Woolworths Taste magazine

How To - Make a quick all-round salad dressing

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:13:21 GMT

Nothing beats the taste of homemade salad dressing. To make yours, combine 1 cup or organic olive oil, 2 T Balsamic vinegar, 2 T lemon juice, sea salt, fresh garlic, peeled and roasted, chopped fresh thyme, freshly ground rainbow peppers and chopped chilli and pour into a salad dressing decanter. Shake before use.

Recipe: Litchi-and-avocado salad

How To - Make yoghurt pannacotta

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:08:36 GMT

Pannacotta is a favourite Italian dessert. It literally means ‘‘cooked cream’’. Substituting yoghurt and reduced fat cream for the cream turns a rich pudding into a healthy and delicious treat.

HINTS AND TIPS

Top the pannacotta with fresh berries
Serve with fresh figs
Spoon fresh granadilla pulp over the pannacotta
To make a classic pannacotta use 2 cups fresh cream

Follow the steps in our slideshow and most of all, enjoy! For the text version of this recipe (which you can add to your online recipe book), click the link: Yoghurt pannacotta.

Recipe: Yoghurt panna cotta

5 Clever ways with sweetcorn

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:14:42 GMT

Remove the fibrous outer leaves and silken threads of the corncob to reveal the sweet golden nuggets within. Then try one of these gorgeous little recipes.

For a fresh salad with an Asian spin, combine cooked sweetcorn kernels, vermicelli noodles, crushed ginger, garlic, chilli and chopped coriander.

Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a few drops of sesame oil, and combine with shredded chicken. Top with chunks of juicy mango.
Pan-fry corn kernels and baby marrow, and serve with lime and parsley salt and a dip made of spring onions and chives, as an appetiser with drinks.
Smother whole cobs in fresh herbs, chilli and butter, before wrapping in tinfoil and grilling over smouldering coals.
Partner corn with flavoured butter. Mix chopped apricot and chive, and lemon zest, into softened butter (or try chopped coriander, chilli and ginger or crushed peppercorns, parsley and garlic). Spoon onto a sheet of clingfilm and roll to form a log. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Place corn coblets (whole corn cut in half) in a saucepan just large enough to take them in a single layer. Pour in enough water to cover (don’t add salt as this will toughen the corn).

Bring to a boil then simmer for 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain and spike with short skewers. Brush with melted butter and dab with a sauce made with 100 g organic low-fat cream cheese mixed with 6 T organic cream . Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve.

MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES USING CORN

Thai coconut and corn soup

Plump corn fritters

Crisp corn flatbread slathered in basil pesto

Char-grilled corn parcels stuffed with soft garlic and ginger chicken (pictured above)

What would you do with corn?

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5 Quick side orders using carrots

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 11:00:24 GMT

Easy to pack and perfect as crudites for that favourite dip, sweet carrots are popular with adults and kids alike.

Melt 2 T of butter in a saucepan and add 1/4 cup sugar and 2 T of your favourite mustard and a pinch of salt.

Add 3 cups of sliced, cooked carrots and stir until nicely glazed. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
Roast carrots with maple syrup, butter, sea salt and bay leaves in a hot oven for 40 minutes.

Discard the bay leaves, add a splash of cream and blend until smooth. Serve with pork chops or roast chicken.
Add crushed peppercorns, chopped coriander, dried chilli and chopped garlic to softened butter and roll into a log between sheets of cling wrap.
Chill until set. Serve with roast baby carrots.
Chop a few peeled carrots and 2 potatoes and fry in 1 T olive oil with ground cumin, mustard seeds, dried chilli and curry powder.
Spoon onto puff-pastry squares and fold to form triangles. Bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes. Serve with a yoghurt dipping sauce.

MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES USING CARROTS

Empanadas with hot sauce

Wed, 16 May 2012 14:55:00 GMT

Recipe by: Abigail Donnelly
Serves: 10 to 12
Category: Easy / Great value
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Bay leaf
2 T olive oil
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t ground chilli
300 g beef mince
60 g raisins
8 green olives, chopped
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
Sea salt, to taste
400 g shortcrust pastry
2 free-range eggs, hard-boiled and sliced
Beaten egg, for brushing
Tomato-chilli sauce, for serving

Cooking instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180°

Fry the onion, garlic and bay leaf in the olive oil, add the cumin and chilli and stir to coat

Add the mince and cook for 15 minutes. Add the raisins, olives and tomatoes and cook for a further 15 minutes, then season. Cool slightly.

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and cut out 10cm circles.

Moisten the edges of the circles with water, place 2-3T mince in the middle of each and top with egg slices.

Fold over the edges and seal. Brush with egg and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden.

Alternatively, grill over an open flame.

Cook's note: you can buy your shortcrust pastry ready-made from Woolworths, or try your hand at making shortcrust pastry from scratch at home.

Wine: De Grendel Viognier 2011

How To - Make home-made tomato sauce

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:06:57 GMT

A good home-made tomato sauce is hard to beat. Serve it on pizzas, pasta,spread on thick toast with olives and cheese, or stir into stews. Here's a classic recipe.

You'll need:

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped, 1 peeled white onion, thinly sliced, 3-4 ts olive oil, 1 knob of butter ,4 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped, skin and all,1 tin whole peeled tomatoes and 2 anchovy fillets .

To make:

In a pan, fry the garlic and onion in the olive oil and butter until the onions are clear and have softened.

Add the fresh and canned tomatoes. Break up the anchovies with your fingers and add them. Let this all simmer, not boil, for about half an hour until the fresh tomatoes have disintegrated into the sauce.

If you prefer a thicker sauce, allow to simmer with the lid off for 10 minutes or so before serving.

If the sauce is too acidic for you, add a pinch or two of sugar to mellow it out.

Recipe: Roast olive and tomato sauce with penne

MasterChef SA: Episode 9 Reviewed - gorgeous global food and double baked disasters

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:47:57 GMT

South African food is wonderful, no doubt, but this week MasterChef chucked out the waterblommetjies and drizzled itself in cosmopolitan dressing.

International flavours were the theme of the day as each contestant drew a country and a method of cooking. This led to some extremely interesting combinations such as Thys’ Moroccan poaching, as well as some extremely dull ones like American grilling or South African frying.

It was nice to give the contestants a bit of free reign, though, as they were free to use whatever they desired from the pantry provided it fit with their theme.

Thys started off with the wonderful cultural faux-pas of using wine for a recipe from a largely teetotal country, but seemed the most inspired of the bunch despite having perhaps the most difficult combination.

Sarel went for his trusty chocolate, looking somewhat daunted by his fusion of Brazil and steam. Guy embraced the stereotypes for his British poaching by going for a sort of deconstructed fish and chips, poached in beer.

This is how Abigail poaches a pear

The results were, again, pretty varied. Thys stood out with an inspired combination of muscadel-poached pears, sweet cous-cous, cinnamon custard and praline.

I concur with Pete’s admission that he would pay a lot of money to eat that. It was a triumph over an awkward culinary combination. Khaya also did well with her rather more classical chicken ballotine.

Make burgers right

Some, however, failed to follow through on their international inspiration. Jade boldly made everything, from bread to ketchup, but perhaps overstretched herself and ended up with a poorly constructed burger.

Sarels’ steamed chocolate custard looked frankly juvenile, and Samantha let herself down with her vetkoek and mince. These three, plus Guy, were sent to the purgatory of the pressure test.

The pressure test was hard and mean. A twice-baked, thrice-cheesed soufflé with a selection of funky garnishes.

In 80 minutes, it’s a tough call, emphasised by the fact that the recipe runs for a full three pages. Precision is the key with notoriously fickle soufflés being paired with a delicate gruyere tuile and fine onion soubise.

Try this double cheese souffle recipe

What followed was stressful, if not downright harrowing as the contestants worked themselves into sweaty demons trying to keep up to the recipe. By the end they looked rough, as did some of their meals.

Samantha and Sarel made the best attempts, though Sarel perhaps pipped it with an excellent soufflé. Jade and guy, however, hadn’t even managed to bake their soufflés once, let alone twice.

Guy presented his with raw bacon and a biscuit-like soufflé. His heavy-handed whisking had deprived the mixture of it’s precious air and it didn’t rise very far. Jades was simply not cooked enough, and virtually oozed out onto the plate.

In the end it came down to the fact that, given ten more minutes, Jade’s would have worked out nicely whereas Guy’s poor soufflé had been beaten into submission.

And so it was that Guy, poor guy, was sent a-packing.

Let Hannah show you the global connection with the help of humble, versatile garlic or try out a French Peasant Soup recipe from the pages of TASTE at the Woolies Pantry.

Quick ideas with goat's milk cheese

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:55:32 GMT

Ranging in texture from soft and creamy to dry and sliceable, goat's milk cheeses all share a dry, piquant aftertaste.

MOST POPULAR GOAT'S MILK CHEESES

Crottin, sharply flavoured and semi-hard with a blue-grey mould
Pecorino, a hard cheese with lots of tangy flavour
Chavroux, a citrus-flavoured cheese with a distinct pyramid shape
Chevin, a mild log-shaped fresh curd cheese
Gouda and Camembert-style cheeses can also be made with goat's milk

QUICK FIXES

Cook sliced apples in caramelised verjuice. Add toasted hazelnuts and toss over watercress and slices of goat's milk cheese.
Marinate lamb chops in lemon juice and olive oil. Grill until just cooked, top with slices of crotin and grill until the cheese is soft.
Lay goat's milk gouda on rye bread and top with prosciutto and chopped, bottled sour cherries.
Toss asparagus in olive oil, garlic and chilli. Grill and top with goat's milk cheese.
Serve a Chavroux with warm raspberries
Roll goat's milk cheese in dukkah and chopped black olives. Serve slices with couscous and roasted butternut.

RECIPES USING GOAT'S MILK CHEESE

Crottin stuffed with figs and honey

Roast vine tomatoes with oozing goat's-milk cheese

Fennel and goat's cheese fritters

Two cheese open pie with grilled tomatoes

How To - Make home made cinnamon sugar doughnuts

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:39:31 GMT

TASTE's Assistant Food Editor, Hannah Lewry created this version of the most delicious, do-it-yourself doughnuts. They work best when given the right amount of time to rise.

Follow the steps and most of all, enjoy! For the text version of this recipe (which you can add to your online recipe book), click the link: Home made cinnamon sugar doughnuts.

Photographs: Willem Lourens

FOR JAM DOUGHNUTS:

Roll in cinnamon sugar and then make a small slit in the side with a sharp knife. Using a small piping bag, carefully insert the knozzle into the slit and squeeze about a teaspoon of jam inside or use a clean syringe to do the job.

FOR ICING SUGAR DRIZZLED DOUGHNUTS:

Sift 200g icing sugar into a bowl and add ¼ cup of water to make a drizzle texture. Add more water to make a thinner Yeah drizzle if you like and more icing sugar to make it thicker. Drizzle over the doughnuts to set.

MORE DOUGHNUT RECIPES:

Recipe: Home made cinnamon sugar doughnuts

How To - Make edible Christmas decorations

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:04:46 GMT

Vanilla butter biscuit candy glass centered decorations are great to make with the kids the day before Christmas. They will keep them busy and are delicious to eat with a glass of chilled milk too!

Follow the steps and most of all, enjoy! For the text version of this recipe (which you can add to your online recipe book), click the link: Edible Christmas decorations

CREDITS:

Photographs: Jan Ras
Production: Hannah Lewry

Recipe: Edible Christmas decorations

5 Deliciously easy ways to cook meat

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:33:52 GMT

Getting tired of your same-old repertoire when it comes to cooking meat? Here are a couple of no-fuss, quick and easy ideas.

Combine Harissa, lemon zest, lemon rind and olive oil, spoon over lamb chops and cook over hot coals.

Or try our baked, marinated lamb chops
Quickly pan-fry thin slices of chorizo in a little oil and toss through baby spinach, basil leaves and chopped tomatoes. Top with marinated artichokes and green olives.

