Hi all,

At our new facility at Wickedfood Earth, our process kitchen is now in full operation and they have produced some delicious chutneys, relishes and chilli sauces which we now have started stocking at the  Wickedfood Cooking School in Sunninghill. They are also producing some magnificent bacon and pancetta, and we will shortly also be stocking these products.

The cooking school and training facility at Wickedfood Earth is also nearing completion. At this facility we will be able to host up to 40 students for corporate teambuilding events, or strategic meetings, and up to 16 people for our individual weekend and Sunday classes. In addition to a fully fitted training kitchen, we also have an adjoining lecture hall which will enable corporates to spend the day with us in the country. Apart from the facilities outlined above, we are installing a series of vegetable show gardens where people can learn  more about sustainable vegetable gardens for their own homes.

Our September individual class programme is now live on the website.  We offer a wide selection of cooking classes for the next few weeks, see our programme for August and September, or below for more details.

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Looking for info on food?

If you have any food-related questions, or a dish that you just can’t get right or even a certain recipe that you are looking for, but just can’t seem to find, then contact us and we will do our best to answer it as soon as possible. Click Here for more information. Hope to hear from you soon.

Wickedfood Cooking School news

The Cooking class programmes for August and September are up on the internet, and bookings are now open. Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes with a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 12, giving everyone hands-on experience and keeping the cooking class small enough for maximum learning. These cooking classes are conducted by our senior instructors who have extensive experience in the food industry and share a variety of additional cooking tips throughout the cooking class.

• Monday 05 August at 6pm – Cajun – tastes of the deep south (R430 per person).  Cajun Food originates from the French-speaking Acadian or “Cajun” immigrants in the Acadiana region of Louisiana, USA. It is often called a rustic cuisine and locally grown food predominates with simple preparations. This Cajun cooking class is a spicy blend of classic recipes from America’s deep South, including gumbo, blackened fish and pecan pie.
• Sunday 11 August at 4pm  –Easy to prepare Italian dishes (R430 per person). Italian cuisine is one of the most common cuisines available all around the world. In this Italian cooking class we learn to cook these 6 great dishes with an Italian flair including tomato pizza, bean and pasta soup, cannelloni, grilled fish, bean salad and lemon tart.
• Monday 12 August at 6pm – The art of dim sum (R430 per person). Literally meaning “to touch your heart,” dim sum consists of a variety of dumplings, steamed dishes and other goodies. They are similar to hors d’oeuvres, the hot and cold delicacies served at French restaurants. This Chinese cooking class teaches a few of these snacks for a cocktail party with an Asian flair. Dim sum includes: steamed barbecued meat buns, barbecued pork, braised chicken wings, spiced pork spare ribs, and spring rolls.

• Monday 19 August at 6pm –Classic Lebanese dishes (R430 per person). The Lebanese gastronomy is a rich mixture of various products and ingredients coming from the diverse Lebanese regions. It is with food that the Lebanese express their generosity and hospitality. The secret to mastering Lebanese cuisine lies in the preparation and organization of the menu and in the fact that Lebanese dishes store and reheat well. The Lebanese cook always prepares several dishes in advance and stores the basic mixtures so that they can be combined with other food items quickly to  make a full meal. Every household has a constant stock of pickles, olives, cheese, yoghurt, nuts, grain, herbs and spices. A selection of the most popular Lebanese party food including hummous with ground lamb, kibbi naye and deep-fried kibbi balls, Lebanese salad, bread pies and osmaliyah will be showcased in this Lebanese cooking class.

• Sunday 25 August at 4pm  – Madhur Jaffrey’s Ultimate Curry Bible (R430 per person). Billed as the definitive curry book, by arguably the world authority on Indian food, this book looks at the very best curry recipes from India as well as around the world. In this curry cooking class, students will learn the secrets of cooking 7 of the most interesting dishes from the book which include, Burmese chicken-coconut soup, squid in a tomato-chilli sauce, Sri Lankan red beef curry, South-Indian mixed vegetable curry, Natal red kidney bean curry, tomato-garlic rice and chapattis.

• Tuesday 27 August at 6pm –Sushi 1 – The basics of sushi making (R440 per person – maximum 18, so book early). The increasing popularity of sushi around the world has resulted in many more people wanting to learn the basics of sushi making, this Sushi cooking class shows you how to do the following – cutting fish, making rice, California and maki rolls, nigirizushi (finger), and hand rolls.

Cookbook of the week

 Artisan Cheese Making at Home

There are over 2 000 different cheeses that are made around the world, and with a little patience, many of these are easy to reproduce in  small quantities at home. In her book Artisan Cheese Making at Home: Techniques & Recipes for Mastering World-Class Cheeses, Mary Karlin  lays down the fundamental foundations for any hobbyist or would be cheese artisan. … Click here to read more.

Click Here for reviews of all our cookbooks.

Food quote of the week

“Never work before breakfast; if you have to work before breakfast, eat your breakfast first.” – Josh Billings

Recipe of the week

 Ricotta Filled Chocolate Crepes

A delicious sweet alternative for cheese. Chocolate crepes are spread with the decadent hazelnut-cocoa spread, Nutella, filled with sweet ricotta and topped with sour cherry and chopped hazelnuts. … Click Here for all our recipes.

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference. Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients. We’ve just launched a new and exciting class, Wickedfood Master Cook. Think Master Chef with a fun twist.