At Wickedfood Cooking School we make a version of this classic corn bread in Our South African cooking classes. This corn bread is great with roasts and plenty of gravy.

1/2 cup butter, melted or cooking oil
2 cups miliemeal
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2t  baking powder
1 1/2t  salt
2T sugar
500ml buttermilk
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, thoughed and chopped
4 eggs, well beaten

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a ±20cm x 20cm  baking dish with 1T tbsp. of the butter and set aside.
2. Mix miliemeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar  together in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add buttermilk, chopped corn kernels and eggs, and beat with a wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed. Add remaining butter/oil and stir until just mixed.
4. Pour batter into the prepared dish and bake until golden, firm to the touch, and cracked on top, ±30 minutes. Set aside to let cool.

Serves 6

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.

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

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

Hi all,

I hope everyone enjoyed the lovely long weekend and all the Women had a good two days’ rest while their men did the work. I would also like to congratulate the Springboks on a fantastic win over the Australians. This week the WickedFood Chefs went on a Meat and Sausage making course, a lot was learn’t and we will be looking into some very interesting classes in the near future. This week also sees some really interesting classes coming at both schools,  so keep your eyes peeled.

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:

• 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.
• 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.
• Sunday 30 August at 4pm – Jamie’s Ministry of Food – The perfect roast and accompaniments (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 two classic roasts with all the trimmings. Dishes include roast chicken with winter root vegetables covered with a mouthwatering gravy, the perfect Sunday roast beef with crispy potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and a creamy horseradish sauce.

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

A Day at elBulli – an insight into the ideas, methods and creativity of Ferran Adrià – An exclusive look behind the scenes at elBulli, voted ‘Best Restaurant in the World’ for the last three years, and into the mind of Ferran Adrià, the most creative chef working today.
With two million requests for reservations every year, it is notoriously difficult to get a table there. This book opens the doors to everyone and reveals the inner workings of the kitchen and the gastronomic innovations that have helped create the spectacular food. Illustrated with over 1,000 colour photographs, the book includes recipes and innovative inserts explaining the creative methods and food philosophy, the reservations policy, the history of elBulli and the life of Ferran Adrià.

Aimed at all food enthusiasts as well as industry professionals, the book starts with daybreak at 6.15 am, then shows visits to the local markets to source ingredients, Ferran’s arrival at the workshop, his morning creative experimentation session, the arrival of the rest of the brigade at 2.30 pm to begin the mise-en-place for the evening, the daily tasks of the front of house team, and the arrival of the first guests for dinner from 7.45 pm until the last guests’ departure by 2.00 am.
With its innovative structure and striking design, A Day at elBulli provides a fascinating insight into the rare and magical experience of eating at elBulli.

The Chefs:

Ferran Adrià is recognized as the best chef in the world. His legendary talent, creativity and gastronomic innovations have inspired chefs and food-lovers around the world for many years, and make elBulli what it is today.
Albert Adrià shares the same passion for food and creativity as his older brother Ferran. He specializes in the world of pastry and is creative director of the elBulli workshop, where the pioneering culinary techniques that inform the spectacular thirty-course menu are developed.
Juli Soler joined elBulli as restaurant manager in 1981. He quickly brought the front of house service to a standard never seen before in Spain, and it is characterized by his warmth, generosity and professionalism.

Interesting facts:

An average tasting meal of 28-35 dishes comprising of cocktails, snacks, tapas-dishes, avant-desserts, desserts and morphines  at elBulli will cost 200 euros (±R 2305).

There are between 60-70 staff working at elBulli, this means there are more staff than guests at any given time.

elBulli is only open for six months of the year, for the other six they are in the workshop developing new ideas and dishes for the next six months.

This popular dish, with strong Chinese overtones, has a thick rich sauce, perfect with a bowl of rice. The sauce works just as well with pork or chicken.

Sauce
1 tin coconut cream (reserve 3T for the garnish, see below)
3T fish sauce
1T sugar

1T oil
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

3-4T Massaman or yellow curry paste
±1kg sirloin or rump, sliced into ±5mm strips, across the grain
1 cup roasted peanuts, ground

Garnish
3T coconut cream (see above)
3T chopped coriander leaves

Sauce
1.    Mix together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
2.    Heat the oil in a large wok or pan. Add the onion and pepper, and stir-fry for ±2 minutes.
3.    Add the curry paste and cook for ±1 minute.
4.    Add the beef and sauté on high, until just browned (do not overcook).
5.    Add the sauce and cook until it is thick. Add the ground peanuts and cook for 2 minutes.
To serve
6.    Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with the coconut cream and shredded coriander leaves.

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.

Q: How long should pasta dough be kneaded for?

A: It all depends and what ingredients you use and how well you can knead. It could take a professional 5-7 minutes and a novice 30 minutes, if you’re using egg yolks or whole eggs, cake flour or double “00″ flour. All these things come into the equation when making fresh pasta, but just like making bread it’s all in the kneading and how dry the air is, so as long as you give it a firm “beating” it shouldn’t take long to get a nice smooth and silky dough.

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.