Or try our pizza with blue cheese, chorizo and caramelised onions
Rub chicken fillets with a little salt and dry-chargrill in a ridge pan until cooked through. Leave to rest and slice. Place on a tortilla with a dollop of mayo, spring onions, baby gem lettuce and avo, wrap up and enjoy.

Or try our chicken wontons
Rub soy sauce, garlic, ginger, olive oil and Dijon mustard over a juicy matured sirloin steak, leave to marinade and braai until slightly charred and tender.

Or try our chargrilled sirloin steak with crisp greens
Add crushed garlic, chilli, peanut butter, 1 cup of coconut milk and a T of soy sauce to a warm saucepan and cook for about three minutes until slightly thick and fragrant. Use as a dip for cooked chicken on skewers or drizzle over lamb pitas.

Or try our chicken skewers with hummus-yoghurt sauce

READ MORE

Read TASTE users' tips for cooking with meat
Great ideas for steak and chips
TASTE's collection of good value meals

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Hannah's favourite ingredients to add to a spicy curry

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:23:22 GMT

I just love to read those questions you find on the Q&A or contributors page, in the front of your favourite food magazine every month – 'What five ingredients cant you live without'? Or 'What can we always find in your fridge'?

I love these all the more because it lets me compare the contents of my fridge with theirs. So I thought, because it's getting colder (can you believe there's snow on the Matroosberg today!) I'd let you in on my favourite things to add to a curry, and why I love them.

YOGHURT AND BANANAS

Yoghurt and freshly sliced banana may sound a little predictable, but I'm a huge fan! It goes beautifully with Abigail's tender lamb, brinjal and potato curry pie. I like it for the flaky outside pie crust and the warm layers of pastry underneath that soak up all of the wonderful flavours. It's as though the flavours all steamed into the pastry lid.

I like to think of it as a 'posh roti' and it looks amazing when you bring it hot from the oven to a table of hungry friends.

CASHEWS AND CORIANDER

This is a flavour combination made in heaven. The cashew nuts have to be lightly roasted in the oven or toasted in a dry pan to bring out their lovely flavours. Chopped then sprinkled over any curry, from Thai to Indian, it adds fabulous texture and heart to a curry. Especially for non meat eaters. Try it with this vegetarian chickpea and cashew curry.

Tip: next time your curry sauce is a little thin, grind cashews in a food processor and add to the sauce - it's a wonderful thickner while adding nutrition and flavour.

Fresh coriander is a magical herb that adds a completely new flavour dimension to a dish. Not everybody loves it, and I don't use it all the time either, but every now and again I go overboard and sprinkle if over everything. Try it over this simple dish of chilli prawns served on steamed rice.

LIME JUICE AND BROWN SUGAR

Lime juice and brown sugar are my secret weapons for a Thai curry. The contrast of the sweet and sour just explodes in your mouth. Try it in our Thai seafood and vegetable green curry - it uses palm sugar, which is super but use brown sugar if you can't find it.

The fresh sweet mango and salty sticky BBQ chicken wings do the same for me in our recipe for fragrant coconut and sticky chicken wing curry with sweet mango and noodles. this curry. It's a must try curry!

CHILLIES, CHILLIES AND NEVER ENOUGH CHILLIES

This laksa, red chilli and Thai basil clam curry recipe of mine is one of my favourites because it reminds me of Christmas 2010 when I was in a hot, bustling market in Thailand.

The chillies release fiery flavours that fuse with the chunky vegetables and freshly opened clams. I use the shells to scoop up the delicious broth. If you can't find clams, use mussels.

I also love them, slightly charred, in my lime, chicken and coriander parcels.

A CRACK OF COCONUT

Coconut, whether it’s freshly sliced or toasted until golden and crunchy, is my last but not least essential ingredient to add to a spicy dish.

It adds a slightly sweet flavour and distinctive texture to a curry.

Try Abigail's Thai coconut and corn soup.

Speaking of which, a Thai curry wouldn’t be the same without creamy coconut milk. I also love to add it to a simple butternut soup to add volume and top it with crisp fresh coconut shavings.

Last word: many Asian dishes ask for laksa paste. If you can't find it in Asian markets, make some at home with our laksa recipe.

There are many other flavours hiding in sambals and chutneys, lassis and fruit drinks that go so well with a spicy dish. Let me know what your favourite ingredients are at hannahlewry@gmail.com.

Hannah

Avocado Cajun scrambled eggs

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:56:26 GMT

Recipe by: South African Avocado Growers' Association
Serves: 4
Dietary considerations: Health conscious
Category: Vegetarian / Easy / Quick
Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Salt and Pepper
3 T avocado oil
2 avocados, thickly sliced
1/2 t Cajun spice

Cooking instructions:

Beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Pour avo oil into a large non-stick frying pan, heat on medium.

Add the egg mixture and stir gently until starting to set.

Stir through sliced avocados and sprinkle with Cajun spice.

THINGS TO DO WITH AVOCADOS:

Avocados are super healthy, delicious and more versatile than you'd think. Here are some quick and easy ways of using them in cooking.

SIMPLY AVOLICIOUS:

Slice, dice, mash, scoop, spread, puree… just eat them! Find our more on avocados here.

Avocado cheesecake

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:44:55 GMT

Recipe by: South African Avocado Growers' Association
Serves: 8-10
Category: Easy / A little effort
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes with overnight setting time

Ingredients:
250 g tennis biscuits, crushed
100 g butter, melted
2 packets lime jelly
100 ml boiling water
750 g Philadelphia cream cheese
2 large ripe avocados, pureed
15 ml lemon juice
Mixed berries, sliced avos and kiwi fruit to garnish

Cooking instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180°C

Prepare the biscuit base by mixing the melted butter into the crushed biscuits.

Press biscuit mixture into the bottom of a 23cm spring form pan.

Place in the oven for 5-8 minutes to crisp the biscuits, remove and cool.

Dissolve the jelly in boiling water,whilst the jelly is dissolving, beat the cream cheese with the pureed avocado and the lemon juice until combined, pour in the dissolved jelly.

Pour the mixture into the spring form pan and allow to set overnight.

To serve, release the cheesecake from spring form pan, garnish with mixed berries, avocado slices and kiwi fruit.

THINGS TO DO WITH AVOCADOS:

Avocados are super healthy, delicious and more versatile than you'd think. Here are some quick and easy ways of using them in cooking.

SIMPLY AVOLICIOUS:

Slice, dice, mash, scoop, spread, puree… just eat them! Find our more on avocados here.

Avocado corn soup with red & yellow pepper

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:09:48 GMT

Recipe by: South African Avocado Growers' Association
Serves: 6
Category: Vegetarian / Easy / A little effort / Great value
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
1 T avocado oil
1 small white onion, diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 can creamy style corn
1 T fresh thyme leaves
2 cups water or stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
Fresh lemon juice, to taste
4 avocados
Diced red and yellow pepper to garnish

Cooking instructions:

Heat the avo oil in a large saucepan and saute the onion,celery and carrot until just tender.

Add the corn,thyme,water or stock and salt to taste.

Bring to the boil,then reduce the heat and simmer for 10-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Puree,adding more water or milk if necessary to bring to desired consistency.

Season to taste with the pepper and cayenne and reheat.

Remove from heat and add lemon juice to taste.

Just before serving, finely dice 3 of the avocados and mash through the soup.

Slice the remaining avocado thinly and coat in lemon juice.

Serve soup into bowls and decorate with the sliced avocado and diced peppers.

THINGS TO DO WITH AVOCADOS:

Avocados are super healthy, delicious and more versatile than you'd think. Here are some quick and easy ways of using them in cooking.

SIMPLY AVOLICIOUS:

Slice, dice, mash, scoop, spread, puree… just eat them! Find our more on avocados here.

6 easy ways with Woolworths’ new range of chicken

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:22:28 GMT

Who can resist the temptation of a piece of juicy, freshly cooked chicken? On the braai, in the oven, steamed or stir-fried, it's all so easy.

With winter around the corner, Woolworths’ new range of chicken are poised to become family favourites. Chicken is packed with protein and contains all the B-group vitamins, as well as phosporus, potassium, zinc and magnesium.

HERE ARE 7 EASY WAYS WITH WOOLWORTHS’ NEW RANGE OF CHICKEN:

1. Perfect butter-braised chicken

Simply pop Woolies perfect butter-basted, grain-fed chicken into a 190°C preheated oven or kettle braai and roast for 50 to 60 minutes. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before carving and then serve with sunblushed vine tomatoes.

2. Quick chicken kebab

Dice a Woolies skinless chicken thigh into 4 pieces, thread on a piece of lemongrass together with quarters of lime and Pepperdews. Marinate in teriyaki sauce for 20 minutes then grill or braai. Serve with couscous and hot sauce of your choice.

Or try grilled chicken, pancetta and dried apricot skewers

3. Chicken in a wrap

Dice Woolies chicken fillets and quickly fry in hot oil until cooked through. Add a tin of drained butter beans, chopped avo and fresh coriander and a drizzle of chilli sauce and wrap in ready-made flour tortillas, pancakes, rotis or wraps.

Or try chicken enchiladas

4. Roast chicken thighs

Mix together 6 cloves of crushed garlic, 3 T butter and 1 T chopped fresh rosemary and push the mix underneath the skin of 8 - 12 free-range chicken thighs from Woolworths. Sprinkle with salt, drizzle with olive oil and rub over some smoked Spanish paprika. Roast at 160 °C for 35 minutes or until the skin is browned and crisp. Serve with garlicky mayo and roast potatoes.

Or try pan-roasted chicken portions with crusty potato salad

5. Chicken and olive pasta

Heat some oil in a frying pan and brown 4 free-range skinless chicken breast fillets from Woolies, cut into cubes, until brown on all sides. Stir in 2 T chopped olives, 2 T chopped basil leaves and 200g rosa tomatoes. Stir-fry until the tomatoes have burst and the chicken is cooked. Toss through warm pasta and serve straight away.

Or try grilled chicken thighs with spinach pasta

6. Sweet chilli chicken wings

Divide 24 Woolworths chicken wings into two at the joint. Toss with 1 cup soy sauce mixed with 1 1/2 cups sweet chilli sauce. Braai or grill until sticky and dark brown. Serve with a big bowl of shoestring chips.

Or try chicken wings with spring onion and chive yoghurt dip

MORE QUICK AND EASY WAYS WITH CHICKEN:

MasterChef: Episode 4 reviewed - what a sticky situation!

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:14:24 GMT

Masterchef SA finally allowed us to get into the real deal; with a proper kitchen, tricky challenges and a couple of harsh goodbyes as episode 4 took to the airways last night.

The show started off by setting the scene of the custom built kitchen at Nederburg wine estate, where the remainder of the show will be set. Even a grizzled old sea dog such as myself had to be impressed by the picturesque building nestled between some of the countries oldest vines.

Not to be outdone by its setting, the kitchen itself was fairly magnificent with row upon row of gas hobs set into what seemed like acres of brushed steel upon which the contestants would mutilate their innumerable and hopefully exotic ingredients over the next few weeks.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, COOK

With the scene set, and a charmingly outdated introduction finished, the days business could begin and the judges pulled off a positively Machiavellian piece of showmanship in their unveiling. The participants tricked themselves into believing that the box ominously resting on their worktop contained ingredients they had to use for their dish.

However, once removed, it was found that the only thing that the boxes were covering were surreptitiously sourced childhood photos of the contestants. This was to be the challenge of the episode, to create a dish based on your childhood memories, or as Peter Goffe-Wood more elegantly put it: to see where your culinary journey began.

A smart move on the part of the producers as it allowed us at home to finally get to grips with the faces we would be watching sweat for the next couple of months.

The announcement of the challenge was swiftly followed by the terror-fuelled dash around the truly exquisite pantry, stocked to the brim with Woolworths' finest produce, an activity that I feel may grow to be my favourite part of the show come the finale as contestants get ever more desperate.

