SUNNINGHILL>> information & bookings (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Hi

This week the Wickedfood chefs headed off to Infochef where for three days, the University of Johannesburg’s Protea Auditorium gets taken over by chefs young and old, for the SA Chefs’ Association’s annual chefs’ conference. After a busy day of lectures the chefs then gathered for the annual chefs Presidential dinner where Mr Stephen Billingham was named  the  South African Chefs Associations’ President, we would like to congratulate Steve and wish him the best of luck for the huge shoes he has to fill.

Wickedfood Cooking School news

Our August individual cooking class programme is up on the Internet –

Class highlights for the next two weeks include:

• Monday 03 August at 6pm – Making pasta, basic shapes and sauces (R360pp). How to make pasta, farfalle with chicken and cherry tomatoes, salad Florentine, gorgonzola cream sauce, cheese and tomato filled cannelloni, and delicious sweet noodle cake.
• Sunday 09 August at 4pm – Turkish cooking class – mezza (R350pp). Finger food for easy alfresco dining including chicken and walnut dip, cheese pastries, baby marrow fritters, beetroot salad with yoghurt, grilled meat kebabs, pide (Turkish pitta) breads and kadayif.
• Monday 17 August at 6pm – Spicy Thai (R370pp). In this class dishes include minced pork northern style, spicy chicken soup, deep-fried fish in a garlic sauce, sweet and sour vegetables, stir-fried noodles and sweet rice pudding.
• Sunday 23 August at 4pm – Easy to prepare Spanish dishes (R380pp). Classic easy-to-prepare Spanish dishes including chicken livers, stuffed tomatoes, white gazpacho, fish stew, virgin paella, and chocolate pudding.

Please contact the school should you wish to make a booking:

Wickedfood Cooking School, Sunninghill

August individual class programme….. click here

Looking for info on food? – If you are looking for an answer to a food topic that has puzzled you – ask our online chef for assistance on any food-related topic, including recipes. Our two resident chefs will strive to get an answer back to you as soon as possible –  Click here for more information, hope to hear from you.

Cookbook of the week – Pier: “One of Australia’s most acclaimed restaurants, Pier is renowned for the just-caught freshness of its seafood and the delicacy and restraint of its dishes. In the book Pier’s Executive chefs Greg Doyle, Grant King and Katrina Kanetani share 99 of their exquisite innovative recipes and the philosophy behind them.” Click here to read more.

Our food article of the week –Bouquet garni – Is the classic seasoning for stocks, soups, and stews.
Cut a 12cm piece from the green part of a leek, then add 3 sprigs parsley, 3 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf, and 2–3 peppercorns, Fold bottom half of the leek up, then secure with kitchen string, leaving enough extra string to tie bouquet garni to the handle of the pot. (Or use a square of cheesecloth to wrap the ingredients, and tie it into a pouch with kitchen string.)

Our favourite ingredient – Balsamic vinegar is a dark, sweet wine vinegar with a deeply complex flavour. Made in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, traditional balsamic vinegar is aged in wooden casks for years. The longer it’s aged, the more expensive it is. Most balsamic vinegars sold in supermarkets are less concentrated, but are still very useful as ingredients in salad dressings or marinades; look for brands that contain some matured balsamic vinegar, and avoid brands that are coloured with caramel and sweetened with sugar.

Food quote of the week: – “The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” Julia Child.

Food tip of the week: – Dredging is a process that gives meat, fish, vegetables, or cheese a brown savoury crust once cooked. To dredge means to cover the meat, vegetables, cheese, or fish with breadcrumbs, ground nuts, flour, or even grated hard cheese. When breadcrumbs, or crackers are used, it’s referred to as breading. These techniques are used before baking or frying. To help the breading adhere, the food is often dipped first in flour, then in beaten egg, or a mixture of beaten egg and milk or cream.

Recipe of the week – Quiche Lorraine

The Wickedfood Team

Wickedfood Cooking School runs Johannesburg cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. 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 classes 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 teambuilding cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.