I hosted an earlier- than- planned father’s day luncheon this weekend and had to set up two tables to accommodate the crowd. I was writing to my foodie pen pal Lisa early on Sunday morning, telling her about my theme and menu and she begged me to take photos and suggested I post them just to prove I really “DO practice what I preach “(as if I don’t!).

I hauled out some framed pictures of Madiba (from my African Christmas course) , in honour of his hospital admission and because he is a “tata” to us all and added a dash of local and lekker goodies, including Proteas, zef coasters , gorgeous Mr Price beaded LOVE signs (on sale now for R20) and some local “LIEF” place mats for the kids.
I served carrot soup in little African enamel mugs, with bowls of dukkah, coriander, butter and a platter of warm bread to serve. My own “Asian style slow cooked lamb” was tested for my upcoming winter course (what a hit!) and I whipped up my butternut and sweet potato curry for my vegan niece (recipe on next post).
I could not resist adding these pics of my new guest bathroom as I also just purchased the most adorable EISH frame (R60 from a craft shop at Second Cup tea garden). I have recently given my loo a splash of colour with some bargain goodies and old crates and bottles from past COOK courses. I love how gorgeous the Proteas look in the vintage ginger beer bottles (Pick n’ Pay)
All in all a very colourful lunch and day!

I once attempted to become a vegetarian. After purchasing a ready-cooked chicken for dinner I noticed a dangling broken leg. I stood staring at the chicken, wondering if it’s leg had possibly been broken while it was still alive and in a cage and could not bring myself to eat it.

Desperately wanting to save the earth and animals I immediately stopped eating meat and subscribed to PETA magazine to aid my cause.
Suddenly I was surrounded by meat. Biltong and Boerewors rolls at rugby, lamb chops on the braai and chicken served at every dinner party or book club. Two months later, we departed for Italy on a skiing holiday, and every single evening I had to walk past the most unbelievable charcuterie at the all-inclusive buffet but with determined resolution headed straight for the ripe cheese and draught machine instead.
I lived on vegetables, pasta, bread and a sense of achievement, until that one day.
It was three months into the meat free lifestyle and one morning (3kg heavier from all the cheese and pasta) I woke up with the most ludicrous craving. Without batting an eyelid I drove like a mad woman to purchase a cooked chicken and ripped the skin off, devouring it until I felt ill.
I drove home shattered, but with new resolutions: I would only eat free-range, local meat (and try to convert my daughter instead). I would introduce meat free Mondays, only meat once a day and opt for fish when eating out. I would stop eating pork (that lasted for another 6 years until I fell pregnant again and craved bacon) and I would not permit mass produced take-away meals in my home (to this day my husband hides take away packets under his car seat).
BUT if I had succeeded this dish would have been my “Sunday lunch”, my “Seafood Platter” or my “Chef’s special”.
It is hearty, addictive and delicious. Do not be put off by the list of ingredients, it’s quick to prepare. I adapted the recipe from a very old Fair Lady recipe and it was a popular addition to my Bollywood Bombay course.
Baked sweet potato and butternut curry with coconut cream (6 as a main, 10-12 as a side or second dish).

¼ cup canola oil
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon Jeera seeds

3 large onions quartered and sliced

1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 teaspoons Durban masala
2 teaspoons garlic
2 teaspoon salt

500g ready cubed butternut and 500g ready cubed sweet potato
1 tin of lentils, drained and rinsed
Juice of 2 oranges and peel or zest of 1 orange (no pith)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tin (400ml) coconut cream

1 bunch coriander, chopped

1. Heat oil and add the first lot of ingredients
2. Add the onions and cook for about 5-8 minutes, till soft
3. Add the ginger, garlic, masala and salt and fry for about 5 minutes
4. Lightly oil a heatproof casserole dish
5. Layer all the vegetables with the onion, add orange juice and peel/zest, cinnamon, and drizzle over the coconut cream. Sprinkle on the cinnamon.
6. Cover with foil and bake covered at 200 ˚C for 40 minutes, remove foil and bake for a further 30-50 minutes (or longer depending on your oven) until browned on top and thickened…
7. Scatter with coriander

Cook’s notes: A tin of butterbeans (with the juice) can be added to the bottom of the casserole dish.

