Wickedfood Cooking School, SUNNINGHILL

Information & bookings (076) 236-2345  sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

They say we are officially in autumn, but with the ongoing searing heat, it certainly still feels like mid summer.  The recipe of the week is a perfect  summer meal, taken from our cookbook of the week, Rick Stein’s Spain – enjoy.

In our last newsletter we invited you to participate in our new and exciting project whereby we are planning to deliver a selection of naturally-grown fruits, vegetables and meats for collection at Wickedfood Cooking School in Sunninghill on Saturday mornings. Thank you for the overwhelming support which we received from many of you for this project.  We hope to be kicking off with delivery during the course of this month.  Anyone still  interested in receiving information on this initiative, please e-mail earth@wickedfood.co.za, with the word subscribe in the subject line.

The March and April Programmes are now live on our website.  Classes for the next few weeks will take you on a culinary adventure around the world, from South African Portuguese flavours, to a North African feast, classic Lebanese dishes and Italian all-time favourites.  In addition we will also teach you to prepare some of Jamie Oliver’s best dishes.  Book early to avoid disappointment as classes tend to fill up very fast.

Find us on Facebook and Twitter – just search for Wickedfood and you will find us. We update the blog on a daily basis and publish it through Facebook and Twitter.

Looking for info on food?

If you have any food-related questions, or a dish that you just can’t get right or even a certain recipe that you are looking for, but just can’t seem to find, then contact us and we will do our best to answer it as soon as possible. Click Here for more information. Hope to hear from you soon.

Wickedfood Cooking School news

The Cooking class programmes for March and April are up on the internet. Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes with a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 12 giving everyone hands-on experience and keeping the cooking class small enough for maximum learning. These cooking classes are conducted by our senior instructors who have extensive experience in the food industry and share a variety of additional cooking tips throughout the cooking class.

• Sunday 11 March at 4pm – Flavours of the South African Portuguese Table (R370pp). At the heart of Portuguese cuisine is the use of quality ingredients prepared simply to preserve their distinctive flavours. Portuguese food is renowned for being lusty and robust. Because Portuguese cuisine is easy to prepare, and uses very basic equipment, it is often described as peasant food. The use of seasoned pork, strong olive oil, garlic and onions contributes to the image of strongly flavoured, simple cooking. In this Portuguese cooking class we teach you how to prepare Sunday dinner fare, designed to satisfy the appetite and reinforce the bonds of home and family. 7 tasty dishes including trinchado, chicken livers, caldo verde, chicken peri-peri, Portuguese salad and crème caramel.
• Monday 12 March at 6pm – North African feast (R380pp). North African recipes are the result of the blending of European, African, and Arabic cuisines. North African food originated in Egypt over 3 000 years ago. The food is very spicy since paprika, cumin, and ginger are commonly used in dishes with the spice mixtures being just as popular as the spices themselves. Come learn how to prepare a delicious North African feast at our North African cooking class, which includes 4 starters, buried chicken, spicy lamb couscous and layered crispy pastry.
• Monday 19 March at 6pm – The Naked Chef (R370pp). Stop making reservations, and start cooking dinner! Jamie Oliver introduces us to his concept of naked food, and shares his simple, feisty, and delicious recipes that combine bold flavours with fresh ingredients. Oliver’s cookbooks appeal to anyone who wants to prepare fantastic meals but doesn’t want to spend all night cooking. This Jamie Oliver cooking class proves that even kitchen novices can make perfect foolproof roast chicken with roast potatoes, fresh tomato and sweet chilli soup, homemade pasta with mushrooms, roast butternut and fruit crumble.
• Sunday 25 March at 4pm – Classic Lebanese dishes (R380pp). The Lebanese gastronomy is a rich mixture of various products and ingredients coming from the diverse Lebanese regions. It is with food that the Lebanese express their generosity and hospitality. The secret to mastering Lebanese cuisine lies in the preparation and organization of the menu and in the fact that Lebanese dishes store and reheat well. The Lebanese cook always prepares several dishes in advance and stores the basic mixtures so that they can be combined with other food items to  make a full meal quickly. Every household has a constant stock of pickles, olives, cheese, yoghurt, nuts, grain, herbs and spices. This Lebanese cooking class showcases a selection of the most popular Lebanese party food including Hummous with ground lamb, Kibbi Naye and deep-fried kibbi balls, Lebanese salad, bread pies and a delicious Middle Eastern dessert.
• Monday 26 March at 6pm  – Our Italian Cookbook (R380pp). Note that there is no such thing as ‘Italian cuisine’ with a unique nation-wide tradition of preparing food. Our Italian cooking class showcases the Classic Italian dishes that every Italian food-lover must have in his/her cook book. 6 hearty dishes include chicken liver crostinis, zucchini frittata, pasta with a clam sauce, Osso Buca, polenta and pannacotta.
• Monday 02 April at 6pm  - Relaxed alfresco entertaining (R370pp). Easy buffet dishes to prepare in advance for entertaining. Learn the skills of cooking for a group of friends, with confidence, in this easy entertaining cooking class. Dishes include fried halloumi, grilled poussins, roast peppers, couscous salad, and fruit and almond tart.

