We’ve made a
major change to the Main Ingredient website. It has morphed into the MENU website. The home page now
comprises links to the current issues stories. If you have missed MENU for any reason, please go to
Main Ingredient and catch up. The
second page has links to previous issues of MENU.
Best laid
plans...
We intended to publish as we went along last week, But.. The power cable for our laptop was left
behind in Cape Town. We were able to buy a replacement in Robertson, but had to
wait until Monday. Then, when we reacheds Akasha we were not able to get an
internet link. By the time we reached Oudtshoorn, we’d lost four days and the
backlog had become too big, so this is a bumper edition with a record 15
stories.
We write about
our experiences in MENU, not only to entertain you, but to encourage you to
visit the places and events that we do. We know you will enjoy them and we try
to make each write up as graphic as we can, so you get a good picture of what
is on offer at each place, restaurant, wine farm, festival we visit. To get the whole story with photographs, please click on “Read
on.....” at the end of each paragraph, which will lead you to the
related blog, with pictures and more words. At the end of each blog, click on RETURN TO MENU
to come back to the blog version of MENU.
Fleur
du Cap Launch Fleur du Cap launched their new unfiltered
2014 Chenin Blanc and 2014 Pinotage at an exciting new venue in Oranjezicht on
the 14th. It was a little hard to find using the GPS on our phones but thanks
to helpful locals we did find our way to the historic Platteklip Wash House
where centuries of servants and slaves came to do their masters' washing. It is
managed by the Parks Board. A great place for weddings, and other medium sized
functions if you have a PR or wedding budget. Read on...
Reciprocal
Trade Tasting at the Vineyard Hotel It is a special occasion
when we are invited to taste good French and other nations wines like Spain,
Portugal, Australia, New Zealand and South America. This event is held annually
for the trade and media and good customers and we were delighted to be invited.
Pics here...
Nedbank Getaway Green Wine Awards It
has now been six years since the inception of these awards in 2009 and we have
seen such an improvement in our Green and Bio diverse wines . The awards were
held in a new venue for us In the Vine on the R44 in Helderberg. A total of 150
wines were judged across two categories (Best wines made from Organically Grown
Grapes and Best Wines from Integrated Production of Wine category). The panel was
led by internationally renowned wine judge and journalist Fiona MacDonald.
Other members were Greg Mutambe, Dr Winnie Bowman CWM, Francois Rautenbach and
winemaker Nomonde Kubheka. Wine journalists Anel Grobler of Spit or Swallow and
Shante Hutton of Wine.co.za were co-opted onto the tasting panel as bloggers. More words and pictures...
Celebration
lunch for the first anniversary at Bistro 13 on Stellenbosch Vineyards This bistro opened just a year ago and it
already scores 5 stars in the reader reviews on Eat Out. Chef Nic van Wyk, ably
assisted by his partner Roxy Laker, has put together a winning formula of good
bistro food, paired with a selection of Stellenbosch Vineyards wines. We were
invited for lunch with other media to come and celebrate and sample their new
summer menu. We were fed good food till we begged "no more please!" See what we ate...
The great (Klein) Karoo Trek started with Wine
on the River's 10th Anniversary We set off on Saturday morning and aimed
for Robertson for the 10th Wine on the River Festival where we would spend both
Saturday and Sunday. We haven't been to all 10 but very nearly as it is one of
our favourites each year. The people are friendly, the wines superb and many
are good value and the venue alongside the river is very special. You pay one
entrance fee, you get a glass and you can taste all day. There are also very
good food stands. It's a formula which works. Read on...
Our First night: a cottage in McGregor and
great dinner out The Robertson & McGregor Tourist Boards
organised our accommodation while at the festival and for our first night we
did self catering at Country Cottages in McGregor. The country views on the way
are lovely. Pictures here...
Robertson/Klein Karoo trip night two,
Jan Harmsgat We were invited to review Jan Harmsgat
Country House, on the road from Ashton to Swellendam. We have enjoyed a picnic
here once before, when we were invited by the previous owners, but had never
stayed the night. It is luxurious and your every need is catered for by the
great staff. More...
