The Corkless Mind

Category: Food

CHEFS – A Review.

**This review was sponsored by CHEFS. All views and opinions are my own and was not influenced in any way**

Imagine my elation when getting asked to do my very first restaurant review. Bonus? It’s for none other than CHEFS! I’ve been meaning to go since they opened doors in 2016. For most of us living in the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town means you don’t really get out that much to Cape Town, yes, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. However I am so glad that I did eventually get to dine at this modern gem of a restaurant.

Situated on the corner of St. John’s street in Gardens, Cape Town. The concept is fine-dining without all of the fuss. No waiters but swift service. No tipping and no fancy pants attire needed to enter this upbeat establishment. The menu changes daily giving patrons a three course lunch or dinner and the opportunity to try something different every time you visit. Before visiting CHEFS, checking the website for the daily menu is always advisable but not mandatory. But for those who love the element of surprise, I’d suggest just showing up (making a booking before-hand of course). CHEFS is only operational from Monday-Friday with four sittings a day. No BYO however they have an award-winning wine list that complements every meal of the day.

Food

Fresh. Seasonal and honest. I love how much care is put into making each dish. The kitchen is open with views of each chef cooking, prepping and offering guidance to one another. I ordered the Herb and Mustard Lamb Cutlets as a main dish with a side of the crispiest triple-cooked chips, a fresh salad of apple, watercress with crunchy toasted pumpkin seeds and a mint sauce to help keep things light and fresh against the richness of the chard lamb. The special touch? The head chef, Jenny Ward herself serving me.

The lamb reminded me of the legendary crispy lamb chops my soon-to-be brother in law conjures up at one of his awesome braais. I enjoyed the texture and flavour experience this once-off dish gave me. To wash down the lamb, I asked what would pair well from the wine list with the lamb and was perfectly matched with a De Toren Malbec/Cabernet Franc blend. Dessert: Cinnamon puffs with silky smooth Dulce de Leche and a delicious scoop of smoked vanilla ice cream. I slowly savoured every. single. morsel of this dessert, sadly aware that I will probably never taste anything this good again.

Ambience

I love the fact that things are laid back and simple, almost as if you are at home or somewhere with a familiar warmth. The come-as-you-are feel that CHEFS embodies is certainly a winner for this jeans and tee kind of girl. As a food nerd I was particularly enticed by their glass cabinets full of labeled pickled vegetables and spices, and the frequent collective boisterous response “Yes Chef!” as shouted out by the kitchen staff.

Pricing is a affordable considering you won’t be tipping. I would 10/10 recommend CHEFS. To book visit their website: https://chefscapetown.co.za/

October 2, 2018
Things I Would Miss Most about S.A

** This post was sponsored by Travelstart. Views and opinions are my own**

I always wonder what it would be like having to relocate abroad particularly to London, leaving my whole life behind everything that has shaped me as proud South African to join a whole new culture and city two worlds apart from what I am used to.

A little late, but in lieu of Tourism month I list some of the quintessential South African things I would miss most when moving abroad. Why London you may ask? Footie, Fashion week and an array of world renowned Michelin starred eateries. The only problem I would be saddled with is missing all my South African favourites such as:

Koesister Sunday

Every Sunday without fail, most Capetonians tend to indulge in a tradition that extends not only to our childhood but which was passed down from our grandparents and their parents to have a hot cuppa with a warm, sweet and spicy Koesister. There will never be a doughnut that can be compared to this legendary Cape Malay treat.

A Proper Braai

Nothing beats throwing a lamb chop on the braai accompanied by those age old favourite sides, like chakalaka and pap, potato salad, and that one kudos winning curried pasta and cubed cheese salad that every cool aunty knows how to make is a sure fire winner!

Nik Naks

The perfectly cheesy maize snack has come a long way with me, as a child I would eat this as is or better yet with freshly baked warm white bread just sliced using the bread slicing machine inside of the local corner shop (yes, I am that old).

