Spatula Magazine

Crafty close-up #11

Marina — Thu, 17 May 2012 07:43:09 +0000

Are you feeling lucky, foodie? Welcome to the eleventh round of the Crafty Close-up competition, where we post a tricky, cropped picture of a kitchen tool and you stand a chance to win a R250 Yuppiechef voucher for working out what it is.

Search through the products on our site and when you’ve found it, mail your answer to us at competitions@yuppiechef.co.za. Entries close at midnight tonight (17 May 2012) and the winner will be announced on Monday 21 May. Ayoba, and good luck.

Food trucks hit South Africa

Daniel Scheffler — Thu, 17 May 2012 07:28:29 +0000

Anyone who’s been lucky enough to visit New York or London in recent years may be familiar with one of the latest trends on the foodie scene, food trucks, or as Londoners prefer to call it, ‘street food’. The idea is simple: gourmet trucks, carts, vans or stalls pop up in often unexpected parts of the city to offer anyone and everyone a chance to taste their delectable, mouth-watering fair at a good price. And guess what, South Africa now has a Food Truck of its own. Hello Limoncello.
Of course there have always been food trucks of sorts. Way back in 1866, a cattle herder in the US of A realised it was difficult to cook proper meals during cattle drives, so he did what any sane, hungry man would do. He took an old army wagon, revamped it into a movable kitchen and invented the ‘chuck wagon’. This ‘chuck wagon’ developed into the ‘mobile canteen’ of the 1950s.

Over the last few years New York has taken the good old food truck and turned it into a vehicle for chefs to explore their creativity and offer punters like you and I great food at a reasonable price.

Both the recession and technology can surely be praised for this wonder (and of course our ever-growing fascination with food). The combination of tightened belts (it’s cheaper to pick up a quick bite than to sit down in a restaurant) and Twitter’s kaboom has worked in tandem to take an age-old tradition into the mainstream yet again. The street food or food trucks that now park up around every corner in New York and London offer extraordinary food, from freshly-made churros dipped in chocolate to free range, slow-roasted, Asian-spiced, pork.

Twitter and Facebook have fuelled the Food Truck fire by allowing us to follow and find the truck of our choice, whether craving ice cream or tacos. In the US, The Food Network has their own Great Food Truck Race and Eat St features only food on the move across the States. If you’re heading to London, you might want to check out these street food stalls.

And there is good news for those of us living in South Africa. Cape Town Food Trucks has now launched and Limoncello is the first to sign up, offering authentic Italian food, cooked by third generation chef from Naples, Luca Castiglione. We caught up with the Cape Town Food Truck founders, Sam Kelly and Lee Doig to find out more.
Tell us how you started the business
Lee: After working as a director at ‘Let It Rain Films’ (shooting Survivor US) and friends on the series talking about their favourite food trucks, I became interested in the concept and did some research on the trend internationally. My brother-in-law owns Limoncello restaurant in Gardens, Cape Town and we thought it would be great to go into business so we chatted about trucks and looked for months for the right one. Eventually we found the gorgeous truck that is now the Limoncello food truck, the first food truck for Cape Town Food Trucks and that took a while to design and months to refurbish.

Tell us about the business structure, what you offer under the Cape Town Food Trucks banner
Sam: What happens is that the truck appears at different locations on different days (and as the Cape Town Food Trucks fleet increases in size, the various trucks rotate to keep interest going in the various kinds of food). If you follow us on Twitter you will know when a Cape Town Food Trucks truck is in your area.

