I can’t be the only person in South Africa who is sick of ordering a salad (especially Greek salad) at a restaurant or on Uber Eats, only to find that it comes with practically a whole head of lettuce. Even if you have the patience to remove every single cruchy leaf, you’re left with basically…
Category: Food knowledge
The Brine Time: How Soaking Your Chicken Leads to Soaring Flavours
Whenever someone has my chicken they always and I mean always ask me what I put in it. It’s not about the cost of the coating but rather about what happens before the cooking. Brine is my secret but not so complicated. This is my secret of turning good chicken into great chicken. Your chicken’s…
A Delightful Dance of Flavours: Lamb Curry and Merlot
Picture this: a warm evening, the scent of spices wafting through the air, and a table set with the promise of a memorable meal. Tonight’s menu features a quintessential South African delight—lamb curry—paired with a robust Merlot. At first glance, this might seem an unusual coupling, but it’s one that promises a tantalising fusion of…
2024’s Winter Guide to Food and Wine Pairings
As the Southern Hemisphere gears up for winter, the cooler temperatures invite a heartier fare and the wonderful world of wine offers countless opportunities to enhance these rich flavours. The boots, jerseys, and scarves are coming out and the shorts, bikinis and t-shirts are getting packed away. While the fashion may change, the way you…
Is Merlot and Chocolate Cake, A Match Made in Heaven?
In the delightful realm of wine and food pairings, where the robust meets the delicate and flavours intertwine in a dance of taste buds, I recently stumbled upon a combination that seemed as if it was predestined. Merlot, with its velvety texture and chocolate cake, a symbol of indulgent sweetness, came together in a symphony…
What’s the fuss with red wine and steak?
Do you ever wonder why red wine and steak go so well together? It’s like they were made for each other! Let me tell you a little secret. First, let’s talk about the steak. When you take a juicy, tender piece of steak and put it in your mouth, your taste buds go wild! You…
Have you ever?
Before you read the rest of this blog, if you have access to home delivery from your local supermarket, purchase some parma ham and camembert cheese. You’ll thank me later. Now that you have spent a fortune on those two ingredients, let me tell you how you’re going to prepare it. Side note: do not…
Essentials for your serving board
When making a charcuterie /cheese board, you know you’re going to spend a pretty penny. You buy the cured meats and fancy cheese that you regularly don’t purchase and you make sure that each element is really well presented. I wanted to build a list of the essentials for a serving board. Let’s pretend we…
A Lesson when making Oxtail
There’s no doubt that oxtail is one of the best pieces of meat to cook with. It has a lot of fat that adds flavour to your meals when cooked for the right time. The meat falls off the bone and is not dry and chewy. But what people don’t realise when cooking, is that…
Sensational sides for Summer 2021
[THIS IS AN ONGOING LIST] Please feel free to add recipes that I can try. I will cook, take photos and credit accordingly. This list is my summer sides list. Often we focus on the main elements but this list is for the unsung heroes of the plate. Corn bacon sideThis summer side made hubby…
Its Lady Vera 