Wickedfood Cooking School » Uncategorized http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog Cooking Classes and Teambuilding Events Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:42:10 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Wickedfood Newsletter 04 November 09 http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/wickedfood-newsletter-04-november-09.html http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/wickedfood-newsletter-04-november-09.html#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:21:36 +0000 Wickedfood Chef http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/?p=2347 SUNNINGHILL – Information & bookings (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

BOKSBURG – Information & bookings (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

Congratulations to the Blue Bulls for winning the Currie Cup final it was a fantastic game and I’m sure all the rugby fans out there enjoyed it thoroughly, We would also like to welcome Mundial Knives on board at Wickedfood Cooking School Sunninghill. We will now only be using these excellent knives at the school. Wickedfood Chef had a chance to use a set while learning how to butcher a wild pig and it made the job so much much easier. Wickedfood Sunninghill has a variety of these knives for sale at a special price.

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

Wickedfood Cooking School, Sunninghill

Wickedfood Cooking School, Boksburg


Looking for info on food? – The Wickedfood blog looks to be taking off very well with lots of questions coming in, if you have any questions that have been bugging you, 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 give us a shout and we will do our best to answer it as soon as possible. Click Here for more information, hope to hear from you soon.

Cookbook of the week – In Desserts, James Martin (renowned TV chef) indulges his sweet tooth, providing an irresistible selection of more than 100 hot puddings, cold desserts, cakes, bakes, ice creams and sorbets. Click Here to read more.

Our food article of the week: – Eating a breakfast of just-laid eggs or toast with honey recently pilfered from your own beehive is argument enough for leaving the city for the charms of the countryside. The Chicken Eglu transforms backyard into barnyard. Click Here to read more

Our favourite ingredient: – If autumn could be a spice, it’d be cinnamon. Earthy and subtle, cinnamon yields a beguiling warmth that pairs beautifully with crisp breezes, pumpkin patches, and burnished trees. It isn’t a fluke that the apple, fall’s superlative fruit, jives so well with the cinnamon quill’s tempestuous musk. Click Here to read more.

Food quote of the week: – “No man in the world has more courage than the man who can stop after eating one peanut” – Channing Pollock

Food tip of the week: – Measurements indicate a full container that has been leveled off. For example, to measure one teaspoon of ground cinnamon, dip a teaspoon into the jar and use a straight edge to level it off.
Unless otherwise specified, 1 cup of all purpose flour is measured using the “scoop and level” technique: Dip a 1-cup measure into a sack of flour and scoop out the flour. Then level off the top by sweeping a straight edge over the cup.
Do not sift flour before measuring unless specified in the recipe.
If an ingredient is described as (for example), “1 cup pecans, chopped,” that means the pecans should be measured whole and then chopped. If the ingredient is intended to be chopped and then measured, it will be described as “1 cup chopped pecans.”
For accurate measuring, use the correct type of measuring cup. When measuring a liquid, let it settle and then read it at eye level.

Recipe of the week – Chourizo Bread

The Wickedfood Team

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

]]> http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/wickedfood-newsletter-04-november-09.html/feed 0 Wickedfood Newsletter 14 October 09 http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/wickedfood-newsletter-14-october-09.html http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/wickedfood-newsletter-14-october-09.html#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:08:18 +0000 Wickedfood Chef http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/?p=2236 SUNNINGHILL – Information & bookings (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

BOKSBURG – Information & bookings (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

This week is National Nutrition Week with the theme being Healthy Eating for children. We have a little insert below from our dietitian Louise Bembridge – take a look-  it’s not just for kids. We should all be eating as healthily as possible – it makes you smile more when you do. For those of you attending the 94.7 Joburg day Click Here for some great recipe ideas for your picnic basket.

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

Wickedfood Cooking School news

Our October individual cooking class programme is up on the Internet – click the relevant school for the October programme Sunninghill / Boksburg.

Wickedfood Cooking Schools run classes with a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 12, as this gives everyone hands-on experience  and keeps the class small enough for maximum learning.