We are looking for gourmet food in uber cool trucks to serve Cape Tonians and our many visitors thus giving them access to fabulous food at hot spots around Cape Town. Truckers can either subscribe to our site to collaborate on the marketing, logistics, bookings, permissions etc. or they can buy or lease a fabricated truck from Cape Town Food Trucks. If people have existing restaurants, their food trucks act as fantastic moving billboards to get hype for their existing establishment. The food trucks open up opportunities for catering on film shoots, at events, festivals, markets and other occasions previously not suited to their business because of a lack of mobility. The idea for Cape Town Food Trucks is to create a culture around this trend, as a movement and as a group of trucks we have the chance to change the mindset of councils and municipalities. The idea is for Cape Town Food Trucks to create opportunities for the truckers on board, the trucks would rotate at different locations we get permission for. To keep interest in the different trucks and provide variety, we would also be handling bookings and providing opportunities around functions, events and shoots as well as letting people know how they work with social networking etc.
How did Limoncello get on board?
Lee: Luca is family, we eat in his restaurant a lot, his food is perfectly suited to a food truck because everything is cooked fresh on the spot. His food is of such a high standard and is so delicious, we just thought what a fantastic thing it would be to have it on some of our filmsets.

Do you feel South Africa is ready for the trend?
Sam: Judging from the response to the truck,South Africans have been waiting for this for a while, we have had a lot of interest from people interested in getting on board with Cape Town Food Trucks by leasing their own trucks or doing up their own trucks and joining us. Our satisfied diners love the truck.

How have audiences responded?
Sam: The truck turns heads wherever she goes, she is beautiful, but not just gorgeous to look at, she has serious substance and people are loving Luca’s food, it is so fresh and tasty.
To track down Limoncello, check out www.capetownfoodtrucks.co.za and follow the updates on their twitter page.

Get truckin’ folks.

How to make cake pops

BakeLoveNotWar — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:12:35 +0000

We certainly seem to be living in the era of the bite-sized treat. Cupcakes were followed by macarons, whoopie pies and lately… cake pops. Instead of baking a giant chocolate cake and cutting a slice for everyone, you can now serve your family and friends a cake pop (or two) for dessert.
The cake pop was preceded by its very close relative, the cake ball, which is a sort of cake truffle. These became popular in the USA a few years ago and today the Cake Ball Company in Texas makes over twenty different flavours, including pina colada and Jack Daniels pecan pie.

Subsequently, cake pops were made famous by the amazingly creative food blogger Angie Dudley (otherwise known as Bakerella). She started experimenting with cake balls on a stick, shaping them into all sorts of clever designs like cupcakes, sheep, reindeer and even Hello Kitty. Her recipes quickly went viral, and it looks like cake pops are here to stay. You can even find them at Woolworths these days.

Below is our very own tried and tested recipe, for those of you who would like to try some homemade cake pops.

Ingredients (makes approximately 20 pops)

A 23×23 cm vanilla sponge cake
60g butter
2 cups icing sugar
2 Tbsp milk
400g chocolate
Sprinkles/nuts for decoration
20 lollipop sticks

You will also a need a mixing bowl and a large wooden spoon.

Method
1. Trim about 1cm off each side of the cake, discarding the ‘crusts’. Now crumble the cake into fine crumbs in a large mixing bowl.
2. With an electric mixer, mix the butter, icing sugar and milk together to form a buttercream.
3. Spoon the buttercream into the mixing bowl with the cake, and mix together with a wooden spoon.
4. Now roll your mixture into balls about 2cm in diameter. Lay them on a tray and insert the lollipop sticks.
5. Freeze your cake balls for about ten minutes.
6. In the mean time, melt your chocolate. You will need to temper your chocolate so that it is shiny and grease-free. (For instructions on how to temper your chocolate, have a look at the Science Behind Tempering Chocolate.)
7. One by one, spoon some chocolate over your frozen cake pops and add your decorations while the chocolate is still warm.
8. Leave the pops in the fridge to set for a few minutes. (I stuck mine in an old piece of polystyrene to keep them upright).
Congratulations. You have just joined the food trendsetters of the world and made your first cake pops. Of course, you can also experiment with different flavours, colours and decorations in future. Pinterest is a great place to look for inspiration – check out our article on Baking Inspiration from Pinterest, which we shared a few weeks ago.

