Lou loves her! Meet My Easy Cooking’s Nina Timm

WHAT started out as a sheepish birthday present from her husband five years ago kick-started former Port Elizabeth resident Nina Timm’s flourishing career as food blogger, stylist, trainer and “cyberchef” on a national radio station.

Nina, who will be in Port Elizabeth on Friday to address members of women’s organisation Club 100 at the Boardwalk Hotel’s Kipling’s restau-rant, is the passionate foodie behind award-winning blog, my-easy-cooking.com

She’s also known for Kuberkok (“cyberchef”), her popular weekly programme on RSG, in which she shares her own and other bloggers’ recipes and helps listeners solve their culinary conundrums.

Family is central to how and why she cooks, she says. “I love helping moms create good memories with their families.

“I reckon a mother always creates memories for her children with the meals she prepares. These can be very bad or very good memories – it is up to the mom!”

Nina, who is working on her first cookery book, has come a long way since her husband, Rodney Timm Jr, forgot her birthday and, as a crafty backup plan, worked through the night to set up a blog platform for her.

He had felt she should be sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for honest home cooking with others; she took to the project with such gusto that My Easy Cooking was last year voted SA’s best local food blog in a DSTV, Food Network and Eat Out magazine initiative.

Nina also does regular cooking classes and demonstrations, is a highly rated food stylist, helps other people write their cookery books and consults to companies.

Try out these recipes from Nina

Roast Pork Belly serves 4-6 with a little left over for sandwiches

Ingredients

1.5 kg deboned pork belly; salt; pepper; about 2T whole dry coriander

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Using a very sharp knife, score the belly right through the top layer of skin (the crackling part). Nina scores it only one way, the same direction as you are going to cut the meat for serving (see photo). If, however, you do not have a very sharp knife, ask your butcher and he will do it for you. Pat the meat dry with some kitchen towelling and leave while you prepare the coriander. Place the whole dry coriander in a dry pan and roast until you can smell the flavours.

Place the coriander in a pestle and mortar and crush. Rub the belly with salt, pepper and the dry coriander, making sure you rub the spices into the scored slices.

Place the pork belly in a roasting pan, on a wire rack, and roast for about 2 to 2½ hours or until the crackling has the perfect crunch.

Allow meat to rest for about 10 to 15 min. Enjoy with creamy mash and gravy and roasted apples, or give it an Asian twist and serve it with basmati rice and a sweet and sour sauce.

Apples stuffed with pork and wrapped in bacon, serves 12

Ingredients

12 small apples – Nina prefers red; 12 rashers bacon; 6 good-quality pork sausages, removed from casings; a few sprigs of thyme

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Wash and dry the apples and remove the stems. Use an apple corer and core the apples, but do not cut right through the apples.

Now take the sausage stuffing and stuff each apple (about ½ sausage per apple). Wrap a piece of bacon around each apple, overlapping the ends at the bottom. Place a sprig of thyme on each apple and bake for about 20 min or until the apples are soft and bacon is crispy.

Place around your favourite pork roast and indulge a little!

Tomato Chilli Chutney

Nina says tomatoes bring back vivid memories of walking through her uncle’s luscious garden with a salt pot in one hand, eating tomatoes off the vine … “perfection in every bite!” Her tomato chilli chutney is perfect on roast meat, chicken, fish and also an ideal accompaniment for cheese on a cheeseboard or on a grilled cheese sandwich.

Ingredients

500g mini tomatoes; 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, peeled; 5ml to 10ml chilli flakes; 100ml white vinegar; 250ml to 300ml castor sugar; 2.5ml salt

Method

Place all the ingredients in a pot and slowly bring to boil so that the sugar has time to melt. Once the chutney is boiling reduce the heat and allow to bubble away and reduce to a thick, almost sticky consistency. Spoon into a sterilised glass jar and keep in the fridge to eat with cheese, sausage, cold meats or whatever you may fancy.

Q&A with Nina Timm

Where and how did your love of cooking begin?

I come from a family that celebrates every occasion with food around the old family table, whether it is the birth of a baby or the death of a granny or grandpa. My mom and grandma instilled a passion in me to bring people together – always around good, honest food.

You lived and worked in PE before. Are you originally from the Eastern Cape, and where are you based now?

We lived in Hallack Road and I taught at Cape Receife school for 11 years, first as a speech correctionist and later as a Grade 2 teacher. We now live in the “garden city” suburb of Pinelands, in Cape Town.

