Angela Day and friends review some of the latest cookbooks on the market.
SEASONS
Author: Donna Hay
Publisher: Wild Dog Press
Price: R329.95
Reviewed by: Sasha Zambetti
An enormous cookbook filled with recipes for all the seasons and beautiful, larger-than-life photography.
I would keep it on the coffee table rather than in the kitchen - and mainly because I don't like to cook from a book where the picture of the food (albeit a fabulously styled, gorgeous picture) is not on the same page as the recipe… pity, as I'm sure I'm missing out on some of Donna Hay's amazing ideas
LEMONGRASS AND CHILLI PRAWNS
Makes 6 skewers
CHILLI DRESSING
1 small red chilli, chopped
60ml chopped coriander leaves
15ml finely chopped lemongrass stalks
30ml lime juice
15ml fish sauce
15ml brown sugar
PRAWNS
12 medium prawns, peeled with tails and heads intact
6 stalks lemongrass, trimmed
olive oil for brushing
lime wedges to serve
To make the chilli dressing, place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
Thread 2 prawns on to each lemongrass stalk and brush with olive oil.
Heat a char-grill pan or barbeque over high heat. Grill or barbeque the prawns for 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked through.
Serve with the chilli dressing and lime wedges.
CAPE WINELANDS CUISINE
Author: Hetta van Deventer and La Motte
Publisher: Human & Rousseau
Price: R450
Reviewed by: Jenny Kay
This book is the first comprehensive cookbook with historic recipes that are scientifically based. Hetta van Deventer, culinary manager at La Motte wine estate, researched the origins of the recipes, then updated them for modern day cooking.
The book is beautifully presented, with wonderful pictures of the food as well as the winelands.
Some of the recipes are user friendly and would be accessible to the average cook but some recipes are quite long and involve long lists of ingredients.
If you are interested in the history of South African food, the information in the book will fascinate . I didn't know pasta was made in the Cape as early as 1754.
I tried the Kolwyntjies recipe which is a type of cupcake brought to the Cape in the 17the century. Before ovens were used, these were baked in a special pan with coals placed on top of the lid and underneath the pan.
KOLWYNTJIES
Makes 24
125g butter
125ml sugar
1 egg
30ml milk
5ml vanilla essence
500ml cake flour
7.5ml baking powder
1ml bicarbonate of soda2.5ml salt
1ml grated nutmeg
190ml raisins or currents
Icing sugar for dusting
Pre heat the oven to 180°C.
Whisk the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whisk the egg with the milk and vanilla essence. Add to the butter mixture.
Sift the dry ingredients together and fold into the butter mixture. Fold in the raisins.
Scoop large spoonfuls into greased cupcake pans and bake for 10-15 minutes until done. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Dust with icing sugar and serve.
THE VEGETARIAN KITCHEN
Author: Mellissa Bushby
Publisher: Random House Struik
Price: R220
Reviewed by: Amy Kay
This book contains lovely easy recipes for almost every occasion. Mellissa Bushby uses everyday ingredients to make simple delicious dishes.
If you are a vegetarian, this book is excellent for some fresh new ideas for everyday meals.
If you're not, this book has lots of ideas for veggie sides and doesn't use any scary ingredients.
The recipes are also dairy free which is great if you are avoiding dairy. These recipes are far from bland or boring and a great source of inspirations for “meat free Monday's”.
PECAN NUT GNOCCHI
Serves 4
1kg potatoes
5ml salt
5ml white pepper ( optional)
375ml white flour
PECAN NUT SAUCE
125ml chopped pecan nuts
250ml parsley
15ml tomato paste
45ml olive oil
5 cloves fresh garlic crushed
5ml salt
Gnocchi: Cook the potatoes until very tender. While still hot, mash them with the salt and pepper.
Slowly add the flour until you have sticky, but manageable dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface and shape into a rectangle about 1cm thick.
Cut the rectangle into strips and roll the strips into 'ropes' about 1.5 cm in diameter. Cut the ropes into 2cm long pieces. Place each piece on the inside bend of a fork and push down gently.
Place gnocchi on floured baking trays, and refrigerate if not using immediately.
To cook, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and drop in the gnocchi. They are cooked when they rise to the surface. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid.
SAUCE: Blend all the ingredients together with a little of the reserved cooking liquid from the gnocchi.
Add the gnocchi to the sauce and mix until well coated. Serve sprinkled with fresh parsley.
