Wickedfood Cooking School, SUNNINGHILL

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

Hi all,

Hope you all had a fantastic Christmas break and that this will be an exciting food year for you.  The School closed from 16 December to Monday 9 January 2012, and we’re now back and raring to go. It seems as though many of you have made it to your new year’s resolution to learn more about food, as of January classes are filling up quickly.  We have some very exciting cooking classes lined up for January and February, including Quick 30 minute meals; Easy curries, salads and soups; Easy Italian; Mexican Salsas, dips and filling; and Casual Thai dinner parties dishes - see below for more details.

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 15 January at 4pm – Quick 30 minute meals (R370pp). Trying to juggle work and home commitments can be tough, 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, chickpea and pumpkin curry, grilled beef, grilled tuna and a rich chocolate self-saucing pudding with only 5g of fat!!
• Monday 16 January at 6pm – Jamie’s Ministry of Food – Easy curries, salads and soups (R380pp). We consider Jamie Oliver’s ‘Ministry of Food’ his best book yet. It’s the perfect book for any beginner. In this Jamie Oliver cooking class 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 which includes, pea and mint soup, vegetable bhajis, chicken korma, lamb rogan josh, evolution potato salad and a vanilla cheesecake.
• Sunday 22 January at 4pm – Easy Italian (R380pp). Italian cuisine is noted for its regional diversity, abundance of difference in taste, and is known to be one of the most popular in the world. The main characteristics of Italian cuisine is its extreme simplicity. Dishes and recipes are often the creation of grandmothers rather than of chefs, and this makes many recipes ideally suited for home cooking. This is one of the main reasons behind the ever increasing popularity of this cuisine. Join us in this Italian cooking class for a more in-depth look at Italian cuisine which includes cauliflower frittata, risotto with dried mushrooms, lamb chops fried in Parmesan cheese batter and cassata.
• Monday 23 January at 6pm – Mexican Salsas, dips and fillings (R370pp). The history of traditional Mexican food is a long and complex one, and every bit of the complexity is reflected in the sheer variety of flavours in Mexican cuisine. Present day Mexican cuisine has evolved into something truly extraordinary. Join us in this Mexican cooking class as we blend the exotic flavours with that of the new world flavours which includes salsas, dips and fillings, for nachos, tostadas and tortillas, which are all perfect for al fresco dining.
• Sunday 29 January at 4pm -  Easy dishes for casual Thai dinner parties (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, which includes, 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.

Book of the week

Food quote of the week

“Garlic is as good as ten mothers.” – Les Blank

Recipes of the week:

Empire roast chicken

This recipe  is an adaptation from Jamie’s Great Britain, our recipe book for this week.  Jamie says of this roast chicken recipe in the introduction -  “Ask any British person what their two favourite meals are and I reckon most people would say their mum’s roast chicken, and a curry. Well, welcome to Empire roast chicken, a combination of both of those things. Your friends and family are going to love it. I love it. You will love it.” Certainly a delicious dish for a casual Sunday roast with friends. ….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 (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

The first of the summer vegetables is now coming in to the shops, with asparagus and artichokes leading the way. On the fruit side, strawberries are in full swing, and the first mulberries are starting to appear, together with early peaches and nectarines.  See our recipe of the week for tips on cooking asparagus.

Cooking classes for individuals for the next two weeks include Spanish peasant cooking, Making pasta sauces, Easy Italian and Outdoor cooking, this one concentrating on beef.  See the overview below for all the cooking classes for the next two months.

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

Cooking class programmes for the next two months are up on the internet, click the relevant month for the October and November 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 09 October at 4pm – Spanish peasant cooking (R380pp for the class). Learn to cook with the robust flavours of the Spanish countryside in this Spanish cooking class. Spanish food reflects this vast country’s turbulent history, diverse geography and Mediterranean culture. The class includes fried calamari, chourizo and cheese fritters, garlic soup, butterflied lamb, hot chourizo salad, and fried cream.
• Monday 10 October at 6pm – Making pasta sauces (R370pp). Tired of the same old pasta sauces? Come learn some new ones in our pasta cooking class. Delicious, no-fuss, easy sauces for pasta, including raw tomato sauce with ricotta cheese, rocket pesto, vodka tomato cream, ham and mascarpone, and ragù with nuts and mushrooms.
• Monday 17 October at 6pm – Easy to prepare Italian dishes (R380pp). Italian cuisine is noted for its regional diversity, abundance of difference in taste, and is known to be one of the most popular in the world. The main characteristics of Italian cuisine is its extreme simplicity. Dishes and recipes are often the creation of grandmothers rather than of chefs, and this makes many recipes ideally suited for home cooking. This is one of the main reasons behind the ever increasing popularity of this cuisine. Join us in this Italian cooking class for an introduction to Italian cuisine including tomato pizza, bean and pasta soup, cannelloni, grilled fish, bean salad and lemon tart.
• Sunday 23 October at 4pm – Outdoor Cooking – beef class (R395pp). A braai is essentially a traditional way of preparing a meal on the open fire. It has evolved to take on many forms since early pioneering days – from a wood fire to the use of charcoal and gas. Today a variety of BBQ shapes and cooking surfaces allows for exciting and innovative methods of meal preparation. It is unquestionably the most enticing, easy and informal way to entertain. Join us in learning the delicious secrets of cooking beef on kettlebraais and gas barbecues in our Outdoor cooking class. Dishes covered in this class include spicy beef burgers, secrets of cooking the ultimate steak, prime rib roast, and Béarnaise sauce.

