Kitchen Essential

Pasta

We believe that pasta may be the one and only reason why we’re still alive and kicking. When all else fails you can always boil some pasta and grate some cheese over it! Quick and easy.

Allow about 3 litres of water for 500 g of pasta, which is enough pasta for 4 to 6 people. Bring the water to the boil then add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon salt. (Adding oil is a cook’s preference; some say that it keeps the pasta from sticking together, others say this is a myth.) Slip all the pasta at once into the rapidly boiling water. Stir immediately to separate the pieces. Pasta cooks in 8 to 15 minutes, depending on the shape and quantity. Test periodically until cooked to your liking. It should be al dante, which means soft, but not ‘pap’. Continue Reading »

Omelette

The secrets of a successful omelette were recently revealed by a friend of ours who showed us a somewhat unconventional but foolproof technique.

Use three large eggs per omelette (never mind the cholesterol problem), a tablespoonful of milk and a small pinch of baking powder. Whisk until fluffy adding any seasoning just before cooking. Heat some butter in a pan and pour in the egg mixture. A moderate heat setting and a little patience will give you a good start. Cover the pan and leave the omelette to set. It normally takes 3-5 minutes depending on your stove, but keep checking it. Once most of the egg has set, place the omelette under a hot grill for about 30 seconds without removing it from the pan. This will set any runny egg at the top as well as brown the omelette. Then add cheese or any other topping of your choice before placing the omelette under the grill again. When sufficiently browned, fold it over and serve. Continue Reading »

Isn’t it interesting how the truly basic basics of cooking, like how to boil an egg that’s just right or cooking a perfect pot of rice, are ironically the last things we master? What we know (as with everything else), we’ve learnt the hard way. Allow us to make yours a smoother ride. If you start by getting the basics into the kitchen, mastering the cooking basics will just be so much easier.

Cooking (without waves)

If you know how to cook eggs, a pot of rice, pasta and veggies, you will survive. If you can do a decent braai, you may even thrive. So read on and see if you can master the basics. Continue Reading »

If you’d like to expand your knowledge of wine beyond where you get the best deal on Tassies, read on. If you remain firmly committed to the hops fraternity, you may want to skip to one of the other stupefyingly interesting sections. For instance, it is very dangerous handling heavy machinery in any shape, form or size after a wine tasting (a dedicated driver is a valuable asset) and a few other details that you may want to indulge us sharing with you. One thing is certain, if you do study this section you will know so much marvellous and interesting wine terminology, if you don’t impress anyone you’ll definitely confuse the pants off someone! Before we get serious — with wine, too, you only learn through experience. Take note of what exactly you’re drinking. Not all wines will cause your face to scrunch up as if someone has just poured a bottle of vinegar down your throat. If you’re lucky you may even find a wine that leaves you with a blissful little grin, like few other things in life ever will. Continue Reading »

You may never set the table like this (you probably don’t have enough matching cutlery anyway) but should you happen to be invited to one of those really fancy restaurants where you are faced with a dazzling display of silverware and starched white linen as the maitre d’ pushes in your chair, at least you won’t make a fool of yourself when it comes to using said silverware to deliver delicate morsels to your mouth for mastication, swallowing and digestion and whatever follows that.

With formal 3-5 course meals, the dinner place-setting is used from the outside in. When you sit down at a formal table, the side plate on your left is yours. There will normally be a butter knife on top. You will use this knife to butter your bread or roll which you don’t cut, by the way, but break (gently, you’re not a caveman). Continue Reading »

We are all faced with situations where we need to save face, join the party, be the party or simply leave the party. The trick is to know when to do what. Read the etiquette section for tips on when not to be late (ever, according to our publisher!) and more about formal table settings to know which fork to stick in what and not be completely flustered by the mere sight of it. The wine section will help you fake it with the best of them. Then we give you the cocktail recipes for fun, hangover cures for necessity and cigars for style. Continue Reading »

Eat your vegetables! This little sentence was drummed into all our heads when we least wanted to hear it. But as the universe is strange, when you move from your mother’s home you suddenly start eating vegetables by choice and you may even become a vegetarian! Most veggies are really easy to prepare, and depending on how you prepare them, they are healthy.

