About Tandy

I love regional and seasonal food, and try to support local where ever possible. I live with my husband, our 2 dogs and a tortoise in a cottage by the sea. We are busy building a house which is an adventure all in itself.

Friday’s Food Quiz Number 23

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Tandy

This is another quiz that my friend Pink posted and the original quiz can be found here.

1. What is the only fruit to have seeds on the outside?

The strawberry

2. What is broccolini?

a firm favorite of mine from Woolworths – it is similar to broccoli but has a long stem and the florets are clustered at the end

3. If you see the term Coq au vin, on a menu, what does the dish contain?

Chicken with red wine

4. What are the main ingredients of the Brazillian dish, feijoada?

This is the national dish of Brazil and it is a stew of black beans and pig snouts, ears, and feet. it is served with rice, kale and orange slices (not trying this ever)

5. What is a blini?

it is a small thick pancake made from buckwheat flour and yeast dough. Russian in origin blini’s are served topped with sour cream and caviar or smoked salmon. (Buckwheat pancakes from Brittany are made without the yeast dough and are called galettes)

6. What does the Scoville scale measure?

the heat of a chilli

7. Where is Bhelpuri (a dish of puffed rice, potatoes and a tamarind sauce) very popular?

As Tamarinds are from India and this dish sounds Indian I am going to guess India. Tamarinds are Asian so anywhere in that region could be the correct answer – or maybe even England because they have imported so many Indian dishes

8. What is a sommelier?

a wine steward

9. What is Palm syrup?

I know what palm sugar is as I have some in my cupboard so I am going to assume that palm syrup is the substance derived from this – it will be a syrup similar to corn syrup as it will not be sucrose based (as is cane syrup and beet syrup)

10. The macadamia nut is native to which country?

Australia and Hawaii

Tandy

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Marjoram And Oregano

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Tandy

The Greeks called these fragrant leafed herbs “Brightness of the Mountain” and it is impossible to imagine the cuisines of the Mediterranean and Aegean without their strong, warm, aromatic taste. There are more than 30 species from the Mediterranean and Middle East and often marjoram and oregano are common names that are used interchangeably.

Origanum species are found in the wild in sunny, well drained and often stony places. They thrive in full sun and are stronger flavoured if grown with tough love. Raise the species from seed in spring. Once the plants are established do not over water them. Cut back old growth in spring.

You can harvest the foliage fresh but the flavour is enhanced if you dry it in bunches in a dark, warm, well ventilated place for several days. When dry and crisp, rub the leaves off the stems and store in an airtight container.

Oregano has a more pungent scent than marjoram, with a stronger flavour. The hotter and drier the climate, the more aroma and flavour a variety will have. Sweet marjoram is the type used in cooking, Its aroma is damaged by heat, so use it in uncooked or lightly cooked dishes, or add it at the end. Oregano is a more robust herb and can withstand longer cooking. Both herbs go well with lemon, garlic, wine, meats, fish, salads, Greek and Italian dishes, beans, eggplant, capsicum and tomato based dishes and sauces. They are also used in commercial mixed herbs.

information sourced from The Complete Book of Herbs

Tandy

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Quinoa With Roasted Beetroot

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Tandy

Are you curious by nature? Do you ever cross the fine line between curiosity and wanting to know too much? I have an acquaintance who has always asked a lot of questions. Most of them centre around our house building project and how much we are spending. These conversations take place when ever we see each other, and there is always a comparison to what we are building in relation to what they have. She has always led me to believe her house is WAY bigger than ours and she has told me how much they paid. I am not really interested in the money aspect, or in making a comparison between our houses. But, I have heard endlessly about this issue.

The other day when driving home I noticed they had a ‘for sale’ sign attached to the gate. I decided to come home and take a look on the realtor’s website to see how much they are asking for the house. I was quite surprised that even though she has made these claims about their huge house, it is in fact smaller than ours. The land is slightly larger but the house itself is smaller. Also, the claimed worth of the property is much higher than the asking price. So, was her curiosity about our house just that, or was she being rude?

Now, you are all asking yourselves “what on earth has this got to do with quinoa” and my reply is NOTHING! It is just something I wanted to write about. Much like I am sharing this idea with you. And please excuse what looks like a really boring supper – it was tasty which is what counts.