On Asparagus

Asparagus is a spring vegetable, and is getting to the height of the season right now.  Enjoy the ones that are grown locally now, while they are abundant on the shelf, at good prices.

Asparagus is a flowering perennial plant in the genus as the lily family. A plant may have a life of up to 20 years if cultivated with care. On the negative side, they make the soil around them sterile, so once they are removed, very little else grows where they were being cultivated.

Earliest records of asparagus cultivation trace it back to Greece some 2,500 years ago. The Greeks believed that asparagus possessed medicinal properties and recommended it as a cure for toothaches.

It is the tender shoots of the asparagus that are harvested. On the shelves you find mainly green and white varieties, and occasionally purple.  They are all the same plant, with the white asparagus growing beneath this soil, whereas the green asparagus is harvested once it is approximately 15 to 20cm above the soil. The colour is thus determined by the amount of exposure to sunlight. The white asparagus variety has less flavour than the green or purple asparagus. They are always harvested by hand, a very labour intensive vegetable. Click here for two simple recipes.

Book of the week

One Magic Square: The Easy, Organic Way to Grow Your Own Food on a  square metre.

Australian gardener, Lolo Houbain’s popular book on creating themed and small 1m2 food gardens, has reached South Africa. Starting with a discussion on the types of food production in the world, she then encourages the reader to start his own small food garden using one of 30 different designs. She also covers how to prepare the beds, composting, pests, and vegetable and herb culture. Finally she has a section on vegetables and herbs that you can plant.

Click Here for reviews of all our cookbook reviews.

Food quote of the week

“Don’t take a butcher’s advice on how to cook meat. If he knew, he’d be a chef.” – Andy Rooney

Recipes of the week:

Asparagus

Asparagus is one of the first spring vegetables to arrive on the shop shelves.  They are now at the height of the season, with prices coming down all the time.  Buy local, the fresher the sweeter.  Here are two simple recipes, one for white and the other for green asparagus, as well as a delicious easy-to-prepare sauce. ….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 (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

To all of you who took a long weekend, hope you had a relaxing food weekend and are raring to go for the rest of the week. Our theme for this week is Greek, with our scrumptious cookbook and recipe of the week, see below.

It’s scary to think that we are already through the middle of August, very close to the official start of spring.  If you look at your garden, you will see that the grass is  starting to turn green and in the countryside, the fruit trees are starting to bud and flower. If you’re a keen vegetable gardener, see our gardening insert below.

We’re also looking for your help,  see below.

As usual we have a host of delicious cooking classes for the next two weeks, including a  Quick & easy 30 minute meals for entertaining, Moroccan tagines, Mexican flavours and Easy Greek dishes for entertaining.  See the overview below for all the cooking classes for the next two months.

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

Cooking class programmes for the next two months are up on the internet, click the relevant month for the August and September 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 14 August at 4pm – Quick & easy 30 minute meals for entertaining (R390 pp). This Gordon Ramsay cooking class is based on his book Cooking for Friends. Love him or hate him, he certainly knows his food. In this book, we see a very different side of him, more relaxed, cooking some best-loved versions of classic British dishes for family and friends. We reinterpret 6 of the dishes, all easy to make in under 30 minutes and great for entertaining friends, chilled cucumber soup; linguine with lemon, feta and basil; poached fish; quick fish curry; pork fillet stroganoff; and baked berries.
• Monday 15 August at 6pm – North African Moroccan tagines. (R380pp). The exotic flavours of North Africa reach their full expression in the cooking of Morocco. Moroccan cuisine is known for its flavourful stews, called tagines. In this Moroccan cooking class we cover the following dishes, which include harira; lamb, chicken and pumpkin tagines; couscous; and coiled almond pastry.
• Monday 22 August at 6pm – Mexican flavours (R370pp). The history of traditional Mexican food is a long and complex one, and every bit of the complexity is reflected in the sheer variety of flavours in Mexican cuisine. Present day Mexican cuisine has evolved into something truly extraordinary. Join us in this Mexican cooking class as we blend the exotic flavours with that of the new world flavours which include melted cheese with mushrooms, coriander soup, lamb in a chilli sauce, and rice pudding
• Sunday 28 August at 4pm – Entertaining Italian style (R360pp). In this Italian cooking class we show you some great dishes for entertaining with an Italian flair including rice croquettes, Siena bread soup, semolina gnocchi, poached chicken with a caper/egg sauce and baked pears.
• Monday 29 August at 6pm – Easy Greek dishes for entertaining (R380pp). This Greek cooking class is a simple introduction to Greek cuisine. The Greek diet is the perfect example of traditional Mediterranean eating. It’s based around a variety of colourful and flavourful foods that are high in nutrients and low in animal fats. Come and learn how to cook some of these more imaginative dishes.
  

