Starlight Concert at Vergelegen

Lots of strategic planning ensured that we met up that evening at La Franschhoek where John’s tour guests were staying and then it was off to one of our musical highlights of the year, the RMB Starlight Concert at Vergelegen.

Lots of great performers this year, Cape Town Opera Chorus, Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, The Delft Big Band, Bovim Ballet,  our favourite Conductor Richard Cock, City Swing and many soloists. If only the programme listed the names of the performers with the items instead of the composers!

This young 12 year old Maudee Montierre gave a stunning performance for an amateur. She is blind and her ambition is to sing with Andrea Bocelli and Nianell. One wish came true, as Nianell was performing that night and they sang together

The top act for the evening was Sir James Galway, accompanied by his wife Lady Jeanne.  He played some beautiful works, some classical, a Carmen fantasy, a very amusing Irish gig on a penny whistle and a his very emotional rendition of Danny Boy which accompanied the War Horse puppets

Conductor and MC for the evening Richard Cock

The lovely part of the evening when we become the starlight and wave our torches in the air. If we have one small regret it was that this year there was very little audience participation with the music

Nianel singing at the piano

Opera and ballet together

with audience participation by candle light

The Paul Simon Graceland medley had the audience on its feet dancing and tears pouring down Lynne's face as these were the songs that brought her back to South Africa

Help yourself to sweeties at the after concert dessert and coffee table

Best selection of desserts we have ever had. Cream filled chocolate profiteroles, real macaroons, red velvet mini cakes, carrot cakes, chocolate cake topped with raspberries.  By the time we had a coffee and sampled some of these delights, the traffic had cleared

The magnificent ancient camphor trees of Vergelegen, now a national monument. Yes, the trees are a monument

Lovely finding your way to your car through the beautiful gardens of Vergelegen

One of the farm buildings that is now a restaurant

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2015

150306 Main Ingredient's MENU - Publication delayed. South Peninsula fire

Smoke from the dying fires above Buitenverwachting wine estate

and Groot Constantia

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.

This week, there have been so many events, tours, tastings and festivals that we have had no time to do more than take notes and photographs. Editing and publication need to wait for next week.

The biggest, most devastating event of the week has been the horrific fires in the South Peninsula. We went to a tasting in Constantia last night and took these photographs. By the time we were there, it appeared that the fires were finally under control after heroic activity by the firefighters since Sunday morning. Our hearts go out to everyone who lost property, memories, livelihoods and even life. 

Cape Talk Radio started a fund yesterday and has already collected more than R3 million which will go to training firefighters and buying better equipment. You can contribute by going to their website and pledging. Look for " How to donate to the Fire Relief Fund" http://www.capetalk.co.za/articles/1967/fire-relief-fund

Thousands of visitors are here for the annual Cycle Tour. We welcome them all and wish them well. Sadly, because of damage caused by the fire, Chapman’s Peak Drive has had to be closed and the race shortened from 109Km to 47 Km.

Next week, we will be back to normal and we will send you a bumper edition.

Have a wonderful weekend

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

Chez Gourmet in Claremont has a programme of cooking classes. A calendar of their classes can be seen here.

In addition to the new 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.

6th March 2015

Remember - if you can’t find something, we’ll do our best to get it for you, and, if you’re in Cape Town or elsewhere in the country, we can send it to you! Check our online shop for details and prices.

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.

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. Our Avast! ^® Anti-Virus software is updated at least daily and our system is scanned continually for viruses.

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. We own our mailing software and keep our mailing list strictly confidential. 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.

150226 Main Ingredient's MENU - Kalk Bay fish & chips, Franschhoek Cellar, Beer batter

Take Off and Landing...

In this week’s MENU:

 A day by the Sea with Fish and Chips

 The Franschhoek Cellar New Venue Launch

 The 2015 AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine Auction
 Learn about wine and cooking

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 of our story, 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.

A day by the Sea with Fish and Chips     The Cape has so many wonderful places to visit we find we do unwittingly neglect some of them and rather take them for granted.  We have not been to visit the seaside ports on the other side of the peninsula for at least three years and thought it was time.  So on a lovely Saturday last week we took along some friends and had a marvellous day out in Kalk Bay and Simonstown.  Read on

The Franschhoek Cellar New Venue Launch      The Franschhoek Cellar is a familiar landmark as you enter Franschhoek but how many of us have actually visited it?   DGB (Douglas Green Bellingham) produce, wholesale and distribute wines and spirits including familiar names like Boschendal, Bellingham, & Douglas Green, acquired this winery several years ago and MD Tim Hutchinson was keen for them to redevelop this iconic building as a tasting, function and sales venue to compliment the winery.

They have much improved the outside facilities as well.  On Monday night we drove through to Franschhoek for the launch of The Venue. Read On

The 2015 AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine Auction, which took place on Saturday 14th February, ascended to new heights when an astounding R10.565 million was raised for education in the Cape Winelands, achieving a significant 50% increase on the R7.045 million raised at the inaugural 2014 Auction. The entire proceeds of the 2015 Auction, without offset or deduction, will go to the Auction beneficiaries, charities actively involved with education, from infancy to adulthood, across the Western Cape. For more information, see www.thecapewineauction.com

This week’s recipe: Beer Batter for Fish

This makes very crisp and crunchy batter with a flavour when making deep-fried fish or battered seafood or vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper but you can add other spices and herbs according to your taste, even paprika – smoked or sweet, chilli, garlic powder, etc.

If you don’t want to use beer you can use soda water instead.  Make sure they are ice cold.

Canola oil for frying - 285 ml Bottle of cold beer - 225g cups self raising flour, plus more for dusting - seasoning to taste

Season whatever you are going to batter first, and then set aside. This helps to remove moisture.

