A delicious fresh Spanish sponge cake, spiked with an orange syrup, full of fresh citrus flavours, perfect with a glass of chilled Noble Late Harvest, at the end of a meal. This cake is one of the most popular dishes at Wickedfood Cooking School in our Spanish cooking class.

6 eggs separated

220g castor sugar

230g almonds

1T castor sugar

2¹/2 oranges, finely grated zest of

Syrup

8 oranges, juice of (or ± 2 cups orange juice)

1¹/2 lemons, juice of (or ± 2T lemon juice)

1 whole cinnamon stick

Castor sugar to taste

Crème fraîche

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line and grease a 23cm spring form tin on the bottom and sides with greaseproof paper. Separate the eggs.
2. In a food processor grind the almonds and transfer to a bowl.
3. Place the egg yolks and 220g castor sugar in the food processor and process until pale. Add the almonds and zest and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl.
4. Beat the egg whites and remaining 1T sugar until stiff. Carefully fold into the sugar/egg yolk mixture (first fold 1 large spoonful of the beaten egg whites into the sugar/egg mixture to loosen it), and then, without knocking too much air out of the whites, carefully fold in the remaining whites, a tablespoon or two at a time (the sugar/egg yolk mixture will seem very stiff at first, but as the egg whites are folded in, it will loosen up).
5. Carefully pour into the lined tin, place on the middle shelf of the oven, and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the cake is golden on top and firm to the touch.

To make the syrup

1. Place the orange juice, lemon juice and cinnamon stick in a saucepan, and add sugar to taste (the syrup should be quite tart). Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste and add more sugar if necessary. Allow to cool and place in the fridge.
2. When the cake is ready, remove from the oven and cool completely on a rack before opening the spring form tin.
3. Invert onto a plate, remove the greased paper lining, and with a skewer, pierce small holes in the top of the cake and pour half the syrup over the top. Serve with the rest of the syrup on the side.

Serves 6-8

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. 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.

Q: I’m looking for a quick and easy Thai green curry recipe (if one exists) as well as any other ideas that could go with the curry?

A: A Thai Curry is very quick an easy to make, and should be hot. Bought green curry paste is a perfect. This is an ideal dish to cook in a potjie, but take care not to overcook. Use any meat, chicken, beef, pork, seafood or even vegetables. At Wickedfood Cooking School, in out Thai cooking class we make this Thai green Chicken Curry, which is a classic.

2 tins coconut milk

2-4T green curry paste, or to taste

1kg meat (see above), diced into ±3cm cubes

¹/3 cup fish sauce

3T brown sugar

±¹/2 cup water

±6-8 small eggplants, quartered, or 1 large eggplant cubed to 2cm, (or 1 cup frozen peas)

¹/2 cup sweet basil leaves, torn

1 small tin bamboo shoots

1 jalapeño chilli, thinly sliced, for garnish

1. Scoop the cream off the coconut milk (±3T) and heat in a casserole dish (or potjie) which will later hold the chicken in one layer. Mix in the green curry paste and heat to boiling, until the milk splits, forming a thin layer of oil.
2. Add the chicken, fish sauce and sugar, and cook, stirring continuously so as not to burn, until the chicken changes colour.
3. Add the remaining coconut milk, eggplant and water, and cook for 5 minutes at a slow boil. Add the bamboo shoots and reheat to boiling, simmering for 5 minutes.
4. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with basil and the chilli. The dish can stand while other preparation is done, as it does not have to be served piping hot. Serve with rice.

Serves 6-8

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. 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.