Do you have friends who ask too many questions?

I cook my quinoa as per the packet instructions, but I add a teaspoon of vegetable stock concentrate to it to give it flavour. I roasted the beetroot for 40 minutes at 200° Celsius (they were quite small) with a sprinkle of salt and cumin. I then diced them up and added them to the quinoa.

Tandy

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Restaurant Review: The Kitchin

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Tandy

I don’t even know where to start enthusing about our amazing experience at The Kitchin in Edinburgh. Tom and Michaela have created a dining experience that far surpasses anything I have ever encountered. We made a booking via email for the Friday of our visit to Scotland and we arrived at the Waterfront early enough to take a walk around the area.

the street view

We arrived promptly at the front entrance at 12h15 where we were greeted warmly by the front of house staff. While our jackets were hung up, we were shown to our table in the wonderfully appointed dining room. It is very intimate and well decorated and has a view of the kitchen through a glass window. There is soft background music and the staff never intrude and you cannot hear the other diner’s conversations which makes you feel like you are dining in your own home. Just in a well staffed environment. The staff are trained to the highest level of service and are polite, neatly dressed and look smart.

the entrance

When we sat down we were offered apéritifs which we declined. Dave perused the wine list, noting that the most expensive wine on offer was £3000. The Meerlust Rubicon was priced well in line with South African restaurant prices. We decided a glass of wine each for lunch would be a better option that an entire bottle. There is an excellent sommelier wine service and the gentleman who came to speak to us had a great knowledge of the wines on offer, the different blends, styles and regions. He offered to assist us with our choice, but we decided on a South African wine. When it was brought to the table we were told specifics about the estate and the highlights of the varietal we had chosen. You can choose to do a food and wine pairing option and if you do, the sommelier will bring the wine to the table with each course and explain what is being served and why he chose it.

crudites to snack on while we read the menu

The average price of a main course is £40 but the set menu for lunch is your best choice and at £26.50 well within our travelling budget when £1 costs us R12.00. The menu is based on Scottish ingredients and cooked with modern French influences. Our meal started with crudités and when we were about half way through them, a basket of the most amazing artisan bread selection was brought to the table.

the bread basket

The bread was served with unsalted butter that looked as if it had been whipped and our choices were olive loaf, tomato, sourdough and multi grain. The bread is made by a local bakery – Dough Re Mi, and we enjoyed every morsel. This was followed by a chicken consommé amuse bouche, that had an excellent depth of flavour and contained the softest piece of poached chicken.

amuse bouche

For starters Dave chose the rabbit kidneys and I had my first taste of a kidney and it was a flavour explosion in my mouth.

amazing rabbit kidneys

I chose the ham terrine which had a lovely texture. Our server explained exactly what we were getting and what the ingredients were with each course.

ham terrine

Our main course selection was duck for Dave and lamb for me, and we were asked if the chef’s choice of serving it pink was OK with us. I know this is going to sound funny, but the lamb had a real lamb flavour! I am only saying this as we eat local South African lamb when at home, which tastes of lamb but some places we have been to source imported New Zealand lamb, which in my opinion has no flavour. Scottish lamb has a great taste and we indulged in more lamb while in Ballatar. My lamb was served with sweetbreads which I think are very ordinary.

lovely lamb

Dave’s duck was succulent and he noted that it is all about the sauces served with the meals. That and the vegetables go a long way to compliment the meal. In fact, Dave has said it was the best duck he has ever eaten. His dish included the most outstanding artichoke I have ever tasted.

the best duck ever

The clearing of the tables for each course is done after we were both finished our dishes, and the cutlery is replaced for our next course straight away. After our main course the place mats were removed for cleaning as well as all the things we did not need for dessert. Dave had rhubarb and crowdie for dessert and in my opinion, the best element was the rhubarb jelly. The poached rhubarb and sorbet and crowdie were all divine however.

delicious rhubarb

I had the lemon soufflé which was a delight and had a crunchy exterior. The sorbet it was served with was lovely and I really enjoyed the poppy seeds in it. It was tart and sweet all at the same time.

very lemon, lemon soufflé

After dessert we retired to the lounge for a whisky and coffee. Tom Kitchin was there to greet us – I think I was a bit flustered over meeting such a great chef but he was most pleasant and a pleasure to talk to.

