SUNNINGHILL – Information & bookings (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

We hope you are having a good week so far. This weekend I’m sure everyone’s eyes will be on the Currie Cup final (coverage starts at 16:30). There are only  one or two individual classes left this month as we wind down to the end of the year, but keep an eye out on the blog as we are updating recipes as often as possible.

Also follow us on Facebook and Twitter – just search for Wickedfood and you will find us.

Please contact the school should you wish to make a booking:

Wickedfood Cooking School, Sunninghill

A perfect snack food, deep-fried in a fragrant flour and chilli coating.

1kg baby squid, cleaned, tentacles retained
1 cup flour
2T salt
2T white pepper
3T chilli powder
Oil for deep frying
2 lemons cut into wedges for garnish

1. Slit the squid open, and then cut into 1cm strips.
2. In a bowl combine the flour, salt, pepper and chilli powder.
3. Heat the oil in a deep fryer or wok, to the depth of 5cm.
4. When ready to cook, toss the squid strips, a handful at a time, in the flour mixture, shake off the excess flour and drop it carefully into the hot oil, taking care not to burn yourself. Separate the pieces, and fry for 2 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Repeat until all the squid is cooked. Serve immediately on a large platter, and garnished with wedges of lemon.
5. Serves 8-10

Wickedfood Cooking School

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

Wickedfood cooking school runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studios. Cookery classes 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 cooking lessons 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 events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

This interesting book is all about pork from day one when Stephane’s grandpa Barbe sat him down and showed him his first slaughter, not much has changed in the way Stephane slaughters his pigs in the last 30 years – maybe just that he’s allowed wine while he does it now.

Recently the Wickedfood chefs were given a detailed demo on how to butcher a wild pig and once you’ve actually done the work you realize that butchers (the true ones that can take a carcass apart like a true art) are very special people. I would even be so bold as to say that you could compare them to doctors – making sure every cut is perfect, no sinew, no excess fat, but enough to keep the meat from drying out, to making sure not one gram of tasty meat is wasted…a true art.

This book takes you on a well-guided tour of every use for pork from the simple but tasty dishes like fillet mignons with peanuts to the types of sausages made with pork and the differences between hams from Italy to hams from France.

Whether you are after a great insight into how pork products are made, and are interested in the lives of true masters of the art of butchering, or you’re just looking for a great cook book, this is definitely a great buy.

Wickedfood Cooking School

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

Wickedfood cooking school runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studios. Cookery classes 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 cooking lessons 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 events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Q: Would you be able to give me some recipes on vegetables and fruits that will stimulate my taste buds and introduce me to a new combination of taste?
A: take a look at our blog out for some interesting recipe ideas for doing various vegetarian dishes, i have also included a recipe that we had in our individual this week and it was a firm favourite, Once you find a veg dish you like start experimenting with it – try different vegetables, try a mix of vegetables. What will also work well is find a good thai curry recipe and instead of using chicken replace it with a mix of your favourite Vegetables.

This dish is extremely versatile and the cooking technique can be used for any seasonal vegetables. For a more complex dish, add a bit of green and red capsicum and sliced onion. The dish can be served hot or cold.

500g eggplant, preferably long thin ones
3 cups oil for deep frying

3 cloves garlic, minced
2cm young ginger, minced
6 spring onions, sliced to 1cm
1T chilli oil

¼ cup hot bean paste
2T light soy sauce
2T dark soy sauce
2T Chinese rice wine
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup crushed yellow rock sugar

½t Szechuan peppercorns, roasted and ground

1. Top and tail the eggplants and cut in half lengthwise (if using more bulbous eggplants, cut in quarters or eighths lengthwise).
2. Heat the oil in a wok until just smoking, and fry the eggplants in batches until golden. Draining on paper towel, once cooked.
3. Drain most of the oil, keeping back about a ¼ cup. Heat the oil again until smoking, add the garlic, ginger, spring onions and chilli oil and fry until fragrant.
4. Add the bean paste, soy sauces, rice wine, vinegar and sugar. Bring to the boil and boil for two minutes.
5. Add the eggplant and cook for a further 2 minutes, mashing slightly so that they absorb the flavours of the sauce.
6. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with the ground peppercorns.

Serves 4 to 6

Wickedfood Cooking School

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

Wickedfood cooking school runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studios. Cookery classes 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 cooking lessons 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 events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

A great quick and easy sweet chilli sauce to make, if you find it is to hot/ not hot enough take away/ add some chilli’s.

4 serrano chillies, minced
4 Thai (birds eye) chillies, finely chopped
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Rice vinegar (White Vinegar)
2 tablespoons Finely Minced Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Sweet paprika
1 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon Fresh lime or lemon juice

1. Remove stems from peppers and prepare as specified – (take the necessary precautions when handling hot peppers)
2. In a small, heavy saucepan, combine the chillies, sugar, water, vinegar, garlic, paprika and salt.
3. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat.
4. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt and reduce the heat to low.
5. Simmer until the liquid reduces slightly and thickens to a light syrup.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the fish sauce and lime or lemon juice.
7. If you want a thicker sauce still you can stir in a 1/2 teaspoon of flour mixed in with some water towards the end of the simmer.
8. Cool to room temperature before serving. Transfer the cooled sauce to a tightly sealed jar and store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Wickedfood Cooking School

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

Wickedfood Cooking school runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studios. Cookery classes 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 cooking lessons 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 events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.