Chez Jabulina

Hello:)

I just moved back to Johannesburg from Cape Town for a little bit.

This a quick question: Does anyone know if there is a shop like Banks in Johannesburg?? I love Banks but they only in Cape Town. I’m looking for a Joburg replacement. Please help!

Hello:)

I was looking through my camera and came across these pics… I’m afraid in my old age my memory has sort of become selective. And it has selected not to remember this meal. I’m just guessing so work with me but I think this was an unplanned lunch. Maybe it was one of those, “let’s go to the market, pick up some stuff and invite people over” kind of days. I’m hoping it was delicious. I’m sure it was. Why would I take pictures of a disastrous meal?? Then again,, I am known for getting a bit trigger happy.

However, I do know the date. Thank technology. 6 March 2010. That my friends is the only undeniable truth  that I am able to present.

Long ago the Greeks believed that bread, cheese, and wine was all a man needed to survive.

(I don’t really remember if it was the Greeks, maybe the Romans. I’m actually also not too sure if anyone said that at all)

I’m trying to figure out what is in that jar. Maybe Harissa or a Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto??

Salad of course:) I can definitely see a few different types of mushrooms, cranberries, asparagus, wild rocket…

Dessert or another accompaniement?? I spot Nectarines & Figs… There’s cheese. There’s wine. A little bit of sweetness too. The whole meal could’ve been a dessert?

Who knows??

 xxx ZuriKaia xxx

I was never a fan of the Open Sandwich. Then one day,, it fell in my lap and I fell in love. I just can’t get enough of them. I order them at restaurants,, usually having the best toppings. Brie, Cranberries, Bacon, Avo, Chicken, Roast Beef, Fresh Greens, Roast Veg, Mustard, Honey… (Not All Together Of Course)… I even make them at home.

The best part? Easy… Less carbs and more flavour:)

Enjoy this beautiful weekend & it’s good to be back in blogland

xxx ZuriKaia xxx

Bonjour Bloggers,,

(technically Bonsoir but I’m not french so it doesn’t count)

How is everyone? Good I hope =)

Well,, I am in need of some help & I could think of no one better to ask. My perfectly white & straight teeth,, complete lie but no one needs to know,, are in need of some real sweetness but my brain has been on rewind lately. It also explains my lack of blogging lately. There is nothing happening upstairs. I’ve knocked and knocked but no one is home… See how I digress? It’s a sad occurance like global warming or poverty or littering. One could actually say that… Wait! See how I continue to digress? hmph… 

For your sake and mine let’s not go into my dumbing down….

What I really need is sugary goodness that melts in the mouth & blows the mind. The kind of dessert that makes you stop, suck in a deep breath, close your eyes and collapse. I need the real thing! Can someone please direct an old, ragged, grumpy, forgetful woman in the right direction? It can be a restaurant, cafe, corner store, deli… I’m not picky.

This may be the thing to kick me back into gear, roaring engines and all =)

Your help is soooooooo very appreciated

                 Love,,

                                    Zuri

                                                Kaia

                                                       x

                                                            x

                                                                 x

How Ignorance Killed The Vegetarian

As long as ignorance exists the vegetarian does not. The two cannot exist peacefully in one world. It is as simple as that. I for one am a strong believer in what the vegetarian is & stands for but I am not one. I’m a chef. I like meat. I believe in balance.

But this is not about me and my nonsensical ideologies, this is about warning the vegetarian. IGNORANCE IS TRYING TO KILL YOU!! And it is winning.

Do not laugh. You think I am underestimating you? No, you are underestimating ignorance. I do not mean to scare you but I cannot let ignorance win another battle. It has been conquering and conquering but we must stop it.

Have I caught your attention yet? I’ll keep this short then.

Fish sauce & chicken stock!! I’ve seen 3 kitchens work closely with these two ingredients. Soups, sauces, risotto, polenta, stir-fried veg, mash, dipping sauces… The list goes on. I’ve seen a brilliant chef splash a few drops of fish sauce on a beetroot risotto for that finishing touch. I’ll also add that it was for a strict vegetarian. When his mistake was voiced by another chef he frowned & shrugged, ”Oh! These things just can’t be avoided”. The dish was sent out & the plate came back clean followed by high praise from the diner. That could’ve been you. 4 years spent without meat or fish, a fact you’re proud of, & it’s all changed in a few seconds. And you didn’t even know it.

Whatever, it’s just fish sauce. It’s not like you ate real fish!    

That’s It From Me

xxx ZuriKaia xxx

How Ignorance Killed The Vegetarian

As long as ignorance exists the vegetarian does not. The two cannot exist peacefully in one world. It is as simple as that. I for one am a strong believer in what the vegetarian is & stands for but I am not one. I’m a chef. I like meat. I believe in balance.

But this is not about me and my nonsensical ideologies, this is about warning the vegetarian. IGNORANCE IS TRYING TO KILL YOU!! And it is winning.