Babotie and apple pie gets bad press because of the sultanas and raisins. What is it with men and those teeny little innocuous shrivelled grapes that makes them shudder? Like a truffle hog, men will sniff them out regardless of how many ingredients you throw in along with them.

One of the reasons the recent Tagine-style chicken from my course was so popular and appealed to men and woman alike is because I cleverly disguised the dried fruit, which is too authentic and delicious to omit.

I use the dried orchard strips from Woolworths, conveniently located in the isle counter, drown them in sherry and cook them for a few minutes in the microwave until they are soft and plump and could pass as Mrs Ball’s chunky chutney pieces (with a boozy twist).

I have used Melissa’s jam (for the added ginger flavour) but feel free to use tomato jam, apricot jam or additional chutney.

The chicken is leaner and not as moist as the mince and so I used less bread and more milk and buttermilk to keep the dense mixture light.

While I have not tried it, I believe that mashed butter beans makes a great gluten- free alternative to the bread, though beans AND dried fruit might make the men head for the hills….

Chicken Babotie
1 whole roasted free-range chicken, flaked without the skin
2 onions, chopped
3 tablespoons Melissa’s chilli ginger jam/tomato jam/chutney/apricot jam
1 packet of fruit strips (40g)
½ cup sherry
2 teaspoons mixed spice (some nutmeg will do if you do not have)
½ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons (or less if serving to children) mild curry powder (like medium Rajah)
2 tablespoons Ina Paarman chicken stock powder or 1 tablespoon NoMu chicken fond
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup (250ml) buttermilk
1 cup (250ml) milk
2 slices of bread, crusts removed
2 extra- large free large eggs

Custard
1 egg
1 cup (250ml) buttermilk
½ cup milk
1-2 tablespoons castor sugar
½ teaspoons turmeric

1. Fry the onions in a little oil for about 10-15 minutes until caramelised.
2. Place the dried fruit and sherry in a bowl and place in microwave on high for about 3-5 minutes or until the fruit has absorbed the sherry and is plump and soft.
3. Add the spices to the onions and fry for a minute
4. Add the fruit, salt, stock, jam, vinegar and chicken.
5. Mix the eggs, milk and buttermilk
6. Soak the bread in the milk mixture and mash with a fork. Add to the chicken mixture.
7. Place the mixture in a casserole dish (or leave if in an oven friendly pot like Le Creuset), combine the custard ingredients and pour over
8. Bake for about 50 minutes at 180 ˚C or until golden brown.

Easy Jam (serve with Babotie, left-over-Babotie Samoosas, Malay Curry, cheese and biscuits, biltong scones or sosaties)

1 cup seedless white grapes
1 cup baby Rosa tomatoes
1 cup white or brown sugar
1 cup good quality vinegar (like white balsamic, rice wine, cider) NO spirit vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic reduction (optional)

1. Place all ingredients, except balsamic reduction, in a pot and simmer for 45-50 minutes, if you need to serve it immediately (it will be very thick and jammy) OR 20-30 minutes if you have time to refrigerate it and allow it to set slightly.
2. Add balsamic reduction and stir through

chicken babotie

Sharing is caring, so let me share my new obsession with you.
I am completely addicted to P P …..No, not Pinterest, PICMONKEY!

I thought I would share this website because it’s not just an editing program, it’s a wonderful tool for those who run their own business or love scrapping and photography.

From designing your own website, enhancing your Facebook pages, to simply getting creative and doing ALL of your invites, invitations and announcements.

I have made collages of parties, invitations, fixed old photos and even tweaked and twiddled my business cards. All on line and mostly for free.

