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Thursday, March 21, 2013

Thai cooking lesson at Stir Crazy

The Stir Crazy cooking school with the five fully equipped double work stations

Our teacher for the evening, Noleen van der Westhuizen

You choose your recipe according to your ability and experience

Michael gets chopping. He has lots of prep to do for his rice paper rolls, which include noodles, mango, spring onion, avocado, coriander, mint and basil with a sweet Thai chilli sauce

Each of us made one

You soak the rice paper rounds in hot water, then paint on some sweet chilli sauce, choose your contents and roll up

The class in action. Lynne discussing spices she has just pan roasted with our teacher Noleen

John made stir-fried steak in oyster sauce. He left out the mushrooms, but it still tasted great

Yorke Searra, the chef, trying to blend the Penang curry paste for Lynne – a little difficult with a stick blender that was broken

Noleen tastes one of the sauces a student has made

We enjoyed a glass or two while we cooked. Lynne was so busy she kept forgetting her wine

Stir fried Thai mussels

Carmen makes one of our starters, a great Tom kha Gai (spicy and fragrant chicken in coconut milk) soup

Michelle reading the recipe carefully. Studying it before you start is essential

Twice cooked chicken in its marinade waiting for its first cooking

Then after the second cooking, it is put onto flat noodles for serving

Hard boiled eggs are deep fried....

...for the delicious starter Son-in-Law Eggs in a tamarind sauce

Lynne starts to fry off her chicken while the curry sauce reduces in the wok...

...then the chicken and thinly sliced green beans are added and briefly cooked

And finally we all sit down to a really great meal. See on the table another dish of Thai fish cakes

Opening of the Vondeling Tasting Room

Matthew Copeland, Vondeling’s winemaker, behind the new tasting room counter with Willie de Waal of Scali and Christian Eedes

Julian Johnsen, his daughter and Fiona McDonald greet M. Albert Roux

The impressive vaulted ceiling in the building

There were stations at which we could taste each wine the estate produces

The first of many marvellous canapés. Goats cheese and caramelised onions

Green gazpacho

Mini caprese salad on croutons

Tomato gazpacho

Pea polenta topped with springbok

Fish samoosas and a sweet chilli dipping sauce

Baby won tons in a sharp sauce

Shareholder and Managing Director of Vondeling, Julian Johnsen, welcomes us all

Journalist Neil Pendock chats to Vondeling’s UK sales representative

It was a large party and many of us preferred the terrace outside in the early evening

Sesame chicken strips

Belly of pork

Beetroot risotto, cream cheese topped with a preserved green fig

Asian flavoured seared salmon

The busy tasting room counter

Elaine Rousseau of Food Fanatics, the caterer for the event, who produced masses of superb food without let up throughout the evening...

... in an unbelievably small space

Speeches were short and to the point

Winemaker Matthew Copeland tells us about the vertical tasting of 2005 to 2010 vintages of Vondeling’s Babiana White blend

A stunning view of the Voor Paardeberg vineyards and the country beyond, at sunset

This is wheat and wine country

Part owner and investor Anthony Ward tells us why he invested in the farm

M. Albert Roux explained his connection with Vondeling, South Africa and the Cape. M. Roux’s wife is from Zimbabwe and they visit every year

The far hills turn pink and blue as the sun sets

Three well known winemakers: Andre Badenhorst of Doran Vineyards, his son Adi Badenhorst who is part of the Swartland Revolution and Duimpie Bailey

M. Roux cuts the ribbon to open the tasting centre

Master of Wine Cathy van Zyl and her husband Philip Van Zyl, Editor of the John Platter Guide

Jane Eedes with her delightful daughter

Winemaker Matthew Copeland with the bottles lines up for the Vertical tasting

Time for a chat in front of the Kanonkop mountain

Vondeling’s gleaming tank Cellar – full of newly made wine

Francis Naughton, a very entertaining fellow from Ireland, who also makes wine – Naughton’s Flight

M. Albert Roux and his wife have a quiet moment together

The band who entertained us all evening, with soft, elegant music