Download print-friendly recipe.

Have fun, bakers.

A trio of heirloom recipes from Nicolene, Janie and Jo the vegetarian

Marina — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:11:03 +0000

Last month, we posted some heirloom recipes that Yuppiechef staff have enjoyed over the years, including Ali’s orange cake, Paul’s Halva cake and Mama and Louise Bailey’s crunchies. Delicious.

Because we love to hear from people on the other side of the internet, we put out a call for your heirloom recipes and asked people to share them with us (with the possible reward of a Moleskine Recipe Journal) and have been delighted with the response.

Check out these three gems from Nicolene, Janie and Jo – and if you’re sitting on a champion, don’t be shy and send it to competitions@yuppiechef.com at the speed of light.

1. Boere Curry Bunny Chow (Nicolene Richter)

“This is one of my favourite meals, my Granny used to cook this for us. It is out of her kitchen not a recipe book, and we Boertjies call it Afval! You have to start and prepare this early as it has to cook long and slow.”

Download print-friendly recipe for the bunny chow.

2. Basson Quince Sambal (Janie Basson)

“My family loves Malay/Indonesian flavours and I grew up with Quince Sambal. Keep in mind it is a condiment – not a salad, and as such it has a high proportional content of both chillies and onions. It goes very well with any meat, bobotie, and lasagne and of course a braai! Any meal that needs a sharp condiment to cut through the richness of the food.”

Download print-friendly recipe for this quince sambal.

3. Irresistible Family Fruit Cake (Jo Sobey)

“My grandmother gave me three things: the love of sewing, the quest for knowledge and an enjoyment of playing in the kitchen. She also made the most delicious, moreish fruit cake imaginable. This is her recipe, made in the ring tin she used to use.”

Download print-friendly recipe for this treaty fruit cake.

Thanks for sharing your heirlooms, ladies, and enjoy your Moleskines. Got one too? Send it to us on competitions@yuppiechef.com. Over and out.

The science behind tempering chocolate

BakeLoveNotWar — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:57:05 +0000

Unless you are a chef or have spent a few years at cooking school, you can be forgiven if you have no idea what tempering chocolate involves or why you would do it. But here’s the thing, it’s the art that French patisserie chefs have mastered and a technique that can open up your baking world like a golden key. Here’s how it’s done.
Let’s start by putting us all on the same page. Tempering is the process that ensures chocolate is smooth and shiny, and not dull and greasy-looking and it’s the process that will help you on your way to making chocolate moulds (like these mustaches) and cake pops.
Have you ever left a slab of chocolate in a hot car, and then put it in the fridge for the night? And the next morning it was a greyish, crystallized brick that looked nothing like the original product? Well, tempering will prevent that from happening.

The key thing to know is that chocolate, like candy, is made up of crystals. And as with candy, the texture of the chocolate depends on the type of crystal structure, which in turn depends on the temperature at which the chocolate forms. The tempering process basically involves heating and cooling chocolate to control the crystal structure.

If chocolate cools on its own, it will have a loose crystal structure made up of different types of crystals. This chocolate will have a dull, matt texture and a low melting point. However, by heating your chocolate and then cooling it slowly to a specific temperature, you can ensure that your chocolate has a dense structure of beta crystals (that’s the fancy name for them) and a glossy, shiny finish that won’t melt when you touch it.

So how do we temper chocolate? Happily for us all, it’s actually a very simple two step process.

Before you start, you’ll need to get hold of a thermometer that can measure in the range of 25°C to 50°C. I used a Kitchen Craft Digital Cooking Thermometer, which has a range of 0-200°C. And of course you’ll need some chocolate.
Step One

Make sure you keep about 3 blocks of chocolate aside. Heat the rest of your chocolate over low heat to 46-48°C, using any means you like (on the stove, over a double boiler or in the microwave) and stir constantly.
Make sure you keep the heat very low; if you use a pan, make sure it has a thick base. If you use the microwave then check on the chocolate every 20 seconds.

