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Monday, April 24, 2017

Breakfast at Cape Point Vineyards

We felt like a drive in our new car to explore breakfast somewhere different and Cape Point Vineyards in Noordhoek got the vote. We also intended to explore the area afterwards. We did book and were reassured by them that the breakfasts, normally served outside, would be served inside should the weather change. We hadn’t been back there since we worked at their market in 2013

The menu

The view! The lake still has water, but is rather low

It was a lovely morning when we arrived at 10, so we were happy to sit outside at the picnic tables on the terrace. We were given a warm welcome

Our waitress Tumi explaining the menu. Lynne is not terrified or horrified, honest. Loraine is amused. We try to decide what to have

Loraine's and Ronnie's choice was the American pancakes with fresh strawberries, pecan nut crumble, vanilla bean cream and organic maple syrup. The pancakes are flapjacks. It was pronounced excellent

Lynne's Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon. The salmon was good and generous, the Hollandaise sauce correct and good, as were the toasted muffins. Sadly, the eggs were completely over-cooked and untrimmed, so she had bits of dead egg white on the edges. They ruined the dish. They need to ask how you want to have your eggs served. Runny yolks are essential

John ordered the Country style scrambled eggs with crisp bacon, topped with rocket, grated parmesan and tomatoes and a dash or three of balsamic vinegar. The scrambled eggs were very good; creamy and properly soft. Sadly, the bacon was not at all crisp and was a little leathery. The rocket, seemingly obligatory these days, was a little too ample and smothered the dish

Our bill, we had lots of coffee! Not too expensive

Lovely roses on the table

Birds in flocks on the trees, lots of starlings, but we think some were gathering to return north for the summer there

They have a small shop

Wines to take home and craft beers, cold drinks and sweeties

Both girls coveted the French cupboard facade, full of wine and corporate merchandise

The restaurant has a lovely terrace for lunch and dinner with those superb views

The bar inside. The wine tasting is done at their winery further down the road towards Chapman’s Peak Drive

An elegant lounge area

We explored Noordhoek and Kommetjie, went to a huge pottery there called Liebermann, with more pots than we have ever seen in one place in Africa, and then drove home along Chapman’s Peak and ended up at another favourite place, Dunes in Hout Bay, for a beer

and of course with beer goes chips, we called it lunch

Admiring the view, it was a beautiful day

People enjoying the bay

and the beach. We are having quite a good Indian summer but we’re still longing for rain

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Wednesday, April 19, 2017

This Week's MENU. Degustation Menu at Azure Restaurant, Breakfast at Newport Deli, A marvellous Chenin party, Wine of the Week. Meerlust Chardonnay 2014, Classic Tarte Tatin

Common waxbills (Estrilda astrild)

photographed from the verandah at David van Niekerk’s High Constantia winery

We live in a wonderful country. People from all walks of life are voicing dissatisfaction with the President and his cohorts, but it is done without violence by members of our nation from all our diverse ethnicities and faiths. It will take time and, we hope, patience, but the will of the majority must ultimately prevail. Meanwhile, life continues for most of us. Money is tight, rain (in the Cape) is slight, but we manage and, speaking for ourselves, we have a huge amount of fun doing the things that provide the material for our stories. We hope you’ll enjoy what we have for you this week

Food for Fanatical Foodies: A Degustation Menu at Azure Restaurant

Breakfast at Newport Deli

A marvellous Chenin party

Wine of the Week: Meerlust Chardonnay 2014

What's on the MENU this week: Classic Tarte Tatin

Food for Fanatical Foodies: A Degustation Menu at Azure Restaurant at the Twelve Apostles Hotel

From the 5th of May and on every first Friday of the month thereafter, The Twelve Apostles Hotel is offering you the chance of experiencing a six course degustation menu. Limited to between six and 12 guests, you will have the experience of eating at the Chef's Table in Azure restaurant. Hosted by Chef Christo Pretorius who is ably accompanied by Head Sommelier and co-host, Gregory Mutambe, a six-course surprise menu - all about textures and flavours, will be prepared especially for the guests. Each dish will be paired with a selection of South Africa’s best wines, chosen by Gregory. The cost to book an exclusive place at the Chef’s Table is R2150 per person - price includes meal, wine/tea pairing, water and gratuity. We think that this might also suit the corporate market when they need to entertain overseas guests