Cookbook of the week

Rick Stein’s Spain

Rick Stein’s cooking adventures through various parts of the world have long captivated TV viewers. His latest offering, Rick Stein’s Spain, is presently being screened on BBC Lifestyle, and is one of his best yet. Driving his chum’s rather clapped-out camper van, Rick embarks on a culinary journey laced with history, literature and stunning photography through Spain.  … Click here to read more

Click Here for reviews of all our cookbook reviews.

Food quote of the week

“ He was a very valiant man who first adventured on eating oysters.” - James I

Recipes of the week:

Lettuce, anchovy and egg salad with a creamy vinaigrette

This mouthwatering salad comes from our cookbook of the week, Rick Stein’s Spain, his latest book. All the ingredients can be prepared ahead of time. ….Click Here for all our recipes.

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. 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 – teambuilding 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 team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Find us on Facebook and Twitter – just search for Wickedfood and you will find us. We update the blog on a daily basis and publish it through Facebook and Twitter.

Wickedfood Cooking School News

Our  individual cooking class programmes are up on the internet. Click the link for the appropriate month - March or April

Week 2 – 05 to 11 March

Monday 05 March at 6pm – Healthy flavours of Vietnam (R370 per person per class). Famous for its lively, fresh flavors and artfully composed meals, Vietnamese food and cooking is the true ‘light cuisine’ of Asia. Abundant fresh herbs and greens, delicate soups and stir-fries, and well-seasoned grilled foods served on, or with, rice or noodles are the mainstays of the Vietnamese delicacies. Home-style Vietnamese cooking calls for an array of simple dishes that make complementary partners at a family’s communal meal. Hobby cooks with well-equipped kitchens and handy appliances will find preparing a Vietnamese meal both rewarding and relatively easy. Classic dishes from the Vietnamese table, including fried springrolls, Vietnamese hot and sour fish soup, caramel chicken, squid salad, and coconut crème caramel.

Sunday 11 March at 4pm – Flavours of the South African Portuguese Table (R370pp per person per class). At the heart of Portuguese cuisine is the use of quality ingredients prepared simply to preserve their distinctive flavours. Portuguese food is renowned for being lusty and robust. Because Portuguese cuisine is easy to prepare, and uses very basic equipment, it is often described as peasant food. The use of seasoned pork, strong olive oil, garlic and onions contributes to the image of strongly flavored, simple cooking. This is Sunday dinner fare designed to satisfy the appetite and reinforce the bonds of home and family. 7 tasty dishes including trinchado, chicken livers, caldo verde, chicken peri-peri, portuguese salad and crème caramel.

Week 3 – 12 to 18 March

Monday 12 March at 6pm – North African feast (R380pp). North African recipes are the results of the blending of European, African, and Arabic cuisines. North African food originated in Egypt over 3000 years ago. The food is very spicy since paprika, cumin, and ginger are commonly used in dishes with the spice mixtures being just as popular as the spices themselves. Come learn how to prepare a delicious North African feast at our North African cooking class, which includes 4 starters, buried chicken, spicy lamb couscous and layered crispy pastry.

Week 4 – 19 to 25 March

Monday 19 March at 6pm – The Naked Chef (R370pp). Stop making reservations, and start cooking dinner! Jamie Oliver introduces us to his concept of naked food, and shares his simple, feisty, and delicious recipes that combine bold flavours with fresh ingredients. Olivers cookbooks appeal to anyone who wants to prepare fantastic meals but doesn’t want to spend all night cooking. This cooking class proves that even kitchen novices can make perfect foolproof roast chicken with roast potatoes, fresh tomato and sweet chilli soup, homemade pasta with mushrooms, roast butternut and fruit crumble.

