The Corkless Mind

Tag: Food Photography

A Very South African Christmas – A Food24 Recipe Round-up

Recently I was tasked with developing summer dessert recipes with a South African twist for Food24. So it is official, I am now a Food24 contributor in recipe development. This enables me to go back to my first passion which is being in the kitchen, playing around and adapting recipes. With a week to go until Christmas, I thought I’d share my recipes I developed and photographed for Food24 with you!

I love making and experimenting with meringue. It’s stiff, glossy peaks are reminiscent of a Christmas snowy summit that I can only dream to experience (for now) The brief was to make summer desserts with a South African twist. The pavlova wreath I made, was topped with decadent caramel, flecked with chunky bits of peppermint crisp chocolate and studded with raspberries to create balance and give a bit of tart flavour. This is my ode to the very South African festive dessert – peppermint crisp fridge tart.

A Lolly to Make You Jolly!

Christmas in the Southern hemisphere is a scorcher, so to keep cool and calm, I made rosè, rooibos (the South African twist) and strawberry Ice lollies.

Creme Soda Gummy Bears

I’ve been looking for a gummy bear mold and dropper set for ages! Imagine my elation upon finding an affordable set on Takealot! The South African twist you ask? The legendary green fizzy drink that is our version of creme soda. It only takes 20-30 minutes in total to make and set in the fridge. Such a fantastic idea to make with the kiddos in the school holidays. Here’s the recipe.

Tropical Fruit Meringue Roulade

Inspired by my mom’s famous swiss roll cakes she used to magically conjure up in the kitchen, I made my own modern twist on the traditional by making a roulade with seasonal summer fruits. You can find the recipe here

What will you be making for your festive table this year? Recreating any of my recipes? Let me know and share a photo of your lovely festive fare 🙂

Wishing you and yours a joyous and safe festive season!

Happy feasting x

December 17, 2019
An Evening of Food and Wine Pairing at Kunjani Wine Estate

*Please note, Kunjani winery hosted me to attend the dinner, however, all views are my own*

I recently attended the very first wine and food pairing dinner at Kunjani wine estate in Stellenbosch. You may recall I was at their label launch earlier this year. The dinner consists of six courses and will be a regular occurrence at the boutique winery which will feature a fresh, seasonal menu with every dinner hosted by co-owner Pia Watermeyer.

The first course was a beetroot goat’s cheese salad, pistachio goat’s cheese balls, fig compote, grapefruit perfectly paired with the Kunjani Stolen Chicken Rosé 2018. It was quite a warm evening so this went down quite a treat! The second course, line fish, grilled artichoke, cauliflower puree, broccoli, pak choy, white wine chive sauce paired with an equally delicious Kunjani Chenin Blanc 2018.

The third course, was a refreshing palate cleanser of lemon sorbet to prepare us for the next course which was North-West Kudu carpaccio, quail eggs, horseradish, parmesan shavings, radish, pickled vegetables paired with my personal favourite, Kunjani Shiraz 2015. Next was an incredibly delicious biltong-spiced sirloin, king oyster mushrooms, carrot & cauliflower quenelles, asparagus, broccoli paired superbly with the Kunjani Cabernet Sauvignon 2017. Dessert always being my favourite course, was a chocolate-mint nougat mousse, pistachio crumbs, frozen yoghurt, and a brandy snap paired with the Kunjani Merlot 2017.

The dinner costs R550 per person, including wine and gratuity.
Bookings essential, prepayment secures your seat. Limited to 30 guests.

Note: bookings are subject to availability. Cancellations 7 days or less prior to the date of the dinner are non-refundable. T&Cs apply. This is a special event and due to space restrictions long/mixed tables are allocated and not individual tables. To book your spot for the next dinner call: +27 87 630 0409, or email: info@kunjaniwines.co.za For more information visit their Facebook page for updates: https://www.facebook.com/Kunjaniwines/

Thank you Kunjani for graciously hosting my husband and me, we can’t wait to be back again soon!

December 4, 2019
A Taste of Spring at FOXCROFT – A Review

** This review was made possible thanks to FOXCROFT for hosting me**

It’s been three years since Foxcroft in Constantia burst onto the Cape Town restaurant scene and since then it has become a regular favourite with locals as well as international guests visiting the picturesque Constantia Valley to sample the best in food and wine. Head chef Glen Williams believes in a carefully structured farm to table approach, utilizing the freshest seasonal ingredients and showcasing them on the plate to deliver a finessed flavourful experience. I was honoured to be invited to review their spring menu which runs until the 15 December, the special runs from Monday to Sunday (R345 for four courses or R595 with wine pairing). You can also treat yourself to an exceptional lunch experience by booking the tasting menu at lunch at a reduced price of R595 or R920 with wine pairing, also until 15 December 2019.