We were invited last week, along with other members of the media, to sample the food and wine that will be on the menu. It was quite a tour de force with some excellent wines

Breakfast at Newport Deli

On a fairly miserable morning after a night of (much appreciated) rain we ventured out to Mouille Point to Newport Deli to try their breakfasts. We did not realise that they keep a kosher menu so were a little bit disappointed to discover no bacon but turkey macon, something we avoid. We are not fans of pretend food and miss the fat on the bacon!

A marvellous Chenin party

We were so delighted to see the Chenin Blanc Association open up their annual Chenin Blanc tasting to the public. The Magic of Chenin and All that Jazz! party was held last week at The Grand on the Beach in the Waterfront from 5 to 10 and was sensational. A chance to taste Chenin from every member of the association, old and new and some very different. We had a ball....

Wine of the Week: Meerlust Chardonnay 2014

We had this wine at the farm two years ago at a lunch with owner Hannes Myburgh and talented winemaker Chris Williams. We loved it then and it has become even better. We had it again last week at the Degustation Dinner at Azure Restaurant. What a superb wine. It was a beautiful match with the food it was paired with: a lightly citrus and vanilla cured Norwegian salmon with roasted hazelnuts. We knew the wine pairing was a Chardonnay of great provenance, but did not guess it correctly as we thought it was from a cool area like Hemel en Aarde or Elgin. Indeed it was great; the elegant Meerlust 2014 from Stellenbosch, served in Riedel Montrachet glasses, was weighty, full, with some beautiful oaking, the clean lemon lime Chardonnay flavours shining through, silky and intense but not blousy or over ripe as Chardonnays from warmer areas can be sometimes

What's on the MENU this week: Classic Tarte Tatin

Cool Autumn weather has been showing its face this week and we were entertaining over the Easter Weekend. We had been given a bag of lovely Elgin apples so the choice of our dessert was easy. This recipe is very original, from the French; it uses lots of wicked things like sugar and butter and is absolutely irresistible. Lynne usually uses short crust pastry but decided this time, as time was short, not to make the pastry but to buy the (you need a small mortgage) butter puff pastry from Woolworths. It rose like a dream but was thin and, despite leaving it in the oven a bit too long - the apples were melting - was still soggy when turned out. The Americans have made adaptations to the recipe which Lynne does not like. They always want things easier and quicker. They are using huge chunks of apple and are cooking them in a butter and sugar caramel before applying the pastry, which is always puff. We prefer a paté brisée (a rich short crust pastry) and normal sliced apples. Peel them if you like, don't if you prefer. Lynne makes this is in a heavy bottomed sauté pan with two handles (see photo). First you make caramel in the pan, then you arrange the fruit, then top with pastry. Remember, Caramel is not pale, honey-coloured, nor is it dark burnt brown. A nice red brown is enough

Rich Shortcrust Pastry

175g plain flour - 50g icing sugar - a pinch of salt - 90 g butter - 1 egg yolk - 2 tablespoons iced water - squeeze of lemon juice

Sift flour and sugar with the salt then rub in the butter until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Mix the yolk and 1 tablespoon water with lemon juice and mix into the flour with a knife. Use one hand to quickly and gently press into a firm dough. Add more water if necessary, but do not make the pastry too wet. Wrap in cling film and chill till ready to use. You can also make this in a food processor.