Sunday 25 March at 4pm – Classic Lebanese dishes (R380pp). The Lebanese gastronomy is a rich mixture of various products and ingredients coming from the diverse Lebanese regions. It is with food that the Lebanese express their generosity and hospitality. The secret to mastering Lebanese cuisine lies in the preparation and organization of the menu and in the fact that Lebanese dishes store and reheat well. The Lebanese cook always prepares several dishes in advance and stores the basic mixtures so that they can be combined with other food items to quickly make a full meal. Every household has a constant stock of pickles, olives, cheese, yoghurt, nuts, grain, herbs and spices. A selection of the most popular Lebanese party food including Hummous with ground lamb, Kibbi Naye and Deep-fried kibbi balls, Lebanese salad, bread pies and Osmaliyah.

Green ideas for your Home:

http://www.smartgreenpeople.co.za/

We simplify by researching and sourcing a range of environmentally friendly (organic, biodynamic, free-trade, free-range) products that you can use in your home or office, and we facilitate through our specially tailored order-and-delivery service, which ensures the products reach you quickly and effortlessly. Smart Green People is hassle-free and cost-effective — two aspects that, we believe, will assist in growing the vital concept of living, eating and cleaning in a way that is as harmless as possible to our environment and ourselves.

Food tip of the week:

Baking Powder

In double acting baking powder, carbon dioxide is produced when moisture is added, and again when it is heated.

Using too much baking powder will produce a product with a coarse grain, and broken cell walls in the ‘air’ bubbles, which will cause the product to eventually fall. When you use too little, the product will not rise enough and will be heavy.

Baking powders lose strength over time. They should be kept tightly covered, moisture will cause them to deteriorate faster.

If you increase the eggs in a recipe, decrease the baking powder by 1/2 teaspoon for each extra egg added, and vice versa.

Interesting places in Joburg:

Reunion Island Food Festival

When: Dates to be confirmed (Thursday, 22 March 2012)
Where: Ferndale, Randburg
Categories: Annual Festivals / Food & Wine

Reunion Island Food Festival

The Wickedfood Team

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Wickedfood Cooking School runs classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking school. 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 cooking courses 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 team building cooking classes, these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients. Great Team building ideas.

Wickedfood Cooking School, SUNNINGHILL

Information & bookings (076) 236-2345  sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

We all have to eat.  You have most likely subscribed to this newsletter because you enjoy food and enjoy preparing it.  You are also most probably a discerning food shopper.  Over the past few years Wickedfood Cooking School has become more and more alarmed at the poor quality of food on our  supermarket shelves.  Our directors have taken a massive leap and moved to the country where, over the past two years, they developed Wickedfood Earth and have been experimenting with naturally-grown fruits, vegetables and livestock, without the use of pesticides, synthetic chemicals, growth hormones and antibiotics.  They have also been engaging with like-minded farmers, and learned a lot about the myth of organic and free range, as displayed on supermarket shelves.  Both concepts have a lot of merit, but unfortunately have been manipulated by big business to turn a quick buck to the detriment of the underlying concept – see “A case in point” below for more information.

Wickedfood Earth, in conjunction with various other like-minded farmers in the area, is busy setting up a direct marketing operation.  At the beginning of each week we will e-mail to interested parties a list of produce available.  You will then be able to place an order on the internet and produce will be delivered for collection at Wickedfood Cooking School in Sunninghill on Saturday mornings.  Should you be interested in receiving information on this initiative, please e-mail earth@wickedfood.co.za, with the word subscribe in the subject line.

All classes to the end of  February are fully subscribed.  The March and April Programmes are now live on our website.  Book early to avoid disappointment as classes tend to fill up very fast.

Find us on Facebook and Twitter – just search for Wickedfood and you will find us. We update the blog on a daily basis and publish it through Facebook and Twitter.

Looking for info on food?

If you have any food-related questions, or a dish that you just can’t get right or even a certain recipe that you are looking for, but just can’t seem to find, then contact us and we will do our best to answer it as soon as possible. Click Here for more information. Hope to hear from you soon.

Wickedfood Cooking School news

The Cooking class programme for   March and April are up on the internet. Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes with a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 12 giving everyone hands-on experience and keeping the cooking class small enough for maximum learning. These cooking classes are conducted by our senior instructors who have extensive experience in the food industry and share a variety of additional cooking tips throughout the cooking class.

