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Whats in season – Autumn & Spring

April 2, 2013 in Uncategorized

By now we all know that its important to let the seasons dictate what we eat, and since we are either in the middle of Autumn or Spring in most parts of the world, I thought I’d do a post about what we ~~should~~ could be eating right now.

The list of fruit and vegetables I have included are to the best of my knowledge whats in season. I base this on some online research and looking back through dozens of magazines. There are also quite a few that are available all year round, and many that overlap into other seasons.

Often we think a vegetable is in season because we see it on the shelf all the time, but this is not necessarily the case. By shopping at markets you will invariably land up buying whats being grown at a particular time of year. Minus the extensive travel time. For me, the produce generally tastes better, and all round we are making the world a better place.

Easter always marks the end of Summer for us in South Africa, and right on cue we have a cold and rainy weather system here in Cape Town. Autumn is my favourite time of year. I love how the light changes to a softer hue which is brilliant for photography. I love how the vineyards and trees change colour, and I love the first few times you get to cozy up on the couch with a blanket and hot drinks. I start sipping red wine, hang out in front of fireplaces and start dreaming of a few hearty comforting recipes to make.

Autumn:

Fruit: apple, pear, fig, quince, lemon, limes, grapes, nectarines, gooseberries, cranberries, chestnuts, persimmons, granadilla (passion fruit), blueberries.

vegetables: aubergine, carrot, sweetcorn, zucchini, potato, lettuce, bean, turnip, butternut, onions, radishes, cauliflower, celery

Here are some ideas for what to cook if you are in the Southern hemisphere and heading towards Winter.

Blueberry and orange trifles with Mascarpone cheese

Quince, apple and pear crumble with whiskey and cinnamon

Cream of roasted chestnut soup with fennel

Spicy cauliflower ’cous-cous’

Roasted cauliflower with curry, cumin and dukkah

Aubergine pizza

Easy passion fruit curd

I spend a great deal of time reading blogs from all over the world, so am looking with some degree of envy upon our Northern Hemisphere friends who are seeing blossoms on their trees and ushering in the first stone fruits.

Spring

Fruit: apricots, strawberries, cherries, pineapple, mango, grapefruit, kiwis, rhubarb

Vegetables: asparagus, artichoke, leeks, peas & pea greens, spring ionions, garlic scapes, new potatoes, ramps, avocado’s, broad beans (fava beans), morels, kale

Here are a few ideas for you if you are heading towards Summer.

Apricots poached in chamomile tea with vanilla

A cocktail with strawberries and coconut water

Minty asparagus and zucchini frittata

Crispy kale chips with Parmesan

A delicious broad (fava) bean dip

Green pea hummus with mint

Artichokes stuffed with a parsley pesto crumb

by drizzleanddip

food photography & styling workshop

March 11, 2013 in Uncategorized

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Tags: food photography & styling workshop

I am teaming up with the amazing and highly talented photographer Russel Wasserfall to present a comprehensive two day hands on workshop on Food Photography and Styling, and we invite you to join us.

About the Photography

Russel Wasserfall takes you through the steps you need to follow to become a confident and accomplished food photographer. He begins with switching on the camera and takes you through the technical and creative stepping-stones to shooting magazine-quality food photos. You will go away equipped with the skills to create a little studio at home, assess and manipulate light, stop fighting with your camera and make it do what you want. Most of all you will have the tools and understanding to constantly assess and improve your photography.

About the Styling

Food photography and styling go hand in hand and I will cover the ways in which you can improve your food image through propping, food preparation and composition. I will take you through a few tips of the trade and show you a few handy tools. We will look at ways to arrange the same dish using different styles, and help you understand themes. I will address a few of styling challenges, offer solutions and generally be on hand to share my knowledge as a professional food stylist in a fun and interactive way.

Who should attend?

This course is for food and photography enthusiasts who want to understand what it takes to make usable and high quality food images for their blogs, as a profession, or simply as a hobby. It is strongly advisable that the attendees own a Digital SLR with interchangeable lenses or have the intention to buy one. On the course you will be able to seek advice on the best gear for the kind of photography you intend doing. Alternatively, we will show you how to get the best out of your existing equipment. We take you from switching the camera on to making beautiful food images in the course of two days.