Certain elements and themes require an upgrade but only for about $30 a year. Compare that to the cost of an editing package and it’s for peanuts!

There is no downloading and no instructions.

All you do is click on http://www.picmonkey.com/ and start playing.

You’ll see there are 2 options: Edit a photo or create a collage. You will notice it takes seconds to upload multiple photos. Yeeehaaaa.

I get so completely absorbed that I have Picmonkey opened up in two tabs,  which allows me to simultaneously edit photos while creating a collage so that I do not lose any loaded pictures.

Themes such as sweethearts, vampires or zombies allow you to add effects and props to the photos. From moustaches to vampire teeth, these are perfect for children’s photos and invitations.

Remove wrinkles, change your eye colour, even crop fat. Yes, you read correctly, you can actually give yourself a waist, add fillers to your cheeks, and add highlights to those neglected roots with the click of your mouse and no qualification.

Initially I thought the little overlays were rather cheesy, but that’s before I realised how to transform them. Don’t neglect these as I did, let me quickly demonstrate:

Take a simple chick overlay, copy the colours in your picture, fade it and turn it slightly so that it looks natural and part of the photo.

The available fonts are just SO cool and I will never download another font again.

I love their site, their blog (click on the Mother’s day tab), Pinterest board for reference, their chirps (which pop up as you work) but most of all their simplicity.

They appeal to novices and pros but somehow manage to appear both easy and challenging at the same time.

Mother’s day printable card from the gorgeous  http://www.pumpkinsandposies.com/. Go to free printables.

My suggested  Mother’s Day lunch for you is a simple soup (but one of my favourites), an unpretentious but unbelievably flavourful baked chicken dish and an easy (make-the-day-before)  sweet and luscious Lemon Posset (like the velvet middle of a lemon meringue). The Posset and the soup are featured on my blog and the chicken is from an old course but still a favourite according to the COOK clan..Actually it’s just what I feel like for lunch!

Fresh pea and baby marrow soup with crème fraiche and basil (serves 4)

Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced
I punnet baby marrow roughly sliced (around 350g)
3 cups strong chicken stock (I used 3 cups water and 3 tablespoons Ina Paarman chicken stock but you could follow the measurements if you prefer a less salty soup)
1 packet fresh peas (280g)
Small handful of fresh basil
Crème Fraiche and black pepper to serve

1. Fry the onion in a little olive oil for 2 minutes then add the baby marrow, sweet potato, peas and stock
2. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until the potato is soft (about 12-15 minutes)
3. Blend soup with basil until smooth and then serve with a dollop of crème fraiche and black pepper

Mediterranean chicken (4-6)

8 chicken pieces, skin on*
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion
4 garlic cloves
½ cup white wine
1 tin chopped tomatoes
½ packet kalamata olives
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon sugar
Small packet of back bacon, chopped (about 8 rashers)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ cup chopped Italian parsley
3 tablespoons Ina Paarman chicken stock powder/2 tablespoons NomU chicken Fond

1. Brown the chicken and then add to a casserole dish, leaving the pan on the heat
2. Add the onion to the pan and fry for a few minutes. Add garlic and wine.
3. Add the tomatoes, olives, vinegar, paste, oregano, basil, stock and sugar
4. Season and cook for about 2 minutes then pour over the chicken
5. Bake for about 45 minutes at 200 ˚C
6. Pan fry the bacon and sprinkle on top of the cooked chicken with the lemon and parsley

* Use skinless pieces, just place in the casserole dish without browning first. Alternatively use half with skin for added flavour and half skinless for a lower fat dish.

Lemon Posset (4 small glasses or 8 shot glasses)
450ml cream
125g castor sugar
60ml/ ¼ fresh cup lemon juice
1. Combine cream and castor sugar in a pot and bring to boil while stirring.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Pour into a jug and allow to cool slightly, stirring every now and then to avoid a skin forming on top
4. Pour into glasses and chill for a few hours or until set.