• Sunday 26 February at 4pm – Easy Entertaining Indian style (R380pp - class full). Indian food is a diverse and extraordinary one, reflecting a complex layering of cultures through history and based on religious beliefs, geography, climate and availability of ingredients. India’s range of cuisine can amaze even a connoisseur. Different regions in India offer their own specialties with their very own taste, subtlety and aroma. The exotic tastes, hues and textures of Indian food have ensured a steady growth in popularity in the West. Join us in discovering these incredible dishes in our Indian cooking class. Authentic Indian dishes including bhel puri, lamb korma, potato and cauliflower curry, chicken pulao and cheese balls in syrup.
• Monday 27 February at 6pm  – 30 Minute Meals (R380pp - class full ). Trying to juggle work and home commitments can be tough in this day and age, and the statement of ‘who has time to cook these days’ is on the increase. In this ‘30 Minute Meals’ cooking class we show participants how to produce quick and easy 30-minute meals that are delicious and well balanced. Dishes include, Thai vegetable curry, chicken breast with feta and pasta, chilli steak wraps, penne with a rich tomato vodka cream sauce, Fried fish with oven chips and homemade burgers.
• Monday 05 March at 6pm – Healthy Flavours of Vietnam (R370pp). Famous for its lively, fresh flavours and artfully composed meals, Vietnamese food and cooking is the true ‘light cuisine’ of Asia. Abundant fresh herbs and greens, delicate soups and stir-fries, and well-seasoned grilled foods served on, or with, rice or noodles are the mainstays of the Vietnamese delicacies. Home-style Vietnamese cooking calls for an array of simple dishes that make complementary partners at a family’s communal meal. Hobby cooks with well-equipped kitchens and handy appliances will find preparing a Vietnamese meal both rewarding and relatively easy once they have attended this Vietnamese cooking class.
• Sunday 11 March at 4pm – Flavours of the South African Portuguese Table (R370pp). At the heart of Portuguese cuisine is the use of quality ingredients prepared simply to preserve their distinctive flavours. Portuguese food is renowned for being lusty and robust. Because Portuguese cuisine is easy to prepare, and uses very basic equipment, it is often described as peasant food. The use of seasoned pork, strong olive oil, garlic and onions contributes to the image of strongly flavoured, simple cooking. In this Portuguese cooking class we teach you how to prepare Sunday dinner fare, designed to satisfy the appetite and reinforce the bonds of home and family. 7 tasty dishes including trinchado, chicken livers, caldo verde, chicken peri-peri, Portuguese salad and crème caramel.
• Monday 12 March at 6pm – North African feast (R380pp). North African recipes are the results of the blending of European, African, and Arabic cuisines. North African food originated in Egypt over 3000 years ago. The food is very spicy since paprika, cumin, and ginger are commonly used in dishes with the spice mixtures being just as popular as the spices themselves. Come learn how to prepare a delicious North African feast at our North African cooking class, which includes 4 starters, buried chicken, spicy lamb couscous and layered crispy pastry.

A case in point

Chicken.  In the fifties and sixties a chicken was a luxury item, and cooked once a month as part of Sunday family meal.  With intensive chicken farming and the birth of the supermarket, chicken has become more and more affordable, to the detriment of both the quality of the meat, as well as the well being of the bird.  The small scale, truly free-range producer, cannot compete with large factory farms. Here is an overview of his pricing:

Price of a day-old chick R8; Feed for lifespan of the bird R25; slaughter costs R3 = R36 for a 1,5kg bird or R24/kg direct costs.  The farmer still has labour costs, transport costs, and infrastructure costs, which adds another R24 to the bird, and then he should still be entitled to a profit.  Conservatively  speaking, free range chickens by small scale farmers should be selling at a minimum of R75/kg.  This is still very competitive if we look at European models, where in the UK you pay around R180/kg and in France R170/kg for a proper 12-week old free range chicken.

Makes you think what is in your supermarket chicken.

Cookbook of the week

Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia

The Mekong has, for many hundreds of years, been the super highway of South East Asia, a vibrant artery that defines a vast region. The world’s tenth largest river, which rises in Tibet and joins the sea in Vietnam, traverses 6 countries, mingling exquisite food and traditions. Hot Sour Salty Sweet takes readers on the culinary tour down the river sampling the flavours the various countries along the way have to offer.  Definitely a book for anyone interested in the flavours of southeast Asia.  … Click here to read more

Click Here for reviews of all our cookbook reviews.

