is best served a day or two after it has been made so that the flavour are able to combine properly and the pickling liquid is well absorbed by the fish. It is also better to use a firm meaty fish to use as it will be able to last longer with out falling apart. Im using hake today in the recipe but other good fish for this is sea bass, yellow tail and kingklip. If you pan on storing the fish for long periods of time, please ensure that the container you are using has been properly sterilised and has a air tight seal to prevent the fish from going off. If all of the criteria are met, you will be able to store the fish for about 4-6 months. Recipe Ingredients for Pickling Liquid
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Ingredients for Batter
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![]() Hope you all have prepared your vetkoek dough and are ready to fill them with this great flavour packed filling. This Bobotie dish is usually served with a helping of yellow rice. But today I have decided to pair it with this wonderful deep fried dough. You can adjusted this dish to be served for hors d'oeuvres or starters, it could also be made into mains. There are also several different ways of plating this dish. Just be creative and adapt it to which ever occasion you wish to use it for. There are a few changes I have made to the traditional method of making this dish, but I have found that it just delivers a but more of a rounded flavour profile. Please remember that feed back is always welcome and appreciated. If you have made this dish please also feel free to share your final product by posting photos on my Facebook page. Ingredients
Method: Preheat oven to 180C/356F
![]() Today I decided to bring you two different South African dishes and pairing them together. Vetkoek is a deep fried pastry which is enjoyed with several different types of fillings. Some of these fillings include savoury minced meat with peas, potatoes and carrots. You can also find this loved deep fried pastry at the street venders which pair it with "russian sausages", polony and if you have a sweet tooth you can also get it with apricot jam and butter. And because this addictive pastry is so versatile I've chosen a slightly sweet but savoury filling to go with it. Bobotie is a base of minced meat, enriched by a sweet savoury curry flavour which is topped with a silky smooth egg and cream mixture. Some of the other key ingredients in this dish is the raisins, sultanas and almonds. But enough about that, lets get to the important part, the recipe and how to make this wonderful dish. I will first be posting the Vetkoek recipe and then later today I will post the Bobotie recipe, so keep an eye out for that. For those who do not know what Vetkoek means, if roughly translated it means "Fat cake". I saw some one that translated it to meaning "fat cook", which is incorrect. Ingredients
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![]() There are three different cakes I hold near and dear to my hear and carrot cake is one of those. And not to brag, but I do think this is one of the best recipes for carrot cake out there. What makes it that little bit more decadent you may ask, well its the banana I use in the recipe. I also just like the texture this cake has with big chunks of pecan nuts riddling the cake. Then comes the sweet tangy cream cheese frosting, not to much and not to little but just the right amount. Finished of with some fresh fruits and a sprinkle of pecan nuts. It's truly in my opinion everything you could want in a cake, but then again that's just me! Ingredients
Method : preheat oven to 160C/320F
Ingredients for Frosting
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So, heres that sneak preview I promised you guys of what is to come on the 26th of January 2014. So to make sure you don't forget the date please click on the button below and RSVP to my event on my Facebook Page and also feel free to invite other people you might think would be interested. Remember I will only be putting this booklet up for a certain time period before removing it again! |
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July 2017
AuthorI'm a chef at heart and by trade, enjoy what I do and have a passion for the culinary world. |