F&HE reader and contributor JENNY HANDLEY and her women’s investment club enjoyed a value-for-money gourmet tour of Vietnam. By Jenny Handley There are many ways of experiencing Vietnam – backpacking, on a bike, on a budget or in a boat. I opted to travel as part of a group of eight fabulous, funloving women. Our all-girl investment club called the Topless Ten (we play the share market with the aim of learning, and earning enough profit to travel together) decided that the beauty, beaches, culture, history and cuisine of Vietnam were perfect for our next trip. Vietnam is in a…
South Africa’s own spice girl, Ina Paarman, invites some of the members of her team to a candlelit dinner in her Constantia home. Ina Paarman’s seasonings and sauces are as well loved in South Africa as biltong and boerewors. The Paarman empire extends as far as Australia and in countries like Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman she’s almost the household name she is back home. Tonight around her dining table, her Middle Eastern fan base is one of the topics under discussion. It seems one of the reasons for her popularity there – she’s even been in the Dubai media…
Koula, 94.7 presenter and F&HE blogger, is loving all things food-related in her travels through Turkey, Greece, Italy and Israel… Thursday 6 September I think I might be in the most incredible place in the world right now! Am completely in love with Rome! We caught a late-morning flight out from Athens to Rome for our 48-hour adventure. No translator, no tour guide, no concrete agenda – a welcome change after the last three weeks. My husband had booked accommodation online two days before and seeing as we’d been warned about how uninformed tourists are taken advantage of in Rome,…
By F&HE contributor, Jenny Handley Celebrity chef Reza Mahammad delighted Le Creuset media and foodie guests at Silwood Kitchen in Cape Town recently with his flamboyant style and encyclopaedic knowledge of Indian food and spices. He has a voracious appetite for fun and humour and a natural talent for feeding invaluable information to his audience. I wrote copious notes (illegible as I was laughing so much), and we devoured many sublime dishes from his new book, Reza’s Indian Spice. My favourites were the marinated smoked salmon with yoghurt, herbs and spices, the stuffed baked aubergines and his white chocolate, cardamom…
By Rosanne BuchananI’ve always been a fan of Mount Grace, even in the quirky country hotel days – it’s a little oasis right on Jozi’s doorstep. And then a few years ago it changed ownership and gone was the shabby chic country inn decor and in came the modern prints and somewhat garish hot pink and turquoise (at that stage) soft furnishings. It was a bit of a shock but now it has all settled into itself and I guess nothing can negate the charm of the setting. Aside from the whole hotel revamp which cost a bomb and looks…
The Sunshine Coast and original frontier territory have become popular as a beach and bush destination By Andrea Pafitis-Hill [wp_gmaps lat=”-34.0811″ lng=”24.879913″]THE SANDS @ ST FRANCIS With its warm and intimate feel under cosy thatch, arriving at The Sands in St Francis Bay made me want to kick off my shoes and get comfy on the main terrace – until I discovered that my room had its own private deck overlooking the tranquil infinity pool. Just beyond my beautiful ‘back yard’ led a stairway to heaven, otherwise known as the Main Beach, accessible during low tide. After a leisurely…
South-west Tuscany proves the point that Italians live to eatBy Marianne HeronNames can speak volumes. Cecina, the nearest town to our Tuscan holiday base, is named after a delicious chickpea pie. And the implied promise of gastronomic good times in the area turns out to be true – south-west Tuscany boasts wonderful produce, the basis for a delectable cuisine. Less well known than the Chianti region, the south-west offers an agreeable choice of incomparable medieval hill towns perched above rolling unspoiled countryside and a coastline fringed with lively resorts. Situated to the south of Pisa, the area is popular with…
This orange and almond cake with mascarpone gets its crumbly texture from ground almonds and is drenched in succulent citrus sauce. A lesser-known but delightful Italian favourite. ALSO TRY: Tiramisu If you loved this orange and almond cake with mascarpone, then you will definitely enjoy these recipes (take our word for it): Bigné (Italian profiteroles) Peppermint Crisp fridge tart (one of your all-time favourites) Nougat ice cream cake (another hit on the ice-cream cake latest hits) Mini chocolate sponges with coffee meringue icing (because you can never go wrong with chocolate and coffee)
When life hands you lemons… Make this! This lemon tart is wonderfully smooth, creamy and zesty. This is a beautifully flavourful addition to any tea party, and bursting with elegance. Did you know these juicy facts about lemons? Lemon trees can produce fruit all year round. The high acidity of lemons makes them great for cleaning. Lemons are rich in vitamin C. Lemon zest is often used in baking. The average lemon contains 8 seeds. If you loved this lemon tart, then you will definitely enjoy these recipes (take our word for it): Peppermint Crisp fridge tart (one of your…
F&HE travel editor Ingrid Casson shares her highlights of a gourmet journey through Spain, where she encountered both rustic and modern flavours.