Sunninghill:

  • Sunday 18 October at 4pm – Classic French cooking (R370pp). An introduction to French cuisine including cheese soufflé, potato and leek soup, coq au vin, potato gratin, and tarte tatin.
  • Sunday 25 October at 4pm – Formal traditional Christmas dinner 1/1– (R390pp). Formal traditional Christmas dinner including Christmas tapas, prawn cocktail, rolled stuffed turkey breast, gammon and steamed Christmas pudding with a classic brandy cream sauce.
  • Monday 26 October at 6pm – Simply Asian with Neil Perry (R370pp). Revered as one of Australia’s foremost chefs and international TV food celebrities, Neil Perry’s first love is Asian food, with a strong Chinese leaning. In this class we explore some of his favourite dishes, taken from his book, Simply Asian. Dishes include fried sweet corn cakes, steamed fish, tangerine beef and stir-fried vegetables with noodles.
  • Sunday 31 October at 4pm – Mexican flavours (R360pp). An exotic blend of new world flavours including melted cheese with mushrooms coriander soup, lamb in a chilli sauce, and rice pudding.

Boksburg:

  • Saturday 17 October at 9am – Classic French cooking (R370pp). An introduction to French cuisine including cheese soufflé, potato and leek soup, coq au vin, potato gratin, and tarte tatin.
  • Wednesday 21 October at 6pm – Jamie’s Ministry of Food – Healthy 5-day cycle (R350pp). We consider Jamie Oliver’s latest book his best. It is a perfect book for any beginner. Each month we take six recipes from the book and re-interpret them, with plenty of tips along the way. With this class being the last in the series we will look at quick, easy and healthy meals to prepare for a 1 week cycle.
  • Thursday 22 October at 6pm – Sushi 1 – The basics of sushi making (R395pp). The basics of sushi making – cutting fish, making rice, California and maki rolls, nigirizushi (finger), and hand rolls.
  • Wednesday 28 October at 6pm – Simply Asian with Neil Perry (R370pp). Revered as one of Australia’s foremost chefs and international TV food celebrities, Neil Perry’s first love is Asian food, with a strong Chinese leaning. In this class we explore some of his favourite dishes, taken from his book, Simply Asian. Dishes include fried sweet corn cakes, steamed fish, tangerine beef and stir-fried vegetables with noodles.

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

Wickedfood Cooking School, Sunninghill

October individual class programme….. click here

Wickedfood Cooking School, Boksburg

October individual class programme….. click here

Looking for info on food? – The Wickedfood blog looks to be taking off very well with lots of questions coming in. If you have any questions that have been bugging you, 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 give us a shout and we will do our best to answer it as soon as possible. Click Here for more information, hope to hear from you soon.

Cookbook of the week – Simply Bill – Bill Granger - Simply Bill offers Bill Granger’s trademark fresh and easy recipes, with the bonus of complete menus to take the guesswork out of entertaining. Click Here to read more.

Our food article of the week: – Diwali, traditionally known by its Sanskrit name Deepavali, means ‘a row of lights’. It’s a five-day festival that falls in October or November (the dates vary according to the lunar calendar). There are numerous myths about how the festival originated. Some Hindus believe that Diwali marks the homecoming of the much-idolised King Rama, who returned after defeating the evil Ravana in a battle that lasted for 14 years. Click here to read more.

Our favourite ingredient: – burrata There’s no cheese like fresh cheese, as any bufala-lover knows. While a Parmesan or a Gouda might age for months, even years, softer specimens are best straight from the cow—mozzarella can go from udder to wrapper in just a few hours, and is then shipped out the same day. And so too with burrata, as I learned on a visit to the Mozzarella Gioiella factory in the southern Italian region of Puglia. Click Here to read more.

Food quote of the week: – If God had intended us to follow recipes, he wouldn’t have given us grandmothers. ~Linda Henley.

Food tip of the week: – Breakfast is a necessity! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially for children. Breakfast provides us with the energy to keep active through the day. Skipping breakfast can cause a drop in blood glucose levels, resulting in irritability, headaches, shaking and lack of concentration. Click here to read more.

Recipe of the week – Trinchado

The Wickedfood Team

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

]]> http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/wickedfood-newsletter-14-october-09.html/feed 0 Trinchado http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/trinchado.html http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/trinchado.html#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:56:57 +0000 Wickedfood Chef http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/?p=2247 Strips of marinated steak, in a tomato-based sauce. A delicious starter, or for a more substantial meal, serve with crusty Portuguese bread, or rolls.
Trinchado
±2T grapeseed oil
±2T butter
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
500g rump or sirloin steak, cut into 1cm cubes     1 bay leaf
±2/3 cup white wine
1T tomato purée
2-4 chillies, chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 loaf crusty Portuguese bread

  1. Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan or shallow pot. Add the garlic and onion, and fry, until soft and just beginning to change colour.
  2. Add the meat and brown all over.
  3. Add bay leaf, wine, tomato purée and chilli (if using).
  4. Season to taste with salt and pepper; simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Serve with some crusty bread.