My dear friend Megan from Authentic Blog and I chose to sample the wine pairing menu. Every dish was thoughtfully constructed with each wine to complement each other perfectly. Their love of wine is certainly reflected in the successful winemaker’s dinner series collaborations, where diners enjoy a five-course chef’s menu paired with a first-class cellar’s hand-picked wines. The wine list is fresh and exciting, with a few Swartland gems in the mix.

They import as little as possible and use small-scale, sustainable, ethical and traceable suppliers wherever possible. The menu starts with the bread course, which was a pillowy light focaccia with pesto in the center. If there wasn’t all four courses that followed I would happily stuff my face with more of that! Starters followed with an utterly delicious Yellowfin tuna dish, that consisted of salsa macha, whipped avocado, jalapeno, and a crispy tostada for texture or in my case to make your own little taco! This was all paired with Silvervis’ Smiley Chenin Blanc from the marvelous Swartland region. We were treated by chef Glen, to a taster of the chicken ballotine, also on the menu as a first course. The chicken ballotine was beautifully plated with liver parfait, nectarine segments, mushroom and chunks of toasted brioche croutons for texture.

My incessant need for all things shellfish ensured I chose the west-coast mussels for the second course. Neatly gathered together in a bowl, the mussels together with a few slivers of pickled squid, succotash and mayu oil. I stood and filmed with bated breath as our amazing server Lindsay, poured the mussel chowder into the bowl to make a delicious and beautiful meal. Paired with a light and fruity 2018 Arendsig Chardonnay.

Oak Valley Pork, a beautifully plated meal of Kimchi, charred cabbage with spicy peanuts and bite-sized cubes of pork crackling. Every morsel on the plate I would eat a thousand times over! Incredibly tasty and paired with an equally delicious and well-rounded 2018 Thorne & Daughters Copper Pot.

And now for my favourite course, dessert! Simply titled, yoghurt. My dessert was certainly inspiring of spring and how fresh and flowery the season is. Cradled in the centre of an egg-shaped bowl, was green apple jelly spheres, litchi granita, beautifully decorated with elderflowers and geranium. Paired with a glass of 2019 “The Freshman” Sauvignon Blanc.

The food, the service, and the wine were absolutely spectacular. For the price of R595, the experience was such a real treat! Chef Glen and team show such a real passion for fine food and attention to detail, its easy to see and taste why they are ranked as an Eat Out eatery and You really don’t want to miss out on this fantastic Spring special. Make your booking before the 15th of December: https://www.foxcroft.co.za/book-online

Massive thanks to the amazing FOXCROFT Team for graciously hosting us and treating us like such royalty! We cannot wait to be back again.

November 19, 2019
Balducci’s Cape Town Launches Exciting Plant-based Menu

Disclaimer: I was invited by Balducci’s as a guest, and thus no expense was spared on my part.

It’s no secret that vegan and vegetarian fare get a lot of flack for what most think is rather bland and unimaginative cuisine. Balducci’s is here to change your mind. Last Friday I was invited to try out the new menu and what would also fall on international champagne day proved to be such a refreshing treat.

Delicious new offerings include Vegan Butter-Chicken-Style Pasta, Roasted Tofu and Vegan Satay Sauce Pizza, Chickpea and Potato Curry, Roasted Chilli Paste and Cashew Nut Yellow Noodles, Sunshine Plate including Lebanese-style Falafel, Bhajis Plate including Corn Kernels dusted in spices and chickpea flour and lightly fried, Vegan Peanut-Butter Blondies and more…

The vegan butter chicken, falafel and Bhajis plate was so incredibly tasty! I could go back just for those meals. It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed by the lack of choices for vegan and vegetarians but Balducci’s has certainly proved they care about all of their diners by providing variety and sustainability. If you’re not vegan or vegetarian like me, but want to experiment with different tastes and flavours, then you need to visit Balducci’s and try their new menu out! Who knows you might walk away wanting to convert 🙂

Balducci’s plant-based menu reflects their commitment to supporting sustainable organic agriculture in the long term and respect for the planet.
For more information on the vegan menu please visit: https://balduccis.co.za/balducci-vegan-menu/

Balducci: Shop 6162, Victoria Wharf, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
Tel: (021) 421 6002/3

October 23, 2019
A Grand Christmas
The sweet smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, brandy and molasses wafts through my mind reminding me of every Christmas past from my childhood. My mom, without fail, would bake her famous heavily-soaked brandy Christmas cakes on order for family or friends every year, these were the scents I recall wafting out of her kitchen, that would announce only one thing: CHRISTMAS IS HERE! As you can tell from the excitement, I loved and still do love this time of year, one thing I however did not care for much was funny enough, Christmas cake because of it’s richness in so many spices and of course ageing the cakes makes it that more pungent in taste and smell. One thing I learn as I am getting older, is a lot of the things I disliked as a child I strangely begin to have a newfound liking for now. I’m going to go ahead and say my palate has (thankfully so) evolved and for the better!