Where have the ideas and influences come from for the dishes you feature on your blog?

I have a passion and heart for the mother who comes home at 5pm and has to feed a family at 6pm. Most of the recipes on my blog are made with basic, fresh ingredients that are easily available. Many of the recipes are also ones I grew up with – honest family fare.

Describe your way of cooking.

Easy, unpretentious and delicious.

The days are becoming chillier. What is an easy three-course meal you might prepare for dinner guests at this time of year?

As a starter, I would serve puff pastry tartlets with poached pears, blue cheese and wild rocket. Main course could be pork belly with garlic mash and baby green beans and as dessert I would serve my easy-peasy orange-infused chocolate mousse.

What is the most important lesson working as a food blogger and stylist has taught you so far?

Passion inspires you, dedication drives you and help from others in the field humbles you.

Do you work in this field full time, or do you have another day job you have to juggle it with?

Cooking is my everything, it is what I do each and every day. Whether I cook for clients, give cooking classes or write articles, it is for me a joy and not a job.

Who are your culinary heroes?

Locally, Reuben Riffel for his humility and honesty when it comes to food. Internationally I would not mind barging up and down the canals in Southern France with Rick Stein.

Which five ingredients can’t you live without?

Good cheese, butter, sea salt, olive oil, smoked paprika and, always, tinned tomatoes.

Which of your kitchen tools come first in your book?

Sharp knives, a whisk, family-size pans, tongs and a set of chef fingers always help!

If you could choose a final meal on earth, what would it be?

Pork belly or cornflakes and cold milk.

Do you have a favourite kitchen tip or trick you would like to share?

Eat out when you’re angry.

Family time and togetherness, especially around the table, are important to you. How old are your children and how do you cope with fussy eaters in the family?

Yes, it’s the place where we bond as a family. We share our highs and lows and make memories around the table. My son, Christopher, is 15 and my daughter, Chloe, is 12. I’m blessed with children and a hubby who are not fussy at all.

Your husband was the one who got you into blogging. Is he also a keen cook?

Rodney might be better remembered in Port Elizabeth for his racing rather than his blogging capabilities! He can cook, but hates doing dishes, so leaves the cooking to me. He can braai a mean chop though!

How long have you been RSG’s “Kuberkok” and what do you enjoy most about the show?

I’ve been doing it for the last 2½ years. There are many highlights, but the listeners who phone and share their life stories and problems with me make me humble and keep me grounded.

How is your book coming along?

I have handed in the manuscript and now it is time for designing, translating and printing. It will be released in English and Afrikaans and we hope to launch it in March or April 2014.

What was your biggest cooking disaster?

My biggest disaster happened just last week, when I cooked a shoulder of springbok for four hours and ended up with a piece of leather. Maybe the time I whisked the dish towel into the cake batter while giving a food demonstration would also go down as a disaster!

When no one is home and you need of serious comfort food for one, what are you most likely to whip up for yourself?

Cornflakes and milk!

Your blog and being on air have given you a national profile. Where has this taken you in South Africa?

I travel to the major cities doing demos and cooking shows, but the best moments I’ve had have been in the dorpies. Bloemfontein is near and dear to my heart and will go down as my best cooking experience so far.

What’s next for Nina Timm?

When you finish one book there’s always a next one lurking in your mind, but I really am driven by teaching people to cook. Nothing in this world gives me more pleasure than empowering people in their own kitchens.

How to bake hot cross buns from scratch this Easter

Ralph Gottschalk shows Louise his perfect batch of home-made hot cross buns. Pictures: Salvelio Meyer

AS German pastry chef Ralph Gottschalk prepares to share his traditional  hot cross bun recipe, he remembers his apprentice years in his country of origin where, on a typical Saturday, he would be required to roll out as many as 5000 buns for baking.

Thankfully the batch for my lesson this week would only yield 20 and Ralph was considerate enough to share with me his “under two-hour” recipe and not his “more proper” four-hour recipe.

Most people, including me, have never dreamt of making hot cross buns from scratch. But it’s easier than you think and the end result is more than worth it.

Shop-bought buns seem positively horrid after you’ve tasted Ralph’s home-made ones; these babies are big, fluffy, rich in fruit and spice and free of preservatives.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to start a new Easter tradition with your family this year? Rope in the kids, and hubby too, and get them all to help bake a batch of glistening beauties.