Mrs. Balls Chutney and Aromat

Many will claim that using this fruity condiment and that unmistakably delicious umami seasoning was to make a childhood food more edible. This brings back some memories of my mom making beef mince curry with plenty of over cooked frozen peas in, of which I hated (sorry mom) but chucking a bit of chutney over it all, always made it go down a little easier together with a swig of diluted syrup cool-drink.

Biltong and Pinotage

Both born and bred quintessential South African snacks. I cannot imagine my life without either!

Rooibos tea and sour fig jam

Rooibos tea is definitely something the British won’t enjoy or have much of over there as much as their prized English Breakfast or Earl Grey tea. The taste but mostly the antioxidants one benefits from it is what I love most. Sour fig jam, or Suurvy konfyt as some of us might know it as, is another one of those childhood treats I always looked forward to when the season came along, there would always be road-side stalls selling bucket loads of the sour figs or jars full of their own homemade jam made with this tart indigenous fruit.

Cape Town

Well obviously! Many of us take for granted that we are just a few minutes away from the one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Table Mountain! And who wouldn’t miss our beautiful sparkling blue beaches. One of my absolute favourite things to do on a day off or simply for work, is to go wine tasting in the picturesque Winelands or Constantia Valley. South Africa has so many world class wines to offer and what I love most is we’re just a few minutes away from all of this!

Wine tasting at Groot Constantia

How I would love to experience London, but home is certainly where the heart is!

Let me know on Twitter or my Instagram post about what you will miss most about South Africa should you move abroad.

October 1, 2018
Off the Beeten Track – in Saldanha.

** This blog post was sponsored by West Coast Way and Blue Bay Lodge. All views are my own. Besides accommodation, all other expenses were paid in full**

A blog post like this is very easy to compose and publish, especially if the time spent coming up with the content was particularly amazing! I was offered an opportunity to stay at the serene Blue Bay Lodge and experience the sleepy town of Saldanha for a weekend. If you’ve read any of my other West Coast adventures, you will know how much I love spending time and recharging my soul there.

As you enter the legendary fishing village, Saldanha, Blue Bay Lodge meets you at the very beginning of the town, situated off Henry Wicht street. Aptly named after the Wicht Family who runs Blue Bay lodge. My fiance and I were lucky enough to stay in the stunning Executive suite overlooking the bay and of course the monumental Saldanha Steel plant. The staff are extremely welcoming and warm, something among many other reasons makes me want to go back and soon! Previously a homestead for the Wicht family, the Wicht’s moved to the area and bought the property in 1954, and proceeded to raise their 9 children on the small farm. The lovely owner, Mart-Mari Wicht, told us a charming tale of how her parents came back from their honeymoon and began with the idea of starting a self-catering establishment. Years after her grandfather passed on, her father bought the family homestead and turned it into Blue Bay Lodge. In 2005, the Wicht family built an additional 16 rooms on to extend the lodge, which we now call the suites.

As the storm clouds started rolling in to the bay, we arrived just in time to cosy up and watch from the comfort of our beautiful suite. Dinner was a gourmet hamburger and fries. Every Friday at the restaurant (situated inside the lodge) is Burger night, where for a steal, the hamburgers at a discounted price and cocktails half price.

Awoken by the crashing of waves, feeling refreshed and ready to conquer the day after a good night’s rest. My morning coffee turned into something of an experience, overlooking the bay area on the balcony with the crisp ocean air against my skin. Breakfast was a simple but filling one at the restaurant at the lodge. With the emphasis on filling and fueling up, we had quite a busy day ahead of us with site seeing around the bay. First up was a visit to the much talked about local gem, Cup of Cake. A bakery and coffee shop much loved by the locals and those passing through Saldanha, know it’s always best to get their sweet fix early, as the bakery fills up very quickly. The cake, deliciously decadent and moreish. The coffee is the perfect accompaniment to balance the sweet. I would recommend leaving with one or two cupcakes or slices. It’s just that good!

