• F&HE recently attended the beautiful Le Dîner en blanc in Johannesburg It was a well-kept secret; an invite-only event shrouded in mystery that had taken over social media. All we could really deduce was that it was an elegant gourmet picnic in a secret location, with an all-white dress code. Started in Paris 25 years ago and dubbed by some as “a worldwide epicurean phenomenon” and the “world’s largest secret dinner party”, Le Dîner en Blanc had a lot to live up to. As the date rolled over (27 September 2013), the anticipation built and Joburg was filled with whispers…

    Duqqa or dukkah is an Egyptian mixture of herbs, spices and nuts. This aromatic black dukkah is full of earthy flavours and perfect as a seasoning or in…

    For this Vietnamese-style burnt fish recipe, skewer 6 whole medium-sized white fish, from the tail to the head, on fresh wooden sticks. Push one end of each stick into the ground to make the fish stand upright. Secure all the fish close to each other, cover with a large sheet of dry hay or pine needles and set alight. Allow it to burn and add more hay or needles to burn for 3 – 4 minutes. Combine 100ml of soya sauce with 45ml of sugar, 45ml of lime juice, 45ml of chopped fresh ginger, fresh chilli to taste and…

    Serves 1 Chill a beer glass until frosty. Dip the rim of the glass in beaten egg white and dip into coarse salt. Sprinkle some salt in the bottom of the glass and add the juice of one juicy lime. Half-fill the glass with ice and top up with a light-style beer like Corona.

    (Clarkson Potter, R236) “This isn’t just about getting me hot till my juices run clear, and then a little rest. There’s pulling, jerking, stuffing, trussing… he promises we’ll start out slow, with wine and a good oiling…” So begins the initiation of a young, pliable free-range chicken at the hands of a mysterious, domineering cook. This snort-worthy spoof-in-a-cookbook makes dinner a riot with 50 recipes to enthral you, including: ‘Please Don’t Stop Chicken’, ‘Spicy Fowl’, and ‘Learning to Truss You’. (US measurements) Highlight: The recipes are hot too.

    Rosemary is truly a year-round herb. In winter it flavours succulent roasts, in spring it perfumes salad dressings and in summer rosemary syrup made from the leaves and…