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Newsletter 5: June 2008 |
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| Host a Hot Drink Party! |
 Why not hold a winter alternative to the summer Garden Tea Party? We suggest holding a Hot Drink Party. Invite your guests to join you in a celebration of winter. A tasty meal option would be a variety of warm soups – think thick tomato, butternut and orange, creamy chicken and corn or sweet-potato soups – served with plenty of fresh homemade crispy bread and butter to go along with the meal. After dinner, serve your guests Glühwein – red wine which is heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, cloves and sugar.
Once your guests’ bellies are full, encourage everyone to sit around a crackling fireplace where you’ll serve them a variety of hot drinks. Also, have a selection of cakes and warm muffins as a dessert option. On the menu would be a selection of coffees – cappuccino, moccacino, latté, macchiato and the ever-popular espresso – as well as hot cocoa and warm malt drinks such has Horlicks. A wonderful addition to this party would be a selection of Hot Chocolates, from White Hot Chocolate to Mint Hot Chocolate, be sure to top each steamy cup off with marshmallows, cinnamon and cream. Remember to have plenty of milk froth on hand too! Your guests will leave your party satisfied and filled to the brim with these wonderful winter warmers.
For more Entertainment Ideas visit the South African Foodies website |
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| Tip of the Month: Chilling Wine In A Hurry |
 If your guests start to arrive and you suddenly remember that you have forgotten to chill the wine, don’t distress! Place your bottles of wine in a bucket, add a layer of ice, followed by a layer of salt. Repeat this process until you have almost reached the top of the bucket. Fill the bucket with cold water to just below the ice line. And the reason for the salt you may ask? Salt causes ice to melt at a lower temperature, which results in the water becoming cold much faster. Your bottles of wine will be chilled in less than 10 minutes – one third faster than if you were to use ordinary methods. Cheers to that! |
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| Herb Q & A: Thyme |
 If your guests start to arrive and you suddenly remember that you have forgotten to chill the wine, don’t distress! Place your bottles of wine in a bucket, add a layer of ice, followed by a layer of salt. Repeat this process until you have almost reached the top of the bucket. Fill the bucket with cold water to just below the ice line. And the reason for the salt you may ask? Salt causes ice to melt at a lower temperature, which results in the water becoming cold much faster. Your bottles of wine will be chilled in less than 10 minutes – one third faster than if you were to use ordinary methods. Cheers to that! |
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| New Articles |
| Wine For Dummies - Part 1 |
| Recipe to try: Asian Chicken Salad (by Appetite Catering Services) |
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
1 cup soy sauce
½ cup old brown sherry
1 cup water
¼ cup chopped ginger
1 clove garlic - crushed
¼ tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
2 Tbs orange rind
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 x 100gms chicken breasts – filleted
½ pkt fine green beans
¼ pkt mange tout
½ pkt bean sprouts
½ pkt coriander
1/3 pkt mint leaves – optional
2 Tbs sesame seed |
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METHOD
- Place the soy, sherry, water, ginger, garlic, five-spice powder, orange rind and sugar in a large saucepan over low heat and simmer until the sugar is dissolved.
- Bring to the boil for 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken to the soy mixture and simmer for 10 minutes on low heat until cooked through. May take a little longer.
- Remove the chicken and slice.
- Bring the sauce back up to the boil and boil for 10 minutes or until syrupy. – I added a little more sugar at this point.
- Blanch the beans and mange tout for two minutes each and refresh in cold water.
- Place the beans and mange tout on the plate, top with the bean sprouts, coriander, mint and chicken and spoon the soy dressing over the salad.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- The dressing can be served warm or at room temperature.
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| Entertaining
Q & A |
What's All The Fuss About Organic Food?
The term "organic" refers to food that has been produced using strictly limited amounts of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In meat products, antibiotics for animals is kept to an absolute minimum. Under the "organic" label, genetically modified crops are forbidden while bodies governing organic foods demand more space for animals and higher welfare standards.
While the standard of food that you will be eating when choosing an organic product is unquestionable, the cost factor is a more concerning one. Due to organic crops being more vulnerable to pests and disease and it being more labour intensive, organic foods tend to be more expensive than conventional food. Taste-wise, the jury is still out on whether organic food does, in fact, taste better. The findings of studies to determine the benefits of organic foods are still in their early stages, but the results thus far show that many foods contain a much higher percent of antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids as well as minerals.
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