Cookbook of the week

My Greek Family Table

In her book, My Greek Family Table, Maria Benardis, a Greek-Australian welcomes you to her table to enjoy Greek food the way her family has always done. This delicious book, offers over 100 recipes that have been passed down through generations. At Wickedfood Cooking School, we will definitely be using the book as reference for our future Greek cooking classes.

Click Here for reviews of all our cookbook reviews.

Food quote of the week

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home.” – James Michener

Please help us conserve old fruit varietals

In the past the Highveld was home to a verity of delicious fruit.  These included a wide variety of apples.  Sadly a lot of these fruits’ rootstock have been lost to the commercial market, ’cause they would either be the wrong shape, size or colour, despite them possibly being really delicious to eat.  Nowadays there are only three or four varietals that are commercially available. We’re looking to save some of these older varietals and bring them back.  If you have any interesting fruit trees and are willing to share the genetics with us, please contact Mike at earth@wickedfood.co.za.

Food gardening

Now is the time to ensure that your vegetable beds are prepared, start planting the first of your seeds, and put in fruit trees if you have not already done so (if you have not yet pruned your fruit trees, do them this weekend before it is too late).

Things to consider planting over the next few weeks include Artichoke, Asparagus, Beetroot, Cabbage, Carrot, Lettuce, Onion, Parsnip, Radish, Swiss chard, Spinach and Turnip.

Click here for an easy to use seasonal vegetable planting guide (pdf format).

For some unusual and interesting seeds with a difference, see:

• Livingseeds – A large selection of locally grown heirloom and open pollinated vegetable seed; and
• Sought after seedlings – Open pollinating heritage/heirloom varieties that are grown to maintain the longevity of vegetables which have been around for hundreds of years, ensuring quality and exceptional taste.

Food market

Bamboo Market in Melville (cnr 5th Ave and 9th Street) aims to become first in Johannesburg recognized Slow Food Earth Market. The market will run every Saturday morning between 09:00 am and 01:00 pm.  This Saturday Wickedfood Earth will have a stand at the market, selling some of our natural herbs, tangy chilli sauces and preserves.
An Earth Market is a market in which farmers, growers or producers from a defined local area are present in person to sell their own produce, direct to the public. All products sold should have been grown, reared, caught, brewed, pickled, baked, smoked or processed by the stallholder.

Recipes of the week:

Rizogalo | Greek rice pudding

It’s still winter and we all crave foods that warm our heart and delight our soul. This week’s recipe is Rizogalo - a Greek traditional rice pudding. This recipe comes from our cookbook of the week,  My Greek Family Table. The recipe is very similar to one we make at Wickedfood Cooking School in our Greek cooking classes. ….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 (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

Once again we have a shorter week, with a public holiday on Thursday and many people making a long weekend out of it, again, an ideal opportunity to get into the kitchen with the family and cook. Did you know that our blog is jam packed with close on 200 delicious recipes. What’s more, they have been meticulously categorized for easy reference.  Happy cooking.

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

Cooking class programmes for the next two months are up on the internet, click the relevant month for the  June and July 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 19 June at 4pm – 30 Minute Meals (R380pp).  In this cooking class we show you how to prepare 6 nutritious quick and easy dishes which 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 20 June at 6pm – Classic Italian dishes (R360pp). Italian cuisine is one of the most well-loved cuisines available all around the world. In this Italian cooking class learn to cook 6 hearty dishes, which include chicken liver crostinis, zucchini frittata, pasta with a clam sauce, Osso Buca, polenta and pannacotta.
• Monday 27 June at 6pm – Delicious Winter Entertaining (R370pp). Cooking class to equip you with the skills to host a ‘No fuss dinner party for six’, perfect for winter entertaining, including roast tomato gazpacho soup, ricotta ravioli, grilled fish fillets and warm lemon pudding.
• Sunday 03 July at 4pm – Sweet Treats – working with Chocolate (R390pp). Learn the secrets of working with chocolate in this chocolate cooking class, including decadent chocolate cake, chocolate truffles, brownies, choc chip cookies and layered chocolate mousse.