Opening up a bottle of Groot Constantia’s Grand Constance, the scent fondly reminds me of so many great festive seasons past. So in the spirit of creating my own traditions, starting this year I have vowed to make my own pavlova wreath every year to celebrate the festive season or have it as a great showstopper on my table at Christmas lunch, sure to wow any guest! To keep it light and seasonal, I made a Pavlova topped with boozy peaches and cranberries, roasted in a mixture of maple syrup, vanilla extract and of course Grande Constance. The marshmallow texture and taste of the Pavlova pairs so incredibly well because of the hints of marshmallow on the palate and nose of this Grand Dame.

Being an avid fan of Groot Constantia, they approached me to ask if I would like to be a part of their Grand Constance Festive Table campaign, naturally I jumped at the chance and said yes! I had so much fun styling my bespoke festive table and pairing the Grand Constance with something as equally delicious and sweet.

Top wine tip: pair sweet wines with something sweet. This ensures both the food and wine complement each other.

There’s only one holy grail recipe I always revert to when making pavlova, this is without doubt the queen of pavlovas, Donna Hay. Her recipe I find works best and is the most consistent in terms of outcome. The other pairing that I find works so well with Grand Constance are mince pies. Again, equally sweet and spicy. Serve with a scoop or two of your favourite vanilla ice cream, and you have an entire dessert! Warm the mince pies for best results. Yes, there are some of us that enjoy them cold (I won’t mention any names. *gives the fiancé the stink eye*).

The colour of the iconic Grande Constance reminds me of amber Christmas trifles with dollops of the famed caramel spread and warm twinkly lights that set the tone for festivities galore. To get well into the spirit of the festive season I naturally paired this delicious natural sweet wine with a dessert and even used some of it in the making of it.

Top Entertaining Tip: Pairing idea – use the boozy roasted peaches along with the sticky sweet syrup on a cheeseboard to wow guests this festive season. The sweet, tart flavours will complement pungent Stilton easily or Brie or better yet bake together with a wheel of Camembert.

Pavlova Wreath with Grand Constance Roasted Peaches

Ingredients:
- Eggwhite of 6 eggs
- 330g caster sugar
- 11/2 teaspoons of white vinegar
- 4 dessert or cling peaches, chopped into wedges
- 1/4 cup of dried cranberries
- 50ml of Grand Constance
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
- Double cream thick yoghurt to serve or whipped cream if you wish.
- 100g chopped pistachios
- light dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 150°C . Place the eggwhite in a bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks begin to form. Gradually add the caster sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking for 30 seconds before adding more. Once all the sugar has been added, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and whisk for a further 6 minutes or until the mixture is stiff and glossy.
2. Add the vinegar and whisk for a further 2 minutes or until the mixture is glossy and combined. I used my silat and freehanded this part, but if you like a little more neat looking wreath, you may take a pencil and draw intertwining circles resembling a wreath, very important to turn the baking paper over and then spoon the meringue accordingly into the circles (it’s okay of a little is not coaxed perfectly in the shape of the wreath, a bit of imperfection is what makes it stand out!) onto the baking tray lined with the non-stick baking paper. This recipe makes 2 wreaths which you can stack and dollop yoghurt in-between to keep in place and of course to make It homogenous.
3. Place in the oven, reduce the temperature to 120°C and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow the meringue to cool, with the door closed, for 1 hour do this with both wreaths. Serves 6. (or in my case 2!)
4. Set both Pavlova wreaths aside until assembly. Heat the oven up to 180°C and in a roasting dish, add the chopped peaches and cranberries, drizzle with the Grand Constance, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg. Roast for 15 minutes until soft, but not completely macerated. Set aside to cool.
5. To assemble, place your first wreath (in my case the wonkiest looking one) at the bottom, then dollop with double cream yoghurt taking a teaspoon take some of the liquid in the roasting dish and drizzle a little over the yoghurt. Place the show stopping perfect wreath on top, dollop with more yoghurt however much you would like, use your discretion, place the peach wedges on top as well as dotting the cranberries around, drizzle again with the Grand Constance infused liquid, then finish off with the chopped pistachios and seasonal pansies if you wish. I tend to go a little overboard, so of course I added edible glitter, gold stars and shimmer for good measure too! Because what’s Christmas without a little sparkle!
From my home to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Dominique x

**Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.The bottle of Grand Constance was supplied to me by Groot Constantia. All views and opinions are my own**
December 21, 2018
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