At 46-48°C all the chocolate crystals have melted, and can now be cooled to form a new crystal structure.
Step Two

Remove the chocolate from the heat and add your 3 blocks of unmelted chocolate to the mixture. These blocks will provide what is called the ‘seed crystals’ for our new chocolate structure. As the chocolate cools, the melted chocolate will ‘copy’ the structure of these seed crystals, forming those beta crystals we mentioned earlier.

Now, let the chocolate cool to 30-31°C*, gently stirring it all the time. And that’s it! Your chocolate is ready to be poured into moulds (like these mustaches) or to make a chocolate collar for a fancy cake. Or perhaps you want to coat some cake pops with it?
See, tempering is not that tricky after all. You should definitely try it. And if you are all out of ideas for what to do with your beautifully tempered chocolate, check out Miss Hope’s Chocolate Box for some inspiration.

*Note: The temperatures above are for milk chocolate. For white chocolate, cool to 27-28°C, and for dark chocolate to 31-32°C.

More in the Science Behind series:
The science behind pavlova
The science behind fudge
The science behind chocolate chip cookies
The science behind cupcakes
The science behind nougat
The science behind crème brûlée
The science behind marshmallows
The science behind toffee

Top tools for the wine enthusiast

Lisa — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:00:37 +0000

Wine drinking is just as much of an art as wine making. Try drinking your finest wine out of a polystyrene cup and you’ll soon realise that there’s a great deal of science and experience that goes into realising the potential of a fine bottle of vino. Ready to take your wine drinking to a new level of greatness? Salut.

French oak wine rack
Storing wine horizontally helps it keep for longer. This wine rack, made from recycled French oak wine barrels, will offer 24 of your bottles a safe and stylish place to rest.
Vinturi White Wine Aerator
Just like you, wine needs to breathe. Vinturi delivers perfect aeration in the time it takes to pour a glass. That’s good news.

Riedel Glasses
When it comes to wine glasses, Reidel is the crème de la crème. Each set of glasses in the Reidel range has been designed specifically for the wine that should be sipped from them so there are glasses especially for Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz and so on. The shape of each glass ensures that the wine falls on the correct part of the palate and that the bouquet develops as it should. Impressive.

CorkPops Wine Bottle Opener
A fun tool and an entertaining way to decork a wine bottle: simply insert the long needle through the cork and into the bottle, press the top, and… POP!

Le Creuset Black Nickle Wine Bottle Pump Stopper
The best way to preserve wine is to ensure that as little oxygen as possible is allowed into contact with it. This wine pump extracts air from the bottle, allowing you to keep unused wine stored for up for 7 days to be enjoyed another day. Brilliant. And the Le Creuset Foil Cutter is nifty when you need your wine bottle foil free.
Menu Wine Belt Thermometer
We’ve all heard that red wine should be served at room temperature, but what temperature is that, and how do we figure it out? With the handy Wine Belt from Menu, simply strap the thermometer around the belly of the bottle and be sure you’re serving wine at the perfect temperature.
Jia Hulu Red Wine or Liqueur Decanter
Store, aerate and serve your finest in a chic decanter like this one from Jia. Double-walled, it will keep warm brandy warm and cold white wine, chilled as it should be.

Inspired? Browse all bar and wine tools on Yuppiechef.co.za

10 Tips for earth-friendly eating

Marina — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:55:08 +0000

Planning to eat for the earth on Tuesday 5 June? Good on you. Check out these 10 tips for earth-friendly eating from Soil for Life and have fun planning a meal that is sustainable, healthy, kind to man, beast and planet and fit for World Environment Day.

