Culinary Photo Story of KuwaitEach of these picture tell a story of my time in Kuwait up until this point. I will add more photos as they come along. I have put short description below some of the picture so you can get some sort of an idea what the mean. Only thing that could have possibly made this whole experience more rewording is if there was someone to enjoy them with me. Hope you enjoy having a look though all of these and keep an eye out for more post tonight.
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![]() Good Evening everyone, hope you are all well. Things have been a bit quiet these few days but I am happy to announce that the book is finally done and will be available for download on my website. There will be two download options, one document will have images with the recipes and the other won't (so if your cap is restricted you might want to download the one without pictures). Hope you all enjoy the book and let me know what you think of it. You can find the download file on the Recipes Page. Edited by: Monique Boaventura ![]() Potatoes and onions are two ingredients which don't always get the respect they deserve. These two ingredients are almost always the basis of most dishes. The potatoes are used as the starch component on the plate, which serves as the delivery and bulking component of the dish. The onion being the base of most sauces out there, forming the foundation of the sauce, and we all know if you don't have a good foundation, you're going to run into trouble later on. So I decided to make these two the working horse of the kitchen and the stars of the dish today. Using only a few herbs to add a bit of flare and a dash of wine and cream for a bit of body. This is a great hearty dish, perfect for a cold summers day. I've also paired the soup with the crunchy element of potato tuile's, to add a different texture and colour to the plate. For the garnishes I've used a sprig of Rosemary and some Oregano flowers just to bring a bit of green to the party. Some chopped chives or even spring onions sprinkled over the top would also do wonders to the presentation of the dish. Ingredients
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Edited by: Monique Boaventura ![]() This sauce can be made and used with many different proteins or stir-fry dishes. It's a very simple and easy recipe to follow, and can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 weeks (ensuring the container which is being used is properly sterilised). For the wine I used a good quality Merlot, it has a lower tannin count than other more full bodied red wines such as Cabernet or Sauvignon. The tannin in wines are what give the wine the bitter and woody puckering sensation. With less tannin in the Merlot, it allows for the fruity essence of the wine to be more present, making it perfect for the sauce. Ingredients
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Edited by: Monique Boaventura ![]() This is a simple, quick and easy recipe to follow. It's healthy and packed with lean protein. This is something I would personally cook for myself when at home as it tastes amazing. I will also be posting the recipe for the plum sauce tomorrow or later this evening. This recipe is suitable for one portion, simply double or triple it accordingly. Ingredients
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www.chefdewet.co.za Twitter: @ChefDewetV 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 ![]() 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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![]() So many people I know go crazy for a good Eggs Benedict. I've chosen to post a recipe today for the eggs Benedict, starting from the base to the topping! There are three different Benedict's, well at least three different traditional variations. Firstly there is the Eggs Benedict, which includes Gypsy Ham with a two poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. Secondly there is the Eggs Royale, this is a more dressed up Benedict, it has smoked salmon in the place of the Gypsy Ham and also has the poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce. Then last but not least, we have the eggs Florentine, this Benedict is served with a spinach base. All of these different Benedict's are all traditionally served on a English muffin which is split in half and then place onto a pan or flat top with butter to crisp up. But now days we get a lot more variations of this morning delight, some of the others I've heard of is using bacon or parma ham. One thing which I have noticed when I go to restaurants in South Africa is that the Chefs name there Benedict's incorrectly, I don't know if they do this for the people so that they know that its still a Benedict that they ordering or just out of ignorance. Ingredients for English Muffin
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Ingredients for Hollandaise
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Now that you have all your required ingredients ready, you are now able to construct your very own home made Eggs Benedict and enjoy it in the comfort of your own home. |
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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. |