Wickedfood Cooking School, SUNNINGHILL

Information & bookings (076) 236-2345  sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi all,

We all have to eat.  You have most likely subscribed to this newsletter because you enjoy food and enjoy preparing it.  You are also most probably a discerning food shopper.  Over the past few years Wickedfood Cooking School has become more and more alarmed at the poor quality of food on our  supermarket shelves.  Our directors have taken a massive leap and moved to the country where, over the past two years, they developed Wickedfood Earth and have been experimenting with naturally-grown fruits, vegetables and livestock, without the use of pesticides, synthetic chemicals, growth hormones and antibiotics.  They have also been engaging with like-minded farmers, and learned a lot about the myth of organic and free range, as displayed on supermarket shelves.  Both concepts have a lot of merit, but unfortunately have been manipulated by big business to turn a quick buck to the detriment of the underlying concept – see “A case in point” below for more information.

Wickedfood Earth, in conjunction with various other like-minded farmers in the area, is busy setting up a direct marketing operation.  At the beginning of each week we will e-mail to interested parties a list of produce available.  You will then be able to place an order on the internet and produce will be delivered for collection at Wickedfood Cooking School in Sunninghill on Saturday mornings.  Should you be interested in receiving information on this initiative, please e-mail earth@wickedfood.co.za, with the word subscribe in the subject line.

All classes to the end of  February are fully subscribed.  The March and April Programmes are now live on our website.  Book early to avoid disappointment as classes tend to fill up very fast.

Find us on Facebook and Twitter – just search for Wickedfood and you will find us. We update the blog on a daily basis and publish it through Facebook and Twitter.

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 programme for   March and April are up on the internet. 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.

• Sunday 26 February at 4pm – Easy Entertaining Indian style (R380pp – class full). Indian food is a diverse and extraordinary one, reflecting a complex layering of cultures through history and based on religious beliefs, geography, climate and availability of ingredients. India’s range of cuisine can amaze even a connoisseur. Different regions in India offer their own specialties with their very own taste, subtlety and aroma. The exotic tastes, hues and textures of Indian food have ensured a steady growth in popularity in the West. Join us in discovering these incredible dishes in our Indian cooking class. Authentic Indian dishes including bhel puri, lamb korma, potato and cauliflower curry, chicken pulao and cheese balls in syrup.
• Monday 27 February at 6pm  – 30 Minute Meals (R380pp – class full ). Trying to juggle work and home commitments can be tough in this day and age, and the statement of ‘who has time to cook these days’ is on the increase. In this ‘30 Minute Meals’ cooking class we show participants how to produce quick and easy 30-minute meals that are delicious and well balanced. Dishes include, Thai vegetable curry, chicken breast with feta and pasta, chilli steak wraps, penne with a rich tomato vodka cream sauce, Fried fish with oven chips and homemade burgers.
• Monday 05 March at 6pm – Healthy Flavours of Vietnam(R370pp). Famous for its lively, fresh flavours 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 once they have attended this Vietnamese cooking class.
• Sunday 11 March at 4pm – Flavours of the South African Portuguese Table (R370pp). 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 flavoured, simple cooking. In this Portuguese cooking class we teach you how to prepare 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.
• 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.

A case in point

Chicken.  In the fifties and sixties a chicken was a luxury item, and cooked once a month as part of Sunday family meal.  With intensive chicken farming and the birth of the supermarket, chicken has become more and more affordable, to the detriment of both the quality of the meat, as well as the well being of the bird.  The small scale, truly free-range producer, cannot compete with large factory farms. Here is an overview of his pricing:

Price of a day-old chick R8; Feed for lifespan of the bird R25; slaughter costs R3 = R36 for a 1,5kg bird or R24/kg direct costs.  The farmer still has labour costs, transport costs, and infrastructure costs, which adds another R24 to the bird, and then he should still be entitled to a profit.  Conservatively  speaking, free range chickens by small scale farmers should be selling at a minimum of R75/kg.  This is still very competitive if we look at European models, where in the UK you pay around R180/kg and in France R170/kg for a proper 12-week old free range chicken.

Makes you think what is in your supermarket chicken.

Cookbook of the week

Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia

The Mekong has, for many hundreds of years, been the super highway of South East Asia, a vibrant artery that defines a vast region. The world’s tenth largest river, which rises in Tibet and joins the sea in Vietnam, traverses 6 countries, mingling exquisite food and traditions. Hot Sour Salty Sweet takes readers on the culinary tour down the river sampling the flavours the various countries along the way have to offer.  Definitely a book for anyone interested in the flavours of southeast Asia.  … Click here to read more

Click Here for reviews of all our cookbook reviews.

Food quote of the week

“Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.“ – Mark Twain

Recipes of the week:

River rice

Rice is the staple throughout south east Asia.  It is served with every meal.  Leftover rice is often re-fried. This dish is popular along the entire length of the Mekong River, hence the name . ….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.