Another Week in the Kitchen, Karen Dudley

On our search of food, recipes and things that make you smile, we found Karen Dudley's, Another Week in The Kitchen, Karen Dudley's 2nd cookbook. 

Now lets backtrack for two moments, we are looking for anything that makes the heart happy, and food, is certainly one of those undeniable happy drugs, most often healthy, happy drugs, real happy drugs, and even when they are not so healthy, provided you know what you can and cannot eat, a little escapism in food wont harm. Now we are not talking A LOT of escapism, just a little, unless its healthy, then go ahead, make every day your cheat day. 

In MEDIA & GASTRONOMY this month, we end off with a fabulous recipe book by Ms Dudley, that will leave you wanting to eat all day, every day, and whilst we urge self-control, we also urge that you try cook everything in this book, it all looks so yummy. 

Ms Dudley grew up in Cape Town, celebrating diversity, and after studying all the wrong things at University, (don't we all), worked in a historical mansion in Washington DC, where she discovered new possibilities of what could be done with and to food. 

Karen also had a working stint in England at Finn's Chelsea Green, just off King's Road, where she learnt how to 'do' parties with and for the upper crust of London's elite, and there she gained acknowledgement as a chef to be reckoned with. 

But then Karen settled back into South Africa, in Cape Towns fabulous Woodstock and started her own catering business. The business has over time gained a strong following of dedicated clients and loyal staff, and then its own Shop-Front, 'The Kitchen'. Its her base for her catering business, but its also a celebrated eatery serving the fabulously talented and cool live-ins of Woodstock.

Woodstock if you don't know is awesome, and a must see, but go to Karen's Kitchen and see that too, move in if you have to, she'll feed you well with her legendary salads, healthy yay, and her Love Sandwiches, now how could say no to a little love.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karen with Mrs Obama...now we wonder who's the real 'first lady' here....

If you don't buy the book, at the very least go make friends with Karen on her Karen's Kitchen Blog, or visit her website @ www.karendudley.co.za , or go and meet her in person....you know when you just know that you'll fall in love with someone just by looking at a smile, she's one of those people, and she will feed you, you cant go wrong. 

#WellnessisEverywhere

BO-KAAP KITCHEN Recipe Book

FOOD, WE LOVE FOOD....which is why in this month's MEDIA & GASTRONOMY we are focusing on food you can make in your own kitchen, and no, we are NOT fusing over how healthy it is, we'd like you to be conscious though, and know that if it is lathered in butter, sugar & salt, that you realise that you need to watch every other meal you eat beyond that, for at least a few days. 

We do recommend clean healthy eating first, but don't deprive yourself if its occasional, work it in to your cheat day, or get creative and find healthy substitutes, go on-line, learn more. 

WE ALSO LOVE the Bo-Kaap, and we love that this book celebrates that heritage...traditional heritage food, IS THE BESTEST, always!

Meet...

Cape Malay food culture is something that we should have as much an interest in, as we do braais' and mealies, Potjie Kos....if you like neither of these, then you are not truly South African, or you're just weird. 

This book, that celebrates our diverse culture through damn-fine-food, is written and photographed by locals who are neither members of the Cape Muslim Community, nor known as cookbook writers, yet its been voted in as a Top 5 Cookbook. (See there is hope for us all.)

Photographer, Craig Fraser & writer, Maggie Mouton, turned first to tourism guide & Bo-Kaap specialist, Shireen Narkedien, and then had a good sit down with 21 women, and a couple of men, to embrace their heritage, record their stories and steal their recipes...haha..willingly released we might add. 

Some of these heritage women are just that, heritage marvels that should be celebrated and revered, they are also in their 80's, and the others are just starting in their careers as chefs, or have recipes passed down from their own families, mostly, these are older recipes that have a history of love, family and tradition as part of the recipe. 

Most seem to have started off cooking from an early age, and still do, hence tradition is a first right. There is a shared emphasis on family values, festivals and other fabulous ceremonies. Fraser & Mouton went to weddings, funerals, religious celebration and to mosques, leaving them in no doubt as to the communities contribution to Cape Town and South Africa. 

Each contributor seems to have a story, that's part of the book, like Masturah Adams's story, in which she presents a contrast, she is a business strategist at a transport company who is giving back to the community with a soup kitchen she started during Ramadan 11 years ago. With the help of a community organisation Boorhaanol, they serve 250 families with 12 000 soup servings during the fast month. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!!