Making the caramel : 1/2 cup white sugar

Have ready a bowl full of cold water large enough to take the base of the pan, so that you can cool the caramel quickly to stop it burning. Put the pan on the heat and cover the base with half a cup of sugar. Watching it carefully, allow it to turn itself into caramel. Do not leave it alone, never stir and do not let it burn. Do not touch it, you will get burned. When the caramel has reached a good red amber colour, turn off the heat and put just the base of the pan into the cold water to stop the caramelisation. Do not get any water into the pan. Let it cool to a hard set

1 kilo Granny Smith apples - 2 t lemon juice - 50 g butter - 50g brown Treacle or Demerara sugar - 50g vanilla castor sugar - 25 g butter

Preheat the oven to 200°C

Peel, core and slice the apples, approx 2 cm thick half moon slices . Sprinkle with lemon juice. Put small teaspoonfuls of the soft butter on the base of the pan on top of the set caramel, sprinkle over the treacle sugar. Then arrange the apple slices in tight concentric circles in the pan on top of the sugar and the butter. Sprinkle with the vanilla sugar and add the 25g of butter. Roll out the pastry into a circle just larger than the pan and lay it on top of the apples, tucking the edges in down the sides of the apples. Put into the oven for half an hour or until the pastry is golden and crisp

Turning out. You will need a dish larger than the pan, with a good lip - Lynne uses a very large quiche dish. Put the dish over the pan and, using tea towels to protect your hands, carefully and quickly flip the pan over so the tart upends into the dish. Do this over a sink and make sure you flip away from yourself. This is where you get loud applause from anyone looking. Get someone to help you if you are nervous. There is always someone brave at a dinner party. There will be lots of buttery caramel juices. Serve immediately. We always flame the apples with a little calvados or brandy. Serve with thick cream and or real vanilla custard. Serve with chilled calvados or a Noble Late Harvest dessert wine

18th April 2017

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

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

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 made to avoid mistakes, we are human and they do creep in occasionally, for which we apologise. This electronic journal has been sent to you because you have personally subscribed to it or because someone you know has asked us to send it to you or forwarded it to you themselves. Addresses given to us will not be divulged to any person or organisation. We collect them only for our own promotional purposes. If you wish to be added to our mailing list, please click here to send us a message and if you wish to be removed from our mailing list, please click here to send us a message.

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Tuesday, April 18, 2017

What's on the MENU this week: Classic Tarte Tatin

Cool Autumn weather has been showing its face this week and we were entertaining over the Easter Weekend. We had been given a bag of lovely Elgin apples so the choice of our dessert was easy. This recipe is very original, from the French; it uses lots of wicked things like sugar and butter and is absolutely irresistible. Lynne usually uses short crust pastry but decided this time, as time was short, not to make the pastry but to buy the (you need a small mortgage) butter puff pastry from Woolworths. It rose like a dream, but was thin and, despite leaving it in the oven a bit too long - the apples were melting - was still soggy when turned out. The Americans have made adaptations to the recipe which Lynne does not like. They always want things easier and quicker. They are using huge chunks of apple and are cooking them in a butter and sugar caramel before applying the pastry, which is always puff. We prefer a paté brisée (a rich short crust pastry) and normal sliced apples. Peel them if you like, don't if you prefer. Lynne makes this is in a heavy bottomed sauté pan with two handles. First you make caramel in the pan, then you arrange the fruit, then top with pastry. Remember, Caramel is not pale, honey-coloured, nor is it dark burnt brown. A nice red brown is enough

Rich Shortcrust Pastry

175g plain flour - 50g icing sugar - a pinch of salt - 90 g butter - 1 egg yolk - 2 tablespoons iced water - squeeze of lemon juice

Sift flour and sugar with the salt, then rub in the butter until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Mix the yolk and 1 tablespoon water with lemon juice and mix into the flour with a knife. Use one hand to quickly and gently press into a firm dough. Add more water if necessary, but do not make the pastry too wet. Wrap in cling film and chill till ready to use. You can also make this in a food processor.

Making the caramel : 1/2 cup white sugar

1 kilo Granny Smith apples - 2 t lemon juice - 50 g butter - 50g brown Treacle or Demerara sugar - 50g vanilla castor sugar - 25 g butter

Preheat the oven to 200°C

Peel, core and slice the apples, approx 2 cm thick half moon slices. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Put small teaspoonfuls of the soft butter on the base of the pan on top of the set caramel, sprinkle over the treacle sugar. Then arrange the apple slices in tight concentric circles in the pan, on top of the sugar and the butter. Sprinkle with the vanilla sugar and add the 25g of butter. Roll out the pastry into a circle just larger than the pan and lay it on top of the apples, tucking the edges in down the sides of the apples. Put into the oven for half an hour or until the pastry is golden and crisp