Food quote of the week

“Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.“ – Mark Twain

Recipes of the week:

River rice

Rice is the staple throughout south east Asia.  It is served with every meal.  Leftover rice is often re-fried. This dish is popular along the entire length of the Mekong River, hence the name . ….Click Here for all our recipes.

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. 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 – teambuilding 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 team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Wickedfood Cooking School, SUNNINGHILL

Information & bookings (076) 236-2345  sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

We are  already in the second month of 2012, and pleased to report that cooking seems to be as popular as ever. Both our Corporate teambuilding cooking classes as well as our individual cooking classes are filling up fast with most of those in January and February running to capacity.

This Saturday we have our regular Valentines cooking classes, with limited space is still available.  Tuesday’s Valentines cooking class is fully subscribed.

The following Tuesday we have our Sushi cooking class, and once again the class is filling up fast.

Find us on Facebook and Twitter – just search for Wickedfood and you will find us. We update the blog on a daily basis and publish it through Facebook and Twitter.

Looking for info on food?

If you have any food-related questions, or a dish that you just can’t get right or even a certain recipe that you are looking for, but just can’t seem to find, then contact us and we will do our best to answer it as soon as possible. Click Here for more information. Hope to hear from you soon.

Wickedfood Cooking School news

The Cooking class programme for February and March are up on the internet. Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes with a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 12 giving everyone hands-on experience and keeping the cooking class small enough for maximum learning. These cooking classes are conducted by our senior instructors who have extensive experience in the food industry and share a variety of additional cooking tips throughout the cooking class.

• Saturday 11 February at 6pm   – Romantic Valentine’s dinner, easy summer entertaining (R770 per couple). Join the staff at the Cooking School with the love of your life for a Valentine’s dinner with a difference – Valentine cooking Class. Not only will you get to enjoy a delicious 4-course dinner, but you will learn the secrets of how to cook it. Included in the price is a welcome glass of sparkling wine, house wine while preparing the food, and some specialist wines, complementing the food, with the meal. Space is limited to 30 students per class, so book early.
• Tuesday 21 February at 6pm – Sushi 1 – The basics of sushi making (R395pp – only 6 places left). The increasing popularity of sushi around the world has resulted in many more people wanting to learn the basics of sushi making, this Sushi cooking class shows you how to do the following – cutting fish, making rice, California and maki rolls, nigirizushi (finger), and hand rolls.
• Sunday 26 February at 4pm – Easy Entertaining Indian style (R380pp). Indian food is a diverse and extraordinary one, reflecting a complex layering of cultures through history and based on religious beliefs, geography, climate and availability of ingredients. India’s range of cuisine can amaze even a connoisseur. Different regions in India offer their own specialties with their very own taste, subtlety and aroma. The exotic tastes, hues and textures of Indian food have ensured a steady growth in popularity in the West. Join us in discovering these incredible dishes in our Indian cooking class. Authentic Indian dishes including bhel puri, lamb korma, potato and cauliflower curry, chicken pulao and cheese balls in syrup.
• Monday 27 February at 6pm  - 30 minute meals (R380 per class). Trying to juggle work and home commitments can be tough in this day and age, and the statement of ‘who has time to cook these days’ is on the increase. In this ‘30 Minute meals’ cooking class we show participants how to produce quick and easy 30-minute meals that are delicious and well balanced. Dishes include, Thai vegetable curry, Chicken breast with feta and pasta, chilli steak wraps, penne with a rich tomato vodka cream sauce, Fried fish with oven chips and homemade burgers.

Great food websites

At this time of year there is a scarcity of new cookbooks.  We therefore decided to look at some great food websites this week instead.   … Click here to read more

Click Here for reviews of all our cookbook reviews.

Food quote of the week

“All you see, I owe to spaghetti.” – Sophia Loren

Recipes of the week:

Mocha kisses

Surprise your loved ones with these chocolaty kiss cookies. The perfect easy gift for Valentine’s Day. ….Click Here for all our recipes.

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. 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 – teambuilding 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 team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Wickedfood Cooking School, SUNNINGHILL

Information & bookings (076) 236-2345  sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

As the routine of our busy lives becomes more of a reality and the holiday more of a distant memory, we look back on those care free days of relaxation with family and friends with a longing to go back in time. But we can’t and therefore we buckle down and head towards late nights and early mornings, traffic, stress and the usual Monday night dinners. The monotony of cooking the same dish over and over can lead towards a non-satisfactory outlook towards food. So you either eat-to-live or live-to-eat and if its the latter, something needs to change for the better.