As for the food itself, one would think that, given that the top 18 had been selected above hordes of others to cook in this fabled kitchen, these cooks would be a pretty talented bunch. Unfortunately it would appear that the gap in talent evident during boot camp, was still very apparent, granted that much of these troubles must stem from the titanic pressure generated by the competition.

BORING, BORING

Nevertheless, some of the contestants made food that was downright uninspired and unappealing, and not in the same ironically-kitsch-but-cooked-very-well style as Jades’ avocado ritz.

Instead it was more a case of Charles’ standard bangers and mash or Fortunes’ steak and potatoes.

These dishes were boring, unoriginal and even, unfortunately, poorly cooked. Indeed, they were of such a low standard as to drag their creators into the bottom 5 - Fortune, Charles, Mmutsi, Lwazi and Berdina, were sent to the elimination-happy pressure test.

CULINARY SPIRIT

On the other side of the coin, however, were a couple of contestants who showed the real culinary spirit and talent necessary to become a truly fine chef. Samantha's croquettes with her two sauces were sheer genius as was Manisha's chicken done three ways, one of which was a delicious chicken curry.

THE PRESSURE TEST

And so it came down to the first pressure test of the season. Every episode, those whose food was not deemed worthy will have to duel it out, with the worst cook, or cooks, being given the boot.

For this pressure test the producers turned to another somewhat predictable part of South Africa’s culinary heritage, the deliciously syrupy Afrikaans koeksister and the sublime Malay koesister.

The unlucky 5 who failed on the childhood front now had to knock together a batch of each in a mere 75 minutes.

KNOWING YOUR KOE- FROM YOUR KOEK- ... SISTER

The contestants were clearly flustered with this mammoth task, and it quickly sorted the wheat from the chaff.

When time came for them to present their twisted and coconutted sisters, Berdina and Mmutsi passed with flying colours. The others, not so much.

One of Lwazi's treats hit the spot while his other one failed miserably; Fortune's cookie crumbled completely as both her sweets were a disaster and Charles disappointed badly with his mushy koe- and unravelling koeksister.

In a suprise twist, the judges gave both Fortunue and Charles the boot.

LEARN HOW TO MAKE KOEKSISTERS WITH WOOLWORTHS

COOK LIKE A CHEF, SHOP LIKE A CHEF

Visit The Pantry over at Woolies' website to skill up and cook like a chef.

Read our reviews of Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3

WHO DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST SA MASTERCHEF?

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THE SERIES, JUDGES AND CONTESTANTS

Avocado frittata with sundried tomatoes, feta & olives

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:03:34 GMT

Recipe by: South African Avocado Growers' Association
Serves: 4
Allergens: Wheat free / Gluten free
Category: Vegetarian / Easy / Kid-friendly
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup spring onions, chopped
2 - 3 t avocado oil
6 large eggs
125 ml milk
1/2 t dried mixed herbs
3/4 t salt
2 t lemon juice
100 g feta, crumbled
1/3 cup chopped Kalamata olives
1/2 sundried tomatoes, chopped
Rocket leaves to serve

Cooking instructions:

In a non-stick pan with an ovenproof handle sauté the onions in the oil until soft for about 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat.

Heat the oven to 180º C.

Beat together the eggs, milk, mixed herbs and salt.

Gently toss the avocado with lemon juice.

When the oven is hot, evenly scatter half the avocado, cheese, olives and sundried tomatoes over the sautéed onion.

Pour egg mixture into the pan taking care not to disturb the other ingredients.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the frittata is set firm and the top lightly browned.

Scatter the remaining ingredients over the top and bake for a further 10 minutes.

Cut into wedges and serve with rocket leaves.

THINGS TO DO WITH AVOCADOS:

Avocados are super healthy, delicious and more versatile than you'd think. Here are some quick and easy ways of using them in cooking.

SIMPLY AVOLICIOUS:

Slice, dice, mash, scoop, spread, puree… just eat them! Find our more on avocados here.

7 Delicious things to do with ricotta

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:20:31 GMT

Ricotta is a deliciously low-fat, soft cheese. Here are 7 great ways to incorporate it in your cooking.

Ricotta literally means recooked. During the first heating, the curds are separated from the whey. The curds are used to make other cheeses, but the whey is reheated until the granules of white ricotta rise to the surface.

They are skimmed off and turned into a basket or a perforated plastic bowl to allow it to drain and firm.

This white cheese is best when fresh. Store in the refrigerator, for not more than a few days.

• Enjoy absolutely fresh with milled cinnamon and sugar. Cut into wedges and serve with strawberries.

• Drench with best olive oil, season with milled sea salt and crushed chillies.

• Blend with a handful of fresh herbs, any mix of Italian parsley, chives, basil, oregano, olive oil, milled sea salt and black pepper, to spread on crusty ciabatta.

• Stuff the herbed ricotta under the skin of chicken breasts before roasting.

• Cut in half, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt, milled black pepper and fresh thyme. Bake at 200°C for about 30 minutes or until golden. Serve with lots of fresh rocket and oven-toasted baguette.

• Use in savoury tarts instead of thick cream. • Use in your favourite cheesecake recipe instead of cream cheese. If you like, stir in a few tablespoons of seedless raisins soaked in brandy, or chopped candied fruits.

Buy your ricotta from Woolworths. Look out for their fresh ricotta, made from Ayrshire milk (100% free range).

RECIPES USING RICOTTA

Hannah bowls us over with her super soup suggestions

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:17:41 GMT

Soup has to be one of my most favourite things in the whole world to eat. Rain or shine, winter or summer I am always up for a good old bowl of heart warming soup.

My boyfriend Callan can’t stand soup, unless of course it’s his moms butternut soup. He recently broke his jaw in a rugby game and had to get his lower jaw partly wired up for a few weeks, leaving him defenceless to my bowls of wholesome soup, well for the first few days at least. A boy can only handle so many tubs of vanilla custard and yoghurt!

So naturally I grabbed the opportunity to show him why I am such a soup freak! Here are some of the soups for which managed to get his approval.

Creamed potato soup with sticky maple bacon

This is like a fancy twist on meat and potatoes.

The potatoes make the soup so creamy and delicious, perfect for the sweet salty maple bacon.

The maple bacon is also delicious in winter root vegetable salads if you make more than you expected.

To make, place a pan over a medium to high heat and, when hot, fry bacon until crisp. Just before removing from the pan, toss in half the maple syrup, allowing it to coat the bacon and bubble briefly.

Transfer to a baking tray, drizzle over the remaining syrup and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until almost caramelised.

Creamed porcini soup topped with panfried mushrooms

We love mushrooms, all kind of mushrooms so this one is always a winner!

This recipe uses fresh porcinis making it a show stopping dinner party starter but let’s face it that can become very expensive for a weekday meal.

We often take advantage of the Woolworths saving deals where we buy any two punnets of mushrooms at a discounted price.

It’s nice to mix up the variety of mushrooms you use for different flavours and textures. Keep a watch out for those specials.

I also love the simplicity and added crunch of our mushroom soup with sweet chilli-fried pumpkin.

Or try our fresh and dried porcini mushroom soup. It's really quick to make and packed full of flavour.

The classic pea and ham soup

My gaga makes a pea and ham soup that is just out of this world, I think it’s because it takes him the better half of the day to do it!

Abigail shared this with our TASTE readers a few years back and I still make it at the beginning of every winter.

You can also try the healthy pea and ham soup or, if you are up for something a little different, the modern pea and ham soup made with black pudding.

Red lentil and chilli broth

Callan isn’t a huge fan of chilli so he didn’t give this soup a try, but it has to be the best lentil soup I have ever, ever, ever had.

It has enough spicy to give it a robust body and flavour but because of its broth like consistency its wonderfully light.

I also love the delicious spicy simplicity of a classic lentil and bean soup. I like to add chopped fried chorizo to it and a dollop of slightly sour creme fraiche

Another great thing about soups is that you can jazz them up in a number of ways. Here are a couple of our favourite things to add to soups or to top them with.

Please remember to enter your own secret soup recipe into the Woolworths home-made soup competition.

You can win a R50 000 Woolworths gift voucher, and you soup wll be sold exclusively at Woolworths stores.

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

Callan is on the mend and now happily bites into big beefy burgers with relish, however sadly for the next month or so, soups are not allowed to feature in our kitchen.

But I still have left over containers stacked up in the freezer, perfect to fit into a bowl for one.

Email me at hannahlewr y@gmail.com - it always inspires me to hear from you.

Good luck, and sweet soup making

Love,

Hannah

Make it a memorable Mother's Day with these delicious recipes

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:05:05 GMT

For years she slaved in the kitchen preparing meals for you. Now it's payback time.

Whether you're going to spoil her for brunch, lunch or tea, we've handpicked some delicious recipes to make the occasion easy and memorable for all.

MOTHER'S DAY RECIPE INSPIRATION

The perfect brunch - don't forget the tea

Classic Mother's Day Lunch - search for salads to go with these

Also read: a selection of quick side dishes that will go with these main meals

Say it with flowers in her food

Delicious pastas and sensational risottos - great meals-in-one

Drinks and desserts - something old, something new

Also read: 5 super easy desserts

Great cakes - what's Mother's Day without one!

Cook her a gift

TAKE HER OUT

If you don't have time or the inclination to cook, you can always take her out to a TASTE recommended Tea Room, or for coffee and macarons.

Shop like a chef and cook like a chef with these delicious ideas from the Woolworths Pantry

MasterChef: Episode 8 Reviewed

Wed, 09 May 2012 11:02:24 GMT

Last night MasterChef SA went all Amazing Race on us and had our contestants cruising around the cape in search of traditional South African food.

It was probably the toughest episode yet as contestants were faced with a tricky taste test and then the challenge of replicating some unorthodox local cuisine.

Benny bought out a rather wonky looking carrot cake for the taste test with the contestants having to pick out the 15 ingredients used in the cake from a selection of 30.

The judging method had a slight logical flaw, but saw many of our brave chefs fall after incorrectly picking sultanas as an ingredient. 5 chefs survived and leapt up to the balcony to watch the remaining 8 compete in the elimination challenge.

Hannah shows you to make awesome carrot cake

The 8 chefs facing their doom were split into pairs through a nice spatula-pairing exercise. Everyone seemed relatively pleased to be with their partners, a welcome change from the histrionics shoehorned into most reality TV.

The pairs were then given a map and car before zooting off to their assigned restaurant. The destinations were a diverse selection that represented several kinds of traditional South African food. Brandon and Babalwa got lucky with a relatively straightforward chicken pie.

Deena and Thys were tasked with a Malay-inspired Denningvleis. Jade and Sue-Ann had to grapple with an Afrikaans waterblommetjie bredie while Ilse and Manisha were left to tackle a daunting tripe and pap combination.

Learn the way of the waterblommetjie

After chatting with the chefs who created the dishes, and were keeping mum about how, the contestants dashed back to the kitchen to try their hand at replicating them. Pete Goffe-Wood emphasised that it was this replication that was the key and not creating the contestants own interpretation.

A titanic struggle ensued. Brandon boldly decided to create puff pastry in an hour, though it normally takes 2 days. Manisha and Ilse were at a loss for how to even begin with the tripe and Jade and Sue-Ann struggled with how long their waterblommetjies would need to cook for.

Love tripe? Try our aromatic tripe with coconut cream

The difficulty of this challenge cannot be overstated. To replicate a dish without knowing the ingredients or the method is akin to wandering the Sahara without a map.

When the dishes were tasted it became clear that some had fared better than others. The true winners were Ilse and Manisha who took an unfamiliar meal and managed to create the best dish of the lot.

Having never cooked tripe before, it was a culinary miracle that they managed to get the right texture and was a testament to their shrewd kitchen skills and decisiveness.

The judges didn’t offer much comment on Deena and Thys’ Denningvleis except to say that they had done enough to get through. On the less favourable end of the judges’ critique were Jade and Sue Ann, whose bredie tasted like a collection of ingredients without any integration. This was not only due to mistakes on the part of the contestants but also the style of the dish itself.

