“One of Australia’s most acclaimed restaurants, pier is renowned for the just-caught freshness of its seafood and the delicacy and restraint of its dishes. In the book Pier’s Executive chefs Greg Doyle, Grant King and Katrina Kanetani share 99 of their exquisite innovative recipes and the philosophy behind them.”

This book is one of the best seafood books i have read in the past couple of months with its sharp, clear and colourful pictures,  Greg Doyle and Grant King take the freshest seafood and turn it in a work of art while keeping in simple and letting the freshness of the ingredients speak for themselves, from the Thai-influenced sashimi of kingfish to Blow-torched prawns. This book has a wide variety of interesting canapes, mains and desserts to keep the seafood lovers busy for months with great tasting recipes that with practice well have your food looking like it has come out of a three star Michelin kitchen.

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking school runs Johannesburg cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Cooking lessons are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Originating in the seventeenth century, this is the original quiche, a mix of egg and bacon. Although not traditional, adding 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese to the tart pastry adds a great savoury texture. For a more flaky pastry, blind bake pie shell before filling it. Delicious served as a light meal with a crisp green salad, or as a starter.

Tart pastry
1 1/2 cups (210g) flour
1/2t salt
125g cold butter, cubed to 1cm
Iced water (cold water with ice cubes in a jug)

Filling
2T butter
±250g streaky bacon, chopped
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup double cream or crème fraîche
Salt and pepper
Grated nutmeg

1. Tart pastry
2. Place the flour, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse, until mixture forms crumbs – do not over process (alternatively rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips to form breadcrumb texture).
3. With the motor running, add a little water at a time, until a soft dough ball forms. Wrap in plastic and place in the fridge for 30 minutes (this gives the dough time to relax and stops shrinking when rolling).
4. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to 3mm. Use the pastry to line a 24cm loose bottomed tart tin. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or until needed (or if in a hurry place in the freezer for 10 minutes).
5. Filling
6. Preheat the oven to 210°C.
7. Heat the butter in a frying pan, then fry the bacon until lightly coloured. Transfer to paper towels and allow to drain and cool.
8. In a large bowl mix together the eggs, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
9. Scatter the bacon over the base of the pastry case, carefully pour in the egg mixture and place into the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the filling has set and the top is coloured, then remove from the oven, and allow to stand for five minutes before serving.

Gives 6 to 8 slices

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill - (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School runs Johannesburg cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. We offer a variety of Cooking Classes. Cooking lessons are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Persian cuisine is surely one of the master cuisines of the world.  It is unique, with is origins more than 3000 years old.  The survival of the cuisine is due largely to its enduring appeal of delicate blends of flavours.  Today the inferences can be seen from Morocco through to the eastern Mediterranean, most of the middle east and on to India. The Persians have always believed in satisfying both the eye and the palate when it comes to food.  When Alexander the Great defeated Persia,  he was one of the first to succumb to the refinements of Persian food.  It is a highly fragrant cuisine, a mix of delicate spices and fragrances from saffron and cardamom to rosewater, pomegranates, nuts and fruit.  At the center of Persian cooking is its blend of meets with fruits and nuts, variety of dips and condiments, and its method of cooking rice which is the centerpiece on most tables.

It is with this background that we headed to Kuhestan Farm in Magoebaskloof for a weekend of Persian indulgence.  The farm is perched on the mountaintop, with spectacular views of the forests and valleys below.  Cottages are all beautifully appointed with large bath rooms, fireplace and fully fitted kitchen, so ideal for self catering.  But we were here for a Persian cooking weekend.

Shahrzad, our  instructor and co-owner of the farm with her husband Brett, had a real feast in store.  On the first evening we enjoyed a Persian feast of slow braised whole chickens as well as the variety of signature rice dishes, followed by a fascinating slide show on Persia -  Shahrzad is Persian by birth.

The following day, joined by a couple that had traveled all the way from Cape Town, we started our Persian cooking class.  First we were introduced to the basic spices  and techniques  – for instance Persians soak the rice for between 2 and 24 hours.  This gives the delicate long grain of rice once cooked.  Through the day we peeled, chopped and cooked, blending the delicate flavors and coaxing them in ten delicious dishes that we enjoyed for dinner.

By the end of the weekend we had a true understanding of this complex cuisine, and are will be able to reproduce  a number of the dishes for a lavish dinner party with friends.  And to add to the enjoyment we received a beautiful pack of spice blends, preserves and pickles, produced on the farm.  For more information on cooking weekends contact   

Shahrzad and Brett Hone

Kuhestan Farm

082 903 7593/082 887 8029

See also:

Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking - for mouthwatering book on Persian cooking

Pomegranate Khoresh with Chicken - A delicious  Persian recipe

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. We offer a variety of Johannesburg Cooking Classes. Cooking lessons are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.