When Thomasina Miers first visited  Mexico at the tender age of eighteen,  she fell so in love with its food that she went back to live there, opening up a cocktail bar in Mexico City and using her free time to travel the country and cook with some of Mexico’s top chefs. Returning to London, she entered and won  BBC’s MasterChef in 2005. She went on to open a  Mexican street food cantina, Wahaca, which won the Observer Food Monthly’s ‘best cheap eats’ award, and has now opened three branches. She writes a regular recipe column in the Times and is co-editor of Soup Kitchen (2005) and the author of Cook (2006) and Wild Gourmets (2007). Her latest book Mexican Food Made Simple is a really great introduction into Mexican food, as she puts it  “It’s not necessarily completely authentic – I’m not trying to prove how good at making this food I am! It’s meant to be fun and accessible.“

And accessible it certainly is.  Recipes are simple to follow, yet at the same time wholesome and full of Mexican flavour.  The book is written in a very easy to read style. it has some great chapters including sauces and salsas, salads, soups, snacks and easy dishes for the grill.  If you like it spicy, this book is a definite must.

Click here for a delicious recipe from the book.

Interested in buying this book? visit - Red Pepper Books – The South African online bookshop, they will be able to offer you great prices on any book you are looking for.

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. 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.

Thomasina Miers is one of Britain’s rising star chefs. This recipe is from her latest book Mexican Food Made Simple. Skirt steak, a cheap cut, is a favoured piece of meat in Mexico, thanks to its rich flavour. As long as you cook it quickly over a high heat, the meat will be tender and delicious.

Steak burritos. Photograph: Tara Fisher

600g skirt steak

3-4 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

juice of half an orange

1 chilli de arbol, finely chopped

sea salt and black pepper

4 wraps (corn tortillas, chappatis or other wraps)

1 tbsp olive oil

4 spring onions

about 150g warm cooked black beans

about 200g warm rice (optional)

salsa

1 avocado, peeled and mashed with the juice of a lime

3-4 tbsp crème fraîche

chopped coriander leaves

120g extra mature cheddar cheese (optional)

1. If the skirt steak is cut into thick slices, butterfly it out into thin steaks by cutting it down the middle with a sharp knife. Marinate the steak in the olive oil, garlic, orange juice, chilli and seasoning for 30 minutes.
2. Heat each tortilla in a hot, dry frying pan for about 10 seconds a side to make it soft and pliable.
3. Heat up a griddle or heavy-bottomed frying pan until smoking hot and add the olive oil. Top the spring onions and peel off the outer skin before chopping them up into 2-3cm lengths. Season with salt and pepper and put onto the hot griddle.
4. Pat the steak dry with some kitchen paper and add to the griddle pan. Sear for a minute on each side (or 90 seconds, tops). Leave to stand for a minute on a warm plate while you finish cooking the spring onions. They should be soft and slightly charred. When the spring onions are cooked, remove from the pan, add the reserved marinade from the steak and let it sizzle up before pouring over the warm beans. Chop up the steak into bite-size pieces across the grain (you can see the grain all running in one direction, so cut across these lines at a right angle).
5. Fill the tortillas with the steak, beans, rice, salsa and spring onions. Add some mashed avocado, a drizzle of crème fraîche, some coriander leaf and the cheese, and toast if you like, your burrito crispy. Eat up at once.

Mexican dishes are easier to make than to pronounce. Thomasina Miers shares her favourites … click here for more of her Mexican dishes.

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. 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.

Wickedfood Cooking School, SUNNINGHILL

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

Hi all,

Wickedfood Cooking School, in conjunction with Slow Food and Die Ou Pastorie restaurant in Skeerpoort, near Hartebeerspoort Dam, will be organizing a spring feast on Sunday, 19 September.  This will be a great opportunity  to meet some local producers and savour the delicious produce.  See below for more details.  Space is very limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.

And for all the wine lovers out there, don’t forget the Juliet Cullinan Wine Festival this week Wednesday and Thursday.  See below for more details.

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

Cooking class programmes are up on the internet, click the relevant month for the September and October programmes .

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 12 September at 4pm – Easy Entertaining Indian style (R380pp). Authentic Indian cooking class including bhel puri, lamb korma, potato and cauliflower curry, chicken pulao and cheese balls in syrup.
• Monday 13 September at 6pm – Jamie’s America – … on Soul food (R360pp). Jamie Oliver cooking class, based on his latest book on his recent travels through the USA. We re-interpret some of the dishes, and put them together into a themed menu including red pepper summer soup, fried chicken, collard greens, grits, coleslaw and peach cobbler.

