This month Cooking Up A Storm is celebrating its 10th birthday! A warm thank you to you all for your support and encouragement over the past decade. I can honestly say I love what I do and I do what I love and I hope to be cooking up a storm for many years to come!
Exclusive 10th birthday offer: get 10% discount when you make a booking before 31 October 2014 for a cooking party (kids or adults) or tailor-made cooking lessons for yourself or your domestic worker in January & February 2015 (T’s & C’s apply).
This is my last newsletter for the year, so please like my Facebook page to stay up to date with the goings-on at Cooking Up A Storm, as well as info on foodie events, new ingredients, new restaurants to try, etc. in the following months.
As part of the birthday celebrations, I have included lots of extra content on my website. I have for instance updated my “Favorites” page. It has amongst other things, a list of my 10 favorite foodie movies, my 10 favourite kitchen tools, the 10 ingredients I always have at hand, my 10 favovrite recipe books, etc. For the sake of first-time readers of my newsletter, Carolié de Koster, author of the Art Of Cooking recipe book, has been a mentor and friend to me for the past 10 years and she played an enormous role in getting Cooking Up A Storm off the ground. Carolié contributes recipes to my website and newsletter on a regular basis. Since Carolié and her husband moved to New Zealand 3 years ago, I have been processing orders for the Art Of Cooking recipe book on her behalf. The Art Of Cooking Recipe book is by far my favourite recipe book of all time and I use it every day!
I could not help to notice the bandanas displayed at my local Pick a Pay in aid of Bandana day which will take place on 12 October 2014. It was the inspiration behind the eye-catching sunflower-shaped bread which I included in this month’s recipes. The Sunflower Fund was formed in 1999 in support of the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) who is in desperate need of bone-marrow donors from all ethnic groups and is a non-profit organisation with a vision to give all South Africans diagnosed with leukaemia and other life-threatening blood disorders the chance of life. Be sure to support their cause and support Bandana Day!
With this month’s selection of recipes, I tried to include something for everyone – whether you are following a low carb or high carb lifestyle! They are: Sunflower-shaped Bread, Cuban Sandwich (like the one made in the movie “Chef”), Chicken in Buttermilk Marinade, Home-made Buttermilk, Blueberry & Buttermilk Crumpets, Blueberry Buttermilk Bake, Milk Jelly, Home-made Chocolate Covered Coconut Bars and Coconut & Almond Chocolate. The latter is perfect if you are Banting as it is virtually sugar-free! Read more further down.
As usual, I am including recipes contributed by Carolié de Koster from her popular Art of Cooking Recipe Book. This months recipes are: Roast Vegetable & Cheese Slices, Grilled Goat’s Milk Cheese Salad, Thai-Asian Fusion Chicken Salad With Peanut Dressing in Phyllo Baskets, Gluten-free Sweetcorn & Maize Meal Cornbread, Baked Cardamom & Coconut Custard, Baked Grenadilla Sponge Pudding, Phyllo Pastry Crackers and Best-ever Buttermilk Rusks. Carolié has also contributed a recipe for Home-made Olive Oil & Butter Spread, which will stay spreadable even after it has been refrigerated. Read more further down.
Be sure to read the post The Birth Of The Art Of Cooking Recipe Book for the story behind the birth of this popular book. Read more further down.
During the December holiday’s I will once again run Mrs Claus’ Kitchen at Bedford Centre in Bedfordview. It will once again be a win-win for everyone seeing that mom’s can shop while we entertain their kids! The kitchen will run for 19 consecutive days, so be sure to pop by! A big thank you to our sponsors Fournos Bakery, Hermes Cones, Linda’s Bake & Pack, Moir’s, Westpack Lifestyle and Woolworths. I will be posting photo’s and updates on my Facebook page every day. Read more further down.
In my post Get Sauce Savvy, I introduce you to the Five French Mother Sauces, Béchamel, Espagnole, Velouté, Hollandaise and Tomato as seen in the movie The Hundred-Foot Journey. I also include Julia Child’s tips on how to make the perfect sauce. Read more further down.
The Hundred-Foot Journey is the latest food-centric movie to hit the silver screen, following closely on the heals of “Chef”. If you haven’t seen them yet, be sure to add them to your “to-do” list soon. You won’t be disappointed! Read more further down.
Food trucks are becoming one of the trendiest ways for foodies to get their food fix. To sample the on-the-go food of 5 Star Street Chef, Amexicano & the Balkan Burger Bus, be sure to visit the annual Jannies Market Day in Parkview. You will also be able to stock up on gifts for teachers, family and friends at a wide variety of stalls. Read more further down.
