Kitchen tips and tricks: the magic of baking soda
Posted on 18. Apr, 2012 by Renée Nesbitt in Kitchen Gear
Whether you call it NaHCO3, sodium bicarbonate, bicarbonate of soda, baking soda or just plain bicarb, this is one magic ingredient to have in your kitchen cupboard. From keeping your flowers fresh for longer to adding sparkle to your pots and pans, here are 15 ways to use it in your kitchen. The power of [...]
How to make an Easter bunny napkin
Posted on 02. Apr, 2012 by Renée Nesbitt in Food & Drink
While it’s near impossible to catch a glimpse of the real Easter bunny, this quick and easy technique for turning a fabric napkin into a bunny rabbit will ensure that your Easter table is finished off perfectly and that you see some form of bunny magic on this special holiday. Tools Square fabric napkins – [...]
Review: Mellerware Biltong Maker
Posted on 20. Mar, 2012 by Renée Nesbitt in Kitchen Gear
I recently had a conversation I thought I’d never have which went something like this… Me: “I made biltong” Friend: “What do you mean you made biltong?” Me: “I mean that I literally made biltong, from scratch.” Friend: “Where?” Me: “In my kitchen!” Friend: “… you did what?” Making biltong is definitely not something I [...]
Food storage tips: fruit
Posted on 13. Mar, 2012 by Renée Nesbitt in Food & Drink
Fruit and vegetables release a gas called ethylene when they ripen, with some being more prone to doing so than others. Keeping certain types separate to one another will help in prolonging the life of your fresh goods. They can be roughly grouped as follows and should be kept in separate drawers in the refrigerator: [...]
Food storage tips: bread, eggs, flour & cheese
Posted on 12. Mar, 2012 by Renée Nesbitt in Food & Drink
If you’ve paid a visit to your local baker or acquired a loaf at the best market you know, it is a sad moment when you awake the next day to stale inners. The same applies to hard-edged cheese, garlic flavoured eggs and weevils. Weevils in anything? Not good. Fresh bread Putting bread in the [...]
Food storage tips: vegetables
Posted on 12. Mar, 2012 by Renée Nesbitt in Food & Drink
Fruit and vegetables release a gas called ethylene when they ripen, with some being more prone to doing so than others. Keeping certain types separate to one another will help in prolonging the life of your fresh goods. They can be roughly grouped as follows and should be kept in separate drawers in the refrigerator: [...]
Food storage tips: herbs & snacks
Posted on 12. Mar, 2012 by Renée Nesbitt in Food & Drink
The way you store your herbs, nuts, biltong and spices makes a considerable difference to how long they last, and their taste. Here are some tips which we hope come in handy on your path to becoming a master chef. Fresh herbs There are a number of ways to prolong the life of fresh herbs [...]
Which flours make the best bread?
Posted on 24. Feb, 2012 by Renée Nesbitt in Food & Drink
When it comes to flour, what’s in a name? Quite a lot, as it turns out. Flour is often just thought of in terms of wheat flour but it can be ground from a variety of things including buckwheat, barley, chickpea, corn, nut, potato, quinoa, rice, rye, soy, wheat and spelt. Which one should you choose? [...]
Review: Morphy Richards bread maker
Posted on 21. Feb, 2012 by Renée Nesbitt in Kitchen Gear
There are three simple steps to making delicious home baked bread in the Morphy Richards Breadmaker (well, that’s what it says on the packaging). We set out to put it to the test and were delighted to discover that there are no Pinocchio noses at Morphy Richards and this level of simplicity is exactly what to expect. [...]
The history and benefits of the bread maker
Posted on 21. Feb, 2012 by Renée Nesbitt in Kitchen Gear
A slice of hot bread, fresh from the oven, topped with a dollop of melting butter is a heart warming thought. But many of us never get to make it more than hopeful imagining due to the energy required for mixing, kneading, rising, re-kneading and baking. Pas de probleme. Where there’s a bread maker, there’s [...]