a relaxing place to sit and sip

James and Jacob are on hand at the bar, and our whisky choices were Old Pulteney for me and Oban for Dave.

malt whisky is something special

Our espresso’s were served with a petit four selection which had the most delicious nougat on it.

four small bites each

I would not ordinarily mention a visit to the ‘powder room’ but as soon as I left the table my napkin was refolded straight away. The bathrooms are well appointed which I find is the one area most restaurants overlook. Hand cream to me is a simple extra that makes a big difference.

my signed copy which we used straight away

The philosophy “From Nature To Plate” evident in the menu is echoed in the recipe book. Tom signed a copy for me which Dave purchased so that we could try and replicate some of the meals. We left feeling well fed, after spending such a calm and pleasant time there for over 2 hours.

Contact The Kitchin on 0131 555 1755

Tandy

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Fruit and Nut Bread For Fresh From The Oven

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Tandy

This month, our host for Fresh From The Oven is La Cuisine de Sarah. She set us a lovely task of making a breakfast fruit bread. Ordinarily I would get the challenge on the 1st of the month, and then have a good three weeks to think about the recipe I am going to do, and make it. This month, we were overseas until the 7th and on the 8th I checked the challenge, and knew that the weekend would be the first time I would have to pay any attention to baking. With all the paperwork and office work that needed my attention, the fact that it was mother’s day on the 13th totally slipped my mind. I finally realized this on the 11th and Friday afternoon is far too late to sort out something for my mom. She lives in Johannesburg and up until this year, my sister has always been in charge of shopping for presents. This year my sister is living in Sydney, and my mom spent her first mother’s day without either of her children. When I moved to Gordons Bay my mom gave me a photo frame with a saying: there are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our
children. One is roots; the other, wings - we have now flown the nest completely so to speak, and I can only hope it is with joy my mother watches us soar! I decided to make this breakfast bread to share with her virtually on mother’s day.

My first task on Saturday morning was to make candied peel but I decided to make Sally’s recipe, as she is my inspiration when it comes to Fresh From The Oven. I only used grapefruit peel as the recipe called for 2 teaspoons. I replaced the sugar with fructose, and used Canderel Yellow 0% for the dusting. I have a little left over which will get some use soon I am sure. Sally always comes up with an interesting twist for our challenges. I decided to make a fruit and nut bread as I much preferred the ingredients in my recipe book to the one for the fruit loaf. I would rather let the bread maker do the hard work, as it means I can spend time on other projects that need my attention in the kitchen.

what did you do for mother’s day this Sunday?

FRUIT AND NUT BREAD (750g loaf)

Adapted from Breville ikon Baker’s Oven Recipe Book

Ingredients:

1 egg (lightly beaten) and enough milk to make up 200mls

90mls apple juice

10mls oil

6.25mls salt

20mls brown sugar – I used fructose

3 cups bread flour

2.5mls bread improver

Grated zest of 1 lemon

5mls ground mixed spice

8.75mls yeast

Add at the beeps or to the fruit and nut dispenser

40mls raisins

10mls mixed peel

10mls dried cranberries

20mls dried apples, chopped

20mls pecans, chopped

Method:

Add the ingredients listed above in the order they are listed up to and including the yeast, into your bread maker

Add the balance of the ingredients into the fruit and nut dispenser or at the beeps as per your model of bread maker

Select the sweet setting on your bread maker

Cooks note: this recipe is not suitable for the preset timer

FRUIT AND NUT BREAD PRINTABLE VERSION

Tandy

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Friday’s Food Quiz Number 20

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Tandy

1. What is Putter fish?

totally foxed here? something a golfer keeps in his aquarium?

2. What is molecular gastronomy?

Heston Blumenthal! A way of cooking which combines the knowledge of chemistry with the knowledge of food. A typical example is Heston’s use of dry ice to make ‘caviar’ out of other ingredients. Another example is the use of essential oils for cooking. A further example is using a vacuum to make meringues. Best experienced at his restaurant The Fat Duck, which charges about GBP100 per tasting plate. (this is all off the top of my head and my recipe encyclopedia is so old, it does not even have it in it)

3. What is traditionally regarded as the definite aphrodisiac food?

oysters!

