Taste-bud symphony for Cape Town

Buddy Valastro makes cake baking irresistible.

Buddy Valastro makes cake baking irresistible.

Published May 21, 2015

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Cape Town - Are foodies fickle? Restaurateurs will nod their heads, bloggers will disagree, saying that foodies are just adventurous, always eager to try something new, from ingredients to cooking techniques.

Right now, so many culinary styles, philosophies, diets and taste sensations are trending simultaneously that we can all be in fashion, favouring whatever suits our palates and purses.

South Africa is up there with the world’s best when it comes to keeping up with state-of-the-art gastronomy, and the The Good Food & Wine Show is the place to prove this.

It opens in Cape Town on May 21 and runs until Sunday. The show offers visitors a wealth of culinary delights, demos, and new flavours. A few international celebs will join a host of local chefs and television stars to tickle our tastebuds with delectable fare.

Healthy eating, cooking and various diets continue to be at the forefront of culinary trends. The so-called Banting diet tops the list here, still a lifestyle buzzword, but there are plenty of alternative – and dare one say less controversial – ways to reach one’s ideal weight.

The Health Hub, a new attraction, will offer many ideas for healthy eating, along with live demos from fitness fundi Lisa Raleigh, who specialises in digestion, stress management, obesity and fitness technology. All the major health and wellness brands will be showcasing products which cater for those sensitive to a range of ingredients, or are diabetic.

In somewhat indulgent contrast, baking continues to be hugely popular. In vogue and fattening, sugary, irresistibly tantalising cakes – small and large – top the popularity list as cupcakes fall off the perch. To fill every amateur baker’s most decadent craving, Buddy “Cake Boss” Valastro will be at the show, bringing sweet dreams to life with demos at his Eat Cake party. Descended from an Italian-American family whose Carlo’s Bakery is a household name in the US, Buddy is a renowned television personality who is known simply as the Cake Boss.

Supporting charity is always in fashion, and chefs are among the most generous when it comes to giving of their time and expertise. Visitors will be invited to buy a R20 raffle ticket to be in with a chance to win the show-stopping , 3D, life-sized cake being created by Wellington baker Dorothy (aka Dot) Klerck. Her masterpiece is being raffled in aid of Street-Smart, the organisation that helps street children attain improved lifestyles. Dot’s husband Tobie is making all the parts you cannot eat. The winner, who will receive his or her prize at a festival event – could be faced with a sweet problem of sizeable proportions… join Dorothy at the Brilliantly Sweet and Decadent cake section, where she will give free demonstrations in airbrushing techniques and how to work magic with fondant icing.

Good Cape wine and bubbly, spirits and craft beer play solo and complementary roles at the show, and the selection includes less common products such as digestifs from Tanagra Cellar, which specialises in grappas and eaux de vies produced from lemon, peach, pear and quince. At the Art of Wine visitors can pair gourmet bites of caviar, oyster and Namaqualand biltong with wines that enhance them.

The Good Food show is spotlighting homegrown chefs and regional foods this year, highlighting another international trend. South Africa boasts a wealth of indigenous ingredients, flavours and classics, from the ever-voguish bunny chow through to slaphakskeentjies on the side of the braai. Local chefs who will be in the show line-up include Siba Mtongana, host of Food Network’s Siba’s Table, our popular and international jetsetter, Giggling Gourmet Jenny Morris, along with Jacqui Brown, Shaun Bruce, Benny Masekwameng, and Jose Gomez, among others.

They will all present live demos that reflect their particular style and favourites.

Jenny Morris says: “I will be running the ‘Romancing the Stove theatre’, cooking with couples, as well as Cooking Vietnamese Cuisine in the Chefs in Action theatre.”

Staying with regional fare, Speciality Street will stock locally grown and produced goodies, including chutneys and cheeses. Children are being catered for at Clover kidz with a structured fun, health and fitness programme: Camp Fit for the older child and Stretch-n-Grow for the littlies – a good alternative to endless snacking.

Whether you want to keep up with the latest trends or just find inspiration for varying the daily meals, the GF&WS is the place to be this weekend. The show takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from today until Sunday.

Buy tickets at the door or through Computicket. Adults pay R130, pensioners pay R110. Children from 13 to 18 will be charged R110, children from 7 to 12 pay R50 and children aged 6 and under go in free of charge.

* Visit www.goodfoodandwineshow.co.za for more information.

Cape Argus

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