Russel Wasserfall’s Photo Course.

Click onto Russel Wasserfall’s website and there’s a link titled ‘Cheese.’ I clicked it, expecting to see, well, cheesy pics of families and dogs and kids playing with flowers and stuff, but instead, I got the above. Which explains a lot about where Russel’s passion is: food, and more particularly, photographing food.

I’ve had the privilege of working with Russel on some shoots and the man is a professional. He knows what he wants and how to shoot it. He also knows how to drink a beer and have a good chat, which is another reason his photography course is bound to be fun.

It’s a two-day course specifically aimed at food bloggers (or aspiring food photographers) that will take participants through techniques, styling, lighting, propping, portraiture and more. It’s the kind of course that will change the way you look at a camera, and the way you look at food with a camera. He’s going to share some gems from his 12 years as a photographer, where he’s shot everything from restaurant menus to packaging for Woolworths. If you’re serious about taking better pictures, you should be there.

The course is on 2 & 3 December; more details on his site at www.rwasserfall.co.za. I could write more, but I’ll just post some pics that he’s taken, to prove his talents.

(Warning: this will make you hungry)

The Bacon Croissant Competition.

The nice folks at Eat In magazine hosted a bacon croissant competition this morning. And they asked me and a couple other foodies to help judge. Now for someone who’s idea of the perfect croissant is one with bacon in it, you can imagine the salivating that was going on from when I woke up this morning to when I made it to their offices on Bree Street. I basically needed a bib.

Sadly there were only three croissants to judge from, though I think our arteries pumped a sigh of relief. But you can’t really qualify the result as the ‘be all and end all of bacon croissant quality’ in Cape Town. And one of the three happened to not have bacon in it, a sad oversight in an otherwise good croissant. But, hey stick three croissants in front of me and I’m not going to complain. Especially when one of them is from Jardine Bakery, who tied on appearance (with the Taj) but cleaned up on the taste and texture categories and was the overwhelming winner. What a great start to the day, and hopefully Eat In will host a few more contests with more entrants in the future.

Note: Croissants have a varied origin, depending on who you believe. Apparently though, they have nothing to do with mysterious war victories or the crescent on the Turkish flag. The real origin appears to be an Austrian baker in Paris in the early 1800′s. Regardless of where the croissant originates, there is no doubt it is the most famous French pastry in the world. Can you name any pastry more famous? I can’t. And when they taste this good, who needs anything else.

Another note: several croissants died in the writing of this article.

This is What You Should be Eating.

I’m not going to mess around. It’s Friday. We have very little time, since the Friday work day is actually only three hours long. And I don’t want to waste any of yours. However, if you’re one of the few people that work Friday afternoons, there is a treat for you too. Anyways, back to my point: just because winter is coming it doesn’t mean you need to get fat. Phew, that’s it. I said it. Now repeat it. It’s true. You can eat hearty, rich and delicious foods this winter without looking like a pork banger come Spring. You can eat well without the thought have extra gym workouts in September. You can even eat more… bacon!!

How? You just have to balance your fatty foods with healthy foods. Simple. Duh. Basically, if you’re going to eat a big, fat juicy steak with Bearnaise sauce, remember to balance it with some good greens. Pile on the asparagus and mushrooms. If you’re going to eat bacon and eggs for breakfast, think about a tuna salad for lunch. Or better yet, think about having your bacon in your soup, with beans, so you get your good tasty food along with the healthy food.

And that’s it. No rocket science. No “I’m Dr Fatkins and I can save you” BS. Nope. Just a simple concept that works. Like this simple recipe for bacon and bean soup below. Yes, beans. I hear the sniggers, but despite the thoughts of your duvet rising off you in the night due to increased gaseous exchange, beans are super tasty and very healthy. So eat them. Lots of them.

Oh, and if you’re ‘working’ Friday afternoon (and have time on your hands), here’s what not to eat…  www.thisiswhyyourefat.com

Otherwise, here’s my recipe for Bacon & Borlotti Bean Soup:

Ingredients:

1/2 pack streaky bacon, diced

1 tin borlotti beans, drained and rinsed

1 tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 tin whole peeled tomatoes

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

5 carrots, finely diced

750ml chicken stock

1 handful parsley, finely chopped

olive oil

Preparation:

Saute the onion in some olive oil on medium-low heat for 10 minutes in a medium-size saucepan

Add the garlic, carrots and the streaky bacon pieces and fry another 10 minutes

Add the tin tomatoes and the beans, and allow to come to boil

Add the stock and stir to mix ingredients well, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes (the longer you simmer, the better it tastes) stirring occasionally to prevent sticking at bottom

Season generously with salt (Maldon, of course) and black pepper, and serve in bowls garnished with some parsley and a decent splash of olive oil

The Pig.