4. What is vegetarian caviar made of?

algae

5. What does “pane” mean?

bread

6. Which baked bread is said to symbolize the eternal circle of life because of its shape?

In Jewish tradition this is the round Challah baked for Rosh Hashona. Not sure of any other one, but another guess would be a bagel!

7. What is bucatini?

a thick pasta shaped like spaghetti but with a hole running through the middle

8. If a steak is blue, how has it been prepared?

just how I like it – sealed on both sides and served. the steak should be at room temperature before cooking and should not be served on a hot plate which would cook it further

9. If a boiled egg is blue, how has it been prepared?

with food colouring? I have no idea, but I would guess hard boiled

10. What is the Greek food “tiropita”?

phyllo pastry filled with an eggy cheese mixture

Tandy

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Lovage

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Tandy

Lovage has an intense celery flavour that is perfect for winter dishes. It is far easier to grow than celery and these tall plants provide generous harvests.

photograph sourced from Wikipedia

Lovage is native to the eastern Mediterranean. This hardy perennial plant, with large, frond like glossy compound leaves divided into diamond shaped leaflets, can grow to 1.8m. The tiny yellow flowers, borne in umbels are followed by oval seeds which can be used like celery seeds in cooking. The plant dies down completely in winter, emerging in early spring.

Lovage requires a rich moist but well drained soil and light shade where summers are hot. It is propagated by seed which remains viable for 3 years, or by division in spring. The plants benefit from generous quantities of compost. Remove older, yellowing leaves and consider cutting back older plants to about 30cm high to encourage fresh foliage growth in mid summer. In a mixed herb garden, mark the position of lovage as it is deciduous.

For cooking, pick the leaves as required. Dig the roots after the plant dies down, usually in the third year. You can dry all parts of the plant and also freeze the leaves in sealed plastic bags.

Called céleri bâtard or false celery by the French, lovage is used as an ingredient in many commercial bouillons, sauces, stocks and condiments. Its seeds are added to liqueurs and cordials, as well as to breads and sweet pastries. Blanch the stems in the same manner as rhubarb, or eat them raw in salads. You can also candy the stems and eat them as confectionery, or use the leaves in cooking to provide an intense celery like flavouring.

information sourced from The Complete Book of Herbs

Tandy

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Fish Soup

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Tandy

I do not like the word diet. It conjures up starving yourself, or fads. I like the term healthy eating plan instead. This year we changed our eating plan. We’ve always eaten healthily but this year we made some changes. I can tell you after 4 months that this works for us. We’ve cut out carbohydrates in the form of pasta and potatoes every week night. I’ve not bought potatoes this year, and even though I consider myself a bit of a potato addict, I’ve not missed them. We are eating pasta at the most once a week and each dish is special instead of a boring use of what is in the fridge. I’ve not lost much weight, but I am slimmer. I am training 3 times a week and a lot of the wobbly bits have firmed up. As muscle weighs more than fat I am well pleased. I stopped drinking wine during the week for the first two months of the year to aid the new plan, and now I’m back to enjoying a glass with dinner each night. I have cut out sandwiches during the week which means lunch has to be thought about. I’m enjoying fruit and yoghurt or oats for breakfast and salad and boiled eggs for lunch. All told, I feel great and healthy and to me, that was the ultimate aim. Over the weekends Dave and I have indulged in hotdogs and wraps, but I decided that I could make a hot lunch for us, if the weather called for it. I love being in my kitchen, especially when it is raining. Here is a great rainy day soup recipe.

FISH SOUP

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon curry powder

Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

125mls white wine

500mls vegetable stock

2 carrots, thickly sliced

200g hake fillet, cut into chunks (use more if you have it)

Seasoned flour for dusting

125mls cream

Method:

Heat the butter and the oil in a large pot

Add the onion and the garlic and sauté until soft

Add the mustard powder and the curry powder and a couple of turns of your pepper mill