1. Go veggie
Eat mainly plants. Meat-eating is costing the earth hugely.

2. Local is lekker
Make it a rule in your household that you eat only local food produced within a 50 km radius of your home. Read labels and find out how far your food has travelled. Food that has come from great distances has a large carbon footprint and carries a cost premium as well. Travel-weary food is less nutritious.

3. Eat in season
Reconnect with natural cycles and eat food that is in season. Tomatoes, beans, strawberries, artichokes and asparagus in summer. Peas, broad beans, Chinese cabbage and Japanese greens in winter. Seasonal food is fresher, tastier and more nutritious.

4. Go organic
Eat organic food that has been grown in fertile soil without the use of any agro-chemicals. Organic = kindness. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to the soil. Be kind to your fellow men. Be kind to all living things on the planet.

5. Grow it yourself
Grow your own food and eat it – as far as possible – ‘cooked only by the sun’. You’ll feel (and look) incredible and save lots on your electricity bills.

6. Minimise packaging
Avoid buying pre-prepared and packed fruit and vegetables to ensure freshness and reduce your packaging footprint. And, make sure you take old / cloth bags when you hit the supermarket. Plastic bags? Are the enemy, people.

7. Be informed
Know what is in your food and how it was produced. Read the labels. Ask questions if you cannot find the information you’re looking for. The fewer the ingredients, the better for your health and that of the planet.

8. Go big or go home
Wherever possible buy in bulk. This reduces the amount of ‘throw-away’ packaging and it costs you less.

9. Be kind
Make sure that no human being or animal was exploited in the production of what is on your plate. Eat what you need – no more, no less – for your best health.

10. Say no to GMO
Avoid genetically modified food like the plague.

If you are eating for the earth with us on Tuesday 5 June, remember to take some photos of your registered meal and send them to competitions@yuppiechef.com before Friday 8 June for a chance to win. And when it comes to winning criteria, a little bird told us the earth-friendlier the better…

5 reasons to ‘grow your own’

Matt — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:32:26 +0000

There’s no denying that growing your own food is trendy. The world over people are connecting with food in a very primal way – by growing it. This isn’t new, our forefathers did it for generations but, in a world that is so disconnected from our natural surroundings, we are rediscovering practical and edible ways to reconnect with our meals.

Here are my top 5 reasons to motivate and inspire you to ‘grow your own’.

1. It tastes better
Several studies have shown that organically-grown produce contains more trace minerals and nutrients than conventionally-grown produce. Organic farming starts with the soil, great soil leads to good plant nourishment and, ultimately, our own nourishment.
2. Know what’s in your food
Conventional produce plays host to a myriad of chemicals. An independent study in the US showed that even after washing, many fruits and vegetables contained over 60 synthetic chemicals. When growing your own food organically you know both HOW and WHERE your food was grown.
3. It saves you money
The average 150g bag of mixed lettuce leaves currently costs between R10-R20 in supermarkets. A 6-pack of lettuce seedlings costs under R20 and if you purchase ‘cut and come again’ types like Reds, Oak, Lolla Rosa and Cos you’ll yield 5 times that over the 2-3 month growing cycle and be guaranteed freshness as you pick what you want, when you need it.
4. Variety
It’s estimated that over the past 10 years we’ve lost over 80% of our soya bean varieties as commercial growers have elected to offer only a handful of available varieties through commercial seed catalogs. This is where urban farming truly comes into its own as it’s backyard farmers that keep our heirloom vegetables alive. Purple dragon carrots, white icicle radishes, sugar baby watermelons, black cherry tomatoes, the list is endless. Support small scale growers by buying these seeds at www.livingseeds.co.za or www.thegravelgarden.com.
5. It provides a sense of community
I believe food is designed to be communal and what could be more communal than sharing a fresh salad with friends, made with leaves picked from your garden? It’s also a wonderful tool to teach young children where food comes from and to get them outdoors, reconnecting with nature by getting their hands dirty and letting the sun shine on their backs.
So now that you are inspired, here are a few tips to get you started.
Eating for the Earth with us on 5 June? Yuppiechef are challenging everyone and anyone to host a lunch or dinner at home or at work for friends, family and colleagues and have guests make a donation online to Soil for Life. Soil for Life are tackling the issue of food security in South Africa one household at a time by teaching people in underprivileged communities to start their own food gardens and making it possible for families to sit down to healthy meals all year round. Watch this video and get involved.

