Jason Bakery is known for cranking out sandwiches of glory, kickass pies and arguably the best croissant in Cape Town, depending on who you’re arguing with. He also hosts a pizza night every Thursday and let’s customers choose the music, so he invited me to make a playlist to accompany his dough and topping creations last night.

His pizza was awesome. I tried the Truffle Overload, a no-cheese pizza topped with truffle chourizo from the Frankie Fenner team, mushrooms, rocket and more truffle oil. Pungent and pretty damned tasty. While there I also realised I need more Cutty Sark whisky in my life. It’s gooooood. Who brings it into SA? Where can I buy it? Help people!

The playlist went down fine. I realised I have tons of playlists created for occasions that revolve around food. With names like Dinner Chill, Saturday lunch, Eat Eat, Sunday Oldies and so on, it’s rather obvious how much music plays a role when you host people for meals.

I thought I’d share a couple of current favourite songs in a generic ‘eating playlist,’ since it’s Friday, sharing is caring and because why the hell not. Put it on the next time you want to get in the mood. To cook. Or whenever.

DOWNLOAD THE EATING PLAYLIST HERE. It’s a random mix of old and new including songs by Generationals, The Walkmen, Doves, Okkervil River, Kasabian, Yeasayer and of course Eagles of Death Metal.

Bought some stuff at that great Thai supermarket on Main Road, Sea Point, on Sunday. Aside from fish sauce, peanut oil and a bunch of vegetables (bok choy!), I also bought some instant noodles. There’s something about eating hot and spicy instant noodles that I really enjoy. It’s junk food in most ways, but at the same time, it’s totally comforting. Especially the hot broth.

Less comforting is the ingredient list on the back of this packet.

“Ingredients: wheatmeal, fine palm oil, starch, salt.”

Go right ahead and file that under ‘Bullshit.’ Maybe those ingredients are the noodles, but in all those little sauce and spice packets I reckon a good amount of weird shit is included, and most likely that old flavouring stalwart, MSG. Mmm, not ideal.

Oh, they were really tasty though. And cost about R8 or something.

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.

It’s all downhill today after this breakfast.

Toasted croissant, several slices of Dutch Mature Gouda from Mediterranean Delicacies, two soft-boiled eggs (5-minutes is the perfect time) peeled and split. Touch of salt and pepper. Get in my face. Ooh ooh ooh! The rich yolk and soft, creamy Gouda cheese together with the buttery croissant… I’m finished.

Cancel the day. Call everything off. Just put me on a coffee drip and wheel me into the sun somewhere so I can bask in the glory of food happiness.

What I’m most excited about right now? That on the last day of the month I fly off to Portugal for 10 days of wine, food and adventure with two friends. Part work-research, part-holiday, all fun. With the assistance of some incredibly helpful Portuguese friends and connections (take a bow, Joaquim), it’s sure to be memorable. Just need to brush up on my basic Portuguese. How do you say, “More of that vintage Port please!”

If you don’t have helpful Portguese connections but want to visit, just browse this site for info: www.visitportugal.com.

I’m particularly fond of spinach and feta pie. Sad thing is, usually it’s eaten in the form of a take-away pie from a 24-hour garage shop that only tastes decent because I’m feeling the effects of wine overindulgence. And even then it’s a compromise: you want a pie because it’s going to soak up all the alcohol, but you don’t want to eat the weird meat they use so you go with spinach and feta. At least that’s how my line of thought works at 3am.

However, a good home-made spinach and feta pie is a winner, far better than the take-out alternative and added bonus is you’re unlikely to wake up the next day with crumbs all over yourself. The good folk at Mediterranean Delicacies sent me some phyllo pastry so it seemed like the natural thing to make. It’s a great winter dish that’s easy to cook for large numbers.

If you don’t want to make one large pie, you can also cut your phyllo into small squares and scrunch up to make little bite-sized spinach and feta parcels. A full pie just seemed more hearty though. Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients:
1 roll phyllo pastry, thawed to room temperature
1 bag of spinach, rinsed and roughly chopped (should make about 3 handfuls once chopped)
200g Danish feta
200g mixed mushrooms, chopped
1 knob butter
1 onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1 handful Italian parsley, chopped
Salt & pepper to season
Olive oil
1 bottle red wine

Method:
Open the wine and pour a glass; enjoy the taste while surveying your ingredients. A good wine should make you smile.
Add a good swig of some olive oil to a wide saucepan on medium-high heat; add the onions when hot and saute about 10 minutes.
Add the butter, garlic and the mushrooms and fry until mushrooms browned a little, about 15 minutes. Be sure to drink some wine while doing this to pass the time quicker.
Add the spinach and stir into the onion, mushroom mix to soften; cook until spinach is softened through, then remove from heat and stir the Danish feta pieces into saucepan.
Season with salt and pepper, add the parsley and another swig of olive oil and set aside. Reward yourself with a good swig of red wine.
Unroll the phyllo pastry so it’s a stack of thin sheets, then brush each individual sheet with olive oil (best method for this is to fold in half like a book, then brush as if turning the pages one by one).
Place the phyllo stack into a roasting dish (wiped with some olive oil to prevent sticking), then add the mushroom, spinach and feta mixture on top.
Fold up the sides roughly so the centre is partially open (to let a bit of air in), drizzle with a few bits of water (just splash with your fingertips) to moisten the top of the pastry and place in the oven at 180′C for 45 minutes.
Once removed, should be perfectly cooked, the pastry nicely browned on top. Cut into portions and serve with whatever wine is left in the bottle.

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You can get both Danish feta and phyllo from www.mediterraneandelicacies.co.za.