Hot cross buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, though you could enjoy yours all weekend long, as I intend doing!

Bake a batch of these beauties and start a new tradition on Good Friday.

Hot Cross Buns: The Recipe

This recipe makes 20 buns and takes about two hours to do.

For the dough

5 tsp instant yeast; 7 cups cake flour; ½ cup brown sugar; ¼  cup castor sugar; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp nutmeg; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1 pinch ground clove; 1 ½ cup sultanas; 2 eggs; 4 Tbsp soft butter, unsalted; 420ml water; 200ml full-cream milk

For the crosses

1 cup cake flour; 180ml water; 4 tsp caster sugar

For the glaze

90ml water; 6 Tbsp castor sugar; 3 tsp gelatine powder

Method

1. Dissolve the yeast together with a little of the sugar in a bowl with the water and milk. Let it stand for 5 min. If it’s a cold day, you can heat the water/milk mixture ever so slightly so the yeast can be properly activated.

2. Place the mixture into a mixing bowl and add the other dough ingredients; mix by hand or use a machine until a soft and slightly sticky dough is formed. Flour does differ from batch to batch (Ralph uses stone-ground) so if you feel the consistency is too soft, then add a bit of flour.

3. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is elastic (don’t over-knead it; if you have mixed it using a machine it won’t need all that much kneading either).

4. Divide the dough into 20 pieces (each should weigh around 110g) and roll these into smooth balls. Place the balls onto paper-lined baking sheets, leaving enough space between each roll – about 5cm.

5. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Louise lends a hand as Ralph gets ready to pipe the crosses onto each bun before baking.

6. While the buns are rising, make the mixture for the crosses. Mix flour, water and sugar to a soft, smooth paste. Using a piping bag (or ziplock bag snipped on one corner) pipe crosses onto each bun just before baking. Don’t do it until you’re ready to bake as the crosses will run.

7. Bake the buns at 180C for 30 min or until golden brown.

8. Make the glaze when the buns are almost ready to come out of the oven. Combine the glaze ingredients in a microwave-safe jug and microwave on medium for 1 to 2 min. Brush the buns gently while hot.

9. Let the buns cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

* Ralph does regular cooking classes for all ages, and has launched a nationally accredited chef’s academy which will operate from his Fernglen premises. For cooking classes visit www.thepastryworks.co.za and for chef’s academy details call  082-693-0578.

Ultimate Braai Master II auditions in PE… and meeting Justin Bonello!

Suckling pig on the braai was one of the highlights of the day. All pictures: Salvelio Meyer

Celeb chef, TV show host and thoroughly nice guy Justin Bonello was in Port Elizabeth last weekend for the Eastern Cape regional auditions of the Ultimate Braai Master II competition, which will start airing on South African TV in September.

Salvelio and I joined 18 other judges in the parking lot at NMMU’s Letaba residence to help whittle down the pre-selected entrants, whose choice was determined by questionnaires they had to fill in before the time, and the actual menu they would prepare for the judges on audition day.

Meeting Justin was a real pleasure – he’s handsome, wholesome, down to earth and likes to joke, making contestants and judges alike all feel instantly at ease. And he rates even higher in our book now since he DID decide to include PE in the auditions for season two of the Ultimate Braai Master show after all – and gave me and Salvelio an autographed copy each of his gorgeous Cooked in Africa book!

Each team of four judges was allocated four to six teams of “braai masters” and “braai buddies” to adjudicate. There were some familiar faces among judges – Natti and Mark from Natti’s Thai Kitchen, Matt from Charlie’s, John from Flava, Bernice from Hacklewood (soon to be Capsicum), Brent and Emmy Lou from 3 Fat Fish in JBay who make the best chocolate brownies in the whole world, Mauro from the Elephant Walk and others who, like us, had almost certainly skipped breakfast that morning. The brief sheet from Georgie from Cooked in Africa did say to come hungry… We also met the guys from Pick n Pay who are the main sponsors of the show, executive producer Peter Gird and the chef from the series, Bertus Basson.

Our particular judging team was made up of Salvelio, myself, Matt Repton and Dean Dickinson. We were super impressed by the efforts of our allocated teams – Matt, Salvelio and I especially enjoyed the laid back BBB (Barefoot, Beer and Braai) team from Chintsa East whose dessert of pancakes on the fire stuffed with grilled banana and rum sauce was quite heavenly. We also liked their rump bruschetta starters though Dean felt the meat was under-seasoned.

