An African supper at Gold Restaurant in Cape Town

On arrival, we went straight into the function venue for the drumming session

Our teachers first give a demonstration of their art

African drums at their best

Then it was time for the audience to get their drums out

Our amusing instructor could overcome any language barrier

and soon had the audience drumming to his beat. Sad to see that not everyone was taking part, although drums are available for all

Then it was time to wash our hands and go to dinner

Our lovely waitress is from Zambia and she explained the food to us

There are 14 small courses, you can call for more on any of them.  This is the Ethiopian Lentil Dhal with bread twists

It was served with a rather sharp tomato soup

From the top: Lynne's favourite, Zambian Kandolo balls made from sweet potato covered in sesame seeds. Then Ugandan sugar bean Briouats. These little money bags are crisp and can be dipped in the Cape Malay chutney.  Rather strong smoked local fish Frikkadels (fish cakes) with topped apple and mint raita

This man was magic on his “flute” made from a simple piece of plastic pipe with only the holes at the top and bottom to produce a huge variety of notes

Enthusiastic dancers and singers

A praise singer and another musician on an African marimba

The main course is a Ghanaian Groundnut chicken, South African maize meal Pap (porridge) not to everyone at the tables taste, many of us had this at boarding school. Also a Congolese spinach made from wild greens or marog. This has tomato and green and yellow flavours and is not hot but highly spiced. And the lovely crisp carrots from Zanzibar flavoured with star anise

More singing and dancing and some enthusiastic audience participation

Drummers with dancers who had so much energy that it was exhausting watching the speed at which they danced

Dessert  is fresh fruit kebabs, and Cape Malay Boeber - another dish that reminds some of us of boarding school.   Its a sago, vermicelli, sultana and alsmon pudding. There was also a Gogo’s (grandmother’s) Karamonk spiced  Biscuit but I don’t remember seeing that

A cute table decoration with Italian sponge finger biscuits

The Boeber

The Mali puppet dancers always impress

A final song and dance by all the staff

There are some great decorative items from the rest of Africa adorning all the walls

The drums laid out for tomorrow's drumming session

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2015

Tracy van Maaren trade tasting at Auslese

Tracy van Maaren represents a small range of wine farms and, once a year, we are treated to a very good tasting of their wines. This year, again, it was held at Auslese, the function venue in Gardens owned by Chef Harald Bresselschmidt of Aubergine restaurant. He creates a food pairing for each of the wines on show.

RJ Botha from Kleine Zalze started off our evening with a taste of their Mèthode Cap Classique 2010 bubbly

paired with Poached Kingklip with an oyster and lime vinaigrette

Then their Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

paired with some Duck ham with cabbage salad

The two Silverthorn MCC’s were paired well. Here presented by Karen Loubser

The Genie with tibbouleh with a seed tuile biscuit

and The Jewel Box with sweetbreads, white vegetables in a champagne sauce

Gavin Bruwer from Raats was presenting B Vintners, a division of Raats wines and they had a very, very interesting wine, Haarlem to Hope, a blend of Chenin, Semillon and a small amount of Muscat de Alexandrie. Lynne couldn’t detect the Muscat at all, but found that the addition of Semillon add

ed huge depth and elegance to the rich crisp Chenin. She liked it very much

This was paired with crisp deep fried Arancini rice balls

Their Chardonnay was paired with a potato parfait. Lots of white food, lots of starches

A good seafood bisque went with Vriesenhof’s excellent Chardonnay

Richard Kershaw’s complex and layered Chardonnay

went with a bouncy fish terrine with a saffron vinaigrette.

Catherine Marshall had her 2014 Elgin Sauvignon Blanc, so crisp and exciting. A good pairing was the tuna ceviche on a goat cheese coulis

And Harald's match of the veal with pomegranate sauce did highlight the fruit in Cathy’s excellent, sophisticated Pinot Noir. Best red wine of the evening for us

Chef Harald in conversation with Mark Herd of Sunset Beach Wine and Deli

Sean Skibbe of South Hill wines in Elgin, enjoying the evening

A lovely rabbit confit on barley, with dragon fruit, to go with Bruwer Raats Family Old Vines Chenin Blanc 2013

And some Kudu fillet to pair with the 2012 Cabernet Franc

Complex layers of cherries and berries and toasted wood

Which one shall we try?

A juicy plate of lamb kebabs with Maitake mushrooms

to go with the Eagles Nest 2012 Shiraz

A pressed terrine of yellow peppers and tamarillo tomatoes

 The peppers are full of chrome and it rather fought with the Eagles Nest 2014 Viognier

The team from the Pot Luck Club

Chef Rudi Liebenberg of the Mount Nelson

Slices of Springbok Carpaccio to go with the Vriesenhof 2013 Pinot Noir

Nicky Claasens of Vriesenhof was presenting their wines

Cathy Marston of WSET with Mariette Kershaw of Kershaw wines

Alison Adams-Witbooi

After the power outage or, as our government terms it, "Load Shedding". The tasting went on with no one paying any attention. Just in pitch darkness - the photograph illuminated by flash

John Loubser of Silverthorn wines

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2015