• Monday 20 September at 6pm – Entertaining Turkish style (R370pp). Turkish cooking class – dishes include bulgur wheat patties, yoghurt soup, baked layered lamb pastry, stuffed aubergines, rice pilav and syrupy almond cake.
• Sunday 26 September at 4pm – Easy Asian dishes with a Chinese flavour (R390pp). Chinese cooking class – perfect for entertaining, with most dishes prepared in advance including wonton soup with noodles, chilli prawns, master stock chicken, Mu shu pork and ginger pudding.
• Monday 27 September at 6pm – Alfresco Italian dining (R380pp). Real Italian cooking class, tastes of al fresco summer dining and easy entertaining, including char grilled asparagus, affettati misti, insalata caprese, chicken involtini and Hanepoot semifreddo.

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

Slow Food Spring country feast

Wickedfood Cooking School, in conjunction with Slow Food and Die Ou Pastorie restaurant in Skeerpoort, near Hartebeerspoort Dam, will be hosting a spring feast on Sunday, 19 September. Come and meet some of the small producers, and sample their award-winning ingredients incorporated into a delicious 5-course menu prepared by Die Ou Pastorie (there is also a vegetarian option, please advise when booking):

• Organic micro green salad with free range chicken locally smoked;
• Soup  – incorporating the freshest of spring vegetables available on the day;
• Spring lamb from the valley: roasted shoulder served with timbale of polenta cooked in a light smoked chicken stock with locally produced halloumi cheese, smoked bacon, and spring vegetables.
• Local award-winning cheese platter with a selection of Die Ou Pastorie jellies and home made biscotti.
• Pecan nut tiramisù.

The cost of the lunch is R250pp including a wine pairing with each course (other drinks for your own account).  To book contact: Tim tim@mutengo.co.za 011 442-5201 or 072 238-2790

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.

Juliet Cullinan Wine Festival

The Juliet Cullinan Standard Bank Wine Festival 2010 takes place this year on 8 and 9 September from 17h30 to 21h00 at the Wanderer’s Club, 21 North Road, Illovo, Johannesburg. Cost per ticket is R100.

With only 60 exhibitors, this small, focused festival appeals to tasters looking for old and tested, or new and innovative wines, which are not available to the general trade and not easily available in retail outlets.  Each year the management at Wickedfood Cooking School visits this show to keep abreast of new trends and cultivars available on the market, a really worthwhile outing.

On food

You can tell whether a crab is male or female by the markings on the underside. A female has a pattern similar in shape to a dome, whereas a male’s markings resemble a rocket. Lovers of the delicate white crabmeat will find this useful as the male’s larger claws contain more of the prized flesh than the female’s do.

Cookbook of the week

Mexican Food Made Simple

When Thomasina Miers first visited  Mexico at the tender age of eighteen,  she fell so in love with its food that she went back to live there, opening up a cocktail bar and using her free time to travel the country. Returning to London, she entered and won  BBC’s MasterChef . She went on to open a  Mexican street food cantina, Wahaca, and has now opened three branches. Her latest book Mexican Food Made Simple is a really great introduction into Mexican food. Recipes are simple to follow, yet at the same time wholesome and full of Mexican flavour. … Click Here for more.

Click Here to see Wickedfood Cooking School’s top 10 food-related books for 2010.

Food quote of the week

“Lettuce is like conversation: It must be fresh and crisp, and so sparkling that you scarcely notice the bitter in it” – Charles Dudley Warner, essayist

Recipe of the week:

Steak Burritos

This recipe is from Thomasina Miers latest book Mexican Food Made Simple. A great casual party dish or for a quick healthy meal. …Click Here for the recipe.

The Wickedfood Team

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.