After all the cake, we needed to take a brisk walk to keep the guilt at bay. Just up the road is one of the West Coast’s oldest fishing villages, where the Hoedjieskop museum is. The museum was momentarily closed so we instead took a hike up to the look-out point to have a look at the bay area. This village has the oldest cemetery on the west coast too. Saldanha bay has such rich heritage and history, something that the locals can be proud of and I’m certain of is celebrated.

Saldanha is also renowned for sustainable seafood. Most people don’t know this, but the annual Knysna Oyster festival gets all their Oysters from Saldanha! Another fun fact: did you know, the best time to consume Oysters are in winter? The reason behind this is that they are at their prime.

Our next stop, was something I had been looking forward to all week! We took a boat trip to a local oyster farm. In the bay,of which there are several companies with flotation devices to keep their stock of West Coast Black Mussels or West Coast Oysters in check. A short boat trip across the bay took us to Blue Sapphire Pearls (the tour operator) section of Oysters and Mussells. The water is filled with many colours of flotation devices signalling which site belongs to which company. When asked, how do they know which stock is theirs, the tour operators, confidently responded with the only colour they use for their site.

The boat trip came to a halt. It was finally time to have a look at their farm! Like a rig or a well bringing up water, a rope attached to the flotation devices was rung around a recycled wheel, much like a conveyor belt. The belt stopped, out came three wire cages of dozens and dozens of Oysters. The two gentlemen on the boat sorted through them and put a few back. The reasoning for this is putting back the young small oysters that still need time to mature and grow. The bigger ones will of course dominate in the environment and eat most of the food(plankton, etc) and leave very little left over for the younger ones, hence they need to be sorted and set aside or shucked to be eaten.

With the engine fired up and ready to go, we made a very short trip across to a floating wooden deck, where Oysters are shucked, bubbly popped,and reveling in the temporary feeling of the good life are enjoyed! I lost count the amount of Oysters I consumed, and because my person is (so he suspects) allergic to shellfish, I chose to eat for the both of us! Two bucket list items are officially ticked off. Touring an oyster farm and having freshly shucked oysters right then and there! And of course shucking my own oyster straight from the sea. Whether you have a penchant for a freshly shucked oyster or not, this is definitely something every foodie or food nerd should experience!

Each juicy plump oyster tasted of the sea, fresh, and had a delicious sweet taste. I tried plenty without any condiments, and to me this is the best way to eat them. Recalling something that Kyle, of Mussel Monger recently said, “chew your oysters, rather than knock it back like a shot” Some sound advice, as you really get to experience each texture and taste as you chew.

The cliched saying of “time flies when you’re having fun” comes to mind. The weekend was over before it actually began! With a jam-packed weekend of seeing and tasting all Saldanha has to offer, I felt the immediate need to come back and do it all again, and soon! Blue Bay Lodge, is family friendly, a fantastic place to switch off and reconnect with oneself and nature. They host all sorts of family friendly activities year round, from the kite-windsurfing cup to a sailing regatta and lots more! See below to visit their website and keep up to date with all their events. Blue Bay lodge is the perfect sea-side escape for everyone! If you’re planning a wedding,function or conference, they have such beautiful and affordable facilities to host you and your guests. Get in touch with the team to find out more.

You can find Blue Bay lodge on the Foodie route(#53) on West Coast Way’s route guide. The foodie route is a great way to explore those tucked away local gems!

Plan your weekend away with West Coast Way and Blue Bay lodge whilst they are still running the 3 for 2 nights deal! Visit West Coast Way and Blue Bay Lodge for more information. To book an oyster farm tour and tasting contact Kevin Ruck at Blue Sapphire Pearls at kevin@ruck.co.za or call (022) 714 3928. The tours are R460 per person and have a minimum of 4 people per tour.