We have scheduled all our popular classes in the first quarter of this year. Our aim is to teach you new skills and cuisines so you have the confidence in replicating these dishes at home. Remember we teach you everything you would need to know regarding the dishes taught, so whether you are a beginner or accomplished cook wanting to learn a new skill or cuisine, come along and join us for a fun, informative class filled with like-minded people!

In February we have our regular and ever  popular Valentines classes.  Bookings are already open for these and we have quite a few bookings, so if you’re interested don’t delay, contact the school for more information or to reserve a place.

Find us on Facebook and Twitter – just search for Wickedfood and you will find us. We update the blog on a daily basis and publish it through Facebook and Twitter.

Looking for info on food?

If you have any food-related questions, or a dish that you just can’t get right or even a certain recipe that you are looking for, but just can’t seem to find, then contact us and we will do our best to answer it as soon as possible. Click Here for more information. Hope to hear from you soon.

Wickedfood Cooking School news

The new year sees an exciting selection of interesting and different cooking classes aimed at individuals.  The Cooking class programme for January and February are up on the internet. Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes with a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 12 as this gives everyone hands-on experience and keeps the cooking class small enough for maximum learning. These cooking classes are conducted by our senior instructors who have extensive experience in the food industry and share a variety of additional cooking tips throughout the cooking class.

• Sunday 29 January at 4pm – Thai class (R370pp). Thai cuisine places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components. Thai cuisine is also known for being quite spicy as well as balancing the four fundamental taste senses in each dish or the overall meal: sour, sweet, salty, and (optional) bitter. Learn how to balance these tastes in this Thai cooking class entitled ‘Easy dishes for a casual Thai dinner parties’ which includes dishes, fresh springrolls, sour and spicy fish soup, stir-fried beef curry, chicken salad with peanut sauce, stir-fried noodles and bananas in a sweet/salty coconut sauce.

• Monday 30 January at 6pm – Making filled pasta and accompanying sauces (R370pp). Making pasta is really easy, and fresh pasta tastes better too. Learn the secrets to making pasta from scratch in this pasta cooking class. We also include fillings and sauces for these unique pasta shapes. Dishes covered in the class include cheese and ham ravioli with a tomato sauce, meat filled Agnolotti, spinach and ricotta tortellini, cappelletti filled with sweet potatoe,s and ravioli with apple and pecan nut stuffing.

• Monday 06 February at 6pm – South African – A Taste of the Cape (R380pp). This South African cooking class has a strong Cape Malay flavour, showcasing the unique flavours that have become synonymous with South African cuisine including savoury pies, smoorsnoek, denningsvleis, tomato bredie, sousboontjies, yellow rice and milk tart.

• Saturday 11 February at 6pm  and Tuesday 14 February at 6pm – Romantic Valentine’s dinner, easy summer entertaining (R770 per couple). Join the staff at the Cooking School with the love of your life for a Valentine’s dinner with a difference. Not only will you get to enjoy a delicious 4-course dinner, but you will learn the secrets of how to cook it. Included in the price is a welcome glass of sparkling wine, house wine while preparing the food, and some specialist wines, complementing the food, with the meal. Space is limited to 30 students per class, so book early.
  

Cookbook of the week

South African cuisine is a reflection of the immigrants who make up the population.  It is a melting pot of Afrikaner, Cape Malay, British, Indian, Jewish, Greek, Italian, Asian, Portuguese  and more recently, immigrants from across Africa. Each wave of immigrants, in their own particular way contributed towards the makeup of the mod and South African table.  It is the young yet vibrant culinary culture that started in the mid sixteen hundreds with the colonization of the Cape by the Dutch, who introduced the savoury spices of the east and the exotic fruits and vegetables from the Americas to the African continent… Click here to read more

Food quote of the week

“My kitchen is a mystical place, a kind of temple for me.  It is a place where the surfaces seem to have significance, where the sounds and odors carry meaning that transfers from the past and bridges to the future.” – Pearl Bailey

Recipes of the week:

Chraime – Fish cooked in a spicy tomato sauce

Chraime is considered to be the kings of Libyan food, and the dish that really characterizes the Libyan Jewish kitchen. There are many ways to prepare it and many versions. The fish must be firm and it must ‘float’ in the sauce – that is there must be plenty of sauce. It’s served with white bread and lemon is squeezed over it as you eat. This recipe is from our cookbook of the week – South Africa Eats. ….Click Here for all our recipes.

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. 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 – teambuilding 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 team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.