Who is the Foodie? It doesn’t really matter. Bacon is god. Wine cures anything. If you believe those two facts, then we’re going to get on fine. This means you have discovered the power of food to make life better. This knowledge is imperative to the art of living well.
Not much beats a lazy weekend afternoon meal at a house with good friends. Here’s how to make things perfect so your guests will feel extra special.
1. Don’t go with run-of-the-mill snacks for guests. Biltong is always great. But how about some steak tartare (Raith Gourmet is great for this). Perhaps some peri-peri chicken livers. Maybe some calamari salad (pictured, from Mediterranean Delicacies). Serve with crusty baguette or sourdough.
2. Find something interesting to drink. Visit a small wine shop like Wine Concepts or Vino Pronto for some interesting selections. Try some unusual varietals, like Verdehlo, Roussanne or maybe Carignan, Gamay Noir or Grenache for reds. And there’s enough interesting craft beers out there now to offer something sure to raise an eyebrow.
3. Roast something slowly. It’s simple and really hard to screw up. Find a good piece of lamb/pork/beef from a good butcher (try Frankie Fenner on Kloof Street) and whichever way you prepare it (rub, marinade, etc), rather cook it slowly in an oven at say 140′C for 6 hours instead of 180′C for 2. It’s going to be more tender and so much tastier, you’ll see. The same goes for veggies too.
4. Make a sauce or relish yourself. Things like tzatziki, pickled onions or tomato chutney are simple to make and your guests will appreciate the effort.
5. Serve a cheese plate, not just cheese. A cheese plate means more than two types of cheese. Really the best way to end off an afternoon of lazy eating and drinking. Maybe crack some Port if you’re up for it. Or a small bit of good brandy (10 years or older). Your guests will leave reluctantly, and thinking of an excuse to come back again soon.
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These pics from my mates’ Kezza & Rich’s pad in Llandudno – they know how to entertain.
I started writing a whole post about how I honestly believe that despite the dangers of its abuse, alcohol still contributes much good to society. I was just getting into how (mostly) responsible use can be healthy, encourages social interaction, stimulates creativity and helps relaxation, and is an integral part of the fine-dining world (not exactly a ‘greater good’, but what is great food without great wine?), when I remembered eBooze.
Who? eBooze, if you haven’t heard of them before, provide a simple but very useful delivery service*. Especially useful if, like me, you find yourself unwilling to part yourself from the couch to drive to the nearest outlet and purchase wine for the dinner party that’s starting in a few hours. With eBooze, you can simply pull out your smartphone, log in, choose from a selection of products and they’ll get delivered to you within the hour. No busy lines, long calls or waiting on hold. And you can pay online, or with cash on delivery.
When I used them Friday, they took just 20 minutes to deliver a wine order. I was blown away. Their markup is nothing crazy and delivery charge was R30 (to Camps Bay). They’ve got a pretty good wine selection, not an enormous amount of brands but some good options (including Mulderbosch, Cederberg and Steenberg). They’ve also got quality beers (inc. Brewers & Union, Darling, Corona and Everson’s Cider) and premium spirits (inc. Maker’s Mark. Sailor Jerry, Talisker). And I imagine their selections will only grow in time.
I do love going to a good wine store and browsing selections. But winter is here. When it’s pouring outside, stay indoors and rather go online to get your drinks sent to you. Makes perfect sense to me.
Caveau Eggs Benedict do not disappoint. A long-standing favourite, served with Black Forrest ham on a croissant.
I know this guy who makes this wine who also happens to have a cool wine shop in Riebeek Kasteel called the Wine Kollective selling only Swartland wines. He also happens to be my landlord in town! His El Capitan 10 is jammalicious, bordering on dessert wine red!
Chourizo and cannellini bean stew, with some couscous, makes a pretty awesome and hearty winter dinner. With tons of red wine, of course. Get your chourizo from Frankie Fenner, it’s good.
Saturdays playing cards drinking Alphabetical red wine out of tumblers. I don’t need much more than that.
“Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.” Sophia Loren said it all, right there. Except sometimes I actually prefer linguini.
One of my favourite wine brands around. The red, er Rooi, is not their best, but their bubbly is one of the best value MCC wines around. From the Boer & Brit duo.
DIY burgers at a friends house. Simple yet so satisfying, no matter how old you are.
Have you had this bubbly? Have you? Probably not since it’s only available at the Glen Carlou cellar and often sells out. It’s damend good though. Lush fruit with a crisp citrus edge and not too dry, the kind you can sip with brunch.
The beer day continues. How awesome are these Devil’s Peak Brewery labels? Great work. This pic is from Loading Bay (@LoadingBaySA) who apparently sell it. Along with burgers on Thursdays. Rad.