Turning out. You will need a dish larger than the pan, with a good lip - Lynne uses a very large quiche dish. Put the dish over the pan and, using tea towels to protect your hands, carefully and quickly flip the pan over so that the tart upends into the dish. Do this over a sink and make sure you flip away from yourself. This is where you get loud applause from anyone looking. Get someone to help you if you are nervous. There is always someone brave at a dinner party. There will be lots of buttery caramel juices. Serve immediately. We always flame the apples with a little calvados or brandy. Serve with thick cream and or real vanilla custard. Serve with chilled calvados or a Noble Late Harvest dessert wine

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MENU's Wine of the Week. Meerlust Chardonnay 2014

We enjoyed this wine at the farm two years ago at a lunch with owner Hannes Myburgh and talented winemaker Chris Williams. We loved it then and it has become even better. We had it again last week at the Degustation Dinner at Azure Restaurant. What a superb wine. It was a beautiful match with the food it was paired with: a lightly citrus and vanilla cured Norwegian salmon with roasted hazelnuts. We knew the wine in the pairing was a Chardonnay of great provenance, but did not guess it correctly as we thought it was from a cool area like Hemel en Aarde or Elgin

Indeed it was great, the elegant Meerlust 2014 from Stellenbosch, served in Riedel Montrachet glasses, was weighty, full, with some beautiful oaking, the clean lemon lime Chardonnay flavours shining through, silky and intense but not blousy or over ripe as Chardonnays from warmer areas can be sometimes

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Degustation dinner launch at Azure Restaurant, The Twelve Apostles, Cape Town

Food for Fanatical Foodies: A Degustation Menu at Azure Restaurant at The Twelve Apostles Hotel

We were invited last week, along with other members of the media, to sample the food and wine that will be on the Degustation menu. This complex meal with excellent fine wines, all served in Riedel glasses, was quite a tour de force.

We were welcomed with Avondale's Armilla MCC 2009 Blanc de Blancs from organically grown Chardonnay. This Biodynamic farm on the edge of Paarl produces some excellent wines. This was crisp and long, with hints of apple, citrus and nuts, with a fine mousse and very sophisticated, just right for the occasion.

Gifts on the table were chocolates and everyone was presented with an Azure apron signed by the staff

The lovely table setting with lots of fresh flowers

We chatted with Joanne Hayes, PRO for Red Carnation Hotels, and the other guests while waiting for latecomers

On another table, very, very happy customers with the Grilled Seafood Platter for two, a huge selection of seafood . You will find the details on the À La Carte menu

Head Sommelier Gregory Mutambe tells us that the wines will be a surprise, all from his cellar; he has selected them to go with each course and will reveal them to us as we drink them

The menu

The Amuse was a succulent sous vide Saldanha Bay oyster, gently poached in 60⁰C water, served with an oyster mayonnaise, miso caramel, compressed cucumber, passion fruit and wild rice puffs. Lynne was served with dish without the oyster. The miso caramel was very good

With the next course we were served Le Lude's Rosé NV MCC from Franschhoek which is clean and sparkling with hints of richness and strawberries on the nose, full of berries on the lean palate

It had been paired with a Chicken and Ham terrine with herbs, slight smokiness, so well made, still with good texture on both meats and held together with aspic, dressed with pickled shiitake mushrooms, tarragon mayonnaise, a honey mustard emulsion, compressed Granny Smith apple, a cured egg yolk and topped with micro greens. So great to be served a good terrine. We don't get enough of them in South Africa; if well executed they can be delicious, as this was. The wine pairing was faultless

John's dish, sans the shiitake mushrooms

Then a demonstration of roast and raw cauliflower. Some had been curried Cape Malay style, was dressed with a Cauliflower crème, plump pickled sultanas, and rather strangely topped, with grated aged parmesan cheese, which did add some savoury umami to quite a sweet spicy dish. This was served with an onion dhaltjie (a small deep fried chick pea flour savoury donut with onion, also known as a chilli bite or an onion bhajji).