Serves 4 to 6 as a starter

Wickedfood Cooking School

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

Boksburg – (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. 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 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 events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

]]> http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/trinchado.html/feed 1 Mushroom sauce http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/mushroom-sauce.html http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/mushroom-sauce.html#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:17:10 +0000 Wickedfood Chef http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/?p=2213 This dish works well with a mixture of wild or fresh mushrooms and handmade pasta. This is an ideal vegetarian meal, served with a crunchy salad on the side.Mushroom sauce

250g Portobello mushrooms
250g other mushrooms (oyster or brown)
3T oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 small dried chillies, seeded and pounded
Salt and pepper to taste
±2t lemon juice
±1/2 cup (125ml) cream
500g pappardelle pasta (recipe follows)
±1/3 cup pecorino/parmesan cheese
±1/3 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

  1. Brush the dirt off the mushroom with a paper towel (do not wash as the mushrooms become water-logged), then slice thinly.
  2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the mushrooms. Fry fast, tossing every now and again, for ±5 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic and chilli with a pinch of salt and continue to fry for ±5 minutes, or until most of the moisture has evaporated.
  4. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Then reduce the heat and pour in the cream, heating through, but not allowing it to boil otherwise the cream could separate. Season to taste.
  5. Cook the pasta until al dente and drain.

To Serve

  1. Transfer the pasta to a warmed serving dish, toss in the mushrooms, cheese and parsley (reserving ±1T of parsley and cheese for garnish).
    Serve immediately, garnished with the remaining cheese and parsley, and a good twist of freshly ground black pepper.

Wickedfood Cooking School

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

Boksburg – (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. 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 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 events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

]]> http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/mushroom-sauce.html/feed 3 Wickedfood Newsletter 28 August 09 http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/wickedfood-newsletter-28-august-09.html http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/wickedfood-newsletter-28-august-09.html#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:13:31 +0000 Wickedfood Chef http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/?p=1917 SUNNINGHILL>> information & bookings (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi All,

Hope you’re having a good week, first on behalf of the team at Wickedfood we would like to congratulate Caster Mokgadi Semenya and the rest of the South African Athletics team for a job well done. This week the Wickedfood Chefs spent a day at Braeside Meat Market with Chef Mike Baker (executive chef of Crown National and a very experienced butcher) learning the art of de-boning a leg of lamb, selecting the right cuts of meat and how old cuts and secondary cuts are (in our opinion) better tasting and value for money. Keep your eyes on the blog for new recipes and great ideas, we will also be launching a monthly competition on the blog where we will be giving away cooking classes to lucky readers. We would also like to wish the Bokke all the best for this weekend’s game (Saturday 11:50) don’t forget to contact Braeside for all your biltong and meat requirements.

Wickedfood Cooking School news

Our October individual cooking class programme is up on the Internet

  • Monday 31 August at 6pm – South African Indian (R360pp). A combination of Indian spices and local ingredients creating dishes unique to the South African Indian community including samoosas, dhal soup, tamarind fish curry, bunny chow, roti and vermicelli pudding.
  • Sunday 06 September at 4pm – 30 minute meals 1/3 (R380pp). Dishes include  vegetarian stir-fry, red chicken curry, pepper steak, sun-dried tomato pesto, fish with almonds, and pizza.
  • Monday 07 September at 6pm – Mexican salsas, dips and fillings (R370pp). Salsas, dips and fillings, for nachos, tostadas and tortillas, perfect for al fresco dining.
  • Sunday 13 September at 4pm – All you wanted to know about… cocktail snacks (R390pp). Part of the master class series. Our head instructor will give an in-depth hands-on demonstration on fresh and interesting cocktail ideas, to help rejuvenate those boring parties with something fresh and tasteful with little fuss.

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

Wickedfood Cooking School, Sunninghill

September individual class programme….. click here

Looking for info on food? – The Wickedfood blog looks to be taking off very well with lots of questions coming in, if you have any questions that have been bugging you, 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 give us a shout and we will do our best to answer it as soon as possible. Click here for more information, hope to hear from you soon.