He preferred the second team on our list, Marc from JBay and Penny from Port Alfred. They barely knew each other and had just teamed up for the purposes of the competition, but nevertheless managed to produce a magnificent spread. I loved their roosterkoek pre-stuffed with figs and blue cheese and their fillet filled with fresh coastal oysters and bacon, carpetbag-style just like my Dad used to make. Marc used to have a restaurant but said it had closed; Penny does catering for a retirement village and so it was wonderful to see two people from different towns, having hardly any time to practise their dishes together, coming up with such a great entry. Sadly they did not make it through to the next round.

Our third and fourth teams also put in a solid effort though team three, Sue from East London and Zane from Sedgefield, did far too many dishes in our opinion. Their table looked beautiful and they’d even gone to the trouble of making little wooden signs for all their dishes, but it was all quite overwhelming and one fancies they would have fared better had they chosen instead to focus on fewer dishes and perfected those.  

Team number four – friends Seth and Rese from Rock and Roast – came all the way from Cape Town and tried to tempt us with their pigeon parcel, but unfortunately those bony little birds did little to impress. Great couple though – we felt really bad for them as they’d had a disastrous experience following the Cap Town auditions when some errant coals left in the braai at the end of the day ended up igniting their vehicle and canopy. They thought they’d try their luck in PE again but it was not to be. 

In the end it was only the BBB team from our lot who went through to the next round, though it’s not yet a done deal that they’ll even be on the show. We also had a chance to check out the other teams not in our “pool”… there were some inspiring ones there, like the two architecture masters students from NMMU, JJ Theron and Heinrich Schlemmer, who made the suckling pig (and toasted chocolate croissants / buns which you could dip into a wondrous chocolate chilli sauce…. now why didn’t I have more of that???) Another team did rabbit; there was warthog sausage and lamb shank potjie… lots of roulades too, even terrines done on the fire and heaps of interesting starters and desserts.

The guest judges’ shortlisted teams were then narrowed down further by Justin and his guys, and it is this list of semi-finalists who will find out, hopefully next month, whether they have actually made it onto the show or not.

The 15 final teams that are chosen will accompany Justin around SA for many weeks, braaiing up a storm as they go along, including in some pretty far-flung destinaitions, and having to do various tasks along the way so eventually there will be only one team left to claim the grand prize.

Here are some pics from last weekend’s judging… sorry about the absence of some of the names but I was far too busy noshing to take detailed notes… Do also scroll down for the full list of semi-finalists from the PE leg.

Our judging team of Matt, Louise, Salvelio and Dean with Justin Bonello at the centre. 

Jon Hodder from Ginger with others from his judging team. The oke on the right is from Bridge Street Brewery and it looks like Craig Mischief on the far left. Not sure who the pretty lady is…

JJ Theron and Heinrich Shlemmer, from team Elephant Spitbraai. They ended up going through to the next round.

Those broodjies made by Marc from JBay and Penny from Port Alfred were the best… roosterkoek and bread pre-stuffed before baking with preserved fig and blue cheese. We also enjoyed their fillet stuffed with fresh coastal oysters and bacon. Sadly this team did not make it through to the next round

Team BBB from Chintsa East’s starter of rare rump bruschetta with rocket and pesto – delish! The meat was sourced from a speciality butcher. For mains they did a samp, cheese and backon tower, lamb skewer marinaded in yoghurt and a chicken roulade.

Pigeons stewed on the fire by the Rock and Roast team who came all the way from Cape Town… sadly these birdies (the veld kind, not the flying rat kind!) were far too tough for our liking though the sauce and the sweet potatoes in the same parcel were very good indeed

Louise with Team BBB who’ve gone through to the next round.

Lou with Justin Bonello… oh my goodness I just love him!

Here is the full list of finalists from the PE round. Some of the teams came from the Garden Route and even from other parts of South Africa to compete here. 

1) “Smoke Sweat & Tears”, friends from Fish Hoek, braai master Chris Kastern and braai buddy Simon Good.

2) “West Coast Bro’s”, brothers from Lamberts Bay and Elandsbay, braai master Etienne Gersbach and braai buddy Karl Gersbach.

3) “BBB”, friends from Chintsa East, braai master Steve Domoney and buddy Janet Bezuidenhout.

4) “Smith & Krohn”, friends from Port Elizabeth, braai master Stuart Smith and braai buddy Karin Krohn-Bresler.