July 6, 2018
Chenin Blanc Chicken Pot Pie
Last week Friday (15th of June) we celebrated #DrinkChenin day with a notable stormy chill in the air. I love and enjoy the occasional Chenin Blanc but in winter I tend to enjoy a full bodied red wine more over a perfectly chilled white. So to make it a little more suitable for an icy winter’s day, I’ve made a chicken pot pie with this delicious Chenin Blanc from Kleine Zalze. The renowned wine estate has recently won an array of awards from the Decanter World Wine Awards, John Platter Wine Guide, and the International Wine Challenge just to name but a few.

For those who aren’t aware, besides being known for award winning Chenin blanc and Shiraz, Kleine Zalze is also home to one of the most esteemed and revered restaurants in South Africa, Terroir. Having opened in 2004, and won two EatOut top 10 awards since, with Micheal Broughton at the helm of this local gem, I have yet to visit and tick Terroir off of my bucket list.

It is said that South Africa’s Chenin Blanc is known to be up there with the world’s finest! Chenin Blanc has a long history. It’s thought to have been established in the Anjou region of France as long ago as the ninth century and was probably known then as Chenere. The variety was renamed Chenin Blanc, after Mont Chenin, in the 15th century soon after being exported to the Touraine region in the Loire Valley. The unique white wine also has a long and interesting history in South Africa and is believed to be amongst the first vine cuttings that arrived here in 1655.

Chenin Blanc Chicken, Spinach and Thyme Pot Pie.

Makes 1 big pie or 6 individual pot pies.

Ingredients:
- 4 chicken thighs, deboned, shredded and skinned (skins saved to make chicken crackling)
- 200 g spinach
- 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 sheet of store-bought butter puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 50 ml flour
- 340 ml chicken stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- 60 ml chenin blanc
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 leek, rinsed well and roughly chopped
Method:

On a high heat in a large pan or pot, sear the chicken until golden brown. Remove and set aside. Reduce the heat, then add the butter, olive oil, chopped shallot,leek and thyme, cook for 2 minutes. Then add the spinach and garlic, cook until the spinach is wilted. Add the chicken to the pan, stir to combine.

Add the Chenin and let the alcohol slowly cook away. Add the flour, then the stock and continue to stir until a thick consistency is achieved. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes stirring continuously, until the chicken is cooked through. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.

Working quickly with the pastry, roll it out and place in your preferred dish, add the chicken mixture to the dish, and add another sheet of pastry to the top to seal the pie. I made one with a wonky lattice, an open one with pastry only at the bottom and another one completely closed marked with a fork. Brush with egg-wash and bake in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes until puffed up and golden. If baking in ramekins, place on a baking tray. I’m not particularly sure how true this is, but it reduces the occurrence of soggy bottoms.

To make the crispy chicken skin crackling: remove any fat off from the inside of the skin and place on a paper towel season with salt and pepper (be mindful of how much salt you use, as the skins shrink and could be a bit too salty) Place on a parchment lined baking tray at 200 degrees C. cover with another sheet of parchement and another baking tray to stop the skins from curling up. Bake for 15 minutes until crisp. set aside to cool. Serve as a snack or alongside your pie as an added extra crunch.

Enjoy with a chilled glass of Chenin Blanc.

Cheers! x

**Information supplied by the Chenin Blanc Association website. This is not a sponsored post, all views are my own. The costs of making this blog post I have paid for out of my own expense**
June 21, 2018
Out of the Office at Groot Constantia

Imagine my elation at receiving an invite for a day out with Fusion Design and fellow bloggers at the breathtaking Groot Constantia Wine Estate. The day, September 1st being a serendipitous day of firsts, started outside of the Jonkershuis restaurant beneath a beautiful old oak tree. Founder of Fusion design, Carmen Lerm and Editor Kim van Niekerk warmly received us alongside a bubbly station with mouthwatering little morsels of heaven to celebrate a day of ‘firsts’. I do apologize in advance for the over-use of the word ‘delicious’.

