Archive for April, 2010
Friday, April 30th, 2010
We just got a bunch of information from Neil Jewell (from Bread & Wine restaurant) about his class next week – you know, the one called The Pig – and well, it looks like it’s going to be a cracker. Neil will be bringing a whole pig in and he’ll be talking participants through what to do with a pig. This includes discussing and making a selection of things like Lardo, Toulouse sausages, Pancetta and cassoulet amongst others. If you like pork, bacon, pigs and all the goodness therein associated… this course is for you! We do suggest you bring your pens with you though, since while you will be getting recipes, we think there might be tons of information to add to them. Oh, and don’t forget you get three courses and wine with this great class. Because we think it’s only fair you should eat and drink when you’re learning about food.
Tags: cape town cooking, Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School, cooking classes, cooking courses, Liam Tomlin, Neil Jewell, pork
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Thursday, April 29th, 2010
Chefs Warehouse hosted an intimate evening with Newton Johnson wines last week. Bevan Newton Johnson cracked open a few bottles of their superb wines, Liam demonstrated how easy it was to make some great-looking and delicious snacks and and everyone had a brilliant time enjoying them in the cooking studio.
Newton Johnson is a family run winery, with their wines all grown and made in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus. We drank their Rose, the Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and the Syrah Mourvedre. If you haven’t had a bottle of their Pinot Noir, I suggest you get hold of some – this wine knocked our socks off.
Liam’s snacks for the evening were a Tataki of Tuna (seared tuna with ponzu sauce), Truffle Sandwiches (sliced truffle on toasted sourdough) and Strawberry Spider (strawberry consomme, vanilla bean ice cream and a dash of soda water) for dessert. Just the kind of thing you’ll be able to whip up once you’ve done his course.
Thanks to all that joined in on the fun, and to Newton Johnson wines. More pics from the night below…
Tags: Cape Town, cape town cooking, chefs accessories, Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School, cooking classes, food, Liam Tomlin, Newton Johnson, wine
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Thursday, April 29th, 2010
Liam’s 20-class cookery course begins this coming Saturday, 8th May. This is probably the most complete cookery course in Cape Town that you could sign up for, and there are a few places available, so you still have a chance to take part.
Designed to help you conquer all the techniques that might have frustrated you in the past, the course takes you through stocks, soups, shellfish, fish, meat, game, poultry, pastry, baking, desserts and more. Liam will take you through the fundamentals, demonstrating how the knowledge of these basic principles allow you to follow your own creative spirit in the kitchen.
The class is intimate, with only 24 participants, so everyone gets to interact one-on-one and master all the methods. Held on Saturdays twice a month, each class is four hours long. If you’d like to find out more, please feel free to stop by Chefs Warehouse or contact us on info@chefswarehouse.co.za or 021 422 0128.
Tags: cape town cooking course, Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School, cooking classes, cooking course, Liam Tomlin
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Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
La Colombe has snatched 12th place in the S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards which were awarded in London last night. Congratulations to the restaurant and Chef Luke Dale-Roberts, who must be delighted with the accolade. The restaurant moved up 26 positions in the list, which is decided by “celebrated chefs, renowned food critics, leading restaurateurs and well-travelled gourmands.” In addition, La Colombe was voted the Acqua Panna Best Restaurant in Middle East and Africa.
Copenhagen restaurant Noma moved to No 1. position on the list, moving El Bulli and the Fat Duck down to second and third respectively. Spain had four restaurants in the top 10, while Tokyo, with more 3 Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city, doesn’t even feature in the top 20. No restaurants in the Middle East found a place.
Congratulations must also go to Margot Janse and the team from Le Quartier Francais, who moved up six positions to claim 31st place. Le Quartier Francais was the only other South African restaurant in the top 50, which was very much dominated by European restaurants.