5) “Coal Play”, a couple from Cape Town. Braai master Kate George and braai buddy Jonno Proudfoot.

6) “Braai-o-Holics”, a married couple from Knysna, braai master Brenda McKenchnie Ballack and braai buddy Grant Ballack.

7) “Huiskombuis Boys”, friends and life mentors from Cape Town, braai master Kyle Hodgson and braai buddy Rudy Gibbons.

8) “Elephant Spitbraai” friends from White River, braai master Heinrich Schlemmer and braai buddy, Jean Jacques Theron. The two are masters students in architecture at NMMU.

9) “Wild Ones”, a couple from Wilderness, braai master Vanessa Wellstein and braai buddy Haral Hilbert.

To get you in the mood for the Ultimate Braai Master show, here’s a recipe from Justin Bonello from last season’s hugely popular show:

Rubbed sirloin and crushed potato. Picture: Supplied

A Latin (or should that be Russian?) take on an SA braai favourite

Ensaladilla Rusa, a Spanish potato salad (despite the Russian attribution!) Picture: Salvelio Meyer

We were invited to a braai last weekend and were asked to bring “something salady”. I didn’t have much time to rustle up something elaborate as we’d spent most of the morning in DIY mode. Then I remembered the quintessential Spanish salad, Ensaladilla Rusa, which ironically translates to “Russian salad”.  No one has ever been able to tell me why it is called that, but what I do know is that this side dish always seems to go down well – especially at a good old South African braai! Please just make sure you either make your own mayo for this (it makes all the difference) or at the very least use a decent brand like Hellman’s, or else it just won’t taste like it’s supposed to. Making your own mayo is easy – I do mine in about 45 seconds flat if using a stick blender. For my fool-proof recipe (well it’s never bombed on me!) use the search function at the top of this page, type in the word mayonnaise and hit enter.

The recipe below serves six as a side dish. You can also serve it as a tapa.

Ensaladilla Rusa or Spanish (“Russian”) Potato Salad

Ingredients

3 carrots, diced into smallish blocks; 4 to 5 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and diced, 2 eggs, boiled; 1 cup of frozen baby peas; 1/2 onion, finely chopped and blanched; 1 standard-sized tin of solid-meat tuna in vegetable oil, drained; about a cup (or more if desired) of home-made mayonnaise;  sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning, pimento-stuffed green olives and roasted red pepper strips for garnishing

Method

Steam or boil the carrots and potatoes until cooked but still firm enough not to fall apart when being mixed through: about 25 minutes in a steamer should do it but it is best to watch the veggies so they don’t go too far. It actually prefer it if the carrots do still have a slight bit of crunch. In the meantime defrost the peas (not in the microwave). When you are ready to add them to the salad you can also blanch them for about two minutes, then rinse in cold water and drain thoroughly. Once the potatoes and carrots are done, drain them very well, cool and season with salt and pepper. Mix together the carrots, potatoes and peas; add the blanched onion, chopped egg and the tuna which has been flaked with a fork. Mix mayonnaise through the whole lot, check seasoning again, then pile onto a serving platter. Garnish with the strips of roasted red pepper (see tip below) and olives.

TIP: Try Salvelio’s quick alternative to roasting peppers in the oven! Take one large red pepper, deseed it and cut into flattish sections. Fry it in very little oil in a very hot non-stick pan until literally completely burnt on the skin side. Turn over, allowing the inside bit to cook too (but not burn); then turn off the heat, stick a lid on and allow to “steam” for a bit so the skin can loosen. Peel off the skin while still hot and cut into strips.

My wine educational with darling Olga – but not just yet!

This is me on the right with the Eastern Cape’s doyenne of wines, Olga Hafner, who kindly hosted a wine educational for me, Salvelio, our Weekend Post wine columnist Sam Venter and some of Olga’s new staff from Meridian Wines just the other day. Pics and details from the evening will be posted later this weekend as, in between the Oscar show and putting the paper to bed at 11pm last night, I still haven’t got to writing it all up. Eish… more to come so watch this space!

Louise gets a taste for cruising

The pool deck that made Louise consider becoming a stowaway on board the MSC Opera when it visited Port Elizabeth this week. Salvelio took all the pictures unless noted  otherwise

SHE is the glamour gal of the high seas. Almost petite, mind you, if placed next to one of those monstrous super-cruisers, but an unquestionably elegant and eye-catching sight when placidly parking off in the Port Elizabeth harbour.