Like a lot of South African cooking, waterblommetjie bredie needs to be slow-cooked; this helps these difficult ingredients reach the right consistency and causes the flavours to become truly integrated throughout the dish, something that can be only partially replicated in a pressure cooker.

Andrew Atkinsons Roast Chicken Pie

In the end, though, it was Brandon and Babalwa who were scuppered by the simple chicken pie. Brandons’ puff pastry did not live up to what was required and shrunk in the oven, exposing the filling and causing it to dry out. They should have gone for Woolworths' magical ready-made all butter puff pastry. Really.

While they should be respected for their adventurousness and confidence, it was this that caused their sad demise.

This article was written TASTE's inimitable Harry Phillips.

Tell him how awesome he is here or read more by him below

Chilled almond and garlic soup

Wed, 09 May 2012 11:00:24 GMT

Recipe by: Mariana Esterhuizen
Serves: 5
Dietary considerations: Health conscious / Dairy free
Category: Vegetarian / Easy
Prep time: 20 minutes, plus overnight chilling time

Ingredients:
340 g almonds, skinned and lightly roasted
3 slices day-old bread, crusts removed
1 1/2 cups iced water
3 – 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 t white balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups olive oil
Salt to taste
Lemon-infused olive oil, for serving

Cooking instructions:

Finely grind the almonds in a food processor, but do not allow them to form a paste.

Soak the bread in 1 cup of iced water for 5 minutes.

Place the ground almonds, bread, garlic, balsamic vinegar and 1 cup olive oil in a blender and blend at high speed.

Add more olive oil and water and blend until the soup is silky smooth.

Add salt to taste and refrigerate overnight.

Cook’s note: Add an interesting twist to the soup by using flowers of indigenous wild garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) to flavour and garnish it.

Quick and easy seafood snack meals

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:55:32 GMT

Seafood, whether it's prawns, snoek or mussels, are not only healthy for you, they're without exception quick and easy to prepare.

All the seafood and shellfish mentioned below are available from Woolworths stores - just a quick flash in the pan and a touch of dressing up and you're done.

MUSSELS AND FRIES

Place a large pan over a medium to high heat, add 2 T olive oil and, when hot, gently fry one chopped onion and 3 cloves crushed garlic until softened and fragrant.

Add 500 g defrosted half-shelled mussels and a glass of white wine, then turn up the heat and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes.

Serve warm with shoestring fries, good-quality mayo or homemade aioli and a scattering of course of sea salt.

Or try Steamed mussels in pesto-flavoured broth

QUICK TROUT LUNCH

For the ultimate light-and-lovely lunch, drape slivers of lightly smoked Royal Highlands trout over slices of toasted French baguette and top with wedges of creamy avocado, spring onion curls, a good squeeze of lemon juice and a crack of black pepper.

Or try Crispy potato cakes draped with salmon trout and red onion slivers

PILES OF PRAWNS

Combine ½ cup soya sauce with 1 T sesame oil, a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, 1 chopped fresh chilli, grated ginger and 2 cloves crushed garlic.

Drizzle over 800 g cooked prawns, tossed with cucumber ribbons and fresh coriander, and serve with slices of toasted baguette, scattered with a little lime zest and sea salt.

Or try Marinated, roasted prawns

MEDITERRANEAN PRAWNS

Place a pan over a medium to high heat and add 1 T olive oil and a small knob of butter.

When warm, add 800 g raw prawns, along with 3 cloves crushed garlic and 1 chopped chilli and season to taste.

Fry briefly until opaque, then serve straight from the pan with blistered vine-ripened tomatoes, torn buffalo mozzarella and grilled Parma ham slices.

Or try Prawns with Chilean salsa verde

ALSO READ

5 easy ways with seafood - more quick and easy inspiration using a variety of seafood.

NOTE: Woolworths' extensive range of seafood and shellfish - everything from lightly smoked trout to mussels on the half shell - is guaranteed by their Fishing for the Future initiative, which means it's responsibly sourced, legally caught and fully traceable.

Perk up parsnips

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:12:15 GMT

Parsnips make a fantastic alternative to potatoes, but they are an often forgotten about vegetable.

Which is a pity because they are rich in potassium and a good source of dietary fibre and come into season over the winter months in South Africa.

In order to help you make the most of this versatile root vegetable, we’ve put together six ways to prepare parsnips.

SIX PARSNIP PERK-UPS

1. Cook parsnips in a soup or stew then remove just before serving – they will leave a subtle flavour and their starch will help thicken the dish.

2. Shred parsnips and carrots then add to a warm chicken stock with some ginger. Simmer for 25 minutes then, just before serving, add fresh cream and lemon juice. Season to taste and garnish with chopped fresh herbs.

3. Boil scrubbed parsnips until tender. Once cooked, leave to cool then chop and place in a large bowl with a generous helping of borlotti beans. Smash with chopped parsley and smoked paprika then serve with a squeeze of lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil and warm, crusty bread.

4. Rub baby parsnips in olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then flash-fry in a hot pan. Toss with wild rocket leaves, toasted almonds and creamy feta and serve with a drizzle of vinaigrette and a thick slice of grilled garlic bruschetta.

5. Slice parsnips into medium rounds then fry in a saucepan of hot vegetable oil until golden brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel then, while still hot, dust with ground cumin, sea salt and a crack of black pepper. Serve with harissa mayo and fresh lemon wedges.

6. Cook chopped parsnip in a beef and red wine stew, allowing the dish to simmer and thicken for 2 to 3 hours. Then place the stew in a deep dish and cover with a thick sheet of puff pastry. Place in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is crisp and golden. Serve warm with a good dollop of mashed potato.

MORE RECIPES USING PARSNIPS

Autumn vegetable stew with grilled cheese

Beef knuckle stew on creamed parsnip, sprinkled with crisp horseradish

Chargrilled parsnip with handmade pasta tossed in burnt sage butter

Chunky root vegetable and barley broth with herbed dumplings

Grilled lamb steaks with braised vegetables

Moist chocolate sponge topped with candied parsnip curls

Orange chicken with ginger, cinnamon, cumin, parsnips and pears on barley pilau

Parsnip and gorgonzola soup

Root vegetable crisps with ovenroasted garlic aioli

Succulent roasted thyme chicken with sweet maple parsnips and wilted rocket

Hannah's easy Easter

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:32:14 GMT

Easter time is traditionally spent with family and friends, enjoying good times and great food. I think it’s safe to say that sometime over the Easter weekend, chocolate and eggs are bound to make an appearance!

We have put together our ultimate Easter guide to help you along your way to making Easter easy.

From top tips for working with chocolate, decor and gifts, to table settings and loads of baked goods, we’ll keep you busy all weekend long!

TIPS FOR MELTING CHOCOLATE:

The best way to melt chocolate is to heat about 5 cm of water in a saucepan over a low heat. Place a heatproof bowl over the saucepan, making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water it. Break the chocolate into pieces and place in the bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon. Do not allow the water to boil. Melting chocolate this way will ensure it keeps its properties and will be easier to work with.

Tip: Make sure you don’t get any water into you chocolate when melting as this will cause the mixture to seize and you will have to start again.

The cheat’s way to melt chocolate, is to chop up a 100 g bar of chocolate and place in a bowl. Pop into the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds at a time, stirring between each interval to prevent the chocolate from burning. Use immediately.

USE MELTED CHOCOLATE IN THE FOLLOWING EXCITING WAYS:

Baking, use just as it is or as recipe requires
Make a ganache by gradually mixing 200 g melted chocolate with ¼ to ½ cup cream until you have a beautiful glossy mixture.
To make chocolate curls, pour the chocolate onto the back of a clean board or baking tray and leave to cool and set. Carefully run the back or edge of a knife along the length of the chocolate towards to you make curls. Chill until ready to use.

DECOR AND GIFTS

Tie ribbons onto cookie cutters and use place setting or attach to the back of chairs for your guests to take home.
Use ready-to-roll royal icing and a cookie cutter to cut out shapes such as Easter eggs or bunnies and use to decorate cakes or cupcakes.
Arrange mismatched egg cups along the table and fill with assorted eggs for a pretty centrepiece.
Make pretty decorations by diluting food colouring with a little water and briefly dip empty egg shells into the mixture and dry on a cooling rack.
Make potato prints by cutting out Easter-inspired shapes from a potato with a sharp knife. Dip in paint and stamp on cards or on brown paper to use as a tablecloth.

BAKING

Here are some great baking ideas for Easter:

Vanilla layer cake with butter icing. This is more of grown-up way of entertaining for Easter. I use Woolworths vanilla cake mix. Simply follow the instructions on the box. You may need to use more than one box depending on how many layers you want. When making layer cakes, the layers of sponge should all be more or less the same size and thickness. Divide the mixture into thirds if you want three even layers and bake one at a time in a greased baking tin.
Vanilla cupcakes and mini chocolate speckled eggs, are great to give to your guests as a gift when they leave. When making butter icing, cream the butter and sugar really well for a good 5 minutes. Sift 500 g icing sugar into a large bowl and beat with 160 g butter and gradually add 3 T milk and beat well before adding food colouring of choice. Alternatively, use the Woolworths vanilla bean icing kit or the Woolworths chocolate icing kit.
Biscuits with edible writing icing are perfect to make with your kids and keep in a jar, by the time the weekend is over the biscuits will be gone, too! Storing any baked goods in an airtight container will help keep them moist and prevent them from drying out. It’s a really good idea to keep a box or two of Woolworths vanilla butter cookie mix in the pantry. When the urge for baking Easter biscuits strikes, simply follow the instructions on the box. Woolworths giant choc chip cookie mix also goes down a treat.

Woolworths has a fabulous range of Easter treats and goodies for you to choose from, you’re sure to find something you love.

Happy Easter!

If you have any tips on making Easter Sunday fabulous, please send them to me. I would love to read about them.

Hannah x

hannah.lewry@newmediapub.co.za

Abigail Donnelly is eggcited for her Easter lunch

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:00:44 GMT

Food Editor and all-round kitchen wizard Abigail Donnelly sheds some light on her plans for a beautiful Easter lunch.

So I eventually bought one, a pasta machine. After many years rolling the dough out super thinly, then folding it and cutting it, we slowly grew to love the extra wide, not-so-perfect pappardelle.

Now, however, our impeccable spaghetti lengths tumble gloriously from the machine.

So when my friend asked me what we should make for our decadent gastronomic Easter Sunday lunch. My reply drew an eyes rolling symbol over the phone when I said pasta, of course!

There was no way I could resist giving the new toy a whirl. And so it will be with the faithful Le Creuset casserole pot, brimming with ever so slowly cooked beef brisket ragu, softly bubbling away the day before.

What of that most Eastery of confectionaries, the soul of the holiday, chocolate? I must confess that I am not really a chocolatey person, unless it's covering some Turkish delight, or I might nibble on the odd Lindt Easter Teddy. I rather go for fruity and zesty desserts like panna cottas and jellies.

My absolute best is a gooey, marshmellowy pavlova, preferably drenched with homemade granadilla curd made with all the leftover egg yolks.

Don't get me wrong however I'll still sneak in a few of those honeycomb filled bunnies from Woolies, just because it's Easter.

Happy easter egg hunting!

ABIGAIL'S FAVOURITE EASTER RECIPES:

Check out the slow-cooked sticky ragu tossed with strands of homemade pasta recipe that Abigail will be using this Easter.
The easiest, yummiest chocolate mousse ever
Moist and more-ish, make a splash this Easter with theseglam chocolate cupcakes
For a grown-up Easter chocolate treat, make crumbly shortbread and serve with home-made hot chocolate
This delicious chocolate brownie cake can be cut up and topped with miniature Easter eggs from Woolies instead of the cherries!
End off your decadent Easter with this trio of molten hot chocolate with raspberry macaroons and caramel spoons

MORE ON EASTER:

Thinking outside the egg with Woolies

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:48:48 GMT

Add a bit of sparkle to Easter this year by revitalising the traditional egg hunt with exciting new treats from Woolworths.