We guessed what the next wine was, both the cultivar and the region to Greg's amazement, but then it is one of our favourites, Creation's 2016 Viognier, perfect with spicy food. Its aromatic peaches and nice warmth are lovely

The third course of citrus and vanilla cured Norwegian salmon with a yoghurt coconut curd flavoured with molasses, roasted hazelnuts - unusual but good with the fish, fennel fronds, pickled beetroot and stem ginger and lemongrass. Still not convinced about vanilla with savoury food, we find it masks the food's flavour and makes you think of sweet dessert. Apparently local trout is a problem at the moment with the drought, which is why they used imported salmon. Chef likes to use only local produce

We knew the wine pairing was a Chardonnay of great provenance, but we did not guess it correctly as we thought it from a cool area like Hemel en Aarde or Elgin. Indeed it was great, the elegant Meerlust 2014 from Stellenbosch, served in Riedel Montrachet glasses, was weighty, full, with some beautiful oaking. the clean lemon lime Chardonnay flavours shining through, silky and intense but not blousy or over ripe, as warmer areas can sometimes be

Time for a pause and a palate cleanser. This is one of the signatures of Azure restaurant. A green apple pear sorbet with a dry ice fountain

Onward into the meat zone. A perfectly pink loin of venison served pulled venison, so rich, accompanied by parmesan gnocchi, roast butternut puree, squash custard, confit baby leeks, a seed crumble and a shiny maple and coffee jus. Its richness nearly defeated several of us but it was a well made dish. Sommelier Greg served us the Hannibal 2014 from Bouchard Finlayson, made by Cellarmaster Peter Finlayson (the farm is owned by the Tollman family). It has the perfume of Pinot Noir's fresh cherries and the spice cranberries and cherries of the Sangiovese and other grapes that go into this extraordinarily good blend of many layers and surprises. The blend is 33% Sangiovese, 22% Pinot noir, 18% Shiraz, 17%n Nebbiolo, 6% Mourvédre, 4% Barbera.

Time for a savoury cheese course before the dessert. Boerenkaas (farmers cheese) Biscuit made by Gina Marziani the pastry chef. This was served with pickled plums, a plum gel and watercress with a toasted macadamia mousse. The wine served was Boplaas NV Cape Tawny, a port style wine, made by Margaux Nel from Tinta Barocca, Touriga Nacional and Souzao

The 12 Apostles team who so generously cooked, served and entertained us. Gina Marziani, pastry chef; William "Bwana" Chintu, waiter; Hilton Ruch, F&B Manager; Gregory Mutambe, Head Sommelier; Christo Pretorius, Executive Chef; Michael Nel, General Manager

Time for dessert. Another rich and indulgent course: a Valrhona Chocolate crémeux, with gingerbread, a salty dulcey crème rocher on top, macerated berries and tiny vanilla meringue kisses, again perfectly matched with Peter Bayly's Cape Vintage port (we recognised it, but then we have had quite a lot of this lovely port, having occupied the stand next to Peter's at the Biscuit Mill market for several years). The port is spicy, full, layered and full of red and black berry fruit, a great match for chocolate. It wins competitions and is so well respected in the industry. Thank you Greg for showing us your favourite wines, we loved them

Another courses: Mignardises (petit fours) served with coffee. Tiny macarons, fruit jellies and chocolate enrobed raisins, nuts and marshmallow

You do need to book for this very special meal well in advance. This Chef's Table is not served in the kitchen but in a special area of the very chic Azure restaurant. Contact them on 021 437 9000 or restaurants@12apostles.co.za. They do also have a seasonal à La Carte Menu or try the innovative ‘Taste of the Earth’ vegetarian and ‘Taste of the Sea’ pescetarian four-course tasting menus

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About us

MENU, our weekly email newsletter, started as an advertising medium for Main Ingredient, our specialist retail grocery business. We opened our Sea Point shop in December 2002 because realised that there was a place in South Africa for a grocer catering to people with sophisticated tastes and needs. We moved the shop on line in 2010, but discontinued it in 2015, having decided that it is time to “retire” and concentrate on our writing, photography and tour guiding. MENU has a wide circulation and is read nationally and internationally.

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