& Beyond Phinda Mountain Lodge is still a firm favourite on the gourmet map BEST KEPT SECRET? It’s an old favourite, launched when luxury game lodges in the bush were still a novelty. Phinda has always been the ultimate bush experience, and the private game reserve now has three accommodation options on offer – forest lodge, mountain lodge and rock lodge (which has recently been refurbished). Mountain Lodge is one of the bigger camps, with 25 suites, while the others are smaller and more intimate. Attention to detail and exceptional service are still major drawcards – from the Amarula hot…
Bill Granger, Gino D’Acampo, Heston Blumenthal and more…By Andrea Pafitis-Hill and Ingrid CassonSUGAR, SUGAR (Simon and Schuster, R310) Take two sassy American “sugar mommas” with wild imaginations and combine with good old-fashioned recipes. The result is a concoction of scrumptious desserts, cakes, pies, cookies and many more sweet treats. With a handy metric conversion chart included, need we tempt you more? BILL’S EVERYDAY ASIAN (Quadrille, R358) Bill Granger inspires foodies the world over with fresh recipes that embrace a sunny lifestyle and seasonality. His penchant for Asian flavours has been honed in this book which draws on his owncolourful travel…
Jamie Oliver, Justin Bonello, Michele Cranston and more…By Ingrid Casson and Belinda dos SantosMARIE CLAIRE FRESH + EASY (Murdoch Books,R240) Michele Cranston’s new book will have you salivating after just a few pages. Recipes are fresh and light, such as Sichuan pork with orange fennel saladand baked chai custards. HALFAAMPIESKRAAL CELEBRATES (Human & Rousseau, R265) Maia du Plessis and Simon Scarboro give farm food a chic revamp on the 250-year-old Halfaampieskraal farm. Try out ouma’s velvet pudding and koringbier (wheat beer), salmon blinis and lamb’s liver and pork belly terrine. HELP! THERE’S A STOVE IN MY KITCHEN (Struik Lifestyle, R160)…
Pete Evans, Marc Vetri, Tamasin Day-Lewis and more…By Andrea Pafitis-HillFOOD YOU CAN’T SAY NO TO (Quadrille Publishing, R398) Aptly titled, Tamasin Day-Lewis’s latest release focuses on making the most of seasonal ingredients for easily made meals. Every taste is catered for, with dishes ranging from Middle Easterninspired chicken tangia with smoked aubergine and red pepper couscous to primavera and prosciutto pie. FISH (Phaidon, R494) Over 200 simple Italian recipes are offered in this book, which demystifies the process of choosing, preparing and cooking all kinds of fish. Warm up with hearty comfort dishes like threecolouredseafood lasagne or salmon and spinach…
MasterChef USA winner Whitney Miller gives us a peek into her world of food before she comes to South Africa for the Cape Town Good Food & Wine Show… What can we expect from your demonstrations at the Cape Town Good Food & Wine Show? I will be focusing on recipes from my cookbook, Modern Hospitality. For the Chefs in Action Theatre, I will demonstrate a creative use of vegetables in my bacon-wrapped stuffed Brussels sprouts and carrot soufflé. For the hands-on demo, I will demonstrate recipes with a Cajun influence – barbeque shrimp and white chocolate bread pudding. Your…