Easter is upon us once again and come Sunday there will be ravenous hordes of children across the world charging around and consuming as much chocolate as they can successfully hunt. Why not tweak the formula this year and throw a splash of magic on your Easter festivities.

BUNNY FILLED WITH SPECKLED EGGS

For a more fast-paced hunt, buy each child a bunny filled with speckled eggs from Woolworths for R34.95.

Take the eggs out and hide them around, the first one to find enough eggs to fill up their bunny wins a prize. Alternatively, give every kid a colour and tell him or her they can only collect eggs of their colour.

BUNNY MILK CHOCOLATE LOLLY

For the younger kiddies, why not eschew the traditional egg in favour of Woolworths’ bunny milk chocolate lolly at just R9.95.

These super cute little chocolates taste delicious and will make the day that much more meaningful for the littlest of your Easter crowd.

BULK MILK CHOCOLATE EGGS

What if your pack of kids really is a horde and you feel like you have children sprouting up everywhere? Plump for the bulk Milk Chocolate Eggs and get 30 for R49.95.

If you’re feeling inventive, their bright foil wrapping make them ideal for dawn or dusk Easter egg hunts.

Give the kids torches and let them hunt for their shiny treats in the gloom.

CHOCOLATE SELECTION

Once the day has passed and the younger ones have gorged themselves into a stupor, the adults can have their turn.

Woolworths Chocolate Selection is R69.95 and gives the adults a chance to have their own chocolate indulgence.

An assortment of milk, white and darkchocolate with various creamy fillings is an excellent way to wind down your Sunday in a haze of deliciousness.

SOETKOEKIES

Sick of chocolate? Put a South African twist on the day with a tin of Soetkoekies for R59.95, these traditional condensed milk biscuits will give you a lovely and local alternative to the chocolate frenzy.

There are some ideas, now get creative and see if you can't improve the classic Easter Sunday this year.

For more ideas head on over to Woolworths Facebook page or get shopping right away on their website

MORE ON EASTER:

10 Quick and easy ways with berries

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:44:38 GMT

Berries and cherries make great desserts and drinks. Here are a couple of easy ideas to make the most of the seasonal abundance.

Serve a bowl of fresh or frozen berries with ice cream and a sweet sauce. Garnish with apple stars made by slicing apples thinly and cutting out star shapes with your cookie cutter. Remember to sprinkle the apple slices with lemon juice to prevent discolouring.
Frozen berries can be quite sour on their own, so serve with a sweet syrup. Try liquorice, white chocolate, caramel or a whisky dark chocolate sauce.
Make a St Joseph's lily ice cream cone by removing everying on the inside of the flower and place in a champagne glass. Fill with blackberries or any other berries and drizzle with rooibos-infused syrup.
Blackberries are great with apples, cinnamon, cream, custard, honey, maple syrup, muesli, oranges, peaches, raspberries, rose geranium and strawberries.
Make an apple-and-strawberry sparkler by threading fresh strawberries onto a wooden skewer. Pop it in a glass. Pourin a little strawberry juice and top with sparkling apple juice or Champagne.
To make a liquorice, blueberry and blackberry cooler, pour 1 tot Pernod over crushed ice in a Martini glass. Fill with blueberry juice and garnish with frozen blackberries. Top with a skewer threaded with blueberries.
Serve Woolworths low-fat yoghurt with strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, cranberry and other fruits, garnished with frozen fresh cherries.
Add ice to a glass. Fill with cranberry juice and garnish with slices of fresh melon.
Pour a glass of 100% pressed fresh berry juice and garnish with fresh basil instead of mint.
Top Woolworths ready-made ice-cream bombe with 300g frozen raspberries and serve with Cognac, Grand Marnier or Kirsch on the side or drizzled over.

MORE ON BERRIES

Don't miss this year's FIcksburg Cherry Festival!

Strawberries are in season during the summer months. Here's how to pick and store then, and recipes to use them in.

The different types of berries sold in SA, their health properties and how to use them in recipes

Blueberries are so healthy and you can use them in a myriad ways. Here are our tips on choosing and storing, and inspirational new ways to incorporate them in dishes.

Cinnamon crumb cake with maple glaze

Wed, 02 May 2012 16:17:19 GMT

Recipe by: Eugene Joubert
Serves: 8 to 10
Category: A little effort
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
295 g flour, plus extra to toss
250 g dark brown sugar
3/4 t salt
1 1/2 t cinnamon
3/4 cup pecan nuts, toasted and chopped
160 g unsalted butter
1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t bicarbonate of soda
100 g white sugar
2 large free range eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 t vanilla extract
250 g frozen cranberries
1/3 cup icing sugar, sifted
3 T pure maple syrup

Cooking instructions:

Preheat the oven to 170°C and grease a 24 cm bundt tin.

Combine 50 g fl our, 125 g dark brown sugar, ¼ t salt and ½ t cinnamon. Add the pecans and 50 g butter and rub with your fi ngers to form “breadcrumbs”. Set aside.

Sift the remaining fl our, salt and cinnamon with the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.

Cream the remaining butter until light, then add the white sugar and continue beating. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the sour cream and vanilla extract. Mix well. Add the sifted ingredients to the buttery sugar mixture. Toss the cranberries with 3 T fl our, then fold into the batter.

Pour a third of the batter into the tin, then top with half the crumb mixture. Top with half the remaining batter and the remaining crumb mixture, then the last of the batter. Bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Mix the icing sugar with the maple syrup to make a runny glaze. Drizzle over the cake.

Wine: Lourensford Viognier 2011

Hannah goes cocoa loco with a sublime mug of piping hot chocolate

Wed, 02 May 2012 12:21:31 GMT

I know it’s been but a mere few weeks since our last chocolate-induced coma courtesy of the Easter bunny, but this weekend I had the most sublime mug of piping hot chocolate that prompted me to scour past issues of TASTE for our best versions of the world's favourite chocolate drink.

Hot chocolate is easily made using powdered cacoa, sugar and milk, but I think using real chocolate makes the best drink of all.

I'm also intrigued by what's known as a 'mug cake'. To make mix 4 T flour, 4 T sugar and 2 T unsweetened cacoa. Add 2 T of a whisked egg, 3 T milk, 3 T oil and a splash of vanilla. 1 T chocolate chips are optional. Microwave on high for 3 minutes (1000 w oven) or 4 minutes (700 w oven). Take it out, it will collapse a little, drizzle with melted chocolate and tuck in. Heaven!

MY LABOUR-OF-LOVE HOT CHOCOLATE

To make this luxury hot chocolate you have to use the very best quality dark chocolate you can find (70% or more cacoa content) to ensure that rich, robust flavour.

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie so it doesn’t catch and burn or sieze.

Because you're making this hot chocolate with cream it’s more of a grown-up treat and best served in shot glasses, with tart raspberry macarons to offset the sweetness and add a beautiful vibrant colour to your sweet drinks tray.

Abigail’s caramel spoons (click on the image for the recipe) are beautiful to look at and as you stir them into hot drinks they melt, releasing their caramelly sweetness.

MY GO-TO HOT CHOCOLATE

This version of hot chocolate with shortbread is not as rich as the molten chocolate shots because it's made with milk instead of cream and you melt the chocolate into the warm milk over a low heat in a small saucepan.

Be careful not to let the milk boil - it will become too hot and burn the chocolate. Use low fat milk if you're watching those calories.

It’s really delicious with Woolies' pecan and fudge shortbread if you're not making your own shortbread (click on the image for our shortbread recipe).

Or simply drop in a few marshmallows while the hot chocolate is still piping hot.

HOT CHOCOLATE WITH A CHEEKY TWIST

Our recipe for spiced caramel and hot chocolate is the ultimate treat to be enjoyed late at night in front of a roaring fire.

The star anise and cinnamon work beautifully with the brandy or Amarula, adding that extra layer of flavour.

Spoon a dollop of Nestlé Caramel Treat into your glasses and top up with hot chocolate before serving.

They're great with Mexican cinnamon cookies and even better with orange-scented sugar cookies

WHITE HOT CHOCOLATE

White hot chocolate is all the rage right now, simply made using white chocolate.

You can raise it to a new level as Phillippa does by poaching sliced, depip

ped pears in milk until soft, then blending while adding a slab of white chocolate.

For a last flavour touch, add a spoonful of your favourite honey. Serve warm garnished with sliced pear. A dash of pear brandy or Cognac can be irresistible.

Sometimes I indulge in this sweet winter warmer (pictured right) that is perfect for kids of all sizes.

Gently heat a litre of milk, stir in 1 t vanilla extract then remove from the heat.

Whisk half a cup of canned caramel until soft then spread it, using the back of a spoon, inside four glasses or mugs.

Fill with vanilla milk and enjoy with caramel popcorn.

OTHER WAYS TO FLAVOUR HOT CHOCOLATE

To your basic hot chocolate you can add:

2 small pieces of fresh ginger (add them to the milk on the stove but remove before serving)
a slab of Peppermint Crisp or a dash of peppermint essence
a shot of espresso
almond essence
flavoured berry syurp
stir with a cinnamon stick (but remove before drinking)
a tot of orange liquer, Khalua or Frangelica, whatever you have or like
a pinch of ground chilli pepper or add a split chilli pod to the milk as it warms, removing after a couple of minutes
creamed caramel with a sprinkling of sea salt
crumble over some fudge, chocolate chips, crushed butterscotch sweets or chopped pecan nuts

Tip: beat the hot chocolate for 30 seconds using a whisk or frother to create a foamy top while enhancing the flavour.

What's your secret hot chocolate recipe or flavouring? Email me at hannahlewry@gmail.com or add your comment below - it always inspires me to hear from you.

Sweet sipping,

Hannah

MORE FROM HANNAH

My favourite savoury bakes, including cauliflower bake
Ways you can add depth and flavour to a spicy dish
My secret kitchen gadgets
My adventures with my beloved pasta machine
My tips for finding that perfect, practical and pretty lunchbox
My love affair with doughnuts and fritters
My all-time best burger recipes

ALSO READ

Ideas for a smashing high tea at home

TASTE readers' tips for cooking with chocolate

What's your fave hot chocolate flavour?

Molecular gastronomy at home

Wed, 02 May 2012 11:55:13 GMT

Molecular Gastronomy has taken off around the globe and has revolutionised the way we appreciate food; we tried to do it at home

Cooking can be complicated, when should one broil or braise? How much is a small handful? And what on earth is a dragon fruit? For some, however, this is not confusing enough. There are kitchen adventurers for whom an egg cannot just be an egg and a few pans and an oven just won’t do.

Thus it came to be that the dark loins of science were fertilised with this culinary spirit and molecular gastronomy was born.

In a sentence, molecular gastronomy can be described as using physics and chemistry to better understand food and then using this understanding to develop new ways of creating and consuming it.

It all sounds awfully fancy but the essence of it is captured in this wonderful quote by Nicholas Kurti:

“I think it is a sad reflection on our civilization that while we can and do measure the temperature in the atmosphere of Venus we do not know what goes on inside our soufflés.”

It is this curiosity that has led such famous names as Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adria to produce such bizarre concoctions as bacon and egg ice cream and gorgonzola balloon. It is important to note though is not to just make these dishes for the sake of it, they should taste incredible as well.

So incredible, in fact, that the restaurants of Blumenthal and Adria fought over the number one spot in the world for several years.

Local super chef Luke Dale-Roberts of The Test Kitchen in Cape Town is no stranger to the practice either. Try is coconut-and-mango 'fried egg' with biscotti soldiers.

Some of the outlandish techniques used in this style of cooking include using an industrial centrifuge, dehydrating ingredients, foaming, freezing, emulsifying and turning just about anything into a sphere.

Often the kitchens used for this kind of cuisine resemble space-age labs, because they basically are.

Don’t let talk of centrifuges and exploding snail put you off, though. There are many ways the common or garden home chef can make their meals molecular.

Some of the basic techniques don’t so much require a host of new equipment, just a better way of understanding food, and maybe a chemical or two.

Fortunately, opportunities to engage in a touch of home-emulsifying are on the rise. There are a number of useful books and DVD’s to help you get your head around eggs made from mango and molecular gastronomy kits are popping up in kitchen supply stores everywhere.