When?

The Weekend of 20 & 21 April 2013

Where?

At the picture perfect Table at De Meye in Stellenbosch, Russel and I will work with natural light and guide you to create beautiful food images and styled set ups

Cost

R5500 per person

(This includes a lunch on both days as well as all food used in the workshops)

In order to gain the maximum benefit from the course, spaces are limited to 10 people.

This is a unique opportunity and not to be missed.

To book your place or for more details on the course, please email me on: Slinsell (@) gmail (dot) com

You can view Russel’s professional website here and Sams site here.

by drizzleanddip

win with woolworths and drizzle and dip

October 16, 2012 in Uncategorized

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Tags: giveaway

I’m beyond excited that my new cookbook is now available in all major Woolies stores throughout South Africa.

Woo Hoo!

To celebrate I am giving away 3 signed copies of my book along with a R500 Woolworths gift voucher with each of them.

To stand a chance to win one of these 3 amazing prizes all you have to do is:

1. Like the Drizzle and Dip facebook page.

2. Share the following message on Facebook or Twitter (copy & paste) :

Twitter : I just entered to win a copy of @DrizzleandDip ‘s cookbook and R500 @WOOLWORTHS_SA gift vouchers
You can do the same here: http://drizzleanddip.com/

Facebook: I just entered to win copy of @DrizzleandDip ‘s cookbook and R500 @WOOLWORTHS_SA gift vouchers.
You can do the same here: http://drizzleanddip.com/

3. Leave a comment for me below, letting me know about one food ingredient that you love to cook with.

Its that easy and the more you share the more entries you have in the mix. The winner will be randomly selected by a computer generated program.

Competition closes at midnight on the 25th of October 2012

Some of the spreads from my book:

by drizzleanddip

10 tips for food photography & styling

September 19, 2012 in Uncategorized

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Tags: 10 tips for food photography, food styling

These are a few of my top tips geared for people starting out taking pictures and styling food.

If you want to take a really good photograph of food, you have take a number of factors into consideration.

mastering the technical aspects of the camera
understanding light and how it affects your subject
the overall mood you want to create through your props and styling
the presentation of the food

Much like any creative endeavor, some skills can be mastered, but for the most part it is an art and personal expression. As you practice it, you will find your own style and voice.

The tips on Drizzle & Dip

by drizzleanddip

Cooking with braai planks

July 2, 2012 in Uncategorized

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Tags: braai planks, brie wrapped, grilling planks

I have been wanting to cook and braai on wood since first seeing this technique on Iron Chef America, one of my favourite cooking shows. Luckily this is now all possible with the introduction of Geobasket’s fabulous braai (barbecue) planks. Also known as ‘grilling planks’, these aromatic pieces of wood come in pure Maple, Alder and Oak.

I asked my friend Fritz from Real Men Can Cook to collaborate with me on this experiment because he is a full on braai expert and I on the other hand am not.

We plotted and planned, set a date, and thought up a few recipes ideas to try out on the planks.

Matching the flavour of the wood to food is a similar to a food and wine pairing. We also threw some wine in the mix and soaked the Alder plank in red wine for the steak.

This is how me matched the wood:

Alder – Steak
Maple – pork
Oak – brie and Parma ham
Oak – marinaded black mushrooms

You need to soak the planks for at least an hour in water or another liquid. We soaked the Alder in red wine and the maple in apple juice over night to really let the liquid (and flavour) sink in.

These are our 4 recipes:

Visit Drizzle and Dip for all the recipes that we made

1. parma ham wrapped brie with thyme and garlic bruschetta

When I say this is beyond delicious, I mean it is truly beyond delicious.

2. black mushrooms marinaded in garlic, chilli, olive oil and pesto

black mushrooms with olive oil, garlic, chilli and pesto

marinaded mushrooms cooked on oak grilling planks

Before and after shots above.

