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this week’s MENU:
Le Quartier Français Pea
and Ham soup Learn about wine and cooking
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As we write this, our house is filled with the
wonderful aromas of thick Pea and Ham soup cooking on the stove. And the air is
filled with huge gusts of wind. Cape Town has had one of its monumental winter
gales for the last couple of days and last night was quite hairy as the gusts
of wind sounded like express trains heading for the house, which sometimes
shook so badly that we wondered if windows would implode or if we would be
moved centimetres down our high hill. The sea was like whipped meringue, so
white with foam and, today, we see people on roofs inspecting and replacing missing
tiles. Our koi pond swimming pool is full of table tops, our Weber lid, and
other windblown detritus for John to remove before it sinks beneath the water
weed. Hopefully the ships in the bay have held fast to their anchors.
It has been a week filled with eating and no doubt we
have gained several kilos in weight. But as always, it has been enjoyable and
sometimes a lot of fun.
Glen Carlou Media Lunch
Glen Carlou, whose wines we know and love, have a new Winter Menu and
they wanted the media to come and taste it. So, last Wednesday, we were
transported to the lovely farm on the Simondium Road for a great day. They have
a really good restaurant, should you need somewhere to eat when in that area of
the winelands, with a very talented Executive Chef, Johan Stander, and the food
is expertly paired with the food. They change the menu with the seasons. With
beautiful views out towards Agter Paarl, we would encourage you to visit. They
also have the art gallery containing the Hess Art Collection. See what great food and wine we had....
Big Green Egg Cookoff at the Food Barn
Wow, how much fun is it being invited to a Masterchef type cook-off
using a mystery box of food and what is, to us, a completely new piece of
equipment, The Big Green Egg - a mix of a ceramic pizza oven and a kettle
braai. Its heat can be controlled if you know how, there is even a temperature
gauge on the outside, but it was a huge learning experience - and we did get
some help with its operation the previous weekend, at Bastille Day in
Franschhoek. Our judges were Abigail Donnelly of Eat Out Magazine, Chef Reuben
Riffel and Chef Patron at the Food Barn, Frank Dangereux. What did we cook? How
did we do? Read On.....
Baleia Wines launch dinner at The Twelve
Apostles Hotel Baleia Winery in Riversdale wanted to
introduce their new wine labels, designed by renowned Graphic Artist Anthony
Lane, to the trade and Media. They did it at a celebration dinner at the 12
Apostles Hotel on Friday evening. It was another really stormy night, but most
of the invited made it despite the deluge and a great evening was had by all. Read On.....
Dinner at Dash We were
invited to visit and sample the elegance and fine dining menu at Dash
restaurant this week and it was great to have a drink and a chat in the bar on
Saturday night with Neil Markovitz, Managing Director of Newmark Hotels, before
we went through to our table in the restaurant. It's in the Five Star Queen Victoria
Hotel, not quite in the Waterfront, but on a hill above, where it overlooks the
Craft Market and the dock and you approach it from Portside Road. Read on.....
Supper at Burrata We don't often visit Woodstock these days,
but decided to book at Burrata at the Old Biscuit Mill for supper with friends
this week. One friend is a huge fan of mozzarella cheese, especially the really
creamy burrata, and she had not yet experienced this version of the creamy and
beautifully made cheese which they serve and from which they take their name. Read on.....
Interesting news We thought
you might be interested to know that Le Quartier Français Hotel and Restaurant
in Franschhoek has been sold to the Leeu Collection, owned by Analjit Singh and
his family, This latest acquisition forms part of Leeu Collection, as Singh
(aka BAS) looks to offer a range of sophisticated escapes and unique wine land
experiences. Leeu Collection comprises, in the first phase: Leeu Estates, a
21-room, five-star luxurious boutique hotel and winery in the Franschhoek
valley; and Leeu House, an exclusive and private five-star, 12-room boutique
hotel in the Franschhoek village, set for a phased opening from the last
quarter of 2015. And yes, Chef Margot Janse will remain in charge of the
restaurant.
This week’s recipe is the said Pea and
Ham soup It is a very simple recipe, it just needs a bit of
vegetable chopping. If you don't eat pork or meat, leave it out. You could
perhaps try making it with some smoked beef or pastrami? It works well as a
nice thick vegetable soup. If you want the smoky flavour, you could add some
smoked paprika. Add some croutons for texture when serving.
1 T olive oil -1 large onion - 2 celery
stalks - 2 peeled carrots - 1 leek - 1 turnip - -1 cup of green split peas - 1
smoked ham hock - 3 litres of water or chicken or vegetable stock. - salt and
freshly ground black pepper - 1 small dried chilli (optional) for some heat
Finely dice all the vegetables and, starting with the
onion, sweat them off in your large soup pot (Lynne uses her pressure cooker,
but not under pressure) for about 10 minutes. Then add the peas, water or stock
and the ham hock. Cover and simmer for several hours until the peas have
disintegrated and the meat is falling off the bone. Remove it and take off the
skin and the fat and put the meat back into the pot. You may have to top up the
water during cooking, and do stir regularly to stop it sticking on the bottom. Taste,
season and serve topped with croutons. This will make several servings; you can
freeze some for another cold night.
