Remember the movie Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child, partially based on Julia Child’s memoir, My Life in France. In the movie Julie set herself the task of  cooking every dish from Julia Child’s book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1 originally published more than 40 years ago. Fortunately the book has recently been re-printed, with all 524 recipes.  It leaves nothing to chance, packed with sumptuous recipes, detailed instructions, and precise line drawings.  Some of the instructions look daunting, but as Julia herself says in the introduction, “If you can read, you can cook”.

The book is aimed at both the seasoned cooks and beginners who love good food and long to reproduce at home the savoury delights of classic French  cuisine, from the historic Gallic masterpieces to the seemingly artless perfection of a dish of spring-green peas. This beautiful book, with more than 100 instructive illustrations, was in its time revolutionary in its approach because it:

• leads the cook infallibly from the buying and handling of raw ingredients, through each essential step of a recipe, to the final creation of a delicate confection;
• breaks down the classic cuisine into a logical sequence of themes and variations rather than presenting an endless and diffuse catalogue of recipes; the focus is on key recipes that form the backbone of French cookery;
• adapts classical techniques, wherever possible, to modern  conveniences;
• offers suggestions for just the right accompaniment to each dish, including proper wines.

Although the book has been written primarily for the American market, it is nonetheless highly informative.

Click on the links below for two delicious recipes inspired by the book:

Beef Bourguignon

Coq au Vin

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.

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 4pm – Classic seafood dishes (R395pp). An introduction to fish including seafood cocktail, fish soup, steamed tuna, fried fish and squid with potatoes.
• Monday 13 July at 6pm – Classic 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 4pm – Cookbook-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

• Seafood pilaf
• Braised beef with Guinness and prunes – Our recipe of the week

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 week – Braised 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.

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. The new soft cover version of the book is exceptional value for money. All the classics are here from a variety of soufflés, pâtés and soups, to hearty stews and roasts, as well as a delicious selection of desserts. At Wickedfood Cooking School we use this book as a sauce of reference for our French cooking classes. If you are looking for one good book on French cuisine, this is it.

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