Ok seriously. Cream cheese icing is more complex than a car engine. I have always made my version of a cream cheese icing for my cupcakes but I wanted a recipe without butter to top the carrot cakes for my recent course.

So I used the recipe everyone uses. Right? It’s on every blog, every Pinterest recipe and featured in Rachel Allen’s books . It’s just cream cheese and icing sugar. So why did I make gloop at every attempt?
Yes I only used Philadelphia, Hulett’s icing sugar and my kitchen Aid.  And yes I was sober at every attempt.

So seriously doubting my own ability I kept quiet and made my usual cupcake icing throughout the course.
One night after class and after a few glasses of wine I Googled. Instead of Googling cream cheese icing I Googled “What the hell is wrong with my cream cheese icing?”. Voila! Bingo! Tadaa!

I was clearly not the only one making running gloop. The answers ranged from the fat content of the cheese, the added corn flour in the icing sugar, the temperature of the cheese (it had to be cold) to “what the hell is wrong with YOU?”
I followed the trail of bloggers who never omitted the butter. Butter is never a bad thing.
So it turns out that as with baking, it’s very scientific and the secret lies in the method. Change the sequence and your icing gets fluffier and fluffier.

Of course there are those who are going to say “But I make perfect icing with only cream cheese and icing sugar!” They are the same people who also walk around saying “My baby slept through from 4 weeks and has never woken up during the night” and “I eat whatever I like and never get fat”.
Good for you. Now bugger off.

Lovely fluffy flop-proof cream cheese icing

125g Woolworth’s organic butter (read the notes on why)
250g (1 block) Philadelphia cheese, room temperature is better
2 cups icing sugar

1. Beat the butter until pale and then add the icing sugar until you have a quite a thick smooth mixture.
2. Add the cheese little by little (break off the blocks with your fingers) until it starts to fluff up. Beat only until smooth and combined.

On the organic butter: I am not trying to save the planet, my liver or punt Woolworths. It’s just that this butter beats PALE and FLUFFY unlike any other butter.

If you have a password and a cooking file please go the recipes for the full carrot cakes with caramel icing with peanut brittle recipe. To buy one go to http://balela.co.za/ or mail me for more information of info@cookstudio.co.za.

I never post other people’s posts or pics on my blog but I had to share this party arranged by our family photographer (Amanda Azor photography) for her son’s first birthday. I love the detail especially the Iwisa no 1 good bags!

COOK Recipe File owners can now download the latest course notes, Birthdays and Book clubs (with an improved cream cheese icing recipe) and reference the craft notes with pictures of the animal parade party (posted on the Craft and Table styling page).

I Love this method of cooking a whole chicken, though I never include it in a course as its impractical to both cook and serve several whole birds in one lesson, which is a pity because you would be more inclined to cook it after tasting it!

The amount of water and cooking time depends on your pot so just keep an eye on the liquid. Once cooked you are left with sweet, thickened sauce to spoon over the meat (which just falls apart) so be sure to serve this with rice, mash potatoes or couscous to mop it up.

Pot roasted chicken with honey, mustard and apricots
1 large whole free range chicken
Maldon salt and pepper to season
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
2 tablespoons Ina Paarman chicken stock powder
About 4 cups of water
½ cup medium cream sherry
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
Finely grated zest of 1 orange ( I sometimes use fresh ginger instead)
100g dried, soft Turkish apricots

1. Place the apricots and sherry in a bowl, cover with cling wrap and heat in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes or until the apricots are soft
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper
3. Heat the oil in a large pot with a tight fitting lid and brown the chicken on both sides
4. Remove from the pan and set aside
5. Add the onion to the pot and fry until browned
6. Add the remaining ingredients, place the chicken back into the pot
7. Place the lid on the pot and cook the chicken for at least an hour, checking the sauce
8. It’s ready when its starts to loose it’s shape as the meat starts to fall from the bone