The Mail & Guardian today released their Top 20 Wineries in South Africa list, as compiled by local wine journo Tim James. It’s a pretty solid selection of our best wineries, with the big-hitting oldies (think Kanonkop, Meerlust, Vergelegen) joining the really hot newbies (think Newtown Johnson, Sadie Family, Mullineux) in a list that I can’t really argue with. James took the opinion of 29 professionals, from critics and journos to retailers and sommeliers, to compile his list.
I thought since I have bugger all to add to that list, I’d just compile my own list, but of my top 20 beers in South Africa.
Note: I didn’t consult 29 professionals. No sommeliers, no retailers, no critics, no hobos or anybody. Jeez, I didn’t even aksk I just thrashed this out based on what I’d want to have waiting for me in my fridge when I get home most days.
Another note: Yes, some of these are local, some are foreign. Get over it. This is my list, if you don’t like it, go and make your own.
1. Darling Brew ‘Slow’
Yes, it’s a lager, but a bloody tasty one. Yeasty, rich and a touch of sweetness, and just wins first place because it’s available on tap. Contract brewed in Cape Town. 2. Brewers & Union ‘Berne’
Again, a lager, but an amber lager that is all caramel butterscotch toasty goodness. Get in my face. Contract brewed in Germany. 3. Triggerfish ‘Ocean Potion’
A local pale ale that is freaking awesome, up there with the best I’ve tasted in the US. I just need to get more, please. Brewed here in the Cape. 4. Paulaner ‘Weissbier’
You can’t go wrong with a good Weissbier and this my favourite, also best out the tap. Plenty of fresh citrus in there. Best enjoyed in the sunshine. Previously brewed in Cape Town, now imported from Germany. 5. Brewers & Union ‘Versus Goliath’
Eessentially another amber lager, similar to the Berne, but richer and sweeter, making it deadly drinkable. One won’t do. Contract brewed in Germany. 6. Camelthorn ‘Red American Ale’
Hello rich, medium-bodied ale with great bittersweet caramel flavours Yes, you, you’re delicious. Brewed in Namibia. 7. Devils Peak ‘Kings Blockhouse’ IPA
Knocked my socks off when I tried it last year for the first time. Quality IPA (Indian Pale Ale) not for the fainthearted or commercial lager lover. Bring it. Brewed in the Cape. 8. Brewers & Union ‘Steph Weiss’
Zippy, fresh Weiss with not too much citrus, but plenty great yeasty flavour. Best looking bottle around too. Contract brewed in Germany. 9. Coopers Pale Ale
It’s a family-owned Aussie beer, yes, and I’ve only just seen it on shelves (at Vino Pronto), but have made repeated pilgrammage to find it, because it’s great beer. Go find some! Brewed in Australia. 10. Robson’s East Coast Pale Ale
Delicious, tangy easy-drinking beer in what I’d say is a quasi pale ale style, thus only mildly bitter. Brewed in KZN. 11. Jack Black ‘Premium Lager’
On tap, still one of the most thirst-quenching-but-with-actual-flavour lagers around. Contract brewed in Cape Town. 12. Pilsner Urquell
Mass brewed, but the only pilsner that really delivers good flavour and body, nicely bitter too. Brewed (mostly) in Czech Republic. 13. Birkenhead ‘Honey Blonde’
Light and fresh ale, bit of a session-drinking beer. Their packaging is unsightly, so enjoy on tap when you can. Brewed in the Cape. 14. Guinness
Who can argue that this rich, creamy stout isn’t the best stout around? Brewed in Ireland and about 5 million other countries. 15. Brewers & Union ‘Dark Lager’
Once you go black, you never go back. Actually, this is light enough you can switch to a regular lager after, if you feel like. Surprising but true. Contract brewed in Germany. 16. Mitchell’s Brewery ‘Bosuns Bitter’
Classic, English-style ale that’s not too heavy to drink, so you can enjoy several of over lunch. Or into the night. Or later. Brewed in the Cape. 17. Corona ‘Extra’
Commercial and as some say, “like having sex in a canoe – fucking close to water,” but undeniably refreshing on a hot day with a piece of lime dropped in. Brewed in Mexico. 18. Frankie Fenner ‘Unlabeled’
It doesn’t have a name, but if you go to Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants and ask them for a sampler while rubbing your left earlobe and winking, you might get lucky. Home brewed in SA. 19. Boston Breweries ‘Van Hunks Pumpkin Ale’
Not sure how available this stuff still is, but for a flavoured beer is rather impressive and worth enjoying. Brewed in Cape Town. 20. Carling ‘Black Label’
Aka Zamalek, this beer, drunk out of a quart, is what refreshing mass-produced lager should taste like. A South African legend and you can find it EVERYWHERE. Brewed in SA.
Probably left a few goodies off, but hey, everyone has their own list. Make your own. If it’s too short, drink more beer.
1. Go to Vino Pronto.
2. Ask for a bottle of La Vierge‘s Jezebelle Chardonnay 2010. A cold one.
3. Go directly home and open the bottle, pour a big glass.
4. Drink it. Enjoy it. Perhaps sear yourself some salmon fillet, maybe with Dijon mashed potato and sauteed spinach with pine nuts on the side.