Cookbook of the week

Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume

In Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume Bulgarian-born chef and food writer Silvena Rowe explores the food of her upbringing – her father is half Turkish.  It is a scrumptious collection of recipes from the rich multi-cultural Ottoman empire.  Her combinations of sweet and sour, fresh and dried, and rose and orange flower waters give a whiff of the exotic. While many of the recipes show influences from the Ottoman Empire, others are contemporary Turkish, Syrian, Jordanian and Lebanese. Intertwined with the recipes she weaves in timeless folk stories, excerpts detailing the region’s history, personal travel tales and even some poetry. … Click Here for the full story.

Food quote of the week

“I bake all the time, but I don’t like to eat the cookies when they’re done. I just like the dough.” – Sharon Stone

Recipes of the week:

Baklava

Baklava is one of the most famous of all Middle-Eastern sweets (and is the ancestor of strudel, brought to Hungary by Turkish invaders in the 16th century). Traditionally there were 40 layers of pastry, 20 below and 20 above symbolising the 40 days of Lent. This dessert was classically eaten on Easter Sunday to break the Lenten fast. This recipe is based on a Wickedfood Cooking School recipe from our Middle Eastern cooking class. ….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 (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

It’s hard to believe that we are already a quarter of the way into the year. Easter is just around the corner, and I’m sure that many of you are planning to go away.  For those who are staying, we do however have a host of delicious classes on offer including Fun Thai, Mexican Salsas, dips and fillings (perfect dishes for al fresco dining and entertaining over Easter), and Classic French cooking. If you’re planning on doing some easy outdoor cooking to impress your friends, then this coming Sunday’s  Outdoor Cooking Class is ideal.  See below for details.

The May cooking class programme is now live. We Look forward to seeing you at one of the classes.

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

Cooking class programmes for the next two months are up on the internet, click the relevant month for the  April and May 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 10 April at 4pm – Outdoor Cooking – poultry (R390pp). In this Outdoor Cooking Class, learn the secrets of outdoor cooking on Cadac kettlebraais and gas barbecues. Dishes covered in this class include whole roasted juicy chicken, how to smoke a chicken in a kettlebraai, tangy tomato marinade, chicken kebabs, quick and easy bread pockets, grilled vegetables and bananas with a chocolate sauce.
• Monday 11 April at 6pm - Fun Thai (R370pp). Easy no-fuss entertaining, is the theme of this Thai Cookery class, with up-front preparation, including chicken sâtés with a delicious peanut sauce, Thai wonton soup, steamed fish, green mango salad, Chiang Mai noodles and black rice with coconut.
• Sunday 17 April at 4pm – Mexican salsas, dips and fillings (R370pp). A delicious Mexican cooking class, perfect dishes for al fresco dining, including salsas, dips and fillings, for nachos, tostadas and tortillas.
• Monday 18 April at 6pm – Real Italian (380 pp). Slightly more advanced Italian cooking class with some real classics including melanzane, the best Italian fish soup ever, crepes filled with spinach and ricotta, braised chicken with mushrooms, and glazed bread pudding.
• Monday 25 April at 6pm – Classic French cooking (R380pp). This French cookery class is a perfect  introduction to French cuisine including cheese soufflé, potato and leek soup, coq au vin, potato gratin, and tarte tatin.

On Food

Grassfed beef,  the Facts

1. Lower in total fat
2. Higher in beta-carotene
3. Higher in vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
4. Higher in the B-vitamins thiamin and riboflavin
5. Higher in the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium
6. Higher in total omega-3s
7. Better ratio of omega-6 to 3 fatty acids (1.65 vs 4.84)
8. Higher in CLA (cis-9 trans-11), a potential cancer fighter
9. Higher in vaccenic acid (which can be transformed into CLA)
10. Lower in the saturated fats linked with heart disease

Cookbook of the week

Kitchen Secrets by Raymond Blanc

Raymond is once again on television, in the BBC Series, Kitchen Secrets – a second part of this series has just been released. He has been filmed in the kitchens of his beloved Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, and out and about around the country, meeting many who share his passion and love of good food and good ingredients. And to complement the series he’s just released Kitchen Secrets, containing recipes from both series of Kitchen Secrets and more. In it he shares some of his classic recipes all achievable in the home kitchen.

.… Click Here for more information.

Food quote of the week

“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relatives.” – Oscar Wilde

Recipes of the week:

Grilled squid salad

Grilled squid salad is always a favourite at Wickedfood Cooking School.  Raymond Blanc’s juicy and colourful summer grilled squid salad with provençal vegetables, from his new book, Kitchen Secrets, is simple, satisfying and bursting with the flavours of Provence. You will certainly be able to taste our interpretation of a grilled squid salad in a future French cooking class at Wickedfood Cooking School.

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.