The friendly city showed its (uncharacteristically, we swore) windy side when the 251-metre MSC Opera briefly visited this week. She arrived in Southern African waters for the very first time in November last year, and from Durban harbour set off on several cruises up to Portuguese Island, Maputo and Barra Lodge.

From PE on Tuesday she sailed first for Mossel Bay and then Cape Town, from where the last few cruises of the season will be undertaken as the ship heads to Walvis Bay and Luderitz along the unspoilt Namibian coast, while also doing a three-night local cruise to Mossel Bay afterwards. The Opera then wraps up the season with an 18-night cruise via Walvis Bay, the Cape Verde Islands, Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, Lisbon, Valencia and, finally, her end destination in Genoa.

Sister ship the MSC Sinfonia, cruising in SA until April next year, took over the Mozambique cruises out of Durban this week. Of course, having had the pleasure of lunching on the Sinfonia when she stopped over in PE last year, Salvelio and I interested to compare the two ocean beauties.

They’re not dissimilar in size (the Opera’s slightly bigger with 856 cabins to the Sinfonia’s 777). Both boast a distinctive Italian styling characterised by touches of grand, gleaming opulence (no wonder: they’re part of a fleet of 12 – soon to be 13 – liners owned by a super-wealth Italian family).

But the Opera, the newer of the two, is more modern and also has more balcony cabins, which means you can have a top-notch cruising experience without having to fork out for the more expensive balcony suites.

Our excited PE media contingent was met by MSC press officer Ingrid Roding-Tudor, Opera guest relations manager Francesca Calini and representatives from Mango. As MSC Cruises SA’s flight partner, the airline offers preferential rates to, for instance, PE folk who want to start their cruise in another port like Durban or Cape Town.

Bubbly guest relations officer Lydia Harper (above) took us on a ship’s tour, starting at its ”heart” on Deck 5 and pointing out chic restaurants, cafes and bars (all 11 of them) along the way.

We marvelled at the 713-seater Teatro dell’ Opera theatre, and the Aurea Spa with steam room, sauna, beauty parlour and hair salon. There’s a casino, internet cafe, library and card room, disco (sensibly at the very back of the ship), and even a virtual reality games facility, while those who like to shop can choose (duty-free but probably not guilt-free) high-end brands like Gucci or Baume et Mercier.

Lydia describes the ship as a “mini town” as it’s virtually entirely self-sufficient: “we even have our own carpenters on board”. The vessel feels so darn solid and steady when in port that it is easy at times to forget you’re on a liner, unless you happen to be peering out a porthole window.

But once you’re up on deck 11 with its two sparkling salt-water pools (these are drained and refilled daily, for sanitation purposes), there’s no forgetting where you are.

Lou about to enjoy a languid lunch at La Caravella.

For a moment there I felt like I had stepped into another, far more fantastical, dimension as tanned holiday-makers lazed on their pool loungers all around, sipping colourful cocktails and eating gelato.

The sun seemed to shine just a little brighter than normal and the harbour’s usually mucky water seemed an almost impossible shade of blue. This is the life, more than one media guest muttered.

Kids are extremely well catered for on the Opera through its Buffalo Bill playroom, with capable and patient-looking minders on hand and heaps of activities for all ages.

Ingrid says cruising has become extremely popular in South Africa in recent years, especially when you consider that in the “early days” there were only two small liners operating in our waters.

Cruising does seem one of the best-value holiday options currently available to South Africans: accommodation, meals and entertainment are all included in MSC’s cruise fare, with children under 18 cruising for free.

Little wonder then that Allan Foggit, MSC Cruises SA’s marketing head, reports record passenger numbers for the current season.

Speaking of food… after our media tour (“Just one more flight of stairs,” Lydia kept telling us) we sat down to a satisfying lunch at the ship’s La Caravella Restaurant, where Salvelio and I shared a table with Ingrid and Francesca. Both are  interesting, charming women and it was an opportunity to learn from Francesca, who was born in Italy but raised in Kenya, what a life and career on the ocean is like.

She says it suits her lifestyle perfectly, as she can do contracts when it suits her and then at the end take some time out to spend with her elderly parents, who live in Milan. She herself has a base in Sicily and spent most of her professional life working in the hotel industry in exotic island destinations like Madagascar, where she was part of a core team that established and ran a top resort there. Salvelio was even more so impressed when, upon learning of his Latin roots, she began conversing with him in fluent Spanish. She also speaks German as her mother is originally from there.