Coming Events:
Friday, 24th July at
19h00 Italian
Dinner at Ottimo Cibo. Nikki Booth
spends many weeks a year at her home in Orvieto, understands Italian cooking
deeply and passionately, and put Caroline Rillema and her together at one table
and you have a veritable feast of food and wine. One long table in Nikki’s
magnificent home setting in Bishopscourt sets the scene for a 4-course meal
served with (all top end single-vineyard) Gavi, Barbaresco, Barolo; then
Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and the most sublime Moscato d’Asti
you can imagine. R900 p/p all included. At 15 Winchester Avenue, Kirstenbosch,
Cape Town. To book,
please fill in the booking form.
Saturday 25th July Winelands Chocolate Festival at Lourensford Wine Estate. A culinary
celebration of the best in the South African Chocolate Industry.The Winelands
Chocolate Festival exhibitors list is growing daily, check back regularly to
find out who’s exhibiting and what confections and cocoa concoctions will be on
display. Book your tickets. View
detailed flyer HERE (PDF)
Saturday, 25th July, 10h30
until 16h00
Mini Port
Festival at Muratie Estate, in conjunction with Juvenal Corks. Cost:
R100 per person including a tasting glass. Due to limited space, visitors are
advised to book in advance. Telephone: 021
865 2330 or Email: info@muratie.co.za
Wednesday,
29th July 6.30pm for 7pm “Christmas In July” Meet the Winemaker Dinner with Jordan
Wines at Southey's. To book a table, email info@southeysbistro.co.za
or call 021 851 6060.
Wednesday,
29th July AROUND THE WORLD WITH INGREDIENTS at Durbanville Hills. Beat the winter chill with an interactive food-
and wine-pairing evening with ingredients from around the world, led by chef,
Louisa Greeff, and Durbanville Hills winemakers. A sausage-making demonstration
will be followed by snacks and a three-course meal which includes a variety of
sausages from chorizo to bratwurst and fleischwurst and even chocolate salami,
paired with a selection of wines from Durbanville Hills’ three wine ranges. The
cost is R395 per person for the interactive demonstration, snacks, three course
meal, wine and coffee. Booking is essential as seats are limited. To book or
for more information, contact Simone Brown on 021 558 1300 or send an email to sibrown@durbanvillehills.co.za.
Wednesday, 29th July, 17h00 to
21h00 Caroline's
Annual Red Wine Review at the Table Bay Hotel @ R200 p/p which
includes a crystal tasting glass & programme. Bookings open
at Computicket now (no bookings through shop)
Thursday, 30th and Friday, 31st July, 17h00 to 21h00 FNB Free State Wine Show at Emoya Hotel and Conference Centre, 7 Kleynhans
Avenue, Groenvlei, Bloemfontein. www.freestatewineshow.co.za for a full list of exhibitors from end of June. Ticket Price: R150
(includes unlimited tastings and wine tasting glass); no under 18s, nor
babies and prams. A complimentary show guide includes producer information
and informative notes on wine variety characteristics, food matching and
serving temperatures. Tickets can be purchased via www.computicket.com, Money Market counters in Shoprite Checkers stores and at the door,
subject to availability. Enquiries: 011 482 5936/5/4
Friday 31st July 19h00 for
19h30 The
Drift Farm Food & Wine Pairing Dinner at Azure Restaurant at The
Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa. R545 per person (includes wine, water, tea and
coffee) Bookings are essential: contact restaurant reservations on 021 437
9029 or restaurants@12apostles.co.za
Friday, 31st July, 18h30 for
19h00. Avondale’s “Once in a
Blue Moon” La Luna Dinner with Bertus Basson. A superb 6-course meal paired with Avondale’s wines.
Dress: Smart. Cost: R950 per person. RSVP to Caelli on wine@avondalewine.co.za or 021 863 1976 best before 10th July
Learn about wine and cooking We receive a lot of enquiries from
people who want to learn more about wine. Cathy
Marston and The Cape
Wine Academy both run wine education courses, some very
serious and others more geared to fun. You can see details of Cathy’s WSET and other courses here and here and the CWA courses here. Karen Glanfield has taken
over the UnWined
wine appreciation courses from Cathy. See the details here
The Hurst Campus, an accredited school for people who want to become
professional chefs, has a variety of courses. See the details here
In addition to his
Sense
of Taste Culinary Arts School, Chef Peter Ayub runs a
four module course for keen home cooks at his Maitland complex. Details
here
Nadège Lepoittevin-Dasse has French cooking classes in Noordhoek
and conducts cooking tours to Normandy. You can see
more details here
Emma Freddi runs
the Enrica Rocca cooking courses at her
home in Constantia
Nicolette van
Niekerk runs baking courses at La Petite Patisserie in Montague
Gardens
George Jardine
will be running a series of winter cooking courses and other activities at
Jordan. Details here
15th July 2015
PS If a word or name is in bold type and underlined,
click on it for more information
Phones: +27 21 439 3169 / 083 229 1172 / 083 656
4169
Postal address: 60 Arthurs Rd, Sea Point 8005
Our Adamastor
& Bacchus© tailor-made Wine, Food and Photo tours take
small groups (up to 6) to specialist wine producers who make the best of South
Africa’s wines. Have fun while you learn more about wine and how it is made!
Tours can be conducted in English, German, Norwegian and standard or Dutch-flavoured
Afrikaans.
If you like the photographs you see in our publications,
please look at our Adamastor
Photo website for our
rate card and samples from our portfolio
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Recommendations
of products and outside events are not solicited or
charged for, and are made at the authors’ pleasure. All photographs, recipes and text used in these
newsletters and our blogs are © John & Lynne Ford,
Adamastor & Bacchus. Our restaurant reviews are usually
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