Several stars in the book, cook and bake for tourists, most of whom rave about this fragrant, spicy cuisine. And if you just page through the recipes that follow each life story, brings to mouth-watering recall aromas of ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves & turmeric. (ALL GOOD FOR DISEASE CONTROL B.T,W!) 

Ok, we are going to stop and just let you buy the book from almost anywhere, but we know you will find it @ www.woolworths.co.za

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
#WellnessisEverywhere

BRAAI - Reuben on Fire

WE LOVE ANYTHING FOOD, yes? Well it makes the soul happy to eat good food, but we warn, that we are not focusing on Health Food Recipe books here, but non-the-less, good food recipes. We ask that if any of the recipes look guaranteed to spike your calorie and fat counts, we suggest using these recipes on cheat days. You know full well by now that if there is excess chocolate, butter, creams, breads, sugar, dairy's and starches in these recipes, that they are good once a week, as long as the rest of the week is healthier.

Yes, Good? Right, then lets carry on with this months feature in MEDIA & GASTRONOMY, which is Recipe Books. We got it right this round where we have Media & Gastronomy in one package...yay!

Meet...

We know by now, unless you live under boulders, that Reuben Riffel is one damn fine chef, and has celebrity chef status and respect in South Africa like no other. 

Reuben takes you on a road trip through his past from hunting and cooking clay pigeons on the farms, of Franschhoek as a kid, to his travels. 

In braai, Reuben on Fire, he challenges you to lift your game above the simple tanning of a chop and burning of a boerie. 

He delves into the business of naming rites, the politics of the braai, the logistics of the braai timeline and the importance of a relationship with your butcher...(sjoe ya'l, this is se-ri-ass business), Reuben covers the basics before getting to the meat of the matter. 
Throughout the book tips and tactics, as well as wine and food pairing, are dispersed liberally while the braai myths are blown out the water...cause there are issues we need to discuss here. 

His dishes are unmistakably South African in flavour and feel. He totally digs into the full spectrum of 'whats possible' on a braai, and his book is the complete essential for any braai fan. 

You can find the book practically anywhere, but we found it at Exclusive books, order on-line, or go in-store. Check it out @ Braai: Reuben-on-fire @ Exclusive Books

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#WellnessisEverywhere

MasterChef South Africa: The Cookbook

So we decided to go with cooking at home, and the cookbooks that get us there being true Master Chefs, or as close to what we think we are capable of.

In MEDIA & GASTRONOMY, we thought it apt to look at South African Cookbooks only, cause we have SO much talent, why would we go elsewhere. Are we going to be healthy, you know what no, that's your choice, we want you to be smart, and if the meal uses not-so-healthy ingredients, then eat healthy the rest of the week just so you can have that meal.

Happy cooking and great tastes are essential to feeling good, and totally depriving yourself can lead to misery, which can cause illnesses, SO NO, eat what you want, just be smart as to how often and when. If you are a diabetic, make better choices, you should know what you can and cant eat.

Right, lets start with a cracker of a book....

They came, they cooked, but only one conquered!
Never before have South Africans been this gripped by a food phenomenon quite as much as they have with MasterChef South Africa. Now with, MasterChef South Africa  - The Cookbook, the gazillion fans following every beat of the whisk can recreate the dishes that made total celebrities of the 18 hopefuls.

This book has it all, Behind the Scenes Moments, Flashbacks of Mystery Box Challenges, and the gruelling pressure tests, not to forget the Invention Tests that had us wondering what on earth they'd pull off with those ingredients.

Want to make Samantha's croquettes with all the trimmings in less than an hour, Deena's prawn curry, sweet-toothed Thy's fruit tartlets, 'Meraai se Hoenderppaai' and Denningvleis? This is the go-to book for these and more. Love them or hate them, the judges also make their mark. Bake Chef Benny's carrot cake, glam it up with Chef Andrew's brioche crusted springbok and perform under pressure with Pete's double baked souffle' in the oven.

Beautiful photographs guide the home cookbook on how to plate the food like a pro, and if you are lacking in basic skills, the cheffy secrets, tips and how-to advise includes easy step-by-step instructions taking the mystery out of filleting.

You can find the book anywhere, on-line at Kalahari.com, WEBSITE ORDER PAGE

 

 
#WellnessisEverywhere