The Top 10 (okay, top 12 so you can see La Colombe) Best Restaurants for 2010:
| Rank |
Change |
Restaurant |
Region |
Awards |
| 1 |
Up 2 |
Noma |
Denmark |
The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in the World, The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant in Europe |
| 2 |
Down 1 |
El Bulli |
Spain |
Restaurant Magazine Chef of the Decade |
| 3 |
Down 1 |
The Fat Duck |
UK |
The Chef’s Choice sponsored by Electrolux |
| 4 |
Up 1 |
El Celler de Can Roca |
Spain |
|
| 5 |
Down 1 |
Mugaritz |
Spain |
|
| 6 |
Up 7 |
Osteria Francescana |
Italy |
|
| 7 |
Up 3 |
Alinea |
USA |
The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant In N.America |
| 8 |
Up 33 |
Daniel |
USA |
The Highest Climber sponsored by Cocoa Barry |
| 9 |
Down 1 |
Arzak |
Spain |
|
| 10 |
Down 4 |
Per Se |
USA |
|
| 11 |
Up 29 |
Le Chateaubriand |
France |
|
| 12 |
Up 26 |
La Colombe |
South Africa |
The Acqua Panna Best Restautant in South Africa |
Tags: Best restaurants in the world, El Bulli, La Colombe, Le Quartier Francais, Noma, S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants 2010, Top 50 Restaurants
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Monday, April 19th, 2010
One of our neighbours on New Church Street is the Protea Hotel Fire & Ice. This is not your average hotel. We know this because of the name. And because we’ve been there and used the ‘stage fright’ themed toilet. We’ve also seen the cool design inside. But more than this, we know it because the GM, Anton Gillis, came by and dropped a cake off for us. In the words of Liam, “One of the coolest hotel managers I’ve met.” So a thank you for the great welcome, Anton, and we hope to see you again. Oh, and the cake (coffee & chocolate) was absolutely superb! See more about the hotel here.
Tags: Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School, Fire & Ice hotel, Protea hotels
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Monday, April 19th, 2010
No need to say too much except that we’re pretty happy with the lineup below. Five top chefs. Five great classes. One month.
These guest chef classes will consist of a three hour demonstration where participants will enjoy three of the dishes prepared, with wine chosen to complement the food. A rather a unique opportunity to spend time with and ask questions of your favourite chef. You’ll also get given comprehensive class notes & recipes to take home after.
Classes cost R575 each. Oh, you can also email through your details (name & cell) to Rachel if you’d like to win a free place at one of these courses…
The lineup…
Neil Jewell (Bread & Wine): ‘The Pig’
Commencing: 05th May
Bruce Robertson (The Gourmet Road Show): ‘Silence of the Lamb’
Commencing: 06th May
Peter Tempelhoff (The Cellars-Hohenort Hotel):
Commencing: 11th May
Alexander Meuller (Pure): ‘Pure Food’
Commencing: 24th May
Carl Penn (Carne): ‘Basic Lamb Butchery / Preparation & Cooking’
Commencing: 27th May
Tags: Alex Meuller, Bruce Robertson, cape town cooking, Cape Town cooking classes, Carl Penn, chefs, Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School, cooking courses, guest chefs, Liam Tomlin, Neil Jewell, Peter Tempelhoff
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Monday, April 19th, 2010
Walk into Chefs Warehouse and you’ll notice there is an abundance of great-looking items. One that really stands out is the bright orange espresso machine on the far wall, made by Guzzini in Italy. Fratelli Guzzini has been synonymous with Italian style and innovation since 1912. Their G-Plus range is their latest.The quality is legendary. The style is unquestionable. Retro yet modern, the Guzzini G-Plus espresso machine is a great home machine, utilizing the Lavazza pod system for great coffee made easily. As the company says, “Pleasure and cheer do not actually have a shape. But pleasure and cheer can be ensconced in a shape.” One look at this colourful machine will convince you. And yes, it will look as good in your kitchen as it does in the shop here.
Tags: Cape Town, Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School, coffee, cooking classes, espresso machine, Guzzini, Liam Tomlin
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Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
At Chefs Warehouse, we’re pretty excited about our lineup of courses. Aside from some top international chefs, we’ve got the very best of local talent too. Like Neil Jewell. If you don’t know him, you probably know his meats, amongst the finest cured meats in the world. At Bread & Wine restaurant in Franschhoek, Neil works magic. He’s a charcuterie guru. He’s South Africa’s very own Fergus Henderson. He’s so good we couldn’t resist getting him in to do a class at Chefs Warehouse so he can share some of his secrets with us. And we’re inviting you to join in.
‘The Pig’ is Neil’s class on the 5th of May. It consists of a three-hour demonstration during which participants will enjoy three of the dishes prepared. And of course, they’ll be paired with wine. To win a space at this great class, simply send us an email with subject ‘The Pig Competition’ and include your details (name & phone number). We’ll randomly pick a winner a week before the class.