Cook until you can smell the spices

Add the wine and bring to the boil and boil for 30 seconds

Add the stock and the carrots and simmer until the carrots are soft

Pat your fish dry and dust with the seasoned flour

Add the fish to the stock and bring to the boil

Cook for 5 minutes and reduce the heat and add the cream

Stir in until warmed and serve

I added a teaspoon of coriander pesto for some extra zing

FISH SOUP PRINTABLE VERSION

Tandy

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Pink Champagne Jelly

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Tandy

Some wine estates have had our support since we moved to the Helderberg in 2001. Eikendal has been one of them. I just love their Brut Rosé and bought cases at a time. Then, at the beginning of 2010 I went to top up and was told “sorry, we no longer make this”. The lady who I always get my stock from told me she would call me if they got any in. So, I waited – and shopped elsewhere for the pink bubbly I love. In October of 2010 my friend Chantelle told me that Eikendal were having a competition for the Helderberg Wine Festival. Everyone who purchased a bottle of wine / bubbly would be entitled to enter their competition to win a night at the lodge. The Saturday of the festival, Chantelle called to tell me she had a case of pink bubbly for me They had ‘found’ some. Not to miss out on all the stock they have on the Sunday we made a stop at Eikendal. We entered the competition to win a night at the lodge and tasted some wine. While trying to make a purchase, we were ‘pushed aside’ while 3 other people were dealt with. I waited patiently for what should have been my turn first in order to ask whether there was anymore pink bubbly to be told “sorry, your friend took the last ones”. How on earth she knew Chantelle was my friend is beyond me. She did however offer to call me if anymore came in, and so I left her my details. There was another competition running – spend R550 and stand a chance to win 6 bottles of their flagship wines. So, I spent over R550 and put my name in the draw.

The following Monday an email arrived in my inbox

congratulations Andy ~ Your name was drawn in our competition

taking this to be a typo: Andy instead of Tandy, I drove back to Eikendal on Wednesday to collect my winnings. The same lady told me no, this email does not mean you won it was sent to all the entries – WTF? (sorry, I need to use this type of language here). How can you send a group email of this nature?

So, to say sorry for the inconvenience I was given a bottle of …..

yup, you guessed it right! Brut Rosé. The same item they supposedly had none left of.

Now, my first disappointment is obviously not winning the competition, but the second disappointment is that I was told an untruth (lie being such a strong word). There is more of the Brut Rosé – and I would have bought all of it given the opportunity.

I have been saving this bubbly for special occasions and a few weeks ago, the occasion arose. I opened the bottle, and it was flat. I was so disappointed but in order to make sure it was not wasted I capped the bottle and set it aside to use in my kitchen. I remember seeing a recipe for jelly that used pink champagne in the Taste magazine, and so I decided to use it for that.

PINK CHAMPAGNE JELLY

Adapted from Taste magazine page 118 October 2011 issue 66

Ingredients:

2 damask rose herbal tea buds

¼ cup water

1 ¼ cups rosé champagne

1/3 cup sugar – I used fructose

1 cinnamon quill

3 gelatine leaves

Method:

Bring the water to the boil

Add the rose buds and reduce to a simmer

Simmer for 5 minutes before adding the champagne

Add the sugar and stir until dissolved

Simmer while you prepare the gelatine by covering with cold water and leaving for 5 minutes

Remove the champagne from the heat

Squeeze the excess water from the gelatine and add to the champagne

Stir well until the gelatine dissolves

Pour the jelly into glasses and refrigerate overnight to set

PINK CHAMPAGNE JELLY PRINTABLE VERSION

If you are still finding your inbox inundated with comments, or want to know how to turn off the option, please click here to read Sharp Little Pencil’s solution.

Tandy

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Appletini

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Tandy

I do not often post a recipe for an alcoholic drink, in fact, I think you might only find one other on my blog. But I have been inspired by Greg and Katherine over and Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide. They post the most amazing concoction of alcoholic cocktails, and they even use booze in their food. People after my own heart as I love to cook with wine! When we went to the opening of Liam Tomlin Food at Leopard’s Leap we were served Appletini’s using their chenin blanc. The following week, I was assigned apples from Woolworths for their blog, and so I decided I would share with those readers the appletini cocktail. This recipe was however not included in the Chopping Board Chit Chat, but I think it is shareworthy. Both versions are very refreshing and very deceptive. I stopped at one, but a jugful would make a great start to a summer’s evening of entertaining.

thank you to each and over one who read my blog while we were away and left comments! I have replied to them all, and managed to read a few posts while we were away. Hopefully by the end of the week, life will be back to normal – I am heading off to unpack now!

One would usually make this by mixing one tot of vodka with apple juice but an alternative is to take 100mls of white wine and top it with apple juice – salute!

Tandy

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