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Thursday, November 22, 2012

Buitenverwachting's annual trade wine & food pairing evening

The new coffee shop The Coffee Bloc at Buitenverwachting

One of the magnificent Eagle owls that nest in their oaks each year

A welcoming glass of Buiten Bubbly

Chilling by the pond

We renew acquaintances, greet friends and get to know new faces

Some serious discussions about the excellent Sauvignon Blanc

Hermann Kirschbaum' the Cellarmaster with front of house stalwart Katrina Pietersen and Hanna Hoffmann who works for the Coffee Bloc

Fresh local Oysters with Strawberry Mignonette Caviar

2009 Cabernet Franc for tasting on the barrel, help yourself

The Loose Cannon Chenin blend was excellent

Executive Chef Edgar Osojnik in his kitchen, overseeing the preparation of the canapés

One of the chefs loading up one of the many platters that came out to tempt us.

What was on each tray – absolutely delicious if a tiny bit dangerous to eat with all that flaky pastry which exploded with each mouthful:

Kitchen staff Robin de Jongh and Shanice Gouws, arranging the food

From the top: Chicken galantine; duck liver pate; bocconcini and tomato skewer; Pear and blue cheese; more bocconcini; tuna sushi

Hard to decide but there was plenty and plenty of choice

ustice Blosé, keeping us well supplied with wonderful food

It was a lovely long summer evening

Now we are at the red wines and lots of chatting and teasing was going on.

Brad Paton, the winemaker, to the right of Lynne, had just become a father for the second time on Monday

And finally the showstopper red blend Christine 2002

Gibson's Gourmet Burgers & Ribs at the V&A

The restaurant is long and narrow in an L shape

Starter number one was char grilled baby squid with garlic and lemon. Tender and delicious its an option we would definitely order again.

Starter number two is the really good sticky pork ribs which were not at all fatty and the meat just fell off the bone. You get six in the starter portion, which for Lynne is very adequate. This also comes as a much larger main and you can order a beef option

John’s Vegas Hamburger with not-so-crisp chips came with a creamy mild black pepper sauce and lettuce, tomato and lots of gherkin, despite his asking them not to put it on the bun.

There are lots of craft beers as well as commercial on the menu – the prices are quite steep and while the menu says 440,ml for the Boston larger R35 John was served a smaller 330,ml bottle, but was charged R23 accordingly.

Wine prices are mostly around R80 to R105 a bottle. These are mostly house wines and we feel the prices are quite good for the Waterfront. You can order French champagne with your hamburger and it will only cost you R650 for a bottle of Moët or Pierre Jourdan’s good local brut for R185. All wines, bar the champagne, are available by the glass – bravo Gibson's

Our bill

The Christmas tree is already up at the Waterfront

Luscious Vegetarian book launch

The outside of Spade and Spoons restaurant in Constantia Road, the venue for the book launch

Steve Connolly, the MD of Random House Struik, launching the book.

On his left is well-known cook book writer Sonia Cabano

and on his right is Jade de Waal, a previous Masterchef contestant,

the co-authors of the book

Jade explains how they came to write the book

And Sonia elaborates and thanks everyone who was involved (use pic of both of them)

Some of the vegetarian snacks we were served

Copies of the book were for sale

The cover tempts you inside, where you will find some very exciting recipes

Ellen Raubenheimer, Editor and publisher of Get It Magazine and Coenie Visser, owner of Oak & Vigne in Greyton

More snacks, tomato bruschetta and vegetarian sushi,

using tomato paste as wraps instead of Nori seaweed

A mural made of dehydrated slices of strawberry

See more of our photographs at www.adamastorphotos.com

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Sunday visit to the Helderberg Festival

We started at La Masseria on the R44 near the Annandale road and were welcomed by this lively faced, inquisitive but not at all fierce ostrich in their petting zoo

The restaurant La Masseria

Jacques Bredell of JP Bredell and Wrensch Louw from RouLou gave us a tasting of their wines. We bought a little of each. Sadly, We didn’t get the name of the chap in the middle who also works for RouLou

The buffet in the restaurant costs R140 a person and there was lots of food.

Including antipasti and salads

Serenaded by the professional accordionist with Italian, Spanish and French songs, we sang along.

Informal eating on the terrace,

there is also room inside when the weather is not so great

Lynne's dish of seafood linguine

Johns choice was the dish of three pastas of the day:

Potato and fontina cheese ravioli, gnocci bolognaise and pesto linguine

The charming owner sings while his professional accordionist and a very talented amateur play for us. The song was Volaré which we sing along to each week at the Biscuit Mill

And mamma joins in

Our bill for two pastas and two glasses of Kleine Zalze Chenin Blanc

A beautiful "tree of bottles" sculpture at Chabivin winery

Relaxing on the grass in front of their tasting room

Hendrik Snyman, the friendly winemaker, giving us a taste of some of his best

Guy Charbaut, champagne vigneron of Reims and Stellenbosch - we tasted his Millesime

Johan Meyer, who is the winemaker at Meerhof in Riebeek West, was showing his own wines and we were very impressed . He has made a perfect chardonnay – rich full and elegant. Wooded but only showing and supporting the structure of the wine very subtly. It is not over wooded. We predict this wine will win prizes, IF he has enough for any competitions.

His Pinot Noir also impressed us very much – lots of burgundy style fruit with a good liquorice end, it will be ready to drink in about 3 to five years time and possibly much longer.

We had to order a case of each and here is Johan packing and labelling the wines for us. Very much a hands on wine maker.

We loved the basketwork’ sculpture’ of a champagne cork in the front garden.

On to Post House wines to talk to Nick Gebers,the owner winemaker, and taste through his wines in his barrel cellar

It was the end of a long four day festival and we were all very relaxed

The small cellar behind his house...

... and the stunning view of the Helderberg hills from the house

Teenage geese being shepherded through the vineyards by their parents