I am angry right now. Why? Well, because of a cooking class. It’s called ‘The Pig.’ Okay. Nothing else. Not ‘Cooking with Pig’ or ‘Preparing Pig.’ Just ‘The Pig.’ A class devoted simply to this great animal. Anyone that has been following my posts knows I am obsessed with pig. Bacon. Jamon. Whatever. All good. But that’s not the whole deal. Then there’s the fact that it’s hosted by legendary charcuterie man, Neil Jewell, of Bread & Wine. I love that restaurant’s food. Like really love it. And now he’s doing his very own cooking class. Wow. This is one class that gets me salivating. And they’re giving away a seat. Sick!

Then why does this all make me angry? The problem is I won’t be in Cape Town at the time. Argh! Why the hell does my timing really have to be so bad sometimes. Okay, I will be doing a burger reconnaissance in New York, so can’t really complain. But freaking hell, when was the last time someone hosted a course on pig??? All the other cooking schools go on about ‘perfecting the souffle’ and shit. Not Chefs Warehouse. There it’s just: ‘The Pig’ by Neil Jewell. Love it. But won’t be there. So now I’m angry.

Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School.

A Message to Jamie Who.

Dear Jamie,

I’m really glad we got together yesterday for a quick coffee and brief chat. Was really good to catchup and bounce around some food ideas and latest restaurant thoughts. Was just thinking this morning that if we’d decided to drink beer or something, things could have gotten outta hand. Hell, if we’d started drinking Berne at &UNION we might even have sunk about two or three each and then moved on to a couple of their frozen margaritas! Ha! We in all likelihood would’ve had some crazy ideas if we’d spent the whole afternoon drinking in the sun together. Like deciding we’d do a double feature on drinking everything &UNION at on offer, in one seating. Ha! Crazy! Just think, we’d probably have to have taken taxi’s home last night if we’d gone that route. Or I might even have bummed a ride from a mate’s girlfriend to crash a dinner party. Jeez, if I’d done that I probably would’ve made a fool of myself with my constant inebriated giggling and loud outbursts. I might even have yelled at the host/cook “Freaking hell, I thought we ordered our burgers hours ago!” Or something like that. And that would just be rude. Man, that would’ve bothered me.

Anyways, just wanted to say things could have turned out crazy, but I’m glad we’ve both got very sensible, moderate heads on our shoulders. Catch you around soon.

Yours in food & drink,

Foodie.

(you can read what Jamie Who is up to right here.

The Falafel Shuffle.

If you’re out on Long Street, you’re not there for a stroll. You’re there to drink. Hence eating a falafel on Long Street always seems like a good idea at the time. The most common time to do it is between 10PM and about 3AM, and the most well known place to do it is that little stand on the pavement somewhere in the vicinity of the corner of Bloem or Pepper Street.

It’s just known as “the falafel stand” by most people, but it is actually Mr. Muhammad’s, and to shatter the grand illusion of many drunkards: it’s definitely not that great. In fact, unless you’re completely hammered on a heady mix of beer, tequila, rum and vodka from some serious drinking at Julep and Waiting Room or wherever else, then you’d best give Muhammad’s a skip. When you’ve got so much alcohol in you, bacteria means nothing. Otherwise, and I mean unless you’re really devastatingly drunk, I suggest you go elsewhere. But where?

Poza for one, just across the road from tourist-harassment central, The Dubliner. At Poza, step right past the dodgy roadkill sausages on the grill window. Those boerie rolls are in the same boat as Mr. Muhammad’s. Seriously, when was the last time you saw one of them while sober? I did and I’ll never order one again. I even asked the guy, “What meat is that?!” He gave me a nonchalant look and muttered “beef” under his breath, but I wasn’t convinced. Rather go inside and order a falafel at the counter. The guy might unsubtly rattle his tip jar when he gives you your change, and there might be a blubbery, grim-looking lamb kebab rotisserie in full view, but the falafel here isn’t bad at all. It’s a bit of a hybrid, with some fries thrown into the falafel too. Almost a homage to the gatsby. But the little chickpea balls are delicious, and there’s beetroot and other goodies to soak up the alcohol in you. And overall, it is rather tasty.

But if you really want to eat a good falafel in Long Street, the surprising champion is Royale. What – the burger place? Yup, they actually do a falafel burger, called the Zelig. While it might not be a truly traditional falafel, it is far superior to the competition on upper Long. Instead of the falafel ball, it’s a patty. Instead of a roti, it’s on a soft bun. But with peppadews, garlic and hummus, and the soft, fresh falafel patty, the Zelig is very, very tasty. At R54 is it a bit pricier than the competition, but then in Royale the crowd is hipsters, student and creatives rather than streetkids, crack salesmen and pickpockets. Worth it if you ask me.

And there you have it. Three options for a late night falafel just a short shuffle away from each other. Choose wisely, eat well.

Poza. 021 422 4922. Royale. 021 422 4536.