Our lunch, like the one on Sinfonia, was a sumptuous affair, and I was pleasantly struck by how light the meal was. Ingrid says the dishes are purposely kept light and fresh, as one can get very saturated after three or four days of eating on a cruise ship!

I enjoyed a light and lovely pasta first plate – Penne a la Sorrentina – tossed in a fresh tomato sauce with shrimps while Salvelio’s starter was the equally delicious salt cod puree with country bread. For mains he chose the Grigliata Mista di Mare, a seafood mixed grill with butterfish, prawn and calamari served on mixed greens with a grilled tomato, while I had Pollo a la Parmigiana – parmesan crusted chicken breast topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella.

All this was washed down with a glass (or two!) of  2011 Roero Arneis Italian white. Pud was an excellent Torta Caprese, or Capri chocolate and almond cake for me, and classic creme caramel delicately scented with orange for Salvelio.

Recipe: Salt cod puree with country bread

Inspired by our visit to the ship I’m sharing a recipe for salt cod puree. Salt cod, or bacalao, is popular in all the Mediterranean countries, including Spain. The bacalao, or stockfish, makes a delicious tapa or starter if you mix it with potato, garlic, onions, white wine and spices, puree and serve with rustic bread. It’s quick and easy to do (you will have to soak the salted fish in water for at least 24 hours before the time though, to remove the salt). This recipe is enough for four people.

Ingredients

650g salt cod (deboned); 2 medium potatoes, boiled, skinned and mashed; 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 biggish onion, finely chopped; 3 medium-sized cloves of garlic, crushed; 2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley; 1/4 cup of dry white wine; 1 bay leaf; 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Method

Rinse the salt cod under cold water to remove all visible salt. Cut into blocks, cover in cold water and soak in the fridge for at least 24 hours (longer is even better), changing the water 2-3 times. Drain well, pat dry with a kitchen paper and set aside.

Fry the onion in olive oil in a large frying pan until translucent. Add the fish and cook for about 15 min, stirring often. Finely flake fish using a fork. Add the potato, wine, garlic, bay leaf, parsley and nutmeg. Stir through and cook on a medium to low heat until wine is reduced and the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat, take out the bay leaf and allow to cool slightly.

Place the mixture into a food processor and process until smooth. Serve with slices of rustic bread.

For more info on the MSC Opera and MSC Sinfonia, and their various itineraries,  visit www.msccruises.co.za

Meet the ‘Dinner Diva’ who likes pushing boundaries

Ex-Bay resident Anél Potgieter is now an ardent food blogger. Picture: Supplied

FORMER Nelson Mandela Bay PR practitioner Anél Potgieter, winner of SABC2’s Dinner Divas cooking series, is now hoping her food blog, lifeisazoobiscuit.com, will be voted SA’s best.
Anél, who lives in Cape Town with her husband, Rick, was disappointed not to make it beyond the top 35 on popular cooking reality TV show MasterChef SA last year. She  she turned to an old childhood favourite, zoo biscuits, for comfort. And so came the light-bulb moment for her blog.
Success on Dinner Divas – a show pitting food bloggers against each other – would follow, and lifeisazoobiscuit is now among 30 blogs vying for the Eat Out DStv Food Network Produce awards for “best food blog of the year” – a people’s choice award.

Anél says she is no chef, just a passionate foodie. She blogs mainly in her spare time, as she works full time as communications head for a group of architecture and design companies.
Visit www.eatout.co.za/blogger-voting before the closing date on Monday to vote for her blog.
Anél spoke to us about her love of cooking, and now also blogging, while sharing one of her favourite summer recipes below.

Recipe: Strawberry carpaccio summer salad

This is one of Anel’s favourite recipes, specially at this time of year when cherries and strawberries are plentiful. Serves 2.

Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time and cooling down time for balsamic glaze: 20 min

Ingredients

For the salad: 200g strawberries, finely sliced; 100g Black Forest ham; curly lettuce; 10 cherries, fresh

For goats’ cheese crostinis: 100g goats’ cheese (plain); 30g dried cranberries; 1 big basil leaf (cut into fine strips); melba toasts or crostinis (3 per person); pink peppercorns

For the balsamic glaze: 125ml balsamic vinegar; 2T orange blossom honey; 1/2 tsp rose syrup; 2 Tbsp water; 5 pink peppercorns, crushed; pinch of salt

Method

For the balsamic glaze, put all ingredients in a small pot and boil for 8 to 10 min over medium heat. Remove from stove and allow to cool.
For goats’ cheese crostinis, mix the goats cheese, cranberries and basil together. Smear the goat and cranberry spread over each little toast. Carefully place 2 to 3 pink peppercorns onto each crostini.
To serve: Arrange the sliced strawberries on the bottom of the plate. Drizzle with a bit of balsamic glaze. Place a few salad leaves over the top. Add the goats’ cheese crostinis, ham, cherries and extra peppercorns. Drizzle with more balsamic glaze and serve.

Q&A wit ‘Dinner Diva’ Anel Potgieter

 

When did your love of cooking begin?

I grew up with three older brothers in a small Free State town – at that time there were no luxuries when it came to food. We grew up on meat, rice and potatoes, but Sunday was cake day! People came to our house after church for tea and cake.
My first food memory was at the age of eight, when my mom told me to bake “dadelbrood” (date loaf) for the next day. After that I did it every Saturday.

During filming of Dinner Divas, how did you handle the stress of cooking on telly, and what was it like to have your cooking scrutinised so closely?

It was extremely stressful and exhausting. I hardly slept a wink most nights before the various shoots and it showed. But the big thing was not to lose focus.

What inspires you in your cooking?

I surround myself with people who love food. My friend Pierre lives in Bangkok and influences my Eastern cooking through his cooking blog.
My friend Louis in Spain sends me paella recipes and the Mediterranean influences seem to rub off on me.
My friend Leonard gives me lessons on how to make the best Indian curries in the whole world. Doreen lives in Guguletu and has taught me her real African dishes.
My friend Mary is 70 and she inspires me through her “plattelandse” cooking with a modern twist.
My boss Derick inspires me by sharing his food experiences and by advising me which wine complements the food I make (he is the co-owner of a few wine shops).

 

What is your style of cooking?

I don’t have a specific style but I do like to push the boundaries with flavours and flavour combinations. I am also a “no-fuss” foodie.

Who are your culinary heroes?

Each year the list gets longer. At the moment it is Alain Passard. I dined at his restaurant in Paris recently (a rare treat!) and met him personally. I am still star-struck – what a wonderful, humble man.

What five ingredients can’t you live without?

Salt, good butter, garlic, chillies and Indian spices.

Which kitchen tools are you most attached to?

I only have the basic utensils and my favourite is my wooden spoon. It’s been with me since I owned my first flat many years ago. I can stir with it, crush garlic with it and plenty more. I like to chop and pound things to bring out their flavours. My husband reckons I need to beat or make food suffer before the good can really be savoured and enjoyed!

What sort of food would you serve to dinner guests? Suggest a three-course summer menu you might prepare.

I like to share food – I have a long table where people can sit and relax, drink wine, nibble and have fun.
Starter: Cabbage Greek salad with olive oil and vinegar with freshly baked breads. Main: Whole baked fish. Dessert: I love making my own ice cream, drizzling some good olive oil over it and serving it with a sprinkling of Maldon salt. That’s dessert with a twist!

Any top tips or tricks to share when hosting a dinner at home?

Choose simple dishes and do as much as you can beforehand. It’s more about the flavours and company at the end and you need to be relaxed to also enjoy the evening.

What is your favourite comfort food when not cooking for anyone but yourself?

It’s only my hubby Rick and me (and our Spaniel “children” Frankie Sinatra and Robbie Williams) and so we often eat simple meals. We love to braai – Rick likes trying different recipes and I normally do a simple salad with old-fashioned “braaibroodjies”!

Any guilty pleasures in your home or kitchen?

I always have a tin of caramel hidden away – and a bottle of good wine in the fridge for drinking while I’m cooking.

When you eat out in the Cape, what is your favourite spot?

I love the elegant restaurant at De Grendel wine farm 10 minutes from my home.

How often are you in the Eastern Cape? Any restaurants you are keen to try?

I haven’t been there for a while but some of my best friends still live there. I hear Stanley Street in Richmond Hill, PE, is a must.

What is your pet hate when eating out?

I don’t enjoy tasting menus! They confuse my palate and are too full of drama – rather give me a beautiful pasta and salad and I’m happy.
Always serve butter, not margarine – and don’t forget the balsamic vinegar and good olive oil.