Cookbook of the week – Donna Hay instant Entertaining – Following the worldwide success of her last book, ‘The Instant Cook,’ Donna Hay brings a new collection of fresh and easy-to-follow recipes and clever styling ideas for entertaining family and friends. Click here to read more.

Our food article of the week: – Rendering fat – Did you know lard was the traditional fat used in China and Japan and in Mexico and throughout Central and South America? Mmm… won tons, egg rolls, fried rice, tempura, refried beans, tamales. There are so many delicious things to make with lard and tallow.
McDonald’s actually used beef tallow for their French fries up until 1983, when they finally succumbed to soybean oil. Tallow (horse and beef) is the traditional fat used for French fries in France.
Foods made with these fats are not only yummy, they’re also very healthy.
The idea of rendering lard or tallow at home may sound intimidating, but trust me, rendering fat is the easiest thing in the world. And once you’ve tasted pastry made with lard or French fries cooked in tallow, you’ll be hooked. Click here to read more…its very interesting

Our favourite ingredient: -Thick flank - While at Braeside Meat Market we much information on the right cuts of beef and their versatility and how to use secondary cuts, thick flank is one of these cuts, Click here to view a recipe on how to use it in a mouthwatering steak tartare.

Food quote of the week: – “My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people.”
Orson Welles

Food tip of the week: – Colouring pasta – When making fresh pasta there are many different methods of colouring it. The most common colours being yellow, red, green and black. Click here to read more.

Recipe of the week – Smoked salmon and horseradish cream tartlet

The Wickedfood Team

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 events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

]]> http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/wickedfood-newsletter-28-august-09.html/feed 3 Wickedfood Newsletter 21 August 09 http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/wickedfood-newsletter-21-august-09.html http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/wickedfood-newsletter-21-august-09.html#comments Fri, 21 Aug 2009 06:36:37 +0000 Wickedfood Chef http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/?p=1882 SUNNINGHILL>> information & bookings (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

BOKSBURG>> information & bookings (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

What a good week so far, busy with classes and busy working on new recipes for both our group cooking classes as well as our individual classes so keep your eyes open (if you have any ideas or request for classes please let us know and we will do our best to fit them in). have a fantastic weekend and enjoy the cooking.

Wickedfood Cooking School news

Our September individual cooking class programme is up on the Internet – click the relevant school for the September programme Sunninghill / Boksburg.

  • Sunday 23 August at 4pm – Easy to prepare Spanish dishes (R380pp). Classic easy-to-prepare Spanish dishes including chicken livers, stuffed tomatoes, white gazpacho, fish stew, virgin paella, and chocolate pudding.
  • Monday 24 August at 6pm – Home cooking – Dinner for two (R195pp). Learn to cook a healthy homestyle dinner for two, and take the fruits of your labour home to enjoy with your partner. These are quick classes starting promptly at 6pm and lasting 1 hour. You will get to make a main dish, with veg and a starch.

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

Wickedfood Cooking School, Sunninghill

August individual class programme….. click here

Wickedfood Cooking School, Boksburg

August individual class programme….. click here

Looking for info on food? – The Wickedfood blog looks to be taking off very well with lots of questions coming in, if you have any questions that have been bugging you 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 give us a shout and we will do our best to answer it as soon as possible.  Click here for more information, hope to hear from you.

Cookbook of the week – Creole is a vibrant celebration of this unique and much-loved style of cooking. The heritage of French, Spanish and African settlers, Creole cookery takes the best of these cuisines and combines them with Asian and Indian influences and native West Indian ingredients to produce a style of cooking that is rich in history and full of flavour. Click here to read more