Steaming Vegetables

It is almost always better to steam your vegetables as it is the healthiest method for the tastiest vegetables (you taste the vegetable instead of what’s been added to it). Now if you own a microwave there should be no reason for you to ever steam, boil or cook vegetables on the stove. Most vegetables are quickly and easily cooked in the microwave. Consult your manual — it probably has a very useful table giving you preparation and timing details. Continue Reading »

Freezing

If you’re going to freeze something and you know you might not use it within a month, write the date on the bag. To prevent freezer burn always try to get as much air as possible out of the bag before placing it in the freezer.

How long can you leave food in the freezer?

Beef and chicken 1 year

Lamb, pork, mince 6 months

Sausages and bacon 3 months Continue Reading »

Don’t use these in the microwave

Metal or anything with metal trim or decoration. This includes pie tins and your dinner service if it’s got any silver or gold bits. Metal causes sparks in the microwave.

Hard plastic (melamine) and some Tupperware - these may absorb microwaves so food doesn’t cook properly in them.

Glued containers - dishes or containers that have been repaired with glue, or have handles glued on should not be used as the glue will melt and leave a huge mess. Continue Reading »

A modern miracle, the microwave’s potential is hardly ever met in the mere mortal’s kitchen. It stands in the corner forlornly hoping its owners will use it for more than pizza leftover warm-ups. As we are also maniacal reheaters, we went in search of the holy grail — or in this case the Best Kept Microwave Secrets.

In many instances the general reluctance to make the most of your microwave oven may well stem from a secret fear that it will blow up and take you and your home along with it. So let’s start with some golden rules: Continue Reading »

The pots and pans in your kitchen can make or break all future cooking experiments and experiences. If you’re still using your Mom’s or Gran’s discarded pots and pans, you’re going to have to replace them some or other time. On your first outing to buy a pot, you will find that there is such a wide variety that it is quite hard to choose. Here are some guidelines to help you with this treasure hunt. Continue Reading »

Barbeque Chicken

There are various bits of chicken that can be cooked over the fire varying from whole chickens to kebabs. The greatest danger with chicken is over-cooking, resulting in dry, stringy meat, or burning the outside while the meat is underdone closer to the bone. To avoid this, cook it fairly slowly over a moderate fire. Prepare a marinade for the chicken and baste it frequently while barbeque. A whole chicken cooks in roughly 45 minutes, chicken pieces in 20 minutes and kebabs in 10-15 minutes. When you suspect that the chicken is cooked, prod it with a fork or knife; if the juices that flow out are clear, your job is done. Continue Reading »

A wood fire should have no more flames, just red-hot coals. You need to know how hot your fire is as different meats need different heats (see below). The palm test has been handed down through the centuries and is still the best way to test a fire. Hold your hand the same distance above the coals as where the barbeque grid will be, roughly 10 centimeters above the coals. If you pull your hand away before you can count to three (as in one-thousand-and-one, one-thousand and-two, onethousand-and-three), you have hot coals. If you can keep it there for four to five seconds you have a moderate fire, and if you can count to six or seven you have a slow fire. Continue Reading »

Considering the sociability of the barbecues and the fact that you don’t have to clean the kitchen afterwards, it’s brilliant! It’s less fuss, more fun. We recently went for what we thought was a traditional (in the sense of a fire) barbecues at a friend’s house. When the fire was still not lit an hour after we got there and there was no sign of wood or charcoal we were getting a bit edgy, only for the hostess to nonchalantly stroll outside with the extension lead and her new electrical barbecues. Fair enough, it is easier, but lighting the fire and enjoying that delightful smell that stays in your clothes and hair for the remainder of the evening certainly adds a little je ne sais quoi to an evening under the stars. Continue Reading »

The term ‘china‘ is used to describe widely different materials ranging from the finest porcelain to heavy earthenware pottery. Fine china is usually kept for entertaining and a heavier duty pottery or earthenware is used every day.