These are wonderful to serve on their own as a side dish for a braai (barbecue), or for a vegetarian as their main meal.

We popped one into a sesame seed bun which we had cut in half and toasted on the inside. Spread with a little more pesto and rocket leaves, this made a perfect vegetarian burger. Crumbled blue cheese was also a winning combination for these burgers.

The Mushroom Burger

3. pork fillet coated in honey and mustard with grilled apples

grilled pork with honey, mustard and apples

The classic flavour combination of honey and mustard worked beautifully with this pork fillet. Paired with slices of apple which we grilled on the plank, left us smacking our lips all over the place.

plank grilled sirloin steak

Nothing beats a piece of aged sirloin steak cooked to perfection on a fire and Fritz is pretty famous for his. There are a whole lot of variables that go into making the perfect steak and I started my lesson with how to build the perfect fire.

by drizzleanddip

a summer gone past and my first cook book

May 7, 2012 in Uncategorized

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Tags: Cookbook, Drizzle and Dip

Over the past year I have been working on a very special project. I have written my first cook book. After keeping it (mostly) under wraps for what feels like the longest time, I am over joyed to be able to share this news at last.

The book is finally nearly finished and soon to go to print. I had no idea that this journey, which had many bumps in the road, could have been so all consuming and all encompassing as its been. The fact that I chose to do most of the production slap bang in the middle of my busy food styling season and in the middle of a very hot summer did not make it any easier.

And yes I did all the production on it myself from concept to recipes, to the styling and photography. If you followed me on Twitter from October to March you would have heard me groaning under the weight of the pressure of it all. But unlike the journey of writing a food blog, which is often very lonely, the making of my book has been the opposite.

I have undertaken to publish it myself in collaboration with publishing consultants Schreiber Media and pulled in a fabulous small team of people to help.

I have received so much guidance along the way from various corners, from people I know and people I have never met, and for which I am am extremely grateful. The book is in essence an extension of Drizzle and Dip and consists of a collection of some of my favourite recipes from my site as well as new ones. I cant wait to take Drizzle and Dip into a new arena and onto paper.

My book is being marketed and distributed by Jacana Media and will be launched in July 2012.

by drizzleanddip

win lunch at the spice route restaurant for mothers day

May 2, 2012 in Uncategorized

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Tags: Mothers day, The Spice Route restaurant, win

The Spice Route Restaurant, situated next to the Fairview Wine and Cheese Farm in Paarl, explores the romance between spice, food and wine. The culinary voyage focuses on the Spice Route wines, with each meal carefully crafted and prepared to compliment them.

Chef Phillip Pretorius says, “We started this venture by first tasting each of the wines and then deciding on the appropriate food to be served with the wine. We systematically cut down the choices until we had the perfect match and then allowed our creativity to take over so that we could discover just how far it could take us.”

The menu includes exotic dishes such as slow roasted pork belly infused with five spice and served on Madagascar DV chocolate lentil salad, paired with Spice Route Pinotage or Spice Route Chakalaka.Tender roast rack of lamb on olives and pap served with seasonal baby vegetables, chakalaka dusted carrot chips, beetroot crackling, and five spice infused tomato reduction, paired with Spice Route Chakalaka or Spice Route Shiraz. And for dessert, duo of saffron and Pinotage poached pear on poppy seed cake and liquorice ice cream.

WIN!

In celebration of Mother’s Day on Sunday, 13 May, one lucky Drizzle and Dip reader can win a lunch voucher for the Spice Route Restaurant in Paarl to the value of R500, three bottles of wine from the Spice Route Winery paired with DV Artisan Chocolate, and a chocolate tasting for two people at the factory situated on the Spice Route farm.

Question: How best do you like to spoil the special mother in your life?

To win, Go over to my Drizzle and Dip Facebook page and leave your answer under the Spice Route post comment section.

The competition closes at midnight on Tuesday, 8 May, and the winner will be announced on Wednesday, 9 May 2012.

If you are not on FB – please leave a comment below this post.