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.

www.ebooze.co.za

* Cape Town area only

A short roundup of my favourite breakfasts in and near Cape Town. Because you should love breakfast. Because a good breakfast sets the tone for the day. Because it’s the only reason to get out of bed. Because it goes so well with coffee. Because if we weren’t meant to eat Eggs Benedict, why the hell would chickens lay eggs?

Business breakfast: Dear Me. Two page menu of breakfast options, so something for everyone in the meeting. They do a great eggs and soldiers.
Weekend lazy-brunch-with-bubbles: Bistro 1682. Ooh, try their Eggs Benedict with thick pork belly-style bacon.
OCEBD (Obsessive Compulsive Eggs Benedict Disorder) relief: Caffe Milano. Small but perfect Eggs Benedict (pictured).
Breakfast that turns into lunch: Cafe Paradiso on Kloof Street. Good food, beautiful garden setting.
Breakfast scene: Jason Bakery. Bacon croissant to go, or shakshuka (poached eggs in roasted tomato) to stay.
Breakfast on your own: The Power & The Glory. A stool at the window, watching the morning traffic go by, eating muesli with homemade yoghurt, or boiled eggs on rye. Poetic, really.
Hangover cure I:  Superette. Try their poached eggs with home-cooked haricot vert beans in tomato. “Beans, beans, the magical fruit…”
Hangover cure II: Sidewalk Cafe. The Stack, with eggs, bacon, pork sausages, etc etc. Soaks up whatever’s left from the night before.
Coffee for breakfast: Deluxe on Church Street or Espressolab at the Old Biscuit Mill.
Market breakfast: Test Kitchen poached eggs on rösti with bacon, served at the Neighbourgoods Market (Biscuit Mill), still winning.
Quiet inner city breakfast sanctum I: Skinny Legs & All on Loop Street, part gourmet space, part gallery.
Quiet inner city breakfast sanctum II: Hemelhuijs, part restaurant, part design space.
Omelette: Olympia Cafe in Kalk Bay, light and fluffy like nowhere else.
Full breakfast buffet: Harvey’s at Winchester Mansions, the classic hotel breakfast with all the trimmings.
Breakfast with tourists: Sandbar / The Grand in Camps Bay.
Breakfast with the paper: Caveau. In the courtyard, with some Eggs Benedict served on a croissant with Black Forrest ham. Very civilized, old chap.
Salmon bagel: New York Bagels in Sea Point. For bagels and bagel-spotting.
Cupcake breakfast: Lazari in Gardens.
Mexican breakfast: Cosecha restaurant at Noble Hill. Another breakfast-becomes-lunch contender too.
Stellenbosch breakfast: De Oude Bank Bakkerij. In the centre of town, breakfast with fresh bakery bread goodness.
Stellenbosch breakfast II: Nook Eatery, whoops, had to get reminded about them (thanks, Miss Moss), it’s been way too long.

…

I concede, there are loads of other good breakfasts around (feel free to add in comments), but these are the ones that come to mind. Go forth and eat.

May the HP sauce be with you.

So you’ve probably all been watching as things have progressed on Masterchef SA every Tuesday night. It must be the most talked-about show in the country, and there’s been no shortage of debate on the judges and contestants, as well as the continuing comparisons with the original Australian version aired here.

But something undebatable is how the show has more people thinking about food. Actually, not just thinking about food, cooking! I first noticed this when my mom started emailing me recipes she’d been doing, all inspired by her watching Masterchef. Then there’s friends and random other people who seem to be inspired to cook ambitious dishes. It’s undeniable, and I think it’s great: the more the better (especially if they invite you to dinner).

Woolworths have a Shop and Cook like a Chef page on their site which is basically aimed at just that: inspiring home cooks to embrace their inner Masterchef. The tips and recipes relate to the show’s weekly themes and the main contributor is the saucy Hannah Lewry from TASTE magazine. Since there are likely tons of people wanting to recreate similar recipes form the show, this is all rather a useful resource.

Regardless of whether you think the show is overly dramatized, perfectly in tune or the best thing since sliced bread, the fact that it’s enouraging more people to cook better food is a great thing for the food world. It’s probably a good thing for society too, since I’m a firm believer that time spent with friends and family interacting over quality food encourages positive social behaviour.

Whatever the case, if you’re into creating a better society, want to make gnocchi from scratch (video) or just after the perfect mushroom risotto, check out Cook and Shop like a Chef.

Many of you might think a bagel is a young Jewish man with a penchant for wearing open shirts and too many gold chains who likes to hang around Sea Point, but a bagel is also a food item. There’s not many places that do bagels right in South Africa. Seems like some bakers think a bagel is a freaking bread donut. Bullshit! A bagel is bread dough that is boiled, then baked. And ideally then lightly toasted before eating. The perfect bagel should be chewy, but not heavy. It should also be a bit salty. New York Bagels in Sea Point make good ones. Giovanni’s’ are okay too, and you’ll undoubtedly spot several of the other type of bagels there too.

Then the filling. You can do whatever you like as long as it’s salmon and cheese. Everything else is a waste of time. Luckily Mediterranean Delicacies had everything I needed. The salmon: good quality, freshly smoked salmon with a squeeze of lemon juice. The cheese: cream cheese is the most popular, but I prefer Danish feta. Danish feta is much milder than regular feta, smoother and doesn’t crumble, which is perfect so you can squash it onto the salmon. Also, you don’t want too strong a cheese for breakfast. Then you’ll want a few capers for added flavour and saltiness. Capers are perhaps the most underrated foodstuff. They’re like little explosive balls of Mediterranean flavour!

And that’s it. A bagel. Smoked salmon, Danish feta and capers. Breakfast of champions. Perfect for a weekend. All you need now is a newspaper, some coffee and a comfortable chair with a view.