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Wickedfood Cooking School News

Our  individual cooking class programmes are up on the internet. Click the link for the appropriate month – March or April

Week 2 – 05 to 11 March

Monday 05 March at 6pm – Healthy flavours of Vietnam (R370 per person per class). Famous for its lively, fresh flavors and artfully composed meals, Vietnamese food and cooking is the true ‘light cuisine’ of Asia. Abundant fresh herbs and greens, delicate soups and stir-fries, and well-seasoned grilled foods served on, or with, rice or noodles are the mainstays of the Vietnamese delicacies. Home-style Vietnamese cooking calls for an array of simple dishes that make complementary partners at a family’s communal meal. Hobby cooks with well-equipped kitchens and handy appliances will find preparing a Vietnamese meal both rewarding and relatively easy. Classic dishes from the Vietnamese table, including fried springrolls, Vietnamese hot and sour fish soup, caramel chicken, squid salad, and coconut crème caramel.

Sunday 11 March at 4pm – Flavours of the South African Portuguese Table (R370pp per person per class). At the heart of Portuguese cuisine is the use of quality ingredients prepared simply to preserve their distinctive flavours. Portuguese food is renowned for being lusty and robust. Because Portuguese cuisine is easy to prepare, and uses very basic equipment, it is often described as peasant food. The use of seasoned pork, strong olive oil, garlic and onions contributes to the image of strongly flavored, simple cooking. This is Sunday dinner fare designed to satisfy the appetite and reinforce the bonds of home and family. 7 tasty dishes including trinchado, chicken livers, caldo verde, chicken peri-peri, portuguese salad and crème caramel.

Week 3 – 12 to 18 March

Monday 12 March at 6pm – North African feast (R380pp). North African recipes are the results of the blending of European, African, and Arabic cuisines. North African food originated in Egypt over 3000 years ago. The food is very spicy since paprika, cumin, and ginger are commonly used in dishes with the spice mixtures being just as popular as the spices themselves. Come learn how to prepare a delicious North African feast at our North African cooking class, which includes 4 starters, buried chicken, spicy lamb couscous and layered crispy pastry.

Week 4 – 19 to 25 March

Monday 19 March at 6pm – The Naked Chef (R370pp). Stop making reservations, and start cooking dinner! Jamie Oliver introduces us to his concept of naked food, and shares his simple, feisty, and delicious recipes that combine bold flavours with fresh ingredients. Olivers cookbooks appeal to anyone who wants to prepare fantastic meals but doesn’t want to spend all night cooking. This cooking class proves that even kitchen novices can make perfect foolproof roast chicken with roast potatoes, fresh tomato and sweet chilli soup, homemade pasta with mushrooms, roast butternut and fruit crumble.

Sunday 25 March at 4pm – Classic Lebanese dishes (R380pp). 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 to quickly 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.

Green ideas for your Home:

http://www.smartgreenpeople.co.za/

We simplify by researching and sourcing a range of environmentally friendly (organic, biodynamic, free-trade, free-range) products that you can use in your home or office, and we facilitate through our specially tailored order-and-delivery service, which ensures the products reach you quickly and effortlessly. Smart Green People is hassle-free and cost-effective — two aspects that, we believe, will assist in growing the vital concept of living, eating and cleaning in a way that is as harmless as possible to our environment and ourselves.

Food tip of the week:

Baking Powder

In double acting baking powder, carbon dioxide is produced when moisture is added, and again when it is heated.

Using too much baking powder will produce a product with a coarse grain, and broken cell walls in the ‘air’ bubbles, which will cause the product to eventually fall. When you use too little, the product will not rise enough and will be heavy.

Baking powders lose strength over time. They should be kept tightly covered, moisture will cause them to deteriorate faster.

If you increase the eggs in a recipe, decrease the baking powder by 1/2 teaspoon for each extra egg added, and vice versa.

Interesting places in Joburg:

Reunion Island Food Festival

When: Dates to be confirmed (Thursday, 22 March 2012)
Where: Ferndale, Randburg
Categories: Annual Festivals / Food & Wine

The Wickedfood Team

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Wickedfood Cooking School runs classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking school. Cooking lessons 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 – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our cooking courses 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. Great Team building ideas.