To book a space in the class, please contact Rachel at 021 422 0128 or via email. Class fee is R575 per person. Space is limited.
Tags: Bread & wine restaurant, Cape Town cooking classes, charcuterie, Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School, cooking classes, Liam Tomlin, Neil Jewell, The Pig
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Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
It’s not often you come across a company with a motto like “Against throwawayism.” iittala is a company that set out to design items that are “appropriate, durable and functional.” And obviously stylish too. Chefs Warehouse has their glassware range on show in our retail space. Coffee sets, coloured glasses, wine tumblers, decanters and more. They’re all exceptionally beautiful and make excellent gift ideas. Or pick up some for your own home. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this range. Read more about them at www.iittala.com. Otherwise stop by and see the range along with other killer glassware at our shop on 50 Church Street.
Tags: cape town chefs, chefs shop, Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School, cooking courses, decanter, glassware, iittala, Liam Tomlin, wine glasses
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Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
Packed with invaluable information on ingredients, cooking techniques and kitchen equipment, this book is often referred to as a ‘kitchen bible.’ Stephanie Alexander is the Australian chef and author whose writing bursts with enthusiasm and excitement for food. You can’t help but get carried away – with a book like this at home you’ll find yourself cooking some interesting new dishes. From abalone to zucchini, the book is laid out alphabetically to help you navigate through all the ingredients available to you. And encourage you to seek out new ones. Just the sort of thing Chefs Warehouse is about.
Tags: Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School, cookbooks, cookbooks cape town, cooking courses, liam tomin, stefanie alexander, the cook's companion
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Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
This is an informal yet informative 4-part class hosted by Caroline Rillema of Caroline’s Fine Wines fame. Caroline’s Strand Street store is a flagship wine shop in Cape Town and her knowledge is kept up to date as well as her enthusiasm fired through an annual trip to an international wine region. Not a bad job! Join her for Around The World, a study of top grape varietes from the regions where they excel most. You’ll taste the best of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir from producers in Australia, New Zealand, Burgundy, Chile, South Africa and more. The Around The World course runs 20th April, 4th & 18th May and 8th June. There are plenty of other courses on the way also, so visit the website or email us for more information.
Tags: Around The World wine course, cape town wine, Caroline Rillema, Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School, Liam Tomlin, wine, wine course
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Thursday, April 1st, 2010
Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School stocks a very impressive collection of professional chefs knives, with ranges from Wusthof, Scanpan, Global as well as Sabatier (France) and Shun (Japan). Aside from being an essential tool in every kitchen, a good knife makes a great gift. And if you decide to buy a knife from us, you get a complimentary service with it: return up to four times a year to get it sharpened by our professional knife sharpener. That said, a blunt knife is a dangerous knife, and something we really hate to see. So you’re welcome to bring your own knife or knife set to us for sharpening at any time.
Tags: Cape Town, Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School, cooking classes, cooking courses, Global knives, knife sharpener, knives, Liam Tomlin, Sabatier, Shun knives, Wusthof
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Thursday, April 1st, 2010
Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School aims to have the biggest library of cookbooks in South Africa. During the year we’ll gather as many different cookery books & food & wine related titles as possible. Whilst we cannot stock every cook book there is, we can order any book that you may require.
If you wish to join our Books for Cooks Club please email us. Why? You’ll benefit from our current list of titles and recommendations as featured in our upcoming monthly e-newsletter. Plus being a member also entitles you to a 10% discount on all purchases and will be invited to book launches & signings held at Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School. No other hassle or fuss.
During the year we hope to capture the flavour of the Cookery School by compiling our own Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School cookbook. This will include the most popular recipes contributed throughout 2010 by Liam Tomlin and the Cookery School’s guest chefs and wine presenters. Liam Tomlin has had extensive experience in both publishing and working with world renowned food photographers. Co-author of “BANC” and publisher of his second book “Season to Taste” in 2005 (of which a new updated edition is currently being published), Liam knows his stuff. He also contributes to numerous overseas publications and cookery books in which he has had many of his recipes published.
For advance orders or signed copies of ‘Season to Taste’ or queries on any cookbook out there, please email us or contact us at Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School.
Tags: cape town cookbooks, cape town food, Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School, cookbooks, cooking classes, cooking courses, Liam Tomlin, Season to Taste
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