Such kits usually include some basic tools (syringes and funky tubes) a selection of the commonly used chemicals and some introductory literature.

We tested one from Beluga restaurant and made rocket spaghetti and spherical mojitos. Overall the experience was stunningly simple with the results being pleasingly tasty.

The kit includes syringes, tubes and spoons as well as 10 sachets of each of the 5 most important chemicals. The accompanying DVD provides informative video recipes for four basic techniques.

A few basic tips:

Due to most dishes focusing on a single ingredient, it pays to invest in high quality food
More so than in normal cooking, precision is extremely important. A few too may grams of agar agar and your paste becomes a rock.
Experiment, innovate, make a mess, poison yourself; it’s all part of the fun.

WIN A MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY KIT FROM BELUGA!

What weird, wacky yet wonderful little recipe would you cook up using a molecular gastronomy kit from Beluga?

The starter kit includes all the ingredients (Sodium Alginate, Agar Agar, Calcium Lactate, Soy Lecithin, Xanthan Gum), utensils and instructional videos to complete just over 20 molecular gastronomy recipes and learn new skills.

Send your molecular magic recipe idea to win@tastemag.co.za to reach us before 31 May 2012 and you could win one of 5 starter kits from Beluga. Your ideas have to be interesting and 'do-able'.

Good luck, we can't wait!

The TASTE team

For more info, visit Belugacreations.

Masterchef SA: Episode 7 Reviewed

Wed, 02 May 2012 08:50:13 GMT

This week, MasterChef went nautical and had our participants whipping up meals for 100 hungry sailors.

7 times now have we gazed at our televisions and 7 times now has MasterChef come back with another iteration of a group of manic South Africans hurtling around a kitchen in an attempt to be named South Africa’s best amateur chef.

This week had our contestants prancing around the navy base in Simons Town for the second team challenge. Last weeks’ noble victors, Deena and Thys were team leaders and conducted the awkward team-choosing ritual. Mmutsi was this weeks’ rotten egg, being left until last.

The navy theme was soon explained as the rather lean, blue bedecked crew of the SAS Amatola strode out into the summer sun and declared their hunger with a decidedly non-military wave. And thus the scene was set: 100 sailors, 90 minutes and one pretty ugly kitchen in the bowels of a ship.

RED TEAM VS BLUE TEAM

As is the trend, it all started off with a calorie-burning jog, this time off to their dingy boat kitchen. Andrew gave instructions to produce one protein, one starch and one vegetable. The red team, under Thys, went with lamb in an ill-defined “sticky sauce” with potatoes, carrots and corn. The blues plumped for chicken, deep-fried, with a rustic potato salad and broccoli.

The basic cooking sensibilities of the contestants were called into question again when the red team prepared their lamb with chicken stock and the reds decided that, despite the time pressure, their potatoes would cook when left as unpeeled halves.

Voting was completed via bell, for some lovely nautical flavour, and managed to get down to 50 for the blues and 46 for the reds before Deena’s fried chicken clinched it.

As losers, the reds were condemned to the elimination test which commenced with a mutiny-inducing rate-your-teammates activity.

THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO MASTERCHEF SA

Guy slyly informed us that it was MasterChef not MasterBestFriend before voting himself as number 1. The theme for the elimination challenge was pork, with the person who received the highest votes picking first, and so on. All the traditional cuts were offered along with some of the trickier parts, such as ear, trotter and tail. Sue-

Anne won the popularity contest, Mmutsi came last (again) and they all ran away with the pigs, or at least a part thereof.

A number of extravagant sauces were created, some people seemed completely at odds with what they had picked and Mmutsi tried to make Dim Sum, even though she could hardly say it.

The final offerings were a mixed bag, but of a much higher standard than last weeks curry debacle.

Ilse’s shoulder, with it’s interesting cherry sauce was declared a hero by Pete and Lunghi shared a rather endearing tail-love moment with Benny.

Others were not so lucky, however, and Mmutsi’s Dim Sum was far too dim for the dazzling lights of the Masterchef Kitchen and so she became the latest casualty of our favourite amateur chef deathmatch.

MORE MASTERCHEF DELICIOUSNESS

Hannah's tips for cooking for hard workers like our navy cadets

Shop like a chef and cook like a chef with the Woolies Pantry

Slow-roasted pork belly with apples and cider

Braised skilpadjie with golden pork skin and watercress

Swakopmund Brauhaus eisbein

Fennel-and-balsamic pork chops on sweet potato mash

WATCH WOOLWORTHS THE PANTRY VIDEO OF A PERFECT PUDDING FOR HUNGRY SAILORS

Complete instructions and ingredients at The Pantry

Your thoughts on the programme or last night's episode?

Something different: Fresh summer fruitcake

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:55:32 GMT

If you don't have time to make a traditional fruitcake this Christmas, or yearn for something different, try our fresh summer fruitcake.

Peel and slice assorted fruits such as papino, watermelon, mango, guava, kiwi fruit, pineapple, plums, nectarines, grapefruit, strawberries, blackberries and pears.

Use four 20cm loose-bottomed cake tins and tightly pack layouers of neatly sliced fruit, alternating with berries, to the top.

Place a small plate on top, pressing down the fruit slightly.

Refrigerate for at last an hour, to settle.

Carefully remove the slides of the cake tins.

Slide the layered fruit of the first cake tin onto a flat platter.

Carefully slide the second onto the first fruit layer.

Continue with the third and fourth, stacking the 'fruitcake'.

Top with blackberries and garnish with ribbon or liquorice strands.

Serve with a serving spoon, but allow the cake to break down - don't slice.

Serve with petitie meringues or meringue rounds on the side.

Clarke’s bar and dining room in Cape Town

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:53:58 GMT

With the success of Clarke’s in Cape Town, burgers step up to the plate this month, and we’ve no beef with that.

Owned by chef Lyndall Maunder, Clarke’s Bar and Dining Room is fast becoming the place to see and be seen by Cape Town’s cool crowd.

Sure, the ambience has a lot to do with it: a slick bar counter illuminated by bare light bulbs suspended from the ceiling, runs through an airy, pared-down interior of austere white tiles and raw concrete, accented by a miscellany of mismatched pot plants.

But, really, if we’re being honest, the restaurant’s interpretation of the humble hamburger is what has the City Bowl’s hipsters coming back for more. Served in unpretentious baskets with honest-to-goodness hand-cut chips and a side salad of pickled cucumber and red onion, the cheeseburgers are the stuff of legends.

Thick, juicy pure-beef patties topped with melted Underberger cheese are wedged into flaky, buttery, slightly sweet buns custom-made for the eatery by artisan baker Trevor Daly (don’t even bother asking what makes them so utterly delicious – the recipe’s tightly under lock and key).

Of course, if burgers aren’t your bag, there’s plenty of other diner-style eats vying for attention, including good old-fashioned mac 'n cheese made with Fontina, goat’s feta and Gruyère, a pulled pork sub with Swiss chard and provolone, and smoky tomato soup with a grilled cheese toastie.

If you have space for dessert, three scoops of The Creamery’s ice cream are just the ticket, especially if the salty peanut butter flavour is on offer. At happy hour, the bar is abuzz with punters quaffing cocktails advertised on the white letter board. The Rocking Chair, made with whisky, bitters and lemonade, slakes a thirst, otherwise, put the special on double brandy and Cokes or G&Ts to good use.

VISIT CLARKE'S:

Open Monday and Tuesday from 7 am to 5 pm, Wednesday to Friday, 7 am until late, Saturday 7 am until 3 pm. 133 Bree Street, Cape Town; tel: (021) 424-7648.

UNBEATABLE BURGER JOINTS:

Beef up on the best burgers at these patty-flipping pads.

Beefcakes: Sovereign Quay, 40 Somerset Road, Green Point, Cape Town; tel: (021) 425-9019
Deluxe Burger Bar:136 Florida Road, Morningside, Durban; tel: (031) 303-3440
Dukes Burgers:14 Gleneagles Road, Greenside, Johannesburg; tel: (011) 486-0824
Hudson’s: 69A Kloof Street, Cape Town; tel: (021) 426-5974 Royale 273 Long Street, Cape Town; tel: (021) 422-4536
Salvation Café: 44 Stanley Avenue East, Milpark, Johannesburg; tel: (011) 482-7795
The Dog’s Bollocks: 6 Roodehek Street, Gardens, Cape Town; tel: 083 440 7843

TRY OUR BURGER RECIPES:

My kingdom for a burger - Hannah is obsessing about burgers this week. See why.

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:38:41 GMT

Recently our team has fallen hopelessly for a brand new burger joint, Clarke's here in Cape Town. We especially love it on a Friday when we gather around small rickety tables, perched on vintage fold-up chairs to enjoy a couple of end-of-week drinks while soaking up the last of the autumn sun.

Clarke's is the grown up version of an American diner where they serve the juiciest handmade beef burgers tucked into featherlight brioche rolls and served simply with pickled cucumber and fat fries on the side.

So I thought it was high time to pay tribute to the burger. My flat mate, Claire, and I were discussing burgers while strolling along the Sea Point promenade last night and we got the idea to create a Karoo Runner burger. A proper, proudly South African burger made with pure Karoo ostrich mince meat mixed with blanched, chopped red onion, flat leaf parsley, crushed garlic and a chopped chilli and bound together with a free-range egg yolk and a handful of breadcrumbs.

This we'll serve on braai-charred bread with a spicy tomato relish or onion marmelade with either rocket or baby spinach.

THE TEAM'S TOP 5 BURGERS FROM TASTE

1. Since I haven’t given my Karoo runner a go yet, I thought it best to share TASTE'S own tried and tested Ostrich burger. Wrapped in crispy bacon, lending a salty, smokey flavour to the lean mince, it's delicious with the rich onion marmalade in the centre.

Also try our low-fat ostrich burger.

2. This spinach and broad bean burger recipe was given to us by one of TASTE'S readers and ever since we first made it we still can't get enough. It's my favourite kind of vegetarian burger and jam-packed with flavour.

Another great pure-veggie option is baked mushroom and mozzarella burgers

3.When it comes to fish burgers, our haddock burger with tartare sauce steals the show. Gently poach the haddock in milk then flake and mix with the mash to make patties. Served as a light, open burger, it's perfect for a weekend light lunch.

You can also use this recipe for haddock fish cakes to create your fish burger. It's served with the perfectly fresh parsley-caper sauce.

4. If you want to throw caution to the wind, then we have the ultimate gourmet beef burger for you! Stacked with pineapple and brie, my boyfriend Callan and I love to for Saturday lunch with a glass of chilled beer in hand.

If you love Asian flavours as much as I do, tuck into the Big Hanoy burger made with pork mince and served with a cucumber pickle.

5. Last but not least, is the Spanish mince-and-tomato burger. I must admit to crushing on this one purely for its good looks. There's no doubting its wow factor; you can always serve a large board of oven-warmed rolls or baps on the side, but you have to serve it to your guests as suggested in the pic.

MY TIPS FOR ULTRA-FLAVOURFUL PATTIES

add any of the following combinations to your mince mixture:

1 medium-sized onion, chopped, 1 T basil pesto and 2 T grated, Parmesan

• 7 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped, 1 T chopped garlic and 1 T tapenade

• 1 T chopped thyme, 1 t lemon zest, 2 T citrus marmalade

• ½ cup chopped spring onion, ½ cup chopped bacon, 2 T chopped sage.

Tip: you can make instant mince by placing leftover meat such as gammon, roast lamb, fish or chicken in a blender, add any of the flavourings mentioned above along with breadcrumbs and an egg and create patties. Fry to heat through (the meat is cooked) and serve.

Also read: TASTE's Harry's look into the fabulous, fanciful and sometimes frightening world of the beef burger

If you have any secrets to help us create the ultimate ‘Karoo Runner’ before this weekend, please share them with me! If the ‘Karoo Runner’ doesn’t get your taste buds excited like it does ours, send me your favourite burger creation!