We moved toward the historic Cloete cellar, where their infamous Chocolate and wine pairing took place. My favourite pairing was the Chardonnay beautifully paired with a delicious white chocolate with hints of lime and apricot, and the Sauvignon Blanc paired with a tropical guava white chocolate. The pairing ended with a little surprise, a tasting of one of South Africa’s oldest wines, the ‘Grand Constance’ a natural sweet wine enticing not only in it’s gorgeous amber hue but it’s delicious robust sweet flavours of peaches, honey and caramel. It is recommended that ‘Grand Constance’ is best served between 12-14 degrees C. Pair with fruit-based puddings or chocolate, dried fruits, nuts or cheese.

Lunch was held at the bistro style Jonkershuis restaurant, a short walk from the cellar. Note: visit Jonkershuis hungry! lunch was a three course meal, options vary from Steamed to order Black Mussels with a masala and lentil cream and a slice of toasted Woodstock Sourdough, to a handcut fillet seared with porcini cream. Dessert was a delectable milktart with a apricot and vanilla compote. I had my eye on the very popular Apple cake with vanilla ice cream, unfortunately by the time I decided on it, it was all sold out. The food and service at Jonkershuis was impeccable and definitely worth another visit or two! Another first was the launch of their infused Grape seed oils for culinary usage, of which is produced on site. The one I was lucky enough to take home was the Garlic infused Grape seed oil. So far I’ve been using the oil in almost every savoury dish I can think up!

What I loved most about the day was that most of us had not met each other before, the successful ice breaker being copious amounts of delicious wine and food is what brought us all together at the end of the day. Many of us walked a away having made a few new connections and for some new friends too! There is so much to experience, taste and see at Groot Constantia! Take your family, loved ones or friends for a perfect brunch date, wine tasting with friends.

Here’s to many more firsts! xo

**Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest of Fusion Design and Groot Constantia Wine Estate.**

September 8, 2017
Chocolate brownie waffle sticks

We all have that one or in most cases, couple of kitchen appliances that gather up dust in a room or at the back of a cupboard becoming more of a clutter issue than something that can add value to your daily cooking lifestyle. Mine shamefully, is my slow cooker, vegetable steamer and waffle maker. All very useful and handy in their own rite! But take up far too much space on my already tiny kitchen counter.

This week, I’ve cracked out the waffle maker and challenged myself to use each appliance at least once a week for something different, something unconventional. I got the idea from a Food network show called ‘The Kitchen’, Sunny(one of the hosts) made the most delicious looking brownie waffles in a waffle maker! I of course had to try this out with one of my favourite brownie box mixes, I usually don’t do box mixed goodies, but I am such a fan of Nomu, I couldn’t resist the temptation to skip a few steps 🙂

The waffle machine I used is an electronic one. If you hate mess, this comes with a caveat. This might be because I put a little too much batter into the machine, or might be the machine itself, I found the batter drips and funs along the sides of the machine on to my counter. The result however, is a crisp on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside type of texture. I of course added a little bit more chocolate chips to my batter, because chocolate! Chocolate will always be a vice that I would have no restraint over.I made a quick chocolate ganache and a strawberry coulis/syrup to dip the brownie waffle sticks into. You can of course add your own dipping.

Chocolate brownie waffle sticks:

Ingredients:
– 1 chocolate brownie box mix

– Extra chocolate of your choice

– 1 punnet of strawberries

– 1 cup of sugar

– 1/2 cup water

– 4 eggs

– 140g butter melted

– dipping of your choice

Method:
Mix the brownie mix per instruction. Gently stir in extra chocolate chips. Lightly brush the waffle machine with oil or butter to ensure the waffle will easily pull apart from the edges. Heat waffle machine per manufacturers instruction using a big spoon, spoon in a bit of batter in each section and close until the machine notifies you it is ready and cooked. Set aside to cool and serve with a dipping of your choice. To make the strawberry coulis/syrup. Cut the strawberries in quarters and add to a small pot with sugar and water. Cook until macerated and a syrupy consistency is achieved. Drizzle over the waffle and cut into sticks.

**This post is in no way sponsored and projects my honest opinion**

August 18, 2017