Click here to view the embedded video.

5 tips to get your veggie garden started

Matt — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:24:15 +0000

Whether you are considering starting your own veggie patch as a means to sidestep harmful chemicals or overpriced store-bought veg, or as a chance to engage with the earth and get some dirt under those fingernails, starting your own vegetable garden is pretty simple. Here are five tips to get you on your way:

1. Start small
Nothing is more disappointing than a failed crop. Start with a few small kitchen herbs on a sunny window sill: thyme, basil, oregano and chives will be quite happy there. If you have a bit more space try a raised planter or large pot. Many plants like tomatoes, mixed salad greens, beetroots, potatoes and beans are all well suited for growing in planters.
2. Start with good soil
A good potting mix is one part peat, one part sand and one part compost. Make your own or ask your local nurseryman about organic potting soil options.
3. Position, position, position
Make sure you place your pots and planters where they will get a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight a day.
4. Water regularly
An easy gauge is to insert your index finger up to the second digit, if the soil is moist it’s fine, if it’s dry you’ll need to water.

5. Make it interesting
Buy interesting varieties and plant the food you love to eat and that produces in abundance. In smaller areas focus in on ‘cut and come again’ varieties of lettuces and salad greens. Choose cocktail tomatoes as they fruit earlier and give higher yields. Try collaborating with friends and family to maximize your space and share the growing. Find out more about heirloom varieties.

Looking for more inspiration to get your veggies going? Here are 5 reasons to ‘grow your own’.
Got plans on Tuesday 5 June? For the second year running, Yuppiechef is inviting people to eat for the earth by hosting a meal and making a donation to Soil for Life on World Environment Day, the most widely celebrated day for environmental action. Soil for Life are tackling the issue of food security in South Africa one household at a time by teaching people in underprivileged communities to start their own food gardens and making it possible for families to sit down to healthy meals all year round. Find out more and get involved.

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Eat for the Earth: griddled vegetable and barley salad

Lisa — Sun, 13 May 2012 18:39:15 +0000

Looking for inspiration for your Eat for the Earth meal on 5 June? This pearl barley and griddled veggie salad may spark a few ideas. It’s full of veggie goodness and easy to scale-up if you’ve got a crowd coming. Not sure what Eat for the Earth is all about? Watch this video and join us this World Environment Day.

Ingredients (serves 6)
250g pearl barley
6 courgettes, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 aubergines, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 bunch asparagus
Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
75g mint
4 Tbsp pistachios
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Goat’s cheese
Lemon zest
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the pesto dressing
50ml olive oil
2 Tbsp basil pesto

Method

1. Cook the pearl barley in a large saucepan of salted, boiling water for 25 minutes or until tender. Drain.
2. On a hot griddle pan, char-grill the aubergine, courgettes and asparagus in batches until they have defined grill marks on both sides and are starting to soften. Use olive oil and use your judgement as to how long to leave the vegetables on the griddle – courgettes and asparagus work well when still slightly crunchy but you want the aubergine cooked all the way through.
3. Add garlic and lemon zest to your veggies.
4. Place the barley, griddled vegetables, mint, tomatoes, pistachios, onion and goat’s cheese onto a large platter and gently toss until combined. Season with pepper and a generous drizzling of pesto dressing.
Download print-friendly recipe.
Looking for more inspiration for your Eat for the Earth meal? Check these out:

Roasted vegetable and goat’s cheese tartlets
Hearty vegetable and lentil soup
Cinnamon baked apples
Apple and pear crumble