Do not laugh. You think I am underestimating you? No, you are underestimating ignorance. I do not mean to scare you but I cannot let ignorance win another battle. It has been conquering and conquering but we must stop it.

Have I caught your attention yet? I’ll keep this short then.

Fish sauce & chicken stock!! I’ve seen 3 kitchens work closely with these two ingredients. Soups, sauces, risotto, polenta, stir-fried veg, mash, dipping sauces… The list goes on. I’ve seen a brilliant chef splash a few drops of fish sauce on a beetroot risotto for that finishing touch. I’ll also add that it was for a strict vegetarian. When his mistake was voiced by another chef he frowned & shrugged, ”Oh! These things just can’t be avoided”. The dish was sent out & the plate came back clean followed by high praise from the diner. That could’ve been you. 4 years spent without meat or fish, a fact you’re proud of, & it’s all changed in a few seconds. And you didn’t even know it.

Whatever, it’s just fish sauce. It’s not like you ate real fish!    

That’s It From Me

xxx ZuriKaia xxx

Did you know…

Swordfish swim in couples. So fishermen kill the female first because the moment the male realises their partner is missing searches and waits in the exact spot they lost them. If the male is caught first the female flees!!!!

xxx ZuriKaia xxx

Do you love wine tasting? I know I do. I went wine tasting in Constantia recently and realised that there are few things some poeple do not know. So, I am taking it upon myself to share my vast knowledge of wine tasting!

(all photos are courtesy of Zuri Kaia)

1. First you smell the wines. If you’re stumped, it’s okay this happens a lot, then this is what you say for

White wine: “It smells very grassy… Wait, I’m getting a hint of something else. What is that? (smell again) Ahhh, its aparagus”.

Red wine: “Ohh, you definitely get that woodyness. Mmm, I’m also being teased by a cigarbox smell with an undertone of… chocolate!”  

2. Then you taste the wine. It is imperative that you make a funny slurping noise when sipping the wine. It’s something to do with oxygen that I won’t go into right now

3. Swallow! Spittoons are purely for decoration. Do Not Use Them! Imagine inviting a friend over for dinner and they spit their food on your new and expensive carpet. Unless you are driving, then you have to use the spittoon. That’ll be like forgiving your friend because in their culture it is a sign of respect and thanks to spit on your carpet.

4. Never go wine tasting on a completely empty stomach. So, I suggest that you go for a walk through the vineyards and pick some grapes to eat. They can’t ALL be for wine, can they??

5. The wooden barrels are actually really really expensive. Do not lean against, kick, push, knock, or lick them. You’ll avoid a lot of embarassment. And these babies are oak. If the wine estate has to order more oak trees cut down on your account then those environmentalists will be all over you and that isn’t fun, believe me.

6. Do not drink water. It’s like going to an apple farm and eating peaches. If you really have to clear your palette and your spit isn’t good enough THEN you can use spittoons.

7. This should be your view of life once you leave the wine estate. It might be slightly distorted but it’ll be just as beautiful. (picture below)

seriously, this picture was taken at a wine estate where we were wine tasting and that building across the lake was actually a nunnery.

Enjoy the rest of the day Everybody

(“,)

xxx ZuriKaia xxx

I have collected all my and my friends food and dining horror stories for 2009. Sit back, relax, prepare to cringe and shake your head in disappointment!

(in random order)

1. We go to a restaurant that specialises in sushi and the waiter tells us that they’ve run out of rice. Oh, its 19h00! 

2. The waiter pours another tables wine into my glass, which still has my wine in it.

3. Overcooked salmon… Unforgivable!

4. Odering kingklip only to have hake being brought. Wait,, hake wasn’t even on the menu and it wasn’t the fish of the day or linefish!

5. Overmicrowaved dessert pudding and alreay beginning to harden… If you’re going to pull that stunt at least do it properly! 

( okay,, so the first 5 are one restaurant)

6. Finding a nail in the pie

7. Finding a tooth in the the chow mein

8. Finding insects swimming in the dressing at the bottom of the salad bowl

9. A friend worked in a restaurant and when being confronted by a cockroach she whipped out the Raid/Doom but was quickly stopped by the manager who shouted, “No! Don’t! There’ll all come out”

10. The casual hairS sitting on my pasta, attached to the sauce.

Enjoy Your Sunday

(“,)

xxx ZuriKaia xxx

Hello Blogland(“,)

I’ve been extremely slack on the blogging lately. Do not worry for I am hopping onto my purple marshmellow and floating into 2010 with the goal of blogging more often.

(Pause for Applause)

Today I am just dropping in for a quickie with my giant fruit tartlets. I love fruit so when I make fruit tartlets they happen to be 70% fruit, 15% pastry & 15% filling (creme patt).  It’s all in the presentation. And don’t come with the “But Zuri how do you eat it?” question because I have one answer: put it in your mouth and bite and if a piece falls pick it up and shove it back into your mouth!

Flower Power

Trio of Tartlets 

Wishing everyone a FRUITY FANTABULOUS DAY & end of year!!

xxx Zurikaia xxx