An anonymous cook once said: “Cooking is love made visible”, so show your love to those that are near and dear to you this month by spoiling them with something you made with love!
Whether you are a chocophile or just a sweet tooth in general, you will not be disappointed with this month’s selection of recipes. That is if you can refrain from eating the chocolate that is required for the recipes! The Chocolate Dictionary defines a chocophile as: someone with a great love for, or an inordinate attraction to, chocolates”. My decision to focus on chocolate for my February newsletter is two-fold: firstly, because World Nutella Day was celebrated world-wide on the 5th of February – who doesn’t love Nutella? Read more about this popular chocolate hazelnut spread below.
My second reason is because my all-time favourite ice-cream flavour is dark chocolate, made with good quality chocolate, not cocoa powder! The best dark chocolate ice-cream I’ve had in my life was “tartufo al cioccolato” at Bar Tre Scalini in Piazza Navona, Rome. If you are not planning to go to Rome in the near future, be sure to try my version which I decided to call “Roman Tartufo“. Read more below.
If you regard yourself as a “chocophile” (or chocoholic if you will), I recommend you read The Great Book of Chocolate by David Lebovitz. David, who is a self-confessed chocophile, is “living the sweet life” in Paris, where he does research for his blog and books. In The Great Book of Chocolate, which David calls his “ode” to his favorite ingredient, chocolate, is considered to be a compact connoisseur’s guide to chocolate. He for instance profiles the world’s top chocolate makers and chocolatiers and has dedicated a whole chapter to chocolatiers in Paris alone! No wonder, seeing that there are more than 300 chocolate shops in Paris – this is more than in any other city in the world! Read more about David’s books and his magnificent I-phone App called “Paris Pastries”, which contains information on chocolate shops, ice-cream shops, pastry shops (and many more!) in Paris, below.
On the topic of Paris, if you are not sure yet what to get your Valentine, why don’t you spoil him/her with a trip to France, one of the most romantic destinations in the world? If you join my culinary tour to France in September 2013, you will be spending three glorious days of the 10-day tour in Paris, indulging in Parisian specialities such as chocolate, pastries, macarons, cheese and wine, to mention a few. Read more below.
Because February is the month of love and passion fruit is in season at the moment, I decided to also include a few passion fruit recipes. In my opinion passion fruit can be called the “oyster” of fruit. Just as many people do not like the idea or taste of a raw oysters, just the same not everyone likes to slurp the slightly sour, slimy orange pulp of a passion fruit out of the shell. If you have never really cared for passion fruit, my selection of recipes should change your mind. Read more below.
The second season of Masterchef South Africa is currently in production and will air on M-Net in the near future. If your child is possibly the next Junior Masterchef, why not book an “Ek het dit self gemaak! or “I made it myself!” cooking party to make his/her birthday really memorable? Read more below.
In my next newsletter I will be telling you more about the brand new page with the name: Art Of Cooking which I will include on my website in March. Those of you who have a copy of Carolié de Koster’s popular recipe book are in for a treat! I don’t want to spoil the surprise, so you will have to read all about it next month! If you don’t have a copy of Art Of Cooking yet, and would like to get one, read more below.
In this newsletter:
- February 2013 Recipes
- Roman “Tartufo”
- World Nutella Day
- The Great Book Of Chocolate by David Lebovitz
- Passionate about Passion Fruit
- Holiday Cooking Classes & Cooking Parties For Kids
- Review: Factory Shop, Linden
- Private Cooking Lessons In Your Own Kitchen
- Culinary Tour To Normandy & Paris – September 2013
- Carolié de Koster’s Art Of Cooking Recipe Book – special offer!
- Cooking Up A Storm’s Services
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Happy Valentine’s!
Jeanri
February 2013 Recipes
I decided to focus on chocolate this month for two reasons: firstly, because World Nutella Day was celebrated world-wide on the 5th of February and secondly because my all-time favourite ice-cream flavour is dark chocolate. Read more …
Roman “Tartufo” (Chocolate Ice-cream)
Since I had Tartufo ice-cream in Rome for the first time in 2005, I have not been able to forget it nor recreate it successfully. The closest match I’ve been able to find was at Grom, an Italian (nogal!) Gelato Shop in Saint Germain, Paris. Grom’s ice-cream has often been called “the best in the world” – I beg to differ! Read more …
World Nutella Day – 5 February
Nutella® is a chocolate hazelnut spread made from the combination of roasted hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of cocoa. World Nutella Day has been celebrated worldwide on the 5th of February since 2007. Nutella®, in its earliest form, was created in the 1940s by Mr. Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker and founder of the Ferrero company. Read more …
The Great Book Of Chocolate by David Lebovitz
David Lebovitz is an American pastry chef who used to work at the well-known Chez Panisse Restaurant in California. You might have heard of his book titled: The Sweet Life in Paris. David dreamed about living in Paris ever since his first visit to the city in the 1980’s. Read more …
Passionate about Passion Fruit
Passion fruit, also know as Granadilla, is a rich source of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and fiber. It is a tropical fruit which grows on a climber or vine. The fruit contains black edible seeds surrounded by intensely flavoured, slightly sour, yellow, juicy pulp. There are two main types of passion fruit: In South Africa the purple variety is more common. Read more …
Holiday Cooking Classes & Cooking Parties For Kids
The next “Ek het dit self gemaak!” holiday cooking classes will take place during the March school holidays. Bookings for the holiday classes will close on Friday 8 March, so please book asap to secure your child’s place. “Ek het dit self gemaak! or “I made it myself!” cooking parties for kids can be conducted in Afrikaans or English, at a venue of your choice. Read more …
Review: Factory Shop, Linden
The Factory Shop is situated in Linden, opposite Louw Geldenhuys Primary School. The shop has been in existence for 26 years and prides themselves on sourcing products that customers want. At the Factory shop you will find quality goods at extremely reasonable prices. When visiting the Factory Shop, you will be met by friendly staff who will provide efficient service. Read more …
Private Cooking Lessons In Your Own Kitchen
If planning meals and cooking for your family is driving you up the wall, and you would like to hand the responsibility over to your nanny or domestic worker, all you need to do is tell me when and where. You will not only empower your employee, you will have time on your hands to do other things! The lessons will take place in your own kitchen and are tailor-made to your preferences, i.e. you will learn to make recipes you love to eat! Read more …
Culinary Tour To Normandy & Paris – September 2013
This unique tour to France, will combine two of life’s great pleasures – food and travel. While eating and drinking your way through France, you will also have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the cuisine, history and culture of France. All you need to do to secure your place is to pay a deposit of R3000.00 per person. Read more …
Carolié de Koster’s Art Of Cooking Recipe Book and CD – special offer!
The Art Of Cooking recipe book consists of 1000 pages and is the most comprehensive cookery book in South Africa. The complete book plus more than 60 full colour pictures is also available on a user friendly CD. These items are not available from book stores, but can be ordered through me. Read more …
Cooking Up A Storm’s Services
- Tailor-made private cooking lessons – in your own kitchen! For yourself, your kids, your domestic worker or nanny.
- Cookery demonstrations on a variety of topics (in your own house if you prefer!)
- Cooking classes and parties for kids in Afrikaans or English
- Hands-on cookery sessions for social or corporate events or staff training
- Recipe development
- Motivational talks and individual consultations on healthy eating
- Weekly or monthly healthy meal plans with grocery lists for the busy cook
- Supplier of a variety of quality cooking utensils & equipment, e.g. Wizbake reusable baking sheets, silicone bakeware, etc.
- Kitchen accessory, bakeware and gadget demonstrations.