Hannah x

hannah.lewry@newmediapub.co.za

How To - Cut and serve melons

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:58:31 GMT

Sticky-sweet juice running down your chin, a volley of pips and a song on your lips – such are the essential ingredients of a memorable summer.

Choose firm watermelons that feel heavy for their size and don’t have any bruises, dents or cuts. Sweet melons, on the other hand, should have a yellowish hue and melony smell. A ripe melon’s rind will yield slightly when pressed lightly with the thumb.

Store whole watermelons and melons in a cool spot in the kitchen and cubes of melon flesh in a closed container in the fridge.

Use cut melon within three days of purchasing – whole melons will keep for at least a week.

DID YOU KNOW?

Sweet melons and watermelons are both part of the Cucurbitaceae family, which means they’re related to cucumbers and squashes.
Sweet melons or cantaloupes, as they’re called in America, are reportedly named after Cantalou, a former Papal garden near Rome where the varietal was said to originated. • Watermelons are believed to have originated in the Kalahari Desert.
Every part of a watermelon is edible: the seeds can be roasted and the rinds pickled.
Sweet melons make great dessert bowls: simply halve a chilled melon, scoop out its seeds and fill with home-made ice cream.

Recipe: Grilled halloumi and watermelon salad

Boerewors tartare

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:33:06 GMT

Recipe by: Kobus van der Merwe
Serves: 4
Allergens: Wheat free / Gluten free
Dietary considerations: Fat conscious
Category: A little effort
Prep time: 35 minutes, plus marinating time
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
2 T coriander seeds
1 t black peppercorns
2 T cloves
A few sprigs thyme
g 800 free-range beef sirloin
2 T wine or grape vinegar
A few drops olive oil
For the sheba:
4 ripe tomatoes, diced
1½ T tomato paste
1 x 5 cm piece ginger
1 clove garlic
1 red chilli
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A pinch sugar
1 t balsamic vinegar
½ cup white wine
To serve:
300 g cucumber, peeled and sliced julienne
White grape vinegar
Sea salt and white pepper, to taste
4 free-range egg yolks
4 smoked fleur de sel flakes
1 mielie, chargrilled
Pickled onion, sliced

Cooking instructions:

Dry fry the coriander seeds, black pepper and cloves until fragrant, then grind the spices and stripped thyme leaves to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder.

Finely dice the sirloin using a very sharp knife. Add the spices, vinegar and olive oil and mix. Cover, chill and marinate for 1 hour.

In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the sheba. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Season, then blend into a smooth sauce. Strain and keep warm.

Dress the cucumber in vinegar, salt and white pepper, to taste.

Mould the sirloin into rounds on 4 plates. Top each with an egg yolk and fleur de sel flake. Spoon the sheba around the meat, then add mielie kernels, pickled onion and cucumber.

Wine: Boland Reserve No. 1 Pinotage 2010

E-eating, it's as ridiculous as it sounds

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:09:22 GMT

A London restaurant ditches waiters in place of battleships and virtual chow-mein.

It’s a familiar scene, walk into a restaurant, get seated, have a gander at the menu, then what? It’s normally around this point that a chipper young man or woman will pop up and ask if you would like anything to drink. This person is known as a waiter, waitress or waitron if their gender is not easily determined. Said waitron will then pop up again a few minutes later to take your food order. In a more upmarket establishment these may be interspersed with another visit to fill you in on the menu and any specials they have that day.

It’s all very lovely and adds a nice, personal touch to the evening, it is not, however, perfect. Sometimes the waiting staff are a bunch of grizzled cynics intent on dragging you down to their level of abject misery. In such cases the chef could be wearing a suit made entirely from Michelin stars and it still wouldn’t save the evening. Sometimes they innocently mishear chow mein as eisbein and you end with 100% more boiled ham than you originally planned. Sometimes you say chow mein, the waiter hears eisbein and then the chef hears rice wine, and you can see where this is going.

It’s taken two London restaurateurs with a love of food, technology and novelty to devise an alternative. An alternative that throws the age-old concept of dining into the USB-powered melting pot of the 21st century. What is this new-fangled alternative being peddled in a corner of London’s theatre district? Virtual food is the answer, and a strange one at that.

Diners are still seated in the traditional manner, but the next time they interact with a waitron will be when their food or drinks are delivered. Ordering has been streamlined into a futuristic experience worthy of Star Trek. A virtual plate is broadcast onto the table by overhead projectors and food is displayed on it as the customer browses the virtual menu. If they like the way something looks, ordering is as simple as a quick tap and the decision is sent straight to the kitchen, cutting out potential unwanted-eisbein situations. The tablecloth computer comes complete with games of battleship to keep meals interesting, as well as the facility to call a taxi, browse a map of the subway and, of course, settle the bill.

The benefits of this Minority-Report-a-la-carte are not only limited to the elimination of human error. Meal times are apparently shortened by about 15 minutes and the restaurant cuts down on staff costs, cuts which it can then pass on to its customers. One should also not underestimate the importance of novelty in the hypercompetitive restaurant market.

Some guests have commented that the experience gets quite depressing after the novelty wears off, and I doubt the Ritz will be installing banks of projectors anytime soon but a change is as good as a holiday. It also gives me a chance to use the delightfully silly term "e-eating", so I’m all for it.

Tell him how awesome he is here or read more by him below

The best Italian restaurants in your area

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:38:43 GMT

Check out our list of some of the best Italian restaurants in your corner of South Africa.

CAPE TOWN

MARIO'S

This authentic ristorante has been serving real Italian fare in the Mother City for over 30 years. The retro 70s interior was renovated in 2010, but it still has the same old-world charm (and the kitchen still produces the goods). Superb parmigiana de melanzane, plump gnocchi, traditional marrow bones, kidneys in white wine and a legendary almond semifreddo are standouts, and the seasonal specials are worth trying.

89 Main Road, Green Point, Cape Town
Tel: (021) 439-6644.

MAGICA ROMA

Be warned: if you want a table, book well in advance. This neighbourhood eatery is wildly popular for its wholesome food. Superb beef and tuna carpaccio, a large variety of pizza and pastas and authentic meat, chicken and fish dishes keep the faithful beating a path to the door. As does the tiramisu, of course. It’s closed in December when the owners go to Italy to visit la famiglia.

8 Central Square, Pinelands, Cape Town
Tel: (021) 531-1489

THE ITALIAN CLUB

If you’re after excellent Italian food at extremely reasonable prices, Cape Town’s Italian Club is the place. The stomping ground of mamas, papas, nonnos, nonnas and bambinos, you’re guaranteed a good time and real comfort food. People don’t go there for the décor: the pizzas and pastas are great value for money, and meat and chicken is served authentically with your choice of pasta. It’s a great venue for a party (there are numerous well-priced set menus to choose from and there’s live music on Friday nights) and a convenient catering option.

16 Donegal Street, Rugby, Cape Town
Tel: (021) 511-5956

JOHANNESBURG

ASSAGGI

This Joburg institution is known for an innovative slant on traditional favourites – try the lasagne with asparagus and Brie. Their seasonal specials are worth waiting for, think porcini mushrooms, stuffed artichokes and asparagus. It gets pretty busy during peak times, so nibble on the signature baby marrow fries while you wait.

Post Office Centre, 30 Rudd Road, Illovo, Johannesburg
Tel: (011) 268-1370

CASALINGA

Set out in the country in Muldersdrift, Casalinga is a Joburg favourite.Popular for weddings, the scenic setting is perfectly complemented by elegant service and classic Italian food. The gnocchi, which is served with a rich four-cheese sauce, melts in the mouth, the home-made lasagne is a perennial best-seller and the lamb shank is served with nonna’s secret mint sauce.

Rocky Ridge Road, off Beyers Naude Drive, Muldersdrift, Johannesburg
Tel: 087 941 1223

Freedom from the kitchen - I can cook from a can

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:50:18 GMT

With Freedom Day around the corner, and after being berated by a TASTE user for daring to cook a meal that was not 100% from scratch, Hannah says it's time we didn't take it all so seriously and that freedom also means deciding for yourself about how much time you want to spend in the kitchen.

About a week or two ago I received a letter from a reader that went like this:

‘Hello Hannah,

Chances are you're too young to recall the immortal words of Basil Fawlty. When confronted by the snotty schoolboy, son of a guest who demands salad cream rather than the mayonnaise the chef made that morning, he says:

“Maybe we'll just have a trough of baked beans, and garnish it with a couple of dead dogs!”

The point is ... opening cans is not cooking; any more than paint-by-numbers is art or the holding tune at call centres is music.

For shame! Return to the hearth and present some authentic food ideas grounded in proper technique and vision.

Regards,

Eggplant (Capt)’

At first I was a bit taken aback, but after some more thought I was happy to have received this mail. It’s always good to get feedback, especially the kind that makes you stop and think about what you are doing.

Hence the theme of this story, which happens to fall on the eve of Freedom Day in South Africa: freeing yourself from hours spent in the kitchen, or freeing yourself to spend hours in the kitchen, whichever you prefer.

Some ingredients come in containers for good reason – they’re super convenient. My canned or bottled collection normally includes canned lentils, chickpeas and cannellini beans, Italian chopped tomatoes, Bonne Maman Jam, pickled jalapenos, mild pickled onions, gherkins, chunky peanut butter and creamed honey. Yours?

COOKING FROM A CAN, OR FROM SCRATCH

Lentils. I am huge lover of lentils, dried, canned or otherwise, but do admit that nothing beats a spicy dahl or lentil broth made with freshly cooked lentils - they still have a gorgeous bite and add a wonderful texture to any dish. Good thing about lentils, they don’t need soaking.

If you're going the canned way, choose Woolworths organic lentils and if it's from scratch, find French puy lentils from your deli.

Quick fixes using canned lentils:

Lentil, coriander and chilli salad with warm cauliflower florets

Creamy peppercorn fillet with burnt shallots and lentil and feta mash

Slow down and cook from scratch:

Spicy red lentils and crisp tofu

Red lentil and chilli broth

Tomatoes, you either love them or hate them. They’re another must-have canned pantry staple that can be dressed up or down as you like.

Woolworths has a lovely new selection of sun-blushed tomatoes in right now, or choose organic Italian chopped tomatoes in a tin from Woolworths

Quick fix using canned tomatoes:

Creamy pork sausage and rosemary napoletana

Home-made tomato sauce

Slow down:

Make your own passata - find out more about passata here

Slow-cooked sticky ragu tossed with strands of homemade pasta

Jam – who doesn’t love a good round of door-stop thick pieces of white toast, spread with way too much butter and lots of jam? Pick you favourite from the Woolworths shelves or use whatever in season fruit grabs your fancy and make a batch at home.

Quick fix using bottled jam:

Queen of puddings with oozing raspberry jam

Things to do with leftover jam

Slow Down:

Make your own cherry jam

Sweet strawberry and black pepper jam tarts tossed with sticky syrup

Freedom comes in many forms, and for some it’s simply not having to spend hours cooking everything from scratch after a long day at the office. And I don’t think there is anything wrong with that at all! Leaves you with more time to watch Fawlty Towers.

What are your favourite short-cut pantry staples? And what are your quick fixes using them?

Mail me here

Happy Freedom from all shackles Day on Friday!

Hannah

MORE FROM HANNAH

MORE QUICK MEAL IDEAS

Ingrid Jones' Bobotie

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:49:18 GMT

Recipe by: Ingrid Jones
Serves: 8
Category: Easy
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup boiled water
2 T mild curry powder
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 cup vinegar
1 t brown sugar
1/2 t ground all-spice
15 g seedless raisins
1 T apricot jam
2 T Mrs Ball's chutney
2 red onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
15 g coriander, finely chopped
1 T sunflower oil
1 kg lean lamb mince
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 slices day-old white bread, crusts removed and soaked in 1/2 cup milk
3 free-range eggs
1/2 cup milk
6 lemon leaves

Cooking instructions:

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Mix the boiled water with the curry powder, turmeric, vinegar, brown sugar, all-spice, raisins, jam and chutney. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, fry the onion, garlic and coriander in the oil until transparent. Add the mince and briefly fry, then add the prepared curry mixture and season to taste. Stir for a few minutes until the mince is just cooked, then remove from the heat.