Our food article of the week: – Although Basil is cultivated worldwide, Egypt is the principal source followed by the United States.Basil is Greek for ‘royal’ or ‘kingly’. Ancient Greek and Roman doctors believed that basil would grow only if its cultivators sowed the seeds while screaming wild curses and shouting unintelligibly. The Greeks believed that only the sovereign himself, armed with his golden sickle, should be allowed to cut the basil. The ancients had many superstitions connected with Basil, one of which was that it had the power of propagating scorpions. It was generally believed that a basil leaf left under a pot would in time turn into a scorpion. Superstition went so far as to affirm that even smelling the plant might bring a scorpion in the brain. It was believed that Salome hid John the Baptist’s head in a pot of basil to cover up the odor of decomposition. Bocaccio tells the morbid story of love and composting about a woman whose tears water a pot of basil in which she has buried the head of her murdered lover.  Keats 1820 poem “Isabella or the Pot of Basil” revisits this theme. In Italy, basil has always been a token of love. In Romania, when a boy accepts a sprig of basil from his girl, he is engaged. In India the Basil plant is sacred to both Krishna and Vishnu, and is cherished in every Hindu house. Every good Hindu goes to his rest with a Basil leaf on his breast. This is his passport to Paradise.

Our favourite ingredient: Tamarind the fruit pulp is edible and popular. The hard green pulp of a young fruit is very sour and acidic, so much it cannot be consumed directly, but is often used as a component of savory dishes. The ripened fruit is edible, as it becomes less sour and somewhat sweeter, but still very acidic. It is used in desserts as a jam, blended into juices or sweetened drinks, or as a snack. It is also consumed as a natural laxative. Click here to read more.

Food quote of the week: -A three-year-old gave this reaction to her Christmas dinner:  “I don’t like the turkey, but I like the bread he ate.”  ~Author Unknown

Food tip of the week: – When making fresh pasta instead of resting on flour replace with semlina as this well prevent the pasta from sticking and once added to the boiling water it will fall to the bottom of the pot instead of clinging to the pasta and making it to “soggy”.

Recipe of the week – Banana tarte tatin

The Wickedfood Team

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

]]> http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/wickedfood-newsletter-21-august-09.html/feed 0 tamarind http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/tamarind.html http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/tamarind.html#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:07:51 +0000 Wickedfood Chef http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/?p=1877 The fruit pulp is edible and popular. The hard green pulp of a young fruit is very sour and acidic, so much so that it cannot be consumed directly, but is often used as a component of savory dishes. The ripened fruit is edible, as it becomes less sour and somewhat sweeter, but still very acidic. It is used in desserts as a jam, blended into juices or sweetened drinks, or as a snack. It is also consumed as a natural laxative.

Tamarind

Interesting facts :

In Thailand, there is a carefully cultivated sweet variety with little or no tartness grown specifically to be eaten as a fresh fruit. It is also sometimes eaten preserved in sugar with chilli as a candy.

It is used in both Asian and Latin American cuisines and is also an important ingredient in Imli Chutney, a spicy North Indian condiment; Pulusu, a sauce from Andhra Pradesh, India; Worcestershire sauce;HP sauce; and the Jamaican-produced Pickapeppa sauce.

Tamarind is used in various types of chutney as a flavouring agent. In addition to tamarind other spices are added to the sauce such as sugar and spice to make the sauce a bitter sweet flavour. The tender pods and flowers are also pickled and used as a side dish.

In Mexico it is sold in various snack forms, where it is dried and salted, or candied.

A traditional food plant in Africa, tamarind has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare.

Pad Thai, a Thai dish popular with Europeans and Americans, often includes tamarind for its tart/sweet taste (with lime juice added for sourness and fish sauce added for saltiness). A tamarind-based sweet-and-sour sauce served over deep-fried fish is also a common dish in Central Thailand. In Singapore and Malaysia it is used to add a sweet-sour taste to gravy for fish in a dish called asam fish.

In Northern Nigeria, It is used with millet powder to prepare Kunun Tsamiya, a traditional pap mostly used as breakfast, and usually eaten with bean cake.

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.

]]> http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/tamarind.html/feed 2 Banana bread http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/banana-bread.html http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/banana-bread.html#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:44:55 +0000 Wickedfood Chef http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/?p=1806 Q: Which sugar would be best used in banana bread?