Porcelain and bone china

This is the very best china and, treated carefully, will last well. Its extremely delicate appearance is deceptive, for it is remarkably robust and, unless knocked quite hard, is far more resistant to chipping than one might expect. It should not, however, be put into or on a very hot oven but should be warmed very gently. Overheating will cause tiny cracks to appear in the glaze and the lustre will disappear. Fine china should never come into contact with direct heat such as a low gas flame. Continue Reading »

Decanters and carafes

Decanters are usually stoppered to prevent loss of bouquet from fine old red wines. Spirit decanters which often come in pairs may be simple yet elegant in shape, but are more often made of deeply etched glass. These too need stoppers. Silver tags hung round the necks identify the contents.

Robust young red wines benefit from exposure to the oxidizing process of air and are frequently served in a carafe, which has no stopper.

Cutlery

The price of cutlery varies enormously according to he material it is made from and the quality of the finish. At the lowest end of the scale is stainless steel cutlery, although this rises in price depending on the quality of the steel and the degree of workmanship. Stainless steel is extremely practical and suits informal meals, but it is not always appropriate for more formal occasions. Continue Reading »

Formerly a full suite of glasses would contain anything from ten to twenty different shapes. Nowadays we make do with far fewer and the rules as to their use are less rigid. There are many different qualities and designs available and it is generally possible to find attractive glasses to suit your budget. There are two main kinds to be aware of, lead crystal and soda glass.

Lead crystal is the most expensive hand-made glass and it contains lead oxide. Because of its high light refraction it displays the contents to the finest advantage, and lends itself best to decorative cutting. Within this section there are several grades, so enquire carefully from the retailer the exact description of the high-quality glass to guide you on price. A printed price list should indicate the grades. Continue Reading »

Among the ’special’ dishes or sets of dishes you might like to acquire are those for a particular food. The following are the most usual.

Artichoke plates

These round dishes, embossed with a raised design of artichoke leaves, have a circular depression in the centre for the artichoke and a dimple for melted butter or french dressing.

Avocado dishes

These come in exactly the right shape to hold half an avocado, and are made from glass or fine bone china embossed with leaves. Continue Reading »

Candles add elegance and romance to a table setting and throw a gentle light which is flattering to faces, flowers and food.. Light a formal dinner with several candlesticks or use one or two Candles for a more intimate romantic occasion.

The colour of the candles should be matched to china, linen and flowers and can be varied to suit different occasions. Red, white and green are ideal at Christmas, combined with holly, poinsettias and other festive items. A meal in springtime is brightened by daffodils and narcissi arranged with yellow, white and pale green candles. Try other colour combinations for different effects.

One kind that is available features a sherry-type glass with a wick and float and a special liquid that burns with a red or green flame. Continue Reading »

It is important to start by choosing a colour scheme for the table setting and then to choose flowers that suit the style of the meal, the colour of the table linens, the china to be used and any candles to be placed on the table. The appearance of the room and the dinner table can be effectively varied by using flowers of different colours arranged in different ways. Several large arrangements of flowers can be placed around the room to echo the theme chosen for the table, and a much smaller arrangement should be used on the table itself. Tall vases and large spreading arrangements placed on the table are too intrusive and may mean that people cannot easily talk to each other across the table.

The table flower arrangement should be kept low and central, spreading gently outwards rather than upwards. The shape of the vase used is all important as it will affect the height of the flowers and the way they spread. Choose a low shallow vase and place inside a piece of crumpled chicken wire or oasis; this will hold the stems in place. Continue Reading »