Reservations for the restaurant can be made on 021 863 5222 or restaurant@spiceroute.co.za

The Spice Route Restaurant is open Sunday to Thursday 11h00 until 18h00, and Friday and Saturday 11h00 until 20h30. Every afternoon from 15h00 guests can enjoy tapas style snacks whilst admiring the beautiful view and sipping on Spice Route wines.

Competition terms and conditions

Voucher for The Spice Route Restaurant is not transferable or redeemable for cash
The lunch voucher is valid for 3 months from date of winner announcement
The Spice Route Restaurant is based in Paarl and the travel costs are for the winners own account
Winners will need to contact The Spice Route restaurant to secure a reservation in their personal capacity

by drizzleanddip

Christmas mince pie frangipane tart

December 14, 2011 in Uncategorized

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I adore mince pies and decided to make a full blown tart version after tasting the frangipane mince pies at the Avondale wine pairing with Sonia Cabano. I simply fell in love with the flavour combinations and the almondy frangipane mix makes a perfect topping for a mince pie.

I used the Gordon Ramsey sweet pastry recipe passed onto me by my friend Lori as its her all time favourite pastry base. I enjoy it too as you make it in a food processor so I find this very unfussy and easy.

I topped the tart with flaked almonds which add texture and almond flavour.

Recipe: visit Drizzle and Dip

by drizzleanddip

Grilled peach, Parma ham, Chevin and rocket salad with a raspberry vinaigrette

December 13, 2011 in Uncategorized

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This recipe or should I say idea, was inspired by a post I saw last week by Anne Myers from I Love Cooking. It spoke directly to my food soul and my taste buds, and I knew when I bought my big box of peaches on the side of the road in Stilbaai last week, this was one of the things I would be making with it.

I say idea in that I hardly think a person needs a recipe for a dish like this. It is all about the combining of certain ingredients that go so well together. And man oh man do these flavours just dance around in your mouth in pure synergy.

I grilled the peaches as Anne did, because I liked the pretty grill marks, but you could just keep them fresh and they would work just as well.

I have also become ever so slightly besotted with goats cheese (chevin/chevre) and find it goes so very well with fruit.

Recipe on Drizzle and Dip

by drizzleanddip

Cape Town Festival of Beer 2011

December 3, 2011 in Uncategorized

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Tags: Cape Town Festival of Beer 2011

Last Week end was the second Cape Town Festival of Beer and saw the event expand to just under 100 beers on show . Its South Africa’s biggest beer expo that has the micro and mega breweries happily co habiting under one tent. It is a brilliant opportunity to get acquainted with the unusual, the new and the perhaps forgotten. Its also a massive amount of fun. With many fabulous food stalls around, live music throughout the event and ample space to wonder around, its impossible not to have a really good time.

And a good time is exactly what I had.

I started my day off with a beer tasting arranged by Dax aka Relax with Dax . Hes the guy in the picture above with his head in the skull. He is also a very funny guy. Anyway the tasting was a Slow Mother City event and we got to taste beers from 4 breweries presented by the respective brewers: SAB, Paulaner, Triggerfish and Devils Peak. These guys are doing amazing things.

We then walked around tasting samples of a plethora of different beers and as an occassional beer drinker I found it hard to find my favourite. Many tasted very good but according to my friend Martin Tucker (one of the organisers who can be found @mrtuckbox of Twitter), the way to really rate a beer is by how many you can drink. So if you find a beer that flows down easily making you just want more, that is a good beer.

These are a few of the beers that I tasted, that made me want more:

Paulaner – Weiss (I’v drunk dozens of this before)
Darling Brew – Bone Crusher (with hints of orange and coriander)
Pete Goffe-Wood – Black River Ale (only launched last week and available at KC Canteen)
Triggerfish – Bonito (has a trace of buchu in it)

I also tasted a few very interesting beers. One with tequila (refreshing), one with blueberries (delicious) and a Christmas beer (aromatic). Who knew.

I landed up staying late into the night having a jolly good time. This is an event that I never want to miss.

To see all the pictures visit my Drizzle and Dip facebook page or visit Drizzle and Dip