Wickedfood Newsletter 3 July 09

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

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

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

Hi

There have recently been some interesting articles about beef in the press. One that is especially caught our eye was about beef feedlots that want to reintroduce omega 3 into their beef, the same way that egg produces do. What completely escaped these producers is the fact that good omega 3 occurs naturally in the yellow fat of grass fed beef – makes you wonder what else food producers get up to when disturbing the natural balance of our food.
If you would like a bit more information on how to practice a more natural way of life, then scroll down to read more about Wickedfood Earth.

Wickedfood Cooking School news

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

Class highlights for the next two weeks include:

  • Monday 06 July at 6pm All you wanted to know about… Indian Curries (R390pp). Part of the master class series. In conjunction with our head instructor, will give an indepth hands on demonstration in preparing a number of great Indian curries. Cooking methods covered will include:
  • Sunday 12 July at 4pmClassic seafood dishes (R395pp). An introduction to fish including seafood cocktail, fish soup, steamed tuna, fried fish and squid with potatoes.
  • Monday 13 July at 6pmClassic French cooking class (R380pp). An introduction to French cuisine with some classic seafood dishes including quiche Lorraine, bouillabaisse, sole meunière, salad niçoise and flourless chocolate cake.
  • Sunday 19 July at 4pmCookbook-of-the-Month Gordon Ramsey – Cooking with friends (R350pp). In Cooking for Friends, we see a very different side of Gordon Ramsey, more relaxed cooking for family and friends, using seasonal fresh ingredients at their peak and doing as little as possible to them to create a scrumptious meal. The book is full of Gordon’s best-loved versions of classic British dishes. We reinterpret a few of the recipes in the book for a delicious winter dinner party.

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

Wickedfood Cooking School, Sunninghill

July individual class programme….. click here

Wickedfood Cooking School, boksburg

July individual class programme….. click here

Wickedfood Earth
Over the past year we have slowly been developing a small farm approximately 80km from Fourways where we want to practice the concept of responsible use of sustainable resources. It has taken us a year to install basic services.
We envisage using the property to teach both the local community, as well as our present individual students and corporate clients about sustainability, from alternative building methods to establishing vegetable gardens and cooking seasonally using locally grown ingredients.
Over the next two months we’re going to be establishing a vegetable garden, orchard and an extensive herb garden. We’re looking for volunteers who would like to come out for a day over the weekend to share in our vision and participate in laying out the gardens. Our first open day will be Sunday 19 July – Click here for more information on Wickedfood Earth. Should you wish to participate, please contact Mike direct on 011 705-2616 or earth@wickedfood.co.za

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, and our two resident chefs will strive to get an answer back to you as soon as possable  - Click here for more information, hope to here from you. New articles this week include:

Recipes

Our food article of the week – Ethics of eating meat
Intensive animal rearing contributes to climate change and eating too much meat is bad for both human health and for the wellbeing of the millions of intensively farmed animals. So, should we give up steak to save the planet?…….. Click here for more

Juliet Cullinan Standard Bank Wine Festival
After 18 years, this wine festival remains a small, elite showcase for the finest Cape wineries. 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. Join an audience of sophisticated tasters and taste these individually handcrafted wines. Tickets cost R100.00 per person. To book, go to juliet cullinan – 22nd & 23rd July 2009 from 17h30 to 21h00 at Wanderer’s Club.

Cookbook of the week
The River Cottage Meat Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a quirky and strong-minded book. This arm-straining volume (weighing in at an impressive and well illustrated 543 pages) is quite the most ambitious volume yet by an author on meat. ….. Read more

Did you know – Eating meat is considered a sign of wealth in many countries, but what is consumed is culturally variable. While many British people would baulk at a horseburger, our European neighbours show less concern. Similarly, man’s best friend is good enough to eat in some parts of Asia. Frogs, lizards and snakes also find their way onto the dinner plate in many countries.

Food quote of the week: – “Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by a good cut of meat.  - Fran Lebowitz

Food tip of the week: – When storing empty airtight containers, throw in a pinch of salt to keep them from getting stinky.

Recipe of the weekBraised beef with Guinness and prunes

Braised beef with Guinness and prunes, a great winter recipe from Wickedfood Cooking school

Look forward to hearing from you.

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

  Wickedfood Newsletter – 15 May 09

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

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

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

Hi

Our June  programme is now available on our website, click here. Once again we have some delicious cookery classes available, as well as an exciting new cooking class – home cooking. These are one hour classes, where each student learn to cook a main dish for two, with veggie and starch, and takes it straight home to eat after the cooking class.
We’re also launched a facility on our blog, where you can ask online for assistance on any food-related topic, including recipes, and our two resident chefs will strive to get an answer back to you within 24 hours – Click here for more information, hope you enjoy.

Wickedfood Cooking School news

Our June programme is up on the Internet – click the relevant school for the June programme Sunninghill / Boksburg. Once again we have some exciting classes on offer, including

  • Winter Entertaining;
  • Authentic Indian cooking class;
  • Home-style Middle Eastern cooking class with a delicious combination of easy to prepare dishes with a strong Lebanese influence;
  • Classic pasta dishes and sauces;
  • Flavours of the South African Portuguese Table
  • All you wanted to know about… Chocolate;
  • Home cooking – 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.

May highlights for the next two weeks include:

  • Tuesday 19 May at 6pm – Jamie’s Ministry of Food quick meals and pastas (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. Learning the secrets to successful easy cooking, including spicy Moroccan stewed fish with couscous, chicken and leek stroganoff, broccoli and pesto tagliatelle, classic tomato spaghetti, macaroni cauliflower cheese bake and banana tarte tatin, with a wicked twist.
  • Sunday 24 May at 4pm – Thai cooking class (R370pp). In this class learn to cook mouthwatering authentic Thai dishes include Tamarend flavoured fish soup, Waterfall beef, Tofu salad with vegetables, Chicken rice and Fried bananas

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

Wickedfood Cooking School, Sunninghill

May individual class programme….. click here

Wickedfood Cooking School, boksburg

May individual class programme….. click here

What’s new on the Wickedfood blog
Apart from our weekly newsletter, we’re also very active posting interesting food-related articles on the Wickedfood blog. New articles this week include:

Summer berries with a red wine coulis
Fig tart – our recipe of the week, see below.
Roast pigeons in liqueur

Gastronomic tour of Normandy
Our six top Normandy restaurants

There are also a host of other mouthwatering recipes and travel related articles on the blog. Please feel free to comment, or let us know if you cook any of them and how they turn out.

Cookbook of the week
The Food of France by editor Kay Halsey – part of a five book series, and as with the other books, this one gives you a real taste of the country. Each recipe is accompanied by a photograph of the finished dish as well as some great step-by-step photographs.   Read more …..

Did you know – Rocket grows wild in Asia and the Mediterranean and its hot, peppery flavour becomes more pronounced with age. The leaves have become ubiquitous at trendy restaurants and gastropubs but are also commonly used in Sudanese cookery. The seeds can be sprinkled over salads for flavouring or used to produce oil.

Food quote of the week: – “Never put a sausage in the fridge. That’s a terrible crime. Rather sleep with it under your pillow” - Sylvain Monier, gourmet sausage-maker, Deauville..

Food tip of the week: – If you happen to over-salt a pot of soup, just drop in a peeled potato. The potato will absorb the excess salt.

Recipe of the weekFig tart

The Wickedfood Cooking School team was in France, to find inspiration for our French cooking classes and teambuilding cooking classes. We came across this scrumptious tart on the lunch buffet at the Hotel Royale in Deauville. Click here for the recipe.

Look forward to hearing from you.

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