The format of my “I made it myself!/Ek het dit self gemaak!” cooking parties is similar to that of the popular I Can Cook on DSTV’s CBeebies. Each recipe is demonstrated to the children step-by-step and each child makes his/her own recipe from start to finish. Kids get to take the fruit of their labour home and tell Mom and Dad: I made it myself! Most of them eat it right away though! The recipes are age-specific and really tasty! You have the option to have the party at my venue in Robindale, Randburg (close to Randburg Hoërskool) or at your house or venue. Read more further down.
I specialize in tailor-made cooking lessons – whether for yourself or your domestic worker, housekeeper or nanny. You choose what you would like to learn to cook. The possibilities are endless! It can be our secret! This is what one of my clients had to say after I trained her domestic worker: “Jeanri is extremely professional, comes fully prepared for every lesson and puts every effort into making sure that your domestic worker learns to cook. She even spent time with mine, teaching her maths so that she could halve recipes, double up on portions etc. Jeanri goes shopping on your behalf and makes sure that you have everything you need for a lesson, even down to the equipment needed in the kitchen so that there is no delay in lesson time. Everything she taught Fredah to cook has been delicious and we have used her recipes over and over. My domestic worker has gained a lot of confidence in the kitchen. Jeanri ensures that your domestic is able to write up a shopping list, keep to excellent hygiene standards in the kitchen, cook, bake, and tidy up properly afterwards. Definitely money well spent, I can only highly recommend her.” Kelly, Parkview. Read more further down.
In this newsletter:
- October/November 2014 Recipes
- The Birth Of The Art Of Cooking Recipe Book
- Get Sauce Savvy
- Review: The Hundred-Foot Journey Movie
- Jannies Market Day
- Mrs Claus’ Kitchen 2014
- Cooking Parties For Kids
- Tailor-made Cooking Lessons
- Cooking Up A Storm’s Services
Happy cooking!
Jeanri
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Note: Please click on each heading to read the full post.
October/November 2014 Recipes
This month’s selection of recipes includes a delicious cuban sandwich (the one that made all of us salivate while watching the Chef movie) and the eye-catching Sunflower-shaped bread with a spinach & cheese filling.
The Birth Of The Art Of Cooking Recipe Book
Below is a letter from Carolié de Koster with the story behind the birth of the Art Of Cooking Recipe Book. This book has become a KITCHEN BIBLE in kitchens in South Africa but also all over the world. It is used at home, in coffee shops, lodges, guest houses, function venues, retirement home kitchens and school hostels. Favourite recipes from South Africa and all over the world will be found in this book.
Get Sauce Savvy
Sauce is a French word taken from the Latin salsa, meaning salted. A sauce is essentially flavoured liquid plus thickening agent. By varying the combination of liquid, flavouring and thickening agent, the possibilities are endless. Sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to another dish. As Julia Child eloquently summed it up: “Sauces are the glory and splendour of French cooking”. Scroll down to see Julia’s tips for making perfect sauces.
Review: The Hundred-Foot Journey
The Hundred-Foot Journey is based on the novel of the same name by Richard C. Morais. When Hassan and his family, led by Papa, move to a quaint village in the South of France with the grand plan of opening an inexpensive Indian restaurant in the picturesque countryside, they are undeterred by the fact that only 100 feet opposite stands a Michelin starred classical French eatery.
Jannies Market Day
“Jannies Markdag” is Jan Celliers Primary School’s annual market. As in the past, the market will take place in the shaded court-yard on the school grounds in Parkview (opposite Zoo Lake). The character of this popular event is not that of a typical flea market, but rather a community market with quality wares on offer. It is a great place to shop for birthday gifts, Christmas gifts or Thank You gifts for family, friends and teachers, etc.
Mrs Claus’ Kitchen
Bedford Centre’s Mrs Claus’ Kitchen was a roaring success last year and this year this event will be bigger and better. It will run for 19 consecutive days during the December school holidays. Like last year, my team and I will be assisting kids aged 2 to 10 in making a different edible Christmas-themed treat every day. These treats can easily be recreated at home by kids with the help of their parents as part of Festive Season activities. Be sure to diarise this event!
My cooking parties for kids have proved to be very popular due to the fact that you can choose the language in which the party will be conducted, as well as if you want the party to take place at your house or at my venue in Robindale, Randburg.
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 take place in your own kitchen and are tailor-made to your preferences, i.e. your domestic worker will learn to make recipes that you love to eat!
Art Of Cooking Recipe Book & CD
Carolié de Koster’s Art Of Cooking recipe book consists of more than a 1000 recipes and is the most comprehensive cookery book in South Africa. Written by a renowned food consultant it offers everything for everyone’s needs – from the beginner and home cook to the career chef, caterer and trainer.
- 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
- Consulting to Guest Houses, coffee shops, etc.
- 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.