ONE-TWO-THREEON THE TABLE
Author: Bernice van der Merwe
Publisher: Human & Rousseau
Price: R195
Reviewed by: Sasha Zambetti
In today's fast-paced lifestyle, few people have time to contemplate mealtimes, Bernice has done that for you in this book. It features family-friendly meals, albeit lacking in vegetables, according to time available - from just 20 minutes!
It also has some basic assembly meals that will take you a few minutes to put together with shop-bought ingredients.
STICKY LAMB RIBS
1.5kg lamb ribs, cut into riblets
salt and pepper
a few drops of lemon juice
125ml tomato sauce
125ml chutney
60ml sweet chilli sauce
60ml soy sauce
Preheat the oven to 190ºC. Line an oven dish with baking paper or foil. Place an oven rack inside the prepared oven dish. Arrange the ribs on the rack. Season with salt and pepper and a few drops of lemon juice.
Prepare a basting sauce by mixing the tomato sauce, chutney, sweet chilli sauce and soy sauce. Pour the basting sauce over the ribs and bake for 20 minutes.
Turn the ribs a few times until grilled crisp on all sides in the sticky sauce. Also use a brush to baste the ribs with basting sauce that dripped onto the baking paper or foil.
COOK EAT LOVE GROW
Author: Louise Westerhout
Publisher: Random House Struik
Price: R140
Reviewed by: Sasha Zambetti
This is a lovingly written cookbook which took almost a decade to write and includes Louise Westerhout's personal anecdotes and stories of her son, Francis, his growing up and the recipes she prepared for him through all of his stages.
She offers healthy alternatives to bottled baby food, easy-to-feed ideas for nourishing your toddler and family food suitable for all ages.
Louise runs a vegetarian, wheat-free, sugar-free household, but encourages cooks to experiment with other ingredients she suggests or you would like - for example, roast chicken with her mushroom and polenta dish.
FRANCIS'S SALAD
Serves 1
1 potato, peeled, cubed and boiled until tender
1 orange, peeled and cut up into small chunks
half a head of fennel, thinly sliced
1 small avocado, cut into chunks
15ml sesame seeds or tahini
extra-virgin olive oil
lemon juice
Toss all the ingredients together.
BITTEN
Author: Sarah Graham
Publisher: Random House SStruik
Price: R230
Reviewed by: Sasha Zambetti
The food photography in this cookbook makes all these comfort food recipes look so yummy you just want to dash to the kitchen to cook!
It's really nice that Sarah isn't a chef as it makes her food very real and very homely - suited to anyone's capabilities, and I'm sure everyone's taste too. And if I didn't already love the book by page 173, the meals for a month section would have me smitten.
MEALIE BREAD
3 eggs
250ml cake flour, sifted
15ml baking powder
250ml grated cheese
1 onion, peeled and grated
salt and black pepper
1 x 410g can whole kernel corn
Preheat the oven to 180ºC and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, pour into the loaf tin and bake for 40-50 minutes until the loaf is golden and a sharp knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
RELISH
Author: Sonia Cabano
Published by: Random House Struik
Price: R220
Review by: Jenny Kay
At first glance, this book doesn't look very impressive. I thought it just had different relishes and chutneys, but I quickly changed my mind on paging through the book.
It is actually full of very useful recipes for making everything from flavoured salt, sauces, marinades, dressings to spice pastes, infused oils and vinegars, home made cheese, pickles and preserves and, finally, a few condiments and relishes.
Whenever possible I prefer to make my own dressings, chutneys and sauces and this book certainly covers every one of those topics.
The recipes are clear and easy to follow - suitable even for novices. The author also gives the uses and some recipes for using the home made salts, curry pastes and sauces. The recipes for making pesto are so easy and you have four flavours to choose from. Every serious cook should own a copy of this book.
EASY ALL-PURPOSE BARBECUE SAUCE
Makes 625ml
This is good on almost anything but especially burgers and beef. Use as a marinade or as a sauce to pour over the cooked meat.
30ml sunflower oil
1 onion, chopped
10ml crushed garlic
400g can of tomato puree
60ml sundried tomato paste or tomato concentrate
30ml soft brown sugar
30ml Worcestershire sauce
5ml cayenne pepper
45ml red wine vinegar
30ml mild or Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Cook the onions in the oil over medium heat until soft and translucent and just beginning to brown. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes.
If using as a marinade, set aside to cool, then pour over meat and marinate for anything from 1-24 hours. If using as a sauce, continue to simmer until thick.
This sauce can be served hot or cold. - The Star