Onward to Akasha, we stopped at Delish
Deli for lunch We agreed to be in Heidelberg by 2pm,
where we would meet Chris van der Walt, the owner of Akasha, at Delish Deli. In
fact, we arrived just before 1pm, which enabled us to have some lunch. They
make great pies and you can order these to take away to enjoy on your trip or
wherever you are staying. See it here...
Night 3: Off to a Moroccan inspired
house, Akasha, in the high
hill country behind Heidelberg. Everyone who had been here said to us we would
absolutely LOVE this place and we did. We were invited to stay for two nights,
which is always a good period to review a place properly. One night means you
arrive, stay the night and leave the next morning giving you very little time
to explore the place and the area it is in, get to know the locals and the
staff and experience some of the differences, the drawcards and activities on
offer to visitors. Akasha had lots to show us and we had time to wind down and
stop a while instead of moving swiftly along to the next place. See the house...
The beauty of nature on Akasha Mountain
retreat When Chris and his wife Elana arrived, we
followed them through the outskirts of Heidelberg and then up the dirt road for
approximately 12 kilometres, climbing all the time. It's a good road and you
don't need a 4x4. We came to the top of the hill and the countryside opened up
before us. The hills slope down steeply towards the Duiwenhoks Dam and then
climb again beyond it towards the far Langeberg mountains. You can see no
houses, no people, only nature. Photographs tell the story...
Day 5, Onward to De Zeekoe to see the
Meerkats It was pouring with rain the morning we
left Akasha and we drove down the slippery dirt road back to the N2 highway. It
took us about 3½ hours to drive to the outskirts of Oudtshoorn and the drive
through the Robinson pass on the R328 was sensational. Great to see it in rain
and mist, but we must return to see it in sunshine, although there were some
parts of the road where Lynne could not look down the mountain, her vertigo got
the better of her. Have a look...
Tasting and lunch with Boets Nel, De
Krans, Calitzdorp When we told Boets Nel at a recent wine
event that we were coming through Calitzdorp on this trip he insisted that we
come and have lunch with him while we were there. We met him on his farm De Krans for a tasting
first. It is only about 65 Kilometres
from Oudtshoorn to Calitzdorp. More here...
Klokkies B&B Lynne found
this Calitzdorp B&B on Bookings.com, a site we use often and are rarely
disappointed. We needed somewhere that was comfortable and good value for one
night and this certainly fit the bill. Read on...
Day
7 a Tasting with Mike Neebe at Axe Hill Before we
left Calitzdorp we dropped into Axe Hill to see friend Mike Neebe and taste
some of his lovely wines and ports. Mike had just finished bottling this year's
wines. He is doing some innovative things. More....
Lunch with Meyer Joubert at Joubert
Tradauw on the way home We met Meyer at the recent tasting of
Klein Karoo wines which inspired this trip and he said that we should join him
for lunch if we were passing. As we had never visited the farm before, this was
the perfect opportunity. It’s just outside of Barrydale, on the famous R62
road, a place we always mean to visit but haven't got to yet. The farm has
lovely gardens and a tapas style restaurant, just redesigned and extended. Read on....
This week's recipe Both
of us have picked up a lot of weight over the last few months on the media
circuit so we are back to Banting and eating lots of fresh food for a while to
see if we can avoid canapés and eat healthy. Lynne spotted some mini steaks in
Checkers that were so pale she surmised they might just be baby beef. She
batted them out with a mallet and made this for supper last night. It is very
quick and tastes heavenly. We hope you will try it. You need thin slices of
beef or veal steak or you could use pork leg. Instead of using just salt and
pepper as a seasoning Lynne uses the Woolworths Steak & Chops spice mixture
in the large grinder. This contains fennel seeds with other herbs and spices
and garlic and really adds more flavour to the dish.