Heat your oil to 190°C this is one of the secrets of this dish.   Whisk the beer, flour, and seasoning together until it resembles thick double cream and use immediately.  Dust the food with a little flour to stop the batter sliding off, then dip into the batter a piece at a time and slide carefully into the hot oil. You need to fry just a few things at a time.  Fry for approximately 4 minutes until the batter is beautifully crisp and golden. Serve immediately. Always improved by a good slice of lemon to squeeze over the dish and, if fish, with some tartare sauce.  This batter is enough for four servings of fish.

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

Chez Gourmet in Claremont has a programme of cooking classes. A calendar of their classes can be seen here.

In addition to the new 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.

26th February 2015

Remember - if you can’t find something, we’ll do our best to get it for you, and, if you’re in Cape Town or elsewhere in the country, we can send it to you! Check our online shop for details and prices.

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.

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. Our Avast! ^® Anti-Virus software is updated at least daily and our system is scanned continually for viruses.

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. We own our mailing software and keep our mailing list strictly confidential. 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.

Opening of the refurbished Franschhoek Cellars tasting and entertainment facility

The Franschhoek Cellar is a familiar landmark as you enter Franschhoek but how many of us have actually visited it?  DGB (Douglas Green Bellingham) produce, wholesale and distribute wines and spirits including familiar names like Boschendal, Bellingham, & Douglas Green, acquired this winery several years ago and MD Tim Hutchinson was keen for them to redevelop this iconic building as a tasting, function and sales venue to compliment the winery.

 They have much improved the outside facilities as well. On Monday night we drove through to Franschhoek for the launch of The Venue. We have to say that one think we don’t like is functions that start at 5.30 in the winelands, as we then spend nearly 2 hours stuck in going home traffic, which is what happened on Monday. It makes for a very long evening

Two new very impressive cut steel logo boards with steel candle braziers flank the front door. This is now a very impressive venue

It was a gathering of the great and good of Franschhoek

Beautifully planted garden areas flank the ‘Platform’ covered area which is suitable for functions and the central walkway. There are plans to enclose in the Platform area to make it weather proof and more comfortable in the winter months

The view down towards the gazebo, lovely for wedding ceremonies in the garden

Guests included Chef Chris Erasmus of Foliage, his restaurant Manager Lee-Ann Fouché and Hein Koegelenberg, CEO La Motte Estate and Leopard's Leap Family Vineyards

A good band with a Latin flavour played throughout the evening

On offer on arrival was the Franschhoek Cellar MCC Brut rose, caramel popcorn and rather messy Jaffles stuffed with bobotie, something we haven’t had for a couple of decades

After about an hour we moved inside. The colourful Brampton Wine Studio inside the front door also had music.

The tasting area filled with busy servers

Up a short flight of steps into the Main tasting room which is divided into four areas. Here we stood around for quite a while and enjoyed some of the Franschhoek chenin or sauvignon blanc on offer. There was also a rosé and Brampton red wine. You can do chocolate or cheese and wine pairings; they serve cakes and you can buy wine

This is The Venue all set up for the function. If you book it they supply tables, linen, cutlery, crockery & chairs. It has its own entrance and loos

Filling glasses for the guests in the tasting room

This was the best canapé of the evening. Small toasts topped with brie and pickles & artichokes

Winnie Bowman CWM, Jenny Prinsloo, Head of Franschhoek Tourism and Allister Rogan, director of Graham Beck Enterprises

Jacques Roux, Marketing Director of DGB, was the MC for the evening

The cocktail party in full swing while we wait to sit down for the speeches

The snacks for supper. It was “retro” party food and I am being kind. Small hamburgers 

and rather dry chicken on toothpicks

Baby meatballs and tomatoes

Spring rolls

Cheese on sticks, all that was missing was the melon to stick them into

Jacques Roux begins the speeches by telling us of the line up of speakers

Carla, Malherbe Marketing Manager for Franschhoek Cellars, told us in detail about what they have planned

The party snacks were laid out on tables for guests to help themselves. In the background is the line up of staff who work at the Franschhoek Cellar as they were introduced to us

The Executive Mayor of the Stellenbosch Municipality, his Honour Conrad Sidego, was there to give a blessing to the Cellar. His speech was inspiring and interesting. He said that the heart of the wealth in our wines is in this community. And he wants to turn this valley (which stretches from Wellington through Paarl and Stellenbosch to Franschhoek) into the Innovation Capital of South Africa in wine, cuisine and tourism. He said: “Although SA faces huge challenges, this valley can do it. We have had 21 years of the New South Africa, it was a promissory note. When will we deliver? “ he asked. The wine industry must do its part. He hopes that the directors of DGB are a blessed bunch and that they will deliver to the winning nation and continue to show sensitivity to the environment in which they operate.

CEO of DGB Tim Hutchinson thanked the Mayor and told us about how DGB was progressing with Franschhoek Cellars, and its other properties. He introduced and thanked the architect of this project Ernst Zieman, Operations boss at Boschendal. He told us of the charities they support: the Andrew Murray Orphanage in Wellington, and the Fair to All Project which has a truck fitted out with 32 computers and a library that circulates to needy schools in the winelands. They plan to have 3 to 4 more soon but need help from the wealthy to fund them.

John Gnodde, an Executive Director of Brait

And finally chocolates and coffee in the Bernhard Premium lounge on the way out, where we were presented with a generous gift bag containing coffee, a bottle of Franschhoek Cellars red wine and a chopping board.

Lynne chatting to Boschendal Cellarmaster, JC Bekker

The Bernard Premium lounge. We arrived home at 11.30 pm

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2015