5. If you have to share it, choose your companion wisely.
Follow the above steps and, trust me, your weekend is pretty much set.
I’m really looking forward to the next few wine brands who step up and realise that content is not just about branded information, it’s about entertainment. More of the above video: simple, clever and nicely executed. Last year I worked with August on a series for Brampton wines doing video tasting notes that consumers access via QR codes on the wine bottles. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but the videos show the character of the winemaker, Thinus Kruger. “This wine’s so good, some mornings I want to use it as an aftershave.” Irreverent, yet all the information is still there. I like that.
Recent events at Mulderbosch have been, well, somewhat of a big deal. For those out of the industry loop, without getting into too much boring detail, here’s the skinny: Mulderbosch was bought by a US investment company, moved the location of their tasting room and cellar to what was once Kanu on the other side of Stellenbosch and hired gifted former Klein Constantia winemaker and ongoing style-monger Adam Mason to head up winemaking. They launched their refurbished tasting room last week with its new very California-like vibe, complete with thin-crust pizzas and a scenic outside lounge.
So, why such a big deal? Well, Terroir Capital, the company that now owns Mulderbosch is run by Charles Banks, one-time owner of Screaming Eagle wines in Napa. If you’re in the wine business, you know Screaming Eagle. If you’re not, all you need to know is the wine goes for about $1,500 per bottle! Basically, Charles Banks’ company invests in “best-in-class” wineries. So their investment in Mulderbosch is thus, a big deal.
Hence the turnout at the launch was solid, full of big wine industry names. The Mulderbosch wines need no introduction – they’re one of those brands where every product is good – but they were also pouring some other wines from their stable: Fable, up in Tulbagh, as well as Californian brands Leviathan (see pic above of winemaker Andy Erickson with Mulderbosch’s Alex McFarlane) and Sandhi, the latter’s Chardonnay and Pinot’s being the most impressive wines. Sadly I had to return to the office for “real work” and couldn’t really get stuck into the wines. Another day though…
If the above is all jargon and boring, here’s what you need to know: the new Mulderbosch tasting room and the pizzas they serve are a welcome addition to the winelands, especially the Polkedraai Hills area where there isn’t much going on. And the fact that the setting is all rather casual, well, that’s even more awesome.
Constantia Fresh 2012. A kick-ass wine dinner on the Friday night at The Greenhouse with Peter Tempelhoff’s high-brow experiential cuisine paired to some local and foreign wines extraordinaire. 5-courses, 12 wines and plenty of whiskey and bullshit conversation in the bar after.
Then Saturday afternoon on the lawns of Buitenverwachting: hay bales, sunshine, tons of Sauvignon Blanc and tasters of food by top local chefs. This is how you do wine festivals. This is how you get people to love your wines. This is how you do Saturdays.
See you next year.
*bookmark www.constantiafresh.com so you don’t miss out – tickets are limited, this isn’t one of those naff overcrowded events.
It’s November. Well, technically it’s also Movember. Or everyone is feeling Mexican. Whatever, there are a lot of guys out there sporting dodgy facial hair moustaches this time of year. I’ve seen small trimmed numbers, big handlebar tashes and some interesting styles in between. Whether you’re growing it for fun or actually trying to do some good, chances are you look pretty dumb. So you might as well get something out of it.
El Jimador tequila is helping out with their Flash Your Tash campaign, getting people to well, flash their moustache, of course. They’re letting me take 3 readers (plus partners) to a big fat Mexican dinner at El Burro restaurant in Greenpoint on December 6th to celebrate tash season.
All you have to do is send me pics of yourself as you Flash Your Tash.*
It doesn’t even have to be real. Which means it’s open to boys and girls. Fake tashes stuck or drawn on. Real tashes. Even ginger tashes. It doesn’t matter. Just send me funny pics and you could be joining for a raucous Mexican dinner on 6th December. And by raucous I mean insanely fun with El Jimador tequila flowing like a flooded river. So come and taste the glory with me…
*HOW: Send pics to thefoodie.co.za@gmail.com (or via twitter directed at @foodie_za with the tag #eljimador) before Dec 2nd.
Find out more about El Jimador 100% agave tequila at www.eljimador.com.
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T&C’s: You must be of legal drinking age to enter Deadline for submissions is Friday 2 December 2011 You will need to be available on 6 December 2011 Entrants need to be Cape Town-based Inappropriate photos will be rejected. Photos must not: o feature anyone under the legal drinking age o depict violence, drugs, drug culture, or unlawful or anti-social behavior o be offensive on grounds of age, gender, race, religion or sexual orientation or likely to cause widespread offence on any other grounds
Who is the Foodie? It doesn’t really matter. Bacon is god. Wine cures anything. If you believe those two facts, then we’re going to get on fine. This means you have discovered the power of food to make life better. This knowledge is imperative to the art of living well.