Squeeze the milk out of the bread and mix the latter into the meat mixture. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.

Lightly whisk the eggs with the milk and pour over the mince. Top with the lemon leaves and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the egg is set and golden.

Cook’s note: Serve with yellow rice and sambals.

Benny Masekwameng's Bobotie

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:27:42 GMT

Recipe by: Benny Masekwameng
Serves: 4
Category: Easy
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
1 onion, finely chopped
1 T sunflower oil
2 t turmeric
2 leeks, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
500 g free-range beef mince
2 T tomato paste
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 T dried apricots, chopped
2 T Raisins
4 T fruit chutney
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 free range eggs
2 T cream cheese

Cooking instructions:

Preheat the oven to 160°C. In a large pan, fry the onion in the oil until transparent, then add the turmeric, leeks and garlic. Fry until fragrant.

Add the mince, tomato paste and chopped tomato and fry until the mince is cooked. Add the apricot, raisins and chutney, then season to taste. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.

Whisk the eggs with the cream cheese until smooth, then spoon over the mince mixture.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until the egg is set and golden.

My little black book: Port Elizabeth

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:13:10 GMT

With Stanley Street's coming of age, the Friendly City has finally earned its culinary stripes. TASTE's Liesl Nicholson pays a long overdue visit to the Sunshine Coast and the best culinary spots it has to offer.

FLAVA

If the ceaseless banter between energetic owner-chef John Burger and his staff in the open kitchen of this Richmond Hill gem doesn’t keep you enthralled, the menu most certainly will. For a fun guy, John is super serious about good food as my starter of Mediterranean Pisa – a leaning tower of marinated fillet, cheese, avocado and peppery black Russian tomato – attested.

Open Wednesday to Saturday, 12 noon to 3 pm and Monday to Saturday, 5:30 pm to 10 pm
17A Bain Street, Richmond Hill
Tel: (041) 811-3528

POSH PANCAKES

Caterer Angie Creaven’s small Zen-like space is a veritable ode to crêpe creativity. Beneath an Italian crystal and Perspex chandelier, Angie serves pancakes of every conceivable incarnation. Gorgeously plated and not shy size-wise, they’re a more a main attraction than sweet afterthought and, at around R50 a pop, will do far less damage to your pocket than they will to your waistline.

Open Monday and Sunday, 9 am to 3 pm, and Tuesday to Saturday, 9 am to 9 pm
32 Stanley Street, Richmond Hill
Tel: (041) 582-5005
www.angies.co.za/posh-pancakes

PESCADIYA SEAFOOD AND GRILL

While owner-chef Charles Southey is happier stove-side than front-of-house, his wife Wendy is the epitome of goodhumoured charm. Which is as it should be, for distracting Charles from the artistry of his edible craft would be nothing short of criminal. Oxtail spring rolls served on Chinese noodles with a honey and soya reduction, tempura veggies with jasmine rice and chilli, soya and ginger sauce, and mindblowingly good chilli poppers with salsa and guacamole are all designed for sharing with friends.

Open from Monday to Saturday, 12 noon to 10 pm
Corner of Stanley and Moffat Streets, Richmond Hill
Tel: (041) 582-4899

WATCH THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO:

FUSHIN SUSHI BAR

If sushi is your craving, Mark Oosthuizen and his bright young chefs are sure to please. This super trendy Stanley Street spot serves well-priced, beautifully rolled futomaki, prawn caterpillars and Ferrari crayfish rolls, alongside an array of dim sum and Easternstyle tapas. Oenophiles will delight in a sophisticated wine list.

Open from Tuesday to Saturday, 12 noon to 3 pm, and Monday to Saturday, 6 to 10 pm
Shop 5, Stanley on Bain, Stanley Street
Tel: (041) 811-7874
www.fushin.co.za

CHARLIE SUPERSTAR

Mover-shaker Matt Repton (formerly of Vovo Telo) introduces his new baby, which sports kitsch-cool Tretchikoff prints and bursts at the seams come the witching hour. On Monday nights, they banish electric bulbs in favour of hundreds of candles and, on Thursday nights, they install a photo booth and an assortment of crazy hats … you get the picture.

Open from Monday to Saturday, 12 noon to 10 pm, and Sunday, 12 noon to 9 pm
Corner of Stanley and Bain Streets, Richmond Hill
Tel: (041) 585-8225

MASTERTON COFFEE AND TEA SPECIALISTS

Importers, roasters and blenders of topquality coffee since 1924, Masterton’s is a PE institution and James Master is a character of note. Pop in for a packet of single-origin coffee or an organic brew, or check out the range of flavoured dessert coffees. They’ve also recently become the agents for red espresso.

Open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, Saturday 8 am to 1 pm
114 Russell Road, Central
Tel: (041) 585-4044
www.mastertonscoffee.co.za

BOCADILLOS

Co-owned by Kerry Repton-Smith and her mom Gill Repton (sibling and mother of Charlie Superstar’s Matt), Boccadillos offers the city’s very best caffeinated brews, buttery croissants and a selection of deli items that would rival anything you’d find in Italy. There’s outside seating on a small patio or in the diminutive courtyard area.

Open Monday to Saturday, 7.30 am to 9.30 pm
42 Sixth Avenue, Walmer
Tel: (041) 581-1523

VISIT MORE PLACES IN YOUR AREA:

TASTE bobotie-battle 2012: Ingrid Jones vs. Benny Masekwameng

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:14:00 GMT

TASTE reader Ingrid Jones went up against MasterChef judge Benny Masekwameng in a battle to make the best bobotie, a classic South African dish.

The TASTE team blind-tested both Ingrid and Benny’s boboties and, although a very tough call, Ingrid’s took the honours. Food Editor Abigail Donnelly declared her lamb bobotie “creamy and fragrant, with a good balance of spices, a subtle vinegar taste and superb topping”. Although she loved the “clean flavours”, she found Benny’s dish lacked “sauce” and needed a thicker topping.

But don't take our word for it. Take a look at both recipes, add them to your online recipe book and give them a try:

Baby marrow pasta

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:15:58 GMT

Recipe by: Lynne Bedingfield
Serves: 4
Category: Vegetarian / Easy / Quick
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
500 g linguine
2 T olive oil
200 g baby marrows. grated
2 T cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup cream

Cooking instructions:

Boil the linguine in salted water until al dente. Drain and toss through with olive oil.

Coarsely grate the baby marrows.

Heat the cooking oil in a wok and lightly fry the crushed garlic for a 1 to 2 minutes. Add the baby marrows and stir-fry for a few minutes. Add the cream and heat through.

Remove from the heat and toss through the pasta.

Serve with a handful of oven-roasted Rosa tomatoes.

Nutty hummus

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:31:48 GMT

Recipe by: Terri-Robin Haywood
Serves: 4
Dietary considerations: Health conscious / Dairy free / Heart friendly
Category: Vegetarian / Easy / Quick

Ingredients:
1 400 g can of chickpeas
1 T lemon juice
1 t ground cumin seeds
2 T smooth peanut butter
6 pita breads

Cooking instructions:

Blend the chickpeas with the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin and smooth peanut butter until smooth and creamy.

Serve with oven-warmed pita breads.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Cook's note: this recipe is very easy and the addition of peanuts givees it a great flavour.

This recipe was created by TASTE reader Terri-Robin Haywood of Durban. You too can see your recipes in the magazine and on our website - visit Competitions to see what we're looking for right now.

Feta and broccoli canneloni

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:15:33 GMT

Recipe by: Diane Hempel
Serves: 4
Category: Vegetarian / Easy / Great value / Quick
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients:
200 g tenderstem broccoli
100 g feta cheese
sea salt and black pepper
12 cannelloni pasta tubes
1 400g can of chopped tomatoes
1 cup cheese sauce
100 g mozzarella
1 t dried oregano

Cooking instructions:

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Steam the broccoli for a few minutes until tender. Blend the broccoli with feta and sea salt and black pepper to taste.

When smooth, spoon into a piping bag. Pipe the mixture into the cannelloni pasta tubes.

Drain the chopped tomatoes through a sieve and spread over the base of an ovenproof dish.

Arrange the cannelloni tubes on the tomatoes.

Pour over the cheese sauce (*see cook's note), grate over mozzarella and sprinkle with oregano.

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until bubbling and golden.

*Cook's note: you can buy ready-made cheese sauce from Woolworths, or make your own cheese sauce. You can also use regular broccoli instead of tenderstem broccoli.

This recipe was created by TASTE reader Diane Hempel of Durban. You too can see your recipes in the magazine and on our website - visit Competitions to see what we're looking for right now.

Take it outside! Al fresco entertaining ideas

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:02:13 GMT

When the weather turns good, shake out the chequered tablecloths and try our fresh ideas for easy outdoor entertaining.

The southern Europeans, think Italians, Spaniards and Greeks, are masters at outdoor entertaining.

Always a relaxed, yet lavish affair, they lay their tables with simple, seasonal fare, with plenty condiments and snacks, and of course ample bottles of cheap but cheerful wine.

HOW TO PUT IT TOGETHER

Choose a array of crowd-pleasing dishes that use really good ingredients and are effortless to put together. The idea is having enough food for guests to pick on as the afternoon wears on.

For mains offer seafood, meat and vegetarian options, some smaller salads and side dishes, plenty of crusty loaves (let each guest slices or tear off pieces as they like), some dips, a selection of sauces and bottles of olive oil and different vinegars.

MY BIG FAT GREEK TABLE

Lemony-garlick tzatziki, hummus, kofta, falafels, eight-hour melt-in-the mouth lamb, dolmades (buy ready-made from Woolworths) and lots of flatbread.

For desserts we recommend sticky sugar-and-spice infused satsuma with Greek yoghurt served with biscuits for dunking.

Remember, Lebanese food shares many similarities with Greek food - mix and match if you like!

TALKING ITALIAN

For starters, read up on how to entertain like a true Italian or put out plates of delicious, unpretentious risotto.

A great vegetarian option is panzanella white bean salad with tomato dressing, caperberries and anchovies.

A really easy recipe that makes a great starter is Parma ham lemons served with citrus bubbly. You can make it ahead, and pop in the oven until golden and bubbly just before serving.

For dessert try our deliciously crumbly orange and ricotta polenta cake with lime labneh (use mascarpone to stay true to the Italian feel) that's fragrant but rustic at the same time. Serve with coffee affogato.

Don't forget gnocchi, pizza or an easy open lasagne are always great centre pieces.

SPANISH TAPAS AND MORE

Follow our guidelines for creating an easy Spanish tapas spread.

Seafood works well on a Spanish table, and we love zesty Skordalia-mash with seared yellowtail or go for the fab vegetarian option: Skordalia with fried baby marrow and lemon.

A lovely seafood dish is seared calamari and chorizo, or spicy stuffed calamari.

Another crowd-pleasee is a chicken paella served with a tomato salad with lots of olives and caperberries.

For dessert, adapt our fool-proof doughnut recipe by making smaller balls that are a little rough around the edges. Coat them generously in spiced sugar and dunk into your hot chocolate or coffee.

MORE AL FRESCO DINING IDEAS

Entertain like the TASTE food editors do
Pick and choose from a variety of seafood and shellfish dishes that require just a quick flash in the pan and a touch of dressing up and you're done.
Take a bag of marinara mix and make one of these three lovely meals
Quick and easy things to do with avocado
Easy ways with ricotta cheese

How To - Make the perfect gammon

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:44:44 GMT

Avoid Christmas cooking disasters and learn how to make the perfect gammon with our step-by-step slideshow.

Follow the steps and most of all, have fun! For the text version of this recipe (which you can add to your online recipe book), click the link: Glazed gammon with a pineapple, fig and ginger salsa

We also have some great gammon tips and tricks here!

Recipe: Glazed gammon with a pineapple, fig and ginger salsa