A: I find that white sugar is the best for light cakes like sponge cakes and banana bread, there are many different types of sugar from white, brown, palm, treacle, yellow, etc… They all have interesting flavours and characteristics but certain sugars have uses for specific dishes and you wouldn’t want to compromise the flavours, that’s why white sugar is used in most day to day cooking as it gives the sweetness but has little flavour whereas Asian cuisine uses more palm sugar as it has a slight caramel flavour which adds a different complex flavour to sauces and curries.

bananabread

Wickedfood Cooking School

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

Boksburg – (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. 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 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 events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

]]> http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/banana-bread.html/feed 2 Wickedfood Newsletter 7 August 09 http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/wickedfood-newsletter-7-august-09.html http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/wickedfood-newsletter-7-august-09.html#comments Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:15:10 +0000 Wickedfood Chef http://www.wickedfood.co.za/blog/?p=1764

SUNNINGHILL>> information & bookings (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

BOKSBURG>> information & bookings (011) 823-5365 boksburg@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

This past week saw us having some aweful weather but let’s hope that that’s on its way out and our warm South African weather is on its way in. This weekend, as I’m sure you all know, is a long one with Sunday being “Women’s Day” on behalf of all the staff at Wickedfood we would like to wish all women a happy day and hope that the men in your lives spoil you and don’t allow you to lift a finger to do any chores. There is also rugby on Saturday with the springboks taking on Australia. Kick-off is at 17h00 and let’s hope they do us as proud as they have done in the last 2 matches.


Wickedfood Cooking School news

Our August individual cooking class programme is up on the Internet – click the relevant school for the August programme Sunninghill / Boksburg.

Class highlights for the next two weeks include:

  • Monday 10 August at 6pm – 30 minute meals course 1/2 (R380pp). Dishes include spinach salad, braised chicken, lamb curry, stuffed calamari, and fish burgers.
  • Sunday 16 August at 4pm – All you wanted to know about… Outdoor Cooking (R390pp). Part of the master class series. Our head instructor will give an in-depth hands-on demonstration on what can be achieved on a Kettlebraai and gas BBQ. Students will learn the secrets of cooking fish on an open flame, chicken on a rotisserie, leg of lamb in a closed Kettlebraai, perfect roast veg on a braai and crème caramels on a gas BBQ.
  • Monday 17 August at 6pm – Spicy Thai (R370pp). In this class dishes include minced pork northern style, spicy chicken soup, deep-fried fish in a garlic sauce, sweet and sour vegetables, stir-fried noodles and sweet rice pudding.
  • Sunday 23 August at 4pm – Easy to prepare Spanish dishes (R380pp). Classic easy-to-prepare Spanish dishes including chicken livers, stuffed tomatoes, white gazpacho, fish stew, virgin paella, and chocolate pudding.

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

Wickedfood Cooking School, Sunninghill

August individual class programme….. click here

Wickedfood Cooking School, Boksburg

August individual class programme….. click here

Looking for info on food? – If you are looking for an answer to a food topic that has puzzled you – ask our online chef for assistance on any food-related topic, including recipes. Our two resident chefs will strive to get an answer back to you as soon as possible -  Click here for more information, hope to hear from you.

Cookbook of the week – Appetite -  With his unique blend of simplicity, wit and relish Nigel Slater shows us how to break the rules, experiment with recipes and satisfy our appetites. There are brilliant templates for a large range of classic dishes and hundreds of ideas for how you might adapt each dish to produce something quite different. A celebration of uncomplicated cooking, good ingredients and the joys of eating, this is Slater’s most exciting book yet”. Click here to read more.

Our food article of the week – Is organic produce no better for you than conventionally grown foods? That’s what a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests. Researchers looked at 50 years of data from a variety of sources to come to this conclusion, saying that they found no significant differences in most nutrients, including vitamin C, calcium, and iron. Personally, this won’t stop me from cooking with mainly organic produce. For one thing, more and better studies are needed. Not to mention that I’d rather not eat food that’s grown in depleted, chemically-enhanced soil and drenched in pesticides. The health of the planet seems like something worth considering, too.-Victoria von Biel-Saveur

Our favourite ingredient - Cocoa butter – is the natural fat extracted from the cacao bean. Also known as oil of theobroma, cocoa butter is slightly yellowish in colour, and while it is extracted from chocolate, it has a bland taste and only a faint chocolate smell. It is edible and is used in making white chocolate and certain confections, but has many uses beyond the kitchen.The most desirable quality of cocoa butter is its stability as a fat containing natural antioxidants that also preserve it well. Click here to read more

Food quote of the week: – Vegetables are a must on a diet.  I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie. ~Jim Davis

Food tip of the week: – Tamarind pulp -  has more sugar and fruit acid per volume than any other fruit. It is also an ingredient in Worcestershire sauce

Recipe of the week – Crème caramels

The Wickedfood Team

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

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