Veal Limone with fried Fennel
1 or 2 large bulbs of fennel, thinly sliced
- 2 T olive oil - 2 T butter - salt and freshly ground pepper - 8 thin slices
of veal, beef or pork steak - ¼ cup of plain flour - Steak & Chop seasoning
- zest and juice of one lemon - ½ cup of dry white wine - 1 cup of good chicken
stock - ½ T butter
Put the meat, one piece at a time, into a plastic bag
and bash with a meat mallet on both sides until it is thin and twice its
original size. Set aside. Mix the flour with the seasoning. Heat a frying pan
till it is sizzle hot, add the oil and the butter and when foaming add the
sliced fennel. Season it. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, till
it is golden brown and softening. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. If
necessary add more oil and butter to the pan.
Dip the meat into the seasoned flour on both sides and
fry a couple of pieces at a time for just a minute on each side till they are
golden on the outside. Put in a dish under foil while you finish the sauce. Add
the wine to the hot pan and let it reduce a bit, then add stock and the lemon
zest and juice. Let it reduce till it begins to thicken, taste and adjust the
seasoning. Monté the sauce (this enriches it and makes it glossy) by adding the
half a tablespoon of butter in small pieces. Put the meat back into the sauce
and serve immediately on a bed of the fried fennel. Feeds 4. You can halve the
recipe for 2
We had this with a large salad with lettuce, rocket,
tomatoes, avocado, sliced courgettes and olives and drank a good unwooded
Chardonnay which went perfectly with the lemon and butter flavours of the
sauce.
Coming Events:
OCTOBER
Thursday, 29th October at 19h00 Top12Wines tastings series: White
Blends at MOLO LOLO LODGE 27
Hudson Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town www.molololo.com R220pp inclusive of meal & Cheeses
from Ile de France The format is as usual, a blind tasting 12 of
the best SA Wines in the category of the day, all winners of awards and top
reviews, competing against the public! You will rank the wines in order of
preference, with old friends and new friends alike. Expect amazing
quality wines. Info: +27 81 799 3899 - info@top12wines.com - www.top12wines.com
Friday, 30th October The
Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa Wine Dinner – Raats Family Wines This
month sees Executive Chef Christo Pretorius team up with Raats Family Wines for
a gastronomical adventure. Food aficionados may look forward to a delicious
four-course meal in our Azure Restaurant while enjoying a pairing of
exceptional Chenin Blancs and Cabernet Francs. R 545 per person (includes
4-course menu, wine, water & gratuity) The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa,
Victoria Road, Camps Bay 8005, Cape Town, South Africa Telephone: +27
21 437 9029 Email: restaurants@12apostles.co.za
NOVEMBER
Thursday, 5th November at 19h00 Top12Wines
tastings series: Pinot Grigio at MOLO LOLO LODGE 27 Hudson Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town www.molololo.com R220pp inclusive of meal & Cheeses
from Ile de France The format is as usual, a blind tasting 12 of
the best SA Wines in the category of the day, all winners of awards and top
reviews, competing against the public! You will rank the wines in order of
preference, with old friends and new friends alike. Expect amazing
quality wines. Info: +27 81 799 3899 - info@top12wines.com - www.top12wines.com
Saturday, 7th November From
09h00 to 13h00 The Twelve Apostles
Hotel and Spa Movember - #WaitersRaceCapeTown Camps
Bay High School Sports Fields. We would like to invite hotels and restaurants
to participate in our 3rd annual #WaitersRaceCapeTown - and encourage members
of the public to join the action as spectators, free of charge! All proceeds of
the day will be donated to Movember SA. READ MORE The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, Victoria Road, Camps Bay 8005,
CAPE TOWN, South Africa Telephone: +27 21 437 9029 Email: restaurants@12apostles.co.za
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
28th October 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
We apologise if MENU caused
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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
unsolicited. We prefer to pay for our meals and not be paid in any way by
anyone. Whether we are invited or go independently, we don’t feel bad if we say